text:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A March story in The Daytona Beach Journal revealed that AAA, the automobile service company, provides car loans through credit unions, but AAA declined to elaborate on its CU program for Credit Union Times.
The newspaper quoted Peggy Lambeth, Auto Club South spokeswoman as saying that AAA generally aims to offer rates about two percentage points below the deals offered by banks but shuns high-risk borrowers, defining them as buyers with credit scores below 550.
Lambeth was unavailable to comment, but spokeswoman Angie LaPlant confirmed that AAA Financial Services (www.aaasouth.com) has various clubs throughout the country and each can develop its own programs independently. AAA Auto Club South covers Florida, Georgia, western Tennessee and Puerto Rico.
"AAA and credit unions do have great similarities, both in the competitive areas and in service levels compared to other organizations. We want to partner those values of superior service and treat our members as family," said LaPlant.
LaPlant allowed that AAA works with a number of credit unions in Florida but declined to name any of the CUs in its program or any details of how the program works. "We are now working on expanding our program and regret that we cannot provide any further information. We are making additional enhancements and as soon as information becomes available we will provide it."


text:
Madame Chiang Kai-Shek: China's Eternal First Lady
To admirers, the wife of the Nationalist dictator of China and later Taiwan was a symbol of resistance to Communist tyranny; to detractors, she was a crafty "Dragon Lady" or a quisling of American imperialism. In this absorbing biography, Li, a former Taiwan correspondent for the Financial Times , manages a balanced portrait that situates Madame Chiang in an uneasy borderland between East and West. In her charm offensives to the United States seeking military aid during WWII, the author writes, the glamorous, Wellesley-educated Madame Chiang embodied a modern, Westernizing China that made her "a perfect focus for America's rescue complex." But Li also finds her "quintessentially Chinese" in her submissiveness to her husband's authority and "loyalty to clan and personality over principle." Amply conveying her subject's charisma without falling under its spell, Li diagnoses Madame Chiang as a classic "narcissistic personality" and critiques her complicity in the Nationalist regime's brutality and corruption and her lavish lifestyle, which alienated China's impoverished masses. Li is barely adequate at sketching the 105 years of Chinese history Chiang's life spanned, but she offers a well-researched, fluently written assessment of the life and impact of one of the 20th century's iconic figures. Photos, map. (Sept.)
Release date: 09/01/2006

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Commissioner Bud Selig had his scheduled meeting Tuesday with Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon, according to two baseball officials with knowledge of the situation, and the financial state of the team was among the topics discussed. The officials did not provide any details of that late-morning meeting, which was also attended by chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and team president Saul Katz, other than to say it was informal and relatively brief.
Selig and Fred Wilpon are longtime friends, and Wilpon often has sought Selig's input on club-related issues. The commissioner advocated the hiring of general manager Sandy Alderson, a key decision as Alderson seems well equipped to help navigate the team through its current financial crisis. But the Mets' problems at the moment are much more significant than rebuilding a front office.
The Wilpons said Friday that ownership was seeking to sell up to 25 percent of the team in light of recent Madoff-related lawsuits. The total damages from that legal action have yet to be determined, with Madoff trustee Irving Picard reportedly seeking up to $1 billion in "clawbacks" from the Wilpons.
Yesterday's meeting was arranged weeks ago, the officials said, and it was not characterized as some sort of emergency summit as the Wilpons work to maintain their controlling interest in the Mets. But even a partial sale of the team would need the approval of Major League Baseball, and despite the recent emergence of interested buyers, it is unknown if the Wilpons have narrowed the list to serious suitors for a piece of the club.
Selig, who arrived in New York on Monday for other baseball-related business, left in the afternoon.
With Jim Baumbach


text:
We bought this deep fat frier from Argos around 3 years ago now. It wasn't expensive at £29.99 and with it being a Kenwood we thought it would be a really good purchase.
We looked around for a while at deep fat friers as some were tiny and we wanted something that would accomodate a growing family. This frier holds 1kg which is great for a family of 3 or 4.
I wasn't too fussed on what the frier looked like as, like most families, it is put away in a cupboard most of the time. Some are very fancy looking in chrome and have 2 seperate compartments but this one is very simple. I like the fact it's simple and easy to use and within few minutes it's heated up and ready to go.
This frier has a thermostat on the bottom that turns. It is also helpful to have a few pics on it too to show you what kind of food goes to which temperature. The lid is handy and means fat is not splattered all over the walls however as you have to put the handle down before the lid quite often some of the fat does hit the walls. I'm not sure how Kenwood could get around this problem.
The only problem we have had with this frier is that where you pick it up (there are little handles towards the bottom) has lost its shape alittle by being melted. I'm not too sure how this has happened as it's just on one side but it is pretty dangerous I think.
Overall it fries food beautifully but I think due to the problem highlighted above I will have to replace it shortly.
I chose to buy the Kenwood DF380 because every deep fat fryer I have ever had, has been impossible to keep clean. The attraction of this one is that it can be completely dismantled, placed in dishwasher and thoroughly cleaned. Unfortunately, this is the only positive thing about this deep fat fryer.
I have found that every time I put it on to heat up, the lid pops open and I have to slam it down to keep it shut. Due to the shape of the fryer, the oil level is very low, so very quickly gets messy and has to be changed. This is obviously not very economical and environmently unfriendly.
The other major problem is when you lift the basket and let it rest in the slot on the side. The slot to place the basket in is so shallow that I have had the basket fall back into the boiling oil. This is extremely dangerous and you have to be really careful with it.
This deep fat fryer was not cheap so I had expected it to be far better than it is and would not recommend it to anyone.
This cool-wall midi fryer will cook up to 1kg of food, but it won`t present you with a heavy cleaning job afterwards / It has a unique removable control module which enables the whole thing to be dismantled for easy cleaning either in the sink or in the dishwasher / A permanent mesh filter reduces odour / You can view food through the window in the lid and when time`s up there`s a one-touch lid release switch for safe and easy opening / The non-stick aluminium bowl gives good heat distribution / ensuring that each and every chip, or whatever else you cook, is exactly as you like it / Short name: Kenwood DF380


text:
League Central: Round 16 - Cowboys v Raiders1:17
Following a great win over the Broncos, the Cowboys start strong favourites against the Raiders. Is there any hope for the Green Machine? Paul Kent and Dean Ritchie let you know.
ALREADY grief-stricken, the North Queensland Cowboys club will have to combat one of the NRL's biggest front row rotations without two of their best props.
The Cowboys will wear black armbands against the Canberra Raiders in Townsville tonight to pay tribute Dianne Scott, the mother of club captain and Maroons enforcer Matt.
Dianne died tragically late on Thursday night after a long battle with throat cancer. Her passing has left the Cowboys club shattered.
Scott will not line up against the Raiders as he remains with his family in Ilfracombe .
Dianne was a hero to many in the remote central-west town.
When Scott was playing junior footy Dianne would drive the team bus, collecting her son's teammates for return trips to games. Those trips would often take up to eight hours, yet incredibly she would do it week in, week out.
The emotion of Dianne's passing is sure to weigh heavily on the Cowboys as they search for rare back-to-back wins this year."Our thoughts are with Matt at this difficult time," Cowboys coach Neil Henry said.
"He will be staying at home with his family.
"It's very sad news for the club and Matt's family."
Dianne's condition worsened in the lead up to Origin game two, with Scott taking the first few days of camp off to be by her side.
Although Scott will also join next week's Maroons camp late, Henry said he would likely play the decider at Suncorp Stadium.
"It's too early to say if he will miss Origin. I imagine he won't though," he said.
The loss of Scott from the side is compounded by the suspension of fellow Cowboys prop Ashton Sims for one week on a high tackle charge.
The Cowboys will play one prop short with veteran backrower Glenn Hall expected to fill Scott's place while Cory Patterson or Joel Riethmuller will take the final bench spot.
in comparison, the Raiders have one of the game's best front row rotations.
Their starting props are Origin players in Dave Shillington (114kg) and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (110kg) while the game's tallest player in Dane Tilse (113kg, 200cm) comes off their bench.
Where as the Cowboys have one genuine giant in James Tamou at 113kg, but bench prop Ricky Thorby is just 101kg and Hall is just 100kg.
"It's a tough time. Ashton is out as well so we are missing a couple of front rowers," Henry said. "The Raiders have a big pack of forwards with Shillington and Tilse.
"We need to build on our strong game against the Brisbane Broncos last week and because of the congested table, each win is vital."
The Raiders will have to deal with their own late omission with key second rower Bronson Harrison ruled out at training yesterday with a hamstring tear.
Trevor Thurling or rookie Mark Nicholls will replace him.
Follow @Telegraph_Sport on Twitter and like Telegraph Sport on Facebook
Originally published as Cowboys struggle to cope with loss


text:
The Legal Broadcast Network ( LB Network ) is not LexBlog, but a network founded by Jan Schlichtmann, the nationally renown attorney and advocate for public justice and environmental issues and Mark Wahlstrom, one of the nations leading settlement planning professionals and advocate for plaintiffs rights to representation.
Notwithstanding FindLaw's hope and belief, the FindLaw selling links debacle has a ways to play out, with the primary impact being lawyers and law firms distrust of FindLaw and their law firm marketing solutions.
This well done and researched video from a reputable source is an example of what you can expect to see as people look beyond what FindLaw is telling folks.
Related posts:
- FindLaw gaming Google, and possibly scamming lawyer customers?
- FindLaw SEO misconduct : Suggested course of conduct
- Traits you look for in a legal marketing strategic partner
- FindLaw selling links story is spreading like wildfire
- FindLaw selling links update : Dow Jones reporting FindLaw misconduct and lawyers questioning what FindLaw sold them
- FindLaw Linkgate : Former FindLaw sales rep blows whistle


text: Tercera edad--Estados Unidos Image Entertainment (Firm) United States. Retirement Feature films en Comedy films 530330442 Drama 530330442 MPAA rating: R; for crude and sexual content. A newly retired father wants to enjoy his golden years relaxing at home with this lovely wife. Mom and Dad want to claim their rec room for themselves, and the only thing standing in their way is their two older sons who won't move out! When Mom and Dad decide that the only thing that will solve the problem is for them to move out, the sons must learn how to pay bills and it's either sink or swim for clueless Elliot and Quinn. Housebroken Video recordings for the hearing impaired 2010 en Stone Skyler Skyler Stone Slackers--United States Heller Richard Richard Heller 2010 Fathers and sons--United States Sagal Katey Katey Sagal DeVito Danny Danny DeVito Farley John John Farley Padre e hijo--Estados Unidos cau Rice Wayne Allan Wayne Allan Rice Harper Sam Sam Harper Retirement--United States 2017-10-23 Fathers and sons Herschman Adam Adam Herschman Larson Brie Brie Larson 1989 Crosby Caitlin Caitlin Crosby Edwards Timothy Timothy Edwards Yalda Tony Tony Yalda Moving, Household Slackers Wilson Thomas F. Thomas F. Wilson 1959 Moving, Household--United States Distributed by Image Entertainment Glave Matthew Matthew Glave Capacity Pictures (Firm) Hansen Ryan Ryan Hansen Preston Meredith Meredith Preston Finance, Personal Chatsworth, CA Finance, Personal--United States


text: Fashion Week's next stop is sunny London! From Sept 15 to Sept 20th, London's best and brightest (who didn't show in Paris, Milan or NYC) will showcase their collections on catwalks in the Big Smoke. Unfortunately, Getty Images won't let us share all the gorgeous photos with you, so you'll have to venture over to the London Fashion Week homepage for photos. But don't get too excited because the London Fashion Week doesn't show much menswear.


text:
An arch brace holds the sock in place and adds additional support, while a flat-knit toe seam keeps you comfortable throughout the day. Perfect for moderate hiking or aggressive walking.
Machine Wash Warm Gentle Cycle. Do Not Bleach. Tumble Dry Low. Do Not Iron. Do Not Dry Clean
Featured product


text:
Welcome | Sign In or Contact Us
Receive Weekly How-To Tips & Specials
Mowers Direct is an online
Troy Bilt Wheeled Edgersuperstore, specializing exclusively in Troy Bilt Walk Behind Edgers, Troy Bilt Walk Edgers and Troy Built Wheeled Lawn Edgers. Compare Troy Bilt Walk Behind Edger models, specs and prices. Consult with our experienced Troy Bilt Wheeled Edger experts. Troy Bilt Wheeled Edgers for sale. Tax-Free.


text:
The Uni Project is preparing a series of pop up reading rooms that will be moving around New York City in April and May.
These outdoor reading zones will provide books to the general public. Check it out: "Based in New York City, we operate reading rooms that bring architect-designed structures, high quality books, and dedicated staff, to the city's plazas, parks, and public spaces. We partner with community-based organizations and our circuit prioritizes underserved NYC neighborhoods."
The reading rooms will be in Clinton Hill on April 25th; in the Lower East Side on May 4-9th; on Roosevelt Island May 10-11th; in Fort Greene on May 16th; and in Tompkins Square Park and Washington Square Park May 28-29th and June 13th.


text:
All Android applications categories
With this app you will have a perfect step by step solved integral by partial fractions, perfect for home study.
This app is supported via search. Please note that the following will be added to your device once you download the app – Search icon, bookmark link and browser homepage. You can delete/replace these search points easily. This is a way to make money from this app and giving it to you for free. Thank you for your understanding.
Tags: integral of a fraction , integrais por frações parciais , integral step by step , trash icon , integral , formulas de integral , frazione parziale , exemplos de passo a passo de integrais por frações parciais , integral by partial
from 22 reviews
Download Integral by Partial Fraction
Free - 3.1 - 261K
Sorry ...
This app is no longer available.Explore Android
Share this app


text:
Aug 13, 2013
Anybody got any views on the optional piano black inlays on the S3?
In general most people who have expressed an opinion on piano black previously say it looks great initially, but shows all the finger marks and dust. It also has a tendency to show scratches a lot, so perhaps will turn out to be a bad choice in the long run.
^^as above, as you polish the dust away it will all so leave more for you too move on the the return wipe, p/b, looks good if you keep the door shut and look in.
Been there.
Okay fair enough. Aluminium it is. I'm already opting for lunar silver seats (against my better judgement) and I don't want to be cleaning the interior every other day!
When I had silver leather on my 8P S3, I sat on a towel as the dye-transfer from denim jeans was a nightmare... just to prepare you!
Agree with the piano black comments above too.
Piano black is more modern and does look better IMO.
But I do agree that it shows the dust more easily.
I have a microfibre cloth in my glove box though and its no hardship just to give the occasional wipe every few weeks.
So for me, piano black for the win, but I do like the aluminium too so you won't go wrong with either.
I also have the lunar silver inserts on my TTS seats and again the comments are spot on, they look great but do stain easy from trousers.
It would not put me off having them, it is just a case again of keeping on top of it.
Have you found that the inlays scratch easily or do they just collect dust?
considered the 3D Design inlays? any pics of these?
Had both Piano and Matt Ali before, Piano does scratch easily but you can also scratch the Matt Ali, however, a pro detailer should be able to machine polish out minor scratches on piano inlays using light pressure, doubt you would be able to machine polish scratches on Matt Ali though.
Are they different to the piano black inlays?
I believe they are a new available feature and as i have not had or seen them before i am hoping to be pleasantly surprised. At least i know they are black lol
I have the 3D Design inlays and think they look great, especially with grey seats etc. Don't have pictures right now but I could take some next week if you still want them.
Yes mate that would be good, thanks for that.
i believe this is the 3d design black inlay option
Brushed aluminium for me, especially on the s3 or any car with black headlining. Needs some silver to brak up the darkness, and matches all the other alu parts, such as handles, pedals, gear stick , volume, air vents, etc etc
Yeah if I'd have gone with black seats instead of lunar silver I'd have gone ali too, but I thought that the cabin would be light enough with the lunar silver option selected + the black was a bit different
Same for me, agree with Cumbrian bob. Like the continuity of the aluminium with handles etc.
changed mine from 3D design black on my order to matt after viewing the interior of some S3's on mobile.de, i agree with BoB with dark interior seats it breaks up the cabin quite nicely.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
NORTH COUNTY -- Highway 78 traffic appears to have recovered this morning from early morning crashes in San Marcos that affected both sides of the major North County corridor.
A big rig overturned at 5:39 a.m. at the start of the Sycamore Avenue off-ramp, according to the California Highway Patrol. An ambulance responded as the ramp was closed for a time.
Less than 15 minutes later a four-car crash blocked two of the highway's eastbound lanes, backing traffic up to Mar Vista. No injuries were reported. All the eastbound lanes were open at 6:45 a.m.
On interstates 5 and 15, southbound traffic was slow in the usual places from Carlsbad to Solana Beach and in the Escondido area.


text:
Detail Information
- The effect of the combination of locking screws and non-locking screws on the torsional properties of a locking-plate constructS Gordon
Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 23:7-13. 2010..The addition of a single locking screw to an otherwise non-locking construct will increase the torque at the offset failure point and may be of clinical value in constructs subjected to high torsional loads...
- Outcome following splenectomy in catsSebastian S N Gordon
Veterinary Surgical Centers, Vienna, VA, USA
J Feline Med Surg 12:256-61. 2010..For cats with weight loss the MST was 3 days, for cats with no weight loss noted the MST was 293 days (P=0.008)...


text:
Past events live from the University of Oxford
Flash Talk Physics - Live on Wednesday 4th December - 6.30pm til 8.30pm.
More details on the talks and full timetable on the Physics departmental web page.
More Physics podcasts can be found here.
On Wednesday 4th December we are live streaming an exciting "Flash Talk Physics" event for all to enjoy. The event showcases the very best in cutting-edge physics research with many of Oxford University's top researchers giving bite-size 10 minute talks. Covering topics from Space, lasers, Superconductivity, Sea Ice and the Large Hadron Collider, there is certainly something that will capture the attention of anyone from school children to adult science enthusiasts. Using the hashtag #flashtalkphysics you can tweet in any questions you may have throughout the event and we will try to answer them as the talks go on. Tune in to this page from 6.30pm til 8.30pm for this must-see event that will leave you wanting more.


text:
Well, I decided to hack our Wii today to play this sweet game, but upon starting it up for the first time in awhile it wanted to updated. I figured sure. Why not? That's when I started realizing... I'm kinda screwed with 4.3u. From what I read I can't play burnt games with 4.3. I haven't seen a way to downgrade to 4.1 (on a system that has never been hacked, but it's not originally 4.3 I don't think) and I don't own Lego Indiana Jones or Smash Bros.
All my research had lead me to believe i just download something but now i'm finding out that's not the case with 4.3 and it looks like i kinda screwed myself by upgrading to 4.3. any ideas?


text:
The mayor of London, Boris Johnson is braced for a standoff with Bob Crow's RMT trade union after his Transport for London authority confirmed it is considering introducing driverless trains on the tube network.
The general secretary of the UK's most powerful rail union said radical proposals submitted to the TfL board would meet "the fiercest union resistance", nearly a year after calling strikes over ticket office job cuts.
In a document entitled London Underground's operational vision, tube officials say the model for the future would be the driverless trains on the Docklands Light Railway, while Oyster cards will be superseded by a new generation of bank cards. "Given the technology available now, it is very unlikely that … LU will ever again buy a fleet of passenger trains with conventional drivers' cabs," the document says. TfL employs 3,400 drivers and runs nearly 530 trains during the morning rush hour.
The document adds: "The next generation of employees supporting the train service could be much more like the train captains on the Docklands Light Railway, rather than those seen traditionally on LU. There is no doubt the role will change considerably."
But Crow pledged to fight the plans. "Driverless trains are a lethal and unworkable option for London Underground and any move in that direction will meet the fiercest union resistance," he said.
Aslef, Britain's biggest drivers' union, has also warned that it will challenge any attempt to eliminate train drivers "vigorously". The report indicates that driverless services are a decade away, saying that the changes could be made for the next generation of carriages on the Bakerloo, Piccadilly and Central lines but those trains will not be introduced until the 2020s.
However, it makes a "commitment" to current drivers that they will drive trains "for the rest of their career". The successors, though, will be expected to multitask. "It is certain that any staff supporting the train service of the future will be mobile, flexible and customer-focused."
Further ticket office staff reductions seem likely after the document outlined a future where the Oyster card will be outdated. TfL is working on a new generation of ticketing technologies that will replace the Oyster card with a bank card that will be waved over a sensor, automatically debiting the passenger. "Wave and pay" technology that enables passengers to use a contactless card on the Tfl network and in shops such as Pret a Manger and Eat is being introduced on TfL buses next year.
"TfL is working on the next generation of ticketing technology," states the document. "[It] will allow customers with a contactless bank card to pay for travel simply by waving their bank card over the gateline to get the correct fare. There will be no need to buy a card from TfL or to top it up, further reducing demand for ticket selling."
The document states that it recognises the importance of a good relationship with trade unions but makes clear that it wants managers to get closer to staff. This is viewed by unions as a euphemism for limiting their influence. The plan talks of "building a direct relationship between local managers and their staff to increase trust while recognising the importance of consultation with our trade unions".


text:
Rick Owens 2010 'old Style' Sneakers $1295 Balmain 43 (9/10) Poell *euc*
This item has been shown 0 times.
Rick Owens 2010 'old Style' Sneakers $1295 Balmain 43 (9/10) Poell *euc*:
Up for sale is a rare pair of original Rick Owenssneakers from the F/W 2010-2011collection. The shoes are a size 43 that will fit a UK 9 or US 10. A small 44 (UK 10/US 11) could also wear them due to the oversized toe. This is the original 'Geobasket' style of Rick sneakers with the much nicer basketball-style toebox that was discontinued after this collection and is now completely sold out. I don't need to overstate how rare these sneakers are in this size andinsuch a great shape. Purchased for$1295 from Luisaviaroma's online store in Feb. 2011. Made in italy.Note: Unlike most Rick shoes available on right now, these are guaranteed 100% authentic. These are all fakes: one, two, three. The colourway is my favourite for Rick sneakers, featuring an all-black upper and a contrasting rubber sole. This combination looks great in all-black outfits and also ages very nicely over time unlike the white ones. The construction of the shoes is excellent, with acalf leather shell and lining. The leather is very soft and looks great. The oversized tongue is padded in a squeezy and soft material that feels incredibly comfortable, while the side zip allows for easy wear. Overall, there's a reason why Rick's original styles were so highly sought-after, and this pair is no exception.The sole features Rick's signature staples, and exhibits some minor wear. This has been taken care of with the addition of a high quality rubber sole (that cost around $55 on its own) which not only enhances the grip but ensures that no further wear occurs. As a result, the sneakers still look amazing and have years of life ahead of them.
Overall, this is a rare opportunity to own a beautiful pair of hard to find Rick Owens sneakers in the original, most sought-after style.Rick Owens sneakers have marked modern fashion history with their groundbreaking avant-garde aesthetic and have defined today's footwear market.Thesale starts with a very low price (even fakes sell for more!).Good luck!
Send me a message for a Buy it Now price
I will ship worldwide!
Check my other items for more designer clothing and accessories.
Rick Owens 2010 'old Style' Sneakers $1295 Balmain 43 (9/10) Poell *euc*:
Rrp €175 Diesel Size 43 / Uk 9 Men's S-spaark Mid Genuine Suede Leather Sneakers
[823511-604] Nike Air Force 1 '07 Lv8 Red Black White Men Sneakers Sz 9
Rrp €235 Diesel 43 / Uk 9 S-nentish Fw 2017 Model Reflective Zip-around Sneakers
[155567f] All Star Converse Hi Sunset Glow Men Sneaker Sz 8.5 Women Sz 10.5
New Men's Robert Graham Leather Loafers Ganesvoort Sz 11 $398 Made In India Nice
[155567f] All Star Converse Hi Sunset Glow Men Sneaker Sz 6.5 Women Sz 8.5


text:
LUCENE-6006, here's another pre-cursor for LUCENE-6005
... because I think it's important to nail down Lucene's low-schema
(FieldType/FieldInfos) semantics before adding a high-schema.
IndexableFieldType.indexed() is redundant with
IndexableFieldType.indexOptions() != null, so we should remove it,
codecs shouldn't have to write/read it, high-schema should not configure it, etc.
Similarly, the FieldInfo.indexed bit is redundant, so I removed it, but I
left the sugar API (FieldInfo.isIndexed) and implement it as just
checking IndexOptions != null.
- All
- Comments
- Work Log
- History
- Activity
- Transitions
Commit 1633328 from Michael McCandless in branch 'dev/branches/branch_5x'
[ https://svn.apache.org/r1633328 ]
LUCENE-6013: remove IndexableFieldType.indexed and FieldInfo.indexed (it's redundant with IndexOptions != null)
Commit 1633296 from Michael McCandless in branch 'dev/trunk'
[ https://svn.apache.org/r1633296 ]
LUCENE-6013: remove IndexableFieldType.indexed and FieldInfo.indexed (it's redundant with IndexOptions != null)
We may want to followup with some modification of the name "indexOptions". It would be nice in the future to maybe just call it 'indexed', just have e.g. setIndexed(DOCS_ONLY) or whatever. But we should remove the boolean here first!
Good idea Rob: I added the static asserts, for IndexOptions and DocValues. I also removed the separate constants (matching how we handle DocValues), and "collated" the methods so the numbers used for serializing are methods right next to one another.
Looks much simpler!
I guess the one thing is the "duplication" of indexed constants (e.g. INDEXED_DOCS_ONLY). I dont think we should make anything sophisticated, lets keep it simple, but right after the last constant we could add something like static assert IndexOptions.values().length == 4 or something?
New patch, fixing docs and factoring out separate methods for decode/encode of IndexOptions into byte.
I'll update the javadocs for the format changes ... and I'll compact the current 3 bit flags.
New patch, just pulling out the index options as their own byte ... I think this it makes the serializing simpler. I think it's ready.
No, its good to fix the style, its just scary in a 'nuke fieldinfos boolean change'.
I also feel the encoding of this thing is complex in packing norms/docvalues bit flags?
Thanks Rob, sorry about the noise in Lucene50FIS, I'll double check: there is a REAL change here, I completely rewrote how we encode IndexOptions. I found it really confusing how it was OMIT_THIS, STORE_THAT, OMIT_THIS_OTHER_THING before.
Patch looks good.
I'm afraid about FieldInfosReader/Writer, can you please look this over one more time just to ensure its ok?
Since it was writing a bit for this before, this is absolutely the most likely place for bugs in the patch... and the worse place for my brain to hit TooManyUnrelatedStyleChangesException when reviewing it
Patch, I think it's ready.
I think this one is easier than normsType was because there is no
equivalent of the dreaded "undead norms" situation: we don't have
undead postings, I think.


text:
Written on: 24/08/2008 by snowleopard (19 reviews written)
Good Points
For the money you get superb picture quality, good colour, good connectivity. A good looking machine with great size images from little distances. Excellent bulb life and bulbs are amongst the cheapest to source.
Bad Points
Noisey fan.
General Comments
The Epson EMP-TW10H is an absolute gem of a projector. Probably the best value for money around. Superb performance with abundant connections allowing you to hook up to just about anything. Slight criticism is the fan, which can sound noisey if you have the volume on low.
You can get staggeringly big pictures from a short distance and clarity of the picture is just great.
However you do need your room to be dark to get the best out of this kit. Keep the room dark and the bulb setting on "theatre black" and you can expect to see the best part of 3000 hours out of your bulb! Bulbs can be found at many outlets and can be found for about £140 though a little research on the net and you will find cheaper!


text:
I am a Reader/Associate Professor in Arabic and a scholar of Semitic languages with focus on linguistics. I am also Head of Section five at the Centre for Languages and Linguistics. I have taught Arabic both in Sweden (Lund and Uppsala universities)and as head teacher, teacher trainer and Head of Department for Modern Standard Arabic at a language school in the UAE and Oman (2002-2010). I teach grammar and text analysis at all levels, as well as oral and written communication skills.
I am genuinely interested in didactics and course development. I am involved in creating a digital language lab at the department and in developing our BA courses.
Besides teaching, I have been employed for many years as a researcher (Lund/Uppsala)on various projects. My current research focus is on Arabic dialect syntax. Most of my research, both in dialectological studies and in other parts of Semitic studies, is corpus based and within the realm of typological syntactic studies.
Research portal (Lund University)


text:
Gift Box : Cardboard Gift Boxes, Decorative Boxes, Small Gift Boxes
Cardboard Chocolate Boxes
Chocolate Cardboard Boxes
Cardboard gift boxes, 5 different sizes, 480 gsm white cardboard with copper and brown chocolate printing , food grade cardboard box for Chocolate.
Zooly box source, including packagings , cake boxes, chocolate boxes, Traiteur boxes, Ice Cream Boxes, Cardboard cake boxes, small gift boxes, etc.
These boxes of Chocolate , 5 different sizes, small size boxes insert to the second box, the second box insert to the third box, and so on, please check the attached pictures. 5 chocolate gift boxes insert together , like a 5-tier tower gift boxes.
Material of the Chocolate Box : 480 gsm food grade white cardboard, strong cardboard, coated one side
Printing : 2 color , copper and brown chocolate color printing on the outside of the cardboard box, water varnish , copper golden color embossing lines
Die-cut : when the boxes printed, we will die-cut the cardboard paper , for different sizes, the shaped, then you can fold a gift box
Packing : flat packing , different sizes chocolate boxes into different cartons
Small cardboard boxes with inserts for holding Chocolates and confectionery items.
Chocolate Boxes. Boxes used for single or mutiple chocolates. These boxes can make the perfect addition to your chocolates,
Chocolate box art originally referred literally to decorations on chocolate boxes.
A variety of luxurious boxes of chocolate containing dark, milk or white chocolate, truffles or a complete chocolate selection are available at Hotel or other occasion.


text:
Mike Gioja's Second Act in HCM -- at Paychex
Mike Gioja has made a major impact in HCM. First at SAP and PeopleSoft and now, after a comparative lull at smaller companies, at our third big payroll provider, Paychex. Remarkable similarities at what he's done at each of the three, and now he's transforming Paychex (like ADP and Ceridian) into a technology company.
By Bill Kutik
There are many executives in HR technology, some even below the level of CEO, who have made extraordinary contributions to our world. Mike Gioja is one of them.
Mike Gioja was already an experienced IT executive when we first meet at SAP's user conference SAPPHIRE in 1998. He had already spent 12 years at IBM as a senior R&D manager,directly responsible for delivering IBM's first release of UNIX on the mainframe.
After that, he worked at Fidelity for three years on its very early (and still on-going) HCM outsourcing efforts.
But his SAPPHIRE appearance was his very public debut in HCM after spending four years closeted in Germany turning SAP's R/3 HCM product into something respectable that could -- and successfully did -- finally compete with PeopleSoft.
Trust me, the American version SAP first showed in 1993 could never have reached the huge installed based it enjoys today without Mike's insights and hard work.
We knew we were brothers under the skin (both from New York City) when during a briefing in his hotel suite, we both reached for the gift basket on the table and simultaneously grabbed for the pistachio nuts!
Beyond shared tastes, Mike had an extraordinary ability to explain tech to business people and explain business to the technical people he usually managed. Everyone who worked for him or alongside him always had the most admiring things to say about Mike -- at least to me.
From SAP, he went to a greater triumph: managing 2,200 developers at PeopleSoft and creating the first web-based applications for Version 8.0. He arrived and found a lot of cleaning up to do: merging three separate application development organizations -- the PeopleSoft Business Network, the "Disruptors" and the main organization.
Moreover, in their rush to market, the PBN people were using off-the-the-shelf tools that would guarantee their first web-based self-service apps would not integrate easily into the main PeopleSoft HRMS. There, Mike made the hard decision that those apps had to be rewritten using PeopleTools, which didn't yet have that ability and had to be extended! Long delays ensued, but the version was better for it.
Mike left PeopleSoft before absolute final delivery of 8.0 could be reached, following an executive dispute with CEO Craig Conway, the former Oracle exec who replaced founder Dave Duffield for a short time. Thus began his eight years of wandering among smaller, less ambitious companies than SAP or PeopleSoft.
Serially, Mike was CTO & VP of operations of the Internet Capital Group, a high-flying dot.com incubator during the bubble years that quickly fell back to earth; president of BrassRing, the pioneering ATS vendor now owned by Kenexa; EVP of products & services for Workscape, now owned by ADP; and CIO, EVP of products & services for Workstream, the HR application software aggregator now renamed HR Soft.
But now he is back on top as SVP IT, Product Management & Development at Paychex, where after four years of cleaning up a different kind of mess, the CEO wisely decided Mike should be the voice and face of the company.
So naturally he went to Florida to visit Naomi Lee Bloom and to lovely Newburyport, Mass. to visit IDC's Lisa Rowan. And then came to see me. We both looked for pistachios ahead of time but failed to find any!
Truth be told, I've never followed Paychex, despite it being the third big payroll service bureau after ADP and Ceridian, believing it served a market of companies so small that it couldn't be doing anything interesting. Mike explained otherwise.
The background is Paychex started about 40 years ago with a distributed brick-and-mortar model of 100 franchised offices. Each franchise built its own processing system, offering service bureau payroll to companies with two to 10 employees. Much as all the bureaus did at the time, clients phoned in (or later faxed) their weekly payroll information.
Later it added services for tax filing, 401(k), recurring payments, ASO (administrative service organization) and PEO (professional service organization), time and labor, and, of course, HR.
Before going public under the ticker PAYX, Paychex consolidated all the franchises and their applications "on a big box with 100 partitions," Mike says. It now has 12,000 employees and 2,400 sales reps, no small operation.
The company has three target markets: about 500,000 clients with 1-49 employees, which Paychex calls "core," and may have more than the number of ADP's identically sized Small Business Service (SBS) clients. It claims to be No. 1 in that market.
Paychex's new sweet spot is its 50,000 clients with 50-250 employees. And, of course, it has aspirations to service companies with 1,000 employees. Rounding out its application suite, the company has made five acquisitions in the last two years, including the recently announced myStaffingPro for recruiting.
Like ADP, it runs an insurance brokerage with 107,000 clients and many partners providing the actual coverage.
Mike is writing a new payroll system, enlarging the size companies that the app can service from a less ambitious effort that was already underway and integrating payroll with HR on a SaaS platform. He declares (just like ADP with Vantage and Ceridian with Dayforce) that it is the company's "next generation and will turn Paychex into a technology company, ready for the new world."
There will be one code line for U.S. payroll and tax, and a second one for global. Clients are already receiving the standard three SaaS updates per year.
As Naomi sees it, "Mike convinced management that they had to rebuild their foundations [and] led that painful/expensive/time-consuming work successfully with much of it now accomplished, and Paychex is now reaping the benefits of that big bet. I believe it's saving Paychex by enabling them to ramp up their technology capabilities in the nick of time. It's the kind of foundational work that is rarely seen or understood by customers, investors, even analysts."
So erase the term "payroll service bureau" from your forebrain. Thanks to Mike's "second act" (and David Ossip at Ceridian and Mike Capone at ADP), there just aren't any big ones anymore.
HR Technology Columnist Bill Kutik is founding co-chairman of the 16th Annual HR Technology® Conference & Exposition, returning to Las Vegas, Oct. 7-9, 2013. This year's conference program is online or download the brochure. You can comment on this column at the Conference LinkedIn Group, which doesn't require prior or future conference attendance to join. He is also host of The Bill Kutik Radio Show®. He can be reached at email@example.com.


text:
Joan Rivers Rocks my World
Joan and Melissa Rivers (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
Post Oscar hangovers are never fun… Trust. I've been covering them for 10 years! But this year was different. Not so bad. Even though – let's be honest, seven days into a nine day journey, you are ready to run for the hill. And by hills, I mean Appalachian, Eastern Hills. Except for the fact that I came back from Rainy LA to monsoon-y New York. I mean… Okay, okay. I got two good days of beautiful Spring weather before my boots were soaked and once again I had to forsake fashion for Tretorn rain galoshes.


text:
Don't try this at home: Storing letters from your ex-lover, when you happen to be married.
Someday that could catch up with you.
It caught up with a 96-year-old woman in Rome this week, when her husband of 77 years found a trove of old love letters concerning an affair she had 50 years ago.
The Italian news agency ANSA reported the man, age 99, filed for divorce. The woman is not putting up a fight, ANSA reported.
In Florida, don't pull a Jackson Pollock on your ex-boyfriend.
Wielding a can of pink paint, a woman in Hallandale, Fla., attacked her ex by dousing him and his car with pink paint. She also left a hand print on the front seat of his car, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.
She also gave her ex a nasty bite, leaving an imprint of her teeth on his arm.
The newspaper said Tasha Franklin was charged with dating battery, burglary of the victim's car and criminal mischief.
The judge told her to stay away from her boyfriend, weapons and paint.
And this may just be a shot in the dark, but how about a New Year's resolution for all those "packing" to take a gun safety refresher course in 2012?
Last week, a dog in a truck during a hunting trip knocked into a loaded weapon in the back seat, which fell and shot the passenger of the car in the leg.
This week, in Orange City, Fla., a John Ebberts was awakened at 2:30 in the morning by the sound of his dog barking. In response, the man grabbed his loaded gun, which was under his pillow, and accidentally shot himself in the arm, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.
If keeping a gun under your pillow sounds like a risky place to keep a gun, how ill-advised is it to sit on the toilet with a loaded gun tucked in the waistband of your pants?
Police in New Haven, Conn., said the gun slipped out of the waistband, fell on the floor and accidentally shot Darrel Johnson, who was sitting on the toilet at the time.
Apparently, this was so embarrassing that Johnson, a convicted felon, told police he had been shot during a robbery attempt, WVIT New Britain/Hartford/New Haven reported.
After questioning, he admitted the gun went off while he was sitting on the throne.
Finally, don't try second-guessing your predictions for 2012.
In Britain, a member of the BBC prognostication panel said that next year it is likely that none of his predictions will come true.
The seer, Stephen Sackur, said most of his predictions for 2011 bombed, so he predicted next year his predictions will bomb again, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Here's the problem: His prediction that none of his predictions will come true will, very likely, come true, so, as it happens, he's wrong again.


text:
SAN JOSE -- The aura of invincibility Fedor Emelianenko carried through a decade-long streak of 28 fights without a loss was shattered in a mere 69 seconds Saturday night.
Heavyweight Fabricio Werdum forced Emelianenko to tap out in the first round of the Strikeforce mixed martial arts main event in San Jose, California.
In a stunning encapsulation of MMAs unpredictability a creative strength that presents constant new superstar marketing challenges Fedor floored Werdum with a right hand in the opening seconds and pounced eagerly for a quick finish.
Much too eagerly, as it turned out. In the process, the Russian Emperor left himself wide open for a counter from the bottom by a two-time world jiu-jitsu champion.
Werdum clamped Emelianenko in a left armbar, quickly converted into a combination armbar and triangle choke. With no possibility of escape and nearly four minutes left in the round, the man many regard as the all-time greatest MMA performer had no choice than to tap. A crowd that just moments earlier was bouncing chants of Fedor! off the walls of HP Pavilion erupted in disbelief.
As stolid and philosophical in defeat as he has been throughout his string of victories, Emelianenko said through his interpreter that the choke was the decisive hold.
The one who doesnt fall, doesnt stand up, he said, vowing to analyze his mistake and make the necessary adjustments in his next bout.
Emelianenkos loss will add to the viewpoint that he has recently exhibited diminished skills and conditioning. But Fedor and his M1 Global promotional team have one fight left in their Strikeforce contract and there was no immediate suggestion that he was considering retirement. And if he were, he definitely would not want to end his career on this note.
MMA legend Frank Shamrock, who now does commentary on Strikeforce broadcasts, announced his own retirement from the cage last night, at age 37. Of the Fedor shocker, Shamrock said, Ive felt that tap. Ive made it myself. Thats why this is such an amazing sport.
It marked the third straight win for Werdum since he was cut from the roster of the more established UFC in 2008.
The result sets up an intriguing three-way scenario of future matches involving Werdum, Emelianenko, and the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem (over whom Werdum also owns a submission victory, in 2006). But it perhaps also strengthens the claim that next Saturdays UFC heavyweight championship bout between Brock Lesnar and challenger Shane Carwin will crown the more widely-recognized version of the baddest dude on the planet.
Fedor has been my idol and tonight I beat my idol, Werdum said between the whoops of joy from his entourage of fellow Brazilians. How do you think I feel about that?
Strikeforce announced live attendance of 12,698, well short of a sellout.
On Saturdays undercard, womens middleweight champion Cris Cyborg Santos won by second-round TKO over Jan Finney. The brutally one-sided match again raised the question of whether Strikeforce can find Cyborg any serious competition.
After decisively taking apart Gina Carano last August, Cyborg has not matched her convincing athletic superiority with the prospect of big box office.


text:
|01 Nov 2009
Increase dedicated system memory for graphics card?
This is my WEI for my graphics card.
Display adapter type NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS
Total available graphics memory 2303 MB
Dedicated graphics memory 512 MB
Dedicated system memory 0 MB
Shared system memory 1791 MB
Display adapter driver version 22.214.171.12438
Primary monitor resolution 1280x800
DirectX version DirectX 10
Can I change the amount of dedicated system memory?
|My System Specs
|01 Nov 2009
Win 8 Release candidate 8400
nope unless you change cards
edit as SS notes i too made the wrong connection
|My System Specs
|01 Nov 2009
Sorry, I misread your question. Dedicated system memory would be a setting in the BIOS. But since your card already has dedicated graphics memory, there might not be an option.
|My System Specs
|01 Nov 2009
If there is an option where would it be located at in the BIOS?
|My System Specs
|Thread Tools
|Similar help and support threads
How do I increase Dedicated Video Memory on Intel HD 4000?
I know it has to do with BIOS and advanced chipset features but I cannot find those on my laptop. I can take risks, such as flashing the BIOS / Modding if someone can give me a step by step help. This is a screenshot of the problem, the underlined number is 64mb for all my friends, but oddly...
|Graphic Cards
Can I increase the memory dedicated to my graphics card?
I don't know a whole lot about dealing with stuff like this so any help would be very appreciated. For my graphics card, it says it is an Intel G33/G31 Express Chipset Family. I know it has 64 MB dedicated to it and I'm not sure if I can increase that or if I have to buy a graphics card. As I said,...
|Graphic Cards
Dedicated Graphics Memory
Hello, I have an Acer Aspire 7750G-6662. It has switchable graphics with Intel Graphics as well as AMD Radeon 6650M 2GB VRAM. I've already solved my first obstacle, which was how to set my laptop to only run the Radeon Graphics. However, my new problem is that I am not sure if it is...
|Graphic Cards
how to change the dedicated system memory for my graphics
how to change the dedicated system memory for my graphics. i hav copied my windows experience page and i have highlighted the value i refer to thanks Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz 7.1 Memory (RAM) 8.00 GB ...
|Graphic Cards
How do i increase dedicated video memory(64bit)
I have a windows 7 home premium (64bit) computer. I recently opened a minecraft server, not knowing that online my minecraft would run slower. I'm not 100% sure if its because i only have MB of dedicated video memory, but i'm pretty sure it is Is there anyways i could increase this or get...
|Graphic Cards
increase dedicated video memory (64 bits)
My Dell XPS Black laptop comes with: Movil Intel 965 Express Chipset Family Adaptor Total Available Graphics Memory **** 358 MB Dedicated Video Memory **** 0 MB System Video Memory **** 128 MB Shared System Memory **** 230 MB I want to increase the Dedicated Video Memory because I want to...
|Graphic Cards
|Our Sites
|Site Links
|About Us
|Find Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 23:01.


text:
Responsive website design makes it possible for visitors to easily view and navigate a site whether they are viewing it on a desktop, tablet or smart phone. This design approach has become very popular because mobile web access is exploding. Mashable reports that the mobile web will be bigger than the desktop web by 2015.
The mobile web matters tremendously to restaurants, as their sites are exceeding
Register to view the full article
Register to view this article
Hide comments


text:
The Jacksonville Jam's soap-opera season might have reached a climax this week with a lot of "he said, he said" and the possibility of a second team named the Jacksonville Slam starting up soon.
One thing is certain. The Jam is no longer a member of the Premier Basketball League.
Felix Krupczynski, owner of the minor-league franchise, said the team chose to end its relationship with the PBL over a financial commitment the league made last week to help pay rent at the UNF Arena, the home court for the Jam.
"They made a commitment to [help pay for use of] UNF, and they reneged on that," Krupczynski said. "They were not dealing with us in a forthright manner."
PBL president and CEO Thomas Doyle called that version of the events "laughable." According to Doyle and league chairman Severko Hrywnak, the other owners of the 10-team PBL voted unanimously to terminate the Jam organization. They said the league already was paying for travel, uniforms and referees, as it was for all squads, but kicked in money in recent weeks to make sure Jam players and coaches were paid for the first time this season.
"The league made a decision. We're not standing for an ownership group like this," Doyle said. "We have significant funds to provide assistance if necessary ... but we didn't set up this league to fund Felix Krupczynski's team start to finish."
Concerning the UNF allegation, Doyle said: "This is an attempt where he has an obligation, and he wants to blame someone else, and that's cowardly."
Both sides seem intent on continuing their basketball operations in Jacksonville. Krupczynski said the Jam will continue games once it finds a new league to join, and it's considering returning to the ABA. The Jam had games scheduled Friday and Sunday at home, but Krupczynski wasn't sure when he would be able to pick up new games and opponents.
Meanwhile, the PBL plans to finish the season with a team named the Jacksonville Slam, which will be run by the league. Doyle said they would try to add what players they could from the Jam. If a local venue could be found, admission would be free for home games. Otherwise, the team would finish the regular season on the road.
Leading up to this week, the Jam (6-3) had won five in a row. All players were released from their contracts.
According to coach Mike Gillespie, some were close to securing new opportunities outside the United States. Former Ribault High School standout Brian Greene is headed to Venezuela, and guard Terrence Woods is going to Mexico. Former Englewood standout Jerry Williams and guard Golden Ingle also were looking overseas at other teams.
Gillespie wasn't sure of his immediate future, saying he would talk with Krupczynski today. Gillespie said he wouldn't take over the Slam because of the likelihood of heavy travel and low wages.
"It's a shame," Gillespie said. "We really had a chance to win this league."
Jacksonville.com © 2017. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


text:
Artist description:
crazy spent me more than one hour!!
Java Draw Created Dec 28, 2012 1024 x 736px Unless noted Copyright 2012 mingpoly.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
agata111 Dec 29, 2012
cute :)
madmomentsgo Dec 28, 2012
Amethyste Dec 28, 2012
Very nice and cute invitation.....5/5
Page 1


text:
Additionally, he is trying to dictate the kids schedule again. He did ask politely a couple of weeks ago about switching the week days for his travel and I met him halfway. Since then he has started telling me when he could and could not take the kids and last week I had to change plans that I have been anticipating for a long time because of kids off school and ex needing to fly out. I get that this is what parents do, but he told me I needed to do this, didn't ask.
I have ALWAYS held my tongue, gone by the "what would a judge say" if he saw my emails. But I am done. He is a shit. I don't want to try any more. It has been 4 fucking years since he left. HE LEFT, not me.
And yes, I have documented everything. I have spreadsheets with all the kids expenses over the years. What I contributed, what he contributes. It is a joke.
I am thinking about laying out my boundaries and explaining what CS covers one last time. If he cannot treat me civilly, then we revert back to what the div decree states as it benefits me anyway. I rarely ask for help w kids' schedule as it is and I really will never have to ask as the kids are getting older and my mom (who is local) will be retiring this spring.
I know these are two issues. Do I let the money go? I was anticipating his dick move anyway. But I do want him to know that I know he is a dick, IYKWIM.
And I just went to court. $$$ and 12month process. And once again, MD judges can not order someone to pay for 1/2 of extracurricular activities.
OK, so how do you propose that I get the money from him?
You can't. Since it is not in the court order then there is really nothing you can do except to ask him to pay half and expect him to pay nothing. It sucks and is not fair, but it is reality.
As far as visitation, I do think that you need to revert back to the court order because it looks like he is starting to jerk you around. But on the other hand, you cannot force him to take visitation. Do you have first right of refusal? If so, then take the kids when he has to travel but do not give him any days in return. Tell him that he forfeited his visitation and there is nothing in the court order that says you have to give him "make up" days. Then perhaps tell him that you will be more flexible once he starts paying 1/2 of the extracurricular, but as long as he is being a dick then you reserve the right to be a bitch.
Bitch boots. They cannot compel someone to do something, but they are great at kicking them back when they encroach upon you.
HTH and (((hugs)))
And the fact is, I need him to take the kids for my job. I am a salaried position and they are flexible, so I work more hours on the days he has the kids to make up for the hours I miss because because of the kids. So I screw myself if I don't allow him to have make up days.


text:
[ Printer Friendly Version ] [ Report Abuse ]
Chapter 3 : The Tale of Acanthus
|Rating: Mature
|Chapter Reviews: 21
Background: Font color:
The air had a light breeze which caused the dust and sand particles to dance above the ground and made trudging down the street slightly more enjoyable. Scorpius knew the climate of Cairo all too well to believe this was a reprieve from the heat. March was slowly turning into April, and the heat would only continue to worsen. The calm dance of the dust would soon turn into a ferocious fight when the dust storms came about.
Rose had told him to meet him outside a perfume shop at five. Her friend had invited them both along to dinner, and Rose was sure he was going to love it there. She had always been like that, so confident. She had been here for two weeks and had already made friends. He had been here for two years and only had a few colleagues at work and his landlord to count as his friends.
That was the difference between them though. Scorpius was content with his books and solitude, the typical Ravenclaw. She was the brash Gryffindor who charged into peoples lives unexpectedly. She even did it to his own, so he knew how surprising it could be. The only time he ever saw her close up was when her family was mentioned. He couldnt think why. The Weasleys always appeared to be the epitome of family life, so why on earth did Rose have a problem with them?
He continued to amble down the street watching his once cream shoes slowly fade to a burnt caramel colour. The dust had mixed with the general grime found on the streets of Cairo, and that meant any pale piece of clothing was at risk of having a similar fate. His mother would have a fit if she saw them like that. His mother had a fit about almost anything though.
Several cats strolled up and down the streets, pausing every few minutes or so to sniff at a thing which had obscured the path or to roll around in the dust before continuing on in their way. Rose had told him about her cat friends in her letter to him, and he wondered whether any of these had made her acquaintance or not. They probably had; she had a fondness for every single cat she had ever met.
A withered old acacia had attracted a lot of them, and they prowled around it protectively, scratching at the base of the tree adding to its deteriorated state. Scorpius remembered her mentioning a tree like that in her letter, and he edged closer and closer to it to see if it was the tree in question. The windows of the shop opposite it were flung open, and as he walked towards it he could hear Rose chat happily away to a girl with an Egyptian accent.
Scorpius hurried over to the shop and cautiously pushed the door open; dearly hoping that he was wasnt too early. The rusty latch let out a slight creak when he opened it, but not even that could distract Rose and her friend who were still chatting away. He walked gingerly over to them, inhaling the different scents in the air as he did so. Perhaps if he trod heavily that would arouse their attention.
Rose was the first to look up and let out a cry when she saw him. Scorpius! You found it then. She walked out from behind the counter and headed over to him. This is Dalila. I interviewed her for the Prophet, and shes the one who invited us over for dinner tonight. When you came up in conversation I was told to invite you too, as they all want to hear about your curse breaking tales!
Scorpius shifted uneasily. His job wasnt that exciting. Rose got to travel round the world finding the latest story. All he did was translate hieroglyphs and occasionally visit a pyramid or two. Im not sure if my curse breaking tales are that exciting to serve as evening entertainment. It was very nice of you to invite me, Dalila. He smiled at her as a sign of thanks.
It was no problem. You are very welcome, Dalila mumbled quietly. She had drawn into herself ever since Scorpius presence had been brought to her attention. Little stabs of guilt attacked him for causing her to act that way. We should probably get going; my family really wants to meet you. They love having people to entertain.
Dalila moved her hands clumsily around the counter, picking up a notebook from one corner of it and a small, slightly chipped, bottle of perfume from the other. These were then placed into faded brown woven bag that swung as it was placed onto her shoulder.
She motioned with her hands for them to walk out, and Rose quickly turned to grin at him. I hope I havent ruined any evening plans for you or anything. I just thought as her family know so much about Egypts history you would love to meet them. She had certainly lost her nervousness she had last time he had seen her, he chuckled.
They walked out of the door and waited patiently while Dalila muttered incantations at the door to ensure its safety for the night. Haha, I had nothing planned for tonight so this sounds like a great alternative to lounging around my flat. You probably shouldn't have done that seeing how red you are, Scorpius joked and poked at her patch of skin burnt to a shade slightly brighter than burgundy.
Yes, well some of us havent had the chance to find a product which would prevent it from happening. There must be one here. After all, youve got paler skin than me, but youre fine.
Ah, we Malfoys have access to anything and everything.
But I have an Uncle who used to live here, and he managed to survive. One quick owl, and Ill be in on it too.
Dalila gave a polite cough to let them know she had finished, and they immediately turned to her, albeit with slightly redder faces for getting so carried away. They were so used to being at ease in England that they had forgotten that some Egyptians, like Dalila, were considerably more reserved than them.
She gave a little movement with her hands to indicate that they should get going, and then began strolling towards the border between the land of magic and the land of Muggles. Scorpius smiled meekly at Rose before heading after her.
They were gathered in Dalilas cramped living room with what appeared to be every living relation who lived close enough to come to dinner. Scorpius had been introduced to various aunts and uncles, cousins and siblings, parents and grandparents, but all the names flew over his head. He was used to just living with his over-bearing mother and quiet father. Occasionally there was a visit from a relative, but that was kept to polite conversation and tea and biscuits before they left a few hours later. It wasnt anything like the mayhem here.
Cries of Arabic and English could be heard, each one with their unique sound but they managed to merge together to create something rather spectacular. Despite there being at least twenty different dishes available at dinner earlier, each one being reduced so there was not a morsel left, food still appeared to be everywhere, and he kept on being proffered different dishes by any relative who caught him not eating anything at that exact moment.
Scorpius was beginning to get worried about how many more excuses he would have to invent to avoid eating anymore when there was a sudden lull in the conversation. Everyone turned to face the wizened man whose eyes lit up with excitement, and his posture became more upright now that he had purpose to fill. That was Dalilas grandfather, Rashidi, one of the few names he remembered. He gave a brief cough before beginning to speak.
There once was an ancient city, Acanthus, which was famed for its temple of Osiris, Rashidi said in near perfect English. Thousands of Egyptian Muggles flocked to see it. The city was a wondrous place with pyramids and riches one could never even dream up. It had one of the most successful perfume industries in ancient times with wondrous scents being concocted each day. That wasnt the only reason to visit it though. A few members of the small magical community who lived there managed to brew a potion with very special qualities. They believed it was blessed by Osiris, who is the God of Death, thus allowing them to live forever.
Scorpius vaguely remembered hearing something about that through work. Considering that he frequently had to delve into ancient Egyptian history for research, it wasnt surprising that he knew of this tale. He cast his eyes around the room and saw a mixture of awed, bored and surprised expressions on peoples faces. Rose appeared to be enraptured by the tale and had begun to lean forward, her eyes barely blinking.
Acanthus would have continued to prosper if the Romans had not invaded our country. Rashidis face looked pained at that point. The Romans destroyed Acanthus and everything in it. The temple of Osiris was ruined; everything else was reduced to rubble. The people either fled to other towns in hope of avoiding them or faced the consequences of living under the Roman Empire. The group of witches and wizards who developed the potion disappeared without a trace. The ancient papyrus which is believed to have their life documented on it and how to make the potion was left discarded in remnants of the temple.
There was a pause which allowed the tale of Acanthus terrible fate to sink in but it was ruined all too quickly by a cry from Dalilas younger cousin. Why doesnt anyone look for it then? I would, living forever sounds good to me!
Rashidi chuckled lightly before replying. If only it was that simple. No one knows where Acanthus is. There are rumours that it is near the ancient city of Memphis, but that is not certain. Besides, if you attempt to reach you will face almost certain death. I have been told hundreds of stories of people venturing out to find the treasure believed to be there but not one person has returned alive.
The cousins face fell at once, and he quickly crossed his arms and looked down at the ground. The next person to pipe up Scorpius managed to recognise him as Dalilas brother, Hasani. But it isnt true though. Its impossible to believe that a potion blessed by the Gods' could prevent death. The people who believe in that are stupid. His comments drew several nods of agreement from the other relatives and a few frowns from others.
Believe what you like, Hasani. There is a lot of evidence supporting this, but I know a lot of the younger ones no longer believe in Egypts past. You seem to think it all to be a legend, when a lot of it is fact. He grabbed onto a cane which lay next to him and eased himself up gently. I am sorry, but I must go and rest now. That tale has tired me. I am sure that the younger ones will want to entertain themselves without me looking down on them.
He gave everyone one last smile before shuffling over to the door, pausing occasionally and letting out a slight groan when he did so. It seemed as if even simple actions like walking appeared to be a trial for him. As soon as he had left the room everyone broke into little clusters and began compensating for the fact that they had to remain silent while Rashidi spoke.
Rose immediately ran over to Scorpius and began speaking at lightning speed. Isnt this amazing? The whole story of a city being lost since Roman times, and then a potion which could let you live forever. Imagine if we found it! It would be the best story ever.
What do you mean if we found it, Rose? You arent seriously considering going to look for it, are you? Scorpius asked. Didnt you hear what he said about no one coming back alive? It sounds like a pretty dangerous thing to do if you ask me.
Scorpius, you dont understand. If I find Acanthus and write about it, Ive made it. Theyll be no more questioning whether I got the job thanks to my aunt or not, this would be amazing for me. She paused for second, as if to steady herself before saying the next part. Im a Weasley, and its in our blood to be brave. Look at what my parents did!
I know, I know, but charging off to some unknown ancient city in the middle of the Sahara desert doesnt sound like a good idea to me.
Yes, but this is all very hypothetical, isnt it? First of all, I need to owl Pierston and ask him if it would even be allowed to do this and then well see. Theres no need to get worried about something which might not even happen. She quickly glanced at her watch before replying. Look wed better go its ten oclock, and Dalilas told me enough horror stories about Cairo at night time for me to want to stay any longer.
Yes, lets. Hopefully leaving Dalilas home would make her forget this crazy idea, Scorpius thought. Rose had begun walking over to Dalila, and Scorpius followed wearily behind her. He did not like the sound of Roses plan.
Rose had taken to spending the majority of her day at Dalilas perfume shop. She had decided to dedicate most of her feature to Dalilas shop. Her grandfather knew so much about the history and everything that happened in the shop he was happy to answer any questions she had about it, and she had grown close to the pair of them over her time spent here.
Another added benefit was that ever since she sent her letter to Pierston explaining the benefits of letting her attempt to find Acanthus, she had been building up her knowledge of the ancient city in case of him saying yes.
The perfume industry in Acanthus was one of the busiest ones in the whole of ancient Egypt. It is believed it was close enough to the Nile for the flowers to grow, and the freshness of them added to their scent. Rashidi walked over to Rose who had been looking out of the window, waiting for the owl to return with her reply. His body leaned over the cane, and his shuffling had grown slower ever since the night she had dinner with them. That was why they were so popular.
Grandfather, why dont you sit down? Its cool enough for you to even sit outside, Dalila asked hesitantly. Rose had quickly learnt over the past few days that if you tried to help him too much he quickly angered. There was one particular incident of him nearly falling over, but yelling at Dalila when she tried to steady him.
Im fine for now, he said, despite having his face screwed up with pain. How is the latest stock selling? I thought white musk would be popular in spring, so it would be interesting to see if my prediction was right.
Hasani is calculating it now, but he thinks you were right again, Dalila chuckled. Ill go and check on him now. She swiftly headed over to the office and opened the oak door, and Rose caught a quick glimpse of Hasani bent over the desk in the dark room. Dalila had somehow managed to manipulate their duties so she ended up in the shop front for most of the time. Rose couldnt help but laugh at how somehow who was so gentle could be so cunning.
Rose heard the light bang of Rashidis cane against the floor as he stumbled over to the counter. As soon as he leant against it his face relaxed, and he could almost muster a smile. You and Dalila should enjoy your youth. When you become old it takes away the fun of things- Rashidi was cut off by the arrival of a large, tawny owl carrying a letter embossed with a plum seal. Only the Daily Prophet tended to use plum coloured seals.
I think thats the reply to my letter, Rose said gingerly. She dearly hoped that the answer to her question would be a positive one. She hurried over to the door and didnt even get annoyed by the squeak it tended to emit. The owl flew towards her and landed on her outstretched hand. She untied the letter from its leg before it gave her a nip on the finger and headed towards the small water stand, a little way down the street which was kept for any visiting owls.
The envelope was quickly discarded, and her eyes scanned the letter, eagerly searching for an answer. What did he say? Rashidi asked and began tapping his cane against the floor to show his impatience.
Rose glanced down at the letter one final time before replying. Pierston said yes, he said I could go and look for it, and to write about my journey there. He even said he was sending Lorcan over so there would be a photographer for it. This is going to be one of the biggest breakthroughs ever. Roses hands had begun shaking with excitement so much that the letter fell to the floor and began grinning from ear to ear.
Thats excellent! Rashidi exclaimed and hobbled over to Rose and gave her a pat on the shoulder. Did he say anything else in the letter?
He did actually. He asked me to prepare a team to take with me including a local person to guide me and someone who had knowledge of the area. I suppose Scorpius knows quite a bit about the area and the history being a curse breaker and all. But, I dont know whether he would even want to come and then theres the matter of finding a guide. Rose picked up the letter and began re-reading it hoping that would help her find a solution.
Dalila, who had been hovering silently in the doorway, piped up, If you needed a local person to guide you, Rose, I would be more than happy to help. Thats if Grandfather doesnt mind giving me the time off from work to do it.
You would? Thank you so much, Dalila! That would be amazing! Rose exclaimed. She ran over to her and wrapped her up in a hug.
It would be interesting going on an adventure, and imagine if we found out! Would you mind if I went with Rose, Grandfather? Dalila asked eagerly.
Why wouldnt I let you go? It had always been my dream to find Acanthus. It still is my dream Rashidi turned to face the pair of them before saying the next part. I know I am old and I am not as fit as you two are, but if you allowed me to come on this trip my dream may be fulfilled.
Of course you can come! I only didnt ask you because I didnt want to make you come. Rose had been tempted to say she hadnt know whether he would be able to make it, but she didnt want to provoke his anger now that he was in a happier mood.
This is going to be a real adventure, Dalila said wistfully, and Rose couldnt help but agree with her. This trip to find Acanthus certainly sounded like it was going to be eventful.
A/N: Acanthus was an actual ancient Egyptian city and it did have a temple of Osiris, I just embellished its history. I hoped you liked learning more about it, I have a little obsession with its history :P Thank you for reading and if you want to brilliant you could leave a review :)
Previous Chapter Next Chapter
|Write a Review
Acanthus: The Tale of Acanthus
Other Similar Stories


text:
Review by fourluvz
November, 25 2008
Pros: Child doesn't fall out of bed.
Comfort knowing that your child is safe.
Cons: Can Be hard to set up on the bed.
Review by d_brianne
June, 08 2009
Pros: very affordable and just is great overall
Cons: not essentially made for a toddler bed
Review by missnibbles
May, 07 2008
Pros: Works, looks attractive, cannot be pulled from the bed by a child.
Cons: Metal bar can be removed easily by child. Not designed for a toddler bed.
Review by lincolnsghost
July, 14 2011
Pros: Bed rail is structurally sound, used by nasa on space missions framing
Cons: Non-Adjustable
Dex High Hinge Bed Rail A bed rail from Dex Products is a the perfect gift for a parent with a toddler aged child. It is perfect because it has been certified by JPMA making it one of the most secure child bed rail on the market. The Dex Products bed rail is must be used with a mattress and a box spring. It is one great piece of child bed safety. It is perfect for regular and platform beds alike. It features a breathable mesh on a tubular metal frame making the Dex bed rail perfect. There are no catch points or shapr edges featured on the toddler bed rail. It also featuers a two hand hinge release.


text:
We recommend upgrading to the latest Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Firefox.
Learn More
If you are using IE 9 or later, make sure you turn off "Compatibility View".
Handpicked brands for you
Mid stroke in @kaenon #paddlehi @lifeproof
Stay logged in
Forgot Password?
Or use these networks
New to GoodPeople?Create an account here!


text:
Dalya Saeed denies trying to murder Bilal Miah
Women are more likely to be let off with murder than men, and feminism has kept this up and want more. Yet a man would be banged up for life doing this to a woman.
Yet we live in a world where women are more privileged than men, I as a woman could get away with this shit, all I would have to do if I was a sadistic horrible person is lie, use my past, and claim he was abusing.
And it's easy to do this when you have a male judge, put on the tears, pretended you are oppressed and men are putty in your hands. Yet feminists who want the legal system to be even more lenient on women, and deny they use sympathy to get their own way.
I am not a Men's Right Activist, nor feminist, I would say I am more egalitarian, a little feminist, and care about all people.
Source: Recap: Ex wife denies cutting out intestines of ex husband


text:
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Childarr. Davd Marlatt - Eighth Note Publications
Publisher Desc. Spirituals have found their way into the standard repertoire of vocalists and instrumentalists. �The lyrical tunes combined with the powerful message they tell affect us all. �In this arrangement all parts are interesting and the jazz harmonies add a really great color to this famous tune. �Soloists may choose to add to the jazz feel of this piece with scoops, half valve glisses and other effects.
Select a Product
My Library
Powered by Rating-System.com


text:
Morning Reflection – April 18 2012
Here at a Jesus Moment we want to encourage you to be thankful and blessed. Take a few moments today and consider three things:
1) Make a list of five people that you are connected with in some way
2) Think about different ways to bless and encourage these people
3) Go and do
We are including for you below our Disciple's Heart Primer that you can use as a devotional each day to help you get your heart primed to follow Jesus.
Take a few more minutes and read the Daily Bible Reading for the day. It will bless and encourage you throughout the day.
"May the Lord bless and keep you; may His face shine upon you; may He be gracious to you and give you peace".
Filed in: Kingdom Thoughts


text:
Although Augusta State's basketball campaign ended with a 79-78 loss to Wingate in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional, Jaguars power forward Tyrekus "A.J." Bowman can be pleased with his performance.
The 6-foot-5 junior, a 2004 All-Northeast Georgia selection who played at Washington-Wilkes, was named Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year after averaging 20.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and two steals per game.
"We did a good job this year," Bowman said. "We won the regular-season (Peach Belt) title. We would have liked to win the tournament title and contend for a national title, but we have to take the small steps and continue to build toward next year."
As a sophomore, Bowman led Augusta State in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.
"You can see the improvements in my game since my freshman season," he said. "It's all come from hard work and coach (Dip Metress) staying on me. I've improved a great deal and so have my teammates. It's all about hard work and sticking together."
A business marketing major, Bowman said he hoped to travel this summer but planned to spend most of his time preparing for his senior season.
"Right now, I'm pretty happy with my shooting," said Bowman, who shot 52.3 percent from the floor this season. "I know I need to work on my defense and my ballhandling. If I can do that, I'll be a more complete player. Last summer, I worked hard on my 3-point shot and my jumper, and that paid off, so I hope I'll have the same success with my defense and ballhandling."
Other Athens-area athletes playing spring sports at Augusta State include softball players Kimberly Kennedy of Morgan County and Anna Tedder of Oconee County, baseball player Dustin Taylor of Oconee County and golfer Keith Guest of Athens Academy.
Tedder, a junior shortstop, is hitting .288 with 10 runs and 10 RBIs through 19 games. Kennedy, a freshman pitcher, has made three appearances, posting a 1-0 record with a 3.15 ERA.
Taylor, a senior first baseman/pitcher, has started four games, going 1-1 with 24 strikeouts, 10 walks, 19 hits and 15 runs (11 earned) in 20 innings.
Brown, Towler lead Emmanuel hoops
Hart County product Shavoyae Brown played a critical role in Emmanuel College capturing the National Christian College Athletic Association's South Region championship this season.
Brown, a 6-3 senior guard, scored 19 points in the Lions' 108-86 win over Temple (Tenn.) University in the championship game. Emmanuel College (25-10, 11-7 in the NAIA's Southern States Athletic Conference) advanced to the NCCAA Division I Basketball National Championships, which begin today at Oakland City University in Oakland City, Ind.
One of five seniors on Emmanuel's roster, Brown has averaged 11.8 points and six rebounds per game this season. Senior guard Matt Gibbs, who also attended Hart County, is averaging 4.6 points per game.
Former Clarke Central standout Felicia Towler was named to the SSAC Women's Basketball All-Conference Team by conference coaches.
With a field-goal percentage of nearly 50 percent, the 5-10 Towler averaged 16.5 points per game.
Eastside Tigers on top in YWCO league
In the Coed Division, Eastside Tigers (3-0, nine points) and CTU (3-0, nine points) remain at the top of the 12-team standings with Real Atenas (2-2, six points) and Five Points Eye Care (2-2, six points) not far behind. Brian Clift of Loco's is the division's leading scorer with seven goals, followed by Jeremy Ransom of Loco's, who has five goals.
In the Rec Division, Mean Machine sits atop the eight-team league with a record of 3-0-1 and 10 points, followed by Red Star Baldwin Juniors (2-0-1, seven points) and the Red Devils (2-0, six points). There's a three-way tie atop the scoring leader board, with Steve Ellis and John Peroni of Mean Machine and Marcell Pizaro-Giaier of Red Star Baldwin Juniors all with five goals.
In the Competitive Division, Athletico Marte (3-1, nine points) leads the way with UEFA (2-1, six points), Love Soup (2-0, six points), Turkish Dogs (2-1, six points) and Gladiators (2-2, six points) all in pursuit. Frandy Rodas of Athletico Marte is the league's top scorer with 15 points, followed by Rommer Jaramillo of Alianza Lima (seven goals), Alfredo Flores of Tiburones Blancos (six goals) and Jose Flores of Tiburones Blancos (six goals).
Oconee Habitat hosts 5K race
The Habitat for Humanity chapter at the Oconee County campus of Gainesville College was founded during the fall semester, already has nearly two dozen members and has worked on several "builds" for the Athens Area Habitat for Humanity organization.
And now the group is making its first foray into fundraising with the inaugural Habitat Hustle 5K run, set for 3 p.m. March 24 in Watkinsville.
"Our goal is to be able to co-sponsor a house," said Scott Schimmel, president of the Gainesville College chapter. "We need to raise about $32,000, so it's a long-term goal, but we wanted to get started as quickly as possible."
Schimmel, a sophomore majoring in environmental science, said he hopes to have at least 150 competitors in the 5K.
"What we want in the first year is simply to recoup our investment," the Athens native said. "This is my first time organizing a race and we kind of got a late start in terms of attracting sponsors, so we're hoping for the best."
To register, visit www.active.com or contact Will Chamberlin of Classic Race Services at firstname.lastname@example.com. For more information, contact Schimmel at 706-224-6031.
Freeman fares well at golf tourney
Dylan Freeman of Athens was the top local finisher in the Georgia PGA's Sea Palms Junior Classic, held March 3-4 at Sea Palms Golf Resort.
Freeman finished tied for fifth in the Boys 14-15 division and was tied for 10th in the overall standings with a 19-over 161. Chris Smith of Athens also competed in the overall division, finishing in 32nd place at 222.
In the Boys 12-13 division, Aaron George of Monroe finished tied for sixth after carding a two-round score of 20-over 162. Claxton Faulkner of Watkinsville came in 11th place at 187 and Nick Faulkner was tied for 12th at 190.
Elite gymnasts prep for state meet
The Georgia Elite Gymnastics' Level 9 team was fifth and the Level 7 team was ninth at the Mardi Gras Invitational in Marietta in February.
Individually, Lindsey Cheek was first on beam, third on bars, third on all-around and fourth on vault, and Taylor Jungman was fourth on beam in Level 10 competition.
In Level 9, Danielle Carter was fourth on vault and sixth on beam, Talia Hammonds was third on vault, Caroline King was fifth on floor, fifth all-around and sixth on beam, Abby Porterfield was third on bars and Alex Stone was seventh on bars.
In Level 8, Kendall Koballa was first on vault, fourth on bars, fifth all-around and tied for seventh on floor and Sydney Rodkey was seven on vault. In Level 7, Laura Abbott finished tied fourth on beam, Lindsey Carr was tied for first on bars, first on beam, first all-around, third on vault and tied for fourth on floor, Aubrey Hinson was first on floor, fifth all-around and tied for sixth on beam, Jessica Holman was third on bars and Erin Parker was second on beam.
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


text:
This a tut on how i draw a anime/maga three diferent ways, but of corse these are not they only ways to draw a anime/maga head. (please excuse the drawings I was using markers and as u know they don't erase :). ) Don't forget to tell me what u think by leaving a comment, I also do request but please leave them in my comment section in my profile cuz I don't know how to view then otherwise! XD
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


text:
The Diamondbacks have signed two 16-year-old Dominican prospects out of the International Prospect League, outfielder Francis Martinez and third baseman Josue Herrera.
Martinez, who signed for $350,000 is 6-foot-4, 190 pounds and is a switch-hitter who stands out for his power potential and athleticism for his size. He turned 16 on June 28, so he's one of the younger players in this year's signing class. His trainer, Josue Herrera, is the father and trainer of the third baseman the Diamondbacks signed by the same name. He signed for $150,000.


text:
Katherine Allen, head of the Lower School at the Lawrence Family Development Charter School, is focusing her school growth project on empowering teachers through an improved procedural structure. "It is my hope that we are able to offer our teachers a deeper influence in instructional decision making while simultaneously creating a cohesive critical eye in the cross-grade-level analysis of student work."
Through the development of bi-weekly content-specific vertical team meetings, teachers and administrators at the Lawrence Family Development Charter School work to align rubrics across the grade spans, score student work to create consistency in academic expectations, and team plan lessons and assessments to promote the scaffolding of rigor.
"Working with my colleagues and leadership coach at the LLA as well as participating in the school site visits, summer institute, and school-survey project has pushed me to hone in on my school's building culture, instructional practices, and procedural structures and identify the roots of the school ripe for further nourishment and cultivation to strengthen our service to our students," Allen said. "Being in the city of Lawrence removes us from many of the resources that can be found in Boston. As part of this cohort, I have been exposed to these resources and discovered services that can help my school, which I otherwise would not have found."
The Lawrence Family Development Charter School is a dual-language program that serves approximately 600 students in grades PK-8. Of these students, 96% qualify for free and reduced lunch and are Latino/Hispanic and 42% are English language learners.
"It has been a gift to work with Kate and to learn about the accountability of charter schools," said Paula Finklestein, Allen's Lynch Leadership Academy coach. "Kate is truly an educational leader and has led the school to make great strides in terms of student achievement over the past year."


text:
- Home
- Calendar
- Plan Your Visit
- Group Outings
- Racing & Wagering
- Trackside OTB
Barn Notes: Wednesday, August 27, 2014
In Today's Notes: Mister Marti Gras Always Ready to Party
It's one thing to be able to saddle up and run as a 7-year-old racehorse in this day and age of horseracing, but it is a completely different animal – if you will – to be at the top of your game at such a ripe age – and such is exactly what Mister Marti Gras is. The tall, kind chestnut gelding has served his owner Lothenbach Stables well since the son of Belong to Me's debut at Hawthorne Race Course in November 2009.
Thought of highly enough – and precocious enough, for that matter – to compete in the Grade II Louisiana Derby in his fourth career start (for initial conditioner Neil Pessin – with whom he still spends his winters at the Fair Grounds), it has become increasingly astonishing to see the gelding maintain his form throughout six seasons of training. One race after making his Arlington International Racecourse debut with a good fourth in the (then) Listed Arlington Classic, he won his first of four career stakes races in his seventh start in the Listed Oliver Stakes – now the Centaur – at Indiana Grand.
Since that first taste of added money eminence on the turf, the well mannered (now) Chris Block trainee has gone on to win the Grade III Washington Park Handicap on the Arlington Polytrack in 2011, that year's Grade III Ack Ack Handicap on Churchill Downs dirt and last year's Mystic Lake Mile on Canterbury Park's main course. In such, he has not only displayed stunning equilibrium and reliability, but also has demonstrated what it means to be versatile as a racehorse.
Such was possibly on its best exhibition in defeat earlier this season in the Grade III Hanshin Cup over the Arlington main course. At a one-turn mile course that contradicts everything in which a leggy, long-winded campaigning gelding should revel – the homebred stormed home on the outside to lose in a photo behind highly regarded Nikki's Sandcastle at odds of 16-1 – a gift to his pari-mutuel supporters.
Since, he annexed a tough allowance optional claiming event on the grass on June 21 with eye-opening ease – defeating the well regarded allowance duo of O T B Bob and R Great Adventure in the process – which prompted his connections to attempt the Grade III Arlington Handicap on July 12 last out. Such resulted in a fifth-place finish – beaten only 2½ lengths. After such, Block decided a fourth-consecutive try at the Washington Park was the obvious next move.
"He's really coming into the race good," Block remarked. "He came out of his last race in great shape. He's just a pretty consistent type who trains very well and has always been that way. He's had some good spots in his career, but is in great form now and is in a nice pattern. Health-wise, he's really great. He's had some solid works and run really well against some good horses."
A win in the Washington Park – where he will likely start as the favorite – would mark an improvement on a perplexing fourth in last year's race and a solid hard-charging runner-up performance in 2012. One factor that may be in his corner this year is that his performance numbers – for those who place stock in such – are actually slightly better than last year, returning that which he achieved in his 4- and 5-year-old seasons. For example, in the Hanshin Cup he achieved a 118 Equibase Speed Figure – only two points below his career-best.
"He's a Grade III type of horse," Block continued. "He is kind of like what I call a blue-collar horse and goes out there and performs on any surface and tries as hard as he can. Distance-wise, he surprised me that he was so effective at one-turn (in the Hanshin), but I think that speaks to his quality. He is a horse who probably needs a little pace to help him out, but he kind of adapts to the situation."
Managing a talented charge through many seasons has become something at which the Block barn has excelled for some time. Virginia H. Tarra Trust's Giant Oak won two Grade I races within a 31-race, four-season career for the conditioner from 2008 through 2011 – ending in a third in the Breeders' Cup Marathon. Perhaps even more striking was the career of Team Block's Illinois Horse of the Year Fort Prado, who won 18 of 59 starts for the conditioner over seven seasons. That charge earned $1,211,681 for his owner – a total Mister Marti Gras ($1,060,584) could surpass before year's end. And at such time, a nice vacation will take place – as usual – which could result in a possible 8-year-old season, if all goes well.
"I think part of (Mister Marti Gras' success) is that I don't think we overrun him," Block said. "We try to give him a little rest at the end of each season. That being said, I think his success is more of a tribute to the horse, himself. He makes my job easy because I know when I take him to the paddock to race – or the track to train – he's going to show up. He just loves his job every day and loves being a racehorse."