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Hidden Villa hosts online auction
Hidden Villa has scheduled its inaugural Holiday Online Auction through Tuesday.
The auction features artisan oils, soaps and candles; gift certificates to local area restaurants and businesses; and getaways to popular Bay Area destinations.
Auction organizers encourage local residents to search the auction site for holiday gifts.
Proceeds from the auction will support the Los Altos Hills-based organic farm and nature preserve's educational programs, partnerships and scholarships.
To access the auction and bid, visit biddingforgood.com/ auction/AuctionHome.action? vhost=hiddenvilla.
For more information on Hidden Villa, visit hiddenvilla.org.
Children's Corner holds baby-clothing drive
Los Altos-Mountain View Children's Corner preschool has scheduled a holiday clothing drive to benefit the nonprofit Loved Twice, which supplies newborns in need with quality used baby clothing and accessories for the first year of life.
Items accepted include blankets, socks, hats, board books, pants, bibs, jackets, dresses, diapers and Baby Bjorn carriers.
Drop gently used accessories and clothing in sizes for newborns to 12 months 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays at Children's Corner, Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.
Docent discusses Hockney exhibition
Fine-arts docent Jim Kohn is scheduled to present an illustrated lecture on "David Hockney: A Bigger Exhibition," the current display at the de Young Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 in the Program Room of the Los Altos main library, 13 S. San Antonio Road.
Many of the landscapes in the exhibition are of monumental proportions, including multicanvas oil paintings and large-scale digital movies shot with multiple cameras, some requiring as many as 18 monitors.
"David Hockney," which runs through Jan. 20, is the largest exhibition in the museum's history, featuring more than 300 works of art.
For more information on the exhibition, visit deyoung.famsf.org. For more information on library programs, call 948-7683 or visit sccl.org/losaltos.
Volunteer awards scheduled Dec. 13
The 31st Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Joint Community Volunteer Service Awards Luncheon is scheduled 11:45 a.m. Dec. 13 at Fremont Hills Country Club, 12889 Viscaino Place, Los Altos Hills.
The awards recognize volunteers whose service has impacted Los Altos and/or Los Altos Hills.
Tickets, $30 per person, are available online and at the door.
For tickets and more information, visit jointvolunteerawards.com.
Annual clothing drive supports Career Closet
Option 1 Staffing Services Inc., a Los Altos staffing agency, is partnering with Career Closet for its third annual women's clothing drive.
Option 1 Staffing is collecting gently used clothes, shoes, jewelry, handbags and accessories to donate to the nonprofit Career Closet, which enables women to re-enter the workplace with the clothing and accessories they need to make a good first impression and land the job they want.
Drop donations at Option 1 Staffing, 4410 El Camino Real, Suite 110, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
For more information, call 941-5115.
Local artists display work at museum
The Los Altos History Museum's contemporary art exhibition, "Los Altos – Moving Art Forward," runs through March 23 at 51 S. San Antonio Road.
The project celebrates local artists with a juried exhibition in painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media.
The display complements the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's off-site exhibition, "Project Los Altos: SFMOMA in Silicon Valley," scheduled to run through March at various venues across the city.
Museum hours are noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Admission is free.
For more information, visit losaltoshistory.org.
Toys for Tots accepts donations
All Horizons Travel, owned by Maureen and Roy Jones, is serving as a collection station for the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program during the holiday season.
Residents can drop off new, unwrapped toys for underserved children at the agency, 160 Main St. in Los Altos, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays through Dec. 17.
Roy Jones, a retired lieutenant colonel who served in the Marines, has been involved with the Toys for Tots program since 1953.
For more information, call 941-5810.
Homestay program needs host families
The International Student Placements program at Foothill and De Anza colleges needs host families for international students.
The program has placed students with local families for more than 20 years. Host families are asked to provide a private or double bedroom and share meals and kitchen privileges.
The arrangements start in August and end in June. Hosts are paid between $825 and $1,000 per month in two installments. Families may include singles or couples with or without children, retirees or empty-nesters.


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Redemption Time
November 30 2007 03:09PM
"Hopefully Calgary can tire them out and we can jump on them (tonight). It's a chance for us to put that last game behind us." - Raffi Torres
When you are cheering for Calgary to "tire teams out" for you, you know that confidence is scarce in the Oilers Dressing Room. The struggling yet oh so Mighty Oil (10-14-1) face off against a-team-who-has-removed-the-word-mighty-from-their-name Ducks (11-10-4) tonight in Anaheim.
Predictions anyone?
4-2 Oilers
6-1 Ducks
November 30 2007, 03:39PM
3-2 for the good guys.
Tron, you fowl-mouthed jerk (dig the pun, yo)! Oilers 4-3!

subset: commoncrawl


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For Immediate Release
BOCA CHICA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Major League Baseball Dominican Development Alliance (MLB-DDA) teamed up with Chicago Cubs Charities Nov. 17 to donate $100,000 to support health and basic education activities at the Caobete Basic School and Education Center for Integrated Health (CESI).
"USAID is proud to team up with the Cubs, MLB and…Loyola and Creighton (universities) to help children and their families in the Northern region of the [Dominican Republic]," said James Watson, acting director of USAID's Mission to the Dominican Republic. The donation will reconstruct, improve and equip the basic school of the Caobete community as well as the health facilities of CESI.
"USAID's goal is to improve basic education and health facilities in developing countries," said Watson. "With this alliance we are helping the northern region of the DR to have access to improved and better equipped services."
Chicago Cubs Charities presented an additional $20,000. Hall of Famers, Ernie "Mr. Cubs" Banks and Billy Williams as well as current Cubs players Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Mármol attended and signed autographs at the event.
The combined donation will provide funds to construct, enlarge and equip the recovery room area of CESI. This will allow CESI to expand from a four-bed recovery room to a 15-bed recovery room. Creighton University's Institute for Latin-American Concern and Loyola University Medical Center are long time partners with CESI, providing surgical mission teams to provide health services in the Northern Region of the DR. Both universities are providing funds for these activities.
The MLB-DDA was founded in November 2008 to tap the potential combined resources of baseball in community outreach programs in the Dominican Republic, a country which currently produces more than 20 percent of all signed MLB players. USAID provides financial support through a matching grant incentive fund.
For more information about MLB-DDA, visit www.mlb-dda.org. For more information about USAID, visit www.usaid.gov.
Last updated: February 28, 2012


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Washington and Lee University School of Law faculty members Dorothy Brown and Doug Rendleman will participate in several sessions at the annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). The conference will take place Jan. 3 6, 2007 in Washington, D.C.
Professor Brown will participate in the Workshop on the Ratings Game, which will contemplate the effects of and alternatives to law school rankings systems such as the U.S. News and World Report system. The title of Prof. Brown's session is "Can't Join 'Em, Beat 'Em: Building Alternatives". In addition, Prof. Brown will participate in sessions discussing scholarship and the new professor and the institutional support and promotion of scholarship.
Professor Rendleman will participate in the Workshop on Remedies: Justice and the Bottom Line, offering his perspective on the challenges and joys of teaching Remedies in a session titled "There Must Be Fifty Ways to Teach a Remedies Course". He will be joined by several editors of Remedies casebooks and several young teachers of Remedies.
The AALS is a non-profit association of 166 law schools. The purpose of the association is the improvement of the legal profession through legal education. It serves as the learned society for law teachers and is legal education's principal representative to the federal government and to other national higher education organizations and learned societies.


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I'm searching for help with my putting. My accuracy is not bad, I can get 9/10 from about 6 m (cca 20 ft) but if I go farther, it really much decreases due to swinging of the disc (it's almost not spinning). How to make disc fly nice and smooth? I use fan grip.
Thanks for advices!


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"Spring Awakening," the play by Frank Wedekind, brings into sharp relief what it was like growing up in a provincial German town in the late 19th century. Teens contended with overbearing or abusive parents, a repressive and punitive school system and social taboos that forbade any discussion of sex, while dealing with their own puberty, sexual fantasies and desire. Banned from performance in its own day, the play was widely read by intellectuals but not put on stage in uncensored form until much later. The musical version retains the controversial material, and garnered eight Tonys, including Best Musical.
Rock musicals such as "Rent" and "American Idiot" speak particularly to the young, but don't count them out if you're over 30. Wear earplugs if you must, but find the time to take in the representative of this new phenomenon currently on stage at Foothill College.
The book follows the stories of hapless teens as they grapple with coming of age in restrictive times: Melchior (Jason Rehklau), a bright student who insists on knowing and sharing the truth; Wendla (Juliana Lustenader), naive and curious, bent on discovering the truth of her own body and the mysteries of love; Moritz (Ryan Mardesich), who can't concentrate on school because of distracting fantasies; Ilse (Casey Ellis), banned from regular society because of her supposedly scandalous behavior; two boys discovering their illicit attraction for each other (Dillon Mena and Brandon Leland); Martha (Holly Smolik), confessing the abuse she suffers nightly; and many more.
All the adult roles are played by just two actors (Caitlin Lawrence Papp and Justin Karr), which effectively turns adults into clear stereotypes, voices of oppression and hypocrisy that the youth must prevail against in order to survive and try to be who they want. Even the seemingly sympathetic adults prove unable to rise above their own repression to help their children.
Inevitably, worlds collide and tragedies happen, but the show isn't unremittingly bleak — there's much humor and tenderness, too. Perhaps "older" audience members will even be reminded of their own first awakening to love and sexuality, or recall the intensity of passion endemic to youth.
Foothill's version is lively enough to give the show a good airing, and the ensemble of young actors is talented and well-voiced, definitely one of the best reasons for seeing the show. Rehklau and Lustenader are especially good at bringing their characters to life and delivering beautiful solos or duets. Mardesich suitably brings rock-star angst to Moritz, and endears us to him in touching scenes with Rehklau and Ellis. Smolik and Ellis blend voices well as they bond in a searing duet. Other standouts include Carissa McElravy as Thea, and Papp and Karr as the less-than-admired adults.
There are some exciting numbers in the show, including "The Bitch of Living" and "I Believe" in Act One, and "Don't Do Sadness" and "Totally F****d" in Act Two. All of these shine with energy and excellent choreography.
A few other numbers, particularly ballads, seem oddly static, lapsing into a kind of "stand and deliver" staging. Perhaps because of this — or perhaps because there are more ballads — the show loses some energy in the second half. The actors are apparently miked, as is the common convention for musicals, but it's still sometimes difficult to hear them over the amplified band.
Still, this is a worthwhile rendering of a justifiably popular new musical; whether you've seen it numerous times or never before, you'll be sure to enjoy Foothill's production and seeing what all the raves are all about.
Note: "Spring Awakening" contains mature themes, sexual situations, partial nudity and strong language.
What: "Spring Awakening," with book by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik, presented by Foothill Music Theatre and Foothill Music Arts
Where: Lohman Theatre, Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills
When: Through Mar. 10, Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Cost: Tickets range from $10 to $28.
Info: Go to foothillmusicals.com or call 650-949-7360.


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Two Hidden Forces in the Economy
I've been talking about the fiscal backdrop being poor. We've seen the effects of austerity in Europe for the past three years, and they aren't pretty. Now they're about to come here. They're already here to some degree.
The past two months' budget balance produced a surplus of $20 billion in December and what looks to be a deficit of $27 billion for January. In contrast, the "normal" level of monthly deficit spending over the past four years has averaged about $100 billion. Recently it's been running at about $90 billion....437 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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NEW YORK ( TheStreet) - Amazon ( AMZN) reports fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, and while seemingly everyone (I use that loosely) bought something from the world's largest online retailer during the holiday shopping season, once again it all comes down to whether Amazon can actually make money selling knick-knacks and do-dads. In the fourth quarter of 2011, Amazon had razor thin operating margins of 1.5%. But many would like to see Amazon start to capitalize on the all spending it has done in recent years as it expands its footprint, adding several new warehouses and capacity around the world. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the Seattle-based retailer to earn 28 cents a share on $22.26 billion in revenue, in the fourth quarter. That's up from 2011, when Amazon earned 38 cents a share on $17.43 billion in sales. Results from eBay ( EBAY) and Google ( GOOG) Shopping should provide a boost to Amazon's results, said J.P. Morgan Internet analyst Doug Anmuth, who rated Amazon overweight with a $245 price target. "We remain positive on Amazon driven by continued share gains and top-line growth, though we believe extremely positive sentiment heading into earnings likely leaves less margin for error in the near term," Anmuth wrote in his note. Even though the holiday shopping screams Amazon, not all is rosy. ChannelAdvisor noted that Amazon's same-store sales decelerated, even though they are more than double the e-commerce growth rate. "According to ChannelAdvisor, Amazon same-store sales increased 38.5% y/y in 4Q, a slight deceleration from 40.4% y/y in 3Q, though we note that 4Q's growth rate is still more than double the overall e-commerce growth rate," notes Raymond James analyst Aaron Kessler. Amazon is notorious for cutting prices on everything it sells, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), hardware (Kindle Fire) and software, so any improvement in margins will be an important metric to watch. Guidance is also another key to the quarter. Amazon is famous for doing what Apple ( AAPL) used to do -- lowering expectations, then crushing them. Anmuth is looking for $16.93 billion in revenue for the first quarter, but believes Amazon could give a range of $15.3 billion to $17.3 billion, with consolidated operating segment income margin showing continued investments as the company expands its fulfillment and moves into new products.
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D.C. Empowerhouse unveiled in D.C.
WASHINGTON (AP) - District of Columbia officials are unveiling a new affordable and energy efficient home.
District officials plan to show off the new Empowerhouse Tuesday morning in the city's Deanwood neighborhood.
Housing officials say the home consumes 90 percent less energy than a typical home.
The house was designed and constructed by students for Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition, where it took top honors in the affordability category.
The house designed by students at Parsons, the New School and Stevens Institute of Technology was later moved to Deanwood and expanded into a two-family home.
Housing officials say the Empowerhouse team took the competition beyond the Mall, by designing and constructing the house for a specific site in the Deanwood neighborhood.


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SHEPHERDSVILLE - Bullitt East principal Debby Atherton and Charger athletic director Bob Blackburn made the trip to Lexington last Monday and spoke to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Board of Control meeting about the relationship the Bullitt County schools have with their regional partners in Jefferson County.
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Where to play two-up in Sydney on ANZAC Day 2017
After paying your respects at the ANZAC Day dawn service and watching the...
The Great Coastal Walk
Enjoy panoramic views of Sydney Harbour and the sweeping city skyline as you tread this great coastal walk. Taking in the beautiful sands and waters of Manly Beach and Shelly Beach, walk to the heath-covered North Head, the tremendous sandstone headland that dominates the entrance to Sydney Harbour.
Featuring beaches, cliffs, magnificent headlands and historic sites, this urban coastal loop is one of Sydney's most spectacular walking tracks.
Begin at the northern Queenscliff end of Manly Beach by Manly Lagoon, walk past the sweeping sand of the beach towards the beautiful inlet of Shelly Beach. From here the walk will take you into the bushland of Sydney Harbour National Park as you wind a gentle ascent onto North Head.
The Fairfax Walk at North Head offers spectacular views over Sydney Harbour Heads. This paved track starts at the end of North Head Scenic Drive and then loops around the top of North Head, passing the historic Q Station. There are three lookouts here which provide idyllic views of Sydney's waterways and cityscape. It is also a popular whale-watching location during the June - July and August - October migration seasons.
After completing the Fairfax walk, you can continue on through North Head Sanctuary. From here you can make your way back down to Manly and join the Manly Scenic Walkway, or take the Bluefish track back to Shelley Beach.
Download a free map of the walking trail from Manly Lagoon to Manly Wharf on Sydney's northern beaches. The map also includes a loop trail around North Head in Sydney Harbour National Park from where you can enjoy panoramic views of Sydney Harbour and the sweeping city skyline.
Allow two hours to get from Manly Lagoon to North Head Scenic Drive. Public transport is readily available at regular intervals along the way, including the Manly Ferry which takes you back to the city centre.
Clifftops, park and beach views – usually with surfers, sometimes with whales – can be found along this spectacular coastal walk that begins at the iconic Bondi Beach, passing Bronte Beach and Clovelly Beach on your way south towards Coogee where you relax and unwind at beachside cafés.
Take in a wealth of coastal views, bushland and stunning harbour lookouts along a 10 km stretch beginning at Manly Wharf through a mix of lush bushland and stunning waterways. Bushwalk through the Sydney Harbour National Park and past historic sites before heading on to the Spit.
Experience the beauty of the eastern edge of the Royal National Park as you make your way from Bundeena to Otford during a recommended two-day walk. Wander past cliffs, beaches and escarpments, spot native sea birds and savour breathtaking views found along the 26 km trail.
Treat your four-legged friend to a walk along one of Sydney's dog-friendly routes. Explore on- and off-leash walks along Lake Parramatta Reserve, the Bondi to Coogee walk or Centennial Parklands, and give your dog new environments to see and wander through.
Explore the southern side of Sydney Harbour as you make your way past a number of the city's waterside suburbs, beaches and parks. Savour picturesque harbour views offered along the length of the walk, which stretches from Circular Quay to South Head in Watsons Bay.
Head out of the city and make the most of Regional NSW's spectacular landscapes and natural beauty with a walk along stunning coastline or through the State's many parks and reserves. Explore different regions, spot native flora and fauna, and set up camp on multi-day trails.
After paying your respects at the ANZAC Day dawn service and watching the...
1. Kepos & Co., Waterloo Continuing on from his success in changing...
Recently ranked as number 10 in Mercer's 2016 list of most liveable cities,...


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Category: Zappa children's names
When out-of the-box-named Ever Carradine, actress and member of a multi-generational Hollywood dynasty, recently gave her baby daughter the equally out-of-the-box-name Chaplin, it got me wondering—could there be an extreme baby naming gene that passes from generation to generation?
In Ever's case it seems to be true. Although her parent's generation bore the classic names David, Christopher, Keith and Robert, among their offspring are:
Frank Zappa's kids' names are the poster children for extreme starbaby naming: Moon Unit, Dweezil (actually Ian Donald Calvin Euclid on his original birth certificate when the hospital refused to register Dweezil), Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen. Are these sibs following the tradition? Kinda–though more cool than crazy– judging from their offspring so far:


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Set off on a walk around your neighborhood or a park.
Look for objects that can be seen in the fall, such as a dried leaf. Add other ingredients like acorns, pine cones, seeds, and berries.
Put the objects you found in the container, mash them up, and take a whiff. Stir it up to create Eau D'Autumn perfume! It's good for sniffing, but not for tasting or wearing.


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Rachael Leigh Cook
She played opposite Freddie Prinze Jr. in She's All That, starred opposite Sly Stallone in Get Carter, joined Ashton Kutcher in Texas Rangers, and finally starred opposite Tara Reid and Rosario Dawson in Josie and the Pussycats.
AppealRachael is a very attractive woman. Her eyes provide some of the reason for her sex appeal. She has that "come hither" look down pat; her innocent look only adds to her attraction. Boys love her, but you can bet that there's a fair share of older men who would like a little of Rachael's cooking.
SuccessShe remains relatively unknown and unlike Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt, she hasn't used her cleavage for career advancement; something younger people everywhere lament. And although her role in Stallone's Get Carter helped her get on the entertainment radar, it seems Rachael has been starring in little known films since 2001.
Rachael Leigh Cook BiographyBorn in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 4, 1979, Rachael Leigh Cook was shy as a child. She knew early on that she wanted to become an actress, to use acting as a means of expressing herself. Before jumping on to the big screen, Rachael began acting in commercials and school musicals by the time she was 7, and modeling at age 10.
rachael appears in psas
Rather than being a fashion model (probably difficult, standing at 5'2"), Rachael used her beautiful face and talent in more beneficial ways: in public service announcements. She appeared in a non-speaking part in a PSA about adopting foster children, while her most notable work was in the famous anti-drug PSA that simulated how the brain is affected by drugs, by smashing eggs with a frying pan and then destroying the kitchen.
Although Rachael was receiving work as a print model during her 4-year modeling stint (her face appears in a Milk-Bone ad and on the Milk-Bone box), Minnesota was not the hub of acting. So Rachael headed to the West Coast, to pursue an acting career.
rachael leigh in tom and huck
Once in Los Angeles, Rachael didn't have much trouble landing roles. In 1995, she made her feature film debut in the film adaptation of the popular children's book series, The Baby-Sitters Club. Remaining true to her younger fans, she followed up that performance with a role in the film Tom and Huck, co-starring Home Improvement's Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
The rest of the '90s were marked by independent films such as Carpool (1996), the short feature 26 Summer Street (1996), The House of Yes (1997), which earned recognition at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, and The Eighteenth Angel (1998).
rachael leigh does she's all that
After a couple more films, including Living Out Loud and Strike! (both in 1998), Rachael bounced onto the big-screen in the sleeper hit She's All That (1999), and landed in the hearts of many a young man. As the nerd-turned-high school sweetheart in the modern day adaptation of Pygmalion, Rachael gave a credible performance, although she couldn't fool audiences into believing that she was really the scrawny, awkward girl she portrayed.
The success of She's All That gave Rachael the recognition she needed to become the in-demand star that she is today. She appeared in Six-Pence None the Richer's video for "Kiss Me" (off the She's All That soundtrack) with co-star, Freddie Prinze Jr.
rachael stars on dawson's creek
Television audiences must have been accustomed to seeing Rachael on the television screen by then, as she also made an appearance on The Outer Limits, had a guest-starring recurring role in the high school series Dawson's Creek (1998), as well as roles in made-for-TV movies such as True Women, Country Justice and The Defenders: Payback (all in 1997)).
rachael and stallone get carter
After starring in Get Carter with Sylvester Stallone, it seems the new millennium hasn't been incredibly kind to Rachael, as she has been starring in movies that don't do very well at the box office. In 2001, Rachael appeared alongside Ashton Kutcher in film Texas Rangers, and with Tara Reid and Rosario Dawson in the film adaptation of the popular cartoon Josie and the Pussycats, which tanked at the box office; in 2002, she starred in two more box-office bombs entitled Scorched and 29 Palms.
2003 saw Rachael starring in four more films, including The Big Empty with Jon Favreau, and Tempo. In 2004, Rachael continued to star in little heard of films including American Crime and Fearless.
Besides acting, Rachael is passionate about art, especially drawing. She would like to eventually try screenwriting and she will get her chance to co-produce an independent film entitled Tangled.
Currently engaged to actor Daniel Gillies, Rachael lives mostly in her L.A. apartment, and she has a boxer dog and two cats. She's a vegetarian and has a tattoo on her left arm.
Show comments


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"Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers And they've been known to pick a song or two Lord, they get me off so much They pick me up when I'm feeling blue Now how about you?" Lynryd Skynryd, "Sweet Home Alabama"The Swampers were the crack house band at Rick Hall's FAME Studios in tiny Muscle Shoals, Alabama, until they left Hall and opened their own studio down the road, called Muscle Shoals Sound Studios.Immortalized by the most famous song about Alabama sorry, Bob Dylan, "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" isn't that famous the interesting thing is that the Swampers weren't the Swampers until their name surprisingly appeared in Lynryd Skynyrd's classic song."We weren't really known as the Swampers until 'Sweet Home Alabama,'" said one of the Swampers, bass player David Hood (and father of the Drive-By Truckers' Patterson Hood). "We were known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section."That small tidbit is just one of the many amazing facts about a small part of Alabama that became known for being the birthplace of some of the greatest songs in rock history, including "I'll Take You There," "Brown Sugar," "Mustang Sally," "Wild Horses," "When a Man Loves a Woman," "Kodachrome," and not to mention the most-requested song at every drunken wedding: "Free Bird." And the story about those Alabama studios is finally immortalized in its own film "Muscle Shoals," debuting at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 26.Interviewees in the film who talk about the magic of the town alongside the Tennessee River known as The Singing River by American Indians in the area include such luminaries as Aretha Franklin, Bono, Mick Jagger, Greg Allman, Jimmy Cliff, Alicia Keys, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge, Steve Winwood, and many more."It's just an area of the country that existed where there was something in the air, vibrating," said Terence Blanchard, the famed jazz trumpet player, about Muscle Shoals.It is first-time director and screenwriter Greg "Freddy" Camalier who brought the 106-minute documentary to Sundance. Back in 2008, he was driving from the East Coast with a friend to New Mexico when Camalier saw a road sign for Muscle Shoals. Camalier was a music fan who had heard snippets of information about the place for years, but didn't know much about it. They decided to spend the night in Muscle Shoals, and he and his friend talked about why they had never seen a film about that small yet crucial slice of rock history.There had been attempts to film the story of Muscle Shoals before, Hood said. The filmmakers behind the acclaimed 2002 documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" had tried several years before until their financing ran out.So Camalier was free and clear to spend the next four years of his life chronicling the history of Muscle Shoals. "It's a great American story, musical story, and international story," Camalier said. "I loved all of the music in this film, but didn't know its origins."Now that he "feels like family down there," Camalier is convinced, like Blanchard, that there is something in the air. "There is a spirituality to that town," he said. "There is an energy that is there."Even before Hall built his studio near where he grew up to earn a living after his wife and father died, northern Alabama was known for its ties to music history. Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records, lived in the area and listened to a radio station that merged "white" and "black" music, leading him to eventually blend the two at Sun Records with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. In addition, the Father of the Blues, W.C Handy, was a local boy.But it is when Hall convinced stars to bypass Nashville, Los Angeles and New York City to record in Muscle Shoals that jump-started the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound. Hood said that he and his fellow Swampers believed they were just as good as any session musicians in other cities, and that it fueled their desire to upend others' expectations that Alabama was a backwater. "We just worked harder," Hall said. "I'm very proud of what we accomplished," Hall continued. He admitted that he still feels a thrill when he listens to satellite radio and hears songs that he played on years ago.Camalier said the story of Muscle Shoals continues, with acts such as Carrie Underwood, The Black Keys and The Civil Wars having recorded there, and up-and-coming local band Alabama Shakes are up for three Grammy awards in February, including nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rock Performance."Lots of young people are coming who have the same desire I had," Hall said. "That desire and drive is still here."Perhaps a sequel will be in order. Start getting that application for the 2014 Sundance Film Festival ready.
Muscle ShoalsDocumentary PremieresScreening:Jan. 26, 3:30 p.m., Eccles Theatre, 1750 Kearns Blvd., Park City


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open to any offers but mostly trades. Im looking for newb discs. mostly understable beat in discs that better players think are too flippy. I obviously invested in some really nice plastic that i dont have the ability to throw to its designed specs
Pictures on photo bucket.
gold line stryker red, with a really flat top.
168 pro boss. purp/yellow tie dye.
172 orange star xcaliber brand new
pearly white champ star fire. new. no weight.
thrown a few times champ grove. 171. tie dye
171 plus mold champ tee bird. see through light blue


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EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys Stocks Under $10 that he thinks could potentially double. See what he's trading today with a 14-day FREE pass.We began by screening the services sector for stocks that are rallying above their 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day moving averages, indicating that these stocks have strong upward momentum. We then screened for those stocks that appear undervalued relative to the Graham Number. The Graham Number is a measure of maximum fair value created by the "godfather of value investing," Benjamin Graham. It is based on a stock's EPS and book value per share (BVPS). Graham Number = SQRT(22.5 x TTM EPS x MRQ BVPS) The equation assumes that P/E should not be higher than 15, and P/BV should not be higher than 1.5. Stocks trading well below their Graham Number may be undervalued. For an interactive version of this chart, click on the image below. Analyst ratings sourced from Zacks. More free research tools on Kapitall. Do you think these stocks should be trading higher? Use this list as a starting point for your own analysis.
Do you consider yourself a value investor? Consider looking for value in the services sector, which consists of names in electronics wholesale, rental & leasing services, railroads, retail, management services, and airlines. [More Lists: 3 Stocks Reporting Earnings Next Week With Bullish Short Trends] Companies in our list below have had a positive performance in the last month, and still appear undervalued. Perhaps it's time to invest in the services sector considering the U.S. economy is showing some signs of growth. We created a screen with this in mind.


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Our Thoughts
When it comes to your noggin you don't want to skimp on the safety features, nor do you want fakes. One way to spot the fakes is all Nolan Helmets has the brand name stamped at the rear of the helmet. One reason to splurge on the Nolan N91 Helmet is the ability of the helmet to take in a communication system. Stay in touch as your ride in safety.


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Attention: Central Zone Of 4 Beat Music Men T-Shirt
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The Men T-Shirt Attention: Central Zone Of 4 Beat Music is our old-school favorite. Perfect for use in sports where you are bound to sweat and need wide range of movement. Short sleeves to let cool air in on those hot and sunny days. Also great for every day use and to show everyone your love for Attention: Central Zone Of 4 Beat Music.
This product is made of the finest combed jersey which feels soothing against your skin. Shoulder-to-shoulder taping guarantees long life and a good fit. 4-Beat Men T-Shirt is available in 10 different color options. Heather Grey: 80% Cotton/20% Polyester. Remaining Colors: 100% Cotton.
Sku: TC1BL0000020491111110002LG0000000


text: I was given a warning from Able. Not because of any streaming activity, but because I asked if mentioning politics were against the rules or not because Able was clearly saying blame the US government for it and vote in November to change it. I was given a warning because I asked an ASSUMED "funny" question. I was not trying to be funny!!!! I understand it was probably in the heat of the moment but if the warning doesn't get recalled OR even a simple explanation of why my question was right or wrong then it shows what this forum has become.


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Information on the current SBI officers (86 kB)
Historical list of SBI officers (75 kB)
Information on the election and membership of the bodies of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol here
Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI)
What is the SBI?
The SBI is one of two permanent subsidiary bodies to the Convention established by the COP/CMP. It supports the work of the COP and the CMP through the assessment and review of the effective implementation of the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol. The SBI also advises the COP on budgetary and administrative matters.
More Background on the SBI
The SBI is currently shifting to a new and transitional phase towards monitoring, reviewing and verifying (MRV) functions and demonstrating progress in implementing the Bali Action Plan.
In 2013, the SBI had the challenging task of managing the shift in focus towards the MRV issues with the launch of the international assessment and review (IAR) and international consultations and analysis (ICA) in 2014, and work on nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs). Loss and damage and adaptation finance is another area where progress was made under the SBI by reaching an agreement on a loss and damage mechanism and pledging funds in the range of US$ 100 million to the adaptation fund.
On adaptation, finance and technology transfer, the focus was on finding the best way to manage relevant issues in the SBI agenda while making the best use of the increasing role of the specialized bodies and institutions that have been created in Cancun and Durban and operationalized in Doha (e.g. Adaptation Committee, Standing Committee on Finance, and the Technology Mechanism), to deal with the relevant issues. While the technical discussions under these traditional items are now being taken up under the constituted bodies, the SBI has the responsibility of maintaining the political momentum and ensuring transparency on these matters.
The SBI works together with the SBSTA on cross-cutting issues that touch on both their areas of expertise. These include capacity building, the vulnerability of developing countries to climate change and response measures, the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms, and key political issues such as the 2013-2015 review, the full spectrum of discussions under the the Technology Mechanism, the work of the Adaptation Committee and co-ordination of support for REDD plus.
The SBSTA and the SBI have traditionally met in parallel twice a year. When they are not meeting in
conjunction with the COP, the subsidiary bodies usually convene at the seat of the secretariat in Bonn,
Secretariat contact for SBI coordination. (98 kB)
SBI officers
Information on the current SBI officers (86 kB)
Historical list of SBI officers (75 kB)
Information on the election and membership of the bodies of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol here
© 2014 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change


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Chevron isn't relocating to Houston, though the city is ground zero for the U.S. oil and gas industry.
Oracle isn't high-tailing it to Austin, though the Texas state capital has become a national high-tech hub.
And Qualcomm isn't moving to Dallas, though it could be right at home in "Telecom Corridor," a northern suburb of Big D.
Nevertheless, Texas Gov. Rick Perry's four-day recruiting visit to California was far from fruitless. He sent a loud, clear message to CEOs here in the Golden State that, if they feel their companies are underappreciated by tax-and-regulate lawmakers in Sacramento, the Lone Star State is "open for business."
Gov. Perry was not so naïve as to think that California's 53 Fortune 500 companies (one more than Texas) would be ripe for the picking. That Chevron would leave San Ramon, Oracle would part ways with Redwood City, Qualcomm would kick San Diego to the curb.
"You're not going to see businesses leave lock, stock and barrel," Gov. Perry told me Wednesday. But he absolutely believes his visits to Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Orange County and Los Angeles will have an effect on California companies "making decisions on expansion."
Indeed, while such well-known corporations as Hewlett-Packard, Apple, Google, Facebook, Petco, Cisco Systems, eBay and Intel are based in California, they have chosen in recent years to expand their operations, not in the Golden State, but in Texas.
Of course, the quality of life in California, at the highest level, is unsurpassed by any other state.
It begins with the Golden State's Mediterranean climate, which is responsible for the year-round temperate weather much of the state's population enjoys.
There also are the many natural wonders with which California has been blessed, from its Pacific coastline, to its verdant hills and snow-capped mountains, to its parks and forests (which cover nearly half the state's surface area).
California has many other appealing attractions, from wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma, to shopping on Rodeo Drive and at South Coast Plaza, to golf at Pebble Beach and Riviera Country Club and, for the kids, a day at Disneyland or SeaWorld.
Indeed, if the location of corporations were based strictly on quality of life, few states could compete with California.
But companies are, first and foremost, profit-driven enterprises. If they have the flexibility to move some or all of their operations, they are going to choose states with the most hospitable business climates.
That's why Gov. Perry spent the past four days meeting with California corporate execs. That's why he aired radio spots last week inviting California businesses to "come check out Texas."
The governor says that Sacramento is hostile to business; that Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature think the Golden State can "over-tax, over-regulate and over-litigate" with impunity; that California lawmakers blindly refuse to accept that the state's homegrown businesses would want to be anywhere other than here.
Gov. Perry warned that, if states do not maintain a positive business climate, businesses will go where the jobs and economic activity they bring will be appreciated.
As it is, he noted, during the past five years, California lost some 640,000 jobs. Gov. Brown attributed those job losses to the Great Recession between 2007 and 2009. Yet, Gov. Perry's state actually managed to create some 300,000 new jobs over the same span. It all has to with the business climates of the respective states. Indeed, in CEO Magazine's annual listing of the best and worst states for business – based on its survey of some 650 business leaders – Texas ranked first in 2012, while California ranked dead last.
And Gov. Perry expects similar results this year. Not the least because of California's passage of Proposition 30 in November, along with talk in Sacramento of moving to split roll property taxes and exit fees for businesses leaving the Golden State.
Gov. Perry suggests that California is "right at the tipping point" with respect to the state's business community. Either Gov. Brown and the Legislature will take steps to improve its business climate – its high taxes, its onerous regulations, its costly litigation – or they can expect the opportunistic governors of other business-friendly states to come calling. I know that Gov. Brown is not nearly as hostile to the business community as all too many of his fellow Democrats in the state capital. In fact, as Oakland's two-term mayor, he embraced policies that were decidedly pro-business, particularly with respect to housing and commercial development.
California's business community would welcome that version of Jerry Brown. While he certainly wouldn't – and perhaps couldn't – give them everything they asked for, at least they'd have a governor they could do business with.


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MIDDLETOWN -- Lake County District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock will present his quarterly update during the Middletown Area Merchants Association (MAMA) mixer today, 5:30 p.m. at the Middletown Senior Center.
The mixer will be a joint meeting with the Middletown Area Town Hall. It is sponsored by AAA Life Insurance. MAMA members are encouraged to bring door prizes.
The Middletown Senior Center is located at 21256 Washington St. The MAMA business meeting will take place at 8 a.m. today.
All meetings and mixers are open to the public. For more information, contact MAMA President Gary Graves at 696-5294 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Mail: Thanks for helping Aiden
Brewer at the Legislature: Mob rule
More opinion
Robertson and Delsing re-elected chair, vice chair of NWB
Goat Expo set first October weekend
More Ag News
A tribute to a 100-year legacy of dance will take the stage downtown at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, at the Neville Center for the Performing Arts.
This presentation Time Capsule: A Century of Dance is an informative multi-media retrospective which pays homage to the ingenuity, creativity, and inventiveness of legendary 20th century choreographers.
The company has performed in more than 300 cities in the United States, Europe, and Canada. Its mission is to take the arts beyond metropolitan centers and into diverse communities that often lack opportunities for arts exposure.
Venues range from Bicknell, Utah, (a town of 350) to Vienna, Austria, and from school rooms to the Kennedy Center.
The company also conducts residency programs for public schools to educate audiences of all ages through classes, workshops, lectures, and performances.
In Utah alone, the Repertory Dance Theater has reached more than 30,000 students.
In North Platte, the residency will include a one-hour matinee performance of Imagine That! for students in grades 1-6.
This performance is designed to encourage creative thinking, imagination, and curiosity about nature. Also there will be workshops with elementary students.
During the summer, eight dance students from North Platte had the opportunity to attend summer intensive training as part of the Repertory Dance Theaters artist in residency program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
These students will perform with the company Sunday during the concert.
Fifty free tickets are available to dance students, if they are accompanied by an adult who buys a ticket for this event, organizers Phyllis Swigart said. No more than one free ticket will be given to any family.
Adults who would like to take dance students to the concerts should call Pat Hoban, 534-4699, after 6 p.m.
Other communities who will be included in the dance companys Arts Across Nebraska tour are Norfolk, Chadron, and Scottsbluff.
Admission to the Repertory Dance Concert is with season membership in the North Platte Concert Association. Memberships are available from the secretary of the North Platte Concert Association, Pat Hoban, 1412 West 4th St., North Platte, NE 69101 Phone: (308) 534-4699. The cost is $50 for adults, $15 for students, and $100 for families. Special patron memberships are also available.
Memberships will also be sold at the Dance Repertory Theaters concert on Sunday at the Neville Center.
Season membership in the North Platte Concert Association allows reciprocity with Cozad, Kearney, McCook, Holdrege, and Grand Island concert associations.
The performance is presented by the Lied Center in Lincoln through their Arts Across Nebraska program in partnership with the North Platte Concert Association, with the generous support of the National Endowment of the Arts, the Nebraska Arts Council, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.
The NebraskaLand National Bank is the local sponsor.
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


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THE drug and corruption scandal enveloping Australian sport has snared six National Rugby League clubs, with the revelation they are named in the Australian Crime Commission's explosive report.
Facing a backlash over the refusal to name implicated clubs and players, ACC chief executive John Lawler said he was working with the individual codes to work out if there was a way for full disclosure to take place.
But Mr Lawler told The Sunday Telegraph the release of club names would have to be within the law, which states there cannot be any adverse impact on a club or individual. While the codes were aware of the clubs involved, they were under strict legal obligations not to release the names publicly, he said.
He said there may be some scope for self-disclosure.
"I will work with the clubs over the weekend and next week to look if there is a way for those clubs to work around those legal constraints," Mr Lawler said. "There is a long way for this to play out yet.
"I am very confident in the report's findings. This is no beat-up. We have sworn testimonies. We have corroborated evidence.
"We have quite a significant amount of intelligence. We are very confident in the findings."
Mr Lawler said he was sympathetic to clubs and players that were in the right, but the purpose of the report was intended to be an "alert" to everyone to improve their safeguards against drug taking - a point he felt had been missed in the hunt for names.It also served as a trigger for players, coaches and individuals to come forward to police.
"This is about making sure that they are alert to the risks and vulnerabilities, and that they are actively doing something about it," he said.
"What's happened has happened. That needs to be investigated. But, more importantly, we should be trying to prevent this occurring."
"There may be players using substances or contemplating using substances that our alert will hopefully prevent. We also have criminals out there, that we know are doing this.
"We are not going to declare who they are but this is a way of putting the frighteners into them, so they are aware authorities are aware of them." Justice Minister Jason Clare said the commission had also given the names of individuals to NSW and Victorian police.
"I understand that people want the Australian Crime Commission to name names. And they have - they have given names to the police and the anti-doping authority," he said.
The Sunday Telegraph has confirmed that a major element of the ACC report is focused on a criminal network that had sought to expose players who had been supplied with banned substances.
According to sources close to the investigation, players were tricked into taking so called "supplements", only to be later told that they had in fact taken banned substances.
The players were then later called upon and threatened with being "outed" as drug cheats unless they agreed to fix matches or pay money. According to sources, several players had fallen victim to the bribery racket and were mostly confined to the NRL and not other codes.
Originally published as NRL's 'dirty' half dozen named by ACC


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DALLAS — In the height of the one of the worst flu seasons in recent years, Kleenex is hand-delivering care packs to unsuspecting fans all across North America. Three fans will receive what could be the surprise of a lifetime.
Kleenex brand has ignited what they call a "Gesture of Care" movement, and are surprising a total of 84 people across the country with in-person deliveries of its care packs, complete with Kleenex facial tissue, lip balm, hand sanitizer and a plush blanket — essential items to aid recovery this cold-and-flu season. Eighty-one of these surprise deliveries will be made by local couriers, but three will be made by the host of TV's "Dancing with the Stars," Brooke Burke-Charvet.
Every year, more than 62 million cases of the common cold are reported in the United States, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Kleenex and Ms. Burke-Charvet hope to ease the displeasure for a few lucky individuals. "It warms my heart to have the opportunity to bring someone a little extra comfort during one of the worst flu seasons I can remember," Burke-Charvet said. "I encourage everyone to get involved by visiting the Kleenex Facebook page and nominating your own friend. Who knows — another celebrity could be knocking on your door next!"


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Blanchard House on Salem Street
Blanchard House on Salem Street
Phillips Academy
Blanchard House built shortly before the opening of the 19th century, by John Blanchard. By 1802 Deacon Amos Blanchard, the first cashier of the Andover Bank, owned the house and was permitted to take in seven Academy boys as boarders. Various renters over the years continued the practice, after the Seminary purchased the house in 1812. The Academy acquired it in 1908 as part of the purchase of the Seminary, and in 1928 it was moved from it's Salem Street location to Hidden Field on West Quad to make room for Commons. This photograph shows the house on its original site
Phillips Academy -- Buildings
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Tags :
Citation :
"Blanchard House on Salem Street," in NOBLE Digital Heritage, Item #16265, http://heritage.noblenet.org/items/show/16265 (accessed September 24, 2017).


text: Late drive lifts Wahama to playoff win By Rick Ryan November 17, 2012 Story Share Courtesy photo Greenbrier West's Malik Boatright (1) is stopped by Wahama defender Wyatt Zuspan (7). POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. - For much of the day, Greenbrier West's mammoth defense had bottled up and frustrated Wahama's trademark rushing game.But when the White Falcons absolutely, positively had to move the ball late in the game, they finally managed to do it.Kane Roush scored on a 10-yard run with 5:02 left in the game, capping a time-consuming drive helped along by a fake punt that put the finishing touches on a 21-12 victory over Greenbrier West in a Class A quarterfinal Saturday."We couldn't get them off the field on that one drive,'' said Greenbrier West coach Lewis McClung. "They made the plays on that drive and kept the drive alive.''The win sends the No. 3 White Falcons (12-0) into next week's semifinals against Magnolia.Quarterback Trenton Gibbs added two scoring runs for Wahama and a handful of big plays both passing and running.The sixth-seeded Cavaliers (10-2) scored on the second play of the fourth quarter to whittle their game-long deficit to 14-12 and seemingly had captured momentum.When do-it-all Malik Boatwright booted the ensuing kickoff into the end zone and forced Wahama to set up shop at the 20, there was no indication the White Falcons would do anything with the ball.At that point, they had registered just six first downs and their vaunted ground game - led by a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Roush and fullback Zack Wamsley - had managed only 81 yards.But Wahama stuck with it and flipped the momentum to its favor, racking up first down after first down on what turned out to be a 15-play, 80-yard march that chewed 6:38 off the clock. The White Falcons notched six first downs on the possession, which ended on Roush's TD burst that helped bump the lead to two possessions at 21-12 late in the game.Fourteen of the 15 calls were running plays, and the lone pass fell incomplete. "It's something we needed to do,'' said Wahama coach Ed Cromley. "We talked to the kids about accomplishing that. It helped, too, that we were a little slimmer than they were, and I think we were in better shape. I can't fault a 300-pound guy for getting tired. I've never carried 300 pounds around, and I think that might have played something into it.''Two key runs highlighted the drive. First was a 12-yard bootleg by Gibbs on third-and-3 at Wahama's 27 to get the initial first down. But six plays later, the White Falcons appeared ready to punt the ball back on fourth-and-6 from the West 44.That's when Roush, the punter, again got creative. He took the snap and rolled right on a rugby-style-punt look, then took off for the right sideline. He appeared to be trapped, but got a clearing block from Wamsley and picked up just enough for the first down."Basically,'' Roush said, "[Cromley] told me, 'If it's open, take it if you want it. If you can't, punt it.' '' What made the move even bolder was the fact that Roush came up well short of a first down on a fake punt in the second quarter. "We run it a lot in practice against the scrub team,'' Roush said, "and there wasn't really [much hesitation to show it again]."The first time we ran it was to the near side of the field and there wasn't that much yardage and when I finally broke to the hole, it didn't work out. When we punted again, it was to the wide side of the field and there was a lot more room. I asked Zack Wamsley to hook the end so I could kick it around him, and I got just enough and kicked around him.''When Roush hit the end zone six plays later, the Cavaliers were essentially doomed, down by two possessions with about five minutes left running out of their wing-T/option formation."We're kind of hurting,'' McClung said, "trying to score fast. We're not a quick-score team, and we didn't really have time to come back."We had a punt-safe called [on Roush's run] and we know it's a fake. He's 7, 8 yards away [from the sticks] and we're there and he still picks it up. That's a big play and a turning point in the game.'' Prior to that, Wahama had been basically held to a smattering of big plays and little else.A 32-yard Gibbs-to-Wyatt Zuspan hookup on the first drive of the game led to a Gibbs' 46-yard scoring scramble. The White Falcons' second score in the third period was aided by a 44-yard Gibbs pass to Colton Neal that was tipped up by Boatwright from his defensive back position, but landed directly in the hands of Neal.Through a little more than three quarters, 142 of Wahama's 180 yards came on three Gibbs completions and his 46-yard run."You take away a couple of big plays,'' McClung said, "and I don't think they did a whole lot on offense until that one drive. But you've got to tip your hat to them. They made the plays on that one drive and kept us off the field.''Roush, held to 16 yards through three quarters, finished with 85 yards on 18 carries. Wamsley was limited to 28 yards on 11 attempts."It was the backside of their line,'' Roush said. "They had big guys filling up the holes, and there was really nowhere to go.''Gibbs ended 4 of 8 for 99 yards with an interception and ran four times for 58 yards.Boatwright was sacked three times in the final minutes and finished with only 37 net yards rushing and one TD. He hit on 4 of 6 passes for 56 yards and returned a pair of kicks 75 yards.Tyler Parker led West's grind-it-out offense with 152 yards on 27 attempts, including an 18-yard scoring run.Reach Rick Ryan at 304-348-5175 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Facebook founder visits Cabin Creek Health Systems 2 WVU hopes to get injured defenders back for TCU 3 Teen pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Oakes Field shooting 4 Huggins, WVU tap South Florida hoops talent 5 Safety shutoff disabled prior to June coal-mining death, report says High school football playoff glance, summaries -- Nov. 17 Previous Story Keyser rolls to 53-8 win over Scott Next Story


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WWE Hell in a Cell 2013
Shawn Michaels made good on his promise that a new WWE Champion would emerge from Hell in a Cell, but his role in Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton's clash was far from nonpartisan. Just two months after undergoing surgery for a torn triceps, John Cena returned to action to dethrone the ruthless Alberto Del Rio and capture his third World Heavyweight Championship.


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News Posts
Showing blog posts tagged with "Moths"
Butterfly or Moth?
by AMNH on
How do you tell these closely related animals apart? Here are a few tips from the professionals!
Magical Moths: Last Chance
by AMNH on
In Winged Tapestries: Moths at Large, a thrilling photographic exhibition open for just one more month at the Museum, the featured moths—no matter how large or small in nature—are magnified to sumptuous dimensions.
Happy National Moth Week!
by AMNH on
It's National Moth Week, an ideal time to observe and celebrate these remarkable, mainly nocturnal, butterfly cousins. Before you head outdoors, here are some things to know about moths.


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A multi-resort pass gives advanced skiers the chance to stretch their legs on a wide choice of terrain, while intermediates can take things at a slower pace, cherry-picking runs to suit their ability and lunching in a different resort each day.
We've put together a selection of seven-day multi-resort lift passes in North America and Europe.
Multi-resort ski passes:
France: The seven-day Mont Blanc Unlimited Pass costs €286 adults, €243 for children. It combines the resorts of Argentiere, Chamonix, Combloux, Cordon, Le Tour, Les Contamines, Les Houches, Passy Plaine Joux, and St. Gervais Mont-Blanc.
Austria: The seven-day Ski Arlberg Pass costs from €227 adults and €136 children. The pass is valid for all 84 cable cars and lifts of the villages: Lech, Oberlech, Zurs, St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben, and Klosterle/Sonnenkopf. Prices are dependent on when you ski and can go up to €239 adults, €143 children.
Italy: The Dolomiti Superski Pass costs from €205 adults and €143 children. This pass offers access to 12 ski resorts: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Kronplatz, Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Val di Fassa/Carezza, Arabba/Marmolada, Alta Pusteria, Obereggen/Val di Fiemme, San Martino di Castrozza, Valle Isarco, Trevalli, and Civetta. Prices are dependent on when you ski and can go up to €256 adults, €179 children.
Switzerland: The seven-day 4 Valleys' Pass costs CHF395 adults and CHF198 children (same rate throughout season). This pass offers access to the four resorts of Verbier, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, and Thyon.
US: The Epic Seven-Day Pass costs $499 per adult, $249 children and offers access to seven mountains: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly, Northstar-at-Tahoe and Arapahoe Basin. There are no restrictions on dates.
Canada: Banff's Tri-Area Lift Ticket offers access to three resorts: Mt. Norquay, Lake Louise, and Sunshine Village. The ski area is launching its 2011-12 passes in the fall. Last season's seven-day tri-area pass was priced at $548.45 adults and $25.86 children (6-12 years).


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Purdue Ag Alumni Honor PVM Alumnus Lynn Martin
February 8, 2013
The Purdue Ag Alumni Association recognized Dr. Lynn Martin (PU DVM '64) by presenting him with a Certificate of Distinction at the annual Purdue Ag Fish Fry in February in Indianapolis. Dr. Martin, of Fort Wayne, Ind., earned a B.S. in agriculture in 1960 before enrolling in veterinary school. He also served in the Army Veterinary Corp and completed Food Inspection School in Chicago. He became the only veterinarian at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, where he was responsible for the care of 3,000 pets and 70 horses, as well as all of the food that entered the base. In 1969, he founded the Fort Wayne Pet Hospital, where he continues to work full time. He also volunteers for various community organizations and has been active as a leader in the Allen County 4-H program.
The Ag Alumni Association's Certificate of Distinction recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to agriculture through professional accomplishments, activity in organizations associated with agriculture, community service work, and other activities that make the nominees a credit to their profession. A total of ten Certificates of Distinction were presented at this year's Ag Fish Fry. To see a press release about Dr. Martin and the other nine recipients, click here.
Writer: Kevin Doerr, email@example.com


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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.
This leather clutch is all about simplicity –– toss in the keys, your phone and a wallet, and you're ready to go. It's also made without any hardware. Just hand-stitching and a raw leather cord to twist around –– wrap it up and head out the door.
- Vegetable tanned tote
- Herman Oak leather
- Leather cord
- Measures 5.5" x 10"
This product ships from the maker within 7 days, via USPS
Full refund issued for unused or unopened items returned within 14 days of receipt


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Providers offered chance to air free Astros games
BOSTON -- Comcast SportsNet Houston, a partnership between the Astros, NBA's Houston Rockets and the NBC Sports Group, announced Thursday they are offering an unprecedented program to provide the new network -- free of charge -- to satellite, cable and telco providers across a five-state region.
The 37-day free trial, which has been presented to DIRECTV, AT&T U-verse, DISH, Suddenlink, Time Warner Cable and more throughout the network's five-state region, is set to begin immediately and extend through May 31. The Astros will play 34 games in that span.
"We are pleased that CSN Houston is offering its service free of charge to television providers across the five-state region," Astros president and CEO George Postolos said in a statement. "The Astros want to be on television in every household. This offers at least a temporary fix as CSN Houston and the providers work towards a permanent agreement. We hope the providers agree to CSN's offer."
These Astros telecasts are in addition to CSN Houston's coverage of the Rockets playoff run and Dynamo regular-season games.
"We understand that fans have been frustrated as we work through our negotiations with providers and have already collected more than 100,000 petitions for our network," CSN Houston president & general manager Matt Hutchings said in a statement. "While those negotiations must continue, our leadership team feels that this next stretch of games for the Rockets, Astros and Dynamo should be made available to the fans. This free trial comes with a sizable loss that our network will take on, but we feel that it is the right thing to do. We are hopeful that our affiliate partners at DirecTV, AT&T, Dish, Suddenlink, Time Warner Cable and others across our region will take us up on this unprecedented offer and make it available to their customers."
For more information on CSN Houston's free trial, fans can contact their provider in order to find out if CSN Houston's coverage of the Rockets, Astros and Dynamo will be placed on their channel lineup during this limited time.
Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Tag's Lines. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
|Anerty's Lair - DriveSort
|<< File
|<< Software
|<< News
|<< Home
DriveSort v1.223
DriveSort sorts the directory tables of a volume formated in FAT12/FAT16/FAT32. This sort orders the files in each folder according to their short or long names alphabetic order.
The majority of recent operating systems sort the files before showing them to the user, either by name, by size or by whatever the user choose. However, it is not always the case in embedded OSes on small portable devices like MP3 players. On these platforms, the lack of resources (CPU, memory) can lead the developper to make it display or play the files in the order in which they are on the disk.
This order depends mostly of the order in which they were added to the disk. DriveSort can change this order to help such devices to play or view their files in the order you want, by putting them on the disk in a customizable order.
Two automated sort method are available :
Each mode can be configured with the sort options available in the popup menu on the right of the sort icon :
DriveSort also features a manual ordering mode for files: the "playlist" mode, in which you can drag the files in the order you want. This mode is only available on the files having a long file name, because it alters the content of the short file name of the ordered files. If it was used on a file having only a short file name, the name would be lost. The short file name is altered to become something like "XXXXXXXX.EXT", where X is a digit from the file's playlist number, and EXT is the file original extension. The long file name of the files is not modified by this method, and the files are automatically ordered on the disk using the "SFN Sort" method. This is particularly useful for multimedia players which play the songs using the short file name alphabetic order, and display them using their long file names, such as the I-Bead, the Sony K750i, some devices for GBA/NDS... The playlist mode is initially able to move .MP3, .OGG and .WMA files around, to avoid files that are not really part of a playlist, like system files. If you want to add other extensions to these, use the Extensions... menu in the playlist menu, or add them to the RecognizedExtensions option of the DriveSort.ini settings file.
This program works directly with the basic structures of the filesystem,
so be careful when using it, and backup anything important before.
Use this program at your own risks.
Download: [ DriveSort (EN, Windows) ]


text:
Howdy fellas! My best man is putting together a trip into michigan and wanted to see if any of you fellas wanted to join us for a round at The Ponds, Black Lotus, or Toboggan. We may hit other courses but we'll probably play 3-4 courses total then finish the day at Founder's Brewery for final "round" and dinner. There may also be "side trips" but we'll leave that to speculation
So if anyone is interested let me know and I'll get details to you. Or if you know anyone in the area to contact let me know. I think we'd like a Pro player to join us and maybe do some teaching but we'll see how everything goes. And maybe some wrestling.


text:
Don't miss out on a lower price on this hotel
Get an overview of this hotelContemporary luxury hotel near the Champs-Elysées
Collecting Nectar Points
Special Offer: Book by 2 August 2017 and collect double Nectar points!
Simply enter your Nectar card number when you check out. Your points will be credited 35 days after you return from your trip.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Popular property highlights
Near the Champs-Elysées
The luxury Warwick Paris hotel enjoys a prestigious location in Paris, a few steps from the Champs- Élysées, at the crossroads of Paris' culture, fashion, entertainment and business.
Hotel restaurant bar
Restaurant Le W features traditional offerings, while W Bar provides afternoon tea and cocktails. In summer, the restaurant serves meals on the Penthouse Terrace offering views of Paris and the Eiffel Tower.
City views
Warm colors and fine materials adorn contemporary guestrooms with stylish mahogany furniture. All rooms and suites include marble bathrooms, city views, and private terraces, and free WiFi access is provided.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Warwick Paris - formerly Hôtel Warwick Champs-Elysées
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Much favored by businesspeople and weekend tourists, the Warwick Paris hotel is a tranquil oasis only one minute from the bustle of the Champs-Élysées, and close to the fashionable shopping areas of the 8th Arrondissement (district). Just 300 meters from the hotel lies the Faubourg Saint Honore, with its ranks of designer boutiques, such as Hermes and Fendi. Also 300 meters away is the boulevard Haussmann, lined with the huge department stores Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps.
The concierge desk at the Warwick Paris offers a range of services such as reservation of theater seats, tours, cell phone rental, child care, and limousine service. A business center offers secretarial services, faxing, and e-mail. Free WiFi access is also available in the hotel.
Restaurant Le W offers a traditional menu. The Chef concocts the seasonal dishes in an open-air kitchen creating a warm atmosphere in the restaurant while the W Bar provides delightful afternoon tea. Cocktails and liqueurs served late night. In summer from May to September, Le W restaurant serves meals on the Penthouse Terrace offering views of Paris and the Eiffel Tower.
- 24-hour front desk
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Bar/lounge
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Business center
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Conference space
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Express check-out
- Airport transportation
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Luggage storage
- Total number of rooms - 149
- Laundry facilities
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Number of floors - 8
- Meeting rooms
- Multilingual staff
- Valet parking (surcharge)
- Restaurant
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Conference space size (feet) - 1615
- Use of nearby fitness center (discount)
- Wedding services
- Fireplace in lobby
- Porter/bellhop
- Conference space size (meters) - 150
- Number of meeting rooms - 7
- Free reception
- Year Built 1980
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Free Wi-Fi
- Soundproofed rooms
- Laundry facilities
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Valet parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Pay movies
- Soundproofed rooms
- Air conditioning
- Free newspaper
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Phone
- Minibar
- Turndown service
- Private bathroom
- Bathrobes
- Hair dryer
- Bidet
- Desk
- Satellite TV service
- In-room safe
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Premium bedding
- Free WiFi
- Free wired Internet
- In-room massage available
- Daily housekeeping
- Free toiletries
- Shower/tub combination
- Room service (24 hours)
- Free cribs/infant beds
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Flat-panel TV
- Pillow menu
Where to Eat
Restaurant Le W - Offering a breakfast buffet (surcharge) and traditional French cuisine for lunch and dinner, the restaurant is light and roomy and blessed with attentive and knowledgeable staff. In the summer, guests can dine on the terrace of the eighth-floor Penthouse Suite, which offers views of the Eiffel Tower.
W Bar - A relaxing setting where guests can read the complimentary newspaper and magazines, or enjoy morning express breakfast, afternoon tea time, or cocktails. Many quality cognacs, spirits, and champagne.
Nearby Things to Do
Guests of the hotel have the use of the facilities of the fully-equipped Club Med Gym, on rue de Berri, just two minutes' walk away, at discounted rates. Joggers have the use of the gardens of the Champs Elysées, which are a five minute walk away.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Free cribs (infant beds)!
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of EUR 15 per pet, per night
- Dogs only
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 2.48 per person, per night
Optional extras
- Fee for buffet breakfast: EUR 24 per person (approximately)
- Valet parking fee: EUR 21.50 per stay
- Pet fee: EUR 15 per pet, per night
Hotel Name
- Hôtel Warwick Champs-Elysées
- Hôtel Warwick Champs-Elysées Paris
- Warwick Champs-Elysées
- Warwick Champs-Elysées Paris
- Warwick Paris formerly Hôtel Warwick Champs-Elysées
- Warwick Paris
- Hotel Warwick Champs Elysees
- Paris Warwick
- Warwick formerly Hôtel Warwick Champs-Elysées
- Warwick Paris formerly Warwick Champs-Elysées
- Warwick formerly Warwick Champs-Elysées
National Rating
This property has received its official star rating from the French Tourism Development Agency, ATOUT France.


text:
THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
Almost six years ago--in November of 2004--I posted what would turn out to be one of my most popular blog posts in terms of number of reads, "Performance: ISNULL vs. COALESCE." (If you're curious, the post is dated July 2006 because I was too lazyit was difficult to transition the publication dates over with the posts when I transferred to SQLblog from my previous blog location.)
In this post I set out to determine whether ISNULL is faster than COALESCE, even though I admitted that I didn't particularly care about the results:
"Before getting to my own tests, I'd like to jump off on a quick
tanget. COALESCE vs. ISNULL? Who cares! This isn't a performance
question, this is a question of standards-conformant vs. proprietary
code. ISNULL is non-standard and provides less functionality than
COALESCE. Yet a lot of SQL Server developers love to use it, I suspect
because it's a lot easier to remember (and spell). So learn a new word
and type two extra characters and you'll end up with more maintainable,
more functional code. Sounds good to me -- which is why I am a big fan
of COALESCE."
I still agree 100% with what I said in this paragraph, and despite the fact that my tests showed ISNULL to be slightly faster than COALESCE, I didn't switch over and start using ISNULL. I use the tool that I'm comfortable with, that is standard, and that has more functionality. COALESCE. Seems like a no-brainer.
And yet, that other post, as I mentioned, is one of my most popular ever. It gets loads of hits, usually from Google, Bing, and the like. People want to know which is faster. Can they give their code that extra edge? Recently a reader named Kit chastised me for not updating the body of the post, given that there was some new and "important" information disclosed by another reader in the comments. And this made me think about this issue yet again... What follows are my current views on this topic, based on what I've learned in the past six years, much of which has been spent doing performance consulting.
There is too much to focus on to bother with this issue.
In my original tests I noted a 10% time benefit of ISNULL over COALESCE. Those tests were done on SQL Server 2000, and I don't have a server to test on today, but in 2005 and 2008 the difference is closer to 1%. And even a 10% difference isn't enough to get me excited. In most of my performance engagements I start by looking for areas where I can get at least a 100% improvement in performance by making simple changes, and usually there so many of these "low-hanging fruit" that I don't even need to bother looking for lesser areas of improvement. Furthermore, the 10% benefit is applicable only to the ISNULL or COALESCE function itself, and will be totally overshadowed by the rest of the query. Each call to these functions takes approximately 0.002ms on my test server. Think about how much time data access from disk or even from memory takes. Do you really think you'll see an appreciable difference in total query performance by switching between these functions?
Sometimes switching between these two functions will appear to fix a problem--but it has nothing to do with relative performance.
ISNULL and COALESCE seem like they're equivalent aside from the fact that ISNULL accepts only two arguments while COALESCE accepts any number. However, there is a subtle difference between the two. The output data type of ISNULL is the same data type as the first input argument, whereas the output data type of COALESCE is determined by the argument with the highest data type precedence. Consider the following two expressions:
The first expression, which uses ISNULL, returns a value typed as VARCHAR, since that's the type of the first argument. The second expression, on the other hand, will return a value typed as INTEGER, since given both of the arguments--one VARCHAR and one INTEGER--the INTEGER has a higher precedence.
What does this have to do with query performance? Sometimes, when using ISNULL or COALESCE as part of a predicate, a user may end up with a data type mismatch that is not implicitly convertable and which therefore causes a table scan or other less-than-ideal access method to be used. A user that is using trial-and-error and guess work to solve performance problems may swap ISNULL for COALESCE or the other way around and discover that suddenly the query will appear to run much faster. The conclusion that will be made is that one function is faster than the other, but that's clearly not the case. In reality, highly selective index seeks tend to be a lot faster than index scans, and that's what swapping out the function caused to occur.
When performance tuning, don't guess. Collect evidence, form hypotheses, and test thoroughly. SQL Server 2005 and 2008 gives us plenty of information to diagnose the vast majority of issues; there is no reason we should have to poke or prod in an attempt to find an answer.
ISNULL has a really cool use case.
If you're anything like me, you use SELECT INTO... a lot. And you may have discovered that sometimes you need to make special accommodations to control the resultant data type, size, precision, scale, and other metadata for each output column. The most difficult of these to control is nullability, which is mostly implicitly derived by the query engine and for which there does not exist a conversion. Take, for example, the following query:
SELECT ColorINTO CFROM Production.ProductWHERE Color IS NOT NULL
We can clearly see that the Color column in our new table, C, will contain no NULLs, because that's what has been specified in the WHERE clause. But the query optimizer doesn't seem to make this leap, and should you run this query followed by a quick check using sp_help or the catalog views, you'll notice that C.Color is in fact nullable. I used to get around this by running ALTER TABLE ... ALTER COLUMN, but when working with a billion-row table I discovered that this is hardly a cheap process, and I went looking for a better solution. The answer to my problem? ISNULL:
SELECT ISNULL(Color, '') AS ColorINTO cFROM Production.ProductWHERE Color IS NOT NULL
This query will produce a non-nullable Color column, exactly what I want and expect. And COALESCE won't work here. Why? I don't know, it just won't. Finally, a solid reason to use ISNULL that has nothing to do with performance.
What have we learned today?
There is nothing to be gained from micro-optimization. If you have time to worry about ISNULL vs. COALESCE, you should probably consider an early retirement, because your job is done.
One should never guess when performance tuning. It only leads to improper conclusions and less than ideal practices further down the road.
Don't completely dismiss a tool. You may discover a great way to use it once you look further afield.
Thank you for reading and as always, enjoy!
If you would like to receive an email when updates are made to this post, please register here
Subscribe to this post's comments using
Reminds me of a discussion on Twitter recently that stemmed out of me not specifying a length for the varchar data type in an example of converting a date to a string.
They said they had been yelled at more than once for this practice because it was a performance hit. I challenged the person to prove it to me, and in the end, he said that the difference was so slight to be barely detectable.
Regarding the typical abundance of low hanging fruit: Shhh!! you'll spoil it for the rest of us.
Along similar lines, it's about time we stopped worrying about user defined stored procedures with names that start with "sp".
That was a nice read, thanks!
I guess the reason that ISNULL works for creating non-null columns with SELECT...INFO and COALESCE doesn't is because COALESCE is really just blindly translated into a CASE expression by the engine.
In other words...
SELECT COALESCE(Color,'')
is translated to...
SELECT CASE WHEN Color IS NOT NULL THEN Color ELSE '' END
And I guess it's harder to parse out that CASE expression to determine nullability than it is to interpret a simple ISNULL.
Just my guess...
Excellent post...
The reason COALESCE doesn't work in the SELECT INTO is that at the "meta level", there's no guarantee that COALESCE's output value is non-null. e.g in this the COALESCE is NULL for the first row:
WITH Point(x,y) AS
SELECT NULL AS x, NULL AS y
SELECT ISNULL(x,0) AS NotNullX
, ISNULL(y,0) AS NotNullY
, COALESCE(x,y) AS IsNullXY
FROM Point;
Marc: Your COALESCE returns a NULL for that row only because you're not using a constant for the final argument. If you were to use a constant, COALESCE would never return a NULL.
Excellent post today, Adam!
The behaviour seen in the Color example is fascinating. It doesn't surprise me that only ISNULL works to generate a NOT NULL column with SELECT...INTO since that's the same arrangement that works for computed columns, and that's a documented feature ("Computed Columns" in Books Online, right at the bottom of the entry).
What is *interesting* is that the "WHERE Color IS NOT NULL" part is insufficient to produce a NOT NULL column without the ISNULL.
The optimiser tracks column NULLability as it explores plan alternatives via 'properties', which can result in extra optimisation opportunities. The "WHERE Color IS NOT NULL" predicate sets a QO property bit to let later operators know that NULLs are not possible in that column from that point forward. (So far so good.)
You can see that in action since the query plan for the ISNULL version _does not contain_ an ISNULL expression anywhere! The ISNULL was in the Compute Scalar, but was optimised away by later application of a rule recognising that performing an ISNULL operation on an attribute that cannot be NULL is redundant and wasteful.
Nevertheless, even though the ISNULL was optimised away, the fact that it was there originally was enough to trigger the rule that defines the destination column as NOT NULL.
What I find surprising is that the SELECT...INTO doesn't use the QO property information when deciding if the column should be created as NULLable or not, without the ISNULL. Seems like a bug (of omission).
Something else just to illustrate the point. If we run:
DECLARE @C TABLE (Color NVARCHAR(15) NOT NULL); -- Note NOT NULL
INSERT @C (Color)
SELECT Color
FROM Production.Product;
...there is a RaiseIfNullInsert in the predicate property of the Table Insert iterator, to check for NULLs. If we add the WHERE Color IS NOT NULL clause, the RaiseIfNullInsert disappears - optimised away by the knowledge that Color cannot be NULL by then.
So, the property is there, the optimiser 'knows' the column can't contain NULLs and can optimise on that basis. Double weird that the optimiser doesn't reason that in the SELECT...INTO case.
Apologies for the long comment :)
Great post Adam. I particularly found your Color example interesting. It just goes to show that every tool has value when used appropriately.
Thanks for this post, and the one from 6 years ago. Who cares? Pedants do! Seems to be a high ratio of those working in this industry.
I like your lessons, and the specific use case for ISNULL.
Personally I like COALESCE because if I accidentally do this:
COALESCE(decimaltypecolumn,0) it returns the decimal data type
If I *thinking I am being careful* do this
ISNULL(inttypecolumn,0.0) it returns an integer data type! Which would be bad


text:
How to Win?Trick brain teasers appear difficult at first, but they have a trick that makes them really easy.
You have no skill at magic tricks, yet you make a bet with your friend for $25. You tell him to pick a card, take a look at it, and put it back in the deck. You then shuffle the deck as many times as your friend wishes. You will then hand back your friend's chosen card. Even though you possess no magic skill whatsoever, and you have no idea what your friend picked, you can still win this bet. How?
AnswerYou hand back the deck. You have just handed back the chosen card.
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
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text:
Add a Letter 25Language brain teasers are those that involve the English language. You need to think about and manipulate words and letters.
Each pair of definitions is for two words, where the second word is the first word with an extra letter added somewhere (example: band & brand). The length of the short word in each pair is provided.
1) a flower & a chemical element (8 letters)
2) a system of rigid social stratification & rook (5 letters)
3) malevolence & elf or fairy (5 letters)
4) Old Norse letter & to cut off unwanted parts (4 letters)
Answer1) geranium & germanium
2) caste & castle
3) spite & sprite
4) rune & prune
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
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text:
Here's our mission statement on our website:
Thank You!
Your message has been sent to 3 Bunnies Rabbit Rescue.
You'll receive a copy, too, at to help you keep track of which pets you've inquired about, and which shelters and rescues you've emailed.
NOTE: Some shelters have physical locations you can visit; some of these shelters may only have pets for a limited time, so please do not wait for a reply—just go visit the shelter! Other organizations are rescue groups run by busy volunteers who may take a while to reply. You can find information about the shelter or rescue group caring for this pet, and their adoption procedures, on the pet's details page on Adopt-a-Pet.com.


text:
PBteen Classic Organic Sheet Set
- Personalization
Please Select Size: Twin/Twin XL
Please Select Color:
Personalization options available for select products
$28.50 – $99 Special $14.50 – $49
- Overview
These supremely soft sheets are woven of pure organic cotton in a variety of mix-and-match colors.
- 100% organic cotton percale
- Oeko-Tex® Certified: tested in a third-party lab and verified to be free from over 300 harmful substances.
- 200-thread count.
- Machine wash.
- Twin XL sheeting has a longer fitted sheet to accommodate both standard twin and twin XL dorm mattresses.
- Pillowcase features an inner envelope closure to hold the pillow neatly in place.
- Fitted sheet has universal elastic (elastic around the entire edge) for a snug, secure fit.
- Imported.
- Set includes flat sheet, fitted sheet, and two standard pillowcases.
- Twin XL set includes flat sheet, fitted sheet, and one standard pillow case.
- Extra pillowcases are available in sets of 2.
- Pillow insert sold separately.
- Personalization is available for an additional charge.
- Personalization on the pillowcase is centered on the side cuff; personalization on the sheet set is centered on the top cuff and placed so it will be visible when the sheet is folded over as part of a made bed.
- Dimensions + Care
Twin XL
- Fitted Sheet: 39wide x 80" long; fits mattresses up to 12" deep
- Flat Sheet: 66 wide x 96" long
- Standard Pillowcase: 30" wide x 20" high
- Fitted Sheet: 54 wide x 75" long; fits mattresses up to 16" deep
- Flat Sheet: 90 wide x 96" long
- Standard Pillowcase (2): 30" wide x 20" high
- Fitted Sheet: 60 wide x 80" long; fits mattresses up to 16" deep
- Flat Sheet: 96wide x 104" long
- Standard Pillowcase (2): 30" wide x 20" high
- Wash before first use.
- Machine wash in warm water; gentle cycle.
- Use only non-chlorine bleach, if needed.
- Tumble dry on low heat.
- Warm iron as needed.
- Shipping Info
This item will arrive in 3-5 business days. Please proceed to the Payment & Review page of Checkout for a precise delivery estimate.
- Final Sale
Final-sale items, identified by a price ending in $0.99, cannot be returned. Once placed, your order for any final sale items cannot be canceled.


text:
If you're like most of us, you probably have contact and address book data spread all over the web — friends on Facebook, contacts in Gmail, followers on Twitter, and names in your local address book application.
Wouldn't it be nice if all that data were available in one place where you could see it all, control which sites have access to it and manage your on and offline friends?
The truly unified address book is still a ways off, but there is hope it will be especially useful once it arrives thanks to some emerging standards.
The Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C), the governing body that creates and oversees web standards, has published a working draft of what's known as the Contacts API. The goal behind the Contacts API is to provide a way to unify your address book, pulling from both local and online sources, and to allow you to better control how third-party websites access your data.
The latest draft incorporates feedback based on the earlier draft, first published back in January of 2010. It builds upon the work being done on vCard and Portable Contacts, among other contact systems already being used on the web. The final version is penciled in for mid-2011.
The Contacts API is part of a broader initiative at the W3C called the Ubiquitous Web Applications activity. The purpose of the group is to develop underlying infrastructures web services can take advantage of to make web apps more powerful and more useful. The Geolocation API, which lets a web app learn your location, and the Devices API, which lets a web app access a camera or microphone in your hardware, are also part of the same initiative. It also fits into the ideals outlined by the W3C's vision of a semantic web.
So what will the Contacts API standardize? Currently, if a site wants to access your contacts list it generally does so by grabbing, say, your whole Gmail contacts list. Even with standards like OAuth, which gives you control over which sites can access your contacts list, you still don't have much in the way of fine-grained permissions.
Say you want Facebook to only grab contacts that you've put in the address group "friends" in your Gmail address book. With the current controls, you're out of luck. But if and when the Contacts API is ratified and adopted, that's exactly the sort of thing it would allow you to do.
The Contacts API would also give the browser a method of unifying all your various contacts lists — for example your contacts from Gmail, Facebook and your local address book all merged to single list.
It sounds grand, no doubt, but the Contacts API is a long way from reality. Mozilla has experimented with the API (along with other tools) to create the Labs project Contacts, but like the APIs it uses, Contacts is still very much a work in progress.
See Also:
- Mozilla Contacts Helps Firefox Discover Your Social Web
- Mozilla Labs Seeks to Tame Your Address Book With 'Contacts'
- New Google Contacts API Taps Your Gmail Address Book
- Access Your Gmail Contacts From Any Site