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Before the release of any Grand Theft Auto game, there were features that were removed from the final product. These changes range from deleted vehicles and player skins to the removal of entire characters and mission strands.
See Beta Vehicles for information about the vehicles.
- 1 Grand Theft Auto
- 2 Grand Theft Auto II
- 3 Grand Theft Auto III
- 4 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- 5 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- 6 Grand Theft Auto Advance
- 7 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- 8 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- 9 Grand Theft Auto IV
- 10 Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned
- 11 Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
- 12 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
- 13 See Also
- 14 References
Grand Theft Auto
- Accessible Trams were removed early in the games development for the San Andreas.
- Originally, the Superbike was supposed to be called "Bike".
- The antenna was removed from TV Van.
- Limousine was called the Limo.
- Kids were probably supposed to appear ingame, because School Buses were cut.
- Tanker was called "Hi Explosive Truck", later "Explosives Truck".
- The SWAT Van was cut from GTA. However, it can be seen in the official site in section "Special Cars".
Grand Theft Auto II
- A weapon called the "Microwave" was removed.
- A weapon called the "Instant Vehicle Bomb" was removed.
- A weapon called the "ElectroBaton" was removed.
Grand Theft Auto III
- Claude's appearance went through many different designs. Some screenshots show a poorly detailed Claude, who looks completely different from the final version. Other pictures show a more final Claude with different hair and a chubbier appearance.
- Curtly was removed from the final version.
- The character of Darkel, a revolutionary domestic terrorist, was cut.
- Tom Novy was meant to make an appearance in the game as himself, but was removed along with his song, "Back to the Streets" for unknown reasons.
- 8-Ball's name was originally going to be Mullan.
- Joey Leone's original surname was Sorvino.
- Salvatore's original name was Frankie Sorvino.
- Certain player skins, accessible with cheat codes, were removed.
- Elderly pedestrians with walkers were removed.
- Children were planned for the game.[1]
- Police Officers originally had mustaches.
- Originally the Liberty City Triads had black outfits and tattoos.[2]
- Some, but not all, of Darkel's missions were subsequently given to other characters. It has been said that Darkel had 13 missions for Claude, though most of them were cut.
- A mission that involved flying the Dodo was cut.
- Originally, when doing Vigilante, Paramedic, or Firefighter missions, the vehicles radio could go out of range - requiring the player to drive closer to the nearest police station/hospital/fire station.
- A mission where you need to bomb a school bus full of children was cut due the violence and gore. (?)
- The Old School Hall changed appearance. It previously looked newer and lit up.
- Punk Noodles was originally just with a small grass park with two statues. The statue model still exists in the game's files.
- The Callahan Bridge was going to be named West Port Bridge, as referenced by a road sign in Portland.
- The Callahan Bridge also had two suspensions.
- In the beta, the airport was once in Staunton Island and there are many roads in Shoreside Vale. The Callahan Bridge is also absent.
- Accorded to the GXT files, metro stations were named like in Liberty City Stories (with the same name).
- Airplanes landing at Francis International Airport were destroyable with a Rocket Launcher.
- The ability to blow limbs off of non-playable characters was cut, but only from the PS2 version of the game [3] This can still be activated in the PS2 version via cheat codes.
- You could originally run with the baseball bat.
- Online multiplayer was cut.[4]
- The graphics were originally more "cartoonish" [5] (possibly due to a rumored cancelled Sega Dreamcast release).
- The very early HUD was very different.
- The radar was light blue instead of yellow.
- The ability to name the character, much like in Grand Theft Auto, was cut. An unused line of text reads "[DEFNAM] Claude----------------------" - interestingly, this confirms that the protagonist's name is Claude.
- Unused lines of text within the game's text files contain phrases, such as "You're perfectly healthy, get out of here!" and "I'll just fix you up". These lines of text seem to imply that the game's hospitals were, originally, accessible/usable.
- The "Busted!" text and target arrows were originally red instead of blue.
- There was a bus company named Jelly Tours.
- The song "Back to the Streets", was deleted out of the soundtrack with no explanation.
- The Baseball Bat was originally red and yellow.
- The Rocket Launcher's original scope looked alot like the one of sniper rifle.
- Safehouses would gradually improve in their appearance as the player progressed and gained more money
- Claude may have originally been planned to have a voice as shown in the first trailer (though the voice saying "Get out of the car" is actually a sound clip from GTA2)
Some of these changes are thought to have been as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, although others were made as well before that time.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- A character called Mr. Moffat was removed from the game.
- Tommy Vercetti wore a dark blue Hawaian shirt [6].
- Ricardo Diaz's original name was supposedly Fernando Diaz.
- Pastor Richards was scheduled to give protagonist Tommy Vercetti a mission.
- BJ Smith was originally named BJ Jones.
- It is believed by some fans that trash collecting missions based on the Paramedic missions were in the beta.
- According to some screenshots, there was no Leaf Links in the beta
- Fort Baxter Air Base originally included an air traffic control tower and a runway. The runway is totally absent, but the tower can still be seen in the distance from Vice Beach.
- There was no stadium in the beta.
- The northeast part of the beach didn't exist.
- Vice Port has a waterway and ships are absent.
- There are no shacks in the sea.
- Some roads didn't exist in the beta version.
- There were no rocks and even the lighthouse was absent.
- There were bus shelters around the city. The bus shelter model, bustopm.dff, is still inside Vice City's file. [7][8]
- The long road from the police station going to the Ammunation is absent in the beta map.
- The Deli across from the Little Havana Police station had its large Exploder billboard replaced with a different, smaller one.[9]
- A Grenade Launcher was cut.
- The beta MP5 looked shorter and very different, it can be seen in the intro of GTA Vice City
- The PSG-1 didn't have a silencer in the beta.
- There is a model and textures for an AK-47 in the game files. However, it has never appeared in any of the screen shots or trailers for the game. What some fans claim to be an AK-47 in one of the trailers, is actually the Ruger with its brown texture from the PS2 version of the game.
- There was a Tazer, a Nailgun and Landmines in the beta version, textures exist in the game files.
- The shotgun from GTA III was originally in the game.
- Shown on a poster featured in the flash version of the official website, there was a silenced Ingram.
- The M4 had a longer barrel and a different aim in the beta.
- There was originally a Steyr Aug in the beta version, files of it exist in the PS2 Version.
- Tear Gas was removed from Xbox, PC and later PS2 versions of the game.
- The ability to manage fuel in the car was cut
- There were many phone conversations between Tommy and Mercedes Cortez [10].
- There were many lines cut from characters such as Kent Paul, Umberto Robina, Mercedes Cortez, Mr. Moffat and BJ Smith in Sunshine Autos [11].
- Tires were able to be slashed and recorded into the stats. [12]
- There was going to be an additional outfit called "MC Tommy," but it was taken out. It was originally a brown biker jacket that could be found in Howlin' Petes Biker Emporium
- The Haitian gangster who wears the blue shirt used to have a picture on the shirt instead of the word "Relax". [13]
- There was once a blond haired prostitute with pigtails and a red skirt. She was supposed to appear around the streets of the downtown area, and dance in the Malibu Club as shown in several trailers.
- According to TXD files, a radio station named VCN (Vice City News) was cut late in the development.
- According to three TXD files, a first person view was proposed. [14]
- A Gamecube version was going to be made, but was scrapped. Reproduction carts do exist however.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Out of all the Grand Theft Auto games, San Andreas may have had the most changes before release. For the first and only time in the series, there were animals in the game (even though there are fish in the water and birds in the air), the player was able to have uncensored sex, drink, and do drugs. There were many interiors that were left unused, though many remain in the game files. There were a considerable amount of missions cut, as well as numerous weapons, vehicles and character models.
- Characters including Officer Carver, Larry and Poncho were removed.
- Both Sweet and Big Smoke had their appearances changed. Sweet was originally dressed in black and wore a black skully, Big Smoke wore a white jersey and did not wear a hat, exposing his shaved head.
- Kendl Johnson's facial model and clothing were altered.
- Gang members looked different and wore different clothing.
- Each city had its own motorcycle cop model, whereas in the final release the same model is used for all cities (The beta cop models can still be found on the game´s files)
- According to a strategy guide, the Triad members were originally different.
- According to a preview before the games release, Steve Scott was originally going to return for a "big" action movie in San Andreas.
- In a screen before the games release Carl Johnson looked slightly older than the current one.
- There are many deleted missions which include The Truth is Out There and Impounded, or missions with different objectives which include Doberman, Photo Opportunity and Beat Down on B Dup.
- In the first version of Saint Mark's Bistro, CJ had to chase Marco Forelli with a car in the streets of Portland, but for some reason, Portland is not full in the final version (only Saint Mark's, Red Light District and some place of Chinatown and Portland View) and the road isn't solid everywhere.
- Fish in a Barrel was supposedly an actual mission instead of a mere cutscene.
- In Sweet's Girl, originally Sweet did not have a gun, so CJ escorted him out.
- In Photo Opportunity, unused text implies that CJ hijacked and used a helicopter.
- There was going to be a mission involving a search for Big Smoke.
- There was going to be a different race in the Los Santos Stadium.[15]
- According to cut text, San Andreas was going to have a mission pack.
- In beta, car- and bike school had to run in same place, in Doherty's driving school.
- The Pizza Boy side-mission was removed.
- The Top Fun mini game from Vice City was supposedly to return but its was removed for unknown reasons.
- According to the PS2 files, there was to be originally 50 rampages (non-multiplayer) all over the map, but this was cut for unknown reasons.
- Originally, if Carl Johnson killed a pedestrian, a news van would arrive and the crew would report on the event.
- If Carl crashed into a lamp post a mechanic would arrive to fix it. If the player killed the mechanic the lamp post would remain broken for a time, even if the player left the immediate area.
- The Mulholland Safehouse seemed to have a full interior that can be seen from the outside. The change on final version causes a glitch which allows the player to go through the wall.[16]
- Donut shops such as Rusty Brown's Ring Donuts were places where Carl Johnson could eat.
- San Fierro in the beta had very few docks and more parks. The beta map of San Fierro was very detailed and can be seen in Driving School.
- There was cars driving around the San Andreas's car parks by pedestrians and may park there. (Also in Valet car park along the valets)
- The construction yard near the hospital in Downtown Los Santos had a crane.
- The Easter Basin Naval Base had a different outline, it had a dock and the ship is missing.
- San Andreas was much bigger and had several different land masses, such as a larger San Fierro (which resembled San Francisco more closely), A full beta map of San Andreas can be found on a wall in the Lil' Probe'Inn and in Mike Toreno's Ranch.
- Santa Flora Medical Center had 2 helipads on its roof. These pads were most likely meant for the Maverick and Raindance that spawn there in the alpha. Oddly enough, these helipads were absent in the alpha, so the choppers simply spawned on the roof.
- The Clown's Pocket casino was originally called The Ringmaster, its original name can still be seen on the paper map included inside the game box.
- Hardware Stores was originally included in-games, and you can buy tools (like in GTA Vice City).
- Pharmacies from Vice City were originally included where you can buy health and adrenaline.
- The village of Bayside didn't exist in the beta version.
- The village of Dillimore was smaller in the beta version.
- The Hunter Quarry was smaller in the beta version.
- Some roads present in the Red County beta are absent in the final version.
- According to the beta map, there was a small island in San Fierro bay which was most likely based on Alcatraz.
- The Skateboard was cut from the final game (its icon is still on the disk, and it can still be used but only as a weapon).
- Strategy guides and other prints speak of a Gun Cane available alongside the Cane. The Gun Cane does not appear anywhere in the game.
- The Parachute was originally smaller and blue (it can be seen in the demonstration video in Flight School showing how to control parachute).
- Accorded to some early preview of the games, 150 weapons where originally included in-game.
- Another Rocket Launcher called "M47 dragon" was cut, its files can be found only in the PS2 version.
- A sniper rifle named "M82" was cut.
- The grenade launcher was cut again.
- Two machine guns named "M249 SAW" and "M60" was cut, its files can be found only in the PS2 version.
- The Micro-SMG was removed, it can be seen in early screenshots of the game.
- The Parachute icon was originally a bit different.
- The AK-47 icon was originally different.
- The Jetpack and the Cell Phone originally had icons on the HUD like the other weapons.
- Animals that would roam the rural areas were cut. Their models are still available in the game's files, albeit without AI present.
- Originally, there were over 300 gang territories to be taken over all over the map.
- The ability to create and run your own casino was taken out after the alpha version.
- Usable car-washes, similar to those in GTA IV, were cut.
- The ability to ride the trolleys in San Fierro was cut.
- It was possible to hear many vague sounds from your car if it was broken. These sounds can be hear from Rockstar games's beta gameplay video[17] or some of the trailers.
- You can also hear many minor sounds included in beta release which are useless in the final game, but these files are still in GENRL file and can be moddable with mod tools.
- The mobster who Carl kills in Saint Mark's was originally going to be called Marco Forelli but due to deleted audio, his name was never mentioned in the final version.
- The Grove Street Families were originally going to be called The Orange Grove Families.
- Pedestrians would walk into and out of accessible places like stores, clubs, etc. And GSF members would walk into and out of / hang out in your safehouses.
- Pool tables were originally going to be colored green instead of blue.
- The motor bikers had a different design.
- Carl Johnson would be able to use drugs, which would make the camera wobble around making it more difficult to control CJ.
- The ability to drink beer was cut from the final version.
- Through the hidden interiors universe, unused brothels can be found, these were most likely to be placed on top of Strip Clubs.
- Pre-release magazine articles showed that stealing cars was to be much more difficult. In early screen shots, car jacking was shown to involve smashing the car's window and then hot wiring it. This was all removed, possibly due to the limitations posed by the PS2. A similar system is present in GTAIV.
- The ability to rob stores (like in GTA Vice City) such as 24/7 was removed.
- The ability to put many way point on the map was removed at the very end of the development. In the final version, we can put only one way point.
- Accorded to the strategy guide, adrenaline from previous GTA were in the beta version. However their effects can still be activate with a cheat code.
- According to a picture from the strategy guide, there was originally a pool table inside Madd Dogg's Mansion.
- According to Rockstar Games, the game was made on 2 DVDs, that's why many things were deleted when they put the game in one DVD.
- According to american.gxt, there was several phone call and lines which where cut.
- According to gta3.img, There are several more items of clothing available at the clothes stores, including t-shirts, trousers, caps and more - these were all in the game but not used.
- It's possible that pedestrians were originally to be injured like in GTA IV, as Hazer is shown injured similar to GTA IV in Los Desperados. This was most likely removed because of the technical limitations of RenderWare, the games graphics engine.
- The San Fierro Rifa and Mafia originally had gang tags and their turf could be taken over.
- Occasionally CJ will shout out "die Skinhead dicks!", implying that there was going to be a white supremacist gang that of course was at war with the Grove Street Families and possibly to protest against a a racist video game released years before San Andreas as was with the Skinz in Manhunt.
Grand Theft Auto Advance
- The Barrel was cut from the final version.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Joseph Daniel O'Toole's glasses were originally blue.
- Toni Cipriani originally looked older.
- It's widely believed that Leon McAffrey, Salvatore Leone or Donald Love was to give a mission to the player to turn back against the Yardies and befriend a Irish-American gang that were also removed, which may explain why the Yardies attack Toni.
- The Liberty News cut-scenes were cut.
- Toni's casual clothes were a purple shirt with a green vest.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- Bryan Forbes originally had a mustache
- According to screenshots, there was going to be a mission where Bryan and Vic were attacked by the Mendez Cartel.
- In the mission, Last Stand, there was an additional man that Vic had to kill other than Martinez and Diego Mendez.
- The Casual clothes were originally yellow.
- Tattoo Parlors, similar to those in San Andreas, were cut.
- The Army Fatigues originally read "USMC" on the shirt, meaning that originally, Vic would join the Marines instead of the army.
- The Fort Baxter Air Base said "Semper Fi" on one of the buildings.
Grand Theft Auto IV
- The mission involving killing lawyer Tom Goldberg originally called Small Fish in Big Pond.
- Missions American Dad, Jacob's Ladder, American Dream and I and High were cut.
- In the Deconstruction for Beginners, Niko was used to destroy some warehouses.
- Originally, It's Your Call was set at night.
- There were originally female police officers.
- There were also to be K-9 dogs in the game and would chase a player if he was running away on a 1 star level. This may have been removed due to the fact of the player able to kill animals in the game, or could frustrate the player.
- A mobster, Raymond Alberga, was deleted from the final version.
- Little Jacob originally did not wear glasses.
- Michelle had a different looking face.
- Playboy X used to have a plain maroon hoodie.
- United Liberty Paper had a different voice.
- Real Badman didn't wear a hat.
- Niko Bellic's hairstyle was slightly different. It can still be found in the game's files and used in-game instead of Niko's original hairstyle through texture swapping or mods.
- Roman Bellic's face and clothes were different.
- Mikhail Faustin had grey hair and a differenthairstyle.
- Ilyena Faustin had different clothes, as seen in 2nd trailer.
- Ray Bulgarin's face was paler, and was less detailed.
- Carmen Ortiz had a shorter ponytail.
- Francis McReary was originally to have blonde hair.
- Some areas named Anger Bay (Pelham Bay), Norfolk (NoHo), Jefferson Heights (Hamilton Heights), Acter Bay (South Kearny), Richmond (Richmond Hill) , Frogtown (Turtle Bay), Washington Heights were cut. Two areas called Hedgebury and Goatherd can be seen on roadsigns on the Broker-Dukes Expressway. It is likely that they are two more cut neighborhoods, or they could be beta names of the neighborhoods that are where Hedgebury and Goatherd supposedly lead to (Firefly Projects for Goatherd, and Outlook for Hedgebury).
- According to the GXT Files, Beechwood City was called : Grayfords
- The setting of the game was originally going to be Liberty State, rather than just Liberty City, and it would have included countryside surrounding Liberty City, mountains based on the Adirondacks and Catskills [18], and possibly The Caraways.
- A street called Liberation St was either cut or renamed.
- A street called 128th St was either cut or renamed
- The Statue of Happiness was originally going to be called Statue of Freedom
- The Statue of Happiness had a different face.
- Fingerless gloves were probably available during game play. Pre-release screen-shots and videos of the PC version also show Niko with fingerless gloves but were still not available in the game. They still however can be found in the game files and can put on Niko through the use of texture swapping or mods.
- Binco was going to be the first clothing store. It is replaced by the Russian Shop, while ZIP has become Modo.
- Beta weapons include a Silenced 9mm, Pool Cue, and Revolver.
- The Baseball Bat was originally wooden.[19]
- In an early preview, Little Jacob would sell a rocket launcher to Niko. It was originally attached to the underside of his car.
- An MP5 was originally going to be the SMG as seen in early pre-release screenshots. Niko would presumably fire it with both hands on the pistol grip, like the Micro SMG. It's design was later replaced to resemble the S&W MP10.
- Several songs mentioned in early previews or heard in trailers were removed from the final version:
- Burn it all Down - VHS or Beta
- Downtown Swinger - MOP
- Cocaine - Humble Pie
- Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
- How About Some Hardcore - MOP
- Get Up, Stand Up - Bob Marley & The Wailers
- Restless - UNKLE (feat. Josh Homme)
- They Say Vision - Res
- Junior Kirkstart - The Go! Team
- Shit it Real - Fat Joe
- Sucker M.C.s - Run-D.M.C.
- The ingame american.gxt file lists additional songs for Liberty Rock Radio, Radio Broker and The Vibe.
- Tuff Gong Radio was called Babylon.
- According to a French preview, a few of The Rolling Stones' songs were in the game, but were removed for a unknown reason.
- The first removed haircut design for Niko was a cut that seemed to resemble helmet-hair.
- The second removed haircut design for Niko was a buzz cut.
- The Well Stacked Pizza Co. was originally meant to return but removed before release. Outside Pizza This, the employees are still seen sporting the logo and some with "Well Stacked Pizza Co." on the back of their shirts. This may also indicate that this was once the original location for one of the stores.
- Pedestrians were to carry planks. A model is still present in the game files.
- According to early in-game previews, a city bus service was available for Niko to use, with a bus schedule popping up after walking to a bus stop. A bus driver character model is also found in the in-game files. Occasionally, an operating bus with the driver will be seen exiting the runway roads of Francis International Airport, however, if the player attempts to get in, the driver is 'pulled' from the bus.
- According to previews, Niko could climb telephone poles.
- Niko would have been able to get limo rides just like taxi rides.[20]
- According to the model names of Roman's taxi depot, he was originally supposed to do limos. This may have a connection with the limo rides mentioned above.
- Health pickups originally glowed yellow and not orange.
- Niko would originally bring prostitutes to his home.
- There were two deleted cheats : the first one gave money to the player, it was probably "729-555-0100" ("729" for "PAY"); the second one made the game advance the time by one hour, probably something like "???-555-8463" ("8463" for "TIME").
- Originally, the bailing out animation involved Niko diving forward, as seen in the second trailer.
- The police helicopter would originally fly very low.
- Cars could explode very differently, and turn on their sides and catch fire in the cabin.
- Niko had these contacts in his phone: Cab, City, and Dock.
- Snow was a weather condition but it is only seen as an unused scenario for pedestrian behavior in the game files.[21]
- Developers originally considered letting players purchase music by going to an in-game record shop and for Niko to have an MP3 player, but both ideas were cut
Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned
- Content from the mission Politics was cut.
- A Game Informer preview states Johnny could originally change outfits.
- According to previews, Johnny had the access to date girlfriends.
- The TAC-700 was cut. However, files of it exists in the game's files.
- The Lost MC Clubhouse originally had a newer exterior, it had white walls with the door moved more to the right, it was also much smaller which can be noticed in several early pictures.
- The ingame american.gxt file lists additional songs for Jazz Nation Radio, Liberty Rock Radio and Radio Broker.
Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
- An early interview stated that there would be a random character encounter where a crazy ex-girlfriend of Luis would rig a bomb to his car (possibly Margot).
- Tony wore different glasses that were tinted purple instead of clear.
- The ingame american.gxt file lists additional songs for K109, Vice City FM and Self-Actulaization FM.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
- The beta-map was more different from the final map.
See Also
- ↑ Grand Theft Auto 3 First Impressions - Gamespot.co.uk retrieved from Internet archive
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Disembodied limb screenshot
- ↑ FEN_PLA: Number of players: FEN_TY0: Deathmatch FEN_NCI: NOT CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET in American.gxt
- ↑ "Cartoonish" screenshot
- ↑ Tommy Vercetti
- ↑ Bus Shelter
- ↑ Bus Shelter Mod
- ↑ Page 13 of the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Manual, "Street Racing".
- ↑ text\american.gxt>MAIN>MOB54_A-MOB59_F
- ↑ GTA VC cut dialogue
- ↑ text\american.gxt>MAIN>TYRESLA>Tires slashed with a blade
- ↑ Page 5 of the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Manual, "Population and People".
- ↑ [FEC_FPC] First person camera""[FEC_FPR] Controls For First Person"".
- ↑ models\txd\LD_RACE.txd>race12
- ↑ Mulholland Safehouse
- ↑ Youtube.com
- ↑ RockstarWatch.net
- ↑ File:BaseballBat-GTA4-beta.png
- ↑ Pause Video at 0:28 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNrm7wqnpVI&feature=channel
- ↑ common\data\Ambient.dat>IsSnowing


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The Department of Defense Spouse Education and Career Opportunities team will host the 2018 Virtual Military Spouse Symposium May 21-24, 2018. The four-day virtual symposium is designed to provide you with up-to-date and relevant information related to career development, entrepreneurship, personal branding, military family well-being, employer connections and more.
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"It was clear that if it had not been for the efforts of Pvt. Hilinkski, the young child would not have survived," said Sgt. 1st Class Jesus Garcia.
By U.S Army Public Affairs
WASHINGTON -- The Department of the Army announced today the summer 2018 deployment of the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, to Europe.
As part of the regular rotation of forces, the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade will replace the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade and support combatant commander mission requirements for U.S. European Command's Atlantic Resolve.
By U.S. Army Public Affairs
WASHINGTON -- The Department of the Army announced today the spring 2018 deployment of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, to Iraq.
The 3rd Cavalry Regiment will replace 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division as part of a regular rotation of forces to support Operation Inherent Resolve.
"The Regiment of Mounted Riflemen is a trained and ready force, just as it has been for the last 171 years, and we stand ready to answer the nation's call to fight and win anywhere in the world," said Col. Jonathan Byrom, 3rd Cavalry Regiment commander. "After spending the last several months conducting an intense training cycle, culminating with a National Training Center Rotation, the troopers are well prepared for our mission.
WASHINGTON -- The Department of the Army announced today the summer of 2018 deployment of the 101st Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to Afghanistan.
The 101st Airborne Sustainment Brigade Headquarters and Special Troops Battalion will replace the 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade Headquarters and Special Troops Battalion as part of a regular rotation of forces to support Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy announced April 11 in NAVADMIN 091/18 that the April deadline for enlisted women applying to convert to submarine force ratings would be extended to June 1.
This announcement comes as an update to NAVADMIN 300/17, which announced the fourth cycle of female Sailor selections for conversion to Submarine Force ratings. Selections from this round of applications will be for initial integration of USS Georgia (SSGN 729) in 2019, and to fill openings on previously integrated submarines in Kings Bay, Georgia and Bangor, Washington, due to personnel rotating to shore duty.
By Capt. Megan Hoffmann April 18, 2017
CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Children are typically carefree, no job, no bills to pay, no worries. However, that is not true for the military child.
Military children don't typically fall into the carefree category. At any given time their lives can be in a state of change; living in a single-parent or no-parent household with parents deployed or geographically separated due to military obligations, changing schools and living in turmoil are just a few things military children deal with on a regular basis.
By Staff Sgt. Jannelle McRae, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published April 07, 2017
Washington (AFNS) -- Eighteen-year-old Jamal Braxton has a busy schedule. The high school senior holds various leadership positions with the Red Cross, participates in multiple varsity sport programs and is a lifeguard. He accomplishes all this as a military child and the challenges inherent in military family life.
Because of his accomplishments, Braxton was presented the Operation Homefront 2017 Air Force Military Child of the Year award by Air Force Assistant Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Stayce Harris April 6, 2017, in Washington D.C.
By Kenneth Fenner on April 11, 2017
Joy, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, lost her business amid the 2008 financial crisis, and was forced to live out of her van. Being homeless made even relatively simple tasks complicated, but over time, Joy found that she was growing accustomed to homelessness, making it even harder for her to get back to work. It wasn't until Joy enrolled in the Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency's Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program, or HVRP, that she was able to get back on her feet. The center helped her find a home and a sense of purpose, and even hired her as a veteran outreach specialist.
Funded by the Labor Department, HVRP provides services to help homeless veterans reenter the workforce, which in turn gets them back on track in other aspects of life. Services include occupational, classroom and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance, including follow-up services. Real employment opportunities help veterans reach both financial stability and independence.
By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 6, 2017 - The Veterans Affairs and Defense departments are introducing to service members who have Servicemembers Group Life Insurance an online enrollment system called the SGLI On-line Enrollment System that enables active duty and eligible reserve and National Guard members to manage their group and family coverage online.
SGLI provides $400,000 in automatic life insurance coverage to service members when they enlist. SGLI members get automatic coverage for dependent children and non-military spouses under the family SGLI program.
By Jim GaramoneDoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 12, 2016 The Defense Department knows that the whole family serves when a military member serves.
April is the Month of the Military Child , a time to highlight the contributions and sacrifices made by military children.
Its also a chance to catch up on what the department does for military families.
WASHINGTON, April 11, 2016 Time to get your purple on, America.
April 15 is Purple Up! day, a time for Americans to show their support for military families. Department of Defense Education Activity schools will celebrate the event on April 20 because of spring recess.
Its to build awareness for the needs of military families, said Barbara A. Thompson, the director of the office of family readiness policy.
By Shannon CollinsDoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 7, 2016 The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he was appreciative and spirited after meeting surviving family members of service members during the 9th Annual Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors annual Honor Guard Gala last night at the National Building Museum here.
Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford accepted the TAPS Honor Guard Gala Military Award on behalf of the men and women serving in Americas armed forces. He was introduced by Connor McCracken, the son of Army Reserve Col. David McCracken, who died of cancer in 2011 after serving for 30 years. McCracken, who serves in his high schools Junior ROTC program, said he was honored to introduce the general.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. NR-111-16
Mar. 30, 2016
Department of Defense Publishes Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal Guidance
The Department of Defense announced today that effective immediately, service members who are serving, or have served, in Iraq, Syria, or contiguous waters or airspace on or after June 15, 2014, who meet eligibility criteria are authorized award of the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal.
By Terri Moon CronkDoD News, Defense Media Activity
MANASSAS, Va., April 24, 2015 - First Lady Michelle Obama announced yesterday that numerous technology and energy companies have committed to hire or train 90,000 veterans and military spouses in the next five years as part of the Joining Forces initiative.
Celebrating the fourth year of Joining Forces this month, the first lady spoke to an audience of veterans, family members, business owners and government leaders here at Micron Technologies, which produces memory-storage devices.
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2015 - The Defense Department continues to invest in its service members and has introduced a new online informational tool tailored to their unique school programs and educational needs, the Defense Department's chief of voluntary education said in a DoD news interview this week.
Dawn Bilodeau discussed a new online tool called "Tuition Assistance DECIDE."
by Airman 1st Class Aaron J. Jenne4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
4/21/2015 - SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Diala Estela, 4th Fighter Wing key spouse mentor, placed third out of 35 exhibits April 3, at the Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Estala's sculpture, titled "Marry Me," was a dress made from 130 plastic bottles to symbolize the spouses of active-duty service members based on her personal experience as an artist and military spouse.
By Amaani LyleDoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2015 - As concerns persist over ever-rising obesity levels among American children, the Defense Department will bolster its Healthy Children programs to weave fitness, nutrition and tobacco-free living into military children's curriculum, a Pentagon official told DoD News.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity rates in the United States have tripled since 1980, and these statistics portend possible jeopardy to the readiness of future service members, said Barbara Thompson, director of DoD's Office of Family Readiness Policy, during a DoD News interview on the observance of April as the Month of the Military Child.
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today that the remains of up to 388 unaccounted for sailors and Marines, associated with the USS Oklahoma, will be exhumed later this year. Upon disinterment, the remains will be transferred to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) laboratory in Hawaii for examination. Analysis of all available evidence indicates that most USS Oklahoma crew members can be identified upon disinterment.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work approved the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma and also established a broader DoD policy , which defines threshold criteria for disinterment of unknowns.
By Amaani Lyle
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2015 - For many new or expecting parents, the stress of navigating the needs and developmental milestones of an infant or toddler can rival that of deployments.
But a well-established program not only provides many resources to help untangle the parental requirements of understanding the critical first three years of a child's life, but also brings child care experts right into military families' homes, Barbara Thompson, director of DoD's Office of Family Readiness Policy, said in a recent DoD News interview. April is the Month of the Military Child.
The casting team for the hit new game show Celebrity Name Game is searching for FUN, OUTGOING MILITARY PERSONNEL to be contestants!
We're looking for TEAMS of 2 OR MORE who are in the SoCal area who want the chance to WIN $20,000!!
WASHINGTON, April 9, 2015 - The Defense Department observes April as the Month of the Military Child, and also recognizes this time of year as it pertains to a more sobering topic: National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
In a recent DoD news interview, Barbara Thompson -- director of DoD's Office of Family Readiness -- stressed that anyone aware of red flags and potential cases of abuse has an obligation to bring the concerns to light.
Relativity Television and the creator of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" are launching a nationwide search for hard-working American couples to take their shot at the American Dream of becoming homeowners. In the ultimate do-it-yourself competition, chosen couples will put their lives on hold for up to nine weeks and tackle a series of intense renovation and remodel challenges. Only the most resourceful and competitive will survive, and the last-couple-standing will win the mortgage-free deed to a house in ATLANTA, GA.
Casting is open NATIONWIDE, and accommodations will be made for those selected from out-of-state. Couples will be required to live in Atlanta during the competition (up to nine weeks) and must be ready to move to Atlanta should they be awarded the grand-prize home.
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2015 - ThanksUSA, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to thanking America's troops through the gift of education, is inviting children and spouses of America's armed forces to apply for its post-secondary education scholarships, according to a ThanksUSA news release issued today.
Those interested can apply via the organization's website, and the application period extends from today through May 15, 2015, the release said.
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2015 - To highlight the year-round contributions, courage and patriotism of the military community's youngest members, the Defense Department observes April as the Month of the Military Child, a Pentagon official told DoD News.
Established by then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger in 1986, the month recognizes some 1.9 million U.S. military children ranging in age from infants to 18 years old who have one or both parents serving in the armed forces, said Barbara Thompson, the director of DoD's Office of Family Readiness Policy.
WASHINGTON, March 31, 2015 - With the expiration of a law that allowed service members to carry up to 75 days of leave from one fiscal year to the next, troops should plan to carry no more than 60 days of leave into fiscal year 2016, defense officials recently announced.
Service members will automatically lose any accumulated ordinary leave in excess of 60 days on October 1, 2015, officials said. Troops covered by special leave accrual rules may still carry up to 120 days from one fiscal year to the next, officials noted.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III will present the Prisoner of War Medal to eight World War II era U.S. Army Air Forces personnel during a ceremony at the Pentagon auditorium, Wednesday, April 30 at 10 a.m. EDT.
The Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James authorized the award of the POW Medal to 143 USAAF airmen who were interned in the Wauwilermoos, Switzerland, prison camp during World War II.
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2014 - The American Forces Network Broadcast Center has established a hashtag for Facebook users to help AFN honor military spouses during Military Spouses Appreciation Day on May 10.
The initiative will center on a special hashtag -- #spouseappreciation -- that Facebook users can include in posts and photos that pay tribute to military spouses.
By Nick SimeoneAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 23, 2014 - Despite a national unemployment rate hovering at just under 7 percent, a Pentagon program intended to help unemployed military spouses find jobs -- including positions with Fortune 500 companies -- is surpassing its goals, connecting more than 60,000 military spouses with 220 private- and public-sector partners since the program began three years ago.
The Military Spouse Employment Partnership is designed to help military spouses -- whom Defense Department research shows are, on average, better educated than their civilian counterparts -- reach their career goals, said Meg O'Grady, a senior program analyst in the Pentagon's Office of Family Policy and Children and Youth.
By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 19, 2014 - The Defense Department has dealt effectively with the Heartbleed computer vulnerability, but individuals must do their parts as well, DOD's deputy chief information officer for cybersecurity said.
Richard A. Hale spoke about Heartbleed during an interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel.
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2014 - First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, are calling on Americans to submit questions via social media about "Joining Forces," a national initiative they started three years ago that mobilizes all sectors of American society to support service members and their families.
Tomorrow, the first lady and Dr. Biden will mark the initiative's third anniversary at Fort Campbell, Ky., where they will speak to service members, families and employers at the Veterans Jobs Summit and Career Forum and will answer some questions about the initiative.
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2014 - President Barack Obama will award the Medal of Honor to former Army Sgt. Kyle J. White in a May 13 White House ceremony for conspicuous gallantry while serving in Afghanistan's Nuristan province Nov. 9, 2007, White House officials announced today.
White left the Army in July 2011 and now lives in Charlotte, N.C., where he works as an investment analyst.
By Terri Moon CronkAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 11, 2014 - First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden today announced several new initiatives designed to strengthen support for military caregivers.
On the third anniversary of the Joining Forces launch, Obama and Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, were joined by former first lady Rosalynn Carter, former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, military caregivers, and business, labor and military leaders at the White House-hosted event.
Dr. Ramani wants to save YOUR relationship! A ground breaking new Television Show has world renowned Dr Ramani working with couples that are letting the INTERNET ruin their relationship.
Unpack your relationship baggage, investigate and resolve your concerns ONCE & FOR ALL with professional guidance, resources and support!
By Elaine SanchezBrooke Army Medical Center
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO - FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, April 26, 2013 - Wounded soldiers recovering here have a message they'd like to pass on to the Boston bombing victims: You're not alone.
They can relate to the devastating aftermath of an explosion and the emotional and physical pain of lost limbs. And they know firsthand the courage and strength required to heal after blast injuries like those at the Boston Marathon.
WASHINGTON, April 29, 2013 - Service members married to other service members are no longer automatically enrolled in the Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program, Pentagon officials said.
The change was effective Jan. 2, and to date affects about 4,500 service members, Coast Guard Cmdr. Kristen Martin, who heads the Defense Department's SGLI policy office, said in an interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel.
Women anchor our military just as they anchor our society in other areas. This event is for all military women:· The female veterans who have served our country with honor· The women currently serving in the military· The military women who stand on the frontlines here at home
From a Department of Veterans Affairs News Release
WASHINGTON, April 24, 2013 - The Veterans Affairs Department has launched a new hotline -- 1-855-VA-WOMEN -- to receive and respond to questions from veterans, their families and caregivers about the many VA services and resources available to women veterans.
The service began accepting calls March 27.
By Claudette RouloAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2013 - The Defense Privacy and Civil Liberties Office ensures that DOD civilians and service members are able to exercise their First Amendment rights when using social media platforms, Michael E. Reheuser, the office's director, said here April 19.
"DOD's social media policy requires that personnel follow certain rules," Reheuser said in an interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel. Those rules aren't intended to limit free speech, he added, but only to make sure that the information being posted doesn't compromise operational security.
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2013 - The loss of personally identifiable information -- such as Social Security numbers -- is a concern throughout the Defense Department, the director of the Defense Privacy and Civil Liberties Office said last week.
"When people lose control of the Social Security number and other personally identifiable information, they really are susceptible to identity theft," Michael E. Reheuser said during an April 19 interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel.
My name is Kenya Brading, I am a Casting Associate at casting at Metal Flowers Media. We cast TV shows including: Storage Wars, The Colony, One Man Army, Ice Road Truckers, The Hunt, Bar Rescue and Frontiermsmen. I am currently casting a show called "Our House Rules" and we are looking for some military families to be on the show. Perhaps you could forward this email on to some of your members?
Parenting is not always easy - if only there were a manual! Is tough love the best? Spanking or no spanking? Let kids run free and give them their independence, or squeeze them tight and keep them close and teach them the rules? Listen to your gut, or read their diary? Make them talk, or leave them alone? Only YOU can decide what is best for your children, and what makes you the best parent you can be.
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has eliminated the Distinguished Warfare Medal, DOD officials announced today.
Instead, the military will recognize service members who directly affect combat operations without being present through distinguishing devices that will be affixed to already existing awards.
By David VergunArmy News Service
WASHINGTON, April 12, 2013 - Yesterday at a White House ceremony, an Army chaplain, Capt. Emil J. Kapaun, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic and selfless actions during the Korean War. President Barack Obama presented the medal to Kapaun's nephew, Ray Kapaun, during a ceremony in the East Room. Ray was joined by other family members and veterans of the Korean War who served with Kapaun.
Kapaun was ordained a priest in 1940, and served under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita in Pilsen, Kan. In 1944, he began serving as an Army chaplain. In 1993, Kapaun was named a "Servant of God" by the Vatican, and is currently a candidate for sainthood.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 224-13April 10, 2013
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that a serviceman, who was unaccounted-for from the Korean War, has been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Staff writer
Child care provider Debbie Regier has worked at Kountry Kids Childcare in Marion for 26 years but last year she started traveling to other daycares around the county to help teach children how to read and earned herself the nickname the story lady.
"It's a work in progress," Regier said. "I go around once a month to whoever wants me to stop by and we do a different story each time."
In May, Regnier read "Jump, Frog, Jump" by Robert Kalan in Lincolnville, Hillsboro, and Marion at several daycares including Jenile Taylor's daycare on Thursday.
"She brings everything," Taylor said. "The kids love it. They call her the story lady."
Children waited for Regier at the door and warmly greeted her when she arrived carrying a large green chest with surprises inside.
As she sat down, she asked the children to guess what was inside.
"I'll give you a clue," Regier told the children. "They're green and they hop."
After the kids guessed, she let them each pick two frogs — one for each hand — to help engage her young audience as she read to them by making story time more interactive.
The kids repeated "Jump, Frog, Jump" every time it appeared in the story and raised the frogs above their heads.
After the story, she asked the children to help retell the story by memory using frogs, flies, and other stuffed animals that appeared in the story. Then they sang "Five Green and Speckled Frogs" to help work on their counting skills.
She also brought a green cloth basket that looked like a frog for kids to feed by throwing "flies" or beanbags into, and later children painted and colored frog pictures using materials Regier supplied.
Her visits also help give the child care providers a little relief.
"It's a big help when she stops by to do her activities," Taylor said. "Kids act different for Deb. They behave better with new material and new stimulation."
Regier writes a monthly newsletter that goes out to other child care providers in the county. In it, she asked for frogs to help with her story telling.
"I have been blessed with frogs," Regier joked. "I put a call out and people have been giving me a lot of frogs. I drove by the hospital auxiliary on the way here and saw a frog with a frilly dress in the window and thought, that's a nice frog, the girls would have fun with it, but I don't need any more frogs."
Regier said her story lady program has currently started to develop more and she is trying to work with providers to up her visits to twice a month.
Families and Communities Together provides funding for her program though an early childhood block grant from the Kansas Children's Cabinet meant to help children learn to read.


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Our goal is to get your home loan to close as quickly as possible --we know that when it comes to making an offer on your dream home, time is crucial. Did you know that you also play an essential role in making your loan close fast?
Here are the most common causes that delay home loan approval and closing:
We don't need to know your entire financial history, but we will need to see every detail from the past two years. Don't worry; we'll let you know precisely what you need to provide, making sure that everything moves as quickly as possible.
The documentation needed for your loan may vary (and we'll let you know what your loan calls for) but keep in mind that we'll need the following:
Pre-qualified requires minimal information from you. It's a great way to get an idea of how much you can afford to buy, but it doesn't mean that your loan is approved. Applying for a loan, getting approved for the loan, getting the underwriting approved are the additional steps that need to happen before your loan is approved and can take the step toward closing. Don't let this discourage you! We take care of all the heavy lifting and make sure that it moves along quickly. All we need from you is to get the ball rolling by applying for a mortgage.
When you buy a home, the purchase contract will layout certain financial milestones that we need to know about, such as by when your loan approval should be secured and how many days you have to close. If we miss any of these dates, not only will it delay your loan but it could cause you to lose the home!
Changing jobs, opening a new line of credit, making big purchases, or loaning your friend 3k to start up their business changes your financial portfolio. This means that adjustments must be made and you may not qualify for as much as you originally were quoted. The application process, essentially, needs to start over --delaying your home loan and delaying closing even more.
There are many more factors that could delay your home loan, things that are out of your control. Rest assured that we will be with you, ready for any surprises, minimizing any unnecessary delays.
Contact us today to partner with a home loan specialist that has your best interest in mind.
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©2012 drkate
For all you flat earth ineligibility deniers, here are the consequences of your foolish behavior protecting this foreigner in the White House. Got blood on your hands, boys and girls?
From the Article II Superpac
On election day, vote for the Constitutionally Eligible candidate!
Who's Constitutionally Eligible?
Learning who is and is not constitutionally qualified to be a presidential candidate should be as easy as reciting the alphabet, counting to ten or learning to tie your shoe laces. There are only three job requirements
- Must be 35 years or older;
- Held residency in the US for 14 years prior to nomination; and
- Must be a natural born citizen.
We already know Republican candidate Mitt Romney meets Article II requirements (see http://cdrkerchner.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/ancestry-ahnentafel-genealogy-chart-for-mitt-romney-by-cdr-charles-kerchner-ret/) and of course, four years later we still don't know if Mr. Obama is a natural born Citizen. But what about the top four Third Party candidates?
We teamed up with Cmdr. Charles Kerchner (Ret.), a 25+ year geneaology expert, to learn if these other candidates met Article II requirements. We quickly learned that two out of four of these third party candidates are constitutionally qualified. The remaining two remain unknown.
Here is what we learned –
|35 years of age
|Yes, born September 9, 1951
|14 year residency
|Yes, Prior to his serving as Mayor of Salt Lake City for two terms he was a practicing attorney for 21 years in the area.
|Natural born citizen
|Yes, He was born in Logan, Utah to Roy and Grace Anderson both American citizens (see 1940 census)
|35 years of age
|Yes, born October 17, 1946
|14 year residency
|Yes,He served in the Virginia State Legislature and then Congress between 1997 – 2009 and then practiced law in his hometown of Rocky Mount, Virginia.
|Natural born citizen
|Yes. He was born in Richmond, Virginia to Alice Clara (nee Besecker) and Virgil Hamlin Goode both American citizens (see 1940 census)
|35 years of age
|Yes. Johnson was born January 1, 1953
|14 year residency
|Yes. Johnson served as Governor of New Mexico between 1995 – 2002 and in 2009 launched a non-profit titled "Our America Initiative"
|Natural born citizen
|Unknown. Johnson was born in Minot, North Dakota to Lorraine B. (nee Bestow) and Earl W. Johnson. According to the 1920 census Earl Johnson was adopted therefore his son, Gary's citizenship status is unknown (http://2012.presidential-candidates.org/Johnson/Parents-Grandparents.php)
|Jill Stein – Green Party
|35 years of age
|Yes. Stein was born May 14, 1951
|14 year residency
|Yes. Stein launched her political career in 1998 by serving on various health related nonprofit boards in Boston, Mass. Stein then began in earnest to build her political resume in 2002 by first running for Governor, then House of Representatives (2004) and finally the Secretary of the Commonwealth (2006) in Massachusetts. She won election to serve as a Town Representative on the Lexington, Massachusetts Town Board serving between 2005 -2008 before running for Governor again in 2010 and President in 2012.
|Natural born citizen
|Unknown. Stein does not provide any information in any of her bio's about who her parents are. She tells us she was born in Chicago, Illinois. The only biographical information found is from interviews conducted by Forbes magazine tax writer Peter J. Reilly who refers to her biographical details as "thin." Click HERE to read Reilly's interview and HERE to watch Stein tell his audience who her grandparents were but nothing about her own familial situation.


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1805 to 1827 – 1827 to 1830 1831 to 1834 – 1834 to 1837 1838 to 1839 – 1839 to 1844 Death – Polygamy – Teachings Prophecies – Criticism Bibliography – Chronology
Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Regarded as a prophet by his followers, Smith was also a military leader, city planner, political theorist, and polygamist.
Smith was raised in western New York during the Second Great Awakening, a period of religious enthusiasm. As a youth, he was influenced by both Christian revivalism and a widespread belief in folk magic. In addition to working as a farm hand, Smith was employed as a treasure hunter, directing searches for buried treasure with a seer stone. In the late 1820s, Smith said that an angel had directed him to a buried book of golden plates inscribed with a religious history of ancient American peoples. After publishing what he said was an English translation of the plates as the Book of Mormon, he organized branches of the Church of Christ, a church whose adherents were later called Latter Day Saints, Saints, or Mormons.


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Nutella dipped frozen bananas are one of the best treats especially on a hot day! I like to think they are a frozen ice cream treat but better!
Watch the video to get a better idea on how these come together as a quick and easy treat!
Banana's left whole or cut into chunks as I did
Toothpicks or wooden skewers
NOTE if you can't find Nutella ( use a good grade melted chocolate with heavy cream in equal amounts 1 cup of cream 1 cup of chocolate, which makes a ganache see recipe for ganache) or click here for homemade Nutella Recipe from Curt's Delectable Blog.) proceed with directions below.
Slice banana in 2 or 3 inch long chunks or (left whole and cut later) Tip: (easiest to spread on frozen first)
Place the banana on the parchment paper lined cookie sheet, with a spreader, spread Nutella on the bottom of a whole (skin off) banana place on parchment lined sheet pan or dip chunks into Nutella and place on parchment paper. Then smooth the top of the banana with back part of the teaspoon to carefully cover any parts of the banana still showing sealing all the way around with Nutella.
Note: ( If using nuts lined the bottom of the parchment with nuts first, nutella, place banana on top of this mixture and proceed the same for the top using nutella first then sprinkling with nuts.) A little messy but your going to like the results and taste later! Place a toothpick every two to three inches apart in the banana and freeze for at least an hour.
|I didn't smooth them out here with the back of the spoon, I just glopped it on and frozen them! I couldn't wait to eat these, they are one of my favorite desserts, even as a child!
Slice every two inches after they are frozen and eat use a very sharp knife! Refreeze cut leftovers in a zip lock bag.
These were very difficult to photograph since it was a very hot sun, don't let the picture discourage you they still tasted great!


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94 N. Main Street, Jasper, GA - (706) 253-2457
James Jones, Jr.
James William (Bill) Jones, Jr., age 79 of Jasper, Ga., found peace and rest in the arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Monday, May 24, 2010, following a hard fought battle with cancer.
A native of Copperhill, Tn., Mr. Jones was preceded in death by his parents, James William Jones, Sr. and Leila Richard Jones, as well as his half-sister, Kathleen Jones Johnson.
Mr. Jones was honored to have served his country during the Korean War as a hospital corpsman for the United States Navy. He attended Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, Tn. for two years, graduated from the Cincinnati School of Embalming (currently Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science) in Cincinnati, Oh. and also attended the Georgia State College of Business Administration (currently Georgia State University) in Atlanta. As a young man, Mr. Jones was an employee of the Spring Hill Chapel of H.M. Patterson & Son Funeral Directors. Following a career change and 29 years of service, he retired as the Southern Regional sales manager for William H. Rorer, Inc. (currently Sanofi-Aventis), where he was honored as an inductee into the William H. Rorer, Inc. Hall of Fame. After an additional five years of service with Schwarz Pharma LLC, he elected to enter into permanent retirement. Mr. Jones served as a faithful member and deacon of Foothills Community Church in Marble Hill, Ga. In recent years, he considered it a blessing to act as a volunteer in a local prison ministry, thereby touching many lives at the Pickens County Jail.
He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Jacqueline Hague Jones, Jasper; daughter, Catherine Jones, Suwanee, Ga.; son and daughter-in-law, W. Douglas and Wanda C. Jones, Lake St. Louis, Mo.; grandchildren, James William Jones III and Laura Lenae Jones; and brother and sister-in-law, Wendell Millard and Connie D. Jones, Chattanooga, Tn. Nieces and nephews also survive. The funeral service was held at 11 a.m., Thursday, May 27 from Foothills Community Church in Marble Hill with the Rev. John Reale and Dr. B.V. Franklin officiating. Entombment followed at 2 at Sawnee View Gardens in Cumming, Ga. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Foothills Community Church Building Fund, 13724 Hwy. 53 E, Marble Hill, Ga. 30148.
Willie Pye
Mr. Willie Leonard Pye, age 74 of Nelson, Ga., died Monday, May 24, 2010 at Northside Hospital-Cherokee in Canton, Ga. following a sudden illness.
Born Oct. 9, 1935 in Bartow County, Ga., he was the son of the late James W. Pye, Sr. and Carolyn Johnson Pye. Mr. Pye was a U.S. Army veteran having retired after 30 years of service and had work as an Insurance Agent for 10 years with the Independent Life Insurance Company.
Survivors include, daughters, Natalie Riley and Kim Jones, both of Canton; son, Leonard Pye, Hampton, Ga.; step-sons, Trent, Kelly, Shane and Renfus Pye, all of Canton; sisters, Emma Mullins, Union City, Ga., Virginia Pye, Douglasville, Ga., Vivian Chatman, Holly Springs, Ga., Sandra Thomas, College Park, Ga., and April Pye, of Douglasville; brothers, Jesse Pye, Atlanta; Leon Pye, Decatur, and James Pye, Jr., of Nelson; grandchildren, Chonsie, Javaun and Jordan Pye, Synitta Riley, LaQuita Foster and Peltrie Jones; and great-grandchild, Anijah Jones. A host of nieces, nephews and other relatives also survive.
The funeral service was held at 10 a.m. Friday, May 28 from True Life Church (formerly World Harvest Church) with the remains placed in state at the church at 9 a.m. Revs. John H. Brown and Robert Holmes officiated, with interment at 12:30 at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton with full military honors.
James Riherd
James Edwin Riherd, age 89, died May 24, 2010, at Wildwood Nursing Home in Jasper. He was born in Cave City, Ky. on Feb. 24, 1921.
James went on and pursued a higher education at Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky. At Georgetown, he excelled at math and theological studies. He also attended and graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Tx.
He spent the next almost 30 years as a full-time minister. He then got into the school system as a teacher and administrator while continuing to pastor part-time. When he retired from the school system, he continued to pastor and teach Sunday School well into his 80?s in South Georgia. Along with spreading the gospel, he was an avid farmer and loved being in his garden.
James was a loving man that enjoyed the simpler things in life. He could always be counted on for stimulating conversation, wonderful stories about life on a farm, or just a good laugh. He will be dearly missed, but we know he is with his Heavenly Father and that he is whole once again.
He is survived by his son, Ed Mark Riherd, New York; daughter, Donna Miller, Tallahassee; and grandchildren, Chelsey, Jasper, Stephanie, Mississippi, and Stephen, Monticello. Seven great-grandchildren also survive.
A memorial service will be held on June 8 at 11 a.m. from Mt. Hope Community Church at 5335 Hwy. 53 W, Jasper, Ga. 30143. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Mt. Hope Community Church in James Riherd?s memory.
Ben Brooks
Mr. Ben Jim Brooks, age 81 of Jasper, passed away at his residence Sunday, May 16, 2010.
Survivors include his wife, Jewell Brooks, Jasper; son and daughter-in-law, Danny and Kay Brooks, Chattanooga, Tn.; daughter, Joan Stone, Chattanooga, Tn.; brothers and sister-in-law, Gene and Christine Brooks, Jasper, and Ernest Brooks, Canton; sisters, Marie Fountain and Opalene Parton, both of Canton, Ilene Rogers, Ethel Norton and Lemmer Graves; and sister-in-law, Frances Brooks. Four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews also survive. Mr. Brooks was preceded in death by a son, Johnny Brooks.
The funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 19 from the Chapel of Cagle Funeral Home with the Revs. Ernest Hughes and Buck Parker officiating. Interment followed at Sunrise Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were: Keith Cantrell, Chad Lathem, Roger Mulkey, Bobby Newsome, Jeremy Wilson and James Pumpkin Stokes.
Betty Dean
Mrs. Betty Wilson Dean, age 56 of Canton, passed away Tuesday June 1, 2010 at Northside Hospital-Cherokee.
Mrs. Dean was a member of the Oak Hill Baptist Church in Rydal. She was employed by Goss Tractor for over 37 years. She was a devoted grandmother. She is survived by her husband, Tom Dean, Canton; daughters and sons-in-law, Tammie and Jason Anderson, Canton, Connie and Jason Phillips, Cartersville, and Deanna Clackum, Canton; son and daughter-in-law, Tommy and Christy Dean, Jasper; sisters, Darlene Fountain and Dixie Byers, both of Jasper, Eunice McCoy and Doris Dean, Ball Ground; brother, John Wilson, Ball Ground; and grandchildren, Jake Dean, Tucker Dean, Joshua Phillips and Will Anderson. Several nieces and nephews also survive. She was preceded in death by her sister, Pat Gentry.
The body remains at Roper Funeral Home with visitation all day Wednesday and Thursday until the funeral hour. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday from the Chapel of Roper Funeral Home with the Rev. Huey Holloway officiating. Interment will follow in the Panwill Cemetery in McCaysville, Ga. The family will accept flowers or those who desire may make contributions to the Ronald McDonald House.
Edith Fields
Mrs. Edith Evans Fields, age 83 of Jasper, passed away June 1, 2010 at Heritage Healthcare of Jasper.
She is survived by her sons and daughter-in-law: Ronnie and Stacy Fields, Jasper, Jim Fields and his fiance, Peggy Allen; and grandchildren, Brittany Fields Gaddis, Jacob Thomas Fields, Ethan Evan Fields, Ellie Andreah Fields and Emily Frances Fields, all of Jasper. Several nieces and nephews also survive.
The funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Wednesday from the Chapel of Roper Funeral Home with the Revs. Grant Wade and Autry Dean officiating. Interment followed in Philadelphia Baptist Church Cemetery.


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NASHVILLE � Melanie Balcomb reminded herself to breathe. She was already looking ahead to the final two games of the regular season but the Vanderbilt coach tried her best to soak in a huge win.
NASHVILLE � Melanie Balcomb reminded herself to breathe. She was already looking ahead to the final two games of the regular season but the Vanderbilt coach tried her best to soak in a huge win.
It was one worth celebrating.
Without their second leading-scorer for the fourth straight game, the Commodores received a career-high 30 points from Tiffany Clarke and upset No. 10 Texas A&M 61-51 on Sunday. It was Vanderbilt�s first win against a Top 10 team since knocking off No. 6 Georgia on Jan. 14, 2010.
�I just want to enjoy it for a minute and that is hard for me to do,� Balcomb said. �My wheels are already turning but for this team to do that after so many injuries and illnesses . to just fight through and get better, I�m proud of them � really proud of them.�
Vanderbilt (18-9, 8-6 Southeastern Conference) won consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 6. Clarke paved the way with 22 points after halftime. The senior made 12 shots out of 25 attempts - the most shots taken by a Vanderbilt player in eight years.
She carried the injured Commodores. Reigning SEC scoring champ Christina Foggie has missed the last four games and is one of four Vanderbilt players currently hurt.
�I just saw open looks,� Clarke said. �It was executing our offense and getting the best shot, the open shot. Sometimes I guess that was me.�
Most of the time it was her, especially late.
Texas A&M (21-7, 11-3) trailed by 12 twice early in the second half but pulled within 47-44 with 6:53 left. After a free throw by Clarke, Jasmine Lister pushed the lead back to seven with a 3-pointer. Lister later found Clarke for an open layup. Clarke followed with a turnaround jumper for a commanding 55-47 lead with 1:58 to go.
�She is tough when it is the toughest opponents,� Balcomb said. �Down the stretch in the SEC, she�s done that now every season. And now she is just turning it up.�
She also turned up the defense. Along with Elan Brown, who scored 12 points, Clarke helped contain the SEC�s third-leading scorer, Kelsey Bone.
The 6-foot-4 center finished with 17 points but was just 6-of-18 from the field. The junior entered as the second-best shooter in the country, shooting at a 59-percent clip.
As a team, Texas A&M made just 30.9 percent of its shots (17 of 55) for its second-worst shooting performance of the season, behind only a loss to Connecticut in November. Texas A&M entered ranked fifth in Division I in field-goal percentage, making 47 percent of its shots. But the Aggies missed eight straight shots early and sputtered in their first trip to Memorial Gymnasium since 1996.
�We had wide-open shots in the first half but we all became jump-shot judies in the first half,� Texas A&M coach Gary Blair said. �Bone was making every hard shot she possibly could take instead of trying to score easy like Clarke does. As a result, that is how you shoot 6-for-18.�
Karla Gilbert�s layup with 8:58 left in the half gave the Aggies their last lead, 13-12. Clarke quickly responded with a turnaround jumper and the Commodores never trailed after that. Adrienne Pratcher�s 3-pointer tied it at 16 but Brown responded with a 3 on the left wing to propel Vanderbilt in front for the last time. It was the beginning of seven straight points and a 13-2 run that spilled over into the second half.
Vanderbilt led 25-20 at halftime but Texas A&M had a chance to cut into it before the break. Lister, however, forced Pratcher into a turnover with 7 seconds left to maintain the five-point advantage.
The Commodores made their first five shots out of the break, including four from Clarke. Lister�s 3-pointer off an offensive rebound lifted Vanderbilt to a 38-26 lead with 15:44 left.
�We take it by four minutes at a time and that gave us a big momentum shift going into the half,� Brown said. �(Lister) had really good lockdown D and everyone was there to help her. We really stressed team defense and I think we did a great job.�
The Aggies, who had won nine of 10, answered back though. Kristi Bellock led the charge, scoring all 12 of her points in the second half. She also grabbed eight of her 10 rebounds after halftime. Her two free throws with 6:53 to go cut the deficit to 47-44.
Lister then drained her third and final 3-pointer and Vanderbilt responded with eight straight points. Lister scored 11 points and freshman Morgan Batey set a career-high with 11 rebounds.
In the process, Vanderbilt strengthened its NCAA tournament resume. The Commodores were 1-5 against ranked teams. Their lone win over a ranked opponent came in December against then-No. 12 Oklahoma. Vanderbilt is just one of eight programs in the country to make the NCAA Tournament each of the last 13 years.
�I thought if we could get a win at Florida (on Thursday) it would make all the difference on whether we could win this game or not,� Balcomb said. �We�re really doing a good at focusing on just getting better each game. Each game is our biggest game. We�re not looking past anything or anybody.�


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Cargill recently announced a unique program that helps farmers build a tax-free fund for paying medical expenses not covered by insurance. The new program called Harvest Health involves a health savings account (HSA) managed by Wells Fargo with funding put into the account by Cargill in exchange for grain commitments. Based on the amount of grain committed, Cargill will deposit money into an HSA above what the farmer receives for the grain. The farmer may use the money in the account for medical expenses not covered by insurance, including expenses for eye care, dental care, prescriptions and office visits.
"We have been receiving feedback from farmer customers that the cost of health-care insurance is in some cases a crippling burden," reports Mark Tracy, assistant vice president, Cargill AgHorizons. So Tracy and others at Cargill sought creative solutions to offer a "helping hand" to farmers.
To qualify for the Harvest Health HSA, farmers must have a high-deductible medical insurance policy with a minimum deductible of $1,050 for an individual and $2,100 for a family. Farmers can contribute to their HSAs, and the contributions are tax deductible. Federal rules limit annual contributions to $2,700 for an individual and $5,450 for a family.
If farmers participate in Harvest Health, Cargill will contribute to the fund based on the grain commitment for corn, soybeans or wheat and pricing that a farmer sets with a Cargill representative. For example, Tracy says it will take a commitment of 11,000 bu. of corn priced at $2.60 on September 20 to fund $1,000 into the account. At this same price, it will take about 55,000 bu. of corn to hit the contribution limit of $5,450. Farmers will still receive full payment for the grain.
If a farmer does not use the money, it stays in the account and continues to grow tax free. Meanwhile, the farmer (or Cargill) can continue to make annual contributions to the account. At age 65, a farmer may withdraw the money without penalty for uses other than medical expenses. Normal income tax is paid on the amount withdrawn.
Farmers interested in the Harvest Health program may contact any AgHorizons elevator or visit www.cargillHSA.com. Farmers who want to find a high-deductible health insurance plan may visit www.ehealthinsurance.com/Cargill or call 800/977-8860. More HSA information is available at www.treas.gov/offices/public-affairs/hsa.


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banh trung thu rau cau
Chuong gio nhat ban
qua tang 20-10
chung chi ke toan
hoc nghiep vu ke toan
học kế toán cho người mới bắt đầu
kế toán hà nội.vn
viết thuê báo cáo thực tập
kế toán hà nội lê trọng tấn
học thêm kế toán ở đâu
học kế toán tổng hợp tại hà nội
hoc ke toan tai bac ninh
Hm. Bob has a good rep. He's certainly still active (not as a fencer though). Without seeing the decisions it's hard to know what the problem was.
Well that would be Bob Jamieson who used to fence sabre internationally for the UK. He's also a great coach. I don't really know how to ref Sabre so I can't comment.
It was a great weekend. You should have come over.
What does dkit stand for?
cleaner nudged the mouse, or your boss was checking-up on you? or maybe the cleaner is your boss??
five reasons for not going (!)
1. my wife has exams this week so I needed to look after the kids whilst she revised
2. I'm about to lose my job so have to save
3. my daughter's 3rd birthday yesterday so wanted to be home to help prepare for the party
4. was taking a Fencing Masters coaching exam (International Academy of Arms - parent of the BAF)
5. Good for the lads to be by themselves without a coach/selector/organiser - makes them more self-sufficient
sounds like it was a good w/e !
Why weren't you at the Quad?
The reason I appeared to be online is that I'd left my work pc signed in and the cleaner nudged the mouse.
'fraid not. I've asked two girls and both have said no. I haven't actually been at the club since we last messaged. I'll hopefully make it tonight (though I think I have been double booked from something else). Here's the worst case; I'll contact Donnie and get him to dig out a foilist from somewhere. By the way why did this girl pull out?
that's great - we may be able to give them some subsidy towards accommodation on the friday, M
I may know the very person... let me see if I can track them down. Though they are not Irish... surely you can track down a toff who just happens to be at Trinity and has a ton of cash to spare?
Retired Jelly Baby
Forum Rabbit


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Offense has a lot to do with San Francisco's streak of 13 consecutive victories when Barry Zito is on the mound, given they're averaging more than six runs.
ST. LOUIS (AP) ? Offense has a lot to do with San Francisco's streak of 13 consecutive victories when Barry Zito is on the mound, given they're averaging more than six runs.
In Game 5 of the NL championship series Friday night, with their season on the line, they didn't need all that production. Not with the pitcher they thought they signed a half-dozen years ago showing up in shutdown form.
Zito dominated into the eighth inning of a 5-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals that sent the best-of-seven series back to San Francisco. The Giants cut their series deficit to 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Sunday night, with Ryan Vogelsong set to face Chris Carpenter for the second time in the series.
"We needed that kind of performance from him because there is no tomorrow for us," second baseman Marco Scutaro said. "We just needed to get back home."
The defending-champion Cardinals still have two chances to make it to back-to-back World Series as a wild card.
"It should be another battle," St. Louis third baseman David Freese said. "San Francisco is a great city, but I wish we weren't going back."
The 34-year-old Zito looked like the pitcher who won 23 games and the 2002 AL Cy Young with the Athletics. He retired 11 batters in a row at one stretch while scattering six hits with six strikeouts in 7 2-3 innings.
Giants catcher Buster Posey twice tapped Zito on the chest when he was pulled in the eighth. It was Zito's fifth postseason win but first since 2006, shortly before he left the A's and signed a $126 million, seven-year contract with San Francisco.
"This is definitely it for me," Zito said. "Coming here, really doing it in a Giants uniform. A lot of people were saying stuff about my A's days. And for me, the most important thing is doing everything for San Francisco right now."
Zito was left off the postseason roster when the Giants won the 2010 World Series because he had pitched so ineffectively.
"Well, you know, it was certainly a huge blow just personally to be left off that roster," Zito said. "But you've got to be professional, you can't pout and such like that.
"I worked on a lot of things that offseason, came back stronger for it, I think."
Zito's 15-8 record this year was his first winning mark since joining the Giants. He started Game 4 of the division series against the Reds earlier in this year's playoffs and lasted only 2 2-3 innings.
"He's been through a lot, I know," manager Bruce Bochy said. "But this guy, he is some kind of tough. He put on quite a show."
The Cardinals might have thrown away a chance to clinch a second straight World Series trip. Pitcher Lance Lynn's toss on a possible forceout deflected off the second base bag, paving the way for the Giants' four-run fourth.
Lynn was trying to turn the front end of a double play.
"I turned to throw it and I just threw it in the ground," Lynn said. "Just a bad play. You make a good throw there and we are out of the inning. It was one of those times where I just short-armed it a little bit."
Pablo Sandoval homered for the second straight night and Zito made an extremely rare offensive contribution with a perfectly executed bunt for an RBI single.
Giants defenders made several nice plays behind Zito, including a juggling catch in right by Hunter Pence and a spectacular sliding stop by Scutaro to rob pinch hitter Shane Robinson on consecutive at-bats.
"They were all huge," Zito said.
Once again this postseason, the Giants benefited from a big error.
Needing three straight wins at Cincinnati to avoid elimination in the division series, San Francisco began its comeback on a bobble by third baseman Scott Rolen in the 10th inning that gave the Giants the go-ahead run in Game 3.
The Giants improved to 4-2 on the road this postseason and have won Zito's last 13 starts, with the last setback on Aug. 2. They're averaging more than six runs during the streak, although the lefty didn't need much help in this one.
Lynn, an 18-game winner in his first year in the rotation, failed to make it out of the fourth for the second time in the series.
The Cardinals are seeking consecutive pennants for the first time since 1967-68, and trying to advance for the second year in a row as a wild-card entry. One more win would set up a rematch of the 2006 World Series against the Tigers, which the Cardinals took in five games.
Lynn struck out five of the first 10 batters, sailing through the first three innings with no balls hit out of the infield. His wild throw to second proved his undoing.
The Giants had runners on first and second with one out when Lynn gloved a tapper by Pence, wheeled and threw while Kozma hustled to second. Lynn's throw wound up in shallow right field and Scutaro scored without a play from second.
Eighth-place hitter Brandon Crawford singled up the middle with the bases loaded on a full count with two outs as Lynn just missed with a kick save for two more runs. Zito, who has just 30 hits in 310 at-bats in the regular season with no extra-base hits and nine RBIs, laid down a perfect bunt for a fourth run.
Lynn has allowed four runs in both of his NLCS starts, although all four were unearned in Game 5.


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WASHINGTON, April 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court heard argument Tuesday about a toddler taken from her white adoptive parents and given to the Indian father who initially rejected her.
The emotionally charged case pits South Carolina law -- and the laws of most states, which consider the best interests of an adoptive child -- against the federal Indian Child Welfare Act.
The 1978 act was designed in part to protect the interests of Indian fathers when single mothers give up children for adoption. Private adoption agencies had been sending Indian children to white adoptive parents at a high rate.
"Veronica" was born in 2009 to a single Indian mother in Oklahoma. Her father, a Cherokee and a soldier at the U.S. Army's Fort Sill, Okla., texted the mother while she was pregnant, giving up all rights. But the father later decided he wanted the child, and eventually a divided South Carolina Supreme Court cited the federal act, said it trumped state law and ordered that the white adoptive parents, a James Island, S.C. couple -- the only parents the child knew -- would have to give up the 2-year-old.
She has since been living with her biological father.
At argument before the Supreme Court Tuesday, three justices seemed to favor the Indian father and three, including Chief Justice John Roberts, himself an adoptive father, inclined toward the adoptive parents, SCOTUSBLOG.com reported. Roberts questioned whether "one drop of blood" could entitle the father to protection under the federal act.
That apparently left two court members, Justices Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas, with the deciding votes. But comments from the bench sometimes are not indicative of how a justice will vote.
Veronica's court-appointed guardian ad litem told the high court in a brief the child's best interests lay with her adoptive parents.
The guardian said the "federal law ... implicates thousands of custody disputes every year."
"But under the South Carolina Supreme Court's interpretation of the act, the ... child's best interests were overridden by a federal law that in this case operated solely on the basis of race, not any meaningful connection to tribal sovereignty or lands," the guardian said.
A ruling should come before the end of June.


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Cruise Line Cuisine: Is it Really Gourmet? (part 4)by Paul Motter, CruiseMates Editor | September 25, 2009
Like so many aspects of cruising, we hear a lot about cuisine but may not lend it an extraordinary amount of attention.
It is no surprise that Number 2 on Matt's list of cruise ship chefs is another French icon, Jacques Pepin of Oceania Cruises. CruiseMates has always said Oceania has great food and now we have proof.
"Pepin is a classic and I am dying to meet him," Matt said. Janice Wald Henderson remarked that "Jacques Pepin is an institution." Pepin also grew up on a farm in France, then prospered in Paris and was once the personal chef to Charles De Gaulle. After moving to America he shared a TV cooking show with Julia Child.
"I once saw a live cooking demonstration with Jacques," said Janice," where he peeled and minced a garlic clove and received a standing ovation - just for his style. That's the level of his expertise."
Although Pepin has been a celebrity chef for decades (he is 73), he has never had a "namesake" restaurant before. His first will be "Jacques," a small (80 seat) restaurant aboard Oceania's new 450-passenger "Marina" scheduled to debut in 2010.
Like all great chefs, Pepin is obsessed with fresh ingredients. Oceania's Jacques dining room will offer some of Pepin's signature dishes such as pumpkin soup a l'Anglaise served in a pumpkin shell, fresh Mussels Marinière, freshly roasted free range chicken, duck, and lamb.
Pepin claims he has taken groups of Oceania passengers shopping in local markets, and says he hopes to offer a chef's specials prepared from fresh ingredients purchased in local markets at the ship's ports of call whenever possible.
This is not to say Pepin will be cooking on the ship regularly, but it appears he will be onboard more often than most celebrity chefs. He will design the menu and recipes, select the china and flatware and even hang his original artwork on the walls. Janice speculates that Pepin, now the "elder statesman," is more willing to devote himself to a singular interest than a younger chef more concerned with promoting his brand.
Next up on Matt's List is a New York institution, Charlie Palmer, who works with luxury line Seabourn. Palmer started Aureole in Bryant Park on West 42nd Street in New York, a top award-winning New York restaurant for years. He now has a dozen restaurants coast to coast plus a hotel and a housewares specialty store.
Seabourn just put the new Seabourn Odyssey into service in the summer of 2009. Palmer said he helped with the galley design for the new ship and created original recipes for all of its restaurants.
Crystal Cruises, owned by one of the world's largest shipping companies, NHK of Japan, has number four on Matt's list; the famous Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa. The "Silk Road" restaurants on Serenity and Symphony are excellent Asian fusion restaurants with Nobu cuisine. Nobu is known to visit one ship or the other at length about once a year.
Janice explained his personal magic to me. "Nobu was trained as a Japanese sushi chef, but something special happened when he moved to Peru," she said. "The Peruvians have their own sushi-like cuisine based on ceviche, a cold fish soup that relies on citric acids to 'cook' the soup." Nobu was able to combine his sushi background with the Peruvian style of raw fish treatment and invent an entirely new cuisine.
Being from Los Angeles, Janice is also impressed with Crystal's other alternative restaurant, Prego, influenced by Piero Selvaggio. Piero is not a chef but a restaurateur who brought modern Northern Italian cooking to Los Angeles. "Not spaghetti and meatballs, but modern Italian cooking," she says. This includes risotto, seafood, veal and lamb.
Number five on Matt's list is Georges Blanc, mentioned above, as consulting chef to Carnival Cruise Lines. Blanc has maintained a 3-Star Michelin rating for 25 years and has Relais and Chateaux credentials. Matt placed him at number five because Georges is very traditional, being older and residing in France.
Relais and Chateaux is a French culinary and hospitality organization that gives awards to outstanding individual hotels and restaurants worldwide. According to Janice, "They generally give their awards to smaller boutique restaurants, often historic places such as castles and historic inns that have done an extraordinary job in creating a gourmet experience. I would eat at a Relais and Chateaux restaurant anywhere in the world."
They will never give their stamp of approval to a chain of hotels, but one cruise line has earned Relais and Chateaux certification: Silversea Cruises.
A competitor to Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, has the Cordon Bleu certification. Cordon Bleu is one of the world's oldest culinary institutions, as old as the middle ages, but the culinary standards were first established in the late 1800s. There are now Cordon Bleu schools worldwide, which Matt says has overexerted the name somewhat. Regent also works closely with Canyon Ranch Spa to create healthy dining options.
Continue Article >> Cruise Line Cuisine (Part 5)
Chef Matt Sigel's Cruise with CruiseMates
Join us on the brand new Norwegian Epic for a unique culinary CruiseMates cruise Epic 10-30-10. Our guest chef is Matt Sigel, a contestant on season four of Hell's Kitchen on the Fox Network. Great recipes, cooking tips, insight into the life of a chef, discussion of cruise line cuisine and the comradery of your great CruiseMates readers.