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The aim of our study was to determine whether resistance exercise-induced elevations in endogenous hormones enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy with training. Twelve healthy young men (21.8 ± 1.2 yr, body mass index = 23.1 ± 0.6 kg/m2) trained their elbow flexors independently for 15 wk on separate days and under different hormonal milieu. In one training condition, participants performed isolated arm curl exercise designed to maintain basal hormone concentrations (low hormone, LH); in the other training condition, participants performed identical arm exercise to the LH condition followed immediately by a high volume of leg resistance exercise to elicit a large increase in endogenous hormones (high hormone, HH). There was no elevation in serum growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), or testosterone after the LH protocol but significant (P < 0.001) elevations in these hormones immediately and 15 and 30 min after the HH protocol. The hormone responses elicited by each respective exercise protocol late in the training period were similar to the response elicited early in the training period, indicating that a divergent postexercise hormone response was maintained over the training period. Muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) increased by 12% in LH and 10% in HH (P < 0.001) with no difference between conditions (condition × training interaction, P = 0.25). Similarly, type I (P < 0.01) and type II (P < 0.001) muscle fiber CSA increased with training with no effect of hormone elevation in the HH condition. Strength increased in both arms, but the increase was not different between the LH and HH conditions. We conclude that exposure of loaded muscle to acute exercise-induced elevations in endogenous anabolic hormones enhances neither muscle hypertrophy nor strength with resistance training in young men.
- testosterone
- growth hormone
- insulin-like growth factor-1
- anabolism
hormones such as testosterone, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) are important for skeletal muscle anabolism during growth and development (e.g., 23). It has been suggested that acute elevation of this triumvirate of hormones that occurs after performance of intense resistance exercise is a significant contributor to the gains in strength and hypertrophy that are observed with resistance training (14, 19, 24, 30). The magnitude of the increase in concentration of these hormones is largely dependent on parameters of the resistance exercise. Specifically, large elevations of systemic hormones are observed acutely postexercise after resistance exercise bouts consisting of a high amount of work (8, 9, 28). Additionally, higher intensity exercise (16, 19) with short rest intervals (4, 17) that is performed with large muscle groups (10, 19) are also associated with large rises in these hormones. In fact, training principles have been constructed to maximize the postexercise rise in these hormones based on the interpretation that exercise-induced increases in systemic hormones like testosterone and GH will enhance muscle hypertrophy (15, 27, 31). Specifically, it has been suggested that small exercising muscle groups (e.g., biceps brachii), which are incapable of inducing large increases in systemic anabolic hormones when used in isolation, should be trained concurrently with large exercising muscle masses that can elevate testosterone and GH (10, 19). However, the hypothesis that exercise-induced rises in testosterone and GH enhance increases in strength and muscle hypertrophy with training remains untested.
We have previously demonstrated that acute changes in muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise and feeding (38) can qualitatively predict gains in muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) and lean body mass (11). Recently, we have shown that exercise-induced hormones that are hypothesized to be anabolic and affect hypertrophy do not acutely enhance fed-state myofibrillar protein synthesis after acute resistance exercise (36). Despite the ability of the postexercise protein synthetic response (38) to predict phenotypic adaptations to training (11), it is unknown whether the synthetic responses that we observed after a single acute bout of exercise (36) would ultimately translate into similar increases in muscle size and strength when hormone availability is manipulated following repeated bouts of resistance exercise (i.e., training). Thus the aim of our present study was to determine if increases in muscle strength and hypertrophy are enhanced by exercise-induced increases in hormone availability with resistance training. Based on our previous acute finding that myofibrillar protein synthesis was not enhanced by acute elevations in circulating testosterone, GH, and IGF-1, we hypothesized that repeatedly elevating the acute postexercise availability of these hormones would not enhance the muscle hypertrophy and strength gains achieved from a progressive resistance training program. Previous work demonstrating an effect of elevated endogenous hormones on gains in isometric strength has used a similar design (10) . Thus, as a reasonable proof of principle study, if acute rises in GH, IGF-1, and testosterone were to result in differential phenotypic changes, then an inherently superior design for testing this thesis is a unilateral within-person design, where interindividual differences in potential for hypertrophy and strength gains, which are substantial (12), are minimized.
Twelve healthy young men (21.8 ± 0.4 yr, 1.78 ± 0.02 m, 74.1 ± 3.3 kg; means ± SE) volunteered to participate in the study after being informed of the procedures and potential risks involved in the investigation. Subjects were recreationally active with no formal weightlifting experience. Participants provided consent to an agreement that was approved by the Research Ethics Board of Hamilton Health Sciences and that was written in accordance with standards set by the Declaration of Helsinki.
Experimental protocol.
Using a within-person design, participants trained each arm on separate days under two different hormonal environments for 15 wk. In the low hormone condition (LH), one arm performed arm curl exercise only, while in the high hormone condition (HH) the contralateral arm performed the same arm curl exercise followed immediately by a bout of leg resistance exercises designed to elicit large increases in circulating hormones. In weeks 1–6, participants trained each arm three times over 2 wk; they trained in a manner that allowed 72 h between LH and HH training days (e.g., week 1: Monday*, Tuesday, Friday*; week 2: Monday, Thursday*, Friday; HH session days shown with asterisk). This approach was taken to ensure that the enhanced muscle protein synthetic response, which can be elevated in the untrained state for ∼48 h (22, 26), occurred exclusively on the background of basal hormone concentrations during LH before the hormonal spike that was associated with exercise on the HH day 72 h later. In weeks 7–15, an extra training session was added to enhance the training stimulus so that each arm trained twice per week with at least 48 h following each arm-only trial (e.g., week 7: Monday*, Tuesday, Thursday*, Friday; HH session days shown with asterisk). We have previously shown that resistance training shortens the duration (i.e., <28 h) for which muscle protein synthesis is elevated after exercise (33). Therefore, despite the inclusion of an additional training session per week, the attenuated time course of muscle protein synthesis after exercise in a more trained state would still have provided enough recovery to ensure that the LH arm was not exposed to the hormonal milieu of HH during the skeletal muscle remodeling process. Participants consumed 18 g of whey protein immediately before exercise and 18 g at 90 min after arm exercise in each condition to support maximal rates of muscle protein synthesis both in the absence and presence of elevated hormone concentrations as well as to reduce variability in nutrition surrounding the exercise bout.
Subjects were familiarized with each exercise before strength testing and beginning the training program. Exercise in LH consisted of three to four sets of 8–12 repetitions at a load that was ∼95% of their 10-repetition maximum (RM) such that voluntary failure occurred during the final set. Exercise in HH was performed in the contralateral arm and consisted of identical arm exercise to LH but was followed by five sets of 10 repetitions of leg press and three sets of 12 repetitions of leg extension/leg curl "supersets" (1 set of each exercise, back-to-back, with no rest between sets) at ∼90% of 10 RM. Between-set rest intervals for arm and leg exercises were 120 and 60 s, respectively. Participants followed a progressive training protocol with respect to the number of sets and repetitions and to the load that was lifted. Each training session was supervised individually, and compliance across 56 sessions (28 per arm) was 96%.
Strength testing.
Isotonic 1 and 10 RMs were tested pre- and posttraining for the arm curl and leg exercises using standard procedures. Isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) strength was tested using a custom dynamometer. To isolate the elbow flexors as the sole producers of force, participants were seated with their upper arm abducted in the horizontal plane and with a pad clamped firmly down on the top of their shoulder. The forearm was supinated and tightly fastened using straps on an aluminum plate that was attached to a steel shaft. The participant's arm was positioned at 120° (180° = full extension) with the elbow visually aligned with the axis of rotation. A strain gauge was used to detect torque produced by isometric elbow flexion. The signal from the strain gauge was amplified and filtered (DC to 200-Hz bandwidth) before being digitized (sample rate of 3 kHz; model DI420, Dataq Instruments, Akron, OH) and analyzed with custom LabView 7 Express software (National Instruments, Austin, TX).
Blood samples were taken following the third as well as the final training session to characterize the hormonal response elicited by each condition (LH and HH) both early and late in the training period. Blood samples were analyzed for serum cortisol, testosterone, GH, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and IGF-1 using solid-phase, two-site chemiluminescence immunometric assays (Immulite; Intermedico, Holliston, MA). All intra-assay coefficients of variation for these hormones were below 5%, and all assays included standards and daily quality assurance procedures. Free testosterone was calculated from total testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (21). Lactate was measured on neutralized deproteinized whole blood using an enzymatic-colorimetric assay kit (Pointe Scientific, Canton, MI). Plasma insulin concentration was determined using Coat-a-Count insulin kits (Diagnostic Products, Los Angeles, CA). Blood amino acids were analyzed by HPLC as previously described (25). Hematocrit was measured in triplicate using standard microcapillary methods. Change in plasma volume was calculated from hemoglobin concentration (cyanmethemoglobin technique, Pointe Scientific) and hematocrit using equations by Dill and Costill (7).
Participants underwent MRI scans using a 1-T extremity scanner (OrthOne, ONI Medical Systems, Wilmington, MA) at the Centre for Appendicular MRI Studies (Hamilton, ON, Canada). Fluorescent markers were placed over the elbow joint line and 12 cm proximally; coronal and sagittal scout scans were used to locate the markers and center the region of interest in the magnetic field. Participants lay with their arm abducted and their wrist in a neutral position so that their elbow flexors were not compressed. Beginning at the joint line, 16 axial scans were taken to determine elbow flexor CSA as a function of distance from the elbow joint line. Images were acquired using the following parameters: repetition time/echo time, 700 ms/21.8 ms; field of view, 14 cm; phase/frequency, 288; slice thickness, 2 mm; gap, 6 mm. Participants' arms were scanned before the beginning of the training program and ∼72 h after the final training bout. Each image was circled three times by the same investigator using National Institutes of Health ImageJ software (version 1.38, Bethesda, MD); average coefficient of variation for measured CSA on repeated traces was 0.6%.
Muscle fiber CSA.
Muscle biopsies were performed pre- and posttraining with a 5-mm Bergström needle that was custom modified for manual suction under local anesthesia (2% xylocaine). Muscle fibers were oriented vertically under a dissecting microscope and embedded in optimal cutting temperature (OCT) medium. The mounted muscle was frozen in isopentane cooled by liquid nitrogen and stored at −80°C until processing for CSA analysis. Cross sections (10 μm thick) were cut, mounted on glass slides, and stained using a myofibrillar ATPase histochemisty procedure at an acid preincubation pH of 4.6 to distinguish type I and type II fibers as described previously (13, 32). Pictures of the stained slides were taken using a light microscope and NIS Elements 3.0 Imaging Software (Nikon, NY). An average of 47 type I and 53 type II fibers were circled using ImagePro Plus software (version 220.127.116.11, Media Cybernetics, Bethesda, MD) to quantify CSA. During the course of analysis our freezer malfunctioned, which compromised the quality of some of our samples. Since the study was a within-subject design with pre- and posttraining biopsies, if one or more of four samples (pre-LH and pre-HH; post-LH and post-HH) was of poor quality it prevented us from being able to make within-subject comparisons. Thus we have only included data for subjects (n = 7) for whom we could obtain a complete data set from both arms pre- and posttraining.
This study was a within-subject repeated-measures design. Blood lactate and serum hormone concentrations were analyzed using three-factor repeated-measures ANOVA statistics with training (pre and post), condition (LH and HH), and time (preexercise and 0, 15, 30, and 60 min postexercise) as within-subject factors. Two-factor (training × condition) repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze area under the curve data; two-factor (time × condition) repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze hematocrit and plasma volume change early in the training period. One-factor (time) repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze mean insulin and amino acid concentrations across training in each condition. Hypertrophy and strength data were analyzed using two-factor (training × condition) repeated-measures ANOVA. Where ANOVA revealed significance (P < 0.05), Tukey's post hoc test was used to identify pairwise differences. Values are expressed as means ± SE.
Blood analyses.
LH elicited a minimal rise in lactate concentration (∼2 mmol/l at peak), whereas HH elicited a marked increase (∼10.5 mmol/l at peak); nearly identical responses were elicited before and after training within each condition (Fig. 1A). Figure 1, B–E, shows the hormone responses of GH, IGF-1, and total and free testosterone, respectively, after each condition during the first and last weeks of training. There was no change in the concentration of any of these hormones after exercise in LH. In contrast, there was a marked increase in GH, IGF-1, and total and free testosterone that peaked ∼15 min after HH (P < 0.001); this divergent pattern in hormone availability was present both at the beginning and end of 15 wk of training. Cortisol concentrations were similar to basal levels after LH and were markedly elevated after HH; there was an attenuation of the cortisol response after HH at the end of the training period. DHEA-S exhibited a pattern broadly similar to other hormones with a significant rise at 0 and 15 min in HH compared with LH and with no training-induced changes in basal levels or in the pattern of response (data not shown). Hematocrit increased, and plasma volume decreased, to a greater extent after HH compared with after LH (Table 1).
Insulin concentration peaked 30 and 45 min after the preexercise protein drink in LH and HH, respectively (Table 2). Amino acids appeared in the blood at a similar rate. In LH, amino acids reached a plateau and concentrations remained elevated at 75 min postdrink (P < 0.001). In HH, amino acids peaked 30 min postdrink, and then declined, before appearing to reach a steady-state above baseline 90 min postdrink (P < 0.05; Table 2). Note that the values in Table 2 do not reflect the second 18-g protein drink that was given 90 min after arm exercise in each condition.
Isometric strength increased 20 ± 4% (range: 3–49%) in LH and 19 ± 3% (range: 2−34%) in HH with training (P < 0.001, Fig. 2A), but there were no differences between conditions (condition × training interaction, P = 0.65). Similarly, 1 RM increased 23 ± 6% (2–56%) in LH and 25 ± 5% (2–53%) in HH (P < 0.001, Fig. 2B) with no effect of condition (P = 0.43). The 10 RM increased 46 ± 3% (33–62%) in LH and 47 ± 6% (20–100%) in HH (P < 0.001, Fig. 2C), but there were no differences between conditions (P = 0.63).
Muscle fiber and elbow flexor CSA.
Type I muscle fiber CSA increased 9 ± 3% (0–16%) in LH and 11 ± 4% (0–26%) in HH with training (P < 0.01, Fig. 3A) while type II muscle fiber CSA increased 21 ± 4% (8–42%) in LH and 24 ± 6% (9–53%) in HH (P < 0.001, Fig. 3B); there were no differences between conditions for either fiber type (condition × training interaction, P ≥ 0.55). Elbow flexor CSA increased 12 ± 2% (3–18%) in LH and 10 ± 2% (4–20%) in HH with training (P < 0.001), with no differences between conditions (condition × training interaction, P = 0.27; Fig. 3C). Figure 3D shows elbow flexor CSA as a function of the distance from the elbow joint line for 12 serial slices for each condition; there were no differences when accounting for the position of the measurement.
In the present study, we were able to effectively manipulate endogenous hormone concentrations so that, during the acute postexercise time period when amino acids were readily available for protein synthesis, one arm was repeatedly exposed to marked increases in GH, IGF-1, as well as total and free testosterone concentration. The contralateral arm was exposed to only basal levels of these hormones. Despite vast differences in hormone availability in the immediate postexercise period, we found no differences in the increases in strength or hypertrophy in muscle exercised under low or high hormone conditions after 15 wk of resistance training. These findings are in agreement with our hypothesis and previous work showing that exercise-induced hormone elevations do not stimulate myofibrillar protein synthesis (36) and are not necessary for hypertrophy (37). Thus our data (36 and present observations), when viewed collectively, lead us to conclude that local mechanisms are of far greater relevance in regulating muscle protein accretion occurring with resistance training and that acute changes in hormones, such as GH, IGF-1, and testosterone, do not predict or in any way reflect a capacity for hypertrophy.
We found no additional strength improvements in the arm trained under the HH condition, which is in contrast to a study (10) that is commonly cited (e.g., 14, 18–20, 30, 31) to support the thesis that exercise-induced increases in hormone availability enhance training adaptations. However, the finding of greater isometric strength gains due to physiological hormone elevations in the previous study (10) may have been related to differences in baseline strength between different groups training with either low or high hormone concentrations. In the present study there was no difference between arms in any of our measures of strength before or after training. Moreover, in agreement with our data, Hansen and co-workers (10) reported no effect of exercise-induced rises in hormone levels on dynamic strength gains with training. Since our study was a within-subject design, we can expect that a portion of the increase in strength was due to cross-education effects, i.e., increased strength in the limb that is contralateral to the training limb, which is ∼7% of initial strength in the elbow flexors (5). Additionally, any contribution to increased strength due to cross-education would have likely benefited both arms similarly and is a reflection of increased motorneuron output rather than muscular adaptations (6).
In addition to measuring changes in strength, we quantified whole muscle and fiber CSA to determine if exercise-induced elevations in circulating hormones enhances muscle hypertrophy with resistance training. We found no effect of elevated hormones on the degree of muscle hypertrophy measured by either MRI or histochemical staining with 15 wk of training. Instead, our data showed virtually identical increases in both muscle fiber and whole muscle CSA regardless of hormonal condition. These findings agree with the notion that local and not systemic factors are responsible for initiating signaling responses in type I and II fibers in response to resistance exercise (34).
By strictly supervising each session of a progressive training program, we successfully maintained divergent hormone profiles in the acute recovery period after exercise. That is, LH and HH elicited low and high hormone (and lactate) responses, respectively, at both the beginning and through to the end of training. The mechanisms that drive increases in exercise-induced hormones, as well as the biological relevance of exercise-induced hormones, are unclear but are more likely related to metabolic stress and/or fuel mobilization rather than muscle anabolism. It is important to note that the transient physiological increase in hormone availability that can occur after resistance exercise is in contrast to the continued marked elevation that is observed with pharmacological administration, which can have an effect on overall muscle mass depending on the hormone. For example, supraphysiological doses of testosterone are clearly potently anabolic to skeletal muscle (3) whereas GH supplementation has little effect on the exercise-induced increase in muscle mass (39). Furthermore, there is evidence that a minimal basal level of testosterone is required to support strength and hypertrophy gains, which are otherwise attenuated (20). Therefore, the hormone-sensitive processes that underpin muscle anabolism at hypo- and supraphysiological hormone levels are not being activated appreciably by exercise-induced increases in hormone availability or at least do not result in any measurable enhancement of strength or hypertrophy.
In our view, resistance exercise provides an intrinsic stimulus to the working muscle, which drives hypertrophy, and whereas physiological systemic hormone concentrations may be permissive for the hypertrophic process, exercise-induced elevations do not enhance or in any way predict hypertrophy. Resistance exercise results in the phosphorylation of critically important signaling pathway proteins that are correlated with the extent of muscle hypertrophy in rodents (2) as well as humans (35). These data (2, 35) suggest that local mechanisms within the muscle are of paramount importance in determining muscle hypertrophy. Clearly further research is required to clarify how these mechanisms, possibly in concert with local growth factors (1), combine with other mechanical signals to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and facilitate muscle protein accretion. Ultimately, muscle hypertrophy is specific to the trained muscle group, and strength adaptations are specific to the characteristics of the training regime (29); our data suggest that these adaptations are dissociated from acute exercise-induced hormonal rises.
In summary, transient resistance exercise-induced increases in endogenous purportedly anabolic hormones do not enhance muscle strength or hypertrophy following 15 wk of resistance training. Instead, our data are consistent with the notion that local mechanisms are of primary relevance in producing gains in muscle strength and hypertrophy with resistance training. These findings, combined with our previous work (36, 37), provide multiple lines of evidence that exercise-induced elevations of purportedly anabolic hormones are not necessary for, and do not enhance, muscle anabolism in young men. Our data indicate that exercise-induced changes in concentrations of systemic hormones do not reflect the underlying processes of muscle protein accretion and cannot be used as a proxy marker of muscle hypertrophy.
This work was supported by a Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada grant to S. M. Phillips. D. W. D. West, J. E. Tang, A. W. Staples, and D. R. Moore are Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Canada Graduate Scholarship Award recipients, and all authors acknowledge those sources of support during the conduct of this research.
No conflicts of interest are declared by the authors.
We thank Todd Prior and Tracy Rerecich for technical assistance and our participants for their time and effort. We are grateful to Gianni Parise and Warren Foster for use of equipment for muscle fiber analysis and to Dean Inglis and Jonathan Adachi for assistance with MRI.
We thank Protient for the generous donation of whey protein isolate.
- Copyright © 2010 the American Physiological Society


text: Here's an article I found which inspired this idea. http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/444076/The-Nazis-search-for-Atlantis-and-the-Holy-Grail Now if you think about it, Atlantis and the Holy Grail is a lot like AC's Eden and can easily be said that the Atlantis legend is one of many that's about Eden which the Nazi believe that they alone are descended from and that the population was a pure Aryan race, even though there's some evidence that they're perhaps multi-racial. Here's another thing, Hitler was a believer of the occult and a collector of art works "theft" and Leonardo da Vinci was a painter and the one that Ezio left his Apple of Eden with. You could say that Leonardo left clues to where he hid the Apple of Eden in his art works which would be the first thing that the nazi agents would look for. The Holy Grail.... As anyone who has played the AC series would know, the Apple of Eden isn't the only artifact left by the first civilization and the Holy Grail could be one of them and that the Apple of Eden can do more then just control minds and create illusions, but has a map which was revealed in the first game. You could say tat the nazi agents hope that this map will show them where the grail is. The assassin.... A jew who by fate escapes from being sent to a concentration camp when the train he's on gets derailed and makes his escape and meets someone who ends up training him to become an assassin to stop the templars who are manipulating the Nazi cause and Hitler to get what they want, as well as get some revenge. The Templars.... The head Templar could perhaps be Hitler's secret right hand man who manipulates Hitler and even use Hitler's phobias and/or drugs to help with that manipulation. Like all Templars in the past, they see their cause noble, but are willing to pay any price to achieve it, especially if it's others who are doing the paying.

subset: commoncrawl


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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Montgomery County Sheriff's Department has made an arrest in relation to two break-ins on the property of Jimmy Ford on Dorman Road.
Kelvin Robertson, of Kilmichael, was arrested Friday morning on two counts of grand larceny.
Over $3,000 worth of tools was stolen from Ford's property.
Robertson's bond was set at $25,000 and has a preliminary hearing Monday, June 23.


text: I'm contemplating selling these (along with some others) in order to fund the purchase of a Nikon 80-200 2.8. I'd like to put a feeler out there and see if there is any interest. First up is a Nikon FM combo. It includes the Nikon FM, original version 2xxxxx serial number (the later version is 3xxxxx). The FM is in stellar condition with just a little dust. No serious cosmetic injuries, or dents or dings, and works perfectly. No light leaks or other issues. Meter is working as well. Attached to it is the 28mm 2.8 series E. This lens is in great condition as well with nothing major to speak of. The other lens is the 50mm 1.8 series E. It is in good condition as well. There is one UV filter, and I'll throw in the red filter and strap as well. And the MD12 works like a charm and could be a weapon in a pickle. KEH has this exact body for $119 in EX condition. Lets say $200 for the whole kit, and buyer covers paypal fees and shipping costs. More photos in the set. http://www.flickr.com/photos/christophercoy/sets/72157630285558228/ Nikon FM + 28mm 2.8 E + MD12 by ChristopherCoy, on Flickr The second is a Polaroid 250. This camera is in stellar condition as well. Battery compartment is clean, film compartment is clean, bellows are in nice shape, and I've run film through it with no problems. It also comes with the case, cold clip, the close up attachement, a UV filter, and the flash attachement. There may be some other things in the case. If there is serious interest I'll get it out of the closet and see whats in there. Right now this thing just sits in the display case. Lets say $100 for everything, buyer covers paypal fees and shipping costs. Polaroid 250 by ChristopherCoy, on Flickr I've also got a black Alien Bee 800 that I'm probably going to sell as well. Its in good condition, with the travel cover and sync cord. $225, buyer pays paypal fees and shipping.


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Your Country Pets: January 31
The adorable reader-submitted pet pictures we couldn't resist sharing this week.
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@kellymayross's English bulldog Bane is a keeper.
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@seanfed2 shared this adorable picture of his Bernese mountain dog wearing a festive T-shirt.
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Seattle Wheel & Roll-O-Plane on Steroids
Can anyone explain to me how the Drew Expo Seattle Wheel, requiring three trailers for transport, can be described as the "world's largest portable midway attraction" when their recently-acquired Space Wheels requires four trailers for transport? Also, about 15 years ago at the North Carolina State Fair, the midway of which was provided by Strates, I saw a large version of the Bullet (aka the Eyerly Roll-O-Plane), which ride was called the Sky Master; I am aware that, at times, the ride I term the Eyerly Loop-O-Plane "on steroids" has been called the Sky Master also; my questions are (1) who built the "Roll-O-Plane on Steroids" and (2) who owns it? (I've never seen it on Strates' midway or web site, so I take it it was booked in.


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If you haven't read my other poems..this might not make sense.. Time: 1hr Emotion: Mad,Confused,Peaceful Poem(mine): [Link]
Flash Draw Created Jun 15, 2012 460 x 640px Unless noted Copyright 2012 CronaIsForever.
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love your cute angel and her awesome angel wings plus her great t shirt i bet she spend every minute making people smile and watching over them with great care 5h fav


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History in the making
The 2016 elections has turned quite interesting with Rep. Leni Robredo's acceptance of the administration's invitation to run as vice president to Mar Roxas.
Remember that if we go by the numbers, Senator Grace Poe remains as the leading presidential candidate.
The Philippines could possibly have two women occupying the two highest government positions—a first not only for the country, but as far as I know, for the world. This could be history in the making.
There is no denying that Poe and Robredo can win the elections. Poe's popularity cannot be questioned despite everything, including the kitchen sink, being thrown at her. Lately, she is also doing the right thing by going directly to the people, whose votes can bring her to Malacañang.
Robredo's numbers, on the other hand, are still low as of the last surveys. She, however, cannot be dismissed from the race because although a "latecomer", she is also very popular especially among advocates of new politics. Outside of the administration's sphere of influence, Robredo has another "base"—that of "workers", those who volunteer out of principles and because of their advocacies. They will work hard for Robredo to win.
This is because when contrasted with other vice presidential candidates, Robredo's simplicity, low-key demeanor, and track record as a non-government public servant make her a good choice. She is seen as clean, with the kind of integrity that voters look for, and, authentically pro-poor.
Both women are running with veteran politicians. Poe's VP is Senator Chiz Escudero and Robredo is with Roxas. Going by the results of post-martial law elections, Filipino voters do not go for party slates. The Cory-Doy ticket was brought to the Palace via Edsa. Both former President Macapagal-Arroyo and her VP, Noli de Castro, won, but they were in an alliance, not under one party. All others came from different parties. Thus, it is very possible that the tandem that will emerge in 2016 will not come from the same slate.
Both Poe and Robredo are seen as clean. There are no corruption allegations against them. They are not traditional politicians or trapos. Some pundits say they are "deodorizers" for the men they run with. Some expect their acceptability and popularity to rub off on Chiz and Mar. Fat chance, I say.
Pro- Poe supporters are significantly wary of Escudero. Some say that their ambivalence towards Poe is caused by the suspicion that Chiz is "controlling" her.
As regards Robredo, as early as now, many of those I know who will vote for her have said that "Hanggang Robredo lang ako." Thus, I think that Roxas and Escudero's people should not depend too much on these women candidates for votes.
While a Poe-Robredo win is possible, I have no illusion that achieving this will be easy. In fact there are many major obstacles facing such a tandem but this requires a separate article.
I would, however, posit that Poe's and Robredo's candidacies offer other golden opportunities for women and our political agenda.
In my dream, I see Poe and Robredo veering away from the "ulila" and "kawawa" image. I like Robredo's statements saying that she is a different person from her late husband former DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, and that sympathy should not be enough basis to vote for her. Only a strong, confident woman can say that.
I wish Senator Poe would stop using her father in her campaign. As rightly pointed out by people, the late FPJ has not done anything yet for her to continue. He just ran for president and did not have the chance to show his mettle as a public servant. Grace Poe should now show the people what she herself is capable of doing and not live in the shadow of FPJ.
Poe and Robredo are both strong, empowered women. They should embrace this image and show the country that women are capable to occupy the highest offices of the land on their own merits.
What I also like about these two candidates is the fact that they are both non-traditional. I see Poe, as someone who grew up in the United States, as exposed to more modern perspectives. I expect her to have progressive views on women's rights. Robredo, on the other hand, as a lawyer, has been for many years involved in working with marginalized sectors. One cannot do as she did if she does not have solid rights-based principles.
Poe and Robredo, albeit separately, should take pride in their being strong, modern Filipinas.
Their candidacies offer a rare opportunity for women's issues to be part of the national electoral discourse. There has never been a national elections where women's rights were at the core of presidential candidates' platform. Women's rights have always been at the margins.
In my dream I see Poe and Robredo engaging other candidates on women's rights for a change. After all, we speak here of the rights of half of the population.
For women's groups, the candidacies of these strong women is a golden opportunity to put forward solutions to women's issues and problems. Organizations, despite political, even ideological differences can perhaps come together and agree on crucial programs for women that can be brought to the attention of these women candidates.
Women's groups should engage candidates armed with crucial agenda for women's empowerment. An opportunity as rare as this may not come again in the next elections so we must grab this chance.
The 2016 elections is not only exciting. It gives women and our right the opportunity to shine. It can make history for women's political participation.
@bethangsioco on Twitter
Elizabeth Angsioco on FaceBook


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How many more movies do we need about a rough neighborhood full of lifelong friends hopelessly turned to crime or worse? The enormous catalog of such movies might dissuade a filmmaker from making yet another, but here we have it. Again. Five Irish kids in NYC's Hell's Kitchen make an overemotional pact over some stolen rings on an anonymous rooftop. With teary music. And slow motion. In the film's first scene.
Continue reading: One Eyed King Review
Take a look back at October's inaugural event.
The film is expected to continue without Mendes' involvement.


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Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California
Do I have to replace a sump pump in a crawl space because there is water in the crawl space?
Asked on 2/04/10, 3:06 pm
1 Answer from Attorneys
Scott Linden Scott H. Linden, Esq.
If the water can cause structural damage, and most water can, you might want to replace it just to protect your own property...never mind the tenant...you want to make sure your real property lasts and retains its value. A damaged or moldy foundation will kill the value.
Answered on 2/09/10, 3:20 pm


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Download of the Day - Apple Updates iOS to 6.1
Apple today updated iOS to version 6.1, adding LTE capabilities to 36 additional iPhone carriers and 23 additional iPad carriers around the world, so even more iPhone 5, iPad mini and iPad* with Retina display users can experience ultrafast wireless performance** to browse, download and stream content at blazing fast speeds. To date, iOS users have uploaded over nine billion photos to Photo Stream, sent over 450 billion iMessages and received over four trillion notifications.
"iOS 6 is the world's most advanced mobile operating system, and with nearly 300 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices on iOS 6 in just five months, it may be the most popular new version of an OS in history," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "iOS 6.1 brings LTE support to more markets around the world, so even more users can enjoy ultrafast Safari browsing, FaceTime video calls, iCloud services, and iTunes and App Store downloads."<
iOS 6 features include Siri, which supports more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings; Maps with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and Flyover view; Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center, Siri and Facebook-enabled apps; Shared Photo Streams via iCloud; and Passbook, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place. Additional updates in iOS 6.1 include the ability to use Siri to purchase movie tickets in the US through Fandango, and iTunes Match? subscribers can download individual songs to their iOS devices from iCloud.
The revolutionary App Store? offers more than 800,000 apps to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users, with more than 300,000 native iPad apps. App Store customers have downloaded over 40 billion apps, and Apple has paid over seven billion dollars to its incredible developer community. Customers can choose from apps in 23 categories, including newspapers and magazines offered in Newsstand, games, business, news, sports, health & fitness and travel.


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It's about knowing how to find the right people, make the right recommendations, and deliver the right services.
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If you'd like to have a true partner in managing your human resources issues, turn to San Diego's most experienced staffing professionals.
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Written on: 06/04/2010 by jordan1971 (1 review written)
I really don't know where to start on this. After taking me more than a month to set up our company's cycle to work scheme and numerous phone conversations where I could never get hold of the right person and they never bother to call me back. Then one of my colleagues forwarded a cheque to them by RM recorded delivery signed by them, then they claimed that they never received it the cheque was also cashed. We tried to complain, I send a number of emails to their customer service department, they didn't even bother to reply. Eventually I ordered a bike through them, first they couldn't get the colour I wanted so they offered me an ex display bike with no discount whatsoever telling me it's company's policy. When eventually I got the bike from them it was so badly assembled that I had to tighten and readjust gears, mudguards etc. myself. Now there is a fault with the bike's gears less than a year and with less than 200 miles on the bike and they want to charge me to fix it as apparently it's not covered by the warranty. If this is the case I rather fix it at an independent shop I dealt with before and had only good experience with. Almost every single one of my colleagues experienced some sort of a problem with their order with Evans. I am now recommending to our HR to remove them as a supplier and hope other companies will follow suit.
As rated by our community of reviewers
" Just the job " Read More
" Unwilling to Make it Right " Read More
" Return item " Read More
" Professional. Speedy. Great customer service. " Read More
" Great Staff. " Read More


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Joel and Lacy Smith, Hastings, announce the birth of a son, Elijah Steven, 7 pounds, 15 ounces, July 24 at Flagler Hospital.
Maternal grandparents are Steven and Andrea Dixon, Dunnellon, and paternal grandparents are Wayne and Patsy Smith, Hastings.
Maternal great-grandparents are Joseph Baptist, Clearwater; Grace Barefield, Ocala; and Shirley Dixon, Dunnellon, and paternal great-grandparents are Wilbur Smith, Hastings, and Rita Sigman, Tequesta.
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


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Written on: 23/05/2013
I searched a number of sites to find genuine Shimano spares to service my hubs. Single Track Bikes had the parts in stock and at a very competitive price. The order was dispatched promptly and arrived in time to get my bike back on the road quickly. I'll be checking here first in future.


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18 Inspectors Arrested on Bribe Charges
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
Published: October 1, 1993
New York City investigators arrested 18 current and former plumbing inspectors yesterday on charges that they extorted dozens of payoffs from plumbing contractors in return for expedited inspections and quicker city approvals at construction sites.
Eleven inspectors were arrested yesterday when they reported to the Buildings Department for what they had been told would be a computer training session. Colleagues looked on in disbelief as the inspectors were taken away about 9:30 A.M. One plumbing inspector who was not arrested said the city was partly responsible for the problem.
"They create it," the inspector said. "They put you in a position that basically is a no-win situation. They don't give you any increase in salary. Plumbers are making $55,000 a year and the city plumbing inspectors only get $28,000." Payoffs at 88 Work Sites
The inspectors, responsible for insuring that pipes, sprinklers and gas lines are safe in buildings being constructed or under renovation, were accused of taking dozens of payoffs and bribes from contractors since 1988, ranging from $50 to $1,000. Prosecutors said they had evidence of payoffs at 88 work sites, including Police Headquarters, the World Trade Center, a condominium development on Staten Island and a row of three-family houses in Queens.
For the bribes, prosecutors said, the inspectors speeded approvals for plumbing work, arranging special appointments for inspections and taking pains to make sure the paper work was done quickly. Because plumbing contractors are generally not paid until their work passes inspection, the contractors were willing to make illegal payments just to speed up the city bureaucracy, prosecutors said.
"These city inspectors were demanding payoffs to insure that their official duties were performed expeditiously," said the Manhattan District Attorney, Robert M. Morgenthau. "Their power to extort payoffs lay in the fact that their signatures made the difference between getting paid or not getting paid."
The city's Investigation Commissioner, Susan E. Shepard, portrayed the bribes as part of endemic corruption in the plumbing industry. She said plumbing contractors had come to expect that they would have to pay cash bribes to get city inspections done on time and without hassles. Since the plumbing inspectors are required to be licensed plumbers, most come from the companies they regulate, creating a cozy breeding ground for corruption, she said. 'A Real Fraternity'
"There is a real fraternity here," she said. "A fraternity that practices corruption almost as an art form. Corruption so deeply ingrained it has become common practice. No guns pointed. No strong-arm enforcement. People pay. The contractor gets his sign-off. The job continues. Everyone smiles."
About half of the city's 38 plumbing investigators were arrested in the sweep yesterday, crippling the department's ability to perform inspections. In addition to 11 inspectors arrested at the department's headquarters, one was arrested at his office and five others were still being sought. Six retired inspectors were arrested at their homes.
It was not the first time that corruption has cropped up in a building inspection program. In 1991, a similar investigation resulted in the arrest of 14 construction inspectors in the Buildings Department on Federal charges of extorting more than $150,000 over a three-year period from contractors. In 1992, city investigators arrested 30 taxi inspectors at the city's cab inspection center in Queens on charges that they accepted bribes to pass unsafe taxis.
The inspectors arrested yesterday were charged with multiple counts of grand larceny, extortion, receiving bribes and receiving unlawful gratuities. The most serious charge, grand larceny, carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Ms. Shepard said the 18-month inquiry uncovered no evidence that the inspectors overlooked or approved work that would create hazards.
Among those indicted were the chief plumbing inspectors for Queens and Brooklyn and the acting chief inspector in Manhattan, Ms. Shepard said. The chiefs were paid between $300 and $500 per inspection and in a single instance, $1,000, for a fast approval, augmenting their income by as much as $25,000 a year, she said. The assistant inspectors and line inspectors were collecting about $5,000 a year in illegal payments, she said.
Mayor David N. Dinkins said he had submitted two bills to the City Council that would replace city-paid inspectors with private inspectors supervised by a board of city officials. He also said the Buildings Department had taken some steps to discourage corruption: computerizing inspection schedules to make sure the sites are visited within three days after a request and rotating inspectors from borough to borough to break down personal relationships with plumbing contractors.
Photo: Some of the 18 plumbing inspectors who were arrested yesterday and charged with extorting payoffs from contractors for inspections and approvals at construction sites, hiding their faces as they sat in a police wagon. (Angel Franco/The New York Times)


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Word of the Day / Zugi זוגי
In Hebrew, even numbers are couple-y, or zugi, an adjective derived from the word for 'couple' or 'pair.'
An even number is any number divisible by two. In Hebrew, that means even numbers are couple-y, or zugi (zoo-GHEE), an adjective derived from the...
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Spain's Jorge Lorenzo delighted his home fans as he extended his lead in the MotoGP World Championship standings with a battling victory in today's Catalunya Grand Prix.
The Yamaha rider started from second place behind title rival Casey Stoner but was pushed hardest for the victory by the Australian's Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa, who profited from a dream getaway at the start to take a well-earned second place.
With Stoner finishing fourth, Lorenzo extended his lead in the riders' standings to 20 points heading into the British round at Silverstone in a fortnight.
Tech 3 Yamaha's Andrea Dovizioso produced a sterling ride to claim the final podium place a fraction ahead of Stoner, with the Italian's British team-mate Cal Crutchlow having to settle for fifth after starting the race from a career-best third place.
"It was a very tough race. It was hot and very complicated," Lorenzo told BBC Sport.
"I waited my opportunity. With Dani he raced very close and I didn't want to touch him, so I waited for one mistake from him to take my opportunity."
Pole-sitter Stoner, Lorenzo and Crutchlow failed to make their most of their front-row berths at the start as Pedrosa and the second factory Yamaha of Ben Spies blasted through to lead the pack into turn one.
Spies, who is under pressure to turn in better performances at Yamaha, attempted to take the lead on lap three but ran wide and ended on his side in the gravel.
The American mounted a solid recovery ride to take 10th at the flag, although a podium was surely there for the taking had he made the pass stick.
The race instead came down to a straight duel between Pedrosa and Lorenzo, the two Spaniards putting on a great show for their fans at the Barcelona circuit.
Lorenzo got the run on Pedrosa to take the lead on the entry to the first turn on lap seven but the Honda man was able to hit the front again with 14 laps remaining.
Lorenzo ran wide to allow Dovizioso to briefly threaten his hold on second, but the 2010 champion pulled clear of the Italian and with six laps to go passed Pedrosa to take the lead for good and his third win in five races this season.
Pedrosa, who now trails Lorenzo by 30 points in the standings, admitted his frustration at failing to register his first win of the campaign.
"I had some issues at the end. I wanted to be faster and I expected to be better," he told BBC Sport.
"I did my best in the middle of the race, tried to attack, came back strong because he pushed me wide in the first turn.
"I'm a little bit disappointed today. I wanted to win pretty bad."
Alvaro Bautista (Honda Gresini) took sixth place ahead of the Ducati of Valentino Rossi, the LCR Honda of Stefan Bradl and the second Ducati of Nicky Hayden.


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Holy cow, what a mess.
State police had to help herd about 16 head of cattle off I-94 and State Road 49, after a truck driver transporting livestock from Michigan to Milwaukee, rear-ended another truck just before midnight, according to the Chicago Tribune.
35-year-old David Moss of Holland, Michigan was talking on his CB radio when he hit the truck in front of him. The collision ignited a fire, which caused the tires of the trailer to explode, which then blew out the bottom of the aluminum trailer.
In all 34 heads of cattle were on the trailer, some died and some had to be put down due to the extend of their injuries. Moss escaped the fire by jumping out of his truck's window.
State police cited Moss, who drives for J.P Express in Dorr, Michigan.


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Class of 2010 by the numbers
Curious what the top five majors were for the Class of 2010? Here is a close-up view of McDaniel's newest alumni, by the numbers.Total number of degrees (bachelor's and master's): 901 Full Story
Graduating seniors earn top awards
Two graduating seniors were awarded the College's top academic honors at McDaniel's May 22 Commencement ceremony. Melissa Atkinson, with a 4.18 GPA, received the Argonaut Award, given to the senior with the highest grade-point average.… Full Story
Fourteen second lieutenants commissioned
Seven McDaniel graduating seniors, along with five from Mount St. Mary's University, were commissioned as Army officers at 8:30 a.m. May 22 before commencement. Two graduating seniors from Hood College were commissioned the day before… Full Story
Tassles unfurled
Just a week after Lookin' at Lucky nosed passed a field of twelve to win this year's Preakness, graduating seniors, 444-strong, at McDaniel College posted their silks to strut their academic achievements. Silken cords encircling their… Full Story
Students recycle, not dump, end-of-year castoffs
If one person's trash is indeed another's treasure, McDaniel students and Goodwill recipients hit the jackpot thanks to the Environmental Action Club.During the club's weeklong inaugural Swap Yo Stuff event in Gill Gymnasium, students… Full Story
McDaniel College celebrates 140th Commencement
Relatives and friends of the Class of 2010 cheered as McDaniel College awarded 457 master's degrees and 444 bachelor's degrees May 22 at its 140th Commencement.Top academic honors went to Melissa Atkinson, this year's Argonaut Award… Full Story
Cheers class of 2010
Looking back: Commencement 65 years ago
This excerpt from the College history, "Fearless and Bold" by James E. Lightner '59, reveals some surprising similarities to the Commencement ceremony 2010. A nation at war, restricted travel (volcano dust clouds and gas prices may… Full Story
Hill Happenings
- Area graduations and summer camps schedules can be obtained here.- The online Calendar of Events can be found here. Full Story
Sports Wrap
Emma Ardolino, a senior on the McDaniel field hockey and women's lacrosse teams, won one of three MACDA postgraduate scholarships. She will pursue a doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Delaware.Ardolino was a four-year… Full Story


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" Genre: Rock / Artist: Warpaint / CD / Audio CD released 2010-10-25 at Rough Trade "
* Prices may differ from that shown
When I used to go to Reading Festival on a regular basis I used to come home with a list of new bands I wanted to find out a bit more about. When I stopped going last year I expected that to stop but even by watching the TV coverage of the Festival I still seem to discover new bands and this year has been no exception with the band at the top of that list being Warpaint. They did an acoustic set for the BBC and have since started to receive some radio play in conjuction with the release of their debut album The Fool.
Who Are Warpaint
The band is made up of 4 female musicians from Los Angeles. Over the years they have undergone a bit of a line up change since forming in 2004. Three of the band members were childhood friends and from that friendship they started to write and play music. Of the original line up lead vocalists and guitar players Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman and bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg are still with the band since their formation. The only major change to the line up was the departure of Jenny's sister Shannyn Sossamon who was replaced on the drums by Stella Mozgawa whilst she concentrated on her acting career.
Defining A Style
The first time I came across Warpaint was doing an acoustic set on TV and whilst it gave me an insight into their ability to write decent songs I wasn't really sure what to expect from their sound. The band have admitted to being heavily influenced by David Bowie and contributed a cover of Ashes to Ashes for a War Child charity record celebrating Bowie's work. As you listen to more of their music there is certainly a heavy influence from Bowie's music and style with the girls describing their own musical style as being psychedelic rock. Their style seems to consist of some very accomplished musical ability mixed with some psychedelic samples that give their music a very unique sound.
The Fool
As perhaps an indication of the appeal this album is expected to have Radio 1 have recently tipped the band as one of their ones to watch for 2011. The album itself was actually released in October but with airplay steadily increasing towards the end of the year I think it would be fair to say that the band should be expecting big things from 2011. The musical element of each track is sublime with very melodic guitar riffs and solid drum backing especially evident on Composure. The vocals really compliment the musical accompaniment really well and as I've never been a huge fan of female vocalists I find the tones of Kokal and Wayman to be strangely hypnotic.
My first taste of the band came in the form of Undertow, which whilst sounding very different in a more electronic environment seems even better on the album. The slow and purposeful vocals are quite haunting at times but it works really well. The lyrical content of the track is quite deep and meaningful and this is something the album has in abundance. The female vocals really set the music off perfectly on the slower tracks such as Undertow and even on the faster, more upbeat numbers like the self titled Warpaint. Each track seems to have a quite direct and distinctive beat to it and even on the faster tracks the vocals seem to blend in very well.
In fact from the opening guitar strings of opening track Set Your Arms Down it is clear that the girls are intent on bringing something very different to the current music scene. There have been likenesses with this years Mercury Music prize winners The XX but I think that Warpaint are doing something slightly different to all of the other bands around at the moment.
Even when you think you've got a handle on the direction the album is going then things are changed and your perception is realigned by tracks such as Bees. It has a totally different sound to the albums first three tracks but again those pounding drums and rhythmic guitars provide an excellent backdrop for another round of haunting vocals.
One of my favourite tracks on the album has also been announced as one of the first singles. From the opening bars of Shadows it really sets itself above a lot of the albums other tracks. The quiet musical accompaniment to the beautiful vocals really works really well. The slight mixture of samples once the track gets going work equally well and what we have here is a slower, more purposeful track that really captures what the band are about. It's a sound and approach that work equally well in Baby and Majesty as it has on the rest of the album and the reason for their predicted success is quite clear to see.
I think that my biggest worry when it comes to female vocalists is the possibility of them being drowned out by the style of music but with Warpaint the combination of the style and the vocals works superbly. It's perhaps a little slower paced and more experimental than a lot of music I've been listening too recently but it's a style that I'm really warming to. From the opening bars of Set Your Arms Down to the closing moments of Lissie's Heart Murmur it' a slightly different sound but it's one that's consistent and quite touching throughout.
One To Watch
Having listened to the album on a pretty regular basis for the last few weeks I think it is fair to say that Warpaint are going to be big. The combination of strong female vocals with quite calm and serene rock undertones really works well. I had my reservations about the vocals when I first came across Warpaint but as I listened to the CD I found that the vocals reached out more to me with each listen and with beautifully written tracks it is an album I have no hesitation in recommending if you like soft or psychedelic rock music. An excellent debut and I can't wait to hear more from the band.
Amazon: £8.73
Amazon download: £7.11
ITunes: £6.99
Disc #1 Tracklisting
1 Set Your Arms Down
2 Warpaint
3 Undertow
4 Bees
5 Shadows
6 Composure
7 Baby
8 Majesty
9 Lissie's Heart Murmu


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Women, girls in "driving seat" of humanitarian decision-making, says UNListen /
Put women and girls in the driving seat of decision-making during crises, the UN humanitarian chief has urged.
Stephen O'Brien spoke during a roundtable discussion Thursday on how to prioritize the rights of women and girls for a more effective response.
A World Humanitarian Summit is set to take place in Istanbul in May this year to develop a vision and a plan of action in order to save more lives.
Jocelyne Sambira reports.
Gender discrimination is often overlooked by governments and humanitarian actors, with serious implications for women and girls, says UN Women, quoting a report by the international development organization Plan International.
Girls are given less food when it's scarce, the report says, and boys are often treated better during rescue operations.
Meanwhile, the likelihood of women and girls getting raped or sexually exploited during natural disasters greatly increases.
Here's Stephen O'Brien, who is also the UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator.
"Women in crises and women civil society groups must be at the forefront of humanitarian decision-making. And to support this, we call for more funding to go directly to these groups. By doing so, we will not only put women and girls in the driving seat of decision-making but we will also render our humanitarian programming more effective."
Mr O'Brien adds that humanitarian action must "live up to the needs and expectations of women and girls."
Jocelyne Sambira, United Nations.
Duration: 1'02″


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Two named in search for new chief
TWO senior TV figures have emerged as front-runners in the search for the new BBC boss.
They are Ofcom boss Ed Richards and former Channel 4 chief executive Michael Jackson, writes David Stephenson.
BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten is expected to "approach at least two senior figures" to determine whether they are interested in the post.
Mr Jackson is one of only three people who have been controller of BBC1 and BBC2. He was also the Chief Executive of Channel 4.
Mr Richards is currently the bookies' favourite. He is the chief executive of Ofcom, the regulator which looks after commercial broadcasters, such as ITV and Channel 4.
He is Left-leaning, was a senior policy adviser to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and a former Controller of Corporate Strategy at the BBC.


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Torch Energy Royalty Trust receives New York Stock Exchange Listing Extension
Oct 16, 2012, 16:10 ET from Torch Energy Royalty Trust
HOUSTON, Oct. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Torch Energy Royalty Trust ("Trust") (NYSE: TRU) (www.torchroyalty.com) today announced that the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") has agreed to provide the Trust with a three-month trading period extension to January 16, 2013, subject to reassessment on an ongoing basis.
The three-month trading period granted by the NYSE, which is subject to reassessment by the NYSE on an ongoing basis, provides the Trust until January 16, 2013 to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 (the "2011 Annual Report") and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2012 and June 30, 2012 ("2012 Quarterly Reports") with the Securities and Exchange Commission. During this period, the continued listing and trading of the Trust's common stock on the NYSE will remain unaffected. If the Trust does not file its 2011 Annual Report and/or the 2012 Quarterly Reports by January 16, 2013, the Trust may request that the NYSE grant a final additional extension to April 16, 2013.
The Trust is working diligently to obtain the information necessary to complete the 2011 Annual Report and 2012 Quarterly Reports. The Trust intends to complete and file these reports as soon as reasonably practicable.
This press release includes "forward looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "may," "should," "could," and similar expressions are intended to identify such statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are to be interpreted only as of the date on which they are made. The Trust undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement except as required by law.
SOURCE Torch Energy Royalty Trust


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Photo Gallery: Academy Of Country Music…
How about[lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Glen Campbell[/lastfm] teaming up with[lastfm link_type="artist_info"]The Band Perry[/lastfm] and[lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Blake Shelton[/lastfm]?
That was today's announcement, regarding additional performers at this year's 54th GRAMMY Awards show.
The five-time GRAMMY winner will be teaming up for the special performance st the show on Sunday, February 12th!
Blake Shelton is up for two awards: Best Country Solo Performance for "Honey Bee" and Best Country Album for Red River Blue.
The Band Perry is nominated for Best New Artist.
The show will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles at 7:30pm on CBS.


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Margaret Thatcher, U.K. 'Iron Lady' prime minister, recalled as a titan, defining figure in politics
On London's Downing Street, home of British prime ministers, the flags flew at half mast honoring the death of "a great leader," in the words of her Conservative successor, Prime Minister David Cameron.
While most political leaders across the spectrum offered praise, her erstwhile political opponents, including former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, criticized her leadership, which stretched from 1979 to 1990.
Thatcher, who won three elections, was defined by the battles she took on during the 1980s: she waged war against Argentina, clashed with striking miners amid high employment as parts of the north of the country that had been world centers of manufacturing declined.
Cameron called her a "titan" adding, "she didn't just lead our country, she saved our country." "The trouble is that almost everything that is wrong with Britain today is her legacy," Livingstone, who ran London's city authority when Thatcher was in power, told Sky News. "It was her that decided to deregulate the banks. She decided to let our manufacturing wither. She was fundamentally wrong."
Current Labour leader Ed Miliband took a conciliatory line, saying she was a "unique figure." "The Labour Party disagreed with much of what she did and she will always remain a controversial figure," he said in an e-mailed statement. "But we can disagree and also greatly respect her political achievements and her personal strength."
Britain's current generation of leaders entered politics in the 1980s either inspired by Thatcher or to oppose her. She inspired passion in some and loathing in others.
"She changed our country forever and all of us owe so much to her," Tory Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a post on Twitter. "A legacy few will ever equal. Rest in peace, Margaret." His colleague, Welfare Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, said Thatcher was "the reason I came into politics."
"She also defined the politics of the 1980s. David Cameron, Nick Clegg and I all grew up in a politics shaped by Lady Thatcher," Miliband said. "We took different paths but with her as the crucial figure of that era.
"Very few leaders get to change not only the political landscape of their country but of the world," former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair said in an e-mailed statement. "Margaret was such a leader. Her global impact was vast. And some of the changes she made in Britain were, in certain respects at least, retained by the 1997 Labour government, and came to be implemented by governments around the world."
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, Cameron's deputy, said she "was one of the defining figures in modern British politics."
"Whatever side of the political debate you stand on, no one can deny that as prime minister she left a unique and lasting imprint on the country she served," Clegg wrote in an e-mailed statement. "She may have divided opinion during her time in politics but everyone will be united today in acknowledging the strength of her personality and the radicalism of her politics." Former Labour Party Home Secretary David Blunkett called Thatcher a "most formidable opponent." He was less flattering about her legacy. "I have to acknowledge her deep commitment to her own values and her determination, although, with Bernard Ingham at her side, she was the first modern exponent of carefully worked spin, which allowed her to present compromise as merely delay, and deep irritation with opponents in her own party as principled stance," he said.
George Galloway, lawmaker for the Respect Party and a longstanding opponent of the Conservative Party, tweeted the title of an Elvis Costello song, "Tramp the Dirt Down."


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Part two: Lest they forget... the extraordinary battle to clear loved ones' names
In this second exclusive extract from Forgotten Soldiers: The Irishmen Shot at Dawn Stephen Walker tells how an ex-Stormont minister, a veteran of the peace process and a Dublin bus driver found themselves at the centre of the pardons debate
Iveagh House sits grandly overlooking St Stephen's Green in the commercial heart of central Dublin. Once a bishop's residence, it's a warren of corridors and secret passages and makes an impressive home for the staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
In 2002 a smartly dressed man in his 50s carrying a briefcase walked into the reception area. In the long-running battle to win pardons for the executed British soldiers, a Dublin bus driver was about to try a new tactic.
Peter Mulvany had recently established the Irish branch of the Shot at Dawn group. His efforts had begun to attract the support of politicians from all parts of the country. He quickly secured unionist and nationalist backing in Northern Ireland and all-party support in the Republic.
When he wrote to the Department of Foreign Affairs explaining that Irish soldiers had been executed in the Great War, officials took note, as one would later recall: "He told us about the Irish cases and explained how they had been victims of a miscarriage of justice."
The Irish officials did more than simply listen to Peter Mulvany. Convinced the British had a case to answer, officials in Iveagh House did some initial research and then briefed the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen. In November 2003 he announced that the Irish government was supporting the Shot at Dawn campaign.
In February 2004 officials met their counterparts in the Ministry of Defence in London and asked to see the files pertaining to the Irish soldiers. The officials seemed surprised but did not refuse the request, and within a month copies of the files were on their way to Dublin.
Over the next six months officials at Iveagh House pored over the court martial files of the Irish-born soldiers. By the time their report was complete there had been a reshuffle in the Irish government, and the report's authors had a new superior to report to. Brian Cowen had been replaced by Dermot Ahern.
Ahern, a Fianna Fail TD from Dundalk, was sceptical at first about the idea of backing the campaign. However, after he read the report he became four-square behind the move. He realised how significant the issue was to the families, to the campaigners and to Anglo-Irish relations. However, he was also conscious it had to be handled carefully and that it shouldn't be about 'getting at the Brits'.
He simply wanted a resolution that recognised how the Irish soldiers had been unjustly and unfairly treated.
The Irish report, which analysed each case, allegations of class bias and the perceived disparity in the treatment of Irish soldiers, was completed by the autumn of 2004, sent to the Irish embassy in London and passed on to the British Government.
Officials in Dublin would have to wait months for a reply from London. Though the issue was raised in Anglo-Irish meetings in 2005, a year later the British Government had still not formally responded. For the officials in Dublin the delay was frustrating; but by this time the Irish cases were not the only ones preoccupying officials of the Ministry of Defence. Six months earlier, in May, a landmark legal case had begun involving the family of Private Harry Farr, who was shot for cowardice in 1916.
For 14 years Farr's family, including his 93-year-old daughter Gertie and granddaughter Janet Booth, had campaigned for a pardon, and after the Government rejected their appeal relatives brought an action in the High Court. The family insisted that Harry Farr, who had been serving with the West Yorkshire Regiment, had shell-shock and had not been given a fair trial. Farr's relatives had first been told there were no legal grounds on which to challenge the Government's refusal to grant a full pardon.
However, during the legal proceedings Mr Justice Stanley Burnton said there was 'room for argument' that the family had been wrongly refused a conditional pardon. The case began to take on some significance, and it became clear that if the family were successful the Ministry of Defence would have to reopen the remaining 305 cases.
As the Farr case placed the issue of pardons in the public eye, discussions were taking place away from the gaze of the cameras. Don Touhig, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, had come to the private conclusion that the Ministry of Defence should prepare the ground for a U-turn on pardons.
He went looking for allies who would support the pardons legislation and who carried political influence. He met Dáithí Ó Ceallaigh, the Irish ambassador to Britain, and in the breakfast room at the Irish embassy in London the two men discussed the Irish government's desire to see pardons for all the executed British soldiers, including the Irish-born soldiers. Breakfast meetings were the ambassador's speciality; his previous guests had included the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and the leader of the DUP, Ian Paisley. In 2006 Touhig and Ó Ceallaigh spoke for 90 minutes and the two men shared much common ground. Touhig suggested to his host that it would be helpful if Taoiseach Bertie Ahern raised the issue of pardons at his next meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair. The ambassador agreed to brief Ahern before his next meeting and at Touhig's suggestion agreed that the Irish government should send a letter to increase the political pressure. On Wednesday, May 3, Dáithí Ó Ceallaigh went to the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall. He took with him a letter from Dermot Ahern, who was asking for a response to the Irish government's report. Ó Ceallaigh was taken to the office of Bill Jeffrey, the department's permanent under-secretary. Jeffrey was an experienced civil servant and no stranger to receiving Irish visitors. He was well-known on the Anglo-Irish circuit, having been political director at the Northern Ireland Office for four years. He passed on the letter to his minister; but John Reid the Defence Secretary had little time to draw up a response.
Two days later, on May 5, Tony Blair was suffering from a political hangover and embarked on the biggest reshuffle of his premiership.
In an attempt to regain political momentum after a disastrous local election campaign he initiated a game of musical chairs around the Cabinet table. In Reid's place at the Ministry of Defence came a fellow-Scotsman and Blair loyalist, Des Browne, who had experience in the Home Office, the NIO and the Treasury. The Browne appointment would transform the atmosphere in which the pardons campaign was now being fought.
Browne, who was a barrister in Scotland before entering politics, quickly got to grips with the legal intricacies of the Farr case.
His legal background was obviously useful, but so too was his previous ministerial experience and in particular his time at the NIO. Browne, whose mother comes from Warrenpoint and who has extended family in Northern Ireland, enjoyed his time in Belfast.
One of his final duties in Northern Ireland as Minister for Victims brought him into contact with hundreds of relatives whose loved ones had been killed in the Troubles.
"Nobody can come out of Northern Ireland without having a clear sense of how victimhood in Northern Ireland can pass over generations.
"People who are long disconnected in time and personal experience from things that have happened in Northern Ireland have a very strong sense of victimhood because of what their family suffered and the absence of any redress for that or justice." When he started work at the Ministry of Defence his views on the Great War executions were already mapped out: " I came to the job with a sympathy for the families and a sense of injustice." By 2006 the Farr case had given the Shot at Dawn campaigners much hope. By now Des Browne was preparing to do something his predecessors had resolutely refused to do.
In August the rumours and speculation turned to fact when the Ministry of Defence contacted the Farr family to inform them that Harry Farr and 305 other servicemen would be pardoned. Stunned, Gertie Harris simply could not believe that her father was at last being pardoned.
That night she was unable to sleep, so she listened to radio bulletins throughout the evening: and slowly the news began to sink in. Andrew Mackinlay, in Australia as a member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, was asleep in his hotel room in Canberra.
He was woken from his slumber and, like Gertie Harris, he tried to take in what he was being told.
The next day the full details of the Government's proposals became clear. Des Browne later explained that the move was about righting a wrong: "I believe a group pardon, approved by Parliament, is the best way to deal with this. After 90 years the evidence just doesn't exist to assess all the cases individually. I do not want to second-guess decisions made by the commanders at the time, who were doing their best to apply the rule and standards of the time. But the circumstances were terrible and I believe it is better to acknowledge that injustices were clearly done in some cases - even if we cannot say which - and to acknowledge that all these men were victims of war. "
The news that pardons were forthcoming was greeted with delight by the Irish government and those behind the Irish Shot at Dawn campaign.
In Dublin, Peter Mulvany was both thrilled and stunned when the news finally came through: "Even though I had a sense that something was happening, I was stunned when it happened and I simply could not believe it."
That disbelief and joy was shared in many homes in Britain and Ireland. Muriel Davis (92) heard the news at her house in Warwickshire. Her brother-in-law Tommy, from Ennis, Co Clare, was a member of the Munster Fusiliers who was executed in 1915 for quitting his post in Gallipoli.
"Tommy's mother would have been so relieved. She had led a life of grief; she couldn't talk about it. Even when she did talk about him she filled up with tears. She knew he was not a coward."
Similar emotions were felt in the Walsh household in Dublin. Christy Walsh is the great-nephew of Patrick Downey, a private in the Leinster Regiment who was shot in December 1915. His death was a landmark in the history of military executions, as he became the first soldier to be executed for disobedience during the First World War.
"The stigma has been removed from this family. It is now accepted that Irishmen went and fought for the British, and at the time many of them were not seen as Irish - but now we can call them Irish. We owe it to the Irish executed to show they were victims of an injustice."
In November 2006, the most appropriate of months, it was the job of Derek Twigg to lead the debate in the House of Commons. A number of Conservative MPs opposed the Government's plans, and Derek Twigg was accused of 'rewriting history' and letting rogues off the hook.
Despite the opposition, Twigg reminded his parliamentary colleagues that the pardon was about removing the dishonour of execution and not about quashing convictions or sentences.
Coincidentally, the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, was in London when the bill received the Royal Assent, and he took the opportunity to ring the Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne, to convey his appreciation. Ahern was pleased that a resolution had been found and told Browne that the Irish campaign had been an example of how people from different traditions had come together to campaign on an issue of shared history.
Ninety years earlier, at the outbreak of the Great War, Protestants and Catholics, unionists and nationalists, had joined forces to fight for a common cause. Now that unity of purpose had been repeated when every major political party on the island of Ireland endorsed the pardons campaign. As a former NIO minister, Browne understood the subtleties of Ahern's comments and was pleased that the Irish government now accepted that the issue was resolved.
Belfast Telegraph
Related Content
- Part one: The truth behind the Irish soldiers shot at dawn
- Part one: The truth behind the Irish soldiers shot at dawn


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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) Isaiah Philmore had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead Xavier to a come-from-behind 77-74 victory over Alabama on Saturday night.
Matt Stainbrook added 17 points, Dee Davis 12 and Myles Davis 10 for the Musketeers (9-3).
Retin Obasohan nailed a 3-pointer to pull the Crimson Tide to within 75-74 with 4 seconds remaining, but Dee Davis made two free throws with 2 seconds left.
''That's something we practice every day,'' Dee Davis said about making the clutch foul shots. ''I just stepped up to the line and shot them like everybody else.''
Trevor Releford led Alabama (5-6) with 17 points. Shannon Hale, coming off the bench, had 14, and Levi Randolph 13. Rodney Cooper grabbed eight rebounds.
Behind 44-32 at the 16:25 mark, Xavier outscored Alabama 29-17 to tie the game at 61 on a field goal and free throw by Stainbrook with 5 minutes left and then take the lead 63-61 on a layup by Dee Davis with 4:40 to go. The Musketeers maintained the lead the rest of the way and hung on to win their fourth straight game and 11 of their last 15 against SEC competition going back to 2008.
''I thought we were a much different team on the offensive end in the second half,'' Xavier coach Chris Mack said. ''I don't feel like our guys ever felt that we were out of it. You could see us coming together.''
Stainbrook agreed with his coach.
''We stuck together,'' he said. ''We really started to play defense. We strung together a couple of stops and pushed (it) down (the court) and that enabled us to catch up.''
With the score tied at 10 at 13:31 of the first half, Alabama went on a 14-5 run to jump in front 24-15 when Nick Jacobs made a field goal with 5:32 left. Myles Davis made a 3-point shot to pull the Musketeers back to within 26-22 at 3:49, but with 1:50 left a 3-pointer by Randolph pushed the Crimson Tide's lead back to 31-22, matching its largest lead of the first half. Alabama led at halftime 33-26.
''In the second half they completely changed the complexion of the game from about the 12-minute mark on,'' stated Alabama coach Anthony Grant. ''They scored on nine of their last 10 possessions. Our defense tonight wasn't good enough to beat a team as talented as they were.''
Xavier shot 33.3 percent from the floor in the first half but 45.5 percent in the second half, made only 1 of 8 3-point attempts in the first half but 4 of 7 in the second half and made 17 free throws in the second half compared to five in the first half.
Alabama's Randolph said that the difference in the second half was that the Musketeers ''were able to get shots off rebounds and cutbacks. We got in foul trouble, and they started getting to the line.''


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One of the most popular sneakers to release from Nike in recent years will finally make its way onto their NIKEiD service this week. That means that you will have hundreds of different color and material options on the lightweight low top sneaker and can create your perfect shoe for this summer.
Mark April 8 in your calendar now.


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The Marshall family has a lot to be thankful for this Christmas.
Despite a recent tragedy that left Robert Marshall's sister dead and her four children orphaned, the newly formed family of seven will spend Christmas reflecting on what they do have.
Marshall and his wife, Christina, took little time in deciding whether or not to adopt his sister's children.
"When Christina received the call from the Department of Children's Services (DCS) in Tennessee at 7:15 a.m. that Monday morning, she called me immediately at work.," Robert Marshall said. "After quickly calling a few other family members to let them know the tragic news, she began returning calls to the department to find out the condition of the children and who, what, where we needed to do to get the children.
"By mid-morning, we were headed to Townsend (Tenn.) to get the kids. I don't know at what point we made the decision to get the kids; it just seemed to happen. They are family, and they needed us."
Robert Marshall said as family members from both maternal and paternal side for the children gathered from Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia, it became obvious that he and Christina were the logical choice.
"We would be able to take the three kids, plus their dog that survived, and keep them together," he said. "After three days and several intense meetings with DCS, attorneys and judges, Christina and I were given full guardianship of the three minor children."
In the early morning hours of Nov. 19, Ben, the 12-year-old, awoke to find the electrical cords to the space heater in his room had shorted and started a fire in his bedroom. Climbing over a dresser and around the fire, he got out of the room.
As the fire grew and filled the house quickly with smoke, his mom, Kristina Kallstrom, told him to get the two younger children and get them outside.
"Kristina exited right behind them and got the kids into the SUV parked next to the house," Robert Marshall said. "For reasons the kids are not sure of, though we believe it was to get the car keys to get away from the house with the kids, Kristina threw a blanket over her head and returned inside the house.
"By this time the fire was spreading through the old farmhouse, and the smoke was very thick," he said. "According to the autopsy, Kristina, my baby sister, was overcome and died of smoke inhalation."
All three children were rescued from the vehicle a short time later as they were able to dial 911 on a cellphone.
The house burned to the ground and so did the SUV the children were initially placed in.
The children's father, Paul, died in August of complications from a heart condition.
"Krissy's passing left all four children as orphans," Marshall said. "The oldest, Michael, is married and lives in Indiana with his wife. The three younger children are Ben, 12; Kahlan, 9; and Daniel, who will be 6 on Christmas Day."
The Marshalls also have two children of their own. Olivia, 9, and Eric, 22, who is serving in the U.S. Army and currently stationed in Kansas.
Marshall said so far it has been a whirlwind since the fire.
"Though nearly the entire family was able to gather for a Thanksgiving dinner that Saturday following, we were still feeling the heartache of the loss of Krissy and the exhaustion of the previous days," Marshall said. "Since then, we have battled the flu, gotten the kids enrolled in school, planned and attended two memorial services for Krissy ... fielded hundreds of phone calls and worked to coordinate the incredible generosity of our community, all while trying to go to work each day and keep an ever-changing household."
The transition hasn't been an easy one, especially for the Marshall's daughter, Olivia, who was accustomed to being home alone with Christina and Robert.
"Her quiet little life with just Mom and Dad has been turned inside out with the addition of her three cousins to our household," Marshall said. "She doesn't always find it easy to share her home and parents with three new children, but each day she faces the new situation with a grace and poise far beyond her 9 years."
Marshall said Christmas has certainly come quick this year, and as much as he and Christina would like to incorporate new traditions for the children, they are just trying to get through this first holiday together as a newly-formed family.
"As you can imagine, this tragedy has affected the children deeply. We are working hard to make sure they feel loved, wanted and most of all safe," he said. "Though they are doing pretty good, all things considered, each day turns up new emotions and challenges for them to face. I expect this first Christmas will be difficult for all four of the Kallstrom children."
But lots of presents should help get the family in a more joyous mood.
"Christmas Day will be a blast, as we have a good number of gifts for each of the kids and plan on spending the day relaxing and playing with all our new toys," Marshall said.
Community donations helped with the initial financial impact of this first Christmas. "We also have set up a memorial fund to try and assure we will be able to provide for the children in the future," Marshall said.
Donations for the family can be made at www.gofundme.com/1lbpak. Anyone who wishes to also can donate to the Kallstrom Family Memorial Fund at any Bank of America branch or by mail at Kallstrom Family Memorial Fund, River Hills Church, P.O. Box 204, Bethlehem, GA 30620.
For more information, call (770) 867-0909.
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