text:
Upcoming Yanks series could turn tide in Sox's season
Upcoming Yanks series could turn tide in Sox's season
That question continues to be a stumper, but answers could finally be coming after the All-Star break, when Boston manager Bobby Valentine finds out what his team looks like with Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford making things happen with their bats and legs.
But before Boston approaches full strength, one critical test is on the schedule -- a grueling, four-game encounter at Fenway Park against those age-old rivals, the Yankees.
There is no easing into the All-Star break this season for the Red Sox. Not with the Bronx Bombers coming into Fenway Park with a 7 1/2-game lead over Boston in the American League East.
It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out the intriguing possibilities of this series. A four-game sweep by the Sox means they're right back in the thick of things, just 3 1/2 games back. Get swept, and Boston would slip to 11 1/2 games back and basically be thinking about one of the two Wild Card berths.
Even three out of four would be nice, as a 5 1/2-game deficit wouldn't seem so bad. Lose three out of four, and Boston drops 9 1/2 back. And then there's the possibility of a split, which would put everything right back where it was at the start of the weekend.
Considering the stakes of the weekend and the nature of the rivalry, the crowd should be electric for the four games that will take place over a three-day span.
"I think we're excited," said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. "They're in first place and playing good ball. If we're going to do what we want to do, we're going to have to play well against them and beat them and sneak up in the standings."
It's not like the Red Sox can use injuries as a crutch for their 42-40 start. The Yankees -- without the great Mariano Rivera for the rest of the year, and currently lacking CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte -- have had more than their share as well.
But there is an intrigue about how the Sox can play if Ellsbury can be anything like he was last year, and Crawford can return to his Tampa Bay form, rather than the guy who pressed and faltered in his first year in Boston.
Ellsbury suffered a subluxation in his right shoulder and last played for the Sox on April 13. Crawford, who underwent left wrist surgery in the offseason and then suffered a sprained UCL in his left elbow, last played for the Red Sox last season, the night of the epic collapse on Sept. 28, 2011.
While the Red Sox and Yankees face off this weekend, Crawford and Ellsbury hope to complete their Minor League rehab assignments and then get the all-clear to rejoin the active roster after the All-Star break.
"We've missed Ells and Carl," Pedroia said. "They're two big parts of our lineup. They're impact players, and guys that change the game by just having their name in the lineup. Once they get back, we're hoping to take off and show people what type of team we can really be."
Pedroia is a big part of this also. Hindered by right thumb soreness for the last two months, his season has been below par. A Thursday checkup with the doctors may give Pedroia the comfort to know he's going to be OK.
It also stands to reason that one of these days, Adrian Gonzalez -- who has only six home runs -- will start hitting for power again.
The Red Sox had actually been on a nice little run before this just-completed West Coast road trip, when the entire offense seemed to go silent at once. During the team's 2-5 record against Seattle and Oakland, the Red Sox totaled just 14 total runs.
"It's amazing," said Valentine. "I don't know the reason."
Believe it or not, Boston and New York have played just two games this season -- April 20-21 -- with the Yankees taking both. There are 16 rivalry showdowns left before the season comes to an end.
The hope is that the comfort of Fenway and the intensity of the Yankees' series will fix all that ails the Boston offense. For most of the year, the Red Sox have been one of the better hitting teams in the league.
"We've played well at home as of late, so hopefully we can use that to our advantage," said Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross. "Those Yankees-Red Sox games are always fun, so hopefully we can use our fans to our advantage and get back on the right track."
The one man who has delivered all season for the Red Sox is David Ortiz. He is coming off home run No. 400, and he has a history of coming up big against the Yankees.
"I mean, everybody is trying to make things happen," Ortiz said. "Of course you put pressure on yourself when things aren't going the way they are right now. But our pitching is doing great and they're holding the offense down and they're doing what they're supposed to do. Hopefully [the Yankees coming to town] will get us going."
Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brownie Points, and follow him on Twitter @IanMBrowne. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Sins of the father: Steven Powell's behavior leaves a legacy of harm
samhill Salt Lake City, UTMay 13, 2012 11:19 a.m.
Just in case you hadn't noticed, this is one --seriously-- messed up person.
To say he's had an evil effect on his family is to say cyanide can make you feel, "icky".
I hope he's put in a place where is sickness can be treated and, most importantly, isolated.
Jim Mesa, AzMay 10, 2012 4:22 p.m.
There is a direct correlation between pornography and sexual abuse. Does this mean that everyone that views porn committs seuxal abuse. No it doesn't. But people who view porn like to act on the things that they see. Just because you don't hear about it, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. I have personally investigated many child seuxal abuse allegations and the perp usually starts off by talking about their addiction to porn. Pornography is very dangerous, it is counterfiet and for those addicted to it, it is a drug that they can not get enough of. I find that people who embrace the church then fell off can become like the Zoramites of old. Powell is no diffent.
JSB Sugar City, IDMay 7, 2012 11:56 p.m.
Mormon Cowboy: "had Josh just obeyed the ten commandments he would have never murdered his sons, right?" Yes, that's right. He wouldn't have gotten close to doing the terrible things he did. He would have been a decent husband and father and stayed that way. It's not too complicated.
Mosesstone1980 Las Vegas, NevadaMay 7, 2012 12:40 p.m.
While MormonCowboy may get an intellectual "kick" out of splitting hairs over the pornography and its effects/non-effects issue, I will unequivocally call pornography evil in all its forms. What the article seems to insinuates is: it was his pornography addiction that started him on the path to his departure from the church; or, as Elder Maxwell noted "..I saw a few leave the Church who could then never leave it alone. They used often their intellectual reservations to cover their behavioral lapses."
At least according to Steven Powell's ex-wife and Greaves' opinion, this seems possibly the case.
Lasvegaspam Henderson, NVMay 7, 2012 12:30 p.m.
The link between adult and child porn is observed globally,
and it is nothing new. Sixteen years ago, at the 1996 World
Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children,
Margaret Healy stated in a paper titled "Child Pornography:
An International Perspective" that "with the emergence of
the use of computers to traffic in child pornography, a new
and growing segment of producers and consumers is being
identified. They are individuals who may not have a sexual
preference for children, but who have seen the gamut of
adult pornography and who are searching for more bizarre
Muireann O'Brian also observed this in her
work with child sexual abusers. She heads the Bangkok office
of End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism,a global organization that helps police and lawyers target child molesters. She
pointed out that "arrests have shown men with perfectly
normal sexual proclivities become seduced, then involved
and finally addicted to child pornography."
To those of you who say, "tsk tsk Nobody is harmed by my porn use", I say, your ignorance and self-absorption is showing.
To others who want to understand this addiction, go to morality in media dot com or pornharms dot com.
Mormoncowboy Provo, UtMay 7, 2012 10:51 a.m.
Ouch JSB - I suppose by that logic, had Josh just obeyed the ten commandments he would have never murdered his sons, right? Sort of misses the point though, doesn't it? The only way you comment offers any real insight is to assume that pornography caused all of this. The data just doesn't bear out that conclusion on aggregate scale. As for the particulars of this case, we still don't know enough to start deriving causes, which is why I object to this article. It has jumped to the conclusion that pornography and apostasy were the causes, not on the basis of clear fact, but out of a desire to use this case to serve a religious agenda.
procuradorfiscal Tooele, UTMay 7, 2012 10:15 a.m.
Re: "One comes away from Mr. Reavy's work with the impression that Steven Powell's pornography-viewing and LDS-disenchantment were proximate causes of Susan Powell's and her children's deaths. Amazing."
But true.
JoeBlow Far East USA, SCMay 7, 2012 10:07 a.m.
"That's a reason why the covenants are so important. They are a great protection against so much that is wicked and sordid and tragic in this world."
You mean, like, Coffee?
JSB Sugar City, IDMay 7, 2012 9:36 a.m.
Re Mormon Cowboy: "What sort of irks me about this article though is not the overt "blame it all on porn" tone of the report, but the included "it was because he left the Church" bit. Certainly this man is a menace with problems, but to suggest that it was because he left the Church, or indulged in pornography is pathetic."
But the fact is that if Steven Powell had lived true to his LDS "covenants" none of this would have happened. His porn addition was a violation of his covenants. He then decided to blame the LDS church and the rest is history. That's a reason why the covenants are so important. They are a great protection against so much that is wicked and sordid and tragic in this world.
JCH San Diego, CAMay 7, 2012 9:31 a.m.
Was this article -- sourced exclusively from court filings and an estranged daughter -- meant to read as a "Scared Straight" screed? Steven Powell seems to be an unloveable nut, but I am stunned by the messaging here, unsubtle even by the standards of the new ("more Mormon," in the publisher's words) Deseret News.
One comes away from Mr. Reavy's work with the impression that Steven Powell's pornography-viewing and LDS-disenchantment were proximate causes of Susan Powell's and her children's deaths. Amazing.
Mormoncowboy Provo, UtMay 7, 2012 9:08 a.m.
Part of the problem with the attitude represented by those such as MoJules, is that they like to characterize the issue as a binary matter. Either you are preaching against pornography, or you are advocating it's use. I can list a number of things that I find objectionable about pornography. The conclusion that it causes sexual violence is not one of them. That it IS often sexual violence is what bothers me about it. Again, however, the article didn't just imply pornography as the motivator, but that also Steven Powell became increasingly distrustful of the Mormon Church. That somehow his progressive apostasy caused this behavior. That is absolutely bogus. Furthermore, nobody has tackled the polygamy issue. It seems that, as per the article, Powell was progressing in his sexual deviance, his fantasies had Mormon polygamy context to them. Still, we can make the apostasy connection, the porn connection, but not the polygamy connection. That is a bit of a convenient analysis.
JoeBlow Far East USA, SCMay 7, 2012 6:11 a.m.
This is certainly NOT a defense of porn, but sometimes there can be an unhealthy line drawn.
In Italy, there are beautiful works of art and statues everywhere. Some depict the human body in all of its glory.
Is that Porn? Do we shelter our kids from that and cover their eyes? Do they walk away with the idea that it is "dirty"?
How about the Rodin exhibit at BYU? They certainly had every right to show what they wanted.
But, were those statues pornographic?
How about an add for Victoria Secret?
"Dirty magazines" are one thing, but when we put ALL depictions of the human body in the same category I believe that we instill an unhealthy concept to children.
MoJules Florissant, MOMay 6, 2012 11:33 p.m.
So you people that defend porn and smoke your weed while you look at your porn, all will be well with you. You will never commit adultry, you will never ignore your family, you will never be a pedifile, you will never rape, you will never think about what you view except when you view it. And while your smoking your weed, you will never lose brain cells, never be curious about other new and "interesting" drugs. No you will just sit hidden in a room, munching on chips and looking at vulgar pictures or videos, but it won't go any further then that. Yep, you will walk out of that room and have a clean pure mind and have a healthy relationship with your family, cause you are so above being destroyed by that. Yeah, Steve and Josh are prime examples of that, porn didn't destroy their lives or the lives of others. Well, I need to go find chocolate, but it won't make me fat, oh wait, I am already fat, thanks to chocolate.
Mormoncowboy Provo, UtMay 6, 2012 10:27 p.m.
I don't see it that way. It should be acknowledged that the are speaking from a particular point of view, but notwithstanding their former proximity to Steven Powell, there is still a limit to the kinds of qualifications they are justified in making. I have little doubt that Steven Powell was sexually deviant. What I find disturbing about the hotel incident related by his daughter is not that he would watch pornography, but that he would do so with his daughter in the same room. That of course is the bigger issue. Secondly, to the point that they argue that pornography "tore our family apart", I also have little doubt that she is correct. Particularly for couples that have a strong religious aversion to pornography, he was engaging in incompatible behavior. I'm even comfortable calling it "cheating" because I am sure that Steven was under no illusion as to how his wife felt about the matter. In that sense he broke a clearly implied contract. From there however, the assertion that pornography caused his behavior, and perhaps his Daughter-in-Law's death, I don't see that the evidence warrants such a conclusion.
A Scientist Provo, UTMay 6, 2012 5:29 p.m.
In my professional opinion, both porn and religion are potentially dangerous, mind-altering phenomena about which we must be extremely skeptical and cautious.
But if you are going to compare the track records of the two, I think religion has caused more harm and destruction over the course of history than has porn.
I think the religious zealots need to consider that before going all revival on everyone.
guswetrust Cebterville, UtahMay 6, 2012 4:50 p.m.
Oh, and porno is not a "Utah" problem, nor Mormon problem so don't blame those as reasons.
Truthseeker SLO, CAMay 6, 2012 3:02 p.m.
You are disputing what Steve Powell's ex-wife and daughter reported.
"I think pornography played a big role in tearing our family apart," Graves said. "Because it breaks down your mind, it breaks down families, it breaks down trust. It's going to lead to other things....
...And then it got worse and the addiction got worse and then he started to have additional things that he was unfaithful to my mom with, like having this obsession with a woman in our ward," Graves recalled. "It just led down this path that he just refused to recognize as wrong."
"Terri believed it was her husband's heavy travel schedule through his work that gave him an outlet to dive deeper into pornography."
"By the time Graves was between 10 and 12 years old, she knew pornography was a problem in her parents' marriage....I remember one of the evenings I was laying on my bed and he was on his bed and he turned on this program that was just total porn."
"he wanted to keep custody...because they had been severely affected by his wife's "bizarre perversion of religion, both Mormon and religion generally."
Mormoncowboy Provo, UtMay 6, 2012 1:05 p.m.
First - Ted Bundy is not the person I would trust as an authority on anything. The correlation to porn use, and violent sex crimes is overwhelmingly contrary to the assertion that it is causal. Whether porn is "a problem" I think largely lies with the person. My biggest apprehension to pornography is that it is too intently tied to the asian and eastern european sex trade. But that is a whole other issue. What sort of irks me about this article though is not the overt "blame it all on porn" tone of the report, but the included "it was because he left the Church" bit. Certainly this man is a menace with problems, but to suggest that it was because he left the Church, or indulged in pornography is pathetic. Interestingly it seems from the article that early on, his fetishes involved scenarios based on Polygamy with women in the Ward. Could we not conclude by the same arguments then, that the Mormon polygamy narrative also inspired his behavior? Of course no one would be willing to make that connection, so I suggest we be a little more cautious in jumping to conclusions.
NeilT Clearfield, UTMay 6, 2012 11:28 a.m.
My earlier was denied. Why I don't know. A simple question. Who is the grandson talking about when he claimed that mormons killed his mother and brother. Who is the brother. Good article, hard to follow at times. A lot of victims in this tragic saga.
Cats Somewhere in Time, UTMay 6, 2012 7:44 a.m.
The comments about Ted Bundy are absolutely the truth. He was interviewed the night before his execution. He stated plainly that his problem started with pornography. He also stated, "I'm not a psycologist, but I've lived in prison a long time and every person I have ever known in prison that is like me started with pornography."
Pornography is evil and destructive and it destroys lives and families. It has NO redeeming qualities.
guswetrust Cebterville, UtahMay 5, 2012 11:15 p.m.
Rifleman - Porn is an addiction. That is one reason it is bad. It grows, gets worse and soon is controlling the person viewing it. They want more and more. No. viewing it alone does not a killer make, but there is a link there that many criminals say, that porn, started them into darker, worse needs. Like drugs take over a person.
Capsaicin Salt Lake City, UTMay 5, 2012 10:50 p.m.
Both know the truth. Both chose not to follow it. This isn't a "sin's of the father" problem with the Powells. That can only happen when there's no truth ever taught to them. What this really is, is a question of mental illness due to chosen deliberate destructive behavior.
K Mchenry, ILMay 5, 2012 10:32 p.m.
They didn't blame pornography's ills on the world. Just these men.
If the boys had stayed with the dad and grandpa and one of them did something to their wife and kids, would we be able to put the blame on the generation ahead of them? I do feel bad for Josh. No one was there to take him away of an unhealthy environment. What did Steven's dad do? If Steven was bad for the boys than he was bad for his kids.
Instead of us coming up with a neat little stat to say divorced homes produce more kids who use guns in violent crimes lets find out the true cause and not just find some pattern. I wish we took them seriously.
When you take a picture like that of someone without their consent or not of age you have abused them. There indeed has been an accusation. Several actually. Would you like to be an old neighbor of theirs with daughters? Kids? A wife?
Furry1993 Clearfield, UTMay 5, 2012 10:31 p.m.
Lasvegaspam 8:32 p.m. 5/5
By all means continue to discuss the issues. They are BIG issues, and need to be publicized on a regular basis. People need to know what to look for, and how to protect themselves against the abuse, pornography, etc.
The problem comes when a family is sensationalized, and the family itself diverts attention from the issues. That's what is in danger of happening here. For every case like the Powells who get a big spread in the media, there are hundreds or thousands more that don't get any attention at all because the family pictures aren't as cute as those of the Powell children, or the story isn't as much an attention-grabber, or family members aren't able to get their stories in the media, or myriad other reasons that get in the way of the issues.
It is indeed time to continue to deal with the issues and publicize them to the greatest extent possible, but let the families in this tragedy have some peace. All of them.
Rifleman Salt Lake City, UtahMay 5, 2012 9:47 p.m.
Re: Most Truthful and Patriotic Layton, UT
"Blaming pornography for the world's ills is popular in Utah right now, but I've never known anyone who's viewed "porn" to go off the deep end like Steven and Josh Powell."
Ted Bundy was a serial killer who blamed porn for downfall. There is a reason why decent people in Utah blame many of the world's ills on porn. It is too bad that more people don't see it for what it is.
Star Bright Salt Lake City, UtMay 5, 2012 9:00 p.m.
I don't understand a grandmother writing a letter in support of josh, knowing what went on in that house with the grandfather.
I also don't understand why josh was allowed any visits with his sons after all of this came out.
There are many problems with porn, and for young men who get started quit while you can. No young woman wants to be compared to airbrushed models and degrading and disgusting set ups.
Maybe you have never heard of ted bundy. It started as pornography. OK, I know he was a phsyco as well, but it dominated him.
Good luck to his daughter, and his ex wife, thank goodness you were able to get away.
Lasvegaspam Henderson, NVMay 5, 2012 8:32 p.m.
Furry 1993 - For you and others who have suggested that we (the public) need not hear any more about the Powells, your reservations only make me wonder why you feel the need to silence truth. Is there something about their story that hits too close to home for you? The point in broadcasting details such as this article covers is for other people who may be dealing with similar struggles to notice the patterns, and to hopefully seek help. Knowledge is power.
Furry1993 Clearfield, UTMay 5, 2012 6:03 p.m.
I really think we've all heard enough about the Powell family to last a lifetime. The only other stories we should b seeing re (1) the results of the Steven Powell trial and (2) in the event Susan Powell's disappearance is solved. Other than that, let both the Powell and Cox families have some peace. All of them.
Uncle Rico Sandy, UTMay 5, 2012 5:42 p.m.
The article illustrates the downward spiral of decay of a father, husband and grandfather. For years the tobacco industry said cigarettes were fine. Porn destroys, no matter how many users defend it.
Truthseeker SLO, CAMay 5, 2012 4:18 p.m.
Re:Chris B/Most Truthfful and Patriotic
Was DN pointing to Steve and Josh Powell's fixation on pornography or was it Steve's ex-wife and his daughter who viewed it a big factor in the demise of the family?
"Safety valve"? That's offensive. There were victims. Steve Powell preyed upon children, and even his own daughter-in-law.
Sure many people can drink alcohol and not become alcoholics. Some studies even show a small amount of alcohol may have beneficial health effects. Are there any studies substatiating any benefits of pornography? Pornography can/does destroy lives. I know someone (a Mormon) who worked in Los Angeles for a large corporation who lost their job because they had viewed pornography while at work. He was one of two Mormons who worked at the firm.
At least alcohol leaves the body. One can't "un see" pornography once it has been viewed.
O'really Idaho Falls, IDMay 5, 2012 4:16 p.m.
Those who try to defend porn are playing with very explosive matches.
gdog3finally West Jordan, UtahMay 5, 2012 2:57 p.m.
Given the family tree of horror, if Kirk and Jennifer Graves are able to have a functional life as I want to believe they can, then they would be miracle workers. I wish them well.
Most Truthful and Patriotic Layton, UTMay 5, 2012 1:35 p.m.
Blaming pornography for the world's ills is popular in Utah right now, but I've never known anyone who's viewed "porn" to go off the deep end like Steven and Josh Powell.
It's obvious that the sexual fixations came first, and the porn fulfilled the need. There's been no accusations that either Steven or Josh sexually abused and/or raped anyone due to porn.
In fact, it may have been a safety valve for the Powells and hopefully, kept their urges at bay.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
For nearly a century, Kellogg, Idaho, was home to America's richest silver mine, Sunshine Mine. Mining there, as everywhere, was not an easy life, but regardless of the risk, there was something about being underground, the lure of hitting a deep vein of silver. The promise of good money and the intense bonds of friendship brought men back year after year. Mining is about being a man and a fighter in a job where tomorrow always brings the hope of a big score.
On… (more)
Publisher: Crown (March 01, 2005)
Format: EPUB
Page count: 336 pages
File size: 2.3 MB
Protection: DRM
Language: English


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Art's better when it's adhesive. Get 10 stickers, save 50%.
Another one from the "light room" I set up in my French apartment :)Nikon D800 + Nikkor 24/70mmISO 100 • f/5 • 1/25sec • 70mm My bubblesite
pear high key white still life table light natural light ornament simple understated wooden mieke boynton
Gorgeous! Simple and elegant!
Thanks heaps, Mel!! :)
I've been waiting for you to upload this one….. Straight into my shopping basket it goes !!! But will have to wait til hubby's not looking so I can sneak it through the checkout !!! :)
Lol!!! Thanks, Pene!! How about I kidnap him??=p
This is an amazing image Mieke, quite extraordinary, and an absolute fave for me (goes without saying really) – Jus
Thanks, Jus!! I just wanted to have a bit of fun with the beautiful light in France and my awesome new camera… glad it's not just me getting all the enjoyment!! :) :) :) Thanks again :)
Thank you, Albert!
Oh, I do love this, Mieke. Beautiful lighting and seeming simplicity.
Thanks, Jan! I like simple things too. I had such a good time taking still life photos – I don't know why I don't do it more often! Actually, I do… I don't have any lighting stuff (not even an off-camera flash) and I'm always at work when the natural light is good! Anyhoo, thank you very much :)
Nice work Meike
Thanks, Clare!
Yummy mono tones Mieke!
Lol!! Thank you, Carol!!
Think Mel summed it up perfectly with "simple and elegant", I expect to see more still life from you :)
:) I have a few more from this "lightroom"… it was so much fun! Strange how something so static can be so interesting to work with!
g o r g e o u s !
Thank you very much, Lorena!
Great work Mieke! It works so well in black and white!
Thank you, LadyThegn!! :) :) :) I had a bit of fun with this – it actually has a slight peachy/pinky colour to it!
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NOVOSIBIRSK, Russia, June 24 (UPI) -- No one was injured Sunday when a Russian Boeing 757 airliner made an emergency landing in the Russian city of Novosibirsk, officials said.
ITAR-Tass said preliminary information indicated the plane's left engine malfunctioned.
The flight with 163 passengers was on a flight from the Russian city of Yekaterinburg to Hanoi, Vietnam, the report said, when it made the emergency landing.


text:
Complaint Review: Apx Alarms
APX Alarm REVIEW: APX Alarm commitment to total customer satisfaction. APX Alarm's past and current approach to business is about protecting families and providing the best customer experience from the beginning to the end of the customer's time with the company. Provo Utah
*UPDATE: APX Alarm pledges their commitment to Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy, Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program. A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. APX Alarm recognized by Ripoff Report Verified as a safe business service.
*Consumer Comment: Happy With APX Alarm Company
EDitors UPDATE: Positive rating and recognition has been given to APX Alarm for its commitment to excellence in customer service.
Ripoff Reports discussions with the company have uncovered an ongoing commitment to total customer satisfaction. You can expect to have any questions or concerns that you have with them to be answered and resolved in a timely manner. They have shown us their customer service process, and it reflects a desire to serve customers, as well as fix problems.
The company's management specifically told us about how their job is to simplify lives and help people to live intelligently. The management really wants every person who buys a system to feel valued. The concern for each customer's experience starts at the top, and is reflected in the action of every employee they hire.
The company also works to monitor their sales and customer support calls to see how they can be improved. They use these calls as examples for employees in training. Currently, Vivint is working to make changes to their contracts to make things easier for their customers as they have found that many of their complaints stem from feeling misled or customers paid fees they did not feel they authorized.
Ripoff Report Verified .. part of Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program.A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business..
Statements from company executives
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We have simplified our customer service process to decrease the amount of time that a customer has to wait before speaking with a representative. Our customer service will look at your contract, listen to recorded phone calls, and make sure to get to the bottom of your issue to resolve things THE RIGHT WAY. We want customer's to have a positive experience, and we understand that sometimes customer's fall on hard times. We're willing to work with all of our customers. Their experience and safety are our primary concerns.
Read more about why consumers should feel confident when doing business with a member of Rip-off Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. Yes, its a long name for a program that does a lot for both consumers and businesses alike.
Read about Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program,.. A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. this program works.
As a matter of policy, when a business becomes a member of the Corporate Advocacy Programthey agree to allow Ripoff Report to contact every client who filed a complaint so they can make things right with them. In order to confirm that the complaints were resolved, Ripoff Report is copied on all responses so we can insure that the member business did right by their customer..
Apx Alarms, apx Alarms straight up lied to us and several other neighbors Provo Utah
the sales person who came to our house siad dont worry about what the contract says i am giving you 30 days and also we told him that we were just renters and he said i will say that you own doint worry about that and then we tried to cancel the 4th day and they said no that we only had 3 days to do this and we told them what the manager said and they said no that he didnt say this and we were stuck we could cancel if we paid the whole fee and i had already taken the alarm out myself and they say they were still monerating it and when actually i had taken it out on the 3rd day and removed the batteries and everything so they didnt have nothing to monitor who ever has a suit against them we want in and we have 3 other familys that have wrote us statements also send me email at (((REDACTED FOR SECURITY PURPOSES)))and lets get these crooks
Ron baytown, Texas
U.S.A. CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
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#1 Consumer Comment
Happy With APX Alarm Company
AUTHOR: Myrtle - (Canada)
SUBMITTED: Sunday, May 31, 2009POSTED: Sunday, May 31, 2009
On several occasions I have set the alarm off because of my own negligence and I have had immediate response from the company checking to see if everything was Okay. The response from the company was always within 2 minutes of the alarm going off.
I wish to share my experience because I feel the company has been bad mouthed when there are many people out there, like myself, who are very happy with the service and the system installed by APX Alarms.
ZipBooks Accounting Software
Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.


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A bare-bones, competently done independent motion picture, Raising Flagg is the story of a man who needs to be awoken in more ways than one. A charming little comedy starring Alan Arkin, it might be just too mundane for some viewers. The film deserves a better DVD release than the one I saw, so let's hope it wasn't the commercial one.
Arkin plays Flagg Purdy, a crotchety old man in a small northwestern town. The town's handyman, he's also the most opinionated person there. Flagg's family has been using the water from his old friend Gus's (Austin Pendleton) well for a long time, and when Gus lets sheep graze near the well, Flagg sues him to prevent their urine from getting into the water. He wins the case, but the town rejects him as a troublemaker, and his career as the town handyman dries up. When he comes to understand that no one wants to be around him anymore, he decides that it's his time to die, and he refuses to leave his bed. He forces his wife, Ada (Barbara Dana), to gather the Purdy family to say goodbye to their father. All six of the Purdy children end up at the house for a few days: Anne Marie (Glenne Headly), Rachel (Lauren Holly), Eldon (Matthew Arkin, Alan's real life son), Travis (Daniel Quinn), Annette (Dawn Maxey), and Jenny (newcomer Stephanie Lemelin). We see reconciliation between all members of the dysfunctional family, and the issue with Flagg "dying" is eventually resolved, as he learns the most lessons of anyone.
Shot almost entirely on location in small towns around Oregon, the movie feels very small and simple, the most basic side of Americana, and, frankly, it can feel kind of uncomfortable. I grew up in a small town, and Raising Flagg represents the simple, just-above-poverty-line living of many Americans accurately. The buildings and houses look run down, there is mud everywhere from the rain and snow of Oregon's climate, and a general greyness seems to envelope everything (though maybe that was simply the lack of saturation on the DVD itself). However, it is not a social or political commentary; it is a comedy about family, and about one stubborn old man. To give you some perspective about what sort of movie this is, the most exciting part, with the fastest editing, is when the family's crazy aunt shows up in the driveway. Some of the Purdy children try to run out of the room, and that, along with one scene where Flagg runs down the street after a tow truck, is all the action we get. (According to the commentary, Arkin actually pulled a hammie doing that.)
Arkin sounds most like his character, Peevy, from 1991's The Rocketeer: low-class, pompous old man. He refuses to stop acting as though he knows everything until the very end, and Arkin really seems to be having fun in the role where he can simply act like a jerk freely. Arkin's best line is, "Yeah, that's all we need: teenagers with pagers. As if those cellulose phones wasn't bad enough." The supporting cast all does a fine job, delivering better performances than I tend to expect from independent films, and the quality of the names in this film is a testament to the reputation of first-time motion picture director Neal Miller.
And Miller's direction is great, especially in the performances he gets out of the cast. However, the movie has some uneven editing, making weird use of quick dissolves for relatively tight continuity, where other films would simply have cut. There are also some really fast fades to black as if Miller is afraid of losing the audience over the span of a couple of seconds. The hi def cinematography may have been really good, but it's hard to tell on this disc.
The DVD
While the DVD copy of Raising Flagg I watched came in a commercial case, I'm not exactly sure the disc itself is the commercial version. It didn't have anything printed on it.
The Picture
The Sound
The Extras
Final Thoughts
There isn't a terrible amount of replay to Raising Flagg, charming as it is, and if the commercial release of this DVD is the same as the one I saw, then I can't honestly recommend you spend much money on it. Huge Alan Arkin fans will probably want to see it, and his performance is as fun as you would expect. "Rent It."


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A former state human services employee was sentenced Tuesday to 3 1/2 years in prison for defrauding Medicaid out of $1.1 million.
Joann Austen, 48, of Hudson, Wis., was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence for the health care fraud she pleaded guilty to in January.
Austin, who had worked for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, admitted to carrying out a scheme for five years in which she embezzled money from Medicaid by issuing state checks that she later cashed for use by her and others.
In a statement, state Human Services Commissioner Cal Ludeman said the department is pleased justice has been served.
"DHS has taken steps to strengthen internal controls as a result of this incident to ensure it won't happen again," he said.


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This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
Crystal Dynamics' recent reboot of the Tomb Raider series does everything right.
Shockingly, this release was the first one I had ever played in the franchise. It's a great place to start, considering that the title starts at the very beginning of protagonist Lara Croft's journey.
I just completed Tomb Raider, and, as a female, I'm overwhelmed with pride.
In most games, the hero is a white male. Any game that challenges this convention always captures my attention. Unfortunately, a lot of females in games serve as eye candy for players. They are always sexed up, ditzy girls who don't represent the majority of women. Lara Croft, however, is different.
She's strong. She's sensitive. She's real.
At PAX East, I saw a little girl dressed as Lara Croft, and this put a big smile on my face. It's great that young girls have a female video game character to look up to who is a positive influence.
I wish more developers would shed a more positive light on women in their titles. I have much respect for studios and publishers who feature strong female characters in their releases.
Naughty Dog, my favorite developer, put Ellie, a female lead character, right in the front of the cover art for The Last of Us. Outside forces pressured the studio to push Ellie to the back, or possibly leave her off of the cover entirely, because of the misconception that featuring a female on the cover of a game will decrease sales.
This isn't just happening with Naughty Dog, either.
Jean-Max Moris, creative director of the upcoming cyberpunk title Remember Me, had this to say in an interview with The Penny Arcade Report:
"We had some [prospective publishers] that said, 'Well, we don't want to publish it because that's not going to succeed. You can't have a female character in games. It has to be a male character, simple as that.'"
It's 2013, guys. This blows my mind that people still think that you need a white, male lead character in a game in order for it to succeed. Do they assume that every gamer is a white male?! I would love to see more experiences with female leads and more efforts with African-American, Hispanic, and, yes, even gay leads. If you keep making games with white males as main characters, how will the industry ever grow?


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Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc.
Original Volume No. 1
Contents / Previous / Next / Main Tariff Index
Effective Date: 03/01/2006, Docket: RP06-188-000, Status: Effective
First Revised Sheet No. 221 First Revised Sheet No. 221 : Effective
Superseding: Original Sheet No. 221
8. OPERATING CONDITIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICE (Cont'd)
8.6 Ancillary Arrangements
Shipper shall have sole responsibility for all arrangements
necessary for delivery of natural gas to Southern Star at the
receipt point(s), for all arrangements necessary for receipt of
natural gas from Southern Star at the delivery point(s), and for
all arrangements necessary to move Shipper's gas through any third
party's facilities, which arrangements otherwise meet the
provisions set forth in these General Terms and Conditions.
From time to time, Transporter may enter into service agreements
with other interstate and intrastate pipelines, local
distribution, and storage companies ("off-system services"). In
the event that Transporter acquires off-system services,
Transporter will use such for operational reasons or to render
service for its customers. In the event that Transporter utilizes
off-system service on behalf of its customers, it will only render
such service to customers pursuant to Transporter's FERC Gas
Tariff and subject to Transporter's approved rates, as such tariff
and rates may change from time to time. For purposes of
transactions entered into subject to this section, the "Shipper
must have title" requirement is waived.
8.7 Warranty
Shipper hereby warrants that the title to all gas delivered by
Shipper hereunder is free from all liens and adverse claims,
including liens to secure payment of production taxes, severance
taxes and other taxes and that the gas meets Section 3 quality
specifications. Shipper at all times shall have the obligation to
make settlements for all royalties due and payments to mineral and
royalty owners and to make settlements with all other persons
having any interest in the gas sold hereunder; and Shipper shall
indemnify Southern Star and save it harmless from all suits,
actions, debts, accounts, damages, costs, losses and expense
arising out of or from adverse claims of any and all persons to
said gas or to royalties, taxes, license fees, or charges thereon,
which are applicable thereto or which may be levied and assessed


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The global economy could be hurt if the withdrawal of funds from emerging markets picks up ahead of an expected reduction in the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus, a Bank of Japan board member said on Thursday.
Yoshihisa Morimoto also signalled that Japan's government needed to proceed with a planned two-stage hike in the sales tax as part of efforts to fix its tattered finances, or face a severe market backlash.
The former utility executive stuck to the BOJ's assessment that Japan's economy was headed for a moderate recovery, but noted headwinds such as geo-political risks in the Middle East and market volatility caused by expectations the Fed could start tapering its bond-buying programme as soon as next month.
"Market participants are withdrawing funds from emerging and resource-rich nations on expectations (of Fed's tapering) and may continue to do so," Morimoto said in a speech to business leaders in Morioka, northeastern Japan.
"The global economic recovery remains fragile, so there's huge uncertainty on how a sharp outflow of funds could affect financial markets and global growth," he said, in the starkest warning to date by a BOJ official on the potential risk for a bigger capital withdrawal from emerging economies.
The Indian rupee and Turkish lira have both hit record lows against the dollar, the Indonesian rupiah has fallen to four-year lows, and other currencies have fallen sharply as investor sentiment has soured on emerging markets.


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Glamour's 2013, Women of the Year, issue honors Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga has been honored as one of the 2013, Women of the Year, in the December issue of Glamour.music Updated: Oct 30, 2013 16:35 IST
Lady Gaga has been honored as one of the 2013, Women of the Year, in the December issue of Glamour.
The 27-year-old singer told guest interviewer Andy Cohen that she is confident with herself and added that's he didn't change when she became a star, the New York Daily News reported.
The, Poker Face, singer, who recently stripped naked on stage during a London performance, revealed that she doesn't consider herself conventionally beautiful. She admitted that she battled eating disorders since she was 15 years old and added that at the end of the day she is a tortured soul.
The, Bad Romance, singer she tries to convey the message that "you can become whoever you want to be, to escape your past" through everything that she does.
The December issue of the fashion magazine, featuring Gaga, hits newsstands nationwide in November.


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Walmart Coupon Match Ups – 9/1
Here are the Walmart Coupon Deals for this week!
New to Couponing? Make sure to check out the Beginners Guide to Using Coupons
New to Walmart? Make sure to check out the Walmart Deals page for coupon policy, How to Save at Walmart & more.
Click the link below to view the full list of deals for the week
View Full List of Deals: Walmart Coupon Match Ups – Week of 9/1
Image Credit: Walmart. Living Rich With Coupons is not affiliated with or sponsored by Walmart.


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Learn about this topic in these articles:
food deserts
...white versus predominantly black neighbourhoods. Other studies have revealed that some urban and rural food deserts have local food environments characterized by a relatively high number of convenience stores and few or no supermarkets. While convenience stores sell food products, they generally offer high-calorie foods that are low in vital nutrients at relatively high prices and do...
marketing and merchandising
Located primarily near residential areas, convenience stores are relatively small outlets that are open long hours and carry a limited line of high-turnover convenience products at high prices. Although many have added food services, consumers use them mainly for "fill-in" purchases, such as bread, milk, or miscellaneous goods.
...end of the 1900s. Today warehouse stores sell recognized brands at lower prices, often cutting costs by selling groceries directly out of the shipping cartons in a no-frills warehouselike setting. Convenience stores, often attached to a gasoline station, offer snack foods, dairy items, and notions. Wholesale club stores such as Costco or Sam's Club specialize in selling bulk quantities to club...


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SO in the end, the heroes of 1973 continue to hold a unique place in Sunderland's post-war history. There will be no statue of Gustavo Poyet outside the Stadium of Light, no Borini Bar or Larsson Lounge inside it. But what a way to miss out.
"Dare to dream" was the moniker that was attached to Sunderland's remarkable Capital One Cup run, and to their credit, each and every Black Cats player dared for as long as they could. In the stands behind them, more than 40,000 supporters shared their dreams and despair.
Those supporters will be experiencing a myriad of emotions this morning, but while there will inevitably be a tinge of disappointment and a wondering about what might have been, the overriding sentiment should be pride.
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Pride at the efforts of a group of players who gave their all, only to be undone by two moments of supreme class from Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri. Pride at a wonderful weekend that saw London become a red-and-white preserve, a Wearside enclave far away the banks of the Wear. And pride at following a football club that continues to bring meaning and identity to a community that has gone through more than its fair share of suffering in recent years.
For one glorious weekend, all of that was forgotten. For one glorious weekend, the only thing that mattered was being at Wembley, being part of something that will be remembered and spoken about for decades to come. The golden cup final weekend – even if the final result removed at least some of the shine.
For most fans, the weekend started early. Some caught an early-morning train to London on Saturday morning, others jumped in the car and headed down the M1 with their scarves trailing from the window to make their affiliations abundantly clear. Together, they helped form a Wearside diaspora that gradually turned the capital into a sea of red-and-white.
Players from the 1973 Sunderland team that beat Leeds United in the FA Cup, salute the crowd at Wembley yesterday
By 7pm on Saturday night, the size of the Sunderland support was becoming clear. Social media was engulfed with pictures of Covent Garden, bursting at the seams as fans congregated on the streets, singing their Sunderland songs and renewing acquaintances and relationships that are based on a mutual love of the Black Cats.
"I didn't know you were coming down," said one supporter outside the Coach and Horses pub on Wellington Street, bedecked in the most extravagant of red-and-white suits. "I thought your missus had booked for you to go away on holiday." "Aye, well she's gone."
It was that kind of weekend. You don't wait more than two decades to watch your side appear in a Wembley final and then miss it for something as trifling as a holiday with the rest of the family.
In truth, for many fans, you got the impression this was the family holiday, an opportunity to bring the wife and kids and say to them, 'Remember this, because it might not happen again'. Let's be honest, plenty had reconciled themselves to it never happening at all.
It felt incredibly special, not only because of the sense of rarity, although that perhaps explained why so few Manchester City supporters were in evidence prior to kick-off, but also because of the sense of community that following a club like Sunderland can engender.
Fans had come from all corners of the world to be at Wembley this weekend – families reunited after decades apart, friends getting back together to toast their shared histories and dream of further memories to come.
There was an all-encompassing sense of joy, borne at least in part from not having given up during those dark days of the Third Division or on that wretched night at Bury or Southend when defeat felt like one humiliation too many. Finally, this was an opportunity to sing and celebrate with thousands of like-minded souls while the rest of London looked on with mouths aghast.
"This certainly doesn't happen every year," said a policeman outside Covent Garden underground station. "Is there anyone left in Sunderland?" It seemed a pertinent question.
Jesus Navas, right, beats Fabio Borini to a header
And then, the night was over and the day itself had dawned. THE day. That magical day that your dad had told you would come when he first took you to Roker Park, but that you never really believed in. The day that happened to other clubs, but not to Sunderland.
The tube ride to Wembley felt more subdued than might have been expected. The effect of 30,000 hangovers? Possibly. But also a combination of nervousness, disbelief and childlike excitement.
"The next station is Wembley Park." Cue pandemonium. As the arch came into view, so the chanting and singing began. It didn't really dissipate until Vincent Kompany clambered up the steps to lift the cup.
As kick-off approached, so it became clear that the raft of supposedly "neutral" tickets had almost exclusively fallen into Sunderland hands. How many Wearsiders were inside Wembley? Much more than the advertised 31,000 certainly. As many as 40,000? Perhaps another 10,000 again.
They roared as John O'Shea led his players on to the field, and roared even louder when their side broke away from the pre-match formalities to get ready for kick-off.
"Just get through the first ten minutes", that was the priority. They did it. And then, they achieved so much more. Adam Johnson swept the ball to Fabio Borini, the Italian held off the attentions of Kompany, and with a swish of his right boot, the ball was in the bottom corner of the net.
For a split second, it felt like there was silence. Yet another instance of disbelief. Then, as reality set in, the noise was cacophonous and the joy unrestrained.
Sunderland were winning. At Wembley. In the cup final. Was the unthinkable going to unfold?
Manchester City's Vincent Kompany lifts the Capital One Cup after beating the Black Cats
It looked that way for the remainder of the first half as Sunderland displayed the kind of poise and assurance that was expected of their opponents while Manchester City were gripped by defensive uncertainty and hesitation in possession.
Lee Cattermole ran midfield, harrying here, there and everywhere. Johnson and Ki Sung-Yueng passed the ball around superbly. Borini created all sorts of problems in attack.
Towards the end of the first half, the Italian was clean through on goal, only for a last-ditch tackle from Kompany to rob him of the ball. It was a crucial moment to set alongside Clive Walker's penalty miss in 1985 and John Byrne's scuffed shot in '92. In years to come, we will watch it again and wonder.
At half-time, most Sunderland fans remained in their seats as if unable to move for fear of jinxing the second half. Heads were shaking, nerves were jangling even more uncontrollably.
And then, reality intervened. Cruel, hard-hearted reality in the form of remarkable first-time strikes from Toure and Nasri that ultimately settled the game.
Sunderland went chasing for an equaliser, but their best chance disappeared when Steven Fletcher failed to get his shot away in the final minute. City swept downfield, and Jesus Navas gave the scoreline a somewhat lop-sided feel by scoring a third.
Defeat, that regular North-Eastern bedfellow, had returned once more. Yet if anything, the noise from the Sunderland fans was at its loudest once the game was up.
No one moved when the final whistle blew, and very few fans had disappeared as O'Shea began the long, lonely walk up Wembley's steps to receive his loser's medal. There was polite applause from the Sunderland end as Kompany lifted the Capital One Cup above his head, but the loudest cheers were saved for the Black Cats players, who reciprocated with applause for the fans, and for Poyet, who held out his hands as if to say, "We gave it all we could".
A Sunderland fan sits in an empty Wembley stadium after watching his team lose
To a man, they did. Ultimately, it was insufficient, but while 2014 joins 1985 and 1992 on the list of near misses rather than 1973, which still stands alone on the calendar of Sunderland's post-war success, the long journey back to the North-East was surely made easier by the memories of a wonderful two days.
Dejected fans look on after seeing Manchester City take the lead
No trophy then, but a host of magical moments that will last a lifetime. Or at least until the next trip to Wembley, which if all goes to plan, could be within the next six weeks.


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Technologies, platforms and users' usage patterns continue to evolve. Yet through all the change email and its importance continues to remain a constant. The shear volume of email based communications necessitates access be available via multiple devices. In addition, up-time must be as close to 100% as possible. Going even just half a day without email is not an option.
We offer a complete range of email hosting plans designed to satisfy the requirements of any business—large or small. If you have any questions please use our 24 x 7 live chat, or contact us via email or phone. We welcome your inquiries and comments.


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Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream have released their Season 9 Look Book. The new Fall/Winter 2009 collections feature a number of new patterns and designs intermingled with a number of classic looks in an overall massive collection offering every type of garment imaginable. One of the stand out pieces in our opinion are the brown Red Wing-esque boots. In addition to the main line items, Nigo has created a special BBC sub-collection entitled Space Beach. The new collection will begin hitting retailers July 1st, 2009.
Check out some of our favorite looks after the jump and the head over the the BBCIceCream.com for the full experience. The flash presentation is a great touch.


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AN ex-Labour councillor has called for a full-scale inquiry into her allegations she was intimidated by a former colleague during last week's crucial budget vote in Glasgow.
Former party loyalist Anne Marie Millar last night told The Herald that despite repeated claims by Labour that the allegations would be fully investigated, no-one has been in contact four days after the incident.
She has claimed Labour's Gilbert Davidson threatened her disabled son's job at the council-owned quango City Building if she did not vote with the administration during last Thursday's unprecedented showdown at Glasgow City Chambers.
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Her call comes as it emerged several people within the group of disaffected former Labour councillors de-selected by the party last autumn are planning to start a rival party to field candidates in May's election.
The party, which if it materialises could split the Labour vote in some areas, is provisionally calling itself Glasgow Labour, with the plans spearheaded by Tommy Morrison.
However, Labour sources said "any attempt to mislead voters by using the Labour Party name and branding would be robustly challenged".
Mrs Millar, who announced her decision to quit Labour and stand as an independent 24-hours before the crunch budget, said: "As I have not had any contact to date from the Labour Party or Glasgow City Council regarding this matter I have sent an email to the Lord Provost Robert Winters, Gordon Matheson, the leader of the council, and chief executive George Black formally asking that a full investigation is carried out by the city council and Labour Party as I think that four days after the incident having happened someone officially should have been in contact."
Former Glasgow LibDem leader Dr Christopher Mason is understood to have begun moves to investigate the claims of strong-arm tactics at the scrutiny committee he runs.
Mr Matheson said it was "unforgivable" the Labour rebels who voted with the opposition had "put petty politics ahead of the good of Glasgow".
However, Mrs Millar said: "What is a disgrace and unforgivable is Gordon Matheson has failed to publicly address my claims of the pressure I was put under last week."
She also said that after Labour won the budget vote she shouted at Mr Davidson in the council chamber asking was her son's job safe." She added: "He responded by saying he hoped we wouldn't fall out."
A Labour spokesman said an investigation into Mrs Millar's allegations was already underway and the party would be in contact.
A senior Labour source said: "If Tommy Morrison thinks he's the new Keir Hardie, he's got another thing coming. These guys were deselected by their own party members, lost the vote on the budget, and are now away in a huff."
Meanwhile, the SNP yesterday, sought to exploit Labour's divisions further, pointing out Scottish leader Johann Lamont's constituency is "at the centre of Labour's meltdown". Four of six rebel councillors represent wards in Glasgow Pollok.
Humza Yousaf, Glasgow SNP MSP, said: "How can Johann Lamont hope to run the opposition when she can't even stop the civil war in her own constituency party?"
Mr Davidson was unavailable for comment.


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The Pilot, in full The Pilot: A Tale of the Sea, novel by James Fenimore Cooper, published in two volumes in 1823. The work, which was admired by Herman Melville and Joseph Conrad for its authentic portrayal of a seafaring life and takes place during the American Revolution, launched a whole genre of maritime fiction. It features a mysterious and almost superhuman American sea pilot (based on the American hero John Paul Jones) who fights battles off the coast of England against the British and American loyalists. One of the book's themes is the ambiguous nature of loyalty. Although often bogged down by complicated nautical terminology and intrusive philosophical dialogue, the novel is nevertheless noted for its spiritual and moral dimensions.
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text: ok I asked this question before but can't find the thread anylonger so here it goes again. I'm coming from a palm treo to the htc hero, and on the treo I had a program named pdareach that enabled me to have a image of my phone on my monitor, that I could control from my desktop. the main advantage was being able to text via my keyboard and not having to press the keys on the cell. Is there a software out there for the hero that is comparable? I've contacted junefabrics and they don't make pdareach for android phones. So am I the only lazy one out there? I don't mind paying for the app if it works, and preferably a program that works without rooting my phone, I'm still a novice here. thanks for the help.


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Blue Rivers Area Agency on Aging Transportation
Blue Rivers Transportation SystemContact: Larry Ossowski, Director
Blue Rivers Area Agency on Aging
Room 24, Courthouse
612 Grant Street
Beatrice, Nebraska 68310
Telephone: (402) 223-1352 or 1-800-659-3978;
Fax: (402) 228-3546
(Nebraska Association of Transportation Providers member)
Description of System: The Blue Rivers Transportation System operates in five counties of southeast Nebraska on a demand-response, portal-to-portal, 24-hour advance reservation basis. Vehicles are stationed in county seat communities and offer regular routed transportation services to all 61 communities within the area on a once or twice weekly basis. Irregular routes are scheduled into Hastings and Omaha, on an as-needed, once-a-week basis. The system contracts with private cab companies in Beatrice and Nebraska City for all off-hour or peak-time transportation service. Two Inter-City routes provide transportation to Lincoln three days per week.
Area contact persons, rate schedules, cost, number of vehicles, and phone numbers for each county follows:
Gage County
Ruth Bartholomew, (402) 223-1357, Beatrice
Lois Milburn, (402) 645-3525, Wymore (Southern Gage)
Jefferson County
Nancy Schwisow, (402) 729-6475, Fairbury
Nemaha County
Kathy Oestmann, (402) 274-5365, Auburn
Otoe County
Bonnie Post, (402) 269-2957, Syracuse
Catherine Balfour, (402) 873-3005, Nebraska City
Thayer County
Sandy Mertens, (402) 768-6052, Hebron


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9 September 2009
Saturn's moon Titan has a foggy bottom
FOG has been spotted on Titan, the first evidence that the Earth isn't the only body in the solar system to have a hydrological cycle. Yet Titan's cycle is based on methane.
Saturn's moon Titan is known to have lakes, clouds and river beds, hinting that surface liquid evaporates and returns as rain. But proof is lacking: the lakes might not evaporate, the clouds might not rain, and the river beds might be relics from a wetter past.
Now Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and his team have used NASA's Cassini spacecraft to view methane fog at Titan's south pole. The only explanation is evaporated surface methane condensing into humid air, say the team (www.arxiv.org/abs/0908.4087).


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The original top case is too small for many people.
The base for the large Krauser and Hepco & Becker top cases are these solid carriers that are reduce to the bare essentials. Up to 50 litre top cases (for 2 helmets!) can be accommodated and firmly attached.
The carrier is simply mounted in place of, or on top of the original carrier plate.


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Phil Knight Discusses State Of College Basketball Coppolella Banned As Part Of Braves' Penalties Jones Won't Sue NFL Owners Over Goodell Dish/CBS Dispute Likely To Affect Thanksgiving NFL MillerCoors, NASCAR Yet To Reach Extension Ruppe Is UA's Latest Exec Departure Sellout Crowd Turns Out For Crew Playoffs FC Cincinnati Owners Sign Option To Buy Stadium Site Duracell, SoFi Buying Six-Second Ads On Fox NBC's Preschlack Says Chicago Cuts Part Of Evolution
SBD/September 6, 2012/Leagues and Governing BodiesPrint All
NHL Training Camps Unlikely To Start On Time, But Still Too Early To Panic About A Lockout?
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly yesterday said while he remains "hopeful" the league and NHLPA can resume talks for a new CBA, it is "increasingly unlikely" that training camps will open on time later this month. The NHL CBA expires on Sept. 15 and training camps are scheduled to open Sept. 21. Daly said, "It appears that based on the response we got from the Union last Friday, our talks have stalled, at least temporarily. While we certainly remain hopeful they will resume shortly, it is obviously becoming increasingly unlikely that NHL Training Camps will start on time." The NHL and the NHLPA have not met since Friday, when the league ended the meeting after the union made a proposal the league found to be unacceptable. NHLPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr said, "We haven't had any discussions since the owners broke it off last week. Hopefully there will be some people talking in the next day or two to figure out what we do next and if they want to continue discussions. There have been no meetings and at the moment none are scheduled. Hopefully they will be" (Liz Mullen, SportsBusiness Journal). Daly said, "Maybe we're at a point where we need to find a way to move the ball forward. We're very close to Sept. 15, which we consider a very meaningful day. We hope it's as meaningful to the players' association. I don't know that it is." Fehr said, "The notion that players would not take Sept. 15 as a credible date upon which owners might choose to institute a lockout is just not credible" (LATIMES,com, 9/5).
EARLY EFFECTS FELT: Daly said economic discussions will continue when "one side or the other has a brilliant idea for moving this forward." In Minneapolis, Michael Russo notes more than "200 players arrive in New York next week for two days of meetings" with Fehr. Also, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman today will hold a Board of Governors meeting in N.Y. and it has "been reported that Bettman would seek approval there to lock out the players if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't in place by midnight Sept. 15." But Daly said that Bettman "already has that approval." Daly added that the mere possibility of a lockout is "affecting team's abilities to do business." Russo notes the damage to the business "already has begun -- prospects tournaments were canceled, the NHL didn't schedule season-opening games in Europe and, Wednesday, scrapped its player media tour" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/6).
NOT TIME TO PANIC: The GLOBE & MAIL's Eric Duhatschek writes the negotiations are "still in the early stages, which are all about posturing, patience and the ability to wait out your opponent." When there are "stubborn, experienced, hard-headed negotiators" such as Bettman and Fehr "locking horns, it is hard to see either side making any meaningful concessions any time soon." Leverage will "shift on or about Oct. 11, when the regular season would start, and players start earning their salaries." At that point, the players "will have something tangible to lose." Every pay period "that passes with no games played is money lost forever." Moreover, a "percentage of owners in non-traditional markets care far less about their home dates in October and November than they do later in the season because they're frequently playing second fiddle to other sports" (GLOBE & MAIL, 9/6). ESPN.com's John Buccigross wrote it is "too early for 'save hockey' videos and impassioned 'save hockey' columns." The situation "will not get serious until later this month or early October." If "nothing is done then, the owners will chill for a month while the NFL and college football is revving up." The "over/under on a lockout length is six weeks." A source said that it "will go until December." Buccigross: "Others have told me November" (ESPN.com, 9/5). San Jose Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami said if a work stoppage is concluded by January 1, "they'll survive it." Kawakami: "People don't care about these games that early, and even the hockey fanatics are going to be okay, they'll live with it if they get the season going." Kawakami: "If they cancel the season ... forget about it. I don't think either side is that crazy" ("Chronicle Live," Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 9/5).
PLAYER REAX: Maple Leafs D Mike Komisarek said that there already has "been talk about where players might go this time around." The NATIONAL POST's Michael Traikos notes Europe "is an option," and the NHLPA "has 'some things planned,' in regards to exhibition games." Komisarek said, "The PA sees the lockout as a last resort. That's not our first bargaining chip or tool. No one wants to play hockey more than the players or the fans. This is our livelihood." He added, "When all that gets taken away from you and the first word you hear is lockout, it's definitely disappointing. I don't think frustration is the right word. Guys are hopeful" (NATIONAL POST, 9/6). Flames C and player rep Matt Stajan said, "Being pretty involved -- I know what's going on -- this is basically what we expected as players." In Calgary, Scott Cruickshank notes Stajan "referred to the league's original offer as 'laughable.'" Of the second proposal, Stajan said, "Not much of a difference. If you take a close look at what's really going on, I think it's pretty obvious that we're really trying to work out a fair deal" (CALGARY HERALD, 9/6). Lightning D Marc-Andre Bergeron said, "We gave them what they wanted, and all of a sudden it's not good enough. We're not the only one who should make sacrifices. It seems like we're too good of guys. They try to take advantage of us because they know what we gave the last time, I guess" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 9/6). Canucks C and player rep Manny Malhotra said, "I don't think that all 30 owners are at anywhere near the same level of agreement with what's going on. But the individual owners aren't allowed to say what they think about what's being set out by the league, and many of them have very different views than what's being said" (Vancouver PROVINCE, 9/6).
Outgoing Deutsche Bank CEO Seen As Possible Successor To PGA Tour's Finchem
Retiring Deutsche Bank Americas CEO Seth Waugh "could ultimately replace Tim Finchem as PGA Tour commissioner," according to Tim Rosaforte of GOLF WORLD. Waugh has been the "face of the Deutsche Bank Championship" for the past 10 years, and he has a unique relationship with Finchem "in that Waugh has a way of playfully teasing Finchem in public and getting a smile out of the commissioner." There is "no timetable" for potentially replacing Finchem, and Waugh "will not discuss it at length, both out of respect for Finchem and his decision to focus the next few years" on his son Clancy, who is entering his senior year of high school. However, the timing "could be perfect." Finchem's contract expires in '16, which means "should Waugh be considered for, and want the job, at age 58 he'd be ready for the challenge." Waugh said, "The commissioner thing is an uncomfortable thing to bring up. Tim likes his job, right? Lots of folks have asked me about it, a lot of people behind the scenes are talking about it. Let's see how it all plays out" (GOLF WORLD, 9/10 issue).
American Basketball League Set To Launch In '13; Will Play Under FIBA Rules
The American Basketball League will begin its inaugural season in January '13, fielding a 12-team league. Initial ABL markets include Miami, San Antonio, San Marcos, Sugarland, College Station, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Sebring and Corpus Christi. Future expansion is scheduled for California and New York. Music industry exec Steve Rifkind has partnered with ABL Founder & CEO Steve Haney and will lead the league's branding and promotion efforts. Rifkind currently serves as Street Records Corp. CEO, and previously was the founder of Loud Records. Haney previously served as a basketball agent, with clients including Basketball HOFers Magic Johnson and Dominique Wilkins. Haney and Rifkind have launched an apparel division to be headed up by long-time Haney associate Dave Klink (ABL). CBSSPORTS.com's Ben Golliver noted former NBAer Kenny Anderson is "also on board as the ABL's Director of Player Development." The ABL's goals "seem fairly modest, the regional plan makes sense from the standpoint of limiting unnecessary costs, and basketball, as a global sport, benefits from any new successful league, whether in the United States or abroad." However, there are "obvious challenges there that could prove difficult to overcome in the long haul" (CBSSPORTS.com, 9/4). Haney said that "what makes the ABL unique" is that the league "will play under FIBA rules for the purpose of preparing newly graduated American players to pursue careers overseas, primarily in Europe." He also said that the ABL "has received 'tremendous' interest from foreign teams about serving as a farm league for their young prospects who can't get playing time at home, similar to the loan system in professional soccer." In San Antonio, Dan McCarney noted the league also hired Tony Parker Sr., the father of Spurs G Tony Parker, as Exec VP (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 9/5).


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WASHINGTON, May 22 (UPI) -- The House committee for Science, Space, and Technology has held more hearings on finding extraterrestrial life than the repercussions of climate change.
Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the committee is a known climate change skeptic. In the 113th Congress, Smith has held 15 hearings with three on the subject of finding evidence of extraterrestrial life and two on the repercussions of climate change.
Smith is not the only one at fault. During this Congress, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has held only one hearing on climate change, and the House Natural Resources Committee has not yet addressed the issue in this Congress.
There are several climate change skeptics and deniers on the science committee. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc., has called evidence on climate change an "international scientific fraud."
The Senate side, though not as rife with climate change skeptics, has not done much more.
The Senate Commerce Science and Space Subcommittee has only held one hearing on climate change. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee addressed it last in 2012. Leading the pack, he Environment and Public Works Committee has held three hearings in the 113th Congress.


text: Search Results Studies Variables Publications (1) Your query returned 1 citations. Sort by: Pub Date (newest) Title Recent Additions Author Clear All Pub. Year Citation 1. 1996 Moy, E., Bartman, B.A. . Race and hospital discharge against medical advice. Journal of the National Medical Association. 88, (10), 658-660. Full Text Options: Worldcat Google Scholar Export Options: RIS EndNote XML Results 1 - 1


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We all love stories about people pursuing their passion and making it big. In business, in professional sports, and in entertainment, we are fascinated to hear about how ordinary people took a chance, got an amazing opportunity, or had their talent recognized by an expert. American Idol is one of the most popular shows on TV, and now the U.S. is borrowing another music idea from the U.K. – Urban Collective, the youth project for the music industry. It is part community-based project, part reality TV concept, and part dream come true.
Started in 2004 by Harry Leckstein, founder of Freeport Entertainment, Urban Collective is aimed at giving primarily at-risk adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15-25 the chance at a short, intensive, practical education in the music industry. The project is hosted in several different communities around the U.K. so as many kids as possible have the chance to participate.
Before each session begins, flyers posted around the neighborhood invite anyone playing, producing, or making music of any kind to audition. Over the course of three or four days, around 200 people compete for 30 spots. Then begins a week of intensive training in all parts of the music business by industry professionals. Next, the program moves into the studio to record original music, followed by live performances, and a collective CD for sale after a national PR campaign.
Through a shared love for music, participants form friendships and partnerships that last far longer than the eight-week collective. Urban Collective reports that participants display an increase in self esteem, a decrease of dependence on drugs and alcohol, and manage to create a bridge over the barriers of territoriality and gang bonds. Since its start, more than 500 young artists have worked together to produce several commercial albums, an acclaimed feature film, several documentaries, music videos, live shows and music industry showcases.
In 2011, Urban Collective is coming to America. And, of course, the plans for it are bigger, flashier, and have a broader reach. By 2015, American Urban Collective plans to be in 15 cities, having auditioned more than 30,000 aspiring artists, selecting 3,000 to participate, and ultimately placing 500 of the most talented into the music mainstream. A state-of-the-art recording studio will be built in each city to create a sustainable program that endures through each collective in the future, and maintains a mentoring base and job network to support graduates as they apply their new skills.
Although the U.S. version has glued on the glitter, added sparkle and over-the-top platform shoes, I hope Urban Collective isn't twisted into such a commercial venture that the original idea gets lost in reality-TV mania. It would be a shame if the purity of a musical dream was sacrificed for the sensationalism of seeing young people fail (like the early, cringeworthy episodes of each American Idol season when the panel delights in humiliating contestants who don't make the cut), and a desire to pursue a dream was twisted into the worst aspects of human nature where back-stabbing passes for competitiveness, and poor behavior is rewarded with more camera time.
Hopefully, Urban Collective will stay true to its community-program roots. We can only wait and see. Currently, the American Urban Collective is running a fundraising campaign on KickStarter, and calling for partners and investors.


text: The At Death Do We Part! wiki last edited by pikahyper on 05/11/13 08:15PM View full history Loki doing a torture of Wrecker for catch his stolen power.He see in dream his life when he was a child.His father was a builder and when go home doing punch of Wrecker. Echantrees and Ulik the rock troll catch Kevin the son of Eric Masterson. Eric became Thor and help is son in a battle versus Ulik and Loki.When Ulik lose in a batle Loki catch thepwer of Wrecker and teltrasporte them in a ultr dimensional parlel.Thor can put Kevin but Loki continue to combat. After that capitan Shelly Conklin report at Code:Blue to start the mission. But they have a problem because some statues start to life.In this moment Mephisto is happy because he still to catch soul of Thor with shroud .Return to Code:Blue Lt. Stone order Fireworks to destroy the lift.After Rigger Ruiz uses some gadgets. Then Jock Jackson run to catch Kevin for reporting at secure.In a fantastic battle Thor can't kill Loki because isn't justice.But Loki uses his special his magic power for kill an ordinary woman.Thor is bilned by his hunngry and uses Minojir to doing the power of Asgard and kille Loki.But after Oadin get up and ordinary a grave punishment.And after when Eric Masterson begin Thor understand he have got a great change.


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Separation of Ownership from Control and Acquiring Firm Performance: The Case of Family Ownership in Canada
This study investigates the relationship between ownership structure and acquiring firm performance. A large proportion of Canadian public companies have controlling shareholders (families) that often exercise control over voting rights while holding a small fraction of the cash flow rights. This is achieved through the concurrent use of dual class voting shares and stock pyramids. Many suggest that these ownership structures involve larger agency costs than those imposed by dispersed ownership structures and that they distort corporate decisions with respect to investment choices such as acquisitions. We find that average acquiring firm announcement period abnormal returns for our sample of 327 Canadian transactions are positive over the 1998-2002 period. Cash deals, acquisitions of unlisted targets and cross-border deals have a positive impact on value creation. Governance mechanisms (outside block-holders, unrelated directors and small board size) also have a positive influence on the acquiring firm performance. Further, the positive abnormal returns are greater for family firms. We do not find that separation of ownership and control has a negative impact on performance. These results suggest that, contrary to other jurisdictions offering poor minority shareholder protection or poor corporate governance, separation of control and ownership is not viewed as leading to value destroying mergers and acquisitions, i.e., market participants do not perceive families as using M&A to obtain private benefits at the expense of minority shareholders. We do find a non-monotonic relationship between ownership level and acquiring firm abnormal returns. Ownership of a majority of the cash flow rights has a negative impact on announcement returns. This is consistent with the view that large shareholders may undertake less risky projects as their wealth invested in the firm increases. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 2006.
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Volume (Year): 33 (2006-04)
Issue (Month): 3-4 ()
Pages: 517-543
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Texas Football magazine is as unique as they come
When Waco Tribune- Herald sports editor Dave Campbell began his little football preview magazine 50 years ago, he could have hardly imagined that, 1) it would last this long and 2) that it would transform into an entity within itself.
The 50th addition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football dropped last Monday and for a lot of people (football nuts) that signals the start of football season, despite the fact that kickoff is 75 days away.
Therein, lies my problem with all football magazines. By the time football season actually starts in the first week of September, the information in the tabloid is five months old. That's almost half a year.
You could have fired and hired a new head coach and gone through four starting quarterbacks by that time.
(Warning: shameless plug coming.) When The Reporter's Gridiron comes out in the last week of August, it will have the most up-to-date information possible.
Texas Football begins sending out questionnaires and composing team capsules in March. I know this because I used to be one of the capsule authors, contributing editors and features writers—until TF hired a data processing firm to take the place of the writers they hired to do it and took all the personality out of it.
Also, Houston Chronicle staffer David Barron, who ran the magazine for years, was given a lesser hand in the production of the magazine, so we all lost a sympathetic ear.
Campbell, who is now 84, of course, no longer edits or evens owns Texas Football, but is still associated with it on a public relations level.
I am proud to be included in the group of great unwashed that have contributed to the magazine over the past halfcentury, going way back to 1982 when I subbed for the legendary George Breazeale in my rookie year.
Most writers romanticize Friday night football, so it was a privilege to be asked to contribute to the football bible.
The first edition of Texas Football was compiled by four writers, Campbell and his three-man staff at the Tribune- Herald.
By my count, there are at least 50 writers who contributed to the 2009 edition. That does not include executive staff, graphic design staff, marketing and advertising.
That first year, Campbell lost $5,000. It cost $1.
The publishers print 20,000 copies of the magazine annually, which is tiny compared to most tabloids you will find on your news rack and at $10 bucks a pop, you can figure out the profit margin even without the massive advertising inside the magazine.
There is also a 50th anniversary commemorative edition scheduled for publication in the fall of 2009 and it will list all the contributors over the years.
Above all, Dave Campbell was one of us—a sportswriter— and we all pulled for him. Still do. Congrats, Dave.
The 5ive
Here is a list of the five worst football movies of all time:
1. The Replacements (2000)— Keanu Reeves as a professional quarterback?
2. The Longest Yard (2005)— Adam Sandler as a professional quarterback?
4 . Nece ssar y Roughne ss (1991)—Kathy Ireland is the team's kicker?
5. The Waterboy (1998)— Again, Adam Sandler???


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Source: Blossom cookies by Emilie Guelpa for Decor8. All other photographs by me.
Every time I walk out of my house, I see the trees beautifully dressed with thousands of tiny pink flowers, and my heart skips a beat. Every time. No matter how often I see them, I can't get over so much beauty. I just tend to take my surroundings for granted a bit…but then spring comes and I'm reminded that beauty really is everywhere. We just need to look up, and breathe it all in.
1. Felt flower brooch by Roltinica | 2. Tea cups print poster by Amanda Catherine Designs | 3. Set of two wooden mini-bowls by Wind and Willow Home. | 4. Cherry blossom shoe clips by Mignonne Handmade | 5. Rose ring by Katia V | 6. Rosecut Umba Sapphire & Rosecut Diamonds Rose ring by Vena Amoris | 7. Clay soap set by Herbivore Botanicals.
Such a lovely blossom-inspired blog post Audrey! Thank you for introducing me to Roltinica's gorgeous felt flower brooches….
So beautiful and so, so true!
Wow! I'm here! I'm happy!
Audrey! Thank you so much!
thank you so much for including my ring!this is so so lovely!And you blog is so cute!thanks
Lovely collection. I just looked, and I took over 500 pictures of my plum blossoms this spring. Is that too many??
Wow!! So pretty!!
And what a lovely blog you have! So glad to find it!
Have a nice new week


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Enough Love to Go Around
I think the most unique thing about preparing for a baby the second time around was how concerned I was about how the transition would affect my first baby. My first baby seems like such a big boy most of the time. He's running, jumping, climbing and talking a mile a minute. Other times though, I catch a glimpse of how much he's still just a baby himself – when he gets hurt and wants me to kiss and make it better or wakes up in the middle of the night and needs to be rocked back to sleep. He's lived the entirety of his (admittedly short) life as the center of my attention – how would he adjust? Honestly, though, I was a little concerned about how I'd do with the transition, too.
I love this little kid so much I feel like I'm going to explode sometimes – could I really love a second child this much? I know, I know – everyone says that the love just grows. Part of me didn't quite believe it. It seemed like something parents had to say. I wanted to clarify, "No, I don't think you understand…I REALLY love him. Like A LOT." Of course, I know I'm not unique in loving my child – but it's hard to wrap your mind around every parent loving their child that much. That's a lot of love in this world. It's really quite beautiful to think about.
And (spoiler alert for you mamas with only one child) it turns out it's totally true. The love does grow. It doesn't just grow – it explodes. There is absolutely no shortage of love. I won't lie – it's hard to juggle attention, time, and meeting everyone's needs – but the love? The love is overwhelming and makes all the challenging stuff worth it.
Were you surprised by the intensity of the love for you child?
Loved one immensely and two just as much. They are both special and unique in their own ways.
I was surprised that I had enough love for 2 without needing to really adjust the amounts lol.
I was and I wasn't surprised. I knew there would be a great love there but the intensity was overhelming. I never knew love could be that strong.
Quoting amonkeymom:
You're right, it does grow. Amazingly so! It's like, become a mom and your heart grows 4 sizes (like the Grinch, lol).
Join us in the North Carolina Moms group!


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8 Indispensable Kitchen Tools from Pro Chefs
Tom Douglas: Ozeri 12" Green Earth Wok
Tom Douglas, Dahlia Lounge (Seattle)
Douglas uses this durable, nonstick, ceramic-coated wok. It's maintenance-free, and "the heavy ceramic bottom retains heat better," he says.
Try this: A stir-fry, of course, with a relish of serrano chilies, black beans, garlic, and ginger. [$50; ozeri.de]


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Ritual circumcision: religious rights of parents are at odds with the best interests of the child
Posted: Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:16 by Dr Antony Lempert
By Dr Antony Lempert, Secular Medical Forum
On 26th June a district court in Cologne made a landmark ruling that parents do not have the right to circumcise their children without a medical reason.
The case centred on a 4 year old boy who was circumcised by a doctor at the request of his Muslim parents in 2010. Two days later the boy suffered bleeding complications from which he later made a full recovery. Charges of grievous bodily harm were brought against the doctor. Although the doctor was acquitted because the law had not been sufficiently clear at the time, the court ruled that it would now be unlawful for circumcision to be performed on a child without a medical reason. Circumcisions for medical reasons or on consenting adults are not affected by this ruling.
Parental consent to religious circumcision was judged to be in conflict with the best interests of the child. The court ruled that the "fundamental right of the child to physical integrity and self-determination outweighed the fundamental rights of the parents", stating that there was an inherent constitutional limit to the religious rights of the parents. The child was too young to give consent and the parents did not have the right to consent on his behalf to a procedure that would lead to his body being 'permanently and irreparably changed' and that could affect his own religious interests later.
Considerations of 'social adequacy' or necessity for him to be a part of his culture were judged inadequate to justify a breach of Germany's basic law – similar to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
In the same week, significant new evidence emerged in the UK of the serious complication rate from ritual circumcision. It is already well known that circumcision removes one of the most sensitive parts of the penis, affects sexual function for life and will often cause additional side effects such as bleeding, infection, urinary difficulties, and psychosexual difficulties.
As a result of a freedom of information request, it was found that, in one hospital alone in 2011, 11 baby boys needed to beadmitted to the hospital's paediatric intensive care unit with serious, life-threatening complications following circumcision. In this age group there is rarely a medical reason for circumcision so it is likely that all of these babies' lives were threatened by an operation on their normal bodies that they did not need.
In February 2012, a baby boy died in North London as a direct result of bleeding complications two days after a ritual circumcision. In this case the coroner ruled that it was a tragic, 'unforeseen' accident and that the rabbi who performed the circumcision was not to blame.
Religious justifications for ritual circumcision rest on the bankrupt premise that all baby boys born to Jews and Muslims will themselves identify with those religions and that they would want this to have been done to them in childhood. Further, the harms caused by this operation are frequently denied or diminished. Those men who dare to speak out are often humiliated and dismissed or ridiculed for daring to compare the assault on their normal genitals with the suffering of girls and women even though there is a wide spectrum of harm in both girls and boys when their genitals are cut for no therapeutic reason and the ethical principle is identical.
Circumcision apologists and advocates will often say that they have never heard any men complain so they don't believe there can be a problem. There is a problem, and it's time we addressed it.
The German court ruling decision was discussed on BBC One's Sunday Morning Live show with Samira Ahmed. Dr Antony Lempert appeared on the programme which is available to view until 10am Sunday morning. Here is a link to the show (30 minutes in).
Visit the Secular Medical Forum website


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Seismic Change At The Gap?
It's a tough call for an analyst in an awkward spot. Margaret Mager of Goldman Sachs (GS ) is probably not too comfortable with her "sell" recommendation on Gap (GPS ). The specialty apparel retailer recently hired Goldman to explore strategic alternatives, since sales continue to deteriorate. The stock is down from 21 on Oct. 22 to 19.38 on Jan. 24. Mager stands firm on her sell. In a report, Mager says Gap "can't realistically explore strategic options until its business is performing better." Paul Pressler's resignation as CEO on Jan. 22, she says, was no surprise, but "it is a necessary change." Mager adds that her reservations "remain numerous" and "will challenge any CEO or new management team." But Michelle Clark of Morgan Stanley (MS ), which owns shares and has done banking for Gap, rates it "overweight" in anticipation that some "value-creating change initiative is near." One possibility: a leveraged buyout, or a spin-off of one of its units--probably Banana Republic. She values Gap at 23-25 in an LBO. She says Chairman Robert Fisher's family, which owns 37%, could lead an LBO with private equity groups. Dana Cohen of Bank of America, who also rates Gap a buy, values the stock at 25, assuming an 80% probability of a turnaround.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, neither the sources cited in Inside Wall Street nor their firms hold positions in the stocks under discussion. Similarly, they have no investment banking or other financial relationships with them.
By Gene G. Marcial