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Our neonatology team brings together the expertise of a variety of healthcare providers to provide specialized and individualized care for high risk babies.
Our team is lead by neonatologists who are pediatricians with specialized training in caring for babies who are premature or ill.
Together with the neonatologists, our team includes:
Pediatrician: A physician who has special training in caring for babies and children.
Registered Nurses or RNs: Nurses with training in neonatal intensive care who will provide round-the-clock care for your baby.
Respiratory Therapists: Professionals who have training specific to your baby's breathing needs. Many of our NICU therapists hold the credential of NPS (Neonatal/Pediatric Specialty) from the National Board of Respiratory Care. This demonstrates the essential knowledge, skills and abilities required of respiratory therapists in this specialty area.
Breastfeeding or Lactation Consultants: Practitioners with international certification in counseling the lactating mother and breastfeeding baby.
Occupational and Speech Therapists: Professionals who have special training to care for infants' individual needs for development, positioning, feeding, and relating to their environment.
Medical Social Worker/Discharge Planners: Professionals who offer emotional support and who arrange for any special care or equipment needed upon your infant's discharge or "NICU graduation." They also communicate with your insurance company for authorization of care.
Unit Clerks: Staff members who support the nurses with clerical duties, stocking supplies and assisting in various nursing tasks.
Laboratory and Radiology Technologists: Personnel who take blood samples and x-rays.


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Spacecraft catches up to comet
Scientists are celebrating after a European spacecraft launched 10 years ago finally caught up with a fast-moving comet more than 250 million miles (402 million km) away.
The Rosetta probe completed a journey that took it four billion miles (6.4 billion km) across the asteroid belt and more than five times the Earth's distance from the Sun.
Its destination was comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which is a misshapen lump of ice and dust swinging in a wide circuit round the Sun at around 34,175 mph (55,000 kmh).
Close-up detail of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, taken by Rosetta. (AP/ESA)
At 10am UK time, a critical six minute 26 second thruster burn set the probe into a temporary triangular holding pattern 62 miles above the comet.
From this position, measurements will be taken of the object's mass and gravity before Rosetta is placed in a fixed orbit around the object, edging closer until it is just 18.6 miles (30 kilometres) above the surface.
In November Rosetta will deploy a small robotic craft, Philae, which will make the first controlled landing on a comet before sending back images and data on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's composition.
As it arrived, Rosetta had to slow down to match the comet's speed to within walking pace.
A signal confirming the insertion manoeuvre was beamed back to Earth, taking 22 minutes 29 seconds to cross the void from the comet's current location between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars.
Shown live in a European Space Agency television broadcast from the control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, operations manager Sylvain Lodiot was heard to shout: "We're at the comet."
Muted applause followed - but none of the ecstatic whoops and cheers that accompany such moments in American space missions.
The scientists know they have a lot of tough challenges ahead as the mission enters a new phase, but were delighted with how well it had gone so far.
Rosetta mission director Andrea Accomazzo said: "It's like driving on a motorway at high speed. What we're doing today is like entering a chaotic town with lots of traffic."
One of the first tasks will be to search for a suitable landing site for Philae, which must be relatively free of holes, stones and craters, and away from areas where jets of gas erupt from the comet's interior.
For the next 17 months, Rosetta, a box-like structure just under 10 feet (3m) long with two wing-like solar panels, will remain close to the comet as it heads towards the Sun and heats up, throwing out increasing amounts of gas and dust.
At perihelion - the point at which it is closest to the Sun - Rosetta and the comet will be 1.3 times further from the Sun than the Earth, a distance of 118 million miles.
Speaking at the operations centre, project scientist Matt Taylor said: "Rosetta is the sexiest space mission there has ever been.
"Once we've got the rendezvous done we're going to have a ringside seat through perihelion and as (Rosetta) starts to move away from the Sun. It's going to be an awesome ride."
During its journey through space the probe looped around the Sun five times and picked up speed from three "gravity-assist" swing-bys of Earth and one of Mars.
To conserve power in the cold outer regions of the Solar System, it spent more than two years in "hibernation" with most of its systems shut down.
British scientists and engineers developed a mini-laboratory for Philae which will analyse grain samples drilled out from the comet and answer key questions about its origins.
Professor Richard Holdaway, director of RAL Space at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxford, said: "This is an historic and hugely exciting moment for the Rosetta Mission. After 10 years of travel through space from Earth, Rosetta finally arrives at the comet and will land a unique shoe-box sized chemistry set designed and built by RAL Space and The Open University.
"We are very proud of our involvement and eagerly anticipate receiving the first results."
Information from the mission is expected to help scientists understand the origin of comets, the Solar System, and possibly life.
Comets are known to contain complex organic molecules rich in carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen - the basic elements that make up the essential ingredients for life, nucleic and amino acids. Many scientists believe comets may have helped to plant seeds of life on Earth.
Rosetta is named after the Rosetta Stone, a slab of basalt containing inscriptions that helped archaeologists decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The lander Philae is named after an island in the Nile where an inscribed obelisk was discovered in 1815. Comparing the hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone and Philae obelisk led to greater understanding of the ancient Egyptian writing system.
Jean-Jacques Dordain, director general of the European Space Agency, said: "We are delighted to announce finally 'we are here'.
"Rosetta is now the first spacecraft in history to rendezvous with a comet, a major highlight in exploring our origins. Discoveries can start."
ESA's director of science and robotic exploration Alvaro Gimenez added: " We have come an extraordinarily long way since the mission concept was first discussed in the late 1970s and approved in 1993, and now we are ready to open a treasure chest of scientific discovery that is destined to rewrite the textbooks on comets for even more decades to come."
As it approached the comet, Rosetta's cameras sent back images that highlighted the unpredictable nature of the comet's activity.
Between late April and early June the comet's coma - the extended envelope of gas and dust surrounding the object - became rapidly brighter before fading again.
Over the same period, measurements suggested that the comet was emitting water vapour into space at a rate of about 0.3 litres per second.
Temperature readings suggested that the comet's surface was mostly dark and dusty rather than clean and icy.
As Rosetta closed in on the comet, its cameras showed the true shape of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in stunning detail.
The object turned out to have two distinct lobes joined by a "neck", drawing comparisons with a rubber duck.
Scientists believe it may have formed from a pair of comets colliding and fusing together. Alternatively it might have been sculpted by erosion over time.
As many as five possible landing sites will be identified by late August, before the primary location is identified in mid-September.
Philae is currently scheduled to touch down on the comet's surface on November 11, anchoring itself in place with harpoons and ice screws.
"Arriving at the comet is really only just the beginning of an even bigger adventure, with greater challenges still to come as we learn how to operate in this unchartered environment, start to orbit and, eventually, land," said Mr Lodiot.
Rosetta emerged from hibernation at 18:18 GMT on January 20, 5.6 million miles (nine million kilometres) from the comet.
After sending the spacecraft its "wake-up call" mission controllers reactivated the orbiter's 11 science instruments and Philae's 10 instruments.
Between May 7 and August 6, 10 correction manoeuvres were made to reduce Rosetta's velocity relative to the comet from 775 metres per second to one metre per second.
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subset: commoncrawl


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College is difficult enough without having to hunt high and low for that infuriatingly small book your professor decided to add to the syllabus at the last minute. Simplify the shopping process for your harried customers—and keep your bookstore looking fresh through the August crush and beyond—by utilizing StoreSMART's Bookshelf Card Holders. These crystal clear vinyl pockets maximize the impact of title cards by keeping them neat and clean—they'll no longer dog-ear, tear, yellow, or gather dirt from hundreds of curious hands and passing shoulders. The top flap of each Card Holder features a unique temporary adhesive that allows you to stick it on a shelf, peel it off, and reuse it—just like a sticky note. Help your customers find the materials they need to be successful!
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Indicative Rate * AU$165 to AU$500
Welcome to Beachfront Viscount, where your absolute beachfront holiday begins. The friendly staff invite you to relax and enjoy the magnificent ocean views as you relax on your private balcony. Larger than average two and three bedroom self-contained holiday apartments offer comfort. Each apartment is fan cooled (some upgraded apartments have air-conditioning).
The entire rooftop is dedicated to an entertainment area comprising a large family spa and north and south facing barbecue areas. Panoramic views of the Gold Coast and Hinterland complete this outstanding area. The complex features a large outdoor heated swimming pool, perfectly positioned beachside. With such and outstanding location, every apartment overlooks the beautiful patrolled beaches of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.
Beachfront fully self contained three bedroom modern, all with air conditioned lounge area. Some have air conditioners in bedroom as well as fans.
Their two bedroom fully self-contained apartment offers comfort, space and guaranteed ocean views. Small balcony but large enough to sit and watch the ocean as you relax in the comfort of fan cooled apartments and natural ocean breeze. Bedding configuration one queen and two single beds. Foxtel is available and Broadband also available . This can be purchased with a credit card on a time lapse basis. Hair dryer available at reception for no charge. Minimum night stay three nights.
Three bedroom fully self-contained apartment that offers comfort, space and guaranteed ocean views. They invite you to their paradise - relax with the comfort of ceiling fans (no air-conditioning) enjoy the natural breeze. Choose from bedding configuration of two queen beds and two singles or one queen and four singles (subject to availability). Foxtel and Broadband available. Broadband can be purchased with a current credit card and is on a time lapse basis. Hairdryer available at reception no charge.
Absolute ocean views some with air con unit lounge only and at discretion of owner. Balcony to enjoy the sun and surf. Broadband with credit card charge and Foxtel at not charge. Fan cooled bedrooms.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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There's an old joke that goes: "How do you eat an elephant?"
The larger point, of course, is that a seemingly insurmountable task can be conquered if you start small.
I've always believed the principle applies when deciding how to pay off debt. Many experts will tell folks to pay their debts starting with the one with the highest interest rate. It makes good math sense. You start by going after debt that is costing you the most.
But in practice, people don't do what makes sense – otherwise they wouldn't be in financial trouble. I've found that many people fail at debt-reduction plans because they give up if they don't feel as if they're making progress right away.
When I work with people who are in debt through a ministry at my church, I have them list their debts starting with the one with the lowest balance. I call it the "Debt Dash" plan because the goal is to pay off something quickly.
Let's say you have five credit cards with balances of $10,000, $2,000, $900, $4,500 and $1,700. Under the Debt Dash method, you would start your debt-repayment plan by paying off the credit card with the $900 balance. The goal is to get some momentum.
Whenever people ask me how to attack their debt and I recommend the Debt Dash, some folks criticize me for not suggesting the high-interest method. But I feel vindicated by a study by researchers at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management who wanted to know whether small victories could help win the war of debt reduction.
Turns out they can.
"Prior research suggests that the perception of progress toward a goal has a strong and positive motivational effect on goal pursuit," wrote David Gal and Blakeley B. McShane, assistant professors of marketing at Northwestern. Their paper appeared in the Journal of Marketing Research.
The researchers point out that people often can't muster the motivation to begin a daunting task. There's an actual term for the behavior, they say. It's called "the starting problem," coined by three other researchers who were looking at the behavior of people setting goals.
Gal and McShane, who looked at random data from almost 6,000 consumers seeking help from a leading debt-settlement firm, found that having an achievable goal enhances the likelihood of settling a debt account.
"A possible recommendation arising from our findings is that when pursuing a long-term goal, people should focus on checking items off their list rather than focus simply on making progress toward their goal in an absolute sense," they write.
It's not that paying debt off with the highest interest rate doesn't work. It's just that another viable alternative exists.
So if you're in debt and want to try my Debt Dash plan, here's how:
• Start by facing the truth. Gather all the paperwork about your debts. It may be unpleasant to look at, but remember you're going to start small.
• Stop beating yourself up for amassing the debt. It happened. Don't let it keep you from addressing the problem.
• Work on your budget so you can make trims to find the money needed to pay down the debt. If your budget is as tight as it can get, you'll have to be resourceful. Can you get a roommate for a short period? Maybe a second job. Do you have items you can sell? All the extra money you can come up with will be used to pay down the debt.
• Write your list. From top to bottom, start with the lowest balance. Interest rates do matter but not in this debt payment plan. However, if you have two debts that are close to the same amount, the debt carrying the higher interest rate should be listed before the other.
• As you are paying down your debt, be sure that you inform the lender that extra payments above the minimum amount should be put toward the principal. Even after you've informed the lender, double check your payments. You might want to write a separate check or execute an electronic transfer separate from your regular payment.
• Make only the minimum payments on your other debts. Once you've paid off the first debt, take the extra money and now apply it to the next one on your list.


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Sam Swope ought to be the man of the year if Louisville named one. Really though, he is the man of the century if one is judged by one's contribution to mankind.
Ohio's loss was our gain. Born in the Buckeye State, Sam played the saxophone in the Ohio State band. At games the band forms "OHIO†at the end of a performance and the "I†is dotted with an outstanding alum and the honor went to Sam one year.
Last week, Sam celebrated his retirement – after 60 years – with a big party at his huge Lexus dealership in eastern Jefferson County. The Swope Auto Group represents 21 automobile makes, in 24 dealerships in Louisville, Elizabethtown, Lexington, Radcliff and Richmond.
It is a family business he created and it is ranked as the largest dealership in Kentucky and 63rd in the nation. Swope is also the largest used vehicle dealer in the state.
Sam has turned over day-to-day operations to his nephew, Dick Swope, who serves as President and CEO, and his daughter, Patti Swope, who has assumed Sam's role as Chairman of the Board, and serves as executive Vice President.
Sam may have been a car dealer, but his heart has always gone out to disabled children. He served as a director of Kosair Charities for 23 years and was President three times. He has served on the board of most of the important charity organizations in town, especially the Lincoln Heritage Council of the Boy Scouts. He was honored as "Louisvillian of the Year†by the Advertising Federation of Louisville.
With his leisure time he is a motorcycle nut!
Sam rides with the Kosair Shrine Motor Corps here, the Bahia Shrine Motor Corps in Orlando (where he was riding this past week), the Louisville Tour Riders, Harley Owners Group, and the BMW Motorcycle Club. He has ridden all over the USA and Europe on a motorcycle and, yes, he has had a bang-up or two and is lucky to be alive as a result.
Sam uses his passion to raise money for children in need. Last year was the 12th annual Sam Swope Road Rally, to benefit Kosair Charities and Kosair Shrine Temple. The events have raised over $750,000.
And just drive through the Masonic Home on Frankfort Avenue. There is a reason his name is prominent there.
On top of that, he is a pussycat. Men admire him and women adore him! You would think to hear about him and all that he has accomplished that he would be an O.F. But it is just the opposite. No history of 20th century Kentucky would be complete without Sam Swope being recognized as a Distinguished Citizen Who Made A Difference.
Thank you, Sam for all you have done for our town.


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HICKORY � When B.J. Richmond came to Mars Hill three summers ago, he hadn�t played football since 2001.
The former professional baseball player clearly has warmed to the sport � and the Lions have clearly benefitted from his talentes.
A year ago, Mars Hill won its first conference title since 1985 and played its first postseason game since 1980. And the Lions (5-3, 4-1) enter the final three weeks of this season with the opportunity for a repeat performance.
Mars Hill, which hosts Tusculum Saturday at 1 p.m. before finishing its season at Carson-Newman Nov. 10, is joined atop the league standings by Wingate (5-3, 4-1) with Lenoir-Rhyne (5-2, 3-1) close behind after last Saturday�s 34-21 L-R win over Mars Hill.
�We�ve had a great season so far,� said Richmond, a 2002 South Point High graduate, who was a quarterback and kicker for the Red Raiders. �We�ll have to work past this loss and work towards another championship.�
Richmond spent three years in pro baseball from 2004-07 after one season at Spartanburg Methodist in 2004. A seventh-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Richmond had the opportunity to resume his college athletic career at another sport if he played at the NAIA, NCAA Division II or NCAA Division III level.
Richmond picked Mars Hill after Lions coaches showed interest in the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder�s kicking ability. And Richmond has been Mars Hill�s starting punter ever since.
In 2010, Richmond averaged 39.8 yards on 46 punts as the Lions went 5-6, 3-4. Last season, with Mars Hill going 8-3, 6-1, Richmond averaged 37.1 yards on 51 punts. And this season, Richmond has averaged 38.5 yards on 40 punts.
More importantly than his average has been Richmond�s accuracy. Of his 137 career punts, Richmond has only five touchbacks while he�s had 25 fair catches and 57 punts have pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard-line.
After last season�s success and the departure of record-setting running back Jonas Randolph, the Lions weren�t picked to repeat as league champions; Lenoir-Rhyne was the preseason league favorite, with Mars Hill picked second.
�We feel like we�re at least as good as last year � maybe even better � but we know we have work ahead of us,� Richmond said.
Whatever happens the rest of the season, Richmond knows his collegiate career is coming to an end.
The sports management major is open to whatever professional options might present themselves, but he�s also pursuing work next spring that will fulfill his graduation requirements.
�I�ll do my internship and I�ll figure out what I�m doing after that,� Richmond. �I�m hoping I can get an internship with the (NBA Charlotte) Bobcats or (NFL Carolina) Panthers.�
Richard Walker: 704-869-1841; twitter.com/JRWalk22


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Rep. Ralph Hall is fighting government spending, one magician at a time.
Hall, a Republican from Rockwall and chairman of the House Committee of Science, Space and Technology, recently wrote a letter to the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, NOAA, criticizing them for attempting to hire someone to perform "experiential exercises, physical energizers, magic tricks, puzzles, brain teasers, word games, humor and team-building exercises," at a leadership conference as a way to stimulate creativity and practice various skills.
Perhaps they should have also asked for the ability to make money appear out of thin air.
Hall blasted the organization in a letter for the allocation of funds and called for the group to "immediately halt spending associated with this conference."
"As the federal government continues to burden American taxpayers with trillion-dollar deficits and NOAA struggles to meet their critical weather forecasting missions to protect lives and property, this type of wasteful spending is simply unacceptable," Hall said in the letter.
Hall also has asked the group to provide information on the aforementioned conference as well as past conferences, asking for specific information by Thursday on amounts spent on "magician, comedians, and related performers."
A copy of the letter is below.
[scribd id=92735247 key=key-1u303xw8qm74lxeb7f7x mode=list]


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Dreamy Soft Glow Effect In Photoshop
Manfred Werner, Retoucher at RetutPro
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1. Dreamy Soft Glow Effect In Photoshop16:10
About This Class
About This Class:
- In this class I will show you how to create a dreamy soft glow effect in photoshop
- Over 4 very simple Photoshop techniques / steps
- No illustrator, plugins or other software is needed
- You will need no prior Photoshop knowledge
You will need no prior Photoshop knowledge or any other photoshop skills - I'll show you how to instantly get into the effect and be good at it. (literally!) In all Photoshop lessons I go into full detail showing exactly how you, like me, can use these Photoshop techniques for immediate success.
For more photoshop skills, check out my YouTube Channel or my Skillshare Profile!
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Love Sharing and Teaching Photoshop
Founder and creator of Retutpro, a retouching platform that teaches photography & photoshop in a simple and fun way.
Here on skillshare I'm an instructor for several photoshop classes, teaching photoshop design and many photography & photoshop retouching related classes. "You can find all classes on my skillshare profile" If you get stuck along the way, feel free to reach out at any time. I'm here to help you! Teaching web clas...


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Seems pretty good just need better claws
The mod you are trying to view has ceased development and consequently been archived. If you are a member of this mod, can demonstrate that it is being actively developed and will be able to keep this profile up to date with the latest news, images, videos and downloads, please contact us with all details and we will consider its re-activation.
Take yourself back to before the Rings of Power, and the fall of Numenor, to the beginning, when evil's first seeds began to stir. In this modification for BFME2, your entire world will be taken back to the First Age of Arda, where the Dark Lord Morgoth waged a war on the other Valar of Middle-earth, and the whole land was shaken and torn asunder. Play as the evil fallen one's army's commander, or fight to defend your civilisation as Elves, Dwarves or Men, and end this war of wrath and destruction! Be sure to check our new website for in-depth news and updates!
Seems pretty good just need better claws
should it be Ungolient
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The park is a seasonal day use area open from mid-April through the end of October. At other times of the year, visitors must park near the main gate and walk into the park.
This finger of land is bounded on three sides by the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River, which empties into Raystown Lake approximately one mile downstream. The unique shape of the park was formed as a result of river meandering. This section of the river exhibits some of the best examples of natural stream meandering in the state.


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Hollande faces the press: French president's first six months (part 2)
Date created : Latest update :
François Hollande spells out France's "very serious" situation, but the straight talk only goes so far, argue panellists who hoped that at his first major press conference, Hollande would own up to his implementation of austerity.
- Philippe MOREAU-CHEVROLET, Columnist, Nouvel Observateur;
- Craig COPETAS, Correspondent-at-large, Quartz/Atlantic Group;
- Valérie RABAULT, Vice-President, National Financial Commission, French National Assembly;
- Felix MARQUARDT, President, Marquardt & Marquardt;
- Marc PERELMAN, France 24 Politics Editor.
Watch the first part
Programme produced and prepared by Shamira Mohammad, Anelise Borges and Mary Colombel


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There are many signs of twin flame characteristics, however sometimes we don't realize the signs and synchronicities that take place during the meeting of your twin..this maybe helpful for you.
twin flame characteristics
One of the twin flame characteristics is the so called magnetic attraction referred to as love at first sight. Which I believe is no accident but very real. It is more than just coincidence that twin flames in this world are being drawn together at this time. Twin flames paths are predestined, their attraction towards each other are on a higher level of awareness. The spiritual energies are at work to bring about their meetings, a bit like migration of birds and the return of comets are are governed by a similar universal law. The other twin flame characteristics is the coming together is controlled by the working of karma. Which is the total of things that have happened in the past life and these determine the circumstances of the present. When it is time for the twin flames to incarnate, they are sent to earth with a body, this event happens with certain planetary configurations to create the conditions and they are quite spiritual unite complex.
Twin flame characteristics and synchronicities
A twin flame synchronicities is sometimes referred to as a meaning of coincidence. It is often a connection of an internal and an external event. Synchronicity is very common occurrence with twin flames and soul mates. The common synchronnicity is mirrored actions which will occur within their lives and in a relationship that seems unlikely to have happened by chance or coincidence. When you are leading to meet your twin flame, a sequence of synchronicities might manifest. Your soulmates might also share very similar life purposes and come to help you with the cause. Twin flames and soulmates mirror each other with the energies the souls are giving out. In the physical lives of twin flames and soulmates they can begin to recognize this as symbol of their connection when the synchronnicities begin to manifest. If you can put your ego aside and feel the connection then you can realize these manifestations are definitely not just coincidence.


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Ahh, a festival. Just the name inspires a sense of adventure and light-heartedness.
The Shindig — held Sept. 14 at Carroll Park and produced by 24-7 Entertainment — delivered on all fronts.
Featuring heavy-hitters like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Clutch, Gaslight Anthem, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and the Dropkick Murphys, the Shindig came through with an eclectic mix of acts for all tastes.
In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I missed the first four acts: Victims of Experience, Bad Seed Rising, The Glenmont Popes and Larry and His Flask.
I regret missing those performances.
One of the first things I noticed upon entering the festival grounds was the man in a pig suit, spreading the good word about the surrounding Pigtown neighborhood. His get-up included a tee shirt, but it didn't have pants. Well, it had the pink-felt pig-leg pants, but no trousers to speak of. And the arms and legs were really soiled. Not like comically soiled, but actually stained. Had he literally been wallowing in the mud?
Welcome to the Shindig.
(Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom for setlists of every band from Jimmie's Chicken Shack on, according to setlist.fm)
The Good
Beer. Fair prices ($5 for 20 oz.) and plenty of stands (no long lines, even at peak hours) made getting refreshed a breeze.
The weather. Sunny during the afternoon and cool in the evening. All music festivals should be held in mid-September. As Clutch frontman Neil Fallon put it: "How about a big round of applause for Mother Nature? What a beautiful day!" See, rock and rollers can appreciate a nice day. It's not always about boozing and brawling.
The people watching. Half the fun of any outdoor event is, of course, observing our fellow man in all of his drunken glory. It's always fun to watch an inebriated dude walking upright but impossibly leaning at a 45-degree angle, like in those old V8 commercials. That takes skill. Not to mention the amazing outfits and tee shirts on display (scroll to the bottom for a list of the highlights).
The production. The bands were great, the schedule was tight and there were a lot of good vibes.
Honestly, there was a lot to like about the Shindig.
The Bad
Lines. From the hour-plus wait to get frisked to the often unbearably long wait for the Porta Potties, not everything at the Shindig ran as smoothly as the beer service. My guest and I were luckily able to bypass said line though, and head straight for the Press entrance. Nice.
Those PBR hats. Everyone was walking around in these cheapo red, white and blue PBR mesh snapback hats. Not that the hats were bad, I thought they were cool. I wanted one and didn't get one. I did get my hands on some free Cover Girl mascara though.
The Ugly
Suns out guns out. Shirtless folks who should have been shirted.
Spills. Brimming cups of beer were oh-so delicately balanced during nerve-wracking traverses, often unsuccesfully. I witnessed one woman attempt the ill-advised "pincher" technique on two full cups of ale. It didn't go well. There were also people taking spills. At first it was kind of funny, but after awhile seeing someone struggling to stay on their feet in public is just kind of sad. Luckily I didn't see any fights, but I did see someone carted off in an ambulance. Party safe, kids.
Onto the music!
Jimmie's Chicken Shack
"Who do we think we are?"
The local favorites wowed the crowd. I swore I would say that, so I did.
Frontman Jimi Haha engaged in some pretty good banter with the audience when he teased all the married men about disappointing their wives.
Jimmie's Chicken Shack threw in a nice mix of covers, taking on Smoke Two Joints by The Toyes/Sublime and Waiting Room by Fugazi. Jimmie's Chicken Shack was the best at covers. Sorry Joan Jett. (Oops! Spolier alert!)
Jimi Haha also made a randy joke about their name being Jimmie's Lickin Sack. Bravo, sir.
Highlights: High, Do Right, Milk
The Hold Steady
"Southtown girls won't blow you away, but you know that they'll stay..."
I'm sorry, I didn't know what their hit was. The Hold Steady isn't really my band, but several people walked by in steampunk outfits while I was spectating them, so there was that.
Highlights: Rock Problems, Southtown Girls, Your Little Hoodrat Friend
Reverend Horton Heat
"Thanks a lot, that makes me feel real good."
Even after more than 25 years, the good Rev is definitely still a draw, and he was very appreciative of his fans. I've never been one for the "big band" scene, but I enjoyed the set. They did a fun cover of Johnny B Good.
Highlights: Jimbo, Spend A Night in the Box, Psychobilly Freakout
Mighty Mighty Bosstones
"This stuff tastes great."
Bucket list! Or just band that I never thought I'd see live, and then I did at the Shindig. Of course we all remember where we were the first time we heard that "knock on wood" song during the ska explosion of the late 1990s.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones set was a good transition into the final four bands. It came at the point in the day when the sun was starting to go down and it featured some real good color. I want to say that the Mighty Mighty Bosstones were also the first band that featured a dedicated skanker on the stage.
There was the point when the Natty Boh man - who fit right in with his dapper suit - came out and danced with the band during 1-2-8.
It was a little embarassing, though, when singer Dicky Barrett acted bewildered at the presence of Mr. Boh, asking if he was in a Pringles commercial. And that faux pas came shortly after he proclaimed that the band was from Boston, but loved Baltimore. Tsk, tsk.
It was pretty classy of them to dedicate Don't Worry Desmond Dekker to Josh Burdette, the well-known manager and bouncer at the 9:30 Club who died in early September.
Tim Brennan from the Dropkick Murphys joined in on The Daylights.
Highlights: The Rascal King, The Daylights, 1-2-8, Where'd You Go?, You Gotta Go!, The Impression That I Get
The Gaslight Anthem
"Everybody leaves and I'd expect as much from you."
I'm not especially familiar with this The Gaslight Anthem, but I have heard that they are a festival favorite. I liked singer Brian Fallon's throaty vocals. I kind of wanted them to cover Serve the Servants by Nirvana.
This was the time in the festival when my fellow festival-goer Meg and I succumbed to gravity and sat down in the grass. While we sat though, others were just getting warmed up. I began to notice folks skipping, strutting and performing exhibition yoga. There was also a guy with a paisley handkercheif the size of a bathtowel channeling Will Ferrell from Old School.
There was a really touching moment during this set when two injured vets, one in a wheelchair and one on a prosthetic leg, passed each other, exchanged a knowing look and chatted for a moment before hugging and moving on.
Highlights: Great Expectations
"Why you gotta run so hot?"
Truth be told, I'm kind of a metal guy. In fact, I wish I had the foresight to wrangle a press pass for the Maryland Deathfest back in May. That said, Clutch was probably the act that I was most looking forward to seeing. The boys, based out of Germantown, referred to the festival as a neighborhood gig, and satisfied their fans with a representative sampling of their trademark muddy, sludgey, bluesy Southern rock.
Singer Neil Fallon is really good at emoting and gesturing during his performances, at times resembling a preacher or dictator at the podium.
The Clutch set also featured a nice variety of peripheral instruments, such as harmonicas, cowbells and clapping.
Highlights: 50,000 Unstoppable Watts, Cyborg Bette, D.C. Sound Attack!, The Face, The Regulator, The Dragonfly, Electric Worry
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
"I thought we were special."
Double J has still got it! The sultry punk rock veteran is now well into her 50s, but her ability to rock a pair of leather pants and a microphone is without question.
I think that some of the younger set were a bit perplexed by Jett's act, however, as I did overhear one cynic comment: "I don't like Joan Jett enough to stay vertical. I think I might sit down for this set."
Jett at least made an effort to connect with the Millenial Generation, starting her set with a new tune lambasting social media, T.M.I. (Too much information, for those out there unfamiliar with teenage-girl acronyms of the mid-2000s.)
Jett's setlist included a good mix of new stuff, established hits and covers, my favorite being Crimson and Clover.
In between songs, Jett riffed on diverse and compelling topics, from her time spent growing up in Maryland (she's an Orioles fan!), to her desire to be a part of a threesome, to the suckability of brain tumors.
Bonus points for the choreographed fist pumping during Bad Reputation, a song some younger fans might be familiar with since it was used as the intro for Judd Apatow's television series Freaks and Geeks.
There was an awkward moment when Jett's encore ran long and the Dropkick Murphys began drowning her out from across the festival grounds.
I bet there was a fight between them later and someone got their paperboy cap knocked off with a flying leather boot.
Highlights: Bad Reputation, Soulmates to Strangers, I Hate Myself For Loving You
Dropkick Murphys
"Sometimes I was so messed up and didn't have a clue."
Time for the show stopper! Perhaps as a result of spending too many years dealing with disrespectful Red Sox fans at Camden Yards, I'm not a huge proponent of the whole Good Will Hunting/Red Sox Nation scene.
Still, I can appreciate a rocking tune, and I stayed around for the entirety of the Dropkick Murphys 20-song set. It's also kind of refreshing to the ear to go from six hours of guitars and drums to a menagerie of bagpipes, accordions, bozoukis and tin leprechaun whistles.
There was also some good dancing up there on the stage. I assume what I was seeing was an Irish jig of some sort. I just know that it looked like the guy was racking up like 10 million points on Dance Dance Revolution.
A highlight was obviously Shipping Off To Boston, which fellow Bostonites the Mighty Mighty Bosstones joined in on, as well as a wounded veteran, who actually removed his prosthetic leg and used it to encourage the raucous crowd. The band also wished a very special happy birthday to eight-year-old Cameron.
During the encore, they did that slightly annoying thing when like 200 people joined the band on the stage. I don't know. I'm sure it's cool for the people that get to go up there, but for everyone else it's just like "umm, security? Hi?"
Highlights: The Boys Are Back, Rose Tattoo, Shipping Off To Boston
Victims of Experience
(Setlist unavailable)
Bad Seed Rising
(Setlist unavailable)
The Glenmont Popes
(Setlist unavailable)
Larry and his Flask
(Setlist unavailable)
Jimmie's Chicken Shack
1. Do Right
2. Smoke Two Joints (The Toyes cover)
3. One Love (Bob Marley & The Wailers cover)
4. No Woman, No Cry (Bob Marley & The Wailers cover)
5. Waiting Room (Fugazi cover)
6. High
7. MilkThe Hold Steady
1. Positive Jam
2. Stuck Between Stations
3. The Swish
4. Rock Problems
5. Magazines
6. Wait Awhile
7. Constructive Summer
8. Hot Soft Light
9. Chips Ahoy!
10. Sequestered in Memphis
11. Your Little Hoodrat Friend
12. Southtown GirlsReverend Horton Heat
1. The Devil's Chasing Me
2. Baddest of the Bad
3. It's Martini Time
4. Jimbo Song
5. Spend a Night in the Box
6. (Unknown)
7. Indigo Friends
8. Where in the Hell Did You Go With My Toothbrush
9. Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry cover)
10. 400 Bucks
11. Big Little Baby
12. Psychobilly Freakout
13. Big Red Rocket of Love
14. Galaxy 500
15. Honky Tonk Night Time Man (Merle Haggard cover)
16. Galaxy 500Mighty Mighty Bosstones
1. The Old School Off the Bright
2. The Rascal King
3. Kinder Words
4. Graffiti Worth Reading
5. Someday I Suppose
6. The Daylights
7. Dr. D
8. Everybody's Better
9. Like a Shotgun
10. 1-2-8
11. Where'd You Go?
12. Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah
13. Hope I Never Lose My Wallet
14. Hell of a Hat
15. Don't Worry Desmond Dekker
16. They Will Need Music
17. The Impression That I Get
18. You Gotta Go!The Gaslight Anthem
1. Handwritten
2. The '59 Sound
3. Biloxi Parish
4. Old White Lincoln
5. We Came to Dance
6. Mulholland Drive
7. 45
8. Blue Dahlia
9. The Queen of Lower Chelsea
10. Wooderson
11. Too Much Blood
12. Great Expectations
13. Halloween
14. American SlangClutch
1. Earth Rocker
2. The Mob Goes Wild
3. Crucial Velocity
4. Cyborg Bette
5. 50,000 Unstoppable Watts
6. D.C. Sound Attack!
7. The Regulator
8. The Face
9. Gravel Road
10. The Wolfman Kindly Requests
11. Electric Worry / One Eye Dollar
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
2. Cherry Bomb (The Runaways cover)
3. Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) (Gary Glitter cover)
4. Bad Reputation
5. Soulmates to Strangers
6. Make It Back
7. You Drive Me Wild (The Runaways cover)
8. Fragile
9. Love Is Pain
10. Hard to Grow Up
11. The French Song
12. Any Weather
13. I Love Rock 'n' Roll (The Arrows cover)
14. Crimson & Clover (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
15. I Hate Myself for Loving You
16. Reality Mentality
17. A.C.D.C (Sweet cover)
18. Everyday People (Sly & The Family Stone cover)The Dropkick Murphys
1. For Boston
2. The Boys Are Back
3. Prisoner's Song
4. Sunday Hardcore Matinee
5. Rose Tattoo
6. Captain Kelly's Kitchen
7. Fields of Athenry
8. Deeds Not Words
9. The Walking Dead
10. Caught in a Jar
11. Jimmy Collins' Wake
12. Out of Our Heads
13. Bastards on Parade
14. Worker's Song
15. I'm Shipping Up to Boston (with Mighty Mighty Bosstones)
16. Barroom Hero
17. Kiss Me, I'm Shitfaced
18. Skinhead on the MBTA
19. T.N.T. (AC/DC cover)
20. Citizen C.I.A.
Best Shirts Depicting Bands That Weren't At The Festival
Type O Negative ( (I shook his hand and he thanked me. It was awkward.)
The Sword
Metal Alliance Tour 2013
Avenged Sevenfold
Bad Brains
Corrosion of Conformity
Blink 182
White Snake
Kill Switch Engage
Valient Thorr
Dog Fashion Disco
The Descendents
hed pe
Grateful Dead
Kid Rock
Suicidal Tendencies
Wu-Tang Clan
Operation Ivy
Bad Religion
Band of Horses
Minus the Bear
The Casualties
Best Video Game Shirts
The Zelda Triforce
Best shirts, other
Kelly Kapowski
Malt Whiskey in the Walt Disney font
Two AT-AT walkers humping
Army of Darkness
Eerie Horror Fest 2008
Fred Sanford
Guns Out At Sundown in that gothic Sons of Anarchy font
Best tights
Star Wars tights
Best denim vest
A Danzig denim vest


text:
British GP 2012
Thursday Press Conference
DRIVERS - Vitaly PETROV (Caterham), Romain GROSJEAN (Lotus), Bruno SENNA (Williams), Lewis HAMILTON (McLaren), Fernando ALONSO (Ferrari), Paul DI RESTA (Force India)
Q: Vitaly, your thoughts on the updates that the team brought to Valencia, where you ran very competitively, and I think you have more here as well.
Vitaly PETROV: Actually we bring not so many updates to Valencia, just front wing and, slightly, bodywork. But here, yes, we bring new back bodywork, new exhaust, some front wings and probably the rear wing, so we have quite a big update here.
Q: Where do you think that can bring you? Do you have any idea? Can you be in the points? That, obviously, has to be the major aim.
Petrov: First of all we need to see how these upgrades will work. This weekend we know the weather will be not fantastic it. It's a disappointment. Also our straight-line test, we didn't do much work because of heavy rain. But you know all the 24 cars are quite close to each other and quite competitive, so if we gain something definitely we will be, maybe, more competitive than in the last race. So I hope these upgrades will give us some good feedback and we can fight with the cars in front.
Q: Romain, first of all, congratulations on you marriage, week before last I think. In Valencia, you led the grand prix. People forget sometimes that you haven't been a front runner for long, that you haven't done that many grands prix. How exciting was that? And what did you learn from leading the race?
Romain GROSJEAN: Well, same position as Valencia, behind Fernando. It was a very good weekend, a very good grand prix. It's nice to be able to fight for the front with Lewis, Fernando with Sebastian Vettel, all the big guys. We have a car, which is very competitive, and the factory is doing a fantastic job. It's good to be here, good to be able to get a lot of experience by fighting with the big teams and the top drivers and hopefully at the next one we get a little bit more luck and I can got to first place.
Q: Do you feel you have made a lot of progress this year? Do you feel you have matured almost?
Grosjean: I think you progress every time you're in the car. It's difficult with no testing to improve yourself so every race weekend you learn something new, in terms of set-up, in terms of driving, in terms of tyre management or whatever, and for sure when you fight at the front you learn even more than when you are at the back.
Q: Bruno, in a couple of weeks' time you're going to be picking up the Trofeo Bandini. What does it mean to you to have won that trophy?
Bruno SENNA: It's very special. You know that Lewis has taken it before, Seb and Nico. So there are quite a few drivers that are successful now have won this in the past, so it's very encouraging for me that they see potential in me - especially from last year as that was such a tough situation to be in. It's going to be a special event and I'm looking forward to being there.
Q: We can see that the Williams car this year has performance. But are you happy with it? Are there any issues you have with the car?
Senna: Of course we're happy with it. It's difficult for a team to make such a leap from a difficult season [last year] as Williams has done. So it's very encouraging for us to have a car that is consistently in the points. On the other hand we always want more. We always want the car to be faster and faster, so we keep pushing the team and the team keeps pushing us to improve. We are always trying to find the magic button to make the car go faster than the other ones.
Q: Lewis, we saw in Valencia that Red Bull seem to be really quick, I don't think there's any disputing that, but have McLaren got an answer to that, because we see that they're bringing update to this race?
Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, we definitely have some upgrades, so I'm really, really excited to see how they behave on the car and if they actually deliver what we think they're going to deliver. But whether or not... I don't know if it's as big as what they brought at the last race, but who knows. I think our car generally goes a little bit better on high-speed circuits than it does at low-speed circuits, so fingers crossed it will be a little bit stronger this weekend.
Q: You've had so many instances where you've been so close to scoring big points this season and Valencia to some extent was the same again. Are you still changing your attitude and working towards maximising on those sorts of race?
Hamilton: I haven't changed anything from the beginning of the season - everything's still the same. Things don't always go according to plan, but that's life. I'm excited now that we have another race and that we have so many races ahead of us and that we still have plenty of opportunities to continue fighting for this championship and that's what racing is all about.
Q: Fernando, Spain have had a rollercoaster of various things: Nadal going out of Wimbledon, you winning in Valencia, Spain winning the European Championships - how has that effected you, or does it not affect you at all?
Fernando ALONSO: It's not affecting. You watch TV. Obviously I prefer Nadal wins and the Spain football team wins but it's not changing your preparation, so your approach for the next race. You are concentrated in your job, speaking with the team, doing some simulator work. You go to bed a little bit more happy or sad but nothing changes.
Q: You were a winner here last year, at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, won the last grand prix at Valencia as well - but two very different circuits I would have thought. How do you see your changes this weekend?
Alonso: Looking at the characteristics of the circuit, Silverstone should be a little bit better for us and suit our car characteristics a little bit better. As we saw at the beginning of the year in the high-speed corners and also as we saw in Mugello, that the car was performing quite well. Hopefully we see a good Ferrari here this weekend, with me and Felipe. And we see, I think, that it also all depends on the weather. We know that here anything can happen, or more rain than dry at times we will have, looking at the forecast, so we need to be ready for all: we need to be prepared for any track conditions at any time and try to have a smooth qualifying - and that will not be easy when the weather is changing, so you need to be in the right moment on the track to do the lap. And then the race, you know, straight to score as many points as possible - as I said, hopefully the car is performing well here.
Q: Paul, Valencia obviously not such a good qualifying but a reasonable race, I don't know how you would have looked at that. Really, can you improve on that?
Paul di RESTA: I think Valencia was by far our strongest performance as a team. You have to be relatively confident that hopefully you can carry that into this weekend. We had the potential to be much higher up in qualifying; a mistake in Q3 by me cost that. But we set ourselves quite a risky target in the race and achieved a one-stop strategy, the only car that did that. Obviously the safety car compromised us a lot, so not ideal, but the positive side is that we picked up points. And really that's key when you're a midfield team: to capitalise on those small points that are out there to get.
Q: When you do a one-stop strategy like that, what is it like for the driver? Are you holding yourself back all the time, is it frustrating?
Di Resta: I won't go into the details of it but it is certainly a different approach. It starts quite early on in the weekend with what your strategy guys come up with and obviously your setup drives you forward that way but I think our car performed well on low and high fuel in Valencia. It was just risky whether that worked. In hindsight, maybe we'd do the race a bit different if we went back - but certainly to come away with a double points finish for the team, we can be very happy. We both ended up doing different things.
Q: (Frederic Ferret - L'Equipe) Question to Romain Grosjean, you prefer heat, just like your car, what do you expect this weekend with the rain?
Grosjean: Well, we have to see. This track puts a lot of energy into the tyres so the heat shouldn't be a problem as it was in Canada, for example, but we have to see if it's raining or if it's dry - as Fernando says, take the best chance to get on track at the right time and try to analyse the weather forecast. It shouldn't be as bad as it has been on the cold conditions.
Q: (Simon Cass - Daily Mail) Question for Fernando and for Lewis, you've been extremely successful, both of you, in wet races over the last few years: between you I think you've won, could be half. Just tell me why you think that is, why you think you're so successful when conditions are like that and what extra demands it brings to a driver?
Alonso: I don't know really. I think it's a combination of factors, one will be for sure how competitive is your car. I think either Lewis or me, we've been normally lucky to drive in our career good cars and winning cars, so in dry and wet conditions, normally it's a help, for sure. And then I think it's the experience that you have and how many wet races you do. Probably with Lewis, racing here in the early categories it rains a lot, and it rains a lot in my region, in Spain. It normally rains a lot of the time, so same also with the experience. The first races I did in Formula One in wet conditions, ten years, eleven years ago, I make a lot of mistakes that now I try to avoid. So the more races you do, the better you feel.
Hamilton: I don't really have anything else to add to that. I think it's just a mixture of things coming together on those races. I think we've been very fortunate, I would say, to drive for good teams and have good cars in those circumstances.
Q: (Ian Parkes - Press Association) Lewis, just following on from that, one of your best memories in Formula One, of course, was winning here in 2008. What was the secret to success that day because everybody else was spinning off but you won that race by over a minute?
Hamilton: I really still don't know until today why we were so quick that weekend and didn't really have any problems at all during the race. I think I had one moment when I went straight on at Abbey, maybe, but otherwise it was quite a smooth race, and I really still don't know, today, why it all came together, but it was obviously a combination of what I was just commenting on: the tyres, the good pit stops, the good call strategies and maximising the grip on a track which I'd learned for a few years before I'd even got to know in Formula One, where that grip was and I was able to put it into play.
Q: (Gary Meenaghan - The National) I think, with the exception of one man, all five of you have lived in the UK at some point in your career. I was just wondering if you could talk a little bit about that, what it's like for a young ambitious driver growing up in the UK?
Senna: Very wet.
Di Resta: I think it is where home is. Obviously Lewis and I are from this country, it wasn't wet in Scotland, I don't think. I suppose there's no place like it. It's where your family is. I suppose memories: when you're a child, travelling all over the UK, taking part in many go-kart races. I wouldn't change it, I don't see why I should. It's got me to where I am at the moment.
Hamilton: Generally, I think us Brits should be pretty good in the wet. I think a lot of my success in the wet has come down to a lot of the weather we have here. A lot of my races up in Scotland - Larkhall, Rowrah, all over the country - all the experiences I have had in karting, they have all contributed to the success that I have nowadays, so I'm quite grateful for the changeable conditions throughout my career and also grateful for good weather nowadays.
Petrov: I agree with what they said.
Grosjean: Never lived here.
Alonso: My English is not very good, but in 2001 it was zero English. It was not an easy time. The supermarket was not easy.
Q: (Adam Scriven - Racing Post) Fernando, after a difficult winter for the team, you must be delighted with the season so far. How much better is the car now than it was then, and how much more improvement do you think there is to come?
Alonso: Yeah, we are definitely quite happy with the situation now in terms of points, at least, because in terms of performance we know that there are still a few cars quicker than our car, so we are still not completely happy but the job that the team has done over the last three or four months has been amazing, recovering the maybe 1.5s or something like that that we were off the pace in Australia. So this is good news, not only for this championship or for this moment, but also for the near future of the team, because we faced some difficult times with the wind tunnel correlation etc which was not the best, also for the next projects. Now, definitely, we are in a good direction. There is still a lot to come from the team in the next couple of races and in the next couple of months, in terms of performance in the car, so hopefully they work as they are working now.
Q: (Flavio Vanetti - Corriere Della Sera) Fernando, what is the value of the advantage that you have in the championship?
Alonso: I think that regarding the points, it's for sure not a situation that maybe we were expecting because leading the championship is good news for us, but we are also very honest with ourselves and as I said, now there are a few cars that are quicker than us at the moment and we need to close that gap in the next couple of races if we want to fight for the championship. If not, we know that sooner or later they will be in front, if we don't work better than the others. We are in race eight or nine of twenty, so at the moment championship positions or points are important but it's not our main priority. As I said, first thing is to improve the car.
Q: (Alan Baldwin - Reuters) Paul, what is the situation with your manager now, because I see reports about Lewis's Dad no longer working with you. Is that correct?
Di Resta: I think everything's been said that has to be said. I confirm that we're not working together. I think it's been reported that we're no longer working together, so that is the matter at the moment.
Q: (Mike Doodson - Honorary) Romain, your first period in Formula One, a couple of years ago, didn't go too well, and only a few drivers actually get a second chance at Formula One but you did and now you're a strong candidate to become yet another winner this year. My question is: looking back, was it a mistake to come into Formula One at that time and take the risk of failing or did it help you this second time around?
Grosjean: Let's turn it a different way: can you say no one gets a chance in Formula One. The answer is no so it was not a mistake, it was as it was and it was a good experience being with Fernando in the team, it taught me a lot and all the experience I got in 2009 is now in my pocket. I think then it was a little bit of a difficult time but I'm back today, very happy to be and very proud to be part of Lotus and everything I've learned is very important today.
Q: (Ian Parkes - Press Association) Paul, I appreciate you don't want to talk about the reasons behind your split with Anthony but can you at least explain what it means to you going forward now, whether you're looking at other options: a new manager and in particular bearing in mind that this is the time of year when a driver will look towards negotiating a new contract with other teams etc? How is that going to affect you now without a manager?
Di Resta: At the moment I'm just fully focused on my racing. At the end of the day, it's the results that count for me and what's going to drive me forward. We've had a good year up until now. We need to continue that progress. The focus this weekend is to have a good race. It's obviously a big weekend for me to have a lot of friends and family around, a lot of support. Being one of the three Brits, I got a feeling for what it is like to have a country behind you at this venue, and the atmosphere is electric. Hopefully we can put on a good show for them and certainly encourage them to get out in their rain jackets because it looks like they're going to get wet.
Q: (Vanessa Ruiz - ESPN ) Romain, what are the latest updates you and the team have received about the engine failure (in Valencia) and also how does that affect the sense of reliability, because you had a big loss, you and Vettel, you were fighting relevant things like winning a race? And also, do you already know if the car had something to do with it, other parts of the car maybe, the way the car works? What is the news on that?
Grosjean: Well, I think the best person to explain that will be the engineer at Renault Sport F1 but no, we have been trying to analyse what has happened. There are a few ideas on things that have been changed since the last race and hopefully it was a one shot experience that we are not going to have again. But on the other hand, it's the first time that we've had a reliability issue. It was a 'stupid' issue, not a big deal, so it should be sorted out by now, and we shouldn't have any more.
Q: (Frederic Ferret - L'Equipe) Romain, you said that you were fighting with big guys, with three World Champions. How far are you from them, what are you missing, what don't you have to be a winner?
Grosjean: At least one World Championship. The more you race, the more you have experience. It's only my first complete season. I'm in a good team so I'm lucky to have a good car. I'm very pleased to fight at the front but in terms of results, I'm missing at least one World Championship.
Q: (Ian Parkes - Press Association) Bit of a sensitive question but to anyone who would like to answer: obviously we had the accident suffered by Maria de Villota on Tuesday, I'm sure you're all aware of that. Just your thoughts on that, first of all, if anyone would like to pass on any thoughts and secondly, obviously it was a straightline aero test. I'm sure you've all probably done that at some time in the past. Is there anything that can be learned from what Maria went through, going forward in terms of safety and that kind of thing?
Alonso: Obviously we are very worried for this situation because we are still waiting for some more news. We only know what you all know and there are still some difficult days until the situation is completely clear. The operation has passed completely etc. Sad days, for sure, completely shock when you hear the news and how what happened is possible. Obviously we don't know all the information it's difficult to talk about the reasons etc until we know the official version but at the moment, it's so difficult to imagine how this can happen.
Hamilton: I don't know her personally, but when I read about it I was absolutely devastated for her and for her family. I think it's very very tragic and myself and my team, we send on our warmest wishes her way and hope that she has a speedy recovery, hope that things get better.
Q: (Gary Meenaghan - The National) On a lighter note, when I look through the preview press releases, a lot of the drivers spoke about the fans in the UK being very knowledgeable. I was wondering if any of you can think of any interaction you've had with a fan here that made you really step back and think 'wow, this person really knows what they're talking about'?
Di Resta: I think something that is quite unique here is that a lot of the Formula One teams are based around this part of the country and based in Britain, the majority of them, and obviously you get a lot of factory staff, people that are involved in the manufacturing side, smaller companies that are involved, and it's nice to see the support and see that people are as dedicated to Formula One as they can be. It's a shame that obviously they can't get a bit closer to see the design work that they do but the support is well-respected by us.
Q: (Vanessa Ruiz - ESPN) Bruno, we heard that Williams are bringing a lot of updates. Pastor was saying earlier that he feels a lot of pressure because it's Williams's home race and there are the updates, and a lot of expectation also because he has already won a Grand Prix, so I wonder how you feel about it, and also if you could explain exactly what you're bringing here, because you've been testing it since Mugello, if I'm right?
Senna: I feel really happy that we're bring updates because everybody else is also moving forward. We have a few bits and pieces. We have wings and pieces of the bodywork that will be different, so it's always hard to quantify how much that will improve the car, but every little helps as we've seen in Barcelona when Pastor won. There was a bit of an update there. So, for sure, it's going to be the case of trying to maximise the package but again, as Paul said before, the weather is very changeable here and that can mean everything or it can mean nothing. But for sure, it's the team's home race, we want to do well, it would be great to finish with both cars in good points-scoring positions. I think that listening to everybody here, everybody is very optimistic about their chances on this track because everybody seems to think that their cars should be well suited to this type of track so I guess we're going to see another tough weekend, very close battles. Hopefully we can score some good points from there. There is always pressure on a driver, pressure is there every single time we're in the car.


text:
Lotus Biscoff Fudge
A creamy, 3-ingredient white fudge made with Vanilla CandiQuik and sweetened condensed milk, then swirled with Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter!
Prepare an 8x8" pan by lining with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick spray.
Break Vanilla Candiquik into small squares. Add Candiquik squares and sweetened condensed milk to a medium saucepan and melt over low heat; stirring frequently until smooth.
Pour mixture into prepared pan. Slightly soften Biscoff Cookie Butter by heating in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. Spoon Biscoff on top of fudge and use a knife to swirl the Biscoff through the fudge.
Let set for 30-45 minutes. Cut into 1" squares to serve (store in the refrigerator for easy serving).
View original blog post for this recipe at Miss CandiQuik


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At least 100,000 people in the North Kivu province of eastern DRC have been forced from their homes in recent months because of increased violence. WFP's resources are stretched to the limit as thousands of displaced people head to camps in search of food and safety.
Fed on EBU 19:42-19:45 GMT 16-JUL-2008
Fed on Reuters 18-Jul-08 AFRICADAILY1 (1300GMT)


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AT&T Labs researchers are set to present data from a recent test that set a record for long-distance network speeds at the Optical Fiber Communication and National Fiber Optics Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC) on March 19.
The researchers, led by AT&T researcher Xiang Zhou, have perfected a technology that allows existing 100 gigabit-per-second fiber connections to be used to transmit over four times as much data. When used with a new low-loss optical fiber, they can sustain that data rate at distances over 7,500 miles. The new technology could dramatically increase the amount of bandwidth on the Internet's backbone, especially over submarine cables that connect the continents.
The transmission system developed by Xiang Zhou's team uses a new modulation technique that allows for the tuning of the signal to get the most out of available bandwidth. In the test data being presented next week, the researchers used a recirculating transmission test platform using 100-kilometer fiber cable segments to demonstrate that they could multiplex eight 495Gbps wave-division multiplexed signals with 100GHz of space between them over a distance over 12,000km (7,456.45 miles).
In a statement published by the organizers of OFC/NFOEC, Xiang Zhou said, "This result not only represents a reach increase by a factor of 2.5 for 100 GHz-spaced 400 G-class WDM systems, it also sets a new record for the product of spectral efficiency and distance." A previous test by Zhou's team, using 50GHz spacing, was the previous record-holder for 400-gigabit transmission distance—at 3,000 kilometers.


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Cooper Union faculty are the intellectual pulse of the institution. They come to teach while continuing their own personal research and work at various points in their academic careers. Some visit and lecture for a single semester while others teach succeeding generations of students. Their shared dedication to pedagogy and their respective discipline helps each class of students develop and elaborate their talents, interests, and work.
- Campus Directory
(People A-Z)Complete alphabetical directory of all Cooper Union faculty and staff.
- The Irwin S. Chanin
School of ArchitectureThe Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture offers a five-year undergraduate professional degree and a one year graduate post-professional degree taught by leading scholars and professionals in a wide range of fields, with a strong emphasis on the integration of social, ecological, technological, and material conditions within a collaborative design curriculum, supported by a strong liberal arts program and courses in the schools of Art and Engineering.
- The School of ArtThe School of Art is headed by Acting Dean Mike Essl. The School of Art faculty is comprised of internationally exhibited artists and leading art critics and scholars, all working to educate artists in the broadest sense: both as creative practitioners and enlightened citizens prepared to question and transform society.
- The School of EngineeringThe Albert Nerken School of Engineering is headed by Acting Dean Richard Stock. The faculty are committed teachers with both academic and industry backgrounds. Many carry out advanced research for government agencies and industry through the C.V. Starr Research Foundation.
- Faculty of Humanities
& Social SciencesThe Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is headed by cultural scholar Dean William Germano. Providing all Cooper Union students with a firm orientation to the humanities and liberal arts, the faculty comprise leading scholars across academic disciplines.


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Apple is actively investigating reports that Wi-Fi-only iPad 3 models are having trouble connecting to or getting a strong signal from Wi-Fi networks, according to a memo seen by 9to5 Mac. The problem seems to be related to hardware components, and Apple is apparently offering replacements for affected users.
According to the internal Apple Care communications, Apple is "capturing" devices displaying Wi-Fi issues and sending them directly to engineering for evaluation. Potential issues may include frequent dropped connections, slow network speeds, or even the inability to see nearby networks.
The problem seems to only affect Wi-Fi models, and not the Wi-Fi + 4G models. It also doesn't appear to affect all users, which suggests the problem is possibly caused by component failures, or perhaps variations in manufacturing affecting the internal antennas.
If you're experiencing Wi-Fi issues with your new iPad, let us know in the comments. Then head to your nearest Apple Store to see if you can get a replacement.


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Hi. I'm a long time user (on my old iPad 2), and just used your newest app version (v3.02) on my iPhone 6. I am sooooooo happy to see the clock stopping now as it should at dead balls (i.e.e out of bounds, fouls, etc.). And love the big note across court that clock is paused. Can you explain what the setting "Automatic Clock Management" is for?
I do believe I found a bug though - when in Continuous Clock mode, and your clock is running while you sub players, the clock will leap ahead. Sometimes by a few seconds, sometimes by 30 secs, and sometimes even by over 2 minutes.
Clock Jumps Ahead
If you are having an issue with iScore Basketball, please post it here and we will try and find solutions so everybody will be aware of them.
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
Re: Clock Jumps Ahead
I just upgraded my iPad to v3.02. Does not have same clock jumping problem. I only experience it on the iPhone version
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1


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Weighing athletes' legacies and legalities
The knee-jerk questions arose within minutes of Roger Clemens' acquittal Monday:
Will he be voted into the Hall of Fame when his name makes its first appearance on the ballot this winter? Could he be inducted though Barry Bonds, also eligible for the first time, is rejected because of his conviction on an obstruction charge in a similar case last year?
This fixation on legacies ignores how they are created. The difference between a jury verdict and a Hall of Fame vote is, and should be, vast. Reasonable doubt about guilt clears a defendant. Reasonable doubt about greatness steers a player away from Cooperstown.
The Hall of Fame obsession also obscures the bigger issues. Will this defeat encourage the federal government to retreat from its fight against performance-enhancing drugs and their attendant culture of deceit? And, if the feds dial back their commitment, will sports leagues and their anti-doping arms be able to pick up the slack?
The government, in fact, already had started retreating from this campaign well before the Clemens verdict. The lead prosecutor in Southern California pulled the plug on a two-year grand-jury investigation of Lance Armstrong and whether his cycling team persuaded the U.S. Postal Service to sponsor an enterprise fueled by illicit drug use. The question of whether Armstrong juiced his way to seven Tour de France titles now belongs to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, theoretically the ideal venue for the inquiry.
Clemens' perjury and obstruction charges stemmed directly from the government's first major effort to bail out of the doping-cop business. But the investigators had waded into quicksand, and every move they made to extricate themselves sunk them deeper into the muck.
When the case into athletic drug use began at Burlingame's BALCO lab in 2003, the investigators went after the distributors - flunkies, really - and targeted the wealthy athletes only as witnesses, granting them immunity in return for honest testimony. When some of them, including Bonds, spun apparent fiction under oath, the prosecutors had to file charges.
Of the six athletes and one coach accused of obstruction or lying to federal investigators about doping, only Clemens beat the rap. Marion Jones almost avoided prosecution - but then she got involved in a check-fraud scheme, and the rest of her slimy behavior oozed into the open.
Clemens was unique in another way. No one else volunteered to be a witness.
He responded with vehement denials to the 2007 Mitchell Report, which branded him a PED user.
The government had backed the report, compiled under the authority of former Sen. George Mitchell, in the hope that federal investigators could help Major League Baseball purge the sins of the "steroid era" and move on. In lieu of prosecuting suppliers such as Kirk Radomski and Brian McNamee, the feds made them cooperate with Mitchell.
McNamee, Clemens' personal trainer, became his accuser. Clemens fired back at the Mitchell Report. Congress invited him to defend himself. It had put on a big show in 2005, when Mark McGwire declined to talk about his past, and strong-armed MLB into adopting tougher drug-testing protocols. No one, not even the most desperate grandstander on Capitol Hill, needed this sequel.
Clemens' determination forced the issue. Neither he nor McNamee, who also appeared, came across well that February day in Washington. McNamee, much like some of the main witnesses in the Bonds case, clearly hated being there. For the accusers, testimony would cost them access to famous, charismatic athletes. In fact, some of them ultimately might have preferred jail time to testifying - the option chosen by Bonds' trainer, Greg Anderson.
The government considered the loyal Anderson critical to its case, but won a guilty verdict without him. The turncoat McNamee, whose credibility on the witness stand was savaged by the defense, ultimately helped Clemens go free.
Likewise, the government's attempt to turn baseball's problem back to baseball backfired, and cost untold millions in prosecution costs.
In theory, Clemens' shady testimony on Capitol Hill could have been overlooked. But that would have required imposing a double standard, compared not only with Bonds, but with Tammy Thomas, Dana Stubblefield, Miguel Tejada and Trevor Graham. They all had been charged with some form of manipulating the truth in the doping investigation, and pleaded guilty or been convicted by a jury. The cycle had to continue.
The USADA case against Armstrong could represent a critical shift away from the criminal courts and investigators. But without the subpoena power and financial resources of the federal government, some of the evidence against him might not have been collected. Minus the government's BALCO files, USADA might not have found the information that led to the bans of at least six American track and field athletes before the 2004 Olympics.
So what happens next? The Cooperstown dilemma shouldn't be part of that discussion.
Gwen Knapp is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter: @gwenknapp


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La Jolla fishing area likely to be affected
Online: For more details about the proposed marine protected areas, go to dfg.ca.gov/mlpa
Space set aside for protecting sea life on the Southern California coast would more than double under a trio of proposals for marine sanctuaries released to the public this week.
The three strategies would provide from 380 to 413 square miles of near-shore waters as safety zones for species — more than twice the current amount of 182 squares miles. Managers of the state-sponsored project posted maps, comments and related documents on the state Department of Fish and Game's Web site late Thursday.
"One proposal is minimal, one is maximum, and somewhere in the middle is the other one," said Peter Halmay, an urchin fisherman based in Point Loma. "Now the (interest groups) are going to start tugging and pulling."
The strategies differ dramatically in the specific areas where they would reduce or eliminate harvest, a point that will be central as the selection process winds toward conclusion next year.
Major local battlegrounds include the La Jolla coast, a rich fishing area that conservationists want to partly close. There also are major discrepancies in suggested rules for North County lagoons, the areas off Del Mar and Encinitas, the mouth of the Tijuana River and the Ocean Beach coast.
The blueprints are part of the Marine Life Protection Act, a 1999 state law to bolster marine conservation along California's 1,100-mile coastline.
It calls for redesigning offshore protected zones to rebuild stocks of fish and other sea life. It's been contentious from the start because various groups have stakes in virtually every square foot of Southern California's coastal waters.
The latest documents don't include a detailed economic analysis of potential effects on commercial and recreational fishermen. That is supposed to be completed by Oct. 6, when a group of scientific experts meets in Los Angeles to assess the three proposals.
Science team members will push the strategies to a statewide task force charged with helping select the best option. That panel gathers in Long Beach on Oct. 20-22 and will take public comments.
The preferred options will go to the California Fish and Game Commission, which is expected to adopt a final version next year.
The proposals are the result of roughly a year of research and negotiations by a "stakeholder group" that includes commercial fishermen, ecologists, government officials, recreational fishermen and others. In the latest round of map-making, they divided into three groups — one that tilted toward fishermen, one that favored conservationists and a third dubbed the "middle ground."
The subcommittees outlined 40 to 52 marine protected areas, which include "no-take" reserves and areas that allow some forms of harvest.
There are currently 42 reserves that cover about 7.7 percent of the near-shore waters of Southern California.
In general, fishing groups support the fewest limits and conservationists want more restrictions.
"Marine protected areas act like ecological savings accounts," said Kate Hanley, who represents San Diego Coastkeeper on the stakeholder group. "By investing in these accounts — if we put them in the right place and protect the right species — we are more likely to generate interest and provide for a sustainable future."
Hanley said that from the start, her goal was to create the maximum ecological benefit at the lowest socioeconomic cost. "I am very proud to have been part of this process because I do think it's a legacy," Hanley said.
Chuck Grosse, a recreational angler in Carlsbad, likes the map with the least restrictions because it gives "fishermen from Point Loma and Mission Bay basically direct access to their standard fishing grounds."
He remains skeptical about the whole enterprise.
"It's misguided," he said. "The money being spent on this process would be better spent solving other problems that affect fisheries, like (poor) water quality."


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Unemployment Insurance is a joint state-federal program that provides cash benefits to eligible workers.
Each state administers a separate unemployment insurance program, but all states follow the same guidelines established by federal law.
Unemployment insurance payments (benefits) are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to unemployed workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Each state sets its own additional requirements for eligibility, benefit amounts, and length of time benefits can be paid.
In general, benefits are based on a percentage of your earnings over a recent 52-week period, and each state sets a maximum amount. Benefits are subject to federal and most state income taxes and must be reported on your income tax return. You may choose to have the tax withheld from your payment.
To apply for unemployment benefits, find your state's program below.


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The test facilities are part of a EUR 150 million investment in the wind business that was originally announced in 2011.
The test centre in Brande will cater for generators, bearings and nacelles, while the Aalburg facility will cater solely for blade testing, including the company's new 75-metre version.
Siemens said the Aalburg centre can perform highly accelerated lifetime tests (Halt) on components in its direct drive turbines. Halt can expose prototypes to higher loads than would normally be encountered post-installation.
Speaking about plans to develop the two R&D centres in 2011, then chief executive Jens-Peter Saul said further factories were planned in the UK, Canada, Russia and India.


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Do you launch hooked or unhooked into your chicken loop?
Everyone at my spot launches hooked. I find there is a lot of pull in the kite with it depowered, so I wonder if I could hold it while launching unhooked
Is one way generally accepted to be better?
P.S. how do I put this in the main forum?


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Phillip L. Matthews was born circa 1838 in Missouri. He died in 1876 in Arkansas.
Phillip married Grace C. circa 1860 in Greene County, Missouri. Grace was born in 1842 in Greene County, Missouri. She died in 1910 in Arkansas.
They had the following children:
John F. Matthews was born during 1861 in Missouri. He died in 1903 in Texas.
Mary Margaret Matthews was born about 1863 in Greene County, Missouri. She died in 1923 in Texas.
Alexander H. Matthews was born in 1866 in Missouri. He died on 25 Feb 1961 in Williamson County, Texas.
Leonard Matthews was born in 1869 in Greene County, Missouri. He died in 1914 in Kansas.
Julia S. Matthews was born in 1873 in Missouri. She died during 1929 in Texas.
Random names are useful.


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Kathy Foyer, Jacksonville
Kathy Foyer, Jacksonville
Where are you originally from? I was raised military, but I am from the Kinston/Goldsboro area.
Where are you employed? I�m a master hairstylist at Koi Salon.
What do you do for fun? I�m actually a homebody, but I spend time with my son and boyfriend. We go to the movies or stay at home and watch movies.
What do you like about living here? I feel like the economy wasn�t affected that much in my industry. Overall, I feel it�s a very safe community and close to the beach and my family.
What's one of your favorite local places to visit? Downtown Jacksonville. There�s a lot of potential there and it has an old feeling to it.
What is the biggest problem our community faces? The lack of family activities, especially with there being people from other places who are used to having things to do for their families.
What's your favorite sports team? Los Angeles Kings.
What�s the one junk food you can�t resist? Breyers Reese�s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream.
Who are you most proud of? I was a single mom for a long time, so I�m proud of how my son has turned out and that fact that I have been successful in my career choice.
Who has had the greatest influence in your life? My sisters Jo Ann and Sherry, my niece Kelsey, my boyfriend Jason, my son Kayden and my mother and father.
Would you give an interesting fact about yourself? I am tattooed and pierced so a lot of people judge me. Despite my abrasive appearance, people realize that I am a nice person and very down to earth.
Compiled by Aniesa Holmes, Daily News staff


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|Liu, Jiping
|Magalhaes, Jurandir
|Guimaraes, Claudia
|Lana, Uribacy
|Alves, Vera
|Hoekenga, Owen
|Shaff, Jon
|Pineros, Miguel
|Wang, Yihong
|Klein, Patricia
|Schaffert, Robert
|Kochian, Leon
Submitted to: Plant and Animal Genome VX Conference Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/11/2006
Publication Date: 1/13/2007
Citation: Liu, J., Magalhaes, J., Guimaraes, C., Lana, U., Alves, V., Hoekenga, O., Shaff, J., Pineros, M., Wang, Y., Klein, P., Schaffert, R., Kochian, L.V. 2007. Molecular Cloning and Characterization of AltSB, A Major Aluminum Tolerance Gene in Sorghum [abstract]. Plant and Animal Genome VX Conference Abstracts. p. 59.
Interpretive Summary:
Technical Abstract: Aluminum (Al) toxicity on acid soils represents a major constraint for crop production as ~ 50% of the potentially arable soils worldwide are acidic. Therefore, understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying plant Al tolerance has been a major focus for a number of laboratories around the world. Here, we report on the isolation and characterization of AltSB, a major Al tolerance gene in sorghum. Through high-resolution mapping, we identified AltSB as a single, partially dominant Al tolerance gene on sorghum chromosome 3. We subsequently verified that AltSB is responsible for Al tolerance in sorghum based on: 1) a strong correlation between Al-inducible AltSB expression and Al-inducible tolerance and root citrate exudation; 2) sequence predictions indicating it is a member of a gene family involved in the efflux of organic solutes; 3) protein localization to the plasma membrane; and 4) AltSB expression in transgenic Arabidopsis resulting in significant increases in Al tolerance and Al-activated root citrate efflux. Sequence analysis of the parental AltSB alleles and the promoter region from selected members of a sorghum diversity panel, combined with determination of AltSB expression, Al tolerance and root citrate exudation in members of the diversity panel indicates that differences in gene expression are a major determinant of differential tolerance in sorghum. Furthermore, a MITE-type transposable element in the AltSB promoter appears to be a highly polymorphic motif in the promoter region and may play a role in the differential Al-inducible expression.


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Fabulous Weather Through the Weekend
The weather will be super to be outdoors in the Cowboy State this weekend. The ridge of high pressure that has been in place will not budge for the next two to three days. It will be mostly sunny to sunny with some areas of haze in portions of the state. Highs will be mainly in the 70s and lower 80s, with somewhat cooler temperatures in the higher elevations. Lows will be in the 30s and 40s.
Early next week it looks like the weather pattern starts to change. Pacific moisture will have a chance to come in late Monday through Wednesday. Expect more clouds on Monday with continued warm temperatures. Tuesday and Wednesday bring in chances for much needed precipitation.


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ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) -- Former Sen. Fred Thompson vehemently defended the selection of Sarah Palin for vice president Tuesday garnering huge applause from the crowd at the Republican National Convention.
Sen. Fred Thompson campaigns with John McCain earlier this year.
"What a breath of fresh air Gov. Sarah Palin is," said Thompson, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race in January. "Give me a tough Alaskan governor who has taken on the political establishment in the largest state in the union -- and won -- over the beltway business-as-usual crowd any day of the week."
Thompson also praised McCain and talked about how his ordeal as POW shaped his character.
"This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders. Strength," Thompson said. "Courage. Humility. Wisdom. Duty. Honor. It's pretty clear there are two questions we will never have to ask ourselves, 'Who is this man?' and 'Can we trust this man with the presidency?' " Watch Thompson speak at the convention »
Thompson gave a detailed version of McCain's years as a POW in Vietnam.
"The guards cracked ribs, broke teeth off at the gums. They cinched a rope around his arms and painfully drew his shoulders back," Thompson said. "We hear a lot of talk about hope. John McCain knows about hope. That's all he had to survive on."
Thompson, an actor and former star of the NBC's hit series "Law and Order," also took many shots at Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama.
Thompson said Obama is "history-marking nominee for president," Thompson said. "History-making in that he is the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president."
Thompson dropped out of the race for the GOP nomination after a disappointing third-place finish in the South Carolina Republican primary, where he drew 16 percent of the vote.
Earlier, Thompson finished third in the Iowa caucuses, fifth in the Michigan and Nevada primaries, sixth in New Hampshire's primary and a distant second to Mitt Romney in the Wyoming caucuses.
Thompson also took shots at some of the speeches made at the Democratic National Convention last week.
"Listening to them you'd think that we were in the middle of a Great Depression; that we are down, disrespected and incapable of prevailing against challenges facing us," Thompson said. "But we also know that we live in the freest, strongest, most generous and prosperous nation in the history of the world and we are thankful."
All About Fred Thompson • Barack Obama • Sarah Palin • John McCain • Democratic Party • Republican Party


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Our CR strategy: Think globally, act locally
With our various initiatives and projects, we want to do our part toward tackling the social challenges of the future. This is an ambitious goal – and one we can only reach together with our employees, our customers and the public. The Values and Guidelines of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA outline the values that guide us and the principles we are bound to for lawful and ethical business practices.
As an international company with more than 300 locations worldwide, our involvement in local programs is especially important to us. We strongly believe that we can achieve the most when we are aware of what is happening around us. So we encourage our employees to get involved in their communities and support local aid initiatives.
CR at Arvato: Facts and figures at a glance
Did you know that nine Arvato companies are now FSC-certified? And that Arvato Systems and Arvato CRM Solutions were distinguished as "TOP employers" in 2014?
In addition to our own projects and initiatives, we also promote issues that we feel strongly about through our membership in numerous organizations and initiatives. The following is an overview of our memberships, certifications and awards. Our environmental reports and guidelines are also available to download here, along with other relevant documents.
- German Association of Environmental Management (B.A.U.M. e.V.) and the Initiative Pro Recycling Papier (an initiative that promotes the use of recycled paper)
- Umweltinitiative der Ostwestfälischen Wirtschaft (an environmental initiative launched by businesses based in the German region of East Westphalia)
- Bundesverband Kraft-Wärme-Kopplung
- WWF Wood Group
- Arvato Systems and Mohn Media are active members of LEEN (Learning Energy Efficiency Networks) throughout Germany
- Environmental Foundation of the Economy in East Westphalia and the Union of Environmental Conservation Officers
- Bundesverband Audiovisueller Medien e.V. (BVV)
- Betriebsbeauftragten für Umweltschutz e.V. (VBU)
- Association Internationale des Bibliothéques (AIBM)
- International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA)
- Bundesverband für Musikindustrie (BVMI)
- Media Tech Association (MEDIA TECH)
- Verein für Medieninformation und Mediendokumentation (VFM)
- International Federation of Television Archives (FIAT/IFTA)
- DVD Copy Control Association
- Forschungsgesellschaft Druck e.V./ Graphic Technology Research Association (FOGRA)
- Fachverband Faltschachtel Industrie (FFI)
- ClimatePartner Certification (CO2 neutrality)
- Imprim'vert (environmental certification of the French printing association P2i)
- SMETA 4-Pillar
- Credit Services Association (CSA)
- International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) No. 3402 Type II
- Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) Level I
- Office of Fair Trading (OFT)
- Data Protection Act (DPA)
- Customer Service Excellence, Customer Services (with client Sefton)
- Customer Service Excellence, Revenues and Benefits (with client Sefton)
- Two Ticks (disability symbol)
- Investors in People (IIP)
Committed to protecting the environment and resources
Environmental protection and the sustainable use of energy play a key role in our company. In all business units, we strive to handle our resources carefully and make efficient use of energy. We also consider it essential to promote our employees' awareness of the importance of environment and resource preservation by providing them with relevant training in this area. The following is an overview of our green initiatives and service solutions.
Social commitment
We see ourselves as a part and partner of the society we live in. As a company with many locations worldwide, we recognize the importance of providing rapid assistance at the local level – right where it's needed and without unnecessary red tape.
Promoting education and media literacy
Many of our services are relevant to the fields of education, media literacy and digitalization. We want to use our skills and experience in these areas to make a contribution to society. One way we are doing this is through special initiatives for young people. Children should learn to make sensible use of the Internet, mobile technology and media – and this is best learned in an interactive way. That's why we're involved in creating a protected online surfing space for children. We also support the newspaper project "Klasse!" aimed at improving young people's reading and writing skills.
Providing rapid disaster relief
The major earthquake and tsunami in Japan, flooding in Southeast Asia, or famine in Africa – natural catastrophes shock the world, again and again. Such events often have devastating consequences for those affected by them, especially in less-affluent regions. We've made it our business to provide quick relief without unnecessary red tape.
Working together for a better world
Arvato has more than 70,000 employees across the globe who are contributing to the company's success every day. Our values include open communication, cooperation, social responsibility and partnership. As varied as our business units may be, we have a history that unites us, a common attitude we adopt, and a uniform strategy we pursue – as a team.
Only together as a team can we achieve great things. And that's why we encourage our employees to get involved. Our junior executives, for instance, are given an early glimpse on what it means to assume responsibility. The following pages introduce you to some of the fantastic aid initiatives many of our employees are involved in – some with a high level of personal commitment.
Economic success and good corporate citizenship are inseparable objectives of our corporation. As such, responsible and ethical behavior toward employees, business partners, society and the environment is an integral part of our company's value system. This is codified in the Bertelsmann Essentials, which outline the goals and basic values of how we conduct our business, while the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct provides further detail.


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I thought about it and thought about it and eventually gave in. I went to the mall to try on the combo in hopes I wouldn't be too tempted to break resolution.
Top: J. Crew Sommers Perfect Plaid Shirt, Sz 0, $72
Skirt: J. Crew Canvas Military Skirt, Sz 0, $39.99
The shirt and skirt fit very well and as with most J. Crew items, the 0 is a tad bigger than what I consider a true 0. The skirt more so because the elastic allows it more give than a normal waistband.
Verdict: No to the shirt - it just isn't my style and I don't know that I'd want to pay full retail for it. Yes to the skirt - I've been looking for an olive skirt since I tried on the one from LOFT and I think this one is cuter / more classic.
Same shirt as above.
Skirt: J. Crew Cotton Bell Skirt, Sz 0, $49.99
I actually really liked this skirt but since I already have several khaki skirts (and olive wasn't available), I put it back. Several other petites purchased the Wool version a few months ago. Check out To Brighten My Day, Fast Food and Fast Fashion, Really Petite, PetiteXXS, and Alterations Needed for their reviews of the Wool Bell Skirt.
Verdict: No, but would be open to other colors
Top: J. Crew Tulip Ruffle Cami, Pearl, Sz 0, $79.50
Skirt: J. Crew Tulip Skirt, Navy Blue, Sz 2 (can't find online)
I was intrigued by the concept of this top and the ruffled tiers but it just didn't look very good on me. On the other hand, I LOVED the tulip skirt. The volume made me feel so feminine but the hemline is a little too short for me.
Verdict: No to the top / skirt, but keep an eye out for other tulip skirts
Top / Skirt same as above.
Cardigan: J. Crew Stripe Pocket Cardigan, XXS, $39.99
I was thisclose to getting this but I have so many cardigans already - 2 of which are navy/white striped. I just couldn't justify a 3rd.
Verdict: Sadly no
So it wasn't too bad. I bought the olive skirt and also a studded brown leather belt that was on sale.
Did you do any shopping this weekend?