text:
Bazaar headed to the Roberto Cavalli boutique on Sloane Street last night to catch a glimpse of Elisa Sednaoui, the face of the Italian design house's new fragrance.
Sashaying around the press-packed venue in a tiger print jumpsuit, the woman who can call herself Christian Louboutin's god-daughter and Karl Lagerfeld's muse sat down with Bazaar for a quick-fire round of questions. Here's what she had to say:
Who's your all-time female icon? Lauren Becall because she represents class, wit, smartness and humour.
What makes you laugh? Life! One has to find things to laugh at, though my girlfriends and my mother make me laugh the most.
What advice would you hand down to your daughter? Don't let others tell you who you are.
Finish this sentence: "You know you have been at a good party when…" you've danced until 4am because the music was so good and you couldn't stop.
What song sums up your life? A Lovely Day by Bill Withers
Who would you have sung a duet with? Bob Marley
If you weren't a model/actress/photographer, what would you be? I am finishing making a documentary about Egypt, but I think I would have liked to have been a diplomat.
Who would play you in a movie of your life? Other the myself?! Rachel Weiss.
What's the definition of glamour? Glamour is being confident in what you wear and having fun in what you're doing. When you are not comfortable is shows, you shouldn't be a slave to your clothes, your clothes should serve you.
What three items should every woman have in her beauty kit? Doux Me Moisturiser, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Protectant and dark brown kohl.
Finally, what do you look for in a scent? A scent has to be something I can wear anytime, anywhere - that's why I love this new fragrance. Smell is so important in remembering people, so I am looking for something sensual and confident. The Cavalli women enjoys life; if you don't enjoy the ride, there is no point.
As our time with the Victoria's Secret comes to an end, and our conversation derails, the glamazon model, who is chatty, charismatic and kind, reveals that her favourite smells are Italian bakeries when the first croissants of the day come out the oven and her trademark look is seventies-glam, "I am a fanatic!" She then showcases some Saturday Night Fever-esque moves and air-kisses us goodbye like we were regulars at Studio 54.
Roberto Cavalli Perfume available exclusively at Harrods from 12 February 2012, then nationwide fro 7 March 2012.
Image: Elisa on-set at Cavalli scent campaign shoot
Isla Cunningham
Next: Stila's lip gloss wonder returns to London
Click here for more Beauty news


text: My name is David, and I'm located in S. Indiana, Mitchell to be exact. I've been mowing for about 5 years now. Being 16 when I started all I had was a little lawn boy and my dad's sears special weed eater. I started with just mowing the neighbors yard and my grandparents. All in all I think it was about 2-3 yards. The next year I teamed up with my cousins, we had a craftsman rider, 2 lawn boys, and some trimmer. All of this was being pulled by a 77 chevy pickup. We eventually grew and the last year we were up to 30 accounts, and mowing 2 days a week. We had an older grasshopper with 48 inch cut, a 33 inch Troy Bilt wide cut, a misc. push mower, trimmer, blower, etc... Well this year rolls around and I was ready to mow, one cousin got an internship with one of the local judges, the other only wanted to do about 10 yards or so. So, right now I have about 20 accounts and I'm cuttin still with the 33 inch troy bilt, but I bought a brand new red max blower and trimmer this year, and I'm in the final process of getting loan so I can add a 48 inch scag wb to the fleet. Still I'm haulin with that 77 chevy pick up. So, that's my story. Anyone in the Southern Indiana region, step forward and id yourself!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
For an FC Dallas team that has had as much success as they have had in the past two years, collecting three points at Gillette Stadium remains a daunting task.
FC Dallas lost 2-0 to the New England Revolution on Saturday night, extending their winless streak in Massachusetts to eight games dating back to 2003.
Head coach Schellas Hyndman credited the Revolution for bouncing back after squandering a three-goal lead against the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night.
"I think it was a well-earned win by the Revolution," Hyndman told reporters. "After the game against Philadelphia, where they scored four goals in the first half and then get it tied, I think there was a lot of soul searching and I think Steve [Nicol, Revs head coach] did a good job of getting the boys focused and bringing something out tonight."
Despite giving New England props for doing their job right, it doesn't mean FCD weren't upset with the result. With Real Salt Lake's win earlier in the day over the Seattle Sounders, FC Dallas' grip on the last automatic playoff berth in the Western Conference loosened slightly, with RSL only one point back of the third position.
"Obviously we are upset at the fact," said FCD goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. "We have high expectations of ourselves and to come in and to play against New England. Unfortunately, they were able to put one away early, and as we continued to push, they were able to pick up the second one on a corner kick, which frustrates us even more. We don't want to be giving up set-piece goals.
"[The loss is] something we are going to have to come back from as quickly as possible," he added. "We've had as big of a break as we've had in a really long time in the past week-and-a-half and it's something we are going to work our way back into it."
FC Dallas were without winger Marvin Chávez (ankle injury) and center back Ugo Ihemelu (yellow-card accumulation), and a fatigued Brek Shea was pulled at halftime.
"I probably shouldn't have had [Shea] out there," said Hyndman. "He was very tired and it showed. But the type of player he is, he wants to always contribute."
Added Shea, "I was trying to help the attack and help the team and try and get crosses in, shots off — just trying to get an assist or a goal. Obviously, it didn't happen. I'm a little banged up from the past couple of games. I'm dealing with a groin issue; it kind of bothered me tonight, so that was part of it."
Hartman didn't see any poor defensive structure from interim center back Andrew Jacobson, but noted the importance of Ihemelu to central defense partner George John.
"You're going to miss a guy like Ugo who has been with us for a numbers of years and certainly has quite a relationship with George John," said Hartman.
The loss to the Revs comes only days after the tragic death of FC Dallas legend Bobby Rhine. Team captain Daniel Hernandez honored the former player by writing Rhine's No. 19 and initials on the captain's armband.
With the remainder of the season dedicated to Rhine, Hartman & Co. felt an uneasiness leaving New England with no points to show for.
"It's emotional," he said. "You want to win games and dedicate it to Bobby, but when you're not able to do it because you're not good enough as a soccer team, it makes you feel like you've hurt somebody even though you haven't."


text:
Image copyright:
Please sign in to comment. Don't have a profile? Join now! Joining is absolutely free and no personal information is required.
Thankyou , so pleased you like it.
WOW!! Amazing colours and iridescence! Thanks Barbara. :)))
BarbaraL - this was exquisite, love the design and the colors.
That was a beautiful challenge!! (6:14)!! Loved it!! :)


text:
WebSphere CloudBurst in IBM Test Organizations (0 messages)
IBM has put their WebSphere CloudBurst Appliance to use internally to build private clouds used to setup test environments. I recently caught up with Robbie Minshall, IBM WebSphere Test Architect to discuss how his team went down the path of setting up a test cloud with WebSphere CloudBurst. You can read the full text of the interview here. Robbie leads a team of testers that harness a lab with thousands of physical machines to perform some constant and iterative testing of the WebSphere Application Server. According to Robbie, managing such an environment was quite complicated, and they began looking to WebSphere CloudBurst to improve efficiency: "Basically we felt that WebSphere CloudBurst would improve the availability of application environments, enhance automation, and improve hardware utilization all with very low physical and administrative costs." Robbie and team began the journey of setting up an internal cloud of WebSphere Application Server environments, but encountered a problem familiar to many in today's economic climate: "One of our challenges seems like it would be common to many scenarios, especially in today's world. Our budget for new hardware to build out our cloud infrastructure was initially very limited. Most cloud infrastructure designs depict very ideal hardware scenarios including SANs, large multicore machines, and private and public networks within a dedicated lab. Quite frankly we did not have the budget to create this from scratch." However, after implementing WebSphere CloudBurst and measuring value, they proved their cloud warranted more financial investment: "The performance of application environments dispensed by WebSphere CloudBurst on many small existing boxes in comparison to large multicore machines with a SAN was very comparable. This allows us to leverage existing hardware, with minimal investment all the while demonstrating the value and efficiencies of cloud computing. That data in turn has allowed us to obtain new dedicated hardware to iteratively build up a larger lab specifically for use with WebSphere CloudBurst." Like any organization working to implement a private cloud, Robbie and team encountered challenges and have hints and tips to offer for those choosing WebSphere CloudBurst as a private cloud solution. He also gives a look at what his team is looking at next for their private test cloud. You can read the full text of the interview here. WebSphere CloudBurst is an appliance offering from IBM that allows users to create, deploy, and manage virtualized WebSphere Application Server environments in a private cloud. To learn more about the offering you can visit the home page or read this introductory article.
- Posted by: Dustin Amrhein
- Posted on: September 24 2009 09:21 EDT


text:
Looking Out through the Rain Smeared Window sensing the Chill-wave I Thought It was a Day for Hunkering Down and Keeping Cozy....My Today's recipe Perfectly Accords with the Weather.....
pepper Rasam
Pepper Rassam is one of My Mom's Signature Recipes which has always Swayed Me to Attempt this Spicy-Tangy Rassam again and again...
1)1 small cup Green Gram dal
2)1 Tomato cut into small pieces
3)2 tsp Ghee or Vegetable oil
4)salt as per the taste
5)1 tsp Turmeric/Haldi powder
6)1 tsp Ginger Chopped
7)Few Curry Leaves
8)Few Garlic pods(optional) Grated
9)1 Lemon
Rassam Powder Ingredients:
1)3 Tbsp Coriander seeds or Dania seeds
2)2 Tbsp Cumin/Jeera Seeds
3)1 Tbsp Whole Black Pepper
Tadka Ingredients:
1)2 tsp Ghee or Vegetable oil
2)1 tsp Cumin/Jeera
3)Hing or Asafoetida
1)Pressure cook Green Gram dal by adding a tsp of Ghee and Haldi.
2) After the dal is cooked,add diced tomato,haldi,ginger,grated garlic,curry leaves and enough water and get the mixture to a boil..For about 5 minutes until tomato gets cooked.
3)Add salt,jaggery and the 2 Tbsp rassam powder(add more powder to make spicy rassam)
4)Allow it boil for few minutes and check the seasoning and cut the flame to off...
5)Before serving squeeze out 1 lemon and add the Jeera and ghee tadka..
Pepper Rassam is Ready,Serve Hot with White Rice


text: these are my favorite types of games as soon as I saw the commercial I was exited and was going to buy it. BUT its for X box 360 i have a ps2 and im not going to fork over 400 smackers just to play this game. when is it coming to PS2 or is it only a Xbox thing like halo? that would suck. I have all of the ACE COMBAT games please make it come to PS2 I can wait a year for it comeonaa


text:
Pink Lite Keyboard
!!! Do you like pink? If the answer is yes, check it out this hot pink that decorates the new Pink Lite
Free • 11.3K
All Android applications categories
!!! Do you like pink? If the answer is yes, check it out this hot pink that decorates the new Pink Lite
Free • 11.3K
Personalization is really the key to a good countdown app, and this one has it is spades.. Countdown+ Event Reminders harkens back to the older days when we all had countdowns on our phones. You can set the countdown for a specific time (down to the minute) and then the app will tell you how much time you have (down to the second) left until the e….
Free • 38.7K
A true and totally 3D free app for learning human anatomy with position quiz, built on an advanced interactive 3D touch interface. It is completely free! (No in-app purchase). It has every bone and organ in the human body. ***From the creator of Visual Anatomy app. Features: You can rotate models to any angle and zoom in and out Easy to navigate…
Free • 10.8K
Full Version on Steam Enjoying this lite version of Cat Goes Fishing, but want more? Find us
$1.00 Free • 50K
Never miss out on something interesting or unique when you are travelling.. World Around Me allows you to point your phone anywhere and find out interesting facts, unique places, or even events as they are happening. It makes travelling easier, helps you do new things, and even points you in the direction of amenities. THE PROS No matter what you….
Free • 18.9K
A great game and good graphics makes this one a winner.. Atlantic Fleet Lite is a fighting and accuracy game with three modes that allows you to play through many different missions. THE PROS Some of the graphics in this app are absolutely stunning, especially night skies and sunrises, which have impeccable details. You'll never go bored as there….
Free • 14.5K
Flash keyboard lite (with emoji, emoticon and smileys) is a highly customizable and fast
Free • 19.1K
John SNES Lite is SNES emulator for android 4.0+. This app does not work without your own game
Free • 16K
∞ Recently I started to charge into programming instead of designing. New apps are coming soon. ∞ You can still support me by buying the paid version: https://goo.gl/6kS5u7 All icons of the Glim Icon Pack consist of a soft long shadow and vibrant colors out of the Material color palette. The icons were designed with a lot love to the details - whi…
Free • 8.5K
Build your own football empire! Build a football club from scratch, starting as a tiny non-league team, and see if you can make it through seven divisions to the very top. Hire and fire managers, develop your stadium, negotiate transfers and contracts... while keeping both the fans and the bank manager happy. Good luck, you'll need it!
Free • 18.1K
Open your own dog hotel! DogHotel invites you to manage a brand new dog resort, put your dog sitting skills to the test and learn how to run a successful doggy hotel business. Look after all the doggies placed in your care. Granny Edith's pug needs to lose some weight, beefy Lucky the Labrador wants to join the fire department and little Lizzy…
Free • 231.3K
Good news. Kids can play all Baby Hazel Doctor Games in a bundle. Features: *8 Baby Hazel Doctor Games inside one game * Kids friendly, hours of game play * Requires less space on your device for installation compared to individual installation of games. * Easy to access 8 games from a single App. Games in this Baby Hazel Doctor Games pack are:…
Free • 13.4K
Lite is distributed exclusively in the Google Play Store **
Free • 19.6K
This app contains 8 puzzles with beautiful graphics. This app is free lite version, you can
Free • 150
A simple antivirus app to keep your device safe. CM Security Lite doesn't pile on the frills. It aims to prevent your device from getting infected with a virus. It scans both your phone and websites. It also scans new apps and pieces of software that you install in real-time. CM Security Lite offers a level of protection that's hard to beat. THE P….
Free • 238.7K
A simple browser with speed being our moto. We've tried to build a internet browser with only important features and removing unwanted features so the browsing experience become faster then the fastest. This browser is simple to use and fast. So switch to 3G-4G Web browser if you need the speed. You can block ads from setting area. App feature…
Free • 3K
"Fishing Knots" - is a program for your mobile device, showing how to tie knots. Among the many knots fisherman should select and use the right one. In each case - his own. How the knot weakens the fishing line? Which knots to use for thin fishing lines, and which - for thick? Which knots can be knit on multifilament fishing line? The e…
Free • 13.7K
Experience enhanced messaging, high quality voice & video conferencing. Express yourself in a fun way with instant video, stickers, doodle and emoticons. Follow top brand Channels to stay updated and enjoy bite-sized video stories on Explore. Why JioChat? Proudly Indian! RICH MESSAGING. Instantly and easily message any of your JioChat con…
Free • 312.4K
Help Munch get to his meal and collect all the stars. The main character in Munch Time is, of course, Much, a chameleon who wants to eat as much as he can. But this won't be easy, as he'll need to avoid a lot of obstacles in order to get to its meal. Tap the ground to walk, tap the flowers to swing and even change the colors of the flowers. The gam….
Free • 2.5K
Pocket Rally brings unique car physics with the old school rally racing formula. In the 90's, rally games were all the rage. It was difficult to not walk into a game store and see or play the latest demos for rally games. Now, Pocket Rally available on both iOS and Android devices, looks to take the best of old-school rally games, mixing the formu….
Free • 135.4K
Customize your pictures and make them look perfect. Facetune is a funny photo editor for making your selfies way more shiny and attractive. This is a highly complete application with plenty of tools to achieve the perfect result you were looking for. How does it work? Select your preferred picture and try all the available tools to make your face b….
In this puzzle game you'll be linking all the pearls in a chain. Link it Lite is a puzzle game that consists of creating a chain of linked pearls. You'll be able to rotate the pearls (unless they're locked) and change their direction towards the one that suits you best. Your result will be a chain where all the pearls are connected. The trigger an….
Free • 22.8K
Draw a line and create a path. Ben 10 Cavern Run is a fun platform-based arcade game where you need to progress through levels. Protect yourself from obstacles and defeat enemies on the way. This is a game with a pretty original gameplay: you're in charge of creating lines and walls so you character moves correctly. Collect all the coins appearing….
Free • 93.5K
Predict your future with MASH.. MASH stands for Mansion, Apartment, Shack or House. Those obviously don't go in order of importance, otherwise the title would've been MHAS and wouldn't have made sense, but I digress. It's a reasonably engaging game that lets you glean the future through preloaded stories. THE PROS The graphics are mildly decent an….
Free • 12K
Apps available in other platforms:
Last review
MyRoadTime: "Track Your Hours Behind The Wheel"
by Ana Gracia
THE VERDICT MyRoadTime is an interesting application for those who spend a lot of time behind the wheel. This application will help you track all the time you spend driving in order to keep control of how much time you dedicate to business/plea…
Explore our channels


text:
By partnering with AVAD, ATON will have access to AVAD's extensive network of over 14,000 dealers, enabling the company to broaden its reach within the custom installation market. AVAD will also provide ATON dealers with the best and most frequent training, technical and application support, as well as next day delivery for more responsive customer service, improved turns and higher profits.
"ATON's signal routing technologies provide AVAD dealers with a comprehensive line of intuitive products that they need on a daily basis,†said Bob Gartland, AVAD president. "We are confident our dealers will appreciate the addition of ATON's innovative products to our roster of best brands, which will provide greater flexibility and functionality when choosing and designing systems for their customers.â€
Effective immediately, AVAD will distribute ATON's Dynamic Level Adjustment (DLA) Speaker Level Audio Routers at each of its 37 US locations and new Toronto facility. ATON's DLA technology features a logic circuit that actively monitors how many rooms are on, along with their respective volume levels, to deliver maximum available power to each room while protecting the speakers and amplifier from damage. The four DLA Speaker Level Audio Router models also include both RF and IR control selectors, an industry first.
"AVAD's choice to bring ATON products to its reseller base validates our solutions to the market place,†said Bob Williams, ATON general manager. "We could not ask for a better partner.â€
AVAD is expected to add ATON's new Digital & Analog Line Level Audio Routers and Hi-Def Video Level Routers beginning summer 2008.
In Brief: Release Summary
• AVAD LLC, America's leading distributor of custom home electronics, has entered into a distribution agreement with ATON, a premier provider of home audio and video signal routing and distribution products.
• By partnering with AVAD, ATON will have access to AVAD's extensive network of over 14,000 dealers, enabling the company to broaden its reach within the custom installation market.
• Effective immediately, AVAD will distribute ATON's Dynamic Level Adjustment (DLA) Speaker Level Audio Routers at each of its 37 US locations and new Toronto facility.
• AVAD is expected to add ATON's new Digital & Analog Line Level Audio Routers and Hi-Def Video Level Routers beginning summer 2008.
About ATON
ATON's system technologies are built on years of expertise in Audio and Video Routing, Control Systems and Loudspeaker Design. This combined knowledge has led to a comprehensive new line of Digital Signal Routing Products, Radio Frequency and Infrared Control Systems and Architectural Speakers that provide affordable and innovative house-wide entertainment for consumers. The DLA multi-room speaker level audio routers with RF & IR remote control options are an industry first. The ATON Storm Series Speakers are designed with waveguide pivoting tweeters and custom components to create a dynamic listening experience. ATON's products are changing the way consumers and installers put technology in reach.
For more information about ATON, visit www.atonhome.com.
About AVAD, LLC
AVAD, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ingram Micro, Inc., is the most complete home integration solutions provider in the United States. Its in-depth technology offering of the most trusted brands and progressive continuing education programs provide all the support necessary to design and implement complete home electronic systems solutions. AVAD stocks products for home theater, lighting controls, distributed audio/video, central vacuum and more. AVAD also provides just-in-time delivery from each of its 37 locations nationwide, as well as its new Toronto facility.
AVAD is dedicated to dealer education, training and skill advancement, as evidenced by AVAD University's over 450 online and classroom continuing education classes held each year.
By partnering with CEDIA for key industry training courses such as Installer Level I and II Certification, Designer Boot Camps and Home Theater Workshops, AVAD is unparalleled in its commitment to the betterment of the industry and the dealer's bottom line.
AVAD exemplifies this concept with the Dealer to Builder (D2B) program, which links highly-trained and qualified members of its 14,000+ dealer corps with homebuilders across the United States to outfit new homes with in-demand, cutting-edge electronic systems.
Product lines that AVAD distributes and supports include: Acme Brackets, APC, Aprilaire, Artison, Atlantic Technology, ATON, Belden, Bose, Carlon, ChannelPlus, Chief, Coleman Cable, H-P Products/Dirt Devil Central Vacuum Systems, D-Link, Draper, Dymo/RhinoPRO, Encore!, Escient, Fujitsu, Gefen, Goo Systems-Visual Reality, Inc., Harman Kardon, InFocus ScreenPlay, iPort, JVC Professional Products Company, Key Digital, Labor Saving Devices, Lutron, Marantz, Middle Atlantic Products, Inc., Midlite, MuxLab, NetStreams, Niles Audio, OmniMount, OnQ Technologies, OpenHouse, Optoma, Panamax, Panasonic Phones, Peerless, Philips, Polk Audio, PROconnect, ProFlex, RTI, Rockustics, Samsung, Sharp, SharpVision, Spaun USA, Terk, Toshiba, Universal Remote Control, Velodyne and more.
In July 2005, AVAD was acquired by Ingram Micro, Inc., making its parent company the leading distributor for solution providers and custom integrators serving the fast-growing consumer electronics and home automation markets in the United States.
For more information about AVAD, visit www.avad.com.


text:
Until about five years ago, Black Friday wasn't a thing. Happening on the Friday after Thanksgiving, you could ask why it's really even relevant to the UK. But it's now a regular on the calendar and already my inbox is full of deals, enticements and offers.
I always have a bit of a problem with this virtual monument to greed and consumerism. Scenes of people running into shops, barging each other out of the year so they can buy stuff they don't need or buying online and receiving goods plus acres of packaging seems incredibly distasteful.
This year it's hit home even harder to us. We've recently seen some pictures of some children in rural Cambodia who are looking ecstatic. The reason? They've just been donated some old clothes and books donated by small son and his cousins. The truth is that we could shed these items without really noticing. But to them, it's absolutely made their day as they have almost nothing. We could learn a lot from them about appreciating what you have.
So instead of looking up Black Friday deals (which generally come back to haunt you on Blue Monday – about the 15th January when your credit card arrives) I'll be observing "Buy Nothing Day" and BBC6Music's T-shirt day. Want to join me? Here's what you could be doing instead of the spend, spend, spend!
1. Walk, run, swim, anything! Get outside and enjoy the beautiful countryside! The weather's not great but if you wrap up warm and put up wellies on, it's so gorgeous out there at the moment. Coming back inside with rosy cheeks beats bringing home lots of carrier bags, in my opinion!
2. Contact someone – why not phone someone for a chat, or make conversation with an elderly person? I happened to get chatting to an elderly man in the post office queue a few years ago, and we still meet regularly for tea and lemon drizzle cake (always lemon drizzle). Hearing first-hand about life in wartime Liverpool is just a privilege that won't be available to us in a few years' time.
Not only is it Black Friday, but more excitingly, it's BBC6Music's "Wear an old band t-shirt to work" on Friday. If you don't have a band t-shirt, you could (a) borrow one of mine or (b) have a trip down Memory Lane and listen to some of those old CDs, tapes, records. Just don't travel so far down Memory Lane that you get stuck in Milli Vanilli Road.
Make something! I always hesitate to do any kind of craft with my small son as I'm so terrible at it. However, the hour we spent making a cake with my son last week was very precious. Admittedly, there was another hour involved cleaning up and another eating cake, but those people who say they don't like homemade gifts are lying – seriously, am I the only person who can't get enough homemade sloe gin?
I'm not saying that you shouldn't buy things, but it's the fact that buying things we don't need is such a talked-about topic at this time of year. If you are doing Christmas shopping, why not head to an independent shop? They are disappearing at an alarming rate and most of the money they make tends to stay in the local community.
Whatever you decide to do, enjoy, and meanwhile, I'll try to rein in my next rant!
Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Thursday, 17 November 2016
Why I'm not embarrassed about being a soccer mum
We've just started going to football and just a couple of weeks in, I've had a terrible realisation - I am a soccer mum!
Having sidestepped some of the other pitfalls of modern parenting, I honestly didn't see this coming. And in the past couple of weeks I have noticed myself shouting all manner of ridiculous instructions to small son, to the extent that the coach is gently nudging me away from the sidelines and upstairs to the viewing area.
Even I don't understand the stupid things I've been yelling, and the over-the-top gesticulation is certainly wasted on my son, who could not pay less attention to me if he tried. I even found myself on the pitch the other day.
"Don't handle the ball!"
"Give and go!"
"You're going THAT way!"
However, although I need to tone it down, I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed because at least this passion means that I am watching and getting involved. One of the saddest and most prolific sights at this kind of children's sporting event or even a kid's party is a line of 20 parents with their phones in front of their faces.
I've seen children do great things on the pitch and then look for a reaction from their parents. Nothing. They missed it.
On a rare occasion, small son got a pat on the back from the coach - just a quick "well done" and a pat on the head. I saw it and small son and I shared a happy, knowing look. If I'd been on Facebook, I would have missed it and he wouldn't have been able to prove that it had happened.
Last week, I saw the football come to rest on a mum's foot. A boy ran over to retrieve it, and waited for her to gently kick it back. But she had no idea about any of this as she was on Whatsapp. I could see the disappointment on his face.
People are busy, I do get that. It's not realistic to say that you shouldn't check your emails now and then. Sometimes work calls and it's a good opportunity to have a quick look when you're not driving. But this is an epidemic. It mainly looks like Facebook too, It's almost a default setting for people who have forgotten how to share these vital childhood experiences - not just with each other, but with other parents too.
It's not a new thing. I remember my own dad avidly supporting me during my swimming lessons (and to be fair, it's not terribly exciting watching a group of children swim up and down, up and down and up and down), amid a sea of newspapers. The fact that he was interested, I think, is part of the reason I will love swimming all these years later.
So, if you have to take your child to something, why not actually be there. You might even enjoy it.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
- Flattened Fauna: A Field Guide to Common Animals of Roads, Streets, and Highways
- fauna
- flattened toroid
- flora and fauna
- Flatten out
- furtive fauna
- flattened affect
- fauna of India
- the mass extinction of the North American megafauna in the late Pleistocene
- Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
- fauna (user)
- flatten
If you Log in you could create a "flattened fauna" node. If you don't already have an account, you can register here.


text:
FFD's new engine/rescue truck has many features
The Farmington Fire Department's newest engine finally arrived last week, after a long journey through the snow from the Pierce Manufacturing plant in Appleton, Wis. It's not in service just yet, but firefighters expect to have it in use later this month.
The reason Engine 22 isn't being used yet is because there are so many new features on the truck, firefighters have to go through a few training sessions just to get familiar with the new rig.
Engine 22 is the first truck purchased for the Farmington Fire Department in over a decade.
From front to back, the new truck is full of nooks and crannies. Doors of varying sizes open to reveal hose storage, air bottle storage, a port for hydraulic tools, a storage cabinet for fire tools and another for rescue tools.
"We tried to maximize space as much as possible," Fischer said. "When we started building this truck, it was replacing a straight rescue truck and it was adding an engine to our fleet, so we had to add a lot of equipment to this truck to make it fit our purpose, and we really took a lot of time in planning this truck to make it fit the city's needs for 20 years in the future."
Five of the six seats inside the cab - excluding only the driver's seat - have air tank packs built into the seats. Firefighters can slip on the air packs while in their seats. The packs lock in place to serve as seatbelts, then release when the truck comes to a stop, allowing firefighters to get out of the truck with their air packs already in place.
Six headsets hang inside the cab.
"That's a first for us. We got headsets that all of the occupants can put on. It's for hearing protection and then it's got a lot better communication for us between the driver, the officer and the firefighters in the back. They actually hear what's going on, they can hear dispatch, they can hear what the first arriving officer is saying they need, so it just makes for that much better communication," Fischer said.
The driver's side of the truck is dedicated to storage and operation for fire scenes, while the passenger side is used for rescue situations. The hydraulic tools used for extrications are new, and have stronger cutting force than what Farmington rescue crews have used in the past. New pumps have been built in on the rescue side to supply the air needed for those tools.
ISO ratings
Aside from all of its new features, Engine 22 brings an added bonus to Farmington businesses, in the form of possible insurance savings.
According to Farmington fire marshal John Powers, a report by the Insurance Service Office two years ago indicated Farmington was below its recommended average in pumping capacity.
The ISO issues what are known as ISO ratings for cities. While insurance risks are assessed on several levels for any given business, ISO ratings often play a part in how much businesses are charged for their fire coverage.
Pumping capacity is based off of the overall gallons per minute of trucks in a fire department. The addition of the new 2,000 GPM on Engine 22 helps Farmington bring its pump capacity to the recommended average, Powers said.
"This truck will address that and apply to our rating, possibly lowering the insurance rates for businesses in our city," he said.


text:
Servicios Personalizados
- Citado por SciELO
- Accesos
Links relacionados
- Citado por Google
- Similares en SciELO
- Similares en Google
Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy
versión impresa ISSN 1413-3555
PICON, Andreja P. et al. Diabetic patients with and without peripheral neuropathy reveal different hip and ankle biomechanical strategies during stair descent. Rev. bras. fisioter. [online]. 2012, vol.16, n.6, pp.528-534. ISSN 1413-3555. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-35552012005000048.
BACKGROUND: The progression of diabetes and the challenge of daily tasks may result in changes in biomechanical strategies. Descending stairs is a common task that patients have to deal with, however it still has not been properly studied in this population. OBJECTIVES: We describe and compare the net joint moments and kinematics of the lower limbs in diabetic individuals with and without peripheral neuropathy and healthy controls during stair descent. METHOD: Forty-two adults were assessed: control group (13), diabetic group (14), and neuropathic diabetic group (15). The flexor and extensor net moment peaks and joint angles of the hip, knee, and ankle were described and compared in terms of effect size and ANOVAs (p<0.05). RESULTS: Both diabetic groups presented greater dorsiflexion [large effect size] and a smaller hip extensor moment [large effect size] in the weight acceptance phase. In the propulsion phase, diabetics with and without neuropathy showed a greater hip flexor moment [large effect size] and smaller ankle extension [large effect size]. CONCLUSION: Diabetic patients, even without neuropathy, revealed poor eccentric control in the weight acceptance phase, and in the propulsion phase, they showed a different hip strategy, where they chose to take the leg off the ground using more flexion torque at the hip instead of using a proper ankle extension function.
Palabras clave : biomechanics; diabetic polyneuropathy; kinematics; kinetics; motion.


text:
Equador Huarache Sandal in Almond by Nisolo
The Ecuador is a spin on the much-loved Huarache sandal. A great staple to have and your best companion for those dreamy vacations and long weekends. Made by hand with interwoven strips of soft leather for the upper and lined with hand cut leather for comfort.
Soft, pebbled hand cut and inserted leather
Leather insole with microporous cushioning
Heel is lined with soft sheep leather for maximum comfort
Rubber sole
Recommended to go down a half size. They should fit snug at first, as the woven soft leather will stretch within the first few wears.
Artisan goods preserve culture & tradition by continuing to handcraft high-quality goods. We believe the past should inform our progress forward.Artisan
Eco-Friendly goods approach production with the earth in mind. This includes low impact dyes & new textiles like modal, tencel, soy & hemp.Eco Friendly
Fair Trade goods offer fair wages & safe conditions for makers worldwide. Together we are investing in community with trade, not aid.Fair Trade
Made in USA goods are crafted in the United States with safe conditions & fair wages. Local production helps America move forward.Made in USA
Organic goods use no harmful toxins from seed to wear. Eliminating toxins is better for you & the environment we live in.Organic
Recycled goods expand the life for elements that make our stuff. Textiles, buttons, zippers, plastics that would otherwise be in landfills.Recycled
Vegan goods have no animals or animal by-products used in the creation or testing before it reaches you. We believe in safety for all involved.Vegan
Zero Waste goods maximize what we can make with the resources we have. From reusing water to pattern making, nothing goes to waste.Zero Waste
As a team, brand, and culture, Nisolo wants to do fashion in a way that connects and benefits both its consumers and producers. Nisolo operate on a hand-up model that empowers makers in emerging economies by connecting them to the global marketplace in a responsible manner.


text:
appropiate technology for poorer nations
I will start with a few examples. Uganda has bough Su-27 fighter jets from Russia. Obstensibly to counter the Mig 29 jets from South Sudan. Now as best as I can tell Uganda has no real issues with South Sudan so why buy the Su27s? I guess the air force people said they had a 'need' (read essential) requirement to counter the Mig 29s. My hypothetical question is what would have happened if they bought no jets.
No doubt they would save a small fortune in capital costs, operating costs, maintenance costs etc etc. My guess is costs over several years would be several hundred million dollars.
My assertion is that these jets were not needed. Yes maybe south sudan has jets and Uganda does not, but does that have to be an issue. Diverting millions of dollars to these jets means that less money gets spent on roads, healthcare, education, agriculture etc etc. End result thousands of additional deaths from things like malnutrition, TB etc etc.
The main threat to Uganda has come from guerilla forces, LRA etc. The appropiate air power for such opponents is light planes (COIN), even off the shelf Cessna 172s as reconaisance, cheap strike aircraft, like a modern Hs 123 Biplane, or a modern IL-2 russian ground attack aircraft
When these large jets are sold, money goes from poor countries to rich countries. Additionally they can generally only get a handful in the air at any one time (if any at all) because modern jets need a lot of maintenance. Additionally with such purchases bribes and corruption are common place
Ethiopia used russian jets against eritrea in the 1990s, and lost. In my view they would have been better off with hundreds and hundreds of WW2 era biplanes,(seriously), but no, they bought the glossy fast jets... and lost
South Africa bought 26 Gripen fighters from BAe, plus Hawk trainers (total cost 4.8 billion dollars) These planes cost multiples of the other alternatives. Also, take a look at the map, is there a fighter jet within a thousand miles to threaten South Africa, no. Their strategic safety from enemy jets is better than almost any other country on earth (maybe NZ and Iceland excepted)
My understanding is that there have been allegations that BAe paid llegal commissions. Now only a handful of the Gripens are airworthy. The Air force wanted a dual training and attack aircraft (the alphajet) which was also much much cheaper. The billions of dollars spent on these planes could have been used for antiretroviral medications for those with HIV in South Africa. Because this was not done 350,000 south africans died unneccessarily.
For me, I would have thought the welfare (non-death) of 350 thousand south africans was more important than having a dozen Gripens available at any one time, which have no threat within a 1000 miles. (do the BAe Hawks of Botswana pose a threat to south africa?) I have not even gone into the BAe deals with Saudi Arabia (the figure I read was 6 billion dollars in 'commissions'). Please dont get me wrong, I am not against BAe, what I am getting at is that when poor countries buy flash military equipment it diverts money from programs that save thousands of lives. Sometimes they would be better off with less flash equipment that they can afford to maintain
link - no money to fly Gripens
What is Happening in South Africa: No Cash to Fly Gripens
link - south africa to reopen investigation for 1999 arms deal
BBC News - South Africa reopens 1999 arms deal investigation
I see the point about the fast jets the grippens would be good if they were been deployed to back up African union forces on operation in say Somalia or maybe UN missions but AFAIK they are not in fact very few if any African nations deploy serious air assets outside of their national borders South Africa is not a poor country just a badly run one it had quite a capable defence industry because of the sanctions imposed by apartheid so you would have thought it would have had a good stable of affordable equipment to sell to other nations on a budget
The 1st post set the context for this thread.
IMO, there are no easy answers to the question posed. Every country have their own defence needs and go about fulfilling it in their own way.
Whilst the point about HIV deaths in South Africa vs high-end MRFs is valid, similar arguments can be made for many countries with significant defence outlay.
For example, the US military spends hundreds of billions every year, whilst the country has the largest public debt on earth and the unemployment rate has been above 8% for several years already. With the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on either side, and no military threat to its homeland, does the US need to spend such vast sums on its military?
Contrast that with the Europeans, who for the 1st time in modern history are not facing any external military threats. And in light of the tight national finances, European countries have decided to cut defence spending so as to put their public finances in order.
As for a modern Hs 123 Biplane, or a modern IL-2 russian ground attack aircraft, the biplane is too slow and unarmored to survive in the presence of mass ground fire from automatic weapons. The IL-2 would be a good choice, but where are you going to get some? It is not like they were recently being manufactured.
HI My2cents
Some good points you brought up there
My mistake in thinking the Su 27s for Uganda were to deter the Mig 29s of South Sudan, it seems they were purchased earlier to deter Mig 29s when Sudan was one nation.
A little anecdote, many many years ago, when Sudan was about to get its independence, the South did not want the British to go, because they did not feel an afinity with the more muslim north. However the British wanted to keep on good terms with President Nasser of Egypt (this did not last long as the Suez incident wsa to show), and hence supported a single nation . The southerners kicked the muslims from the north out (well actually they killed them), then asked the british to come back. The British repsonded by saying they would come back and then they filled their transport planes with fighters from Nothern Sudan and flew south. Anyway, that is all much much in the past now.
As to South Africa, I have no arguement with them having jet fighters, I think they can afford them, however the dual training/fighter aircraft in the Alphajet would have been more appropiate and additionally cost less than half. The 350,000 avoidable deaths from HIV is a true figure, more to do with president Mbeki's pride and stubborness in not admitting the problem (to me this is a big number,, especially if it was one of your freinds or relatives that died). South Africas defence budget seems to be between 1 and 2 percent of GDP, which seems reasonable as they have massive economic, health, housing and social issues to deal with. If however there was some insurgency say 10 years from now, they seem to lack the affordable COIN aircraft to deal with them well.
Forgot about Zimbabwe, apparently they have some F-7 fighters from China (licence produced Mig 21s), I would be doubtful given how well Zimbabwe has stuffed up its economy if many of those are airworthy today though. Zimbabwe also has some Cessna 02A Skymasters and some Aermacchi F-260 look like much more suitable aircraft for their needs. My reference to Hs123s and IL2s was because I could not be bothered to look up modern COIN aircraft like the Rockwell Bronco etc etc. I think that the airforce of Tanzania has about 8 aircraft total. I was looking at the airfroce of Papua New Guniea and at first glance it seemed that almost every sinlge aircraft was non-serviceable (I think they had one that was working)
Another little anecdote, I read that when Zanzibar became independant (became part of Tanzania) it spent a lot of money building the worlds largest outdoor swimming pool, in a swamp. It promptly sank as it was heavy and made of concrete. When Mozambique became independant there were less than ten college graduates in the entire nation, no wonder why good governance there was relatively scarce.
Another little anecdote,, probably does not belong in this forum,, but anyway. There are two opthamologists in Zambia, one of whom is the minister of health. There is a big issue with poor countries spending a small fortune training up local doctors, for them to be poached by countries like Australia, where they can earn many multiples more (my apologies for going off topic here)
I have read some good news lately about some african nations that are slowly getting their act together. The Ethiopian economy is doing very very well (some very good investment opportunites for those interested... no joke,,, very good country to invest in). Kenya is still hobbled by massive corruption (not feeling optomistic about that nation)
The LRA is no longer in Uganda (the YouTube film Get Koni was out of date in that respect), why they had so much trouble 'taking out' a band of a few hundred fighters armed with only small arms is beyond me. If it were me, I would have invested in scores and scores of light aircraft, and continually harass and harass the LRA. The LRA is an organisation with few positive attributes, apart from being good at killing, kidnapping and raping, it does not and has not had few if any redeeming features.
My main point is that most armed conflicts in poorer nations are guerillas whose aim is to destabilise the economy and government, as opposed to all out war between nation states. In my opinion when it comes to fighting insurgent groups larger numbers of propeller driven attack aircraft are more suitable than a few jets which cost a fortune to run (600 dollars an hour vs 16,000 dollars an hour), and are usually out of service. I have zero issue with nations with advanced economies buying jets.
Order changed to block subjects together.
The real problem is the Navy. Apparently they cannot keep more than one patrol boat at sea at a time, and the subs have not left the dock in over a year due to lack of trained crews. I can understand the subs being of limited use, but the patrol boats main responsibilities are preventing piracy and policing the fisheries in their economic zone, both extremely important economically.
The next is that fixed wing aircraft are of very little use in a guerilla war unless you have ground forces that can locate and communicate the guerilla forces for them. Without high tech sensors it is nearly impossible for them to find and confirm targets. The aircraft of choice for lowtech COIN warfare is the transport to keep troops supplied in the field. If you still feel a need for an attack craft the best choice is not a fixed wing design but the Hind series of helicopters, which is a armored gunship, troop transport, and cargo transport all in one.
Where do you learn all this stuff.. must say you seem very well informed,,, you have a pHDs is economics, history and politics?
There are a few COIN aircaft,, when I googed the term a few came up. Yes the Bronco is a little old, there are some newer ones though. I think helicopters work well. I know the LRA is moving around a bit, either way a pretty awful organistation. A private South African company is now making a COIN plane called the AHRLAC, though I was suprised by the cost of 10 million dollars each, apparently they have an order for 50 planes for some undisclosed african country.
Yes, bad governance is a huge issue, was not very impressed with Mbeki, maybe the money was there for the discounted drugs, however the prime minister for whatever reason did not want to get them.
The example of the oudoor pool in Zanzibar was that it was a large expenisve project of limited utility,, whereas funds could have been spend on lots of smaller projects, like building roads, grain storage sites, funding nurses, schools, small damns for irrigation etc etc. Either way that was in the past,,
The story with South Sudan was that when it first became independent, the North is more muslim and the south is more Christian/animist. The british wanted one country, whereas the people in the south did not want a lot to do with the people from the North. There were officers from the North in the South, and when indendance was declared, the troops from the south shot their officers which were from the North. They then contacted the British,, asking them to come back. however the British double crossed them and flew troops from the North down south to restore order. They did this to get on good terms with Nasser, which seemed a good geopolitical ploy at the time. Longer term it did not work as later Nasser tried to nationalise the canal
When the French were fighting in Algeria they used a lot of light aircraft
I do take your point that jets have a strategic defence value, however when it comes to fighting light infantry forces, which seems the norm for africa, larger numbers of small propeller aircraft are more suitable as they have longer loiter time, and have a lower speed, which gives more time to select the target (euphamism for people)
You also might consider that when Executive Outcomes took on the RUF in Sierra Leone their air support was 1 Hind, 1 transport helicopter, 1 medevac plane, and 2 cargo planes.
hi, i think the reason why countries tend to buy expensive/advanced aircraft is as a deterrant, if they have air superiority then a neighbouring country is unlikely to attack or become aggressive, and africa is a pretty volatile, and situations can change rapidly, but i do agree that a country should buy what it actually needs to combat any threat, and that up keep/maintainance should be a factor also, theres no point in buying expensive/advanced aircraft if u cant maintain them and they become totally useless, and as a result u have no or limited air force. there is many types of aircraft that can be used to effectively that dont cost hundreds of millions to maintain. i am string believer that soviet/russian aircraft fit this catergory very well, there cheap, effective, easy to maintain, parts are plentiful, and very robust, and can have various upgrades and each aircraft can carry out a huge variety of roles with certain upgrades. a few examples are:
mig 21 fishbed
SU-25 frogfoot
mig 23 fencer
mig 25 foxbat
SU-17/20/22 fitter
and some non soviet/russian aircraft
BAE hawk
cessna A-37 dragonfly
plenty more out there, so theres plenty of choice, the russian/soviet era stuff is always getting upgrades mainly by Russian, Belarusian, croatian, bulgarian, and serbian companies who will openly sell the upgrades, and all the russian aircraft have all had some battle proven experience.
In the later case, it gets real questionable. Russian stuff is cheap to buy, requires LOTS of maintenance, and has a shorter life (in terms of number of hours in the air). Russian design philosophy was that you needed a lot of cheap aircraft to attrite the enemy, but doesnt take into account the need for training to make them effective. NATO aircraft are much more robust in the long run, and actually cheaper to operate over a period of say 20 years, as many of the Russians customers are discovering the hard way.
And the simple fact is that none of the 3rd world countries seem able to maintain aircraft very well, with availability numbers dropping 5% to 20% per year. Part of this is the lack of technically educated people (who can much better paying, and safer, jobs in the west or middle east), but mostly because the maintenance and training funds are stolen by the higher ups in the bureaucracy.
the costs i was mentioning would be for the whole fleet, when i was in int. the remember danish air force guys saying how they regretted getting f-16 as the maintainance was very expensive, the russian kit is less maintainance cost wise than u think, and and training costs arent as high as western counter parts, i remember a report i read when i was in int, that with alittle upgrading some soviet era kit could be run on other kinds of fuel other than aviation fuel, but didnt get as miles per tank, the soviet era kit is very robust, some of the longest serving aircraft is soviet origin. in terms of lots of upgrading and maintaining depends on the requirement of the air force and the how long they leave it in between maintainance, i would have to disagree when u say that western aircraft are more cost effective in over 20yrs as i personally know during my role in the army, that the cost to maintain eurofighters are far more expensive than any russian counterpart the aircraft themselves cost £64 million, each and then theres maintainance, the more advanced the system the more maintainance it actually requires, and the i know the eurofighter is much butter than mig 21, mig 23, etc but this is what the whole post is about the need for aircraft which the country actually needs to protect its self, and spending the money elsewhere. i agree most african countries neglect there aircraft, i believe if u where in charge of a countries military budget/spend, and need an air force which was suitable for there current needs and maintanance budget soviet/russian would most likely be an option, not mention that most african countries couldnt afford western aircraft mainatance costs nevermind buying the aircraft, and most western countries wouldnt sell them to them anyway.
A little example, Uganda spent 750 million US dollars buying around 8 Su27s, now this is a lot of money, thus I assume it includes training, spare parts, maintenance etc etc. These jets were bought in 2011. This information was from Wikipedia and also from Flight magazine of 2 weeks ago. The Su 27s were bought after South Sudan became independant. Thus there is a buffer state between Uganda and Sudan North.
Deterrent is good, however my taking of history is that in conflicts in africa, very very rarely have jets from one country bombed the capital of another country. Instead there are hundreds of examples of land forces fighting land forces. With so much money spent of fast jets, leaves little for anything else. Thus all the money seems to go into deterrance, and little into aircraft that would make a difference on the ground.
I know this is getting into opinion, I think this and you think that. So the agro goes back and forth etc etc.
The LRA was once supported by Sudan, it now seems to have gone rouge. The Uganda-Tanzania war (the one that got rid of the homicidal maniac and canibal Idi Amin) there was no bombing of cities.
South Africa going 300km into Angola, but they did not bomb Lusaka, and that was a full on war.
I am not saying fast jets (deterrance) do not have their place, but it seems the focus is too much on deterrance, and too little on aircraft that could make a difference in the battlefield.
The 750 million US dollars Uganda spent in 2011, might well buy one thousand small aircraft (light trainers with rockets and machine guns)
I know the argy bargy will continue... . am getting a bit over it,,
You have to use per unit costs to make any real comparison you or you get irrational results like the previous proposition. 6 are certainly cheaper than 24.
What good is the aircraft, except for air shows, if it gets slaughtered in air, or cannot hit the targets on the ground? Those more advanced systems make a big difference.
so would u buy eurofighter for example to tackle guerillas on the ground????? i think not, why i was in int we had an american int major who said that even though russian/soviet era aircraft are not as good as theres said they are still a considerable threat and are still a usefull fighter today, and said that some can even take off from rough landing strips, and amazingly said some frogfoot in iraq where using all kinds of fuel from parafin to vegetable oil mix, he said that if russian aircraft are maintain which isnt as expensive as there aircraft and pilots have good training and are armed with decent munitions they can be a real threat and combat multiplier, he even said that alot of people right soviet/russian aircraft off as useless which in some cases could be right in terms if they were fighting eurofighters etc, but but an african nation vs. another african nation it normally boils down to mainatance of aircraft and pilot training, and something interesting he did say was that an upgraded mig -29 was a serious threat to some american aircraft and one in particular he said the usa air force would not deply if it were up against it but refuse to comment which aircraft. another point is there is no point an armed force having eurofighter for example if they cant afford to maintain it or provide enough training for pilots its becomes useless its far better having some maintained soviet/russian aircraft which pilots have had training on than no airforce at all. at the end of the day an african nation couldnt afford western aircraft to buy or maintain it, nor would a western nation sell it to them, and russian/soviet kit is within there budget and maintance budget, and they can get the parts easily, and they can find countries willing to sell them to them, and the main point is that they are fit for purpose, a purpose that they need it for, try and think within the box i.e constraints, budgets, needs, purpose to fully answer the question of the original post.
Are you sure you worked in intelligence? You're mentioning it a great deal for someone who has...
|All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:27 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2017, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2003-2017 DefenceTalk.com. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Eric will be making his debut performance in the UK onWednesday, April 24th at The Forum in London. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday, February 22nd at 9am with a fan club presale to be announced very soon.
Eric's forthcoming live album release, Caught In The Act: Live will be released before the show on April 22nd in the UK and April 9th in the US.
Tickets will be available on LiveNation and at Ticketmaster


text:
Get a free shipping quote.
The Chincoteague Pony Rescue is offering many ponies for adoption. This is Sandman, a two year old registered gelding. He was just gelded in April of this year. Sandman is being offered for adoption to a loving, forever home. He is sound and handled daily. His dam is Blair, who was in foal with Sandman upon arrival at the rescue in 2010. He is UTD on shots, worming and trims. He is doing well with his ground work and starting his under saddle training now.... (read more)
Adoptions available through the Chincoteague Pony Rescue. Retirement for older rescued Chincoteague Ponies.
Avoid Scams and Fraud - Potential areas of fraud: wire transfer, moneygrams, money orders, cashier checks, shipping, escrow, "transaction protection", "guarantee". Check out the Buyer Safety section for more info.


text:
Here at Review Centre we work hard to make sure we are the best place on the internet for honest, unbiased consumer reviews - we are grateful for your help in keeping us that way!
Written on: 19/06/2014
Aliar267 (1 review written)
Extremely helpul and an easy and a great way to make hotel reservations. Love it...!!!


text:
Credit Reporting Agency (CRA) - Remove Inquiry Letter (View Letter)
use this letter when you discover unauthorized "Hard Inquiries" on your credit reports! You've asked the creditors or other companies responsible to cease checking your reports and to remove their illegal inquiries but so far they've ignored your requests.
If after you've asked creditors or other organizations to cease performing "illegal hard inquiries" into your credit profiles, but they continue doing so, consider sending a letter similar to the one below to the credit reporting agencies to have them remove the unauthorized inquiries. (See more on unauthorized inquiries)
You are welcome to copy and paste any of the free sample letters displayed throughout this site. If you'd like an electronic copy of any letter, simply submit the FREE Request Form and I'll send you a copy absolutely FREE!
Get all letters in one convenient package here.
Free Sample Letter
Get Unauthorized Credit Inquiries Removed
Today's Date
Your Full Name
Current Address
Current Phone Number
Attention: {insert credit reporting agency name} See names and addresses below
{add CRA address here}
Dear {credit reporting agency}
This letter is a formal request to remove unauthorized inquiries from my credit report. I've enclosed a copy of the credit report that your organization provided me on {insert date of report}. I've listed the unauthorized inquiries below and also circled them in red on the enclosed report
Line Item {insert number}:
Creditor: {insert name of creditor(s) making the inquiry}
Please note that before making this request, I sent letters to the organizations responsible for these unauthorized inquires asking them to remove their inquiries from my credit reports and to cease their illegal activity. Although I sent these letters return receipt requested and have proof that my letters were received more than 30 days ago, they have failed to respond therefore, I ask for your assistance in resolving this matter.
In accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, I respectfully ask you to investigate my claim and, if after your investigation, you find my claim to be valid and accurate, I ask that you immediately delete the unauthorized inquiries outlined below. Furthermore, I ask that you send a corrected copy of my credit profile to me at the above address.
If your investigation determines the inquiry was authorized, I respectfully request you forward to me a description of the procedure used to determine this within 15 days of the completion of your re-investigation.
Thank you for your consideration and cooperation and if you have any questions concerning this matter I can be reached at (insert daytime phone number including area code).
Your Printed Name
Credit Inquiry Removal Addresses
National Consumer Assistance Center
PO Box 2002 Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion: (Eastern United States)
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022
TransUnion: (Western United States)
P.O. Box 34012
Fullerton, CA 92831
TransUnion: (Puerto Rico)
Puerto Rico Consumer Relations
P.O. Box 13968
Santurce Station San Juan, PR00907-3968


text:
Artist description:
Comfort in my own body. I spent hours drawing and coloring this and after I lost this drawing the first try I redrew it and it came out better than I could have imagined! Please critique my drawing and tell me how I can maybe improve!
Canvas Draw Created Nov 19, 2013 460 x 640px Unless noted Copyright 2013 FeggelBagel.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
Very nice work! Love her eyes! I know how you feel about losing a drawing after working so hard. So frustrating! Always turns out better the second time tho. :)
I agree- and thank you c:
cool drawing! nice hair!
Thank you very much!
oh man i hate it wen u lose a draw-that sucks--but this is lovely :) glad u redrew it n came out better :D luv the hair/eyes n nice lips; needs more shadin n less rough lines ;3
Thank you very much! I'll definitely work on my lines better and try out my shading more. I have a bit of a hard time with it- ^^;


text:
Now Arcadi Gaydamak Is Buying Tiv Taam
And he plans to turn it kosher
Is pork emporium Tiv Taam about to turn kosher? Winston Churchill might approve: "I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals." (1874-1965)
With Michael Rochvarger
Arcadi Gaydamak is buying the controlling interest in Tiv Taam, a chain of non-kosher supermarkets, for a handsome premium.
Gaydamak certainly seems to want to make a mark. In just over a month the Russian-Israeli billionaire has bought four major companies, each time sending its stock soaring as he closed deals for top price.
Just last week he agreed to buy Gilon Investments (TASE: GILN) Investments and Ameris Holdings, the latter of which controls the Petro Group chain of gas stations. Before that he signe Dankner deal to buy real estate company Ocif Investment & Development (TASE: OCIF).
The three, not including Tiv Taam, are costing him NIS 850 million.
Gaydamak's latest target is a 51% controlling stake in supermarket chain Tiv Taam, presently controlled by Amit Berger - the controlling owner of investment house Enter Holdings - and Kobi Tribitch, the founder.
The deal is expected to go through at a value of NIS 820 million, a price 80 percent above the company's market value on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) on Friday - NIS 447 million. Gaydamak will be paying about $100 million for his controlling share.
Tiv Taam reported to the TASE on Friday night that according to the agreement with Gaydamak, Tribitch and Berger will each sell 25.5% of the company to Gaydamak, and Enter would also transfer 3.242 million options.
Post-transaction, Enter will have 13% and Tribitch, 12%.
Berger, who bought 50% of Tiv Taam only a year ago, had said recently that the chain was not for sale. Reportedly he had turned down a number of other offers, but Gaydamak's incredible price gave both owners an immediate $50 million each. This represents a 330% return on Berger's original $32 million investment. The owners refused to speak to the press yesterday, leaving Gaydamak to do the talking.
Even though both Berger and Tribitch will retain significant holdings, it is not clear what role Tribitch, who founded Tiv Taam in 1990, will play in the company's future. Also, it is not at all clear what the future of CEO Dov Shneidman will be. He did not respond to reports of the sale.
Tribitch founded Tiv Taam to sell non-kosher and imported food stuffs. At first the chain was targeted at the Russian market, but a few years ago it managed to break into the regular Israeli market, by including a more sophisticated culinary niche.
The chain now has 23 stores and a 3.5 percent market share in food sales. Plans were to reach 60 stores by 2009. Revenue forecasts for 2007 are NIS 1.3 billion, up from a billion in 2006. The hope was to turn Tiv Taam into the third largest chain and compete with the two major players, SuperSol and Blue Square.
Gaydamak's investment should allow the chain to grow faster and possibly even expand overseas.
Safe at last?
Yesterday Gaydamak told Channel 2 TV that he intends to remove the non-kosher foods from the chain.
After non-kosher items were also taken off the shelves of AM:PM markets, as a result of the purchase of the Tel Aviv based, city-center chain by Blue Square's owners, the non-kosher food chains will be cut way back - at least until some new entrepreneur enters the market.
Want to enjoy 'Zen' reading - with no ads and just the article? Subscribe todaySubscribe now


text:
click photo to enlarge
The Rev. Tom Smiley, Jennifer Wilbanks' family pastor, answers questions in a packed lobby after he read Wilbanks' prepared statement Thursday, May 5, 2005, during a news conference at the Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville, Ga. Wilbanks' attorney, Lydia Sartain, was in court and did not participate in the news conference. In her statement, Wilbanks apologized Thursday for disappearing just before her wedding day, and insisted cryptically that her flight was prompted not by cold feet, but by ``a host of compelling issues that seemed out of control.'' (AP Photo/Ric Feld)
AP Photo It took just hours for Jennifer Wilbanks' story to dissolve, and until Thursday for her to apologize. It turns out the runaway bride-to-be had not been kidnapped -- much less by a gun-wielding Hispanic.
But among minorities, a white woman's tale of being victimized by a threatening man of color is unlikely to fade quickly, partly because it's happened before and taps into powerful stereotypes rooted in painful history.
"This speaks to how Latinos are perceived in society," said Lisa Navarette, spokeswoman for the National Council of La Raza in Washington D.C. "Americans only know minority communities, particularly Latino communities, through stereotypes, through images in the media. If people keep being portrayed as criminals -- as undocumented immigrants or criminals or gang members -- that's what we tend to believe."
Wilbanks was believed missing when she vanished days before she was to be married in a 600-guest affair in Duluth, Ga., population 22,000. She claimed last Friday night that she had been kidnapped in Atlanta by a Hispanic man and a white woman with a handgun, a story that quickly unraveled. Her admission that she had run away, overwhelmed by wedding pressures, prompted protests among local and national Hispanic leaders.
At one point, a Hispanic leader not only demanded an apology but said she should be made to perform community service in a Hispanic neighborhood. Now, Georgia authorities are debating whether to prosecute or sue her.
Such racial hoaxes are actually not rare, said Katheryn Russell-Brown, a law professor at the University of Florida, who wrote "The Color of Crime," a book documenting 67 such cases that occurred between 1987 and 1996.
"The majority of perpetrators were someone white falsely accusing someone black," Russell-Brown said. "You typically don't see the Hispanic criminal in terms of a hoax case, but she put this duo together and it's got this resonance. ... It's still this idea of a criminal element that is colored."
The stories "work because they tap into widely held fears about crime and about who one's likely attacker might be," she said.
click photo to enlarge
This undated family photo shows Jennifer Wilbanks, 32, of Duluth, Ga. A jilted bridegroom and a town full of puzzled residents may not be all that Wilbanks must face as she tries to restore her shattered life. There's also the possibility that the runaway bride could face charges.
AP Photo
In 1989, a Boston man, Charles Stuart, inflamed racial tensions when he claimed he and his pregnant wife, Carol, had been shot in their car by a black robber. Stuart turned out to be the culprit, throwing himself off a bridge as police zeroed in on him.
Five years later, Susan Smith of South Carolina drowned her two young sons, but claimed a black man had carjacked her and abducted her boys.
Such fabrications are rooted in the nation's troubled racial past.
Historically, the threat of black men victimizing white women has loomed large and powerful, and provoked many of the more than 4,700 lynchings in the decades between the end of the Civil War and the dawning of the civil rights era.
The peak came in 1892, with 230 killings, but continued well into the 20th century, according to the Tuskegee Institute, a one-time black college in Alabama that is now a National Historic Site. Most of those seized by white mobs and hanged were black men, but Native Americans, Asians, Jews and Hispanics also were victimized, experts said.
The threat also became part of the nation's fictional fabric, inspiring "Birth of a Nation," a seminal 1915 film in which a white woman is pursued by a lecherous black man, and "To Kill a Mockingbird," Harper Lee's classic novel about a Southern white woman who falsely accuses a black man of rape to cover up her flirtation with him.
Today, growing national anti-immigrant sentiment that feeds Americans' stereotypes of Hispanic immigrants stealing jobs and undermining the nation's prosperity made Wilbanks' story plausible, Navarette said.
"It's the new pariah," she said.
Harry Pachon, president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute in Los Angeles, added that new demographic shifts in Georgia -- the state was barely 5 percent Hispanic as of Census 2000 -- have led to simmering tensions: "It's a recently arrived immigrant community, so ... this increases the tension that's already there.
"It's not about one runaway woman."
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


text:
Our website uses cookies for technical, analytical and marketing purposes. Here is more information. If you agree to this, just keep browsing.
When visiting Castelo de Vide, Hotel Sol e Serra is a great choice to consider. The restaurant is the perfect spot for a bite to eat, and after having fun at the seasonal outdoor pool, you can unwind with a drink at the bar/lounge.


text:
Little has been known by the Cornhusker fans on whether the dual-threat quarterback Logan Gray from Columbia (Mo.) Rock Bridge really had a scholarship offer from Nebraska and whether there was muc...
Premium Content
Subscribe today to read the full article and get everything Rivals has to offer.
- Member-only message boards
- Exclusive highlights and recruiting interviews
- Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
- Breaking recruiting news


text:
fFX has given the order for a pilot titled The Americans, a 1980s-set spy drama that features a look at Cold War paranoia. The series, according to The Hollywood Reporter, will center upon "the arranged marriage of Phillip and Elizabeth Jennings, who have two children who know nothing about their parents' true identity."
Their true identity? Why, they're KGB agents. "Their relationship grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of informants and spies under their control. Complicating it further is Phillip's growing sense of affinity for the American way of life.
The pilot will be executive produced by Justified creator Graham Yost, and was written by former CIA employee Joe Weisberg. FX was reportedly going to pick up or pass on the project earlier this month, but decided against it in favor of reshoots.
While the pilot does sound interesting (an FX exec declared the script "one of the best pilot scripts we have ever read"), it's certainly blandly titled and might deserve a renaming before it gets a series order.
In the meantime, for Graham Yost's other FX series, you can check out Justified when it returns for its third season on January 17.


text:
Detroit Lakes police department restructure process begins
The Detroit Lakes Police Department is moving forward on operational structure changes.
At the Tuesday night Detroit Lakes City Council meeting, the council approved the second reading and adoption of the ordinance stating the structure will be changed from chief, captain and sergeant to chief and three sergeants.
They also approved the acceptance of the resignation of Captain Paul Goecke. He has served with the DLPD for nearly 30 years.
The council authorized Chief Kel Keena to hire an officer to replace Goecke, to start the process of promoting two officers to sergeant and to start the process of hiring a police officer as narcotics officer.
In his monthly report, Keena said applications for police sergeant were accepted through Monday, Feb. 12. He told the safety committee four people have applied for the position. They will be subjected the written and oral interviews as other officers are.
The Civil Service Board received 54 applications for police officer and tested 38 of them. Of those, nine were given oral interviews last week, and Keena said he wouldn't hesitate to hire six of them.
A new narcotics officer will be added to the force April 1, who will be hired from the same Civil Service list as the police officer.
Keena made members of the public safety committee aware that Todd Glander was granted one year of re-instatement privileges on the Civil Service list when he quit the DLPD last year to join the Becker County Sheriff's Department. With that said, Glander has the option of coming back to apply for the sergeant position.
Keena said he will be coming to the city council at the April 10 meeting with recommendations for all appointments.


text:
New Mauna Kea lease faces delay
By TOM CALLIS
Tribune-Herald staff writer
The University of Hawaii may have to wait several years to get a new lease covering the astronomy facilities on Mauna Kea.
UH earlier this year had requested the state Department of Land and Natural Resources replace its two leases covering the Mauna Kea Science Reserve and Hale Pohaku Mid-Level Facilities with an agreement that would run through 2078. The leases are currently set to expire in 2033 and 2041.
But it chose to put that on hold this month while it conducts an environmental impact statement.
Jerry Chang, director of university relations with the University of Hawaii at Hilo, said the study will hopefully prevent any legal challenges to a new lease, assuming one is granted.
"If we don't do it, there will be some appeal," Chang said.
"We're just trying to cover all our bases."
Critics of the request, including the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs, had said an EIS should be done to sort out the impacts of a longer lease and further development on the mountain.
An EIS would cost about $1 million, Chang said, and take 18 months to three years to complete.
The science reserve, established in 1968, covers 11,288 acres and hosts eight optical or infrared observatories in its 525-acre "astronomy precinct," according to DLNR.
Chang acknowledged that results of the study, to be done by a consultant, could either help or hinder UH's request and future projects on the mountain, including the Thirty Meter Telescope. Construction of the $1.3 billion telescope, one of the world's largest, is scheduled to begin in April and be complete in 2022.
"If the EIS turns out negative, then we probably won't get the extension for the lease," he said.
"Anybody who invests a billion dollars would like a longer lease than 20 years," Chang added, referring to the TMT.
But Sandra Dawson, TMT's Hawaii community affairs manager, said the project's board of directors is still going ahead with its plans, and hopes to have a sublease with UH completed shortly.
"We can get a sublease in the current master lease," she said, adding the board expects UH to be granted a longer lease.
"The plans have not changed. We are moving forward."
Another hurdle for the project remains a legal challenge of the construction permit granted by DLNR.
A group of petitioners filed the lawsuit, citing social and environmental impacts. A hearing was held Dec. 13 in Third Circuit Court in Hilo.
The TMT project is supported by observatories and universities from Canada, Japan, China, India and the United States.
Email Tom Callis at email@example.com.
Rules for posting comments
Comments posted below are from readers. In no way do they represent the view of Oahu Publishing Inc. or this newspaper. This is a public forum.
Comments may be monitored for inappropriate content but the newspaper is under no obligation to do so. Comment posters are solely responsible under the Communications Decency Act for comments posted on this Web site. Oahu Publishing Inc. is not liable for messages from third parties.
IP and email addresses of persons who post are not treated as confidential records and will be disclosed in response to valid legal process.
Do not post:
- Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
- Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
- Copyrighted materials of any sort without the express permission of the copyright holder.
- Personal attacks, insults or threats.
- The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
- Comments unrelated to the story.
If you believe that a commenter has not followed these guidelines, please click the FLAG icon below the comment.


text:
Sleepers get a lot of draft-season attention, but equally important is knowing the players to avoid, the players who will be drafted too high for their likely performances. Let's look at some players in Shallow Leagues, Medium Leagues and Deep Leagues who should be avoided and can be labeled "busts" for this season.
Shallow Leagues
C.J. Wilson, P, TEX - Wilson rewarded owners last year after making a successful conversion from a reliever to a starter. He chalked up 15 wins while sporting a tidy 3.35 ERA. However, matching those numbers is an unrealistic expectation this season. Wilson allows too many free passes - 4.10 BB/9 last year - and can't count on stranding those runners again. His 5.3-percent HR/FB rate was a career-low, suggesting that more balls in the air should leave the park, especially in Arlington. Probably the most worrisome stat was his 228.1 innings pitched, more than his previous four seasons combined. Expect Wilson's ERA to rise and don't be surprised if Wilson suffers an injury given the increase in workload.
Adam LaRoche, 1B, WAS - LaRoche is definitely one of the players who seem to always have a significant first half/second half split, though last year was pretty even for him. After signing a two-year deal with the Nationals, it's tough to see him duplicate what he did last season. A seven-year high .330 BABIP led to a mere .261 batting average, which typically doesn't happen. So how did that happen? A five percent increase, to 30.7 percent, in his strikeout rate plus a drop in walks by more than three percent. Given the high strikeout rate and last year's paltry .788 OPS, stay away from LaRoche this year.
Derek Jeter, SS, NYY - Jeter started to show signs of decline last year at the plate, which isn't uncommon for a player on the wrong side of 35. He had a career-low .710 OPS (61 points lower than his previous worst) and saw his home run total drop from 18 to 10. Many will point to his career-low BABIP (.307) and suggest a rebound is in store. However, the BABIP can be explained by a four-percent drop in his line drive rate and a nearly nine-percent increase in his groundball rate to a major-league leading 65.7 percent. And Jeter didn't show the speed to beat out those groundballs - 22 GDP (fifth in AL) and a lowly 7.1-percent infield hit rate. In other words, Jeter didn't just get unlucky at the plate - his skills regressed. It's tough to imagine Jeter hitting more than 15 homers again while keep his batting average in the .320 range. Someone will still pay top dollar with those visions in mind; don't be that someone.
Elvis Andrus, SS, TEX - Shortstop is arguably the shallowest position for fantasy owners to draft. So why put Andrus as a bust? It's quite simple; he'll contribute to stolen bases but that's it. He showed no signs of improving his offensive skills, posting a similar K rate last year to his rookie year (16.3 percent to 16.0). He only hit .265 last year and his power numbers declined, as evidenced by a drop from a .373 to .301 slugging percentage. That lack of power led to zero home runs and only 35 RBI. There is now legitimate talk that he'll be bumped from the leadoff role and be moved to the eighth or ninth spot in the lineup. That will cost him a bunch of at-bats, which obviously in turn will cost him stolen-base opportunities, his one fantasy attribute.
Trevor Cahill, P, OAK - Cahill had one of the bigger breakout seasons in 2010 in only his second year in the league. A sparkling 2.97 ERA led to an 18-8 record despite playing for the offensively challenged Athletics. Unfortunately there are many stats that show regression is in store for Cahill. He only had a 5.4 K/9 rate, a small number for a pitcher with a sub-3.00 ERA. Last year's .236 BABIP led baseball and was almost 40 points lower than his .272 rookie mark. It's highly unlikely he puts up a .236 BABIP two years in a row. Cahill isn't going to completely fall off the map; some of his other stats showed improvement. Just don't rank him solely on what he did last season; there's some regression in his numbers heading his way.
Chone Figgins, 2B, SEA - Figgins stole 42 bases for the second straight season and shows no signs of declining in that area. Past that, there's not a lot to like about his prospects with the Mariners this year. His move to Seattle sapped the little power he has, as his career-low wOBA (.302) displays. Figgins improved in the second half last season, hitting .350/.402/.417 in September, but with the Mariners doing little in the offseason to cure their anemic offense, he has little chance of improving either his runs total (62) or RBI (35). While his second-base eligibility is attractive, he can't be counted on anything outside of steals. The only chance of him getting a fantasy boost would be a trade out of town.
Austin Jackson, DET - Jackson had an excellent rookie campaign in 2010. He boasted a .293 batting average with 27 stolen bases and 103 runs. Not too bad, right? While the sky is the limit for Jackson in the long term, don't expect Jackson to come close to matching last year's stats this season. He sported a career-high (including the minors) and major-league leading .396 BABIP, which is unlikely to be repeated. The fallout from a lower batting average equates to lower run and stolen base totals, which is where his value lies. With small numbers in the power numbers to begin with, there's little hope to even duplicate those stats.
Medium Leagues
Randy Wolf, P, MIL - Everything in Wolf's advanced stats screams "stay away!" for 2011. Despite last year's 4.17 ERA, both his FIP (4.85) and xFIP (4.90) were much higher, indicating he's due to regress. He's now had four straight seasons with a declining K/9 rate (from 8.24 to 5.93), and his .275 BABIP was his second-best in the last seven years. Expect him to struggle to get to double-digit wins and have an ERA more toward 5.00 than 4.00.
Chris Johnson, 3B, HOU - It's tempting to prorate Johnson's abbreviated stats from a season ago to 500-plus at-bats. That's a huge mistake. The truth is it's something of a fluke for a batter who strikes out 26.7 percent of the time to bat .308. Johnson did make a nice splash for the Astros last year, but don't expect similar results this season. Here are his monthly batting averages starting with June - .414, .359, .306, .267, .182 (11 AB) - showing the league had figured him out by season's end. There's a possibility that he could lose his starting spot as soon as the All-Star break.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, P, BOS - Dice-K will open the season in the Red Sox rotation after being limited in 2010 with back and forearm injuries. This marks the second straight year he missed time due to injury, which could be a result of his unorthodox pitching style. The truth about Matsuzaka is he's only put together one outstanding year in the U.S. In his four years state-side he has yet to have a WHIP less than 1.34 and only once has he had an ERA less than 4.40. While it hasn't been too significant, his K/9 rate has steadily dropped every year since he joined the Red Sox, from 8.84 to 7.79. Remember that he started pitching professionally in Japan in 1999, so there are some miles on his arm. Dice-K will have as many games where he'll blow up as he'll pitch masterfully, so look at his overall stats before he tempts you to take him.
Ryan Ludwick, OF, SD - There's two ways to look at Ludwick's 2010 season: his disappointing stats were a result of injuries or his move to Petco Park was the culprit. The answer likely lies somewhere between the two, though more toward the latter. Ludwick hit only .200 at Petco last year in 100 at-bats with four home runs and 11 RBI. Both his average and slugging percentage dropped for the second straight season, and now he'll be hitting in one of the weaker lineups in baseball. Throw in a checkered injury past, and that should be enough to avoid Ludwick on draft day.
Johan Santana, P, NYM - Let's start with the fact that Santana has totaled 122 innings over the second half of the last two seasons due to injury. A closer look at the rest of his numbers suggests that a decline is on the horizon for the former Cy Young winner. Over the last four seasons Santana's K/9 rate has steadily dropped (9.66 to 6.51). Not surprisingly, his fastball has also steadily dropped during that span from 91.8 mph to 89.6 mph. Last year's 2.98 ERA was helped out greatly by an eight-year low 6.0 HR/FB rate. A rise in ERA will occur when this stat normalizes toward the previous two seasons' average of 9.0 percent. His offseason surgery to repair a tear in the anterior capsule of his pitching arm will keep him shelved the first couple of months. But even when he returns, his stats from the last few seasons show a decline is coming.
Deep Leagues
Miguel Olivo, C, SEA - Olivo moved from the best hitter's park in baseball to one of the worst in Safeco Field this offseason. How much did Olivo enjoy the friendly confines of Coors Field? At home he batted .318 with 10 home runs and 42 RBI while on the road it was the opposite as he hit .211 with four home runs and 16 RBI. He's in line to get playing time, but his offensive stats are going to take a hit in that park. Don't forget that he has a career .246 batting average and struck out 29.7 percent of the time last year. That average will be detrimental to someone's team; don't let that be you.
Casey Blake, 3B, LAD - Blake has steadily shown signs of decline the last three years. His home runs have fallen during that time (1/28.6 ABs, 1/31.3, 1/33.5). The strikeout rate has steadily increased from 20.9 percent to 27.9 percent the last four seasons, which is partially to blame for last year's .248 batting average (his lowest since 2005). Given the steady decline, a repeat in the batting average with another drop in power should be expected from the 37-year-old this year.
Brennan Boesch, OF, DET - It's probably safe to say that Boesch was not on the radar for most owners at the beginning of last season. He started the season with a bang, posting a .342/.397/.593 line in the first half. The second half was a different story. Boesch hit .163/.237/.222 with only two home runs. Oddly, manager Jim Leyland has not made a big deal about the second-half falloff, instead criticizing Boesch for his sloppy defensive play. Boesch made 10 errors in the outfield and had the lowest fielding percentage (.957) of any player with at least 100 starts. The acquisition of Victor Martinez (who is expected to DH) will squeeze playing time from Boesch as well. There's a good chance he starts the year on the bench, hurting his fantasy prospects.
Cody Ross, OF, SF - Ross was a playoff hero for the Giants who rewarded him with a one-year deal this offseason. As a result, he'll be the everyday right fielder for the defending champs and see plenty of at-bats. The problem with Ross is his home ballpark. At AT&T Park, he hit .291 but had 17 strikeouts to only one walk and hit only one home run in 55 at-bats. Is this a small sample size? Absolutely. However, his home-run rate per at-bat declined for the third straight season, which doesn't inspire a lot of optimism.
Armando Galarraga, P, ARI - Many will take a chance on Galarraga, remembering the no-hitter that almost was. His peripheral numbers show he is headed in the wrong direction. Theoretically a move to the National League should improve any fantasy value, but he'll be a fly ball (48.9% last year) pitcher in one of the league's better hitter's parks. Last year his K/9 rate (4.61) dropped for the third consecutive year, and a career-low 8.9-percent HR/FB ratio limited the damage to his ERA. Don't count on him to succeed in Arizona by relying on smoke and mirrors.


text:
Release Date: 1959
DVD Release Date: July 14th, 2009
Not Yet Rated|1 hr 36 min
Plot Summary
Based on the famous 19th-century novel, this is the tale of Nello (David Ladd), a Flemish boy who dreams of becoming an artist. Nello is being raised by his grandfather, Jehan Daas (Donald Crisp), and the impoverished pair support themselves by delivering milk from a cart with the aid of their dog, Patrasche. When Daas dies, Nello is evicted and alone until he meets painter Piet van Gelder (Theodore Bikel), who takes the boy in and encourages his artistic talents.
Cast: David Ladd, Donald Crisp, Theodore Bikel, Max Croiset, Monique Ahrens, Siobhan Taylor, Gijsbert Tersteeg, John Soer
Director: James Clark
Genres: Drama, Family
Keywords: Underdog, Endearing, Touching, Heartwarming, Rise, Quest


text:
Here's What's Going On in Traverse City St. Patrick's Day!
Eat corned beef, run like a leprechaun and dress your dog like one, watch a parade, do a pub-crawl and men: Top it off with A FREE HOT NECK SHAVE! Here's what's going on in Traverse City St. Patrick's Day!
Friday, March 14
St. Patrick's Day started weeks ago when the meatmongers of Maxbauer's Specialty Market started brining pounds and pounds and pounds of corned beef. Watch this video to start your chops lickin', then head over to the market at 407 S. Union Street to pick one up for your traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage St. Pat's dinner. maxbauers.com.
Saturday March 15
9 am
Up and at 'em bloke! The Leaping Leprechaun 5k starts at 9 a.m. in the Warehouse District. You want motivation? Think about that cold beer they are going to hand you at the finish line. P.S. Go ahead, bring poochie on a leash for the run. But first, dress him up Irish style so he can be entered in the Canine Costume Contest. Register here: cherryfestival.org
Join the pre-parade glug at North Peak Brewing Co.
1:30 pm
The St. Patrick's Parade stages on Hall Street by North Peak then heads left Front, right on Pine, left on State, left on Park and then wends its way down Front Street.
2:30 pm
Settle into post-parade hurrah at Kilkenny's Irish Public House (below North Peak) where Song of the Lakes and The Wild Sully's are entertaining.
Sunday March 16
This is your day of rest. Top it off by inviting family and friends to partake of your corned beef and cabbage dinner. Here's Maxbauer's Market's recipe for cooking up one of their divinely brined corned beefs. https://mynorth.com/northern-michigan-recipes/corned-beef-cabbage/
Monday, March 17 ST. PATRICK'S DAY
Better than Christmas, St. Paddy's only comes around once a year old sham (Irish slang for friend, we looked it up on the internet), so slick yourself up at Burrone's Barber Shop (319 East Front Street, 231.922.0977) where they'll be giving free hot neck shaves from 9 am to 8 pm–in celebration of a shop redo and all things Irish, of course. Bring along your feek (Irish slang for gorgeous girl, again, the internet) and she'll get coupons for all of this barber shop/high stylin' full-service salon offerings. Fortify yourself with hors d'oeuvres, because it's time for the PUB CRAWL. Here's the itinerary. And remember: WALK, DON'T DRIVE.
Minerva's at the Park Place
U&I Lounge
4-5 pm
Union Street Station
Dillinger's Pub
Brady's Irish Pub
The Blue Tractor Cook Shop
9-10 pm
Fire Fly
State Street Grill