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3. Every time Joe Flacco plays one of these less-than-stellar games, I can't help but wonder what Steve Bisciotti must be thinking.
With only two weeks left in the regular season, the playoffs are officially looming. And even though they'll ultimately provide the best answer, there is a question I can't get out of my head every time I think about Flacco's contract situation. Is Flacco essentially Nick Markakis? Is he a nice player we'd all like to see take the next step and become an superstar player, but deep down we're starting to realize it's probably not going to happen? Flacco's biggest boosters can stomp their feet and deflect blame until they're purple in the face, but at some point, they're going to realize the description fits. He's not a rookie anymore. We're four years into this experiment. Overall, it's been successful, without question. But there is an obvious ceiling. And this might be his ceiling. That's not a terrible thing. It's just not quite what you were hoping for. Flacco, like Markakis, will have brilliant games where he'll make you believe he's going to turn the corner and become an elite player. And like Markakis, what he's best at is putting together sustained stretches of solid, above-average performance. They even have similar reserved personalities. People in Baltimore love them, and people outside of Baltimore don't really understand what the big deal is. Case in point: Bill Barnwell of Grantland was suggesting the Ravens should be suitors in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes if he's healthy next year because the Joe Flacco experiment, in his opinion, "is not working." I disagree that it's not working. I think that's too harsh, and I think Barnwell is looking at nothing more than statistics, which is fine if you're judging baseball players, but not quarterbacks. There are other factors in play. Leadership and chemistry do count for something. But is Flacco a guy you end up paying superstar money, even though he may not ever become a superstar? I think it's fair to say the Orioles were hoping for more than three straight years with an OPS hovering around .800 from Markakis when he signed his big contract. Bisciotti is no fool. You could tell from his comments at the end of the 2010 season, he wanted to see Flacco take a step forward. And if anything, Flacco has regressed a bit, even though the Ravens record is similar to what it was a year ago. Is that enough to please the man who ultimately signs the checks? Everyone concedes Flacco is the best quarterback the Ravens have ever had. And he does get too much of the blame when things don't go well. He wasn't the reason the Ravens lost in the playoffs to the Steelers last year. I'll adamantly defend him on that. But is he worth committing $75 million to? Especially when it means you probably can't keep Ray Rice and Ben Grubbs if you give him that money? People who cite his "wins" as evidence that he's a "winner" make no more sense than those who do it with Tim Tebow. Maybe Flacco deserves that kind of contract just for the sake of stability. Maybe you continue to build around him, and see how he responds with a different offensive coordinator. (You know who might be great? Norv Turner.) Maybe you could even get him at a bit of a discount, since statistically he's not having a great season this year. Every game, he'll make at least one throw that turns me back into a believer. His touchdown throw to Ed Dickson was gorgeous. It makes no sense that the same player threw a pass essentially right into the hands of Takeo Spikes later in the game. Whenever the post season comes to a close, the Ravens are going to have to answer some tough questions -- even if Flacco plays his best football of the year.
Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun
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Skip to comments.Obamacare is on the horizon, but will enough people sign up?
Posted on 05/05/2013 4:33:00 AM PDT by tobyhill
Healthcare reform should be the signature Democratic achievement of President Barack Obama's presidency.
But with "Obamacare" five months from show time, Democrats are worried about whether enough Americans will sign up to make the sweeping healthcare overhaul a success - and what failure might mean for Congress heading into the 2016 presidential race.
Some of the law's main advocates fear that not enough of America's 49 million uninsured will know about health coverage offered in their own states. Even if they do, new insurance plans may not be attractive to young, healthy consumers needed to offset an expected influx of older and sicker patients.
Only a handful of states are beginning campaigns to promote the online health insurance marketplaces created by the law. Known as exchanges, the markets will offer private coverage at federally subsidized rates to individuals and families with low-to-moderate incomes, with enrollment set to begin October 1.
The federal government has kept quiet about its promotion plans, which are expected to begin in earnest over the summer.
While Obama and his administration say they are working nonstop on reform, analysts believe a poor performance could make the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act a big enough campaign issue in 2014 to jeopardize Democratic control of the Senate - particularly if insurance costs rise sharply.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
If I were one to want to cheat on this thing, I think I'd peruse the IRS website for a bunch of examples on filling out their form, to get some examples of plans, number formats, etc. and just use some fabrication and submit. Just like the illegal mexicans do it when filing their fraudulent EITC/1040EZAZPI forms. Yep, that's what I'd do.
I will exercise my right of civil disobedience and will NOT sign up for anything in relation to the Affordable Health Care Act" also known as Obama Care, another name for demographic warfare against the people of the United States.
This so called law is not law. It was not even read by those who voted for it. So it is actually a nullity.
"Sign up" is a euphemism
for DEATHpanels FOR ALL
except for Islam and Congress.
LOL...the Democrats have succeeded so wildly in their goal of dumbing down Americans that Gallup found that 42% don't know that ObamaCare is actually a law now. How are they going to get all the illiterates and dope-users signed up in five months?
They'll probably count them using the system they use for counting jobs created by this lunatic administration.
I guess a lot of people may make similar choices when it comes to Obamacare.
How will the millions of unemployed be paying for this new health care premium?
Blood out of a turnip comes to mind.
The last thing young people think about is healthcare. They think about taking trips to Cancun and buying a new car, or paying off their college loan, which will be difficult for them to do if they are carrying the freight for older, sick people.
Who wants to live a "hand-to mouth" existence at that age?
If the Republicans are smart, they will pound this into their brains every day.
Oh, and they shouldn't forget to mention the doubling of premiums if they should, unfortunately, have a smoking habit.
Obama voters don't have to pay, just the rest of us that pay taxes.
What reasonable young person would sign up for Obama care?
The premium is much higher than the fine for not paying. By law if the young person gets sick enough to need insurance the insurance companies can not refuse to insure for pre-existing conditions.
The same is true for anyone. There is no risk to not buying health insurance. There is a huge downside to buying insurance unless you are really sick. Even this article says that a family of four in Vermont will pay $7200 a year (estimates for other states I have read are much, much more) . The fine for not having insurance is $3000 a year. You can buy a lot of out of pocket health care for $4200 and if you need more you can join a health plan any time.
The Obama Care law is about as poorly a conceived law as possible
Really? The far left is counting on young, healthy Americans to voluntarily pay far more than their insurance is worth in order to subsidize older sicker patients, including sick patients who want the young and healthy to pay for their abortions, their "gender reassignment surgery", and other expensive and morally questionable goodies that Obama, Pelosi, and Reid packed into ObamaCare. They are supposed to take money from the part time jobs, which are all that is available to many under ObamaCare and set part of their reduced income aside for unneeded insurance, when they can just sign up at the last mine under the no preexisting conditions clause? Our schools are not doing a great job with the young, but someone struggling to get by can do the numbers on that set of choices.
If only 3 people sign up the media will call it wildly successful.
I believe that you can avoid signing up, and as long as you manage to not get a tax refund, the IRS cannot collect on the tax/penalty for not signing up. I would think that this would be a common strategy for healthy individuals and families who do not qualify for a significant subsidy. I applaud states like SC that are trying to defend their citizens from these human rights abuses of the Federal government.
All of these strategies will be spelled out, and before long, people will act in their self interest. Businesses are doing this right now by shifting to part-time employees. We need to exploit every possible loophole, and let everyone know; this will be the best form of resistance.
"Obamacare is on the horizon, but will enough people sign up?"
Uh, since when did we get a choice?
Same here. I will not buy insurance under threat of Federal force nor will I pay their tax/fine.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

subset: commoncrawl


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As has been mentioned, the root problem is that wait staff in many places are exempt from minimum wage laws in the expectation that gratuities will more than offset that. And I know people who work/worked in really high-volume restaurants and bars who, thanks to tips, earned more than I make now as a paralegal; a server in a high-end restaurant might reasonably expect to make $2,000 a week with tips.
However, the wait staff at a palace like Applebee's or Eat n Park isn't so lucky. With tips, they might still be down in poverty line territory. So when a self-righteous schmendrick comes in all "I don't believe in tipping, gerhbahlaa" that actually can have a rather big impact on their server's take home.
By all means, don't tip if the service is terrible. But not tipping as a rule makes you a d1ck, and that's that.
Be that as it may, I really get snarked off at places like sandwich shops and food trucks that have tip jars. Um, the tips for service, not for simply assembling my food properly. The one exception I make is the Jersey Mike's in Manhattan Beach. The kids that work there are all beasts and churn through the line like nobody's business.


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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has established regulations to protect the public from exposure to asbestos fibers that may result from the disturbance and/or removal of asbestos containing building products during the renovation or demolition of public, commercial, industrial and certain types of residential structures. Through an agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Broward County is authorized to ensure compliance with the federal asbestos regulations. The asbestos compliance program requires a submittal of a notification for demolition and building renovation projects (described in more detail below) and follow-up inspections by Broward County staff.
For more detailed information regarding federal asbestos regulations please click here for our Asbestos Regulations page.
2009 Revisions to Broward County's Asbestos CodeOn August 25, 2009, the Board of County Commissioners approved revisions to Broward County's air quality code Chapter 27, Section 27-180 and a fee resolution concerning the asbestos compliance program. Beginning November 1, 2009, the following items must be submitted at least 10 working-days before commencing work on demolition and renovation projects that are subject to the asbestos regulations:
More information on these code revisions and how it may affect you can be found at the links provided below:
Additional Asbestos ResourcesIf you would like to learn more about the air quality regulations in the Florida Administrative Code, please click here to go to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)'s Current Air Rules website. Following are additional sources of information on asbestos regulations and related topics:
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Just how long could wildlife that dont live in the ground on in the ground survive. Animals would need rest but these walkers never have to stop
Quote from: Sybeck1 on November 9, 2013, 11:46 AMJust how long could wildlife that dont live in the ground on in the ground survive. Animals would need rest but these walkers never have to stopI think that wildlife would actually thrive in this type of scenario. Less roadkill, less human intervention with their habitats, less hunting, etc... and walkers are generally slow and stupid... smaller animals have to be hard for them to catch. I can't imagine them often being able to catch rabbits, squirrels, etc.As for the walkers never having to stop, in the comics there is evidence that eventually they "run out of gas." I'm a bit behind in the comics to see if this was really explained in much detail.
Nothing like getting intibated with a used, blood and vomit-encrusted intibator. Good luck, Glenn! (I was seriously worried for him there at one point) I think Rick and Darryl will be fine. Darryl will be pissed probably yeah, but as much at Carol as Rick i think. He was the one who said he'd put a bolt in the culprit himself after all. I'm much more curious to see what Tyreese's reaction will be. How pissed is he gonna be that they let her go? RE: scenes from next week - who on Earth could sleep peacefully in a nylon tent in the zombie apocalypse? That's the best you could do for accommodations over the past 6 months? And where are Tweedledee and Tweedeledum?
Or you can... you know... not watch it. Or watch the first 30 minutes... I never watch it so I have no complaints. Make it 6 hours.
Or you can... you know... not watch it.
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Cycling: Tour of Britain 2011: Stage 5 – Exeter-Exmouth.
Cycling has been on the up in Exmouth for several years now, since the development of a cycling track alongside the railway track up the Exe estuary. The track has proved as popular as it is spectacular and cycling shops are springing up around the town to service this interest.
This rose to unprecedented heights today when the Tour of Britain finally came to Exmouth, with an exciting finish along the sea front.
Stage 5 was, for the first time, to be contained solely within Devon, starting in Exeter and finishing 110 miles later on Exmouth sea front, taking on much of Dartmoor in between.
Below: The programme also features the new cycle track, funded by a grant to Transcan. Keverel Lodge is tucked away below the near ridge just above the blue cyclist's helmet.
Meanwhile, back on the seafront, crowds were building up all morning and by 1 o'clock were filling most of the best viewing spots alongside the final 200 m leading to the finishing line. A repechage match had been oprganised between teams of 4 riders from local primary schools. I was just in time to see, Otterton Primary School, my old school (I was HT there for 25 years), beat their larger neighbours, St. Peter's, Budleigh Salterton. Otterton then went on to meet one of the town schools, Littleham, to decide 5th and 6th places, which Otterton won again – they always were good at cycling. Pleasingly, the whole match was won by Otterton's twin village school, Drake's School, East Budleigh who beat Withycome Raleigh.
The compere/announcer did an excellent job for nearly 2 hours whipping the crowd up into a state of great excitement and anticipation, with occasional reports from Hugh Porter, the Channel 4 presenter, on how near the race was getting, who was in the lead and how far ahead of the peleton etc. Yet at the last minute, no announcement was made about the fact that they were actually heading at 30 mph along the promenade. There was no sound of cheers from the crowds further along the sea front, no clues - and then suddenly they were whizzing past us, heading for the line in near silence, compared to what had gone on earlier. Everyone was taken by complete surprise, and within seconds it was all over. A friend of mine was positioned just across the road from me and told me later that as the finish was drawing near, he spotted the helicopter circling high above the sea front and guessed the riders should be very close. When he looked down they had just whizzed past and the race was already over.
There was excellent coverage on TV in the evening, with every metre of the final 6k shown. It was clear that in the final 200m Mark Cavendish held back a little allowing his team-mate to come in first while he was happy to take 2nd on this occasion.
Not that Cavendish needed to worry – he won the final two stages, and a few days later became World Road Race Champion in Copenhagen – the first time a Brit has won it since Tommy Simpson in 1965. He returned to newspaper headlines such as "Cavendish Joins The Greats"; "Cavendish Untouchable as he Strikes Gold" and "We should accept that here is a very great Briton indeed".
It was great to have been a little part of that in Exmouth that afternoon


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355,350 12 bolt rear.
More pics of our 'project in motion', all pre-modification. We are second owner of this former Arizona beauty, sold to us by the mechanic who was the service advisor for the dealer where the car was originally ordered.
The mechanic moved to Norman, OK some years ago, and the owner asked his former service advisor to sell the car up here, so he wouldn't have to see his 'baby' chopped up. I bought the car on the proviso I would keep it true to "Old School" style and not do anything radical or outside its original style 'generation.' I plan to keep that promise.
No specifications listed.
275 / 327, TH400, Air, P/S, P/B, Disc Brakes, Tinted glass, STILL runs like a kitten on rebuilt Q-Jet and gets me 12 mpg city, 15-17 highway!
No factory options listed.
A/C, P/S, P/B (drums all 'round). Orig. owner had Pertronix ignition installed later in his ownership, and ordered car with the 275 HP 327 and TH 400 in place of the base six and Powerglide. Fun combo, eh?
No modifications listed.
So far, since these pics he's had a Pertronix ignition conversion, a front disc brake conversion, urethane suspension, new front end suspension, new coil springs all 'round, new shocks, 4-core radiator and high-volume water pump, 1" carb spacer, A/C conversion (from R-12, though it wasn't my first choice) and new tires.
15X8" radials are next (current tires are cheapie Chinese-made things to get me through the winter), to be mounted on Cragar S/S (preferred) or Keystone Kustom Klassic wheels.
That brings up a question: has anyone heard of either of these wheels having big quality-control problems within the last few years???
|Points for 355
|Total Votes
|Points for Max(imus)


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Toy Kitchen Set: No Longer a Mystery
Toy Kitchen Set for Dummies
The sole thing I could think to myself was how I must get him a play kitchen once possible. Having a play kitchen may be an investment, but it's an enjoyable experience and a good learning opportunity for kids. It should be supplemented with a variety of play kitchen accessories. It is a classic toy that your kid will enjoy for years. You're able to start off by presenting a play kitchen or a physician's kit. Picking a play kitchen for kids became a huge responsibility to the parents since they must keep lots of things in their mind prior to buying culinary knives .
The Hidden Truth About Toy Kitchen Set
There are plenty of things to take into account if buying culinary knives . The next issue to be noted down is that you should buy the sort of toy kitchen their kids are going to like. The wooden toy kitchen is the greatest make-it-as-you-want for any tiny chef.
The Upside to Toy Kitchen Set
The kitchen is just one of the initial places that your children can learn chores and help you accomplish tasks. This kitchen was intended for multi-generational play. It is almost nice enough to make Mom jealous. Ideally, you would get this play kitchen whenever your kid is between 1-2 years old. It is in fact one of the wonderful things about play kitchens. culinary knives is made of solid and sturdy wood and will not readily break. A good wood play kitchen is an excellent bet for durability.
Toy Kitchen Set – What Is It?
Some culinary knives come with clocks with adjustable hands so that your kid can discover how to compute time also. Also, when you have ever had one of these kinds of kitchens you understand how simple it can be to drop the things which go to it, so you're going to be in a position to replace the pieces before they ever get lost by getting some accessories to choose it when you purchase it. If you want to have a full blown kitchen along with all the accessories you are able to spend up to $300.
What Is So Fascinating About Toy Kitchen Set?
The kitchen is usually not a great location, as a result of high degree of activity inside the room and the possible hazard of toxins being released into the air from singed non-stick pans. This kitchen offers 30 accessories and lots of fun features, such as, for instance, a cappuccino maker! Second, the Little Tikes Kitchen is light and regardless of what type of mess is made from the toy you can merely take it in the driveway and hose it off and it'll be dry and prepared to go in one hour. If you're interested in purchasing a Little Tikes Cookin Fun Interactive Kitchen for your children you might want to have a look at some extra accessories.
Getting the Best Toy Kitchen Set
Since toys play such a substantial part in a kid's life, they need to be carefully designed. These types of toys are also supposed to supply a location for pretend play. You can receive some simple toys that could develop their imagination and stimulate curiosity.
The Do's and Don'ts of Toy Kitchen Set
These days, several varieties of toys are offered in the marketplace. It will probably be the toy you've got for the longest period of time. These toys also help familiarize children with diverse kinds of foods. Today, there are an enormous number of special needs toys out there on the market with the majority of online retailers having a distinctive section devoted to such toys.
Using Toy Kitchen Set
The toy includes a few accessories, but you could find you want to purchase some extra ones to create your youngster's experience even more fun. These varieties of toys provide numerous great benefits that both kids and kids are guaranteed to appreciate. Numerous forms of manipulative toys are obtainable for children in various age groups.
Toy Kitchen Set Help!
Toys are essential for the life of a kid. Several of these toys are adaptable to a broad range of age ranges. There are types of toys for kids that you could select from, available at a very affordable price. It is very important to be aware that while some toys might be appealing to a child, they can be overstimulating for another. This simple wooden toy has developed and developed through the years and the humble square block is now able to be found in nearly every form and colour conceivable.
The Definitive Approach to Toy Kitchen Set
culinary knives have instructions to aid with assembly. More excitingly, many sets also have a refrigerator that is likely to make the kids play time a whole lot more thrilling. This Little Tikes kitchen set will continue to keep your child entertained with so many distinctive noises that your children will believe they are real chefs in a true kitchen.


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MOSCOW (AP) — The Sochi Winter Olympics are making Russians beam with pride. But while the opening ceremony left out World War II at the behest of international Olympic organizers, Russia's role in defeating Nazi Germany is still one of the nation's proudest moments, as some have found out the hard way.
Perceived slights to Russian pride caused an independent television station to be forced off the air and the Moscow correspondent of a U.S. network to be summoned to the Foreign Ministry for an official reprimand. In the latest display of Russian displeasure, a prominent anchor on state television insinuated that U.S. Marines depicted in the war memorial near Washington looked as if they were engaged in gay sex.
Here is a look at what caused Russians to react so strongly and how the Kremlin responded:
The independent television station Dozhd, or TV Rain, came under attack after asking viewers in January whether the Soviet Union should have surrendered Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, to save the lives of the 1 million people who died during the nearly 900-day Nazi siege of the city during the war. The station quickly pulled the poll and apologized, but President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said the station had crossed a "red line." Russian cable providers lined up to drop Dozhd from their packages and prosecutors opened an investigation.
The poll struck a nerve with Russians for whom the resistance in Leningrad exemplified the suffering and heroism of the war. But the station's owner and editor have accused the Kremlin of using the poll to shut down Dozhd because of its critical reporting. The station has provided a platform for opposition leaders and reported on allegations of official corruption, including during Olympic preparations.
After major cable and satellite providers dropped Dozhd, its viewership has fallen from 17 million households to 2 million, according to station owner Nataliya Sindeyeva. While never able to compete with the state channels, Dozhd has been popular with urban middle-class Russians disturbed by the corruption and growing authoritarianism under Putin.
U.S. television network CNN caused a firestorm when it included a war monument in Brest, a city in the former Soviet republic of Belarus, in an article on the "world's ugliest monuments" published last month. The piece said the Soviet soldier "emerging from a mountainous block of concrete looks as if he's about to thump the West into submission before hurling North America at the sun." It also noted that others think the soldier "simply looks constipated."
On Feb. 6, CNN edited the story on its website and added a note apologizing for the offense it caused in Belarus and Russia.
The following day, the Russian Foreign Ministry took the unusual step of summoning CNN's Moscow correspondent for an official reprimand. The journalist was told that "mocking the memory of Soviet soldiers who gave their lives for the victory over fascism cannot be justified or forgiven," the ministry said in a statement on its website.
The U.S. network then withdrew the article entirely.
"CNN apologizes for the unintended offense caused by an article from a contributor that was intended to be a humorous look at monumental architecture worldwide," it said in a statement. "We recognize that the Courage Monument carries deep and significant symbolism in honoring the soldiers who gave their lives defending their nation."
A controversial news anchor on Rossiya state television went after CNN during his weekly show, which aired Sunday night following the team skating competition in Sochi that gave Russia its first gold medal of the Winter Games.
As pictures of the monumental Brest sculpture filled the screen, Dmitry Kiselyov told viewers how the Americans had ridiculed the Soviet soldier depicted in the war memorial. He then showed a picture of the Marine Corps War Memorial sculpture shot from behind, so that the U.S. Marines raising the flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima were bent over one another.
"It's easy to mock," Kiselyov said with his trademark smirk. "A fevered subconscious could ascribe just about anything to it. Take a closer look: A very modern theme, is it not?"
Kiselyov has often led the attack on Americans, gays or other groups that top the Kremlin agenda. As international criticism over a Russian law banning gay "propaganda" reached a fever pitch last year, he said homosexuals' hearts should be buried or burned.
In December, Putin appointed Kiselyov the new head of the state news agency RIA Novosti, which after serving as the host agency during the Olympics will be restructured.
The producer of the opening ceremonies said he had planned to include a segment on World War II in the show, but the International Olympics Committee strongly advised against it. The IOC insisted the war was still too sensitive an issue and including the segment would set a bad precedent, Konstantin Ernst said in an interview Sunday on Ekho Moskvy radio.
Ernst said he found it extremely difficult and even painful to omit the segment, which he said could have been "the strongest moment of the whole ceremony."
Associated Press writer Laura Mills contributed to this report.
Online: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUNaLMPkybk


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Suffolk, ss. DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW APPEALS
Appeal of:
Marian Desrosiers,
v. CR-06-391
Dated: January 8, 2010
Teachers' Retirement System,
Appearance for Petitioner:
Marian Desrosiers
52 Deer Jump Hill
West Barnstable, MA 02668
Appearance for Respondent:
Aaron Morrison, Esq.
Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System
One Charles Park
Cambridge, MA 02142
Administrative Magistrate:
Joan Freiman Fink, Esq.
The Petitioner is not entitled to full-time creditable service for her part-time service rendered in Kennewick, Washington during the 1982-1983 school year as a high school social studies teacher. The holding in the case of Madden v. CRAB, 431 Mass. 607 (2000) is not applicable as Ms. Desrosiers's service in Kennewick, Washington was non-membership service.
Pursuant to G.L. c. 32, § 16(4), the Petitioner, Marian Desrosiers, is appealing the June 7, 2006 decision of the Respondent, Teachers' Retirement System, awarding her part-time creditable service for her employment as a high school social studies teacher in Kennewick, Washington for the 1982-1983 school year. (Exhibit 1.) The appeal was timely filed in accordance with the provisions of G.L. c. 32, § 16(4).
Pursuant to the provisions of 801 CMR 1.01 (10)(c), the parties agreed to submit the case on written submissions and to waive a hearing. On October 7, 2009, the Petitioner submitted proposed exhibits as well as a written argument. The Respondent requested that a continuance be allowed until November 6, 2009 for its submission. This request was allowed. On November 6, 2009, the Respondent submitted proposed exhibits and a written argument and the record was closed as of that date.
The following exhibits are now marked into evidence:
1. Decision Letter dated 6/7/06
2. Appeal Letter dated 6/20/06
3. Out-of-State Purchase Form
4. Invoice for Out-of-State Service Purchase
5. Letter from Kennewick School District dated 8/19/98
Based on the evidence presented, I make the following findings of fact:
1. The Petitioner, Marian Desrosiers, d.o.b. 3/15/47, is a full-time active member of the Teachers' Retirement System and is currently employed by the Barnstable, MA Public School System. (Exhibit 3.)
2. On or about October 17, 1995, the Petitioner applied to purchase out-of-state service rendered in Kennewick, Washington from September 1978 thorough June 1983 as a high school social studies teacher. (Exhibit 3.)
3. The Kennewick School District completed Section B of the Out-of-State Purchase Form certifying that Ms. Desrosiers had worked 60% during the 1980-1981 and 1981-1982 school years and 79.2% in the 1982-1983 school year. (Exhibit 3.)
4. In accordance with the information from the Kennewick School District, the Petitioner was allowed to purchase out-of-state service from September 1978 to June 1980 at 100%. She was also allowed to purchase 60% service from September 1980 to June 1982 and 79% service from September 1982 to June 1983. (Exhibit 4.)
5. On August 19, 1998, the Petitioner received a letter from the Kennewick School District stating that "during the 82-83 school year, you worked 181 days, so your maternity leave was not subtracted from the experience shown. However, during second semester, you reduced your hours and worked 4.5 hours/day (.6 FTE). The first semester was shorter than the second, so you were credited with 89 days @1.0 FTE and 92 days @.6 FTE." (Exhibit 5.)
6. On or about June 7, 2006, the Petitioner attended a group retirement counseling seminar sponsored by the Teachers' Retirement System. At that time, she requested that she be allowed to purchase the equivalent of 100% or full-time service for the 1982-1983 school year. (Exhibit 1.)
7. By letter dated June 7, 2006, the Teachers' Retirement System denied her request for full-time creditable service for the part-time service she rendered during the 1982-1983 school year. (Exhibit 1.)
8. The Petitioner filed a timely appeal of this decision. (Exhibit 2.)
There are no material issues of fact in dispute in this matter. The issue in this case is whether the Petitioner is entitled to full-time creditable service for the part-time service that she rendered as a high school social studies teacher in Kennewick, Washington during the 1982-1983 school year.
After reviewing the evidence presented in this case, I conclude that the Petitioner is not entitled to full-time creditable service for her part-time out-of-state service in Kennewick, Washington.
Arguing in her own behalf, the Petitioner maintains that she taught everyday at Kennewick High School during the school year in question with the exception of a two month maternity leave beginning in November of 1982. In support of her position, the Petitioner cites the case of Nancy Madden v. CRAB & another, 431 Mass. 607 (2000). In Madden, supra, the Supreme Judicial Court held that a Retirement Board could not pro-rate a member's service if, at the time the service was actually rendered, the Board had not promulgated a regulation providing for such pro-ration. The Court in Madden, supra at 702, noted that "teacher retirement system members are entitled to rely on a properly construed regulation in developing contractual expectations as to their retirement benefits." (Emphasis supplied.)
The Teachers' Retirement System subsequently promulgated 807 CMR 3.04 which became effective November 9, 1990. That regulation provides that for services rendered by a teacher after November 9, 1990, the teacher must be credited with pro-rated years of service for part-time service
Notwithstanding the Petitioner's argument, the holding in Madden applies to only membership service in the Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System rendered prior to the promulgation of the regulation. In the current case, the Petitioner was not a member of the Teachers' Retirement System during the school year in question, i.e., 1982-1983. Rather, she was a member of a retirement system in the state of Washington. Accordingly, she is not entitled to any of the rights or protections afforded to members of the Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System under either the retirement statute or the promulgated regulations.
In the case of Martin v. Teachers' Retirement System, CR-01-43, (DALA, 2001), aff'd (CRAB 2002), the Petitioner, Barbara Martin, was not permitted full-time creditable service for her part-time service prior to 1990 as she was not a member of the Teachers' Retirement System when she performed her part-time service. DALA held that Ms. Martin, as a non-member of the Teachers' Retirement System during the period of time in question, did not have a contractual expectation that she would receive full-time creditable service from the Teachers' Retirement System for her part-time employment rendered prior to November 9, 1990.
The Petitioner further argues that her service should not be pro-rated during the 1982-1983 school year as a penalty for her having taken a two month maternity leave that school year. Despite the Petitioner's assertion, the Kennewick School District in its letter of August 19, 1998 unequivocally states that Ms. Desrosiers's time was not reduced as a result of her maternity leave, which was taken during the first semester. Rather, her time was pro-rated due to the fact that she worked only part-time during the second semester.
In light of the foregoing, I conclude that the Teachers' Retirement System has awarded the Petitioner the proper amount of creditable service for her service as a high school teacher in Kennewick, Washington during the 1982-1983 school year. The decision of the Teachers' Retirement System is hereby affirmed.
______________________________________________ Joan Freiman Fink, Esq.
Dated: 1/8/10 Administrative Magistrate


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LEGO Minecraft (Original)
Minecraft is a lot of fun. LEGO is a lot of fun. This seems like a no-brainer!
Solar Motion Light
Use the sun for light, even if it's night! Installation is quick and simple, and means no more fumbling around in the dark.
8-bit Sunglasses
Pixel-perfect shades! Don't be a square. See what I did there?
Bacon Bandages
An interesting twist on regular old bandaids. I wouldn't suggest cooking them.
Minecraft Creeper Beanie
Have you ever ssssssss-seen anything like this before?
Super Mario Wall Graphics
It's-a me, Mario!
Minecraft Torch Light
Very useful for keeping monsters from spawning in your home. Best of all, you can mount it on your wall!
Bounty Hunter TK4 Metal Detector
X marks the spot! Who knows what you'll find...
19-in-1 Keyring Tool
Screwdrivers, wrenches, and pliers, oh my! Handy to have anywhere, any time.


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Artists: Pete Vaca
Phoenix Tattoo Company
2161 E. University
Suite 102
Tempe. AZ 85281
What year did you start tattooing?
I started tattooing in 2001.
How did you get into tattooing?
I was always interested in tattooing for as long as I could remember, but I never thought I could actually see myself tattooing because at that time it seemed like such a closed-off, carefully guarded art form, so I just never pursued it. I do like to say that I got into tattooing by sheer luck—I never went and tried to get into tattooing, but I feel that tattooing found me. I was asked to paint a mural by a shop owner in El Paso, TX. After the mural was done, he told me the other artists at the shop liked my style and asked me if I wanted to tattoo. Having been interested in the art form, I saw it as an opportunity and jumped right in. I still ask myself today if the dude brought me into tattooing because they really liked my style, or because he couldn't pay me for the mural, ha ha. I never did get paid for that mural, and I don't mind because if it wasn't for that I wouldn't be tattooing now.
Where did you apprentice?
I started there, at the shop that asked me to paint a mural—I worked there for a year. But I felt I never really
got any true substance or training in tattooing until I started working at The Ink Gallery in El Paso with Alfonso Calderon. There under his guidance is where I learned most of my values, ethics, and respect for tattooing. He had very strict traditional ideals about tattooing, things that I saw lacked in the previous shop.
What conventions have you worked at?
I've worked at a few conventions: Worldwide Tattoo Tour in Anaheim, CA; Tattoo Expos in San Diego, Pomona, and Fresno, CA; Texas Tattoo roundup in Dallas, TX; Tattoo Showdown in El Paso; and my all-time favorite, Hell City.
How do you describe your style?
I like to describe my style as undefined, if that makes any sense. I don't think I have a specific style per se because I love to do all types of styles, but if I had to pick a specific style I guess I'd say it's illustrated and painterly.
What inspires you as an artist?
I'm inspired by pretty much anything and everything— music, daily events in my life. The guys
at Phoenix Tattoo Company keep me highly inspired each and every day.
What sets you apart from other artists?
I don't know if anything really sets me apart from the other artists. However, I have noticed a trend lately that everyone wants to be famous and stuff like that—that's cool and all, but that's not why I am in tattooing. My
personal belief and philosophy is that I didn't join this race to finish first but, God willing, to
be one of the few left standing.
What other mediums do you work in?
I love to airbrush and I dabble in watercolor, but over the past couple of years I've really gotten into oils.
What tattoo artists do you admire most?
I could go on for days about the artists I admire most, but some are artists like Salvador Dalí, Alphonse Mucha, Robert Williams, Todd Schorr, Mike Roper, Bill Canales, Jeff Gogue, Steve Moore, Eric James, Fritz Andrews, Josh Carter. The list goes on and on. Every day I find another artist that inspires me somehow, some way.
What kind of tattoos do you look forward to doing?
I look forward to doing some larger scale work—sleeves, back pieces, etc. I really love Japanese-influenced pieces, and anything involving creepy girls or subject matter.
Is there anyone that you would like to tattoo?
I prefer easygoing, open-minded clients who are fun to be around and who can trust me to do a good job, and who don't just see me as wearing the paper hat and ready to make it your way.
Before someone gets a tattoo what advice do you give them?
Do your homework. You don't have to get tattooed by me, but make sure your artist holds himself and
you, the client, to the utmost highest standards. Simply put, don't take shortcuts, and expect the best quality over quantity. Cheaper is never, ever better.
Is there a tattoo that you haven't done yet that you are dying to do?
I have quite a few ideas I'd like to tattoo, but one specifically: I'd love to do a Battle Royale full back piece,
shoulders to back of the thighs.


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NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga says he accepts the Supreme Court's verdict that upholds the election of Uhuru Kenyatta as Kenya's next president.
Odinga, who challenged the validity of Kenyatta's win, told reporters after the court ruling on Saturday that he wished Kenyatta well and urged Kenyans to remain peaceful.
He said it was unfortunate that some of his legal team's evidence had been disallowed by the court. This, he said, means that "in the end Kenyans lost the right to know what happened" in the counting of votes.
Kenyatta was declared the winner on March 9 with 50.07 percent of the vote, narrowly avoiding a runoff election against Odinga. Odinga's legal team argued at the Supreme Court that Kenyatta improperly boosted his votes to avoid a runoff election.


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CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's former military chief made a rare appeal Monday to the country's youth who were behind calls for regime change since 2011, trying to win support among a key bloc in this month's presidential election that he admitted he is struggling to reach.
Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, seen as certain to become Egypt's next president in the May 26-27 vote, has been taken to task, even by supporters, for failing to reach out to the large youth vote.
Many youth groups have been critical of the military's management of the transition following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in 2011 — and the subsequent crackdown on dissent after el-Sissi's ouster last summer of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.
In his comments Monday during an interview with Sky News Arabia — he gave a nod to revolutionary youth groups, but also underlined his message that Egypt now needs stability — which he has repeatedly said means an end to protests.
"They must be sure they are hugely appreciated not only by me. But I can't get it to them frankly," he said when asked about the youth. He called their role in bringing about change "unforgettable."
"But the circumstances are hard for all of us. Recognize this, and stand by Egypt now and in the future," he said. He said he wants the youth groups to prepare to be future leaders, adding that if elected he would offer them positions as aides to governors, ministers and himself — though made no mention of naming them as actual ministers.
Since removing Morsi, el-Sissi has rode a wave of nationalist fervor praising him as a savior for removing Islamists from office, after many complained they were monopolizing power and seeking to change the country's identity. His popularity is also assisted by staunchly supportive media and the perception that the military is the country's only stable institution after years of turmoil.
But he has antagonized many of the youth groups, many of whom also opposed Morsi. The crackdown on Islamists since Morsi's ouster has widened to include secular and non-Islamist youth leaders and activists who criticized the military-backed heavy-handedness on dissent. Several of the most prominent activists in the uprising against Mubarak are now in jail on trial for breaking new anti-protest laws. Some have also left the country.
Also, el-Sissi has not addressed in his campaign youth demands for social justice and equitable distribution of resources — or the issue of retribution for the hundreds of people killed during clashes with security or holding old regime officials accountable for past abuses.
According to official estimates, around 37 million of Egypt's 53 million voters are between the age of 18-40. In a referendum last December, an amended constitution passed by a huge margin of around 98 percent — widely seen as a show of support for el-Sissi — but youth turnout was reportedly startlingly low.
"His weakest point is the youth," wrote Karem Mahmoud, a columnist with the Al-Tahrir newspaper. "It seems the man himself doesn't care much for that gap or he realizes it well but wants to turn around it cunningly instead of dealing with it directly."
By contrast, el-Sissi's sole rival in the race, leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi has much appeal among youth groups, who are largely the ones behind his campaign and who have been pressing for a debate between el-Sissi and Sabahi.
Sabahi, who came in third in the 2012 presidential election won by Morsi, is lauded as the "revolutionary candidate." He promised to amend a controversial protest law that is seen as restricting protests and promised to release most of the prominent activists held because of it.
The 59-year-old Sabahi has also outscored el-Sissi in his campaign by traveling around the country, meeting with factory workers, farmers and youth groups.
El-Sissi, also 59, has run a largely closed-door campaign, with no street appearance so far because of security fears. The retired military chief has said two assassination plots against him have already been uncovered.
Instead, he has relied on interviews and closed-door meetings with supporters. He has met in sessions with women, businessmen, professional groups, pensioners, tribal leaders and writers and journalists. He only met with youth groups Sunday, over a week into the 3-week campaign.
On Monday, el-Sissi also opened a new tactic, using a video link to address supporters in the southern city of Assiut. His singling out of southern Egypt was significant — the area is hugely underdeveloped and makes up for a large chunk of migrants to the capital and other cities, and had a large support base for Morsi.
But during his short speech via videoconference, he also addressed the youth, saying he is targeting them with his plans to develop the south with investments and jobs.
"When I talk about investment, I am talking to the youth that I see before me, who may think there is no hope. I tell you there is hope God willing," he said.
The crowd broke out with chants of "With our souls and blood we defend you, el-Sissi" — though they were drowned out by the organizers' version of the chant through loudspeakers, "With love and work, el-Sissi is the hope."
Since the military ousted Morsi on July 3, security forces have waged a heavy crackdown on Morsi's supporters, particularly his Muslim Brotherhood. At the same time, Islamic militants have escalated a campaign of bombings and shootings against police and the military.
On Monday, the interior minister — who heads the security forces — sought to bolster the government's claims that the Brotherhood is behind terrorism. At a press conference, he showed alleged confessions by militants, two of whom said their cells had received funds from Brotherhood members or allies.
The Brotherhood has denied any link to militant groups and says the government accusations are intended to justify authorities' drive to eradicate it.
Egypt's interim government has branded the group a terrorist organization and moved to crush continuing protests by Morsi supporters, arresting more than 16,000 and killing hundreds.
Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim said security forces have uncovered 40 "terrorist cells" since April.
He aired confessions of five alleged militants, saying they had masterminded attacks that killed five senior police in the greater Cairo area. The contents of the confessions could not be independently confirmed.
One of the alleged militants, who identified himself as Abdullah Hussein, said he had fought in Syria's civil war alongside rebels, then returned to Egypt three months ago and plotted attacks.
Associated Press writer Maggie Michael contributed to this report


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ReleasesBack to
Cecil Taylor
For the second of Cecil Taylor's two Blue Note albums (following Unit Structures), the innovative pianist utilized a sextet comprised of trumpeter Bill Dixon, altoist Jimmy Lyons, both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on basses and drummer Andrew Cyrille. During the two lengthy pieces, Lyons' passionate solos contrast with Dixon's quieter ruminations while the music in general is unremittingly intense. Both of the Taylor Blue Notes are quite historic and near-classics but, despite this important documentation, Cecil Taylor (other than a pair of Paris concerts) would not appear on records again until 1973. ~ Scott Yanow


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Freshman Ross Friedman and
the Crimson are 2-0-1 in their last three games (Gil
Live Statistsics
Live Video (with subscription)
Live Audio
Ivy League Standings
The Game:
The Harvard men's soccer team, which owns a 2-0-1 record in its last three games, travels to Providence, R.I., to play No. 15 Brown in a key Ivy League contest Saturday evening.
The Crimson boasts a 4-3-4 overall mark and a 1-0-1 Ivy League record, while the Bears stand at 7-1-2 and 1-1 in the Ancient Eight.
Follow From Home:
Live statistics will be available for Saturday's game against Brown. Live audio and video will also be available with a subscription.
The Matchup:
Harvard leads the all-time series against Brown, 46-27-11, and the Crimson has won three of the last five games, including the last two. Last season, Harvard shut out Brown, 1-0, at Ohiri Field Oct. 17, 2009. Andre Akpan '10 scored the game-winning goal in the 47th minute, while Austin Harms recorded the shutout with a five-save performance.
About Harvard:
Harvard carries a 2-1-3 road record into Saturday's contest and has yet to play a conference road game this fall. Last time out, Ben Tsuda tallied a goal and Austin Harms made three saves as the Crimson tied Cornell, 1-1, at Ohiri Field Oct. 9.
With three goals and an assist, Brian Rogers paces the Crimson in scoring with seven points. Scott Prozeller (2-1-5) ranks second in goals and is tied with Kyle Henderson (1-3-5) for second in points. Rogers, Prozeller, McCarthy and Ross Friedman have each notched a game-winning tally this season.
Goalkeeper Austin Harms has recorded 15 shutouts in his career, placing him only four behind Ryan Johnson '06 for first in program history (19). He also stands sixth in school history with 119 saves. Harms boasts a 3-3-3 record this season with 27 saves and a 1.14 goals-against average. Brett Conrad earned a 1-0 shutout against Holy Cross Oct. 6, stopping three shots, and improving his record to 1-0-1 with a 0.45 goals-against mark this fall.
About Brown:
The 15th-ranked Bears head into the weekend 4-0-2 at home, winning its last home contest, 1-0, against St. John's Oct. 5. Brown is coming off a 3-0 loss at Princeton Oct. 9.
Sean Rosa has scored four goals and handed out three assists for a team-best 11 points, while Jon Okafor (3-3-9) and T.J. Popolizio (3-0-6) are tied for second in goals. Rosa, Okafor and Popolizio have notched two game-winning tallies apiece.
In net, Paul Grandstrand has recorded eight shutouts this season, while boasting a 7-1-2 record with 36 saves and a 0.38 goals-against average. Grandstrand also owns a .900 save percentage, having stopped 36 of 40 shots faced.
Brown has outscored opponents by a 16-4 margin and has earned 56 corner kicks, compared to 47 for the opposition.
He's Honored:
After scoring the game-winning goal at Holy Cross Oct. 6, freshman Connor McCarthy was honored as the Ivy League Rookie of the Week Monday.
Down The Stretch:
With six games remaining on its schedule, Harvard plays two of those contests at home. The Crimson sits third in the Ivy League standings with a 1-0-1 record, trailing Penn and Princeton who each own 2-0 marks in conference play.
Around The Ivy League:
In other conference games Saturday, Penn travels to Hanover, N.H., to face Dartmouth at 4 p.m., Cornell hosts Yale at 7 p.m., and Columbia welcomes Princeton at 7 p.m.
Up Next:
The Crimson will return home to host No. 18 Boston College Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. Harvard will then travel to Princeton for an Ivy League showdown, which will be broadcast live on ESPNU Sunday, Oct. 24 at 5 p.m.


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10 Stars You Won't Believe Have Never Won An Oscar
On Sunday, Hollywood will once again congratulate itself on a year of jobs well done. What's unbelievably ridiculous about the Academy Awards is that in a sea of incredibly talented performances, the award can go to only one person. It just seems wrong.
It has always seemed wrong. The 84 year history of the Academy Awards has left in its wake a long list of actors and other talented moviemakers who have been rightfully nominated several times, but who have never gone home with the golden guy.
We think this is unfair, so we are taking a moment from the chatter about the films of 2011 to recognize some talented people who've been robbed by Oscar.
Johnny Depp – 3 Nominations
Johnny Depp has been nominated 3 times. We can understand him not walking away with the prize for his performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in 'Pirates of the Carribbean.' He was great, but there were bigger things happening that year. We do, however, find fault with the Academy for letting him leave empty-handed after 2004's very underrated 'Finding Neverland.'
Annette Bening – 3 Nominations
The lovely and talented Ms. Bening has lost Oscars to Hilary Swank twice. Her amazing performance in 1999's 'American Beauty' was trumped by Swank's portrayal of a transgender teen in 'Boys Don't Cry.' But the loss we don't find all right was her snubbing last year for her brilliant anchoring of 'The Kids Are All Right.'
Glenn Close – 5 Nominations
No Oscar snub has ever been as snubby as Glenn Close losing the Academy Award for her chilling performance in 1987's 'Fatal Attraction' to Cher in 'Moonstruck.' She's nominated again this year for her gender-bending turn in 'Albert Nobbs.' The Academy loves gender benders and actresses not being pretty. Will her snubbing be avenged?
Ed Harris – 4 Nominations (clip NSFW)
Ed Harris has a chameleon-like ability to show up unrecognizably in almost any movie. But even though he can play many different types, he always brings the same gift for getting right to the heart of a character and taking the audience along for the ride. He should've won for his supporting role in 'The Truman Show,' but his most tragic loss was being passed over for his portrayal of the demon-riddled artist for whom the movie 'Pollack' was named.
Richard Burton – 7 Nominations
Great actors getting dissed at the Oscars is not a new thing. Prolific talent and serial husband Richard Burton actually had two more nominations than marriages and still never won. Sadly, it was an onscreen stint as a husband that was the most shamefully overlooked - his performance opposite onetime wife Elizabeth Taylor in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'
Deborah Kerr – 6 Nominations
Truly the Oscar for most snubbed by the Academy has to go to classic movie darling Deborah Kerr. Ms. Kerr was nominated for Best Actress a record six times without ever being awarded a statue. She had to have felt the chill when her film 'From Here to Eternity' won 13 of its 18 nominations and her performance was not one of them.
Leonardo DiCaprio – 3 Nominations
Leo is as close to cinema royalty as anyone can get in Hollywood without getting one of the little gold guys. He's a fave of Scorsese (who isn't exactly an Academy pet either), and we've been watching him dig deep and put it all out there on the big and small screen since he was a kid. Not only has the Academy not even nominated him for some great performances, but his loss for his portrayal of Howard Hughes in 2004's 'The Aviator' had to have stung.
Sigourney Weaver – 3 Nominations
We find it impossible that a movie and pop icon like Sigourney Weaver could have managed to escape ever getting home with an Oscar in her hand. Although we understand action flicks aren't the Academy's style, her performance in 'Aliens' alone should've been enough to get her there. What we don't understand is why she had to remain in her seat after her stint as Dian Fossey in 'Gorillas in the Mist.'
Julianne Moore – 4 Nominations
One of the great shape-shifting, stereotype-busting actresses of our time, the fact that Julianne Moore has never left the Kodak with an Oscar leaves us in shock. It's not like the Academy hasn't had a chance to award her. In 2003 she put out two nomination-worthy performances - Best Actress for 'Far From Heaven' and Supporting for 'The Hours' - and still went home alone.
Alfred Hitchcock – 5 Nominations
We let one director sneak onto the list of actors because this Academy snubbing seems to be the most unbelievable and audacious of them all. That the genius behind classic, yet still chilling suspense thrillers like 'Psycho,' 'Rear Window,' 'Vertigo,' 'Spellbound' and 'The Birds' could spend his life without a statue to decorate his mantle is unthinkable to us. (Ok, they gave him an honorary one, be we still think it's wrong).


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Is Alex Burrows poised for a career year?
I'd like to extend my thanks to Thom for the invite to the CanucksArmy writing team. I have been writing and managing the DobberHockey website for the past few years. My writing over there tends to focus more on the numbers and statistics. That isn't to say that my writing here will ignore those things, but I will cover a much broader spectrum of hockey-related subjects – all pertaining to the Vancouver Canucks, of course.
This off-season has been one unlike any experienced in Vancouver in a long, long time. The team played well into June, and several key players are still recovering from a grueling postseason run. The team lost its highest scoring defenseman, and the heart and soul of the team is likely to miss the first month of the season. However, there are still many reasons why the Canucks should once again be an elite NHL club in 2011-12. I'll speak on 10 of them.
1. A healthy Alex Burrows. After missing out on a typical offseason training schedule last summer, Burrows was slow out of the gate upon his return to the lineup in November. He scored only once in the first 10 games of the season, but still managed to finish the season with 26 goals in 72 games. Doing some simple math, that means he scored 25 goals in the final 62 games he suited up for (a 33-goal pace, only two off of his career mark from 2009-10).
Burrows is in his prime playing with the two reigning Art Ross Trophy winners. He's 100% healthy and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him set new career highs in goals and points (especially with Kesler missing about a month, as Burrows will likely slide in on the first power play unit).
2. Chris Tanev's progression into a mainstay top four defenseman hasn't happened just yet, but it is only a matter of time. He looked fantastic last season as an unproven and unknown rookie, with his weaknesses being related to size, strength, and shooting power. The first two have been improved upon noticeably (thanks to a summer of training with Gary Roberts), while the improved shot may get a chance to be shown off on the power play. Tanev has that "it" factor that is impossible to teach. People use words like hockey IQ, poise, and puck smarts to explain "it." Some prospects have it, and some don't. It is pretty hard (I would say impossible) to develop. His offensive ceiling is a bit of an unknown, but anything above 20-30 points this season would be gravy for one of the best kept secrets in the entire league.
3. Cody Hodgson's newfound love for kale and quinoa received a lot of media attention in Vancouver this summer. Who doesn't love a good Hodgson debate? It's better late than never for the former junior star, as he finally reported to camp strong healthy. His chronic back issues are a thing of the past, and he put in some serious training time this summer (the first summer since 2008 in which Hodgson has been able to train without hesitation). Sensing an opportunity to grab the second line center gig for the first month of the season, he has shown flashes of why he was picked 10th overall back in 2008 throughout the preseason.
He'll never beat defensemen one-on-one with his speed, but he's crafty with the puck, much like the Sedin twins. He looks much stronger in puck battles than he did last season, and he is much improved in the faceoff circle as well. Hodgson may not have a regular roster spot once Kesler returns, but the Canucks will be forced to find one for him if he stands out as the temporary second line center.
4. A legitimate fourth line center is something the Canucks have lacked since Artem Chubarov left for Russia back in 2004. Since then, the fourth line has featured the likes of Alex Bolduc and his non-bionic shoulders, Ryan Johnson and his lack of ability to play hockey, the very forgettable Josh Green, and Byron "power play quarterback" Ritchie, among others. Lapierre is a significant upgrade on all of them, obviously. Having a strong two-way center makes the jobs of the wingers much easier (considering the season kicks off in a week and we have no idea who the two wingers will be, this is definitely a plus). Lapierre showed in the playoffs that he is a menace on the forecheck and a better hockey player than many were expecting when he came over from Anaheim.
5. Internal competition. The downside to having a number of borderline second line wingers is that the second line may not have as much pure talent on it. The upside is that on any given night the line may feature a different combination of players, based on who is performing better. Expect to see the likes of Chris Higgins, Jannik Hansen, Mikael Samuelsson, Marco Sturm, Cody Hodgson, and even Jordan Schroeder compete for the same offensive ice time. Don't forget the Canucks have some cap space to play with – I'd expect the team to add a quality veteran winger at some point before the trade deadline in 2012.
Stay tuned for the other five reasons next week…


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Portion of Blue Ridge Parkway slated to open
Portion of Blue Ridge Parkway slated to open
A portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway is reopening to tourists.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that Chief Ranger Steve Stinnett said the parkway will be open from Asheville north to the Craggy Garden Visitor Center by noon Friday.
The parkway has been closed for weather all winter from the Asheville area northward. It is now closed from Milepost 375 at Bull Gap to Milepost 355 at N.C. 128 at Mount Mitchell State Park.
The Craggy Gardens Visitor Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Starting May 24, it will be open daily.
The section just north of Craggy Gardens will remain closed at least until mid-May because of ongoing road stabilization work.


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Miliband: Labour can give Scotland the change it needs
Ed Miliband has told Labour voters in Scotland to vote No at the independence referendum as a Labour government next year will provide the change they need.
With just two weeks to go until the vote on Scotland's future, Miliband travelled to Lanarkshire, where party founder Keir Hardie was born, to make a passionate plea ahead of the 18 September vote.
Mr Miliband insisted it was his party, and not Alex Salmond's SNP, that would bring about the change the country needs.
"I know the way to get rid of this Tory government, that is to vote No and to elect a Labour government, and that is what I believe is going to happen," he said.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
The Kiwanis Club of Lewiston presented a $5,000 check to the Mount St. Mary's Foundation for the hospital's Steve Washuta Cardiac Center. The funds were raised at the club's annual clambake, which was held last summer.
Pictured, from left, are Kiwanis Club, President Jeff Sanderson; Todd Schwartz, the clambake co-chairman; Mount St. Mary's Foundation Executive Director Lynn Catalano; and clambake co-chairman Robert Trunzo.


text: First part of a challenging capstone multidisciplinary team-based design project, including the Multidisciplinary Design Minor. Students participate in the conception, scoping, and preliminary design of innovative engineering projects. The designs are refined and prototypes can be fabricated and tested in ENGR 455. Includes mentors and guest lecturers from academia, industry, and government laboratories.


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Thank you for your interest in the Graduate Center, CUNY. Our admission pages are designed to help you easily navigate the application process. Please follow the steps below to apply for admission to the Graduate Center.
If you have not already done so, you are strongly encouraged to visit and review the website of the program to which you are applying in order to understand how the program is organized, what is needed to earn your degree, and other applicable information specific to the program. Access websites for doctoral programs and for master's programs.
Applicants must complete the admissions prerequisites specified by the program, submit evidence that he or she shows promise of ability to carry out research, and be approved by the admissions committee of the program in which he or she intends to specialize.
Although you may be interested in two programs, you may apply to only one program. The Program Application Deadlines and Requirements page summarizes the general requirements, deadlines, and prerequisites for each program.
Visit our Events Calendar to see if their is a scheduled Open House for the program in which you are interested.
If you would like to be on the Office of Admissions mailing list, please fill out our contact form.
To receive a degree from the Graduate Center, students must meet general degree requirements as outlined in the GC Bulletin - Degree Requirements.
Scholastic Requirement
All programs require that you have earned an acceptable bachelor's from an accredited institution whose requirements for the particular degree are substantially equivalent to those of The City University of New York.
Transfer of Credits
A maximum of 30 acceptable graduate credits taken prior to admission to the doctoral program at the City University may be applied toward the degree provided the courses were completed with a grade of B or higher within an appropriate period preceding the time of application and are equivalent to comparable courses at the City University. In the case of master's programs, a total of 12 credits may be approved for transfer. Exceptions to the above regulations may be considered under special circumstances. An evaluation of previously earned credits may be made before the end of the student's first year in residence by the student's program.
The following materials must be included in your application:
Online Application
All prospective students must submit an application form through the Graduate Center's ApplyYourself online application system. Please use an email address that will not expire before your desired term of entry, as it will be used for correspondence from the Office of Admissions.
Transcripts must be uploaded into the online application from each college or university attended even if you did not complete a degree or did not enroll in courses in your current field. Applicants are required to upload scanned/electronic copies of all their transcripts to the online application. If an applicant is offered admissions and decides to attend the Graduate Center, the applicant will then be required to provide unopened, official hard copies of all transcripts which will be compared to the unofficial uploads. In the event of discrepancies or false reporting of any information, the Graduate Center reserves the right to change/withdraw its offer of admission to the applicant.
Letters of Recommendation
The email address and contact information for at least two professors who can appraise your academic achievement and promise must be provided*. When you complete your online application, you will be asked for the email address of each recommender and our application system will send an email directly to each recommender. Please notify the individuals from whom you request references that they must submit the recommendation online. If it has been more than five years since you were last enrolled in college or graduate school, you may choose to request letters in addition to your two required academic evaluations. These letters should be from professional acquaintances and others who can vouch for your ability to pursue graduate study.
* Professional references may be substituted for academic references if you are applying to the Doctoral Program in Social Welfare.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Score
All doctoral applicants to the Graduate Center must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test* and, where requested, the Subject Test in the area of intended study. The Graduate Center does not set a minimum GRE score for any of the programs. The scores are evaluated in a context of other measures of academic performance. For information about scheduling the test, call 1-800-GRE-CALL or visit www.ets.org.
Please schedule to take the test at least two weeks prior to the program deadline. The online application will ask you to upload the student score report from your exam and applications will be reviewed with this upload. If you are admitted, you will then be required to have official scores be reported by to The Graduate Center—College Code 2113 prior to registration.
Note: In addition to the General Test, the GRE Subject Test is required for Clinical Psychology. The GRE Subject Test is recommended for all other Psychology training areas.
* The GRE is not required for applicants to the Doctoral Program in Social Welfare, and the M.A. in Liberal Studies Program. The GRE is optional for the Journalism Program and the Middle Eastern Studies Program.
* The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) may be submitted in lieu of the GRE for applicants to the PhD in Business. For information, call 1-866-505-6559 or visit www.gmac.com. Official scores for GMAT should be reported to The Graduate Center—College Code XWT-S7-47.
English as a Foreign Language
An applicant must submit scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) unless they have a post-secondary degree from an institution in which the language of instruction is English-only and located in a country that recognizes English as an Official Language.
The TOEFL is administered internationally by Educational Testing Service and the IELTS is administered by Cambridge English Language Assessment.
Please schedule to take the test at least two weeks prior to the program deadline. The online application will ask you to upload the student score report from your exam and your application will be reviewed with this upload. If you are admitted, you will then be required to have official scores be reported by to The Graduate Center—College Code 2113 prior to registration.
In order to officially submit the application, you must click "Submit" on your online application, pay the application fee, and electronically sign the application. The Graduate Center has a nonrefundable $125 application fee.
Credit card payments will be accepted online. Checks and money order payments must be made payable to the Graduate Center. Cash will not be accepted by mail. Please note that no action will be taken on your application until payment is received. The City University of New York implements a 2.65% service fee on all credit card transactions.
All program deadlines are firm. Applications must be completed in its entirety (along with all supporting documents) prior to midnight Eastern Standard Time of the deadline day.
Once you submit your application, you will be able to track your application materials on your Next Step Checklist in the ApplyYourself online system. Please note, it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the Office of Admissions receives all required materials by the application deadline. Under no circumstances will any application materials submitted to the Office of Admissions be returned to the applicant or forwarded to another college, university, or place of business. All records submitted in support of an application for admission become part of the property of the Graduate Center.
The Graduate Center will automatically consider you for financial aid as long as you have applied for admission before the appropriate deadline. You can review Financial Aid information on the Office of Financial Aid website.
Review your acceptance letter and financial assistance information. Contact Admissions, Financial Aid, or your program if you have any further questions about your acceptance.
Admitted students will be sent registration materials approximately 3 to 4 weeks prior to registration.
Note that New York State law requires all students to complete a Meningococcal Meningitis Response Form prior to registration. In addition, New York State law requires all students born on or after January 1, 1957, to be immunized against measles, mumps, and rubella. Registration will not be permitted if a student does not comply with state medical record regulations. Specific questions should be directed to the Wellness Center at Phone: (212) 817-7020; Fax: (212) 817-1602; Email: email@example.com; Website.
International students must follow the steps outlined on this page and review the International Students page for additional requirements and assistance.
Statement of Nondiscrimination: Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Regulations
The Graduate Center is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Institution and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, transgender, disability, genetic predisposition or carrier status, alienage or citizenship, or veteran or marital status in its student admissions, employment, access to programs, and administration of educational policies. In accordance with the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972 and the implementing federal regulations, the Graduate Center maintains a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of gender in the operation of its educational programs and activities. Inquiries concerning Affirmative Action may be directed to the Affirmative Action Officer (Telephone: 1.212.817.7410); and inquiries concerning Title IX may be directed to the Campus Title IX Coordinator/Compliance & Diversity Officer (Telephone: 1.212.817.7410).


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These are sold as a 4-pack?
Quote from: JediJman on April 17, 2008, 10:27 PMThese are sold as a 4-pack? No, the JLI figures are a regular wave of figures and not a box set.
Any idea how to order them individually?
Just keep an eye on scifigenre, they are a good source for the DCD stuff since you get your comics there anyway. The figures were just solicited by DCD on Monday and it usually takes scifigenre a few weeks to add them to the site after they are announced.
EW.com has photos of two of the upcoming Watchmen figures, Rorschach and Nite Owl.They'll be previewing them and two others at NYCC this weekend. E...
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Western Digital SATA 6Gb/sec 1TB Caviar Black (WD1002FAEX) Review
The new and improved Caviar Black.
For those curious, this new drive does not incorporate Advanced Format. I suspect Western Digital will be leaving that feature to their lower spindle speed drive lines, since larger block sizes have a negative impact on smaller-than-2KB random writes - similar to what happens with a 2KB stripe size RAID.
I find it odd that the author chides Marvell for the interface performance: in effect doubling the Windows O.S. for transference.
I am bewildered he then goes on to say that the 2TB Drives are faster, but perhaps, should be equalled by the WD1002FAEX.
If the Marvel controller were saturating on the Motherboard, it probably would similarly saturate for the 2TB Hard Disks. Assuming that the OEM PC and the Windows O.S. have not changed, this particular difference must lie within the testing of the WD1002FAEX.
[While it is alleged that] Marvell's 88SE9123 or 88SE9128 controllers have not been able to deliver improvements to 3GB/sec as suggested; this is partly and largely due to Marvell's SE91XX drivers having flaws.
Some software requires caching to be disabled. For example, SQL Server. When the driver ignores convention, you have no choice on having a reliable system.
1.5 and 2 TB have a major and minor arm whereas 1 TB has only 1
1.5 and 2 TB have a major and minor arm whereas 1 TB has only 1
Have had two of these fail - from completely different systems. Steer clear!!
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