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Let's get the small stuff out of the way first. We non-tendered Bailey and Kalish. Also, congratulations to Lackey on a well-deserved Tony Conigliaro Award. Not that that's a small achievement, but it's not disturbing and alarming like the big news of the week.
This week, we've had to deal with some significant departures. This is going to be rough.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia is our first departure. He is now a Florida Marlin, having signed a deal for three years and twenty-one million dollars. We acquired him as a veteran, and now he leaves as a veteran having helped us win the World Series.
Last year, Salty batted .273 with fourteen homers and sixty-five RBIs. He posted a fielding percentage of .994 and a catcher's ERA of 3.88. But as with all great catchers, he contributed innumerable qualities like leadership and work ethic and skill with calling games and managing pitchers. Needless to say, the last three years, including October, would have looked very different without him, and he will certainly be missed. Salty, we thank you, and we salute you.
We welcome AJ Pierzynski, who has signed a one-year deal pending a physical. Last year, he batted .272 with seventeen homers and seventy RBIs. He posted a fielding percentage of .998 and a catcher's ERA of 3.63. He's gritty, and he'll fit in just fine. We also welcome Edward Mujica, the righty reliever, who signed a two-year deal for $9.5 million.
Our other departure is different. This isn't someone we brought in who has now decided to leave for a three-year contract. We say goodbye to someone we raised, who spent his entire career thus far with us, and who didn't go to just any team. Jacoby Ellsbury is now a New York Yankee. It's basically the same old story. They lured him over there with the type of contract that only the New York Yankees could provide: seven years and $153 million. So the Evil Empire offers these contracts like it's made of money, since it basically is, and no other team can compete with that. I mean, it's not like we haven't seen this before. A star center fielder who bats leadoff and makes spectacular catches and helped us win the World Series and who is a Boston icon leaving for the dark side; where have I seen that before?
It's just awful. Our job is to raise players in the farm so they can stay here. Out job is not to raise players in the farm so they can win a ring and then just leave and give their services to the highest bidder. That was never what baseball was supposed to be about. But that's the reality in which we and the game find ourselves now.
It's not our fault that we choose to be a responsible team that conducts itself in a responsible way. A contract worth that many years and that much money does not allow for much flexibility, which is what you need if you're going to win. Think about our performance over the course of the past decade. Think about our performance over the course of the past year, about the acquisitions we made last offseason and where they led us in October. We should feel good about our success and about the business model and strategies that got us there. Hindering our flexibility by committing almost a whole decade's worth of years and millions of dollars in three digits has not, historically, been one of those strategies. That doesn't mean there's something wrong with us. It means there's something wrong with them.
Let's take a moment to celebrate Ellsbury's achievements in Boston. He's been hurt, but he has always powered through in true dirt-dog fashion, never shying away from making the tough plays no matter what mind kind of pain waited as a consequence. In his career, he's bagged .297 with sixty-five homers and 314 RBIs. He has led the American League three times in steals. And he made only three errors last year. He helped us win not one but two World Series championships, making his presence seen and felt in both. I don't think we'll ever forget the way he patrolled Fenway's center field with ease and made it look as easy as it really was for him to make catches that didn't even seem to be humanly possible.
His seven years are up, and now he's joined the darkness. Ellsbury, we thank you, and we salute you. But we feel disappointed, insulted, and betrayed.
Fortunately, Napoli is coming back. So there's that sign of hope and optimism.
In other news, the Bruins lost to the Habs, 2-1, but beat the Penguins, 3-2, and the Leafs, 5-2. The Pats just barely, and I mean that in every sense of the phrase, eked out a win against the Browns, 27-26. It really went down to the wire. Seriously.


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This article relates to the Zoids: Wild ZERO anime series. For the corresponding model release, see Zoids: Wild (Models).
Zoids Wild ZERO (ゾイドワイルドZERO) is an anime series, linked to the Zoids toyline of the same name. It is the sixth Zoids series, following Zoids: Wild in order of production. It is scheduled to air on Fridays at 5:55 PM (JST), replacing Inazuma Eleven in its timeslot.
Series background
Zoids are a metallic lifeform from a far side of the Milky Way Galaxy. However, their planet was coming to an end. To promote their chance of survival, a warp was to take place to planet Earth. However, due to an unforseen Zoids factor, the warp took them through time and place to the 21st century. The resulting cataclysm shifted tectonic plants on Earth and reshaped the continents.
The story picks up when the main character, Leo, uncovers the Beast Liger and sets fourth on a journey with a girl called Sally.
- Leo Conrad - Beast Liger
- Sally Land
- Buzz Cunningham
- Jo Aysel - Raptoria
- Christopher Giller - Sniptera
- Lt Colonel Diaz - Triceradogos Custom
- Sergeant Shell - Bazootle
- Ryukku - Cannon Bull
- Luc - VA: Daisuke Kishio
Main article: List of Zoids: Wild ZERO episodes
The episodes initially aired on the 4th of October 2019. The first broadcast is on TV Tokyo at 17:55, every Friday. Following that, the series is streamed on YouTube via CoroCoro and Takara TOMY channels at 8:00 Saturday. It is subsequently aired on 17:30 Thursdays, starting the 17th and 8:30 starting 27th of October on TV Wakayama and Sendai Broadcast respectively.
- As Zoids: Wild ZERO is set when Zoids arrived on Earth, it is framed as a prequel to Zoids: Wild, despite being produced second. The sequel to Zoids: Wild, is Zoids: Wild 2, which runs as a Corocoro comic manga.
- This season is directed by Takao Kato, who also directed Zoids: Chaotic Century and also served as a director in Zoids: New Century.
- Kenichi Araki (Chaotic Century) is handling series composition, Tadashi Sakazaki (Chaotic Century) is in charge of character designs. Yūki Matsuoka (Wild/Genesis) as sound director, and Yoshihisa Hirano is the music composer.
Theme songs
- Opening Theme: Blue Blue Blue - Ivy to Fraudulent Game - Kazen ga Nai
- Ending Theme: Hikari - Hazuki Senda

subset: commoncrawl


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With the extensive program of Fiberglass Cone Fans, Vostermans Ventilation offers a wide range of possibilities for efficient ventilation of livestock buildings. The products are characterized by their various dimensions and motors, allowing an adequate solution for each ventilation demand.
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Cone fans are also available as Galvanized cone fans, see Galvanized cone fans.


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What are the best sales tactics and sales strategies to grow my business? Every business owner has asked that question more times than they care to count. And the following best sales books give you the answers.
Selling strategies have changed in interesting ways with technology. The following guide to best sales books will show you how to combine tried-and-true sales strategies with the newest sales approaches to getting and keeping the most profitable customers. Check out the following books about sales below (in no particular order):
"SNAP Selling: Speed Up Sales and Win More Business with Today's Frazzled Customers" by Jill Konrath
Stop selling the old fashioned way. Crazy-busy and frazzled prospects need to be handled differently. And this is where SNAP Selling comes in.
SNAP Selling is an acronym for the success strategies you'll use for those time-strapped customers; make their decision Simple, become iNvaluable in the relationships, Align with the customer's needs at all times and make sure that your solution is a Priority in the customer's mind at all times. This sales book has a companion web site that is loaded with tips, tools and resources for successful SNAP sellers.
Read our review of "SNAP Selling" (available at Amazon and other book retailers)
"Selling to the C-Suite: What Every Executive Wants You to Know About Successfully Selling to the Top" by Nicholas A. C. Read and Dr. Stephen J. Bistritz
Every business owner or salesperson knows that if you really want to sell something, you have to sell the person at the top. Selling to the C-Suite is an absolute must have sales book for anyone in business today.
It's like a practical MBA that sellers will appreciate for its touchstone guides on connecting with executives and that purchasing executives will appreciate because it will keep the salespeople they see focused on providing real solutions instead of lip service.
Read our review of "Selling to the C-Suite" (available at Amazon and other bookstores)
"OutSell Yourself: Go from HELLO to SOLD with Ethical Business and Sales Techniques!" by Kelly McCormick
Kelly McCormick has written a sales book for people who don't like to sell. If you're the kind of business owner or sales person who has avoided selling because you think or feel it's sleazy. This is a must-read sales book.
Outsell Yourself teaches you how to connect with customers like never before, keep it real, and increase your sales and talk about pricing without getting nauseous.
Read our review of "Outsell Yourself" (available at Amazon and other retailers)
"Slow Down, Sell Faster!: Understand Your Customer's Buying Process and Maximize Your Sales" by Kevin Davis
In a world of get the sale yesterday Slow Down Sell Faster! is a refreshing sales book. Kevin Davis points out that rushing the already rushed customer doesn't yield results for either the buyer or the seller. You'll learn how to slow down and take the time to identify your customer's real needs and if you've done that, you are halfway there.
Slow Down, Sell Faster! is packed with examples from the author's extensive experience, plus research on customer buying processes rather than traditional selling processes.
Read our review of "Slow Down, Sell Faster!" (available at Amazon and other book retailers)
"7 Triggers to Yes: The New Science Behind Influencing People's Decisions" by Russell Granger
If you're a fan of Robert Cialdini and have sales responsibility then, 7 Triggers to Yes is going to be required reading. 7 Triggers to Yes is a real sales book written by a sales person for sales people.
What sets this book apart from other books on persuasion is its focus on the creating, building and developing the buyer/seller relationship. You will find sales call outlines as well as tips for structuring your sales calls effectively.
Read our review of "The 7 Triggers to Yes" (available at Amazon and other book retailers)
"The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea" by Bob Burg and David Mann
This is a sales book that throws the traditional perception of high-pressure, hit-and-run selling completely out the window. The Go Giver is a business novel that follows Joe, a "Go-Getter" who decides to contact a "heavy hitter" to help him win an account. What Joe gets, instead, from the "heavy hitter" and his friends, are lessons in "go-giving."
The authors offer practical tips and strategies that makes giving the cornerstone of a powerful and effective approach to selling.
Read our review of "The Go-Giver" (available at Amazon and other book retailers)
"The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople" by Stephan Schiffman
This sales book is a good common sense review of salesmanship. The book reinforces the habits that a good salesman must have and how to use them. You will create a sound foundation for creating and developing a relationship and understanding the sales cycle, from leads to closing the deal.
Schiffman emphasizes one of the most important keys to developing a relationship with a prospect–listening for their needs and requirements, rather than imposing your own on the other person.
Available at Amazon and other book retailers
"The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies" by Chet Holmes
When it comes to sales books, it's hard to argue with names like Chet Holmes, Jay Conrad Levinson (the editor) and Michael Gerber (foreword). Chet Holmes, a sales icon and guru for many sales people, teaches the principle of focus. He encourages sales people to identify the few key success strategies that are available to them and focus there.
One reader took the concept of "core story" and worked to hone his story, focused on ideal prospects and exponentially grew his business.
Available at Amazon and other book retailers
"Shift!: Harness The Trigger Events That Turn Prospects Into Customers" by Craig Elias and Tibor Shanto
Imagine being at the right place at the right time for just about every sale – and then getting the deal! This sales book will transform how you approach your sales process and the way you contact and nurture those leads.
When you get to highly motivated decision makers at EXACTLY the right time: after they experience a 'Trigger Event' and before they call your competition. When you have the right timing the sale almost happens by itself.
Read our review of "Shift!" (available at Amazon and other bookstores)
"Mastering the Complex Sale: How to Compete and Win When the Stakes are High" by Jeff Thull
If you are a sales professional struggling with customers who are pushing you and your products into a commodity, then Mastering the Complex Sale is a sales book that belongs on your desk.
Jeff Thull pushes the envelope to give professionals — from individuals struggling with their first call, to senior executives trying to figure out why their value strategy is falling short — a comprehensive guide to navigate and win high-stakes sales.
Available at Amazon and other book retailers
With this guide to best sales books, you will get concrete advice on how to grow your sales. We urge you to print out this guide and take it with you when you next go to the bookstore. Just hit "print post" below and it will take you to a page you can easily print out.
And if you'd like other business books on other topics, take the time to browse through our business book reviews section. We publish new book reviews each weekend, and there are over 225 reviews already in our archives.


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It was perhaps one of the most memorable last days of any NBA regular season in recent memory. I actually don't know which was the biggest story today – Steph Curry shattering Ray Allen's record, the Lakers actually clinching 7th spot, the Bulls moving up to 5th seed, the Jazz losing the race for eighth, the West's top two seeds losing, or no-namer Chris Copeland scoring 33 to lead the Knicks to victory. Watchutink?!
Today's Best:
- Oh I know! How about much-maligned big guy Pau Gasol unleashing a triple-double to beat Houston in OT and put the Lakers in a first round showdown with injury-ridden San Antonio?! 17 points, 11 assists, and TWENTY rebounds?! C'mon!!!
- Chris Paul. Chris Paul. Man he was big tonight, scoring 25 points and dishing out 11 assists as the Clippers beat Sacramento to ensure home court advantage in the first round. BIG.
- Yes, he shot just 5-of-16 from the field, but four of those five were threes, and he was able to break Ray Allen's record, so I'm giving Curry a spot here. Sorry for the run-on sentence.
|Pau Gasol and the Lakers managed to sneak into
seventh spot in the Western Conference!
(image by Noah Graham/Getty Images)
Today's Worst:
- Jeremy Lamb took 21 shots in an NBA game for the first time ever. He made just six. Gonna be a looooong time before he takes that many again.
- Maurice Harkless played 43 minutes, had just 1 assist, made only 5 of his 14 FG attempts, and turned the ball over 4 times. Go figure.
- The real Steve Novak shot 1-of-8 from the field in 41 minutes tonight. Gimme the NBA 2K13 Novak anytime.
Final Score: Brooklyn 103, Detroit 99
Brooklyn, NY (Sports Network) - Brook Lopez scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Andray Blatche chipped in 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor as the Brooklyn Nets downed the Detroit Pistons, 103-99, on Wednesday at Barclays Center. Kris Humphries and Joe Johnson scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Nets (49-33), the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and winners of six of seven heading into the playoffs, where they will face the fifth-seeded Chicago Bulls in the quarterfinals beginning Saturday. Will Bynum scored 23 points and Greg Monroe turned in a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards for the Pistons (29-53), who came in tying a season-high with four straight wins. Brooklyn also swept Detroit for the first time in their 36-year history. Andre Drummond supplied 13 points, three steals and three blocks, while Rodney Stuckey had 11 points in defeat.
Final Score: Charlotte 105, Cleveland 98
Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - Kemba Walker had 24 points and seven assists, and the Charlotte Bobcats closed their season with a 105-98 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Josh McRoberts chipped in 20 points and eight rebounds for the Bobcats (21-61), who finished the campaign with the second-worst mark in the NBA, a game ahead of Orlando. Charlotte won its final three games, all at home to avoid finishing with the worst mark in the NBA for a second straight season. Gerald Henderson added 15 points and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 11 for Charlotte, which snapped a six-game skid versus the Cavaliers. Kyrie Irving had 24 points and 10 assists for Cleveland (24-58), which lost its final six contests.
Final Score: Chicago 95, Washington 92
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Carlos Boozer compiled 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the way for the Chicago Bulls, who tuned up for the upcoming playoffs by coming through with a 95-92 decision over the Washington Wizards in the regular season finale for both teams. Kirk Hinrich scored 18 points and Nazr Mohammed added 18 for Chicago (45-37), which wrapped up the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and set up a matchup with fourth-seeded Brooklyn in the quarterfinal round. The best-of-seven series will begin Saturday at the Barclay Center. The Wizards (29-53) finish out the season with their highest victory total since 2007-08, but conclude the campaign on a six-game losing skid despite battling back from an early 21-point deficit to forge an 85-85 tie with under 3 1/2 minutes left. A.J. Price paced Washington with 24 points off the bench and John Wall finished with 23 in the setback.
|John Wall and the Wiz lost out to the Bulls in the last day of the 2012-2013 regular season.
(image by Nam Y. Huh/AP)
Final Score: Dallas 99, New Orleans 87
Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Darren Collison poured in 25 points off the bench as the Dallas Mavericks ended the season on a high note with a 99-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets at American Airlines Center. Collison got 10-of-15 shots to fall through in the contest for Dallas, which finished an even 41-41 on the season but will miss out on the playoffs for the first time since the 1999-00 campaign. Dirk Nowitzki added 16 points and nine rebounds and Shawn Marion tallied 15 points and seven boards as well for the Mavericks. All five starters scored in double figures for New Orleans who ended their final season as the Hornets at just 27-55. It was announced in January that after this season they would no longer be know as the Hornets but as the Pelicans.
Final Score: Denver 118, Phoenix 98
Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Wilson Chandler scored 21 points and Andre Iguodala added 20 as the Denver Nuggets clinched the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with an easy 118-98 victory over the lowly Phoenix Suns in the regular season finale for both teams. Ty Lawson checked in with 14 points and seven assists for the Nuggets, whose 57-25 record is the third best mark in franchise history and topped all of their previous NBA win totals. They also won their final 23 games at Pepsi Center and finished with an NBA- best 38-3 record at home Denver will play Golden State in the first round of the playoffs starting Saturday. Phoenix, which was led by Luis Scola's 17 points and 11 rebounds, closed out its second worst season (25-57) at the bottom of the West standings.
Final Score: Philadelphia 105, Indiana 95
Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Dorell Wright led six Philadelphia players in double figures with 23 points, as the 76ers wrapped up their disappointing season on a high note with a 105-95 triumph over the playoff-bound Indiana Pacers on Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Evan Turner followed with 16 points, Damien Wilkins added 15 points and Arnett Moultrie supplied 14 points with 12 rebounds for the Sixers, who won three of their final four games to finish with a 34-48 mark. The late season surge may not be enough to save the job of Sixers' head coach Doug Collins, as the team has already scheduled morning news conferences with the managing owner and Collins. Lavoy Allen donated a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards, while Thaddeus Young finished with 10 points in the victory. Four of Indiana's usual starters -- George Hill, Paul George, David West and Roy Hibbert -- sat out the contest as the Pacers (49-32) had already secured the No. 3 seed. Indiana learned after the game it will meet Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs. Gerald Green made the most of the extended playing time, as he posted a career-high 34 points and six boards in the setback, Indiana's third in a row and fifth in its last six tries.
Final Score: Memphis 86, Utah 70
Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Utah was held to its lowest point total of the season. Unfortunately for the Jazz, it happened in their last game in a chance to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Now, the Jazz will sit at home and watch the postseason on television for the second time in the last three years. Zach Randolph had 25 points and 19 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat Utah, 86-70, to eliminate the Jazz from playoff contention. Utah's loss allowed the Los Angeles Lakers to clinch the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Jazz needed a win over the Grizzlies plus a Lakers loss at home against Houston to make it into the postseason. Instead, it's the Lakers going into the playoffs minus perennial All-Star Kobe Bryant, who will need 6- to-9 months to recover from a torn Achilles tendon in his left leg. The Grizzlies will go into the playoffs as the No. 5 seed and will open on the road against the Pacific Division champion Los Angeles Clippers. It will be a rematch of last year's first-round series, won by the Clippers in seven games. Mike Conley added 14 points for Memphis (56-26), which set a franchise record for most victories in a season in what will be its third straight trip to the playoffs. The Grizzlies also set a franchise mark for the most home wins in a season of 32, eclipsing the record of 31 set by the 2003-04 team. Al Jefferson totaled 22 points and 16 boards for Utah (43-39), which had won nine of its previous 11 games going into the season finale. The Jazz shot 32.1 percent from the field.
Final Score: Miami 105, Orlando 93
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Dwyane Wade scored 21 points and dished out 10 assists as the Miami Heat cruised to a 105-93 win over the Orlando Magic in the season finale for both teams. Mike Miller added 21 points and Rashard Lewis scored 16 points to go with eight rebounds for the Heat, who will have the top seed in the upcoming Eastern Conference Playoffs. Miami, which owns the league's best record (66-16), will face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. Reigning league MVP LeBron James sat the contest out to rest a sore hamstring. Nikola Vucevic posted his 46th double-double of the season with 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, who finished an NBA- worst 20-62. With the loss, and Charlotte Bobcats victory, Orlando secured the best opportunity at landing the top pick in the NBA Lottery.
Final Score: New York 98, Atlanta 92
New York, NY (Sports Network) - In a contest between two playoff-bound teams with little to play for, Chris Copeland scored a career-high 33 points and the New York Knicks wrapped up their regular season with a 98-92 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Already locked into the No. 2 seed in the East, the Knicks (54-28) rested most of their starters, including 2013 scoring title champ Carmelo Anthony, and will carry a 10-game home winning streak into their first round showdown with the division rival Boston Celtics, which will begin on Saturday. The Hawks (44-38), only able to move up with a win and a Chicago loss, chose to rest starters Al Horford, Josh Smith and Jeff Teague among others. Officially locked into the sixth seed, Atlanta will face third- seeded Indiana and begin its series on Sunday. Earl Barron, signed off the street earlier Wednesday after Rasheed Wallace announced his retirement, tallied 11 points and a game-high 18 rebounds for the Knicks. James White added 20 points and Iman Shumpert finished with 18, eight assists and seven rebounds. Mike Scott totaled 23 points and 14 rebounds and John Jenkins scored 20 in the setback for Atlanta.
Final Score: Milwaukee 95, Oklahoma City 89
Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - John Henson posted 28 points and 16 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks took a 95-89 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the final game of the regular season. Brandon Jennings added 17 points and Mike Dunleavy scored 14 for the Bucks (38-44), who snapped a five-game losing streak and as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, will face the task of taking on the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs starting on Sunday. Oklahoma City (60-22) came into the game as the top seed in the Western Conference and will face the Houston Rockets, who lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime on Wednesday. That series is set to start on Sunday. Reggie Jackson had 23 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Thunder, who had won seven of eight coming into the game. Perry Jones had 14 points.
Final Score: Minnesota 108, San Antonio 95
San Antonio, TX (Sports Network) - Derrick Williams paced six Minnesota players in double figures with 21 points as the Timberwolves took down the San Antonio Spurs, 108-95 in the regular season finale at AT&T Center. Chase Budinger dropped 15 points off the bench for Minnesota (31-51), which finished the season having won two of three. Greg Stiemsma and Ricky Rubio each added 12 points while Stiemsma also grabbed nine rebounds to go with a career-best five steals. Tim Duncan scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Gary Neal also added 17 points in the loss. Tony Parker connected on all nine of his free throw attempts en route to 15 points and eight assists as the Spurs (58-24) finished second in the Western Conference and will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round of the postseason. Despite the loss, the Spurs shot a perfect 22-of-22 from the foul line, 20 of which came in the first half.
Final Score: Toronto 114, Boston 90
Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - DeMar DeRozan totaled a game-high 24 points as Toronto whipped playoff-bound Boston, 114-90, in the season finale for both teams at Air Canada Centre. Rudy Gay added 19 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors (34-48), who will miss out on the postseason for the fifth straight season. Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points and seven boards, while Alan Anderson added 16 points for the hosts. Jordan Crawford poured in 16 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Celtics (41-40), who will begin the postseason as the seventh seed in the East and will take on the New York Knicks. Terrence Williams totaled 12 points, with Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley contributing 11 points, respectively. Boston took the floor missing both Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry, sitting by coach's decision.
Final Score: LA Lakers 99, Houston 95 (OT)
Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - It sure wasn't the "Big Three" the Los Angeles Lakers had hoped for at the start of the season. The Lakers knew of their postseason fate before they took the floor Wednesday, but that didn't stop Steve Blake from again making the most out of his opportunity. And Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol's size and power inside were too much for the Houston Rockets to handle. With Kobe Bryant resting comfortably at his home, his Lakers picked up a 99-95 overtime win over the Rockets to earn the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Utah Jazz's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies earlier Wednesday assured the Lakers of a postseason bid. Gasol tallied a triple-double with 17 points, 20 rebounds and 11 assists, Blake led the Lakers in scoring for a second straight contest with a season-high 24 points, and Howard added 16 points and 18 boards for Los Angeles (45-37), which has won five straight to close the regular season and will play the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. It was the second game the Lakers played without Bryant after he tore his Achilles tendon in Friday's win over the Golden State Warriors. Chandler Parsons, who had 23 points, sent the game into overtime with a 3-pointer from the L of the Lakers' midcourt logo. James Harden netted 30 points the Rockets (45-37), who will clash with the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
Final Score: Golden State 99, Portland 88
Portland, OR (Sports Network) - Stephen Curry knocked down his second 3- pointer of the night with 6:49 left in the second quarter to pass Ray Allen for the most 3-point field goals in a season as the Golden State Warriors finished the regular season on a high note with a 99-88 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at Rose Garden. Curry began the game 1-for-7 before finding space on the right wing midway through the second stanza for his record- breaking triple. He finished the night with 15 points and five assists. Klay Thompson paced the Warriors (47-35) with 24 points while David Lee registered his league-leading 56th double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Golden State has clinched the sixth seed in the Western Conference and will face the Denver Nuggets on Saturday in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. LaMarcus Aldridge did everything he could for Portland (33-49), which concluded the campaign losers of 13 straight. Aldridge tallied 30 points and 21 boards and rookies Damian Lillard and Will Barton contributed 21 and 15 points, respectively. Barton logged 48 minutes.
Final Score: LA Clippers 112, Sacramento 108
Sacramento, CA (Sports Network) - Chris Paul had a double-double and Jamal Crawford dropped in 24 points off the bench as the Los Angeles Clippers earned homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 112-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. Crawford connected on 6-of-8 shots from beyond the arc in the contest and Paul had a team-high 25 points and 11 assists for the Clippers (56-26) who as the fourth seed in the Western Conference will take on the fifth-seed Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. Chauncey Billups added 17 points, Matt Barnes had 12 off the bench and Caron Butler chipped in 11 points while DeAndre Jordan pulled in 10 rebounds. Demarcus Cousins closed the regular season well with 36 points and a career-high 22 rebounds for the Kings (28-54) who might have been playing their last game in Sacramento. On Wednesday the NBA Board of Governors met to begin discussions on the sale and proposed relocation of the Kings by a Seattle group. Marcus Thornton hit five shots from beyond the arc and finished with 21 points as well for the Kings while Isaiah Thomas had a double-double (15 points, 10 assists) and Travis Outlaw dropped in a season-high 17 points off the bench.
Top Plays:
Game Highlights:


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An Excerpt from my 2010 novel Yellow Socks- Confessions of a Non Don Juan
Skeleton Woman or Things Like Me Don't Happen To You
Christ it happened again. Another notch in my "girls that want to be my friend" belt. It made sense. We were perfect friends and she was real cute too. I kept thinking that I was ok with it. I'd be happy just being a friend again. I keep turning to God for strength to accept my fate as "Friend to all women" that I'm attracted to. My acceptance level seems to be ok. I go to my happy place. I go to my cave. I say the serenity prayer over and over I am sure that I will be ok with this. Yes I will. (no I won't)
Cut to a scene from Fight Club
Stop it! This is your pain — this is your burning hand. It's right here! Look at it.
I'm going to my cave. I'm going to my cave to find my power animal!
No, don't deal with this the way those dead people do. Come on
I get the point, ok, please!
No, what you're feeling is premature enlightenment.
Ok. I get the idea. Feel the pain. Feel the hurt. Feel the rejection saturating my heart until I bleed more than just these words all over the place and finger my open sore of a brain as it wants to dwell on her over and over again. Screaming and roaring her name with anger and grief and sometimes a slight relief that it's done and I know that she will not reject me again unless I go back for more and more or less or a little bite of her cheeseburger and a sip of her Pepsi to tide me over until the next one comes along with better food and spirits for my, for me for. Four scores of seven years itch as I scratch the weathered tired out mongrel of an ego that was left stray years ago in a pound for wayward hearts and letches that can only love and never be loved.
The pain of being a friend. A friend. I've heard that "Let's just be friends" millions of times in my life as I gargle a new mouthwash and toothpaste hoping my breath will be the answer to my problem. My problem is as follows: me, myself and I. We altogether are the problem. We want to be loved so bad that we give off the vibe that scares the shit out of women so they just want to be friends. Friends. Friends. I think to myself that will be fine. Friends is ok. It'll do. I can accept that. Bullshit! Feel the pain I tell myself. Embrace it. the pain is your friend. To hurt is to be alive. I've never been so alive. I'm alive. So alive.
"Did you ever hear about the skeleton woman?" Morton asked.
"Was that a Glam rock band from the seventies?" I ask.
"Ha. Ha. Nah. It's an ancient Indian story. This guy was fishing in the middle of a lake. He was totally into it. He was relaxed. Not a care in the world except catching the next fish. All of a sudden he feels a tug on his line and he yanks it up. A skeleton appears on his line. He doesn't realize that it's attached to his line and he gets scared. He starts paddling his boat away from it but it follows him. He still doesn't realize that it's attached to his line. He gets out of his boat and runs into the village and he is carrying his fishing rod and the skeleton is still right behind him. He jumps into his Tee Pee and it follows him in. He lies down and tries to hide not looking at it for a while. When he finally turns to look at the skeleton it has changed into the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. She is his. The moral of the story is that he was minding his own business doing something he enjoyed and that's when the right woman came along. In other words when you are not looking for love is when it will find you. "
"I know that but it's so fucking hard to stay focused on other things without thinking about how much I want to be loved. Fall in love. Ya know?" I responded.
"I know. I know." Morton said.
"We're a generation of men raised by women. I'm wondering if another woman is really the answer we need." Tyler Durden
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With website traffic emerging as such a restrictive as well as economical arena online, net having is actually starting to bend over below the tension as well as this falls to you to remain secure. If you would like to keep your business on top of the charts as well as carry on without worry, you'll have to land an exceptional having service to give your association.
This article will certainly assist you accomplish this objective as well as probably a little even more.
Some net having solutions assure you a particular selection of website visitors every day for an additional expense. You ought to certainly not turn to this procedure to boost your website traffic, considering that you have no guarantee that these website visitors will correspond to the audience you are targeting. Utilization great internet marketing tactics to market your internet site rather.
If you are using your website mainly because a website, decide on a net multitude that will permit you to sync with well-known blogging tools like WordPress. These tools are often cost-free as well as easy to employ, however you are going to likely would like to have them with a professional service. Decide on one that lets you import the documents straight in to their solution.
Buy a net having plan of action that gives you even more drive room than you currently require. Foreseing this because your business expands is actually crucial. At a lowest, you ought to obtain 20 percent much more room than you require and so that you could enhance or even include in your internet site in the future without consuming room.
When picking a net having service, refrain through choosing the referral of good friends or even household who are certainly not specialists. Though they may have got a great encounter on their own with a particular provider, understand that their requirements may be incredibly easy compared to yours. Check out evaluations as well as information through those who have requirements like your very own.
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There's no question that great, full-service net having suppliers are present. This may certainly not regularly be very easy to find them, however with the ideas earlier, you right now have a little bit of an extremity over others as well as ought to be ready to find a high quality net having service that provides what you require, at the expense you choose.


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Members of the European Parliament have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a plan to bring in common standards for hydrogen cars and hydrogen filling stations across the EU.
EU Observer reports that 644 MEPs in Brussels voted in favour of a report on hydrogen vehicles, with just two against and 11 abstaining. The report calls for EU-wide standard procedures on hydrogen vehicles and filling stations, ensuring that there would be a single market for the technology.
"With the adoption of EU-wide criteria, the European Union can establish itself now ahead of global research and ensure investment security for market access of this future technology," the report says.
Though the document was drafted by centre-right politicians, it gained solid backing from left-wing parties.
"Petrol prices in Europe have doubled," UK socialist MEP Arlene Mccarthy told EU Observer. "With ever growing concern about the effects of climate change it is clear we need new hopes for future fuels."
But green hardliners pointed out that hydrogen is just a means of storing energy, not an energy source.
"If you use coal-fired power plants to separate the hydrogen, then this is not very clean at all," said Jerome Verheuven of Friends of the Earth.
In fact, most industrial hydrogen is currently made by reforming natural gas, not by electric separation from water. In general, one would use less gas and emit less carbon by simply running a diesel vehicle using liquefied-gas tanks.
However, the idea of hydrogen transport is to use electric power to produce hydrogen from water. The fuel can then be used in conventional combustion engines - which has performance, cost and flexibility advantages, but is highly inefficient - or in an electric fuel-cell (usually hybridised with a battery).
According to EU Observer, Euro Enterprise Commissioner Gunter Verhuegen drives a BMW Hydrogen 7 - an example of the more profligate internal-combustion tech.
"It's a huge car, very inefficient," said the FOE's Verhueven. "That's the key - energy efficiency."
Verheuven has a point - the 'leccy to make the clean hydrogen of the future has to come from somewhere. Generating it by burning gas or coal would seem a tad pointless as a way of avoiding fossil-fuelled transport. But hardline Greens like Verheuven will have no truck with nuclear, either; and most people don't think renewables could deliver enough juice for normal electric demand and transport.
Then, of course, there are those who argue that a hydrogen car is basically just an electric one when you get down to it - doubly so in the case of a fuel-cell hybrid - so why not simply use a battery car? Fast-charging batteries, now approaching a few UK dealers in the Electric Lightning supercar, would seem to remove the last really major advantage of hydrogen over batteries - that of being able to fill up quickly.
All of which does seem to offer reasonable grounds for scepticism regarding hydrogen as a panacea for EU carbon emissions and/or energy security. You don't need to be a hardline green to doubt the technology - far from it* - and in any case the Brussels parliament contains plenty of avowed Greens, definitely no friends to hydrogen.
So the near-unanimous vote in favour of smoothing hydrogen's path in Europe seems mildly remarkable, in a way. That said, the vote wasn't for hydrogen exclusivity - merely for keeping it open as an option.
Read all about it at the EU Observer here. ®
*Robert Zubrin is a spacecraft engineer who has spent years designing nuclear propulsion systems. Unlike many pro-nuclear types, he favours methanol (not ethanol) for car fuel.


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The Cult of Kim Dotcom
Nov 10, 2012 5:00 AM PT
Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has been in the news on and off -- mostly on -- since his January arrest in New Zealand. He is fighting extradition to the U.S., where he is wanted on charges ranging from copyright infringement to money laundering. The German-born Dotcom has led a life filled with twists and turns, commercial success and criminal convictions.
Since his arrest, a number of events have created a movie-plot narrative:
- The judge overseeing the case quit after saying the United States was the enemy;
- Dotcom was dubbed a "cult hero" among New Zealanders;
- New Zealand authorities apologized to Dotcom for how the raid on his home was carried out; and
- his extradition hearing was postponed, a move Dotcom insists was designed to make him go bankrupt.
The most recent drama began when Dotcom announced that he will launch a new file-sharing site in 2013 -- it has already been blocked by Gabon, which didn't appreciate Dotcom's use of its ".ga" top-level domain -- and that he wants to build a cable running from New Zealand to the U.S. -- paid for, in part, by suing the U.S. government.
His flamboyant ways have earned him some sympathy among his adopted countrymen.
Listen to a conversation with Wellington, New Zealand-based journalist Tom Pullar-Strecker, who has written about Dotcom's exploits. Pullar-Strecker talks about how this story is perceived in New Zealand, why the copyright issue is a sensitive one, whether the extradition request is likely to be granted, and more.
Download the podcast (15:26 minutes) or use the player:
Here are some excerpts:
TechNewsWorld: It seems like the twists and turns to this never end. Have you seen anything like this? Is there any precedent for this, especially in New Zealand?
Tom Pullar-Strecker: Well, I guess not of this nature. It's certainly been a very interesting year with Kim Dotcom. And one thing I should probably point out is that nobody really in New Zealand had heard of him before the raid in January. So, he kind of exploded onto the local scene with nobody really knowing his background or what he was doing.
TNW: If you were going to pin down the mood or the opinion -- I'm sure there's a lot of variation -- but what would you say is the overarching attitude right now toward Dotcom among New Zealanders?
Pullar-Strecker: Well, there are varied opinions, as you'd expect. I think there's probably a near universal view that the criminal charges against him are unlikely to stack up and that he's unlikely to be extradited from New Zealand. There is certainly some concern around the raid and the activity of the New Zealand intelligence agencies in providing surveillance on Kim Dotcom -- as it turns out, illegally.
Skynet Law
The raid also happened at probably a sensitive time in New Zealand when there was a lot of controversy around new copyright legislation. We call it the "Skynet Law" here after the Terminator movies because of a reference that an MP made to Skynet that attracted some ridicule. But most people would know it around the world I guess as a kind of "three strikes" legislation. So there was already a lot of sensitivity around that when the Dotcom raids happened.
I think people's immediate reaction was that this was some mysterious international criminal who had been found and captured, but over the following weeks and months I think a realization emerged that, I guess in particular with the U.S. indictment ... contained really very scant evidence of any kind of criminal wrongdoing. There is probably this perception that the case against Kim Dotcom would best be handled in the civil courts rather than as a criminal matter.
Of course he's gained some cult status since, I think just feeding off that general feeling of concern around copyright law but also the activities, the claims he's made recently ... have kind of contributed to that cult status, certainly. Not everybody would feel that, though, as there are people certainly aware of his previous convictions in Europe who are less sympathetic.
Second Effort
TNW: Dotcom recently announced that he is going to put up another site that would seem to operate similarly to Megaupload but with a few twists, one being that it would be cloud-based instead of operated from servers. What do you make of the new site, and do you see the changes being enough to circumvent the legal challenges that were posed to Megaupload itself?
Pullar-Strecker: I think it's hard to say. Certainly his desire is to have no infrastructure or intellectual property within U.S. borders, and he's hoping that that might make a future site safer from legal action. I think, though, that one thing worth bearing in mind is whether or not the extradition case against him succeeds, it looks very doubtful that he will get a significant amount of his fortune back. Legal experts here have voiced the opinion that there's a different level of burden of proof that would need to be obtained in order to return any of those assets.
Also, I think one would have to expect that he'll be tied up in civil litigation for many years to come. That may go both ways -- he may try to sue Hollywood interests, as he's threatened to do, and they no doubt will be taking action against him.
In that situation his primary asset would be his fame, really, and the ability that that gives him to get involved in new Internet start-ups and that certainly, that fame and publicity, could have some value. Whether it's enough to really establish a credible new site I think remains to be seen.


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So you think you know steaks? And maybe you do.
But truth is, you probably only really know the particular cuts you buy over and over again. That's good, but there's a world of great beef out there to explore. And many of those cuts (and by the way, butchers are creating new ones all the time) are far more versatile than you think.
You could spend ages learning the different cuts of beef and the various names for each (there isn't nearly as much naming standardization as you would think). But I think it's better to simply pick a cut you haven't often prepared at home and start playing around with it. That's how I learned to love flank steak.
First, the basics. Flank steaks are lean cuts from the rear side of the cow and are characterized by rich, deep beefy flavor and a slightly chewy texture. Traditionally, London broils were made using flank steaks, though today any of the leaner, less tender cuts often are substituted.
Flank steaks are easy to identify by sight because they are flat and have a long, horizontal grain that runs the length of the meat. These steaks are meant to be briefly grilled or broiled to rare or medium-rare, then thinly sliced across the grain. The result is deliciously beefy and substantial.
Flank steaks also love to be marinated. And because they have a heartier texture, they can handle more acidic marinades for longer, even overnight.
When shopping for flank steaks, note that some grocers will label them 'London broil.' Just note that they also sometimes label other cuts as 'London broil,' too. So when in doubt, it's best to ask.
For the weeknight home cook, flank steaks are the perfect cut. They can be tossed with a marinade the night before and left in the refrigerator until dinner. And they cook in just minutes on the grill or under the broiler. As with all meat, flank steak should rest for 5 to 10 minutes after cooking before slicing to let the juices redistribute.
For more ideas for using flank steak, check out the Off the Beaten Aisle column over on Food Network: bit.ly/Ov6NtC
Balsamic-Pepper Flank Steak with Grilled Pears and Blue Cheese
For extra flavor, the marinade can be mixed with beef broth, then boiled and reduced until thick (while the steaks cook), then drizzled over the finished dish.
Start to finish: 30 minutes (plus marinating)
Servings: 4 ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic 1 tbs black peppercorns
Kosher salt 1½ pounds flank steak
2 pears, peeled, halved and cored
Crumbled blue cheese, for topping
In a blender, combine the vinegar, garlic, peppercorns and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Blend for 20 seconds, then transfer to a wide, shallow bowl.
Add the steak to the marinade, turning to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to cook, heat the broiler with a rack 6 inches from the heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then coat it lightly with cooking spray.
Cut each pear half into 4 slices, then arrange them on one half of the prepared baking sheet.
Remove the steak from the marinade and set it on the other half of the sheet. Broil everything for 5 minutes, then use tongs to flip the steak and pears. Broil for another 5 minutes for medium-rare.
Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes, then cut into thin slices against the grain. Divide the slices between 4 serving plates, then top each with pear slices.
Top each serving with a bit of crumbled blue cheese.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 360 calories; 110 calories from fat (30 percent of total calories); 12 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 60 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrate; 39 g protein; 4 g fiber; 700 mg sodium.


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Blu Bridal Collection by Morilee 5607
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Noel Acadien au Village is a wonderful holiday festival happening now, near our Lafayette Bed and Breakfast!
Enjoy the splendor of over a half million lights, nightly entertainment, local cuisine, photos with Santa and kiddie carnival rides. Held December 1-23 from 5:30-9PM nightly. $7 in advance or $9 at the gate. We hope you have the chance to experience this family friendly event during your stay at our Bed and Breakfast in Louisiana.


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Written by BRIAN REED Pencils by SANA TAKEDA Cover by PAUL RENAUD Ms. Marvel vs. Mystique! She raised Rogue, the woman who stole Carol's powers and memories, and now the sinister shape-shifter is coming for Ms. Marvel herself! Yes, the collision readers have demanded since issue #1 is here as the march to the momentous issue #50 begins now! 32 PGS./Rated T+ …