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Posted by Ilana Angel
I am excited about the start of this season's "Dancing With the Stars." I find the show entertaining, and I'm thrilled that, for the first time since it started, I actually know who most of the contestants are. In fact, other than the football and soap opera guys, I know them all.
I will start off by saying that I am disappointed to learn Melissa Rycroft will co-host with Tom Bergeron. I seriously don't get the appeal of this chick. She is cute, and deserved her 15 minutes of fame, but come on. There is no visible talent here, and the thought of her going live is painful. On the flip side, she will be blogging gold, so bring it on, I guess.
Buzz Aldrin is a national treasure and 80 years old, God bless him. I have met him a few times around town at charity events, and he and his wife are lovely. He is truly a wonderful man, a true gentleman and a hero. Buzz is partnered with Ashley, and they will be adorable. I wish him well. Break a leg, Buzz, not a hip. Be careful.
Pam Anderson is going to be interesting to watch. She looks amazing for being in her 40s. She is well known and people like her, I suppose, but she is partnered with Damien, who is a new pro with no following, so we'll see if she can hang around. They look like they could be related, and will certainly be easy on the eyes. I'm guessing she goes early, but hopefully not before we see Tommy Lee sitting there cheering her on.
Erin Andrews is the ESPN chick who had the peeping tom following her around the country and videotaping her naked. She was violated and I feel for her. That said, is this the best way to recover from being seen naked by a stranger—to be seen practically naked by millions of strangers? Interesting career move. Even though she's paired with Maksim, I pick her to go first.
Shannen Doherty clearly has nine lives. The problem is that I feel like she must be on life 12 at this point. Good for her that she keeps finding ways to come back. She will be paired with Mark, and I imagine they will be good together. That said, if I remember back to the 90210 school dance days, she may be out early. With Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, and Jennie Garth already having taken their shots, it was only a matter of time before she landed here. I look forward to seeing Jason Priestley next year.
Kate Gosselin is out of control, which is hilarious since she is a control freak. How is this chick going to manage to rehearse so many hours, with so many kids? I get that she needs the money, but still. Is Jon going to be with the kids while she is in L.A.? Is she pulling her kids out of school? Is that why she got new hair? I love a train wreck, and she will be worth tuning in for. She is with Tony, who just had twins of his own, so they can relate, and will be able to juggle all the kids.
Evan Lysacek was a total surprise. They must have been courting him while he was in Vancouver. He is clearly going to be the golden boy and will make it to the top three. He will be partnered with Anna, who will be tall enough to look good next to him, and I'm guessing they will be fantastic. I can't wait to see him glide around the floor, and I'm totally stoked he is going to be there. Bravo.
Niecy Nash is fascinating to me, and by fascinating, of course I mean I just don't get it. She is a caricature of herself, and it's super annoying. I don't care how good she is, I hope she leaves early so we don't have to hear her speak. She is with Louis, and it will be sad to see him leave early because he is great. She is headache-inducing, and simply too much.
Chad Ochocinco is a football player—I never heard of him before. Interesting to note that his real name was Johnson and he legally changed it to Ochocinco to reflect his Cincinnati Bengals uniform number, 85. I suppose the guys who watch will dig that he's there. He does not appear to have the legend status of past ball players on the show, so we'll see how long he stays around. He's with Cheryl, who is a favorite pro, so he stands a good chance.
Jake Pavelka, who just wrapped up his season as "The Bachelor," jumps from one ABC mega-show to another. He may never fly again, which is probably just as well since he's afraid of heights. He is charming and I imagine he will be around for a while. He will be with Chelsie—I hope she can help Vienna get some new extensions that actually look good. Vienna is going to get jealous and I can smell a train wreck.
Aiden Turner is some heartthrob from "All My Children." I have no idea who he is, or if he's interesting, He is handsome, and that's always nice to watch, but I think Jake will outlast him and he will be gone in the first half.I would have preferred the heartthrob soap star position go to Mark Consuelos. I'm just saying. He's with Edyta, who is take-it-or-leave-it for me.
Nicole Scherzinger is the main Doll of the Pussycat Dolls. This chick is so beautiful that it's insane. One could argue that she is the Kim Khardashian of this season, but that would be an insult to Nicole. She is talented and popular, and I think she will go farther than the other women. I like her, and think she'll be a fantastic ballroom dancer. She is with Derek, and I think she has the best chance of the women.
The only thing missing from this season is Jack Osbourne. I had hoped he would do it this year. The best news of all is that there is no Osmond. Whoo-hoo! I wish everyone success and look forward to blogging about the season. Good luck and keep the faith!
12.5.13 at 3:16 pm | Heaven has received a blessing today.
12.3.13 at 3:05 pm | Every time I go into the kitchen I half expect to. . .
11.30.13 at 10:42 am | "The only correct actions are those that demand. . .
11.29.13 at 1:56 pm | My nest will never empty as my son will always be. . .
11.28.13 at 7:59 am | Think. Laugh. Cry.
11.26.13 at 7:06 am | God places love where we don't always see it.
9.15.13 at 3:14 pm | I love you Russell Brand. (353)
7.25.11 at 5:38 pm | We need more Jews! (261)
12.5.13 at 3:16 pm | Heaven has received a blessing today. (197)
March 2, 2010 | 1:56 am
Posted by Ilana Angel
Oh. My. God. After waiting for what seemed like a year for this season to end, it's finally over, and I could not be happier with Jake's decision. Tenley is out, and Vienna is in! Buckle up kids, and let the blogging begin.
We start off with the required recapping, as we listen to how Jake is in love with both women. Blah. Blah. Blah. Jake has his entire family there, and it's fascinating to watch a piece of white bread turn into a loaf, right before your eyes. Did you see the hair on the women in his family? Did they not know they were being filmed? Get yourselves a hairbrush ladies, you're on television! Jake does a complete disservice to Vienna, by painting her as the girl that was not liked. Bad Jake.
Tenley meets the loaf of bread and she fits right in. Every loaf can use an extra slice I guess. I adore this girl, and she is going to be crushed when he dumps her, which he will. It makes everything she says, both romantic and pathetic. As was expected, Jake's family loves Tenley. She makes them all cry, which is annoying because now we have a group of white bread that is wet, and soggy bread is gross. Jake's mom and Tenley go out for a chat, and guess what? She talks about her divorce.
Mom loves her. Sisters-in-law think she is the one. She is now outside with the dad, and she makes him cry again. There is a split second where I thought he drifted off, and was fantasizing about her. It was a little creepy, until she started talking about her divorce again, and Dad snaps out of it. Jake's mom also tells him she is the one. Jake tells her Tenley does not know his crazy side. He grabs Tenley, and they jump in the pool with their clothes on. His brothers then jump in too. She is in a soaked sundress, being hugged by the 3 brothers. It was weird and awkward, especially when the sisters-in-law started to watch from the shallow end.
Vienna is coming! To be fair, I want to say sorry to Vienna. I totally misread her, and judged her unfairly, in the beginning. I was unkind and I'm truly sorry. She has been growing on me for weeks, and now it's official. I love this chick, and want her to win the man in the end. She sits with the family and they immediately dislike her. They all have attitudes, and are being pissy and mean. The women in Jake's family are just like Ali, and the girls from the house. I'm not digging how they are treating our little Vienna.
The sisters are picking her apart, but I can't focus on what they are saying because I am too distracted by their hair. Seriously ladies, buy a brush. Mom takes Jake off for a little chat. She is going to get to the bottom of what is going on with him and Vienna. The mom is a little obsessed with all the sisters-in-law getting along. She is more worried about how much they will like her, over how much Jake will like her. Jake is torn because he knows it's not happening for his mom and Vienna. It's sad because he screwed Vienna over with his family, by being so negative before they even met her.
Vienna is now with the sisters-in-law and they are being mean. It's like watching Ali and Kathryn attack her back at the house. They are hitting her with ridiculous questions, but she is holding her own, and being herself. Vienna is back with the mom now, and mommy dearest is just horrible. She is asking stupid questions, about stupid things, and I find myself feeling very protective of Vienna. The sisters-in-law are now crying, and feeling guilty about judging her. Whatever. They spun like a dime, and have crocodile tears just like Ali.
Why is it that girls can be so mean, then cry, and expect everyone to forget that they were just disgusting? Mean girls can suck it. Mom asks Vienna what she will do if there is a problem, and Jake is not there. Vienna responds that she will be ok because she will have his family. Bravo! Mom won over! Jake keeps talking about how he loves both women, and it's such a waste of time because we can see it's just not true. He has magic with Vienna, and with Tenley it's just not there. This show could have skipped over all the gibberish by Jake about loving everyone, and gotten the job done in an hour.
We watch Vienna and Jake make out in the mud for a painfully long time and it gets boring. Cut to Vienna and Jake having their last date together. They talk about her marriage, her dad, and her past. The thing is, there is a squeaking in the background that is insane. Is it a bird? I can't take it, and have now muted. Blah. Blah. Blah. Vienna gives Jake the promise ring her dad gave her, as a symbol of her being ready for real love. It's a sweet gesture, and she becomes more endearing with each minute. She appears to be giving a heartfelt speech, but the squeaking is back, so I'm muted again. She's crying, and I assume feeling scared and vulnerable.
Last date with Tenley, and it's weird that she is so sure he is the one for her. Clearly she sees something that we are not seeing, because for me, he is just not that into her. They are on a boat, and it's painful to watch. He is not feeling it, and actually tells her that there is no sexual chemistry. Ouch. How can he tell her this, when he knows that her husband left her, after sleeping with another woman? I thought it was selfish, so shame on you Jake. She compares his not having sexual chemistry to her husband, and we are back taking about her divorcee. I can't have her be the Bachelorette. Months of listening about her divorce will simply do me in.
Jake comes over and she wants to talk about their lack of sexual chemistry. The squeaking is back. Are they kidding? Is it a fan? TURN IT OFF! He is spewing about how great she is, and dancing around the fact that he is just not feeling her. She likes dancing, so maybe she won't notice. Tenley is talking about their incredible physical chemistry, and I'm just dying for her. She is desperate for affection, and I want to tell her to stop and run away. Poor thing. She just does not see it, because she is so focused on finding love, that she is seeing things that are not there.
It's finally time for the final rose, and Tenley is up first, which means she's getting dumped. She is talking about how much she loves him, and is convinced she is going to be the one. Honestly Tenley, pay attention Sweetheart. It's not happening for you Honey. Jake begins to kick her to the curb, and she makes the most heartbreaking face. She gives the classiest "you are breaking my heart" speech ever. In the middle of her pain, she thanks him for loving her, and showing her she could love again. Is this chick for real? She is an angel, a Disney Princess, and Mother Theresa, all rolled into one. I honestly hope she meets someone fabulous, gets married, and has a bunch of kids. She is a lady. Bravo Tenley. You were wonderful, and have nothing to be ashamed of.
Vienna arrives for the final rose, and she looks great. I am convinced that she sincerely loves Jake. She says she loves him because when she found him, she found herself. I am really happy for her. I am also not ashamed to say, when Jake says he loves her, drops to his knee, and asks her to marry him, I cried. I love this show. I ended up tolerating Jake, getting sucked in, and feeling that the only person that was right for him, was Vienna.
He made the best decision, and I'm looking forward to seeing him on Dancing With The Stars. Mostly because Vienna will be there cheering him on, and I can't wait to see her. I could not be happier that this season is over. As for Ali as the new Bachelorette, unless she calls me to say she is sorry for being mean, I'm out, and not watching. Call me Ali. I'm trying to be happy for you, but it's hard. I'll blog about you, but it's going to take a call. You decide.
In the end, Mike Fleiss did it again. He helped two people, who would never have met each other in the real world, find each other on television, and fall in love. Bravo. It is a beautiful thing, and restores hope that love can be found by anyone. As for my finding it, I'm going to keep the faith.
March 1, 2010 | 12:59 pm
Posted by Ilana Angel
After years of waiting, it finally happened, and The Bachelor had a wedding this weekend. Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney got married this past Saturday in the Los Angeles area.
I have spent time with Jason and he is wonderful. When I first met him, I thought he was not a particularly nice guy because of what happened with Melissa Rycroft on his season.
After speaking with him over frozen yogurt, we spent a lot of time together and I got his side of the story. I was so annoyed that he did not give me the happily ever after ending that I wanted as a viewer, that I failed to see that he got the fairytale ended that HE wanted, with Molly.
After we spent time together, I realized the one that got screwed by his mistake, was Molly. The show worked for her. She met her Prince Charming. But instead of having him pick her during the finale, and it be a success story, she was painted as the bad one.
I love this couple, and I am thrilled that their story will air on ABC as a special on March 8th. The Bachelor experiment works! All the haters, and people who say it's a ridiculous show, can watch on March 8th and see two people, who fell in love on television, say I do.
The Bachelor proves that love can be found if you are looking for it. If you approach the hopes and dreams of finding your soul mate, with intensity and sincere efforts, you will find it. Molly hung on, and good for her! That she was able to take him back, and didn't let her ego stop her, is impressive. While Jason took a bumpy path, he followed his heart and gets not only a bride, but a terrific woman to help raise his son.
I have renewed faith and belief in The Bachelor television show. I will go into the finale tonight, knowing that if it does not happen for Jake, that's ok. It will perhaps happen for the next one. Unless it's Ali, in which case I don't care if it happens or not.
Mazel Tov to the new Mr. and Mrs. Mesnick. May you have a happy and healthy life, and remember the long road you took to get to this glorious place. Love was found. Bravo for keeping the faith.
March 1, 2010 | 8:18 am
Posted by Ilana Angel
I have really lovely girlfriends. Some are new to my life, and others I have known since childhood. Some are truly a part of my family, and some are simply acquaintances. Both my sisters have daughters, and I have many friends with daughters, and I think we all agree that raising girls is harder than boys.
The situations I face in raising a teenage son are a piece of cake compared to what parents of girls go through. I remember being a teenager, and thinking some girls were mean. You grow up though, and assume that stage is over, and that as adults, we will mature, and female friendships will get easier. Not so much.
It turns out that girls can be mean spirited and hurtful, regardless of how old they are. I know there are women who look back at their youth and see they were mean, and have transformed into wonderful women. I imagine there are women who grew up as angels, who as adults changed, and became mean.
I'm not sure how it all works. What I do know is that I value and respect women, and my relationships with them mean something to me. With my sisters living so far away, and my son being my only family in Los Angeles, I rely on my girlfriends for many, many things.
We celebrate holidays together, we help with each others children, we listen when things are rough, we rejoice when things are good, we hold each other up in times that are challenging, and we manage to laugh through it all. It is a bond that is uniquely female, and I treasure it.
I thought that friendships would be easier now in my forties, but that's an unrealistic hope. This weekend I was faced with some emotions in terms of a girlfriend, and it's been a struggle. In the end it will all be fine, but this morning I find myself looking at the girlfriend relationships of my forties, and wondering, why are women still so mean?
I have a couple of friends that I have known for 12 years. At one point during our relationship we were as close as sisters. I could not imagine loving these friends more. Our kids were best friends and both the kids, and us, were the 3 musketeers. We were together all the time, our children were like brothers, and we were a family.
Then another mother came into our group, and things shifted. I don't really remember what the turning point was, but at some point, she was in and I was out. It was hard for me because they were my family, and I was ousted. It was harder for my son, as he loved their kids, and when they stopped making an effort with me, they stopped making an effort for our kids too.
The last two years has seen our relationship go from everything to nothing. I was going to see them as a party recently and was stressed out. In anticipation of seeing them, I reached out to one and extended a hand. It was awkward and sad, and the olive branch was not accepted.
The party was strained, these two women, who were my very best friends, were there, with the mean girl, and it was just like being back in 7th grade. They both said hello, and when one hugged me and told me to come dance with them, I said no thank you, and then went in the bathroom to cry for 10 minutes. Just seeing them broke my heart because I loved them so much.
I had sent a friend request on Facebook to one of the ladies around the beginning of the year. I told her I missed her and hoped we could get back on track, but she never responded. Then this weekend, weeks later, she accepted. I was so surprised because out of nowhere, there she was.
I looked at her page and quickly discovered that the past weekend was her birthday. I had totally forgotten. I felt bad, and thought perhaps she accepted now, as her own way to reach out. I would see it was her birthday, get in touch, and some healing could begin.
As I read through her posts, I saw that she had a party for her birthday. She talked about how she had a lovely evening with her friends. I'm not surprised I was not invited to her birthday, I was surprised and sad however, that she felt the need to have me see all the emails.
There is no possible way that she could not know it would hurt my feelings. Was she simply being a mean girl? Was I being too sensitive? Could she not have just called me? Or sent an email to say hello? Was it necessary to hurt my feelings? Did she even know it would be so hurtful?
I could be reading way too much into it. I could be ego driven in my thought process. I love this woman, and miss her, but when I saw her Facebook page I declined the friendship request. In the end I was the immature one, and went from being the discarded and hurt friend, to the mean girl, in the blink of an eye.
I feel terrible. I woke up this morning feeling sad, anxious, embarrassed and confused. I am going to try to find the courage to call her, and tell her I'm sorry. I don't know if we will ever be friends again, but what I do know, is she deserved my respect, and my bruised ego would not allow me to give it to her.
Friendships take work, time and effort. Girls are capable of having the closest bond between two people, yet are able to hurt each other in an instant. We can grow up, move on, and have our own children, but at the end of the day we are all still little girls, just trying to get by. Flailing around, rather than sailing through.
If my friend is reading this blog, know that I think about you all the time. I'm sorry for anything, and everything, I did to hurt our friendship, and I don't what will happen down the road. What I am certain of however, is that I love you, and I will keep the faith.
February 26, 2010 | 9:28 am
Posted by Ilana Angel
There is no television show that is in more desperate need of a Jew, than The View. I like the women who host the show, but lately there has been a gaping hole in what they do. I have decided that what is missing, is a Jew.
It's cute when Whoopi says faklempt, and Joy always gets a laugh with kvelling, but I've got to draw the line at Elisabeth saying meshugena. There is diversity in terms of race, age and political parties. There is the point of view of women who are married, divorced, or living together. But there is no Jew.
If you stereotype people by their names, you could assume that there are a lot of behind the scenes Jews working at The View. Truth is, that is the case on most television shows. Jews are always in the background making things happen, but we don't really see the face of Jews upfront.
Barbara Walters, I'm your Jew. I'm a good fit within the group of ladies. I would rock at hot topics because I am a pop culture, and political junkie. I'm divorced like Sheri, but unlike the terrific Ms. Shepherd, I date like a maniac in search of love.
I'm funny and irreverent like Joy, and don't care what people think about me, like Whoopi. There's no real similarity between Elisabeth and me, other than the fact that she weighs now, what I weighed in the 2nd grade. Give me a little time to research it though, and I will come up with something. It might be made up, but still, it will be something.
It would be an honor and a privilege to sit at the table with the national treasure that is Barbara Walters. I grew up watching her on television, and used to dream of her interviewing me for her Oscar special. I like her, and think she and I would hit it off.
Let's make this happen Bill Geddie. You could be the first show to officially celebrate "Put A Jew In Front Of The Camera Day". I could come on the show, meet a man in NYC, get engaged, and then get married on the show. Think sweeps baby!
I record The View everyday. I'm going to watch a little more closely, and start a weekly blog incorporating my voice into the show. The View Needs A Jew will become a regular feature on Keeping The Faith, until Mr. Geddie contacts me to come and sit on the panel.
It's not a huge commitment Bill. I just want to do it one time. One day, sitting at the table, with my own mug, chatting with the ladies. I will be a very romantic perspective, which is one that you are lacking. You are missing not only a Jewish point of view, but also the perspective of a woman who believes in love and will search until she finds it.
So…. here we go. Let's bring a Jew to the View! I am on a mission to make it happen. Joy is close, but just because her boyfriend is a Jew, she is not. Whoopi is a Goldberg, close but not quite there. I am a bona fide Jew my darling ladies, so let's go.
I am going to take a moment to enjoy the view, while I'm waiting to enjoy The View. I'm watching everyday, keeping up to date on hot topics, and keeping the faith.
February 25, 2010 | 6:46 am
Posted by Ilana Angel
I will never understand men. At some point I might just need to give up, because I fear it is just never going to happen for me. I have a better chance of understanding my son's 8th grade advanced algebra, than men, and trust me when I tell you, that will NEVER happen.
I went out for coffee with the guy from the oil change. Here is a recap of the one of the best parts of our tantalizing conversation:
Him: How long have you been divorced?
Me: Years
Him: Are your boobs real?
Me: I beg your pardon?
Him: Do you want to go to my place?
Me: Are you for real right now?
Him: Do you like to watch porn?
Me: I'm really sorry but I need to go.
Him: Can you come out to my car for a minute?
We won't be seeing each other anymore, and by not seeing him again, of course I mean I would rather rupture my own spleen with a letter opener, than see this man again. I seriously thought I was on some hidden camera dating show. Never again.
I had a doctor's appointment yesterday to desperately figure out a way to live with a cat I love, but am allergic to. I'm in the waiting area playing around on my iPhone, not paying attention to anything around me. The door opens so I look up. A man comes in who is covered with tattoos. I catch myself staring, and look away. As I turn away, I see a cute girl staring at me.
I assume she has also seen tattoo man and is giving me the "Did you just see that?" look. I smile back with my "I totally saw him, how bizarre" look. She makes some comment about the weather, and I make a joke about how nobody but me knows how to drive in the rain.
We start chatting and she comes over and introduces herself and we start talking about the heartache of being allergic to my cat. She is listening, and being supportive, when all of a sudden she puts her hand on my arm and gives it a little squeeze.
I am thinking to myself that it was an oddly intimate touch. I'm being ridiculous, and start laughing at myself in my head, when she asks me for my number. Really? I seriously cannot tell when someone is a) flirting with me, or b) gay. I panic for a split second, then shake it off.
I asked her is she is asking me for my number in a "go on a date" kind of way, and she said yes. She thought I was cute and funny, and wanted to hang out and talk more. Let me tell you, I was so incredibly flattered, that I leaned over and hugged her.
Whether you are gay or straight, and regardless of whether the person hitting on you is gay or straight, there are some days when it does not matter who is hitting on you, because it's more important that you are being hit on at all. Thank you for hitting on me Karen!
It really just made my day. I am horrible at picking up the signs of someone hitting on me. More horrendous than that, I am a disastrous flirter. I just don't know how to do it. I am open and uninhibited, so people think I am constantly flirting, when really I'm just being myself.
I remember I was at a party once with about 20 couples, a sprinkle of gay men, and single me. I made my way through the party, saying hello and chatting with everyone, and had a very nice time. The next day the hostess told me all the wives thought I was flirting with their husbands.
At first I was mortified. I would never flirt with someone's man, and felt horrible that they would think poorly of me, but after I thought about it for a minute, I was thrilled! They thought I was flirting! I was happy to be considered a flirt at all, when I suck at it so bad.
What is so interesting, is that if those women had met me on their own, they would have said to their husbands that they met a fantastic girl who was the life of the party. But since the husbands were there, seeing how fabulous I was, it became threatening.
Karen hitting on me, and that party, were essentially the same thing. I felt bad someone was hurt, but at the same time, my ego was stroked. I love Karen for taking a shot, and love the insecure and clingy women for thinking I had a shot with their husbands.
Here is a brilliant idea! The women of The Bachelor should open a flirting school to extend their 15 minutes of fame. The chicks on there are master flirters, and I could use the lessons. Here is a list of classes that could be offered:
"How To Seduce A Man", by Rozlyn
"How to Manipulate a Man Into Thinking You're an Angel", by Ali.
"It's Been A Long Time, But I Can Flirt Again", by Tenley
"What Not To Do At A Party", by Vienna
"How To Become A Lonely Cat Lady", by Michelle
"How To Stop Drinking Before It Gets Messy", by Christine
I am telling you Mike Fleiss, this could be huge. This is the perfect next step in The Bachelor Empire that you are creating. Remember who gave you the idea when the classes are sold out, and you are counting all your money!
I cannot look at my life and say that it is not interesting. A little strange, and sometimes complicated, but never boring. When I meet the man of my dreams, he will look at these blogs, understand me a little better, and hopefully love me a little more.
It will happen one day. I need to just relax, and keep the faith.
February 24, 2010 | 10:11 am
Posted by Ilana Angel
Does anyone else think the ice dancing teams that are made up of brothers and sisters are a little weird? Every time I see them in an embrace, or the guy holding the girl in a sensual position, I think about The Cutting Edge and it creeps me out.
It's hilarious to hear the announcers describe a couple that is married or dating. They speak about how romantic it is, and that you can see their love, and feel the connection. Then when it's a brother and sister, they get kind of awkward because they can't talk about it the same way, because that would be strange.
There are so many hours of practice involved to even get to the Olympics, that I can only imagine how many times those brothers are sliding their sisters bodies down their own during the lifts. I find it odd, and I would not want my kids to be partners.
I totally get that it's easier to have only one practice schedule, in terms of schlepping the kids around, and I support anything that makes a mother's life easier. That said, it's weird and surely there must be enough ice dancers in the world that you don't need to partner with your sibling. I'm just saying.
I thought that the switch to 4 judges last year on American Idol made no sense, and now I'm even more certain that it does not work. They never should of let Paula go, and for me, the show is dying a slow and painful death.
I love Ellen, but she makes no sense on the judging panel. I don't understand how it is that she is qualified to give an opinion on the careers of young singers. Last night was the first live show, and there was just no flow. It was off, and I didn't think the girl singers were that great.
Do we really need to hear four people tell these kids that they are pitchy? They all said the same thing. Ellen seemed nervous and awkward, and I found myself really missing Paula, and resenting Kara for ruining what was a great thing. Don't even get me started on Ryan Seacrest.
I think the only person on the planet who may like Ryan less than me, is Brian Dunkelman. I cannot wrap my head around how this guy is so successful. He is cocky and silly, and where I once though he had a certain charm, that is gone. He's annoying, and brings nothing to the show.
I think the men's group tonight will be better than the girls were. I will continue to watch because it's a show that my kid digs, but I'm kind of over it. I will follow Simon to his new show, and I'm really hoping that Paula will be a judge on the X Factor. She is missed on television.
I blogged about the Women Tell All Bachelor Special yesterday. Let me just say, Oh. My. God. People sure do have strong opinions about this show. Not since I wrote about how I wanted Aaron Carter voted off of Dancing with The Stars, has a fan club so quickly come to defense of their hero. People who love Ali, really love Ali.
These chicks are mean, which makes sense, since they idolize a mean girl. They were very fast to come to her defense when I called her a lying celebrity wannabe. It not only made me laugh, but also solidified my decision to not watch the next season if Ali is the Bachelorette.
The best emails I got were to share a conspiracy theory that I had not heard before. Apparently there is a rumor that the man that Rozlyn was making out with was, get ready for it, JAKE! I got emails saying that they had snuck away and were making out, and the show needed to end it, as it was really early in the season and would ruin the entire show if it got out.
They say the producer who was fired, was a scapegoat and got a nice buy out to walk away from the show. I suppose it could be true. It would get Rozlyn off the hook for lying, and for swearing on the life of her son. It would also explain why we have not heard anything from the producer.
If you think back to all the episodes, and look at them with this theory in your mind, it actually makes sense. How fabulous if it were true. The thing is, if I got a dollar for every conspiracy theory about this show, I would be rich. People sure do have a lot of time on their hands.
I'm a fan of The Bachelor. Never miss an episode, and am convinced that love can be found this way. You have got to be a Super Fan however, to spend your time coming up with conspiracy theories about what is happening and why. It cracks me up, and only makes my crush on Mike Fleiss stronger. I love you Mr. Fleiss.
I have a date tonight. We met last weekend at the car dealership when I was getting an oil change. He seemed like a nice guy, so I agreed to meet for a drink after work. I am really trying. Thinking outside the box, staying open to finding love in unexpected places, trying to trust myself, and always keeping the faith.
February 23, 2010 | 11:11 am
Posted by Ilana Angel
The greatest love experiment on television is coming to the end of another season. Last night, the Women Tell All special aired as this week's installment of The Bachelor. Next week, Jake will wrap it all up with the most dramatic final rose ceremony in history!
I don't know about you, but I was a little bored last night. There was an awful lot of recapping. I feel like it was a big flashback dream, and I invested a lot of time, for very little payback. That said, I love this show and whatever they need to do, to fill two hours, they have my blessing.
I was at the taping of the Women Tell All special. It took hours of filming, and lot's of what we saw ended up on the cutting room floor. I must say though, they did a good job of editing because most of what they cut, was repetitious and not that interesting.
They began by showing a bunch of bachelor/bachelorette cast reunions. Who knew these even existed? If it is any indication of what The Bachelor Pad show will be like this summer, we can look forward to seeing tons of naked bodies, drunken rants, and regrettable sex.
We are then shown how the cast members of seasons past, help to give back by donating their time to charity. To be honest, I did not remember half the people who they featured, but that's not important. What's key, is that they are helping. If their pretending to be famous for a little while longer, gives them the motivation to help those less fortunate, then bravo.
I would like to provide a translation of what we saw last night. With the end fast approaching, let's break it down so people will be better able to understand what everyone is really saying. I am an expert in the language of "Bachelorese", so please allow me to bring it all together.
Gia is the first to sit down with Chris Harrison. She says that she may not act or seem insecure, but she is probably the most insecure girl there. Translation: Even she does not get how pretty she is and if she did, it would have been a whole other ball game.
I had a chance to speak with Gia last week, and ask some questions. Let me just say, this is a really lovely girl. She is articulate, bright and charming. I asked her about her insecurity, because it's hard to imagine a girl who is so pretty, could feel bad about herself.
She said that her dream would be to use her new found celebrity to help junior high and high school girls who are struggling with bullying, mean girls and insecurity. She is the classic ugly duckling turned swan, and that she wants to help others who are like she was, is admirable.
I really like this girl. She was a lady in the house, she befriended Vienna when no one else would, and she was classy when she got the boot. I still think her laugh and accent would grate on my nerves after a while, but this is truly a wonderful girl and I hope good things happen for her.
Michelle is up next. She is a freak and I love her. I could talk about her forever. If Mike Fleiss wants to be really brave, then they should make her the next Bachelorette. She is angry and bitter, which makes for great television.
Michelle said she does not need a therapist, and is very stable. Translation: There is no amount of therapy that can help her, so why bother wasting time or money on therapy. Unless the therapist is super hot, then she would go and be full on Fatal Attraction. Michelle should go on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew for her addiction to love.
The hot seat now belongs to Ali. Let me just say that I do not like this girl. I think she is a liar and a celebrity wannabe. by wannabe, of course I mean she is working really hard to be the next Bachelorette. I know she is America's sweetheart, but come on people. This is the most manipulative woman of the entire season.
I had an opportunity to talk with Ali last week also, and this chick is bad news. I asked her if she felt any responsibility for the bad press that Vienna was getting, since she helped paint her in such a bad light. She managed to lie her way through her answer.
She said it was a tough question to answer. Translation: She needs a minute to pull an answer out of her butt. She said it would make her sad if she was a part of hurting Vienna, because that's definitely not something she'd ever want to instigate. Translation: Crap, if this backfires and I don't get to be the Bachelorette I'm going to be annoyed. I better start apologizing right away.
She went on to say that she regrets the things she said, but that we didn't see the whole story. First she was apologizing, then saying it was the editing, then saying she was trying to help Vienna. This chick is a liar, and on a mission to be the Bachelorette. I do not get why people are fans of hers. She is a mean girl, and karma is a bitch, so she needs to watch her back.
Ali is the silver medal winner in the fake crying Olympics. She almost got a gold, but Jake won by a tear. I don't believe anything this girl says. She is her own PR machine, and is saying all the right things to ingratiate herself to America, so she can be the next Bachelorette.
Look away from the light people! She is a fraud. Do not fall for it. She should NOT be the Bachelorette. She had her chance at love and walked away. Why should she get a do-over? She needs to go back to work, and get over it. Her 15 minutes of fame need to be wrapped up.
She says that if Vienna is watching, she wants to tell her she is sorry, and to be strong. Translation: Sorry I was so horrible to you Vienna, but whatever, I'm going to be the next Bachelorette, which is why I came on the show in the first place, so I win. This chick is disgusting.
This brings us to the skanky whore portion of the programming. Rozlyn. Bravo to her for coming back. I'm thinking she was contractually obligated, and not thrilled to be there, but whatever. She is the best train wreck ever, and was the part of the show I was most looking forward to.
There were two things said by Rozlyn at the taping, that I thought were important. I decided that if the show edited out these two things, I was not going to watch anymore. I get that "reality" television is not that real, but if they left them out, they were full of crap and I was done.
This was the only part that I cared about for the entire two hours, so now I'm waiting to see if Mike Fleiss is making a show about finding love, or assuming the audience is stupid, and manipulating us to see only what wants us to see, not the truth.
Item #1: Rozlyn said that she swore on her son's life that she never kissed the producer. Translation: I am a disgusting, filthy, skanky whore and I just lied on my son's life, which means that my lies are more important than the well being of my son. I would NEVER say such a thing, nor would any normal mother. I feel so sad for her little boy.
That statement by Rozlyn was one of the deal breakers for me that needed to make it into the show. This was important because if they took it out, they were restricting how we view Rozlyn, or somehow protecting her, and she did not deserve the protection. This woman is crazy.
Item #2: Rozlyn accuses Chris Harrison of hitting on the wife of the Producer she was fooling around with in New Zealand. Important to note that we learned not only was she having an inappropriate sexual affair with a staffer on the show, but he was married. She is so classy.
I think it's impressive that they showed this statement by Rozlyn. They could have easily taken it out and no one would have known. It speaks volumes about the integrity of both Chris Harrison and Mike Fleiss, that it made it to air. It was a disgusting thing for Rozlyn to say, but I suppose when she was desperate, and drowning under her own lies, it was easy to be disgusting.
It's time now for a few minutes with Jake. I want to take a moment to say that I think Jake is the worse actor ever. He is full of crocodile tears, and every time he wipes a fake tear from his eye, I want to start screaming. He is always saying that his heart was crying. Translation: If I can get a tear out now, I think I can land a gig on General Hospital.
Oh. My. God. We are now forced to watch both Ali, AND Jake, fake cry. I want to pluck out my own eyes just so it will stop. They show a blooper real at this moment, and I can't even watch it because the fake crying has made my eyes bleed. I missed the whole thing.
In the end, we got about 10 minutes of good television, hidden within two hours of fluff, but I don't care. I love this show and I'm looking forward to the finale next week. It will be interesting to see if all the spoilers we are hearing about are true, or if Jake surprises us all with an unexpected decision.
I can't wait to see how it all plays out. I hope Jake picks Vienna, and Tenley gets to be be the next Bachelorette, so she can finally get over her ex-husband. As for who they actually pick to be the bachelorette, I don't really care, as long as it's NOT Ali.
All I can do is trust that Mike Fleiss sees that she is an inherently mean girl, and does not deserve the opportunity. Call me Mike Fleiss and I will explain it all to you. You trust me, and in turn, I will keep the faith.
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2WD Reg Cab 119.0' Work Truck
Starting at | Starting at 15 MPG City - 20 MPG Highway
To cater to the wide range of customers and uses for full-size pickups, Chevrolet is wisely offering two completely different interiors for the new Silverado, resulting in products that are both functional and as completely luxurious as the customer demands. Prices are very competitive, with extended cab models beginning at $22,210 ($495 less than 2007) while crew cabs start at $26,700 and the base regular cab in work truck trim starts at only $17,175 (a $685 discount versus 2007).
The Chevy Silverado, completely redesigned for 2007, enters 2008 with few changes. A six-way power seat adjuster is now available on 1LT models, and XM satellite radio is standard across all trims. Two new reds (Dark Cherry Metallic and Deep Ruby Metallic) replace Sport Red Metallic.
The most striking feature of the 2008 Silverado, which Chevrolet completely redesigned a year ago, is the interior. The new cabin offered on the top LTZ trim is similar to that currently offered on GM's full-size sport-utility vehicles such as the Chevrolet Tahoe, and offers standard luxury features like power heated front leather seats, six-disc CD/MP3-capable audio system, and heated windshield washers, while top crew cab LTZ models add rain-sensing wipers and a rear-seat audio system. LTZ models are further differentiated by a completely different instrument panel and door panels, a huge, 20.1-liter center console storage area, and upgraded five-liter glove box. Ultrasonic rear parking assist is available.
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Telematics | Opt |
Chevrolet Certified Pre-Owned Warranty |
2-year/24,000-mile¹ CPO Scheduled Maintenance Plan. 12-month/12,000-mile² bumper-to-bumper warranty. 5-year/100,000-miles³ powertrain limited warranty for model years up to 2012. 6-year/100,000-miles³ powertrain limited warranty for 2013 model year and newer (as of 6/24/13). ¹Whichever comes first. See participating dealer for details. ²Whichever comes first from date of purchase. See participating dealer for limited warranty details. ³Whichever comes first from original in-service date. See participating dealers for limited warranty details.> |
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Learn the finer points of how to be a photographer, graphic designer or illustrator with these commercial art reference books. These books about graphic design cover what it takes to launch your career in these fields and gives you great sources of inspiration in your own work. This selection of art & photography books from North Light Shop also covers important topics such as how to be an art director & how to get involved in other art-related fields.
Marketing Illustration


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Great Britain can legitimately claim to have invented ice hockey, and even won gold at the 1936 Winter Olympics -- but its modern-day heroes are struggling to uphold that heritage.
When some British solders first ventured on to the ice in Ontario, Canada in the mid-19th century to play a modified version of field hockey, they could never have dreamed a multibillion-dollar business would be the legacy.
However, while the sport has flourished in North America and other European nations, in the UK it battles a chronic lack of funding and fights for snippets of media coverage in a country where football dominates the back pages.
Team GB has not played in the Winter Games since 1948, and suffered another heartbreaking failure last week in the final round of qualifying in Riga.
Despite the setbacks, stalwart player David Clarke remains optimistic for the future of the sport.
"Great Britain isn't renowned for its ice hockey talent, but it's growing and we've made a great account for ourselves over the last four or five years," Clarke told CNN's Human to Hero series.
"So, I think gradually we are getting more respect but with that comes expectation."
A squad coached by Scotsman Tony Hand, who briefly played alongside Wayne Gretzky in the NHL, lost to 11th-ranked hosts Latvia, France and Kazakhstan, ending their hopes of going to Sochi in 2014.
"We gave a decent account of ourselves, but it would have been nice to have been able to get together as a team for more than just two days to properly prepare," said Clarke.
Andy French, general secretary of Ice Hockey UK, which now boasts over 10,000 registered players, is dismayed they receive no funding from the British sports authorities.
"Extra backing would create more revenue to enable all our teams from junior to senior level to have four international breaks per year to prepare for world championships, to bring on board a sports psychologist, team nutritionist, better preparation," he told CNN.
Clarke could have followed Hand over the Atlantic to try his hand in the toughest league of all, but decided to stay home after becoming a father at the age of 18.
He also had trials for his local professional football club Peterborough, but chose hockey.
Star player
If he has any regret at missing out on the possible riches in the NHL, or even the EPL, the 31-year-old does not show it.
He has forged a reputation as one of the star players in the British domestic league, being the all-time top scorer, and has helped Nottingham to a Playoffs and Challenge Cup double the past two seasons.
Matches are played in purpose-built arenas, with the capital cities of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland hosting the Cardiff Devils, Belfast Giants and Edinburgh Capitals before audiences of between 5,000 to 8,000 partisan fans.
London had a team, for which Clarke briefly played, run by the Anschutz Entertainment Group -- one of the world's largest sporting owners and investors. The London Knights were wound up in 2003 after only five years when the competition they played in folded and their home stadium was sold.
The NHL hosted two fixtures between the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings at London's 02 Arena in 2007, but French bemoans the fact the English capital is not represented in the GB professional league.
"I think having the NHL play here is great for the fans and also does encourage people to find out where their nearest ice rink is either to go and watch a game or for the youngsters to start playing," he said.
"But one big issue that we have is that we do not have a professional team playing in London. We used to have the London Knights but they finished a few years ago now."
But Clarke is encouraged by the rise of homegrown talent in a GB team which used to be packed with dual nationality players, often of Canadian and U.S. heritage.
So can a GB team make it to a future Olympics and take a short step towards emulating the 1936 heroes?
"Without a doubt," he said. "But if we don't start now we are going to miss the opportunity.
"It's a case of getting that talent to play to the best of their abilities. Slovenia, who we have beaten, came through the qualifying to make it to Sochi, and so can we at future Games."


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Clay Bloodworth is a 14-year-old Gulf Breeze High School freshman and film buff who is gaining a name for himself on the internet as a critic with insightful views. In addition to collecting DVDs and going to see independent films at the Movies 4 at Gulf Breeze theater, Bloodworth regularly posts his critique of films on his You Tube channel and currently has almost 700 subscribers.
"I saw other people doing it and I thought, 'Why can't I do that, too,'" he said. "I can send them to my friends and get them to see these movies."
For the complete story, see the Feb. 7 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.


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Vt home hit by flooding, fireThe Associated Press | July 12,2013FAIRLEE Fire broke out in a house in Fairlee as the property was being flooded Wednesday.
The fire chief told WCAX-TV the homeowners were cooking when floodwaters began washing away their driveway. They got distracted by the storm and didnt notice when hot oil in the kitchen sparked flames.
Fire crews said a road washout made it hard for them to reach the house, but they were able to put out the fire eventually.MORE IN Vermont NewsWASHINGTON Although House and Senate negotiators failed to agree on a new farm bill as Congress... Full StoryRUTLAND-Vermont's largest electric utility says its customers won't be seeing any increases in... Full Story -
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UK: Watchdog dismisses complaint over Heineken Bulmers ad
By James Wilmore | 19 September 2012
The UK's advertising watchdog has rejected a complaint from Alcohol Concern over a Heineken campaign featuring its Bulmers cider brand and musician Plan B.
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Browsing Medical Bioscience by Title
Now showing items 1-17 of 17
Keng, Choong-Tat; Zhang, Aihua; Shen, Shuo; Lip, Kuo-Ming; Fielding, Burtram C.; Tan, Timothy HP; Chou, Chih-Fong; Loh, Chay Boon; Wang, Sifang; Fu, Jianlin; Yang, Xiaoming; Lim, Seng Gee; Hong, Wanjin; Tan, Yee-Joo (American Society for Microbiology, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: The spike (S) protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) interacts with cellular receptors to mediate membrane fusion, allowing viral entry into host cells; hence it is recognized as the primary target of neutralizing antibodies, and therefore knowledge of antigenic determinants that can elicit neutralizing antibodies could be beneficial for the development of a protective vaccine. Here, we expressed five different fragments of S, covering the entire ectodomain (amino acids 48 to 1192), as glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins in Escherichia coli and used the purified proteins to raise antibodies in rabbits. By Western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation experiments, we showed that all the antibodies are specific and highly sensitive to both the native and denatured forms of the full-length S protein expressed in virus-infected cells and transfected cells, respectively. Indirect immunofluorescence performed on fixed but unpermeabilized cells showed that these antibodies can recognize the mature form of S on the cell surface. All the antibodies were also able to detect the maturation of the 200-kDa form of S to the 210-kDa form by pulse-chase experiments. When the antibodies were tested for their ability to inhibit SARS-CoV propagation in Vero E6 culture, it was found that the anti-S 10 antibody, which was targeted to amino acid residues 1029 to 1192 of S, which include heptad repeat 2, has strong neutralizing activities, suggesting that this region of S carries neutralizing epitopes and is very important for virus entry into cells. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/748 Files in this item: 1
KengAminAcids2005.pdf (244.1Kb) -
Fielding, Burtram C.; Mnabisa, Amanda; Gouws, Pieter A.; Morris, Thureyah (Termedia Publishing House, 2012)[more][less]
Abstract: Sub-therapeutic doses of antimicrobial agents are administered routinely to poultry to aid growth and to prevent disease, with prolonged exposure often resulting in bacterial resistance. Crossover of antibiotic resistant bacteria from poultry to humans poses a risk to human health. In this study, 17 chicken samples collected from a vendor operating in an informal settlement in the Cape Town Metropolitan area, South Africa were screened for antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative bacilli using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion assay. In total, six antibiotics were screened: ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline and trimethoprim. Surprisingly, Klebsiella ozaenae was identified in 96 and K. rhinoscleromatis in 6 (n = 102) of the samples tested. Interestingly, ~40% of the isolated Klebsiella spp. showed multiple resistance to at least three of the six antibiotics tested. Klebsiella ozaenae and K. rhinoscleromatis cause clinical chronic rhinitis and are almost exclusively associated with people living in areas of poor hygiene. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/743 Files in this item: 1
FieldingKlebsiellaSpecies2012.pdf (68.76Kb) -
Berry, Michael; Manasse, Taryn-Lee; Tan, Yee-Joo; Fielding, Burtram C. (Academic Journals, 2012)[more][less]
Abstract: Coronavirus N is a multifunctional protein that plays an essential role in enhancing the efficiency of virus transcription and assembly. This manuscript reports the analysis of HCoV-NL63 N protein by comparing the amino acid sequences of coronavirus N-homologues. A ~50 kDa protein was expressed in both a mammalian cell and bacterial cell system that is similar in size to the predicted ~42.6 kDa HCoV-NL63 N protein. PSORTII identified two putative nuclear localisations signals and PONDR identified one disordered region in HCoV-NL63 N. The reported protein analysis serves as a prelude to laboratory analysis to understand the processing of HCoV-NL63 N. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/735 Files in this item: 1
BerryHumanCoronavirus2012.pdf (970.9Kb) -
Fielding, Burtram C.; Davison, Sean (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999)[more][less]
Abstract: The polyhedrin gene (polh) was identified from the Trichoplusia ni (Tni) single capsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (SNPV). An EcoRI fragment containing the truncated polyhedrin gene was detected by hybridization with an AcMNPV expression vector probe; the remaining portion of the gene was amplified by reverse PCR. An open reading frame (ORF) of 741 nucleotides (nt), encoding a putative protein of 246 amino acids (a.a) with Mr 28,780 Da was identified. The 50-noncoding region contained the putative late (TAAG) transcription initiation motif. The 30 end, downstream of the translation stop codon, lacked an obvious putative poly (A) signal. Nucleotide and amino acid homology are greater than 80% to that of Mamestra brassicae polyhedrin sequences.Results suggest that T. niSNPV is a member of the group II nuclear polyhedrosis viruses. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/879 Files in this item: 0
Fielding, Burtram C.; Tan, Yee-Joo; Shen, Shuo; Tan, Timothy HP; Ooi, Eng-Eong; Lim, Seng Gee; Hong, Wanjin; Goh, Phuay-Yee (American Society for Microbiology, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: A novel coronavirus (CoV) has been identified as the etiological agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The SARS-CoV genome encodes the characteristic essential CoV replication and structural proteins. Additionally, the genome contains six group-specific open reading frames (ORFs) larger than 50 amino acids, with no known homologues. As with the group-specific genes of the other CoVs, little is known about the SARS-CoV group-specific genes. SARS-CoV ORF7a encodes a putative unique 122-amino-acid protein, designated U122 in this study. The deduced sequence contains a probable cleaved signal sequence and a C-terminal transmembrane helix, indicating that U122 is likely to be a type I membrane protein. The C-terminal tail also contains a typical endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retrieval motif, KRKTE. U122 was expressed in SARS-CoVinfected Vero E6 cells, as it could be detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses. U122 is localized to the perinuclear region of both SARS-CoV-infected and transfected cells and colocalized with ER and intermediate compartment markers. Mutational analyses showed that both the signal peptide sequence and ER retrieval motif were functional. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/741 Files in this item: 1
FieldingRespiratorySyndrome2004.pdf (2.581Mb) -
Fielding, Burtram C.; Suliman, Tasnim (Academic Journals, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: It has been reported in some studies that the newly discovered human coronavirus NL-63 (HCoVNL63) is one of the most common coronaviruses associated with acute respiratory infections. HCoVNL63 was first isolated in 2004 from a 7 month old infant in Holland. The HCoV-NL63 genome encodes for one accessory protein, ORF3. This reports the computational analysis of human coronavirus NL63 ORF3 by comparing the amino acid sequences of coronavirus ORF3-homologues. The HCoV-NL63 ORF3 gene was found to encode a putative protein ~25.6 kDa in size. ORF3 was predicted to contain three potential transmembrane regions. The amino acid sequence of HCoVNL63 ORF3 was shown to be most similar to HCoV 229E ORF4 (43% identity; 62% similarity). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/742 Files in this item: 1
FieldingHumanCoronavirus2009.pdf (426.1Kb) -
Tan, Timothy HP; Barkham, Timothy; Fielding, Burtram C.; Chou, Chih-Fong; Shen, Shuo; Lim, Seng Gee; Hong, Wanjin; Tan, Yee-Joo (BioMed Central, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: A series of frameshift mutations within the 3a gene has been observed in culture-derived severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). We report here that viral RNA from clinical samples obtained from SARS-CoV infected patients also contains a heterogeneous population of wild-type and mutant 3a transcripts. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/745 Files in this item: 1
TanGenericLesions2005.pdf (530.2Kb) -
Müller, Marcel A.; van der Hoek, Lia; Voss, Daniel; Bader, Oliver; Lehmann, Dörte; Schulz, Axel R.; Kallies, Stephan; Suliman, Tasnim; Fielding, Burtram C.; Drosten, Christian; Niedrig, Matthias (BioMed Central, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: Background: Human pathogenic coronavirus NL63 (hCoV-NL63) is a group 1 (alpha) coronavirus commonly associated with respiratory tract infections. In addition to known non-structural and structural proteins all coronaviruses have one or more accessory proteins whose functions are mostly unknown. Our study focuses on hCoV-NL63 open reading frame 3 (ORF 3) which is a highly conserved accessory protein among coronaviruses. Results: In-silico analysis of the 225 amino acid sequence of hCoV-NL63 ORF 3 predicted a triple membranespanning protein. Expression in infected CaCo-2 and LLC-MK2 cells was confirmed by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. The protein was detected within the endoplasmatic reticulum/Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC) where coronavirus assembly and budding takes place. Subcellular localization studies using recombinant ORF 3 protein transfected in Huh-7 cells revealed occurrence in ERGIC, Golgi- and lysosomal compartments. By fluorescence microscopy of differently tagged envelope (E), membrane (M) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins it was shown that ORF 3 protein colocalizes extensively with E and M within the ERGIC. Using N-terminally FLAG-tagged ORF 3 protein and an antiserum specific to the C-terminus we verified the proposed topology of an extracellular N-terminus and a cytosolic C-terminus. By in-vitro translation analysis and subsequent endoglycosidase H digestion we showed that ORF 3 protein is N-glycosylated at the N-terminus. Analysis of purified viral particles revealed that ORF 3 protein is incorporated into virions and is therefore an additional structural protein. Conclusions: This study is the first extensive expression analysis of a group 1 hCoV-ORF 3 protein. We give evidence that ORF 3 protein is a structural N-glycosylated and virion-incorporated protein. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/885 Files in this item: 1
MullerHumanCoronavirusNL632010.pdf (3.323Mb) -
Fielding, Burtram C.; Davison, Sean (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000)[more][less]
Abstract: The p10 gene was identified and characterized from the Trichoplusia ni single capsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (TniSNPV). The p10 open reading frame (ORF) sequence was identified following sequencing of the ends of the EcoRI-G clone. Subsequent sequencing of an EcoRI-SmaI subclone identified the entire p10 and a portion of a p26 homologue. The p10 ORF of 264 basepairs (bps), encoded a predicted protein of 88 amino acids (aas) with Mr 9527 Da. The putative late transcription initiation motif (TAAG) was found upstream of the translation initiation codon at position ÿ46. Downstream of the translation stop codon, a putative poly(A) signal was identified. The p10 amino acid sequence contained the three conserved domains reported for all other p10 genes. The p10 amino acid sequence was most homologous (85% similarity and 67% identity) to that of Buzura suppresaria NPV p10 sequence. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/767 Files in this item: 0
Wang, Weizhou; Leat, Neil; Fielding, Burtram C.; Davison, Sean (Springer Verlag, 2001)[more][less]
Abstract: Substantial research has been conducted on the immediate early 1 (ie-1) genes from the prototype baculovirus Autographa californica multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) and the Orgyia pseudotsugata multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (OpMNPV). In both cases ie-1 gene products have been implicated in transcriptional activation and repression. In this study an ie-1 homolog was identified from Trichoplusia ni single nucleocapsid polyhedrosis virus (TniSNPV). Nucleotide sequence analysis indicated that the TniSNPV ie-1 gene consists of a 2217 nucleotide open reading frame (ORF), encoding a protein with a molecular mass of 84.464 kDa. This represents the largest baculovirus ie-1 gene characterised to date. Of the seven ie-1 homologs identified to date, the TniSNPV ie-1 shared most sequence similarity with the ie-1 gene of Spodoptera exigua MNPV (SeMNPV) (41%). At the nucleotide level, expected TATA and CAGT motifs were found to precede each ie-1 ORF. At the protein level, it was confirmed that the N-termini are poorly conserved, but share the characteristic of having a high proportion of acidic amino acids. In addition it was found that N-terminal regions significantly matched the SET domain in the Swiss-Prot prosite database. The C-terminal regions of the deduced IE-1 sequences were found to be substantially more conserved than the N-termini. Several conserved motifs were identified in the C-terminal sequences. A phylogenetic tree of nine baculovirus IE-1 proteins was constructed using maximum parsimony analysis. The phylogenetic estimation of the ie-1 genes shows that TniSNPV is a member of the previously described lepidopteran NPV group II and it is most closely related to SeMNPV. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/881 Files in this item: 0
Chou, Chih-Fong; Shen, Shuo; Tan, Yee-Joo; Fielding, Burtram C.; Tan, Timothy H.P.; Fu, Jianlin; Xu, Qiurong; Lim, Seng Gee; Hong, Wanjin (Elsevier, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a life-threatening disease, is caused by the newly identified virus SARS coronavirus (SARSCoV). In order to study the spike (S) protein of this highly contagious virus, we established a clonal cell-line, CHO-SG, from the Chinese hamster ovary cells that stably expresses C-terminally EGFP-tagged SARS-CoV S protein (S-EGFP). The ectodomain of the S glycoprotein is localized on the surface of CHO-SG cells with N-acetyl-glucosamine-terminated carbohydrate structure. CHO-SG cells associated tightly with Vero E6 cells, a SARS-CoV receptor (ACE2) expressing cell-line, and the interaction remained stable under highly stringent condition (1MNaCl). This interaction could be blocked by either the serum from a SARS convalescent patient or a goat anti-ACE2 antibody, indicating that the interaction is specific. A binding epitope with lesser degree of glycosylation and native conformation was localized by using rabbit anti-sera raised against five denatured recombinant S protein fragments expressed in Escherichia coli. One of the sera obtained from the fragment encompassing amino acids 48-358 significantly blocked the interaction between CHO-SG and Vero E6 cells. The region is useful for studying neutralizing antibodies in future vaccine development. This paper describes an easy and safe cell-based assay suitable for studying the binding between SARS-CoV S protein and its receptor. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/769 Files in this item: 0
Khan, Sehaam; Fielding, Burtram C.; Tan, Timothy. H.P.; Chou, Chih-Fong; Shou, Shen; Lim, Seng Gee; Hong, Wanjin; Tan, Yee-Joo (Elsevier, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: The genome of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus encodes for eight accessory viral proteins with no known homologues in other coronaviruses. One of these is the 3b protein, which is encoded by the second open reading frame in subgenomic RNA 3 and contains 154 amino acids. Here, a detailed time-course study was performed to compare the apoptosis and necrosis profiles induced by full-length 3b, a 3b mutant that was deleted by 30 amino acids from the C terminus (3b 124-154) and the classical apoptosis inducer, Bax. Our results showed that Vero E6 cells transfected with a construct for expressing 3b underwent necrosis as early as 6 h after transfection and underwent simultaneous necrosis and apoptosis at later time-points. At all the time-points analysed, the apoptosis induced by the expression of 3b was less than the level induced by Bax but the level of necrosis was comparable. The 3b 124-154 mutant behaves in a similar manner indicating that the localization of the 3b protein does not seems to be important for the cell-death pathways since full-length 3b is localized predominantly to the nucleolus, while the mutant is found to be concentrated in the peri-nuclear regions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the induction of necrosis by a SARS-CoV protein. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/884 Files in this item: 0
Tan, Yee-Joo; Goh, Phuay-Yee; Fielding, Burtram C.; Shen, Shou; Chou, Chih-Fong; Fu, Jian-Lin; Leong, Hoe Nam; Leo, Yee Sin; Ooi, Eng Eong; Ling, Ai Ee; Lim, Seng Gee; Hong, Wanjin (American Society for Microbiology, 2004)[more][less]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/880 Files in this item: 1
TanAcuteRespiratorySyndrome2004.pdf (1.622Mb) -
Tan, Yee-Joo; Tham, Puay-Yoke; Chan, Daphne Z. L.; Chou, Chih-Fong; Shen, Shou; Fielding, Burtram C.; Tan, Timothy. H.P.; Lim, Seng Gee; Hong, Wanjin (2005)[more][less]
Abstract: Here we analyzed the gene expression profile of cells that stably express the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) 3a protein to determine its effects on host functions. A lung epithelial cell-line, A549, was chosen for this study because the lung is the primary organ infected by SARS-CoV and fatalities resulted mainly from pulmonary complications. Our results showed that the expression of 3a up-regulates the mRNA levels of all three subunits, A , B , and , of fibrinogen. Consequently, the intracellular levels as well as the secretion of fibrinogen were increased. We also observed increased fibrinogen levels in SARS-CoV-infected Vero E6 cells. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/883 Files in this item: 1
TanYJ-J Virol-Aug2005.pdf (122.8Kb) -
Fielding, Burtram C.; Gunalan, Vithiagaran; Tan, Timothy. H.P.; Chou, Chih-Fong; Shen, Shou; Khan, Sehaam; Lim, Seng Gee; Hong, Wanjin; Tan, Yee-Joo (Elsevier, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) 7a is an accessory protein with no known homologues. In this study, we report the interaction of a SARS-CoV 7a and small glutamine-rich tetratricopeptide repeat-containing protein (SGT). SARS-CoV 7a and human SGT interaction was identified using a two-hybrid system screen and confirmed with interaction screens in cell culture and cellular co-localization studies. The SGT domain of interaction was mapped by deletion mutant analysis and results indicated that tetratricopeptide repeat 2 (aa 125-158) was essential for interaction. We also showed that 7a interacted with SARS-CoV structural proteins M (membrane) and E (envelope), which have been shown to be essential for virus-like particle formation. Taken together, our results coupled with data from studies of the interaction between SGT and HIV-1 vpu indicated that SGT could be involved in the life-cycle, possibly assembly of SARS-CoV. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/882 Files in this item: 0
Abdul-Rasool, Sahar; Fielding, Burtram C. (Bentham Science, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: Even though coronavirus infection of humans is not normally associated with severe diseases, the identification of the coronavirus responsible for the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome showed that highly pathogenic coronaviruses can enter the human population. Shortly thereafter, in Holland in 2004, another novel human coronavirus (HCoV-NL63) was isolated from a seven-month old infant suffering from respiratory symptoms. This virus has subsequently been identified in various countries, indicating a worldwide distribution. HCoV-NL63 has been shown to infect mainly children and the immunocommpromised, who presented with either mild upper respiratory symptoms (cough, fever and rhinorrhoea) or more serious lower respiratory tract involvement such as bronchiolitis and croup, which was observed mainly in younger children. In fact, HCoV-NL63 is the aetiological agent for up to 10% of all respiratory diseases. This review summarizes recent findings of human coronavirus HCoV-NL63 infections, including isolation and identification, phylogeny and taxonomy, genome structure and transcriptional regulation, transmission and pathogenesis, and detection and diagnosis. Description: Clinical featuresPathogenesisDiagnosis URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/734 Files in this item: 1
Abdul-RasoolHumanCoronavirus2010.pdf (688.8Kb) -
Dutta, Sujit; Gupta, Garvita; Choi, Yook-Wah; Kotaka, Masayo; Fielding, Burtram C.; Song, Jianxing; Tan, Yee-Joo (Portland Press, 2012)[more][less]
Abstract: RNA helicases of the DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp)-box family of proteins are involved in many aspects of RNA metabolism from transcription to RNA decay, but most of them have also been shown to be multifunctional. The DEAD-box helicase DDX5 of host cells has been shown to interact with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NS5B) of HCV (hepatitis C virus). In the present study, we report the presence of two independent NS5Bbinding sites in DDX5, one located at the N-terminus and another at the C-terminus. The N-terminal fragment of DDX5, which consists of the first 305 amino acids and shall be referred as DDX5-N, was expressed and crystallized. The crystal structure shows that domain 1 (residues 79–303) of DDX5 contains the typical features found in the structures of other DEADbox helicases. DDX5-N also contains the highly variable NTR (N-terminal region) of unknown function and the crystal structure reveals structural elements in part of the NTR, namely residues 52–78. This region forms an extensive loop and an α-helix. From co-immunoprecipitation experiments, the NTR of DDX5-N was observed to auto-inhibit its interaction with NS5B. Interestingly, the α-helix in NTR is essential for this auto-inhibition and seems to mediate the interaction between the highly flexible 1–51 residues in NTR and the NS5B-binding site in DDX5-N. Furthermore, NMR investigations reveal that there is a direct interaction between DDX5 and NS5B in vitro. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/864 Files in this item: 0
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SKILL LEVEL: Easy + (Level 3)
SIZE: One Size 39 x 49 in. (99 x 124.5 cm) CORRECTIONS: (applied Jan 22, 2009)
12 sts + 5 rows = 4 in. (10 cm) in Shell pattern. BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR GAUGE. When you match the gauge in a pattern, your project will be the size specified in the pattern and the materials specified in the pattern will be sufficient. If it takes you fewer stitches and rows to make a 4 in. [10 cm] square, try using a smaller size hook or needles; if more stitches and rows, try a larger size hook or needles.
Shell Dc in next dc, ch 1, (dc, ch 1, dc) between last dc and next dc, ch 1, dc in next dc.
COLOR SEQUENCE *Work 3 rows with A, 3 rows with B, 3 rows with C, 3 rows with D; rep from * for Color Sequence. To change color, work last st with old color to last yarn over, yarn over with new color, and draw through all loops on hook to complete stitch.
Learn to Crochet Instructions: http://www.lionbrand.com/learnToCrochet.html


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122-124 Dauphin Humanities CenterShippensburg UniversityShippensburg, Pennsylvania 17257
Dr. Steven Burg, Chair
Janice Reed, Secretary
Tel: 717-477-1621Fax: email@example.com
The History and Philosophy Department is committed to preparing individuals for a lifetime of personal growth and professional success grounded in critical thinking, creativity, scholarly inquiry, effective oral and written communication, public service, and global understanding. The department fosters active collaboration between faculty and students, and has a strong commitment to engaging students in research, field study, and experiential learning such as practicums and internships.
Shippensburg University History majors enjoy small class sizes taught by members of our faculty, not by graduate assistants. Our upper-division major courses are capped at 25 students, allowing close interaction between our faculty and students.
We have eighteen historians on our faculty, allowing us to offer a wide range of course exploring diverse time periods and regions of the world. Our department has particular strength in United States history, World History, Social Studies Education, and Public History.
Our history majors and graduate students utilize the rich historical resources of our region. Recently, students have arranged internships and conducted research at such places as Gettysburg National Military Park, the United States Army Heritage and Education Center, the U.S. Civil War Museum, the Cumberland County Historical Society, the Pennsylvania State Archives, the State Museum, and the Pennsylvania Bureau for Historic Preservation. Internships may also be arranged with approved historical institutions anywhere in Pennsylvania, the United States, or abroad.
Our Bachelor of Science in Education with Social Studies certification program prepares students to be middle school and high school teachers. A unique aspect of our program is that we have three faculty members who serve as special academic advisors to our students pursuing teacher certification. Each of these faculty members were high school history teachers who chose to return and earn their doctoral degrees, so they are both experts in history scholarship and experienced classroom teachers. These faculty members help students to navigate the university and state requirements for teacher certification, teach the department's course on social studies teaching methods, and supervise student teachers in the field.
Students who complete their degrees will be certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to teach History, Geography, Civics, Economics, Sociology, Anthropology and Psychology.
Our department has a close working relationship with teachers and school districts throughout the region, offering our student teachers high-quality practicums and field placements.
Students interested in working for museums, historical societies, or archives often need a history major as a first step toward their careers. The department's Bachelor of Arts Degree with a Public History Concentration introduces students to the specialized methods used by history professionals. History internships allow these students to explore historical careers and to gain valuable work experience while earning credit towards their degrees. This combination of training and on-the-job experience provides a solid foundation for students who wish to pursue the advanced degree often required for employment in these fields.
Shippensburg University's graduate program in applied history is designed for college graduates seeking advanced historical training and educators seeking professional development opportunities.
The graduate program in applied history is a flexible program designed to provide educators, public historians, and individuals wishing to pursue advanced graduate work with practical professional training. Our faculty work one-on-one with students to design a program of study to meet their personal and professional needs.
For those seeking careers in the field of public history, the program offers coursework in archives, museum studies, oral history, local history, and historic preservation, as well as professional internships to prepare students for employment in museums, historical institutions, and at historic sites. Educators will find a diverse array of courses in United States history, world history, and historical methods that will deepen their historical knowledge and provide new resources for classroom use. The curriculum provides a rigorous historical training, including the option to write a master's thesis, that can also prepare students for further graduate work.
Students who seek the Master's Degree in Applied History may also apply to gain their certification in Social Studies education. Students must be accepted by both the History Department and the School of Education and Human Services. Each accepted students will recieve a personalized transcript evaluation in order to determine the coursework required to complete certification.
The History Department also has a joint program with Clarion University allowing students to earn a dual degree, a Master's of Applied History and a Master's of Information and Library Science.
For more information about Shippensburg University's graduate History programs, click here.
In addition to earning the Master's Degree in Applied History, students may also consider the following options:
Master's in Organizational Development & Leadership with a Historical Administration Concentration: A program designed to provide leadership and administrative training for individuals working in the field of public history. This is a joint program between the Shippensburg University History/Philosophy Department and the Organizational Development and Leadership Program.
Master's in Curriculum and Instruction with a Secondary History Cluster: A program specially designed for in-service teachers that combines advanced Education and History coursework. This thirty credit program does not require an internship or thesis. This a joint program between the Shippensburg Unversity History/Philosophy Department and the Teacher Education Department).
Shippensburg University Department of History and Philosophy
124 Dauphin Humanities CenterShippensburg UniversityShippensburg, Pennsylvania 17257


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But the stronger the radical groups become, the more the United States worries that the fighting -- not political efforts to find a solution -- will decide the outcome in Syria. As a result, Washington has been pushing the opposition to unite. That process is unfolding with the recent creation of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.
Early next week, Clinton will travel to Marrakesh, Morocco, for a meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People, a gathering of countries that support the political transition. The Obama administration, while providing, for now, non-lethal assistance, is expected to take the first steps toward officially recognizing the National Coalition at that meeting.
Clinton also reiterated Wednesday the strong U.S. position set out by President Barack Obama on Monday over any possible use by Syria of chemical weapons. She said the international community is sending a clear message to Damascus.
"Our concerns are that an increasingly desperate Assad regime might turn to chemical weapons or might lose control of them to one of the many groups that are now operating within Syria," she said.
"And so, as part of the absolute unity that we all have on this issue, we have sent an unmistakable message that this would cross a red line and those responsible would be held to account."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on a visit to Baghdad Thursday that he had expressed his "gravest concerns" to Syria's government over any use of chemical weapons and had written directly to al-Assad.
He warned that anyone responsible for the use of chemical weapons would face serious consequences.
Ban is to meet with the head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Baghdad to discuss how it can work with the United Nations on the issue.
NATO foreign ministers agreed this week to a request by Turkey for Patriot missiles to be deployed along its border to bolster its air defenses against potential Syrian threats.
Errant Syrian artillery shells struck the Turkish border town of Akcakale and killed five Turkish civilians in October.
Early Thursday, the German Cabinet agreed to send Patriot missiles and up to 400 soldiers to Turkey to deter the Syrian civil war from spilling into the country. Germany's parliament will vote on the deployment next week, the foreign ministry said.
In addition to Germany, the United States and Netherlands, both of which have Patriot capabilities, have signaled they would be willing to contribute missiles.
"Any deployment will be defensive only. It will in no way support a no-fly zone or any offensive operation," the NATO statement said.
NATO's decision was made as the fears surfaced that the Assad regime might be preparing to use chemical weapons.
"The Syrian stockpiles of chemical weapons are a matter of great concern," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.
"We know that Syria possesses missiles. We know they have chemical weapons and, of course, they also have to be included in our calculations," he said. "And this is also the reason why it is a matter of urgency to ensure effective defense and protection of our ally Turkey."
In the United States, Republican Sen. John McCain said Thursday that time may be running out.
"If true, these reports may mean that the United States and our allies are facing the prospect of an imminent use of weapons of mass destruction in Syria, and this may be the last warning we get," McCain said. "The time for talking about what to do may now be coming to a close and we may instead be left with an awful and very difficult decision."


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Wilma Rosario loves to salsa but relentless heel pain has been keeping her from hitting the dance floor.
"It feels like somebody's sticking with needles in my heels sometimes," Rosario says.
She's tried everything from Motrin to steroid injections to treat it. But so far she hasn't gotten the relief she's been looking for.
So her physician, podiatric surgeon Dr. Suzanne Levine is using a new approach -- infrared light therapy. Here's the kicker: The foot doctor's new tool is usually something you'll find in the dermatologist's or plastic surgeon's office.
"This is a machine that was originally designated for skin tightening at different amounts of energy," Levine says. "We noticed one other patient, this was about a year-and-a-half ago, felt better after she had this treatment. She had jaw problems. My colleague was using this infrared to tighten her skin and she said 'I felt so much better.' And just with that one, clear, significant pain improvement in addition to skin tightening, we thought at the same time, 'Why not try this and help in healing any type of inflammatory condition?'"
In a study just published in the journal of Practical Pain Management, Levine tracked the treatment in a small group of 40 adult patients over a year.
With one to 10 treatments administered at low doses, all but one patient experiencing acute or chronic foot, ankle and knee trouble reported a significant drop in pain ranging from 40 percent to being totally pain-free.
Some patients were also treated for hand and wrist pain.
Levine finds those results so promising that she's already using the light therapy in more patients like Rosario.
Levine plans to continue this treatment for other patients that benefit. The hope is that companies that make the infrared machines for cosmetic use might also seek FDA approval for pain management as well.


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Second-term polls: How do Obama and Clinton compare?
Obama's approval rating holding steady
UPDATED 5:49 PM MDT May 20, 2013The views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use.blog comments powered by Disqus


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A Fayetteville woman's claim that her 8-year-old daughter was kidnapped Thursday outside Lucille Souders Elementary School was fabricated, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.
Latasha Michelle Bethea, 28, of the 6500 block of Brookstone Lane, has been charged with making an unfounded report to law enforcement officers and resist, delay or obstruction of justice, a spokeswoman said.
Bethea notified authorities that her daughter was standing outside the school, waiting for her ride, on Hillside Road about 3:25 p.m. when a woman driving a white Buick pulled up, Debbie Tanna said.
The girl got in the car, Bethea reported, and the car drove away.
Deputies and detectives spent several hours looking for the girl, who was found safe at her grandmother's house, Tanna said.
The girl's aunt picked the child up and drove her to the grandmother's house, Tanna said.
Bethea knew her daughter was with the grandmother, Tanna said, and did not tell authorities.
The girl's aunt called Bethea to tell her she was picking the girl up from school, Tanna said.
Bail for Bethea was set at $500.
- Nancy McCleary
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SOURCE BiiSafe
HELSINKI, October 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Personal safety and issues around it are seen as an ever important topic, reveals a survey done by BiiSafe. 73% of the survey respondents thought that personal safety devices are needed more now than ten years ago. According to 71% they will play an even more important role in the future.
A big number of respondents (41%) are using a product or service that enhances his or her or their loved one's personal safety. 47% of those who are not using one, have at some point thought of buying one. Most users of a safety device among countries part of the survey come from Canada (49%), followed by USA (26%) and New Zealand (12%).
Safety of one's loved ones is an important issue for the respondents, in addition to his or her own safety. The respondents thought that they most probably would use a safety device for themselves (66%), for example when running alone. The second most likely use for it (54%) would be an elderly parent or grandparent. The respondents wanted to be sure their elderly relatives are doing fine, and that they would have the ability to send an alert message in case they need help. Many of the respondents would also find it useful to be able to be aware of their kid's whereabouts (41%).
"Today's technology, with smartphones and other mobile devices, provides an enormous amount of new possibilities also in the field of safety devices and services. Location sharing and alert sending are just a couple of examples," says BiiSafe's CEO Jouni Suutarinen. "Consumers value also more everyday features. One example that came up in our survey was the ability to make sure not to leave your keys or phone behind," continues Suutarinen.
BiiSafe develops mobile-based safety systems and related accessories for consumer and corporate use. Its application can be used for home monitoring and for personal safety. BiiSafe is bringing to market a stylish mobile accessory for personal safety.
About BiiSafe survey: The survey was conducted in September 2013 with a web-based questionnaire. There were 225 respondents, aged 18-65, from United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Finland.
Contact details:
Jouni Suutarinen, CEO
Ph. +358-(0)40-158-08-58
©2012 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.


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Master Calendar
Kids Against Hunger
Date: Sunday, April 29th, 2012
Time: 2:00 pm
Duration: 4 hours
Location: Field House, Sports Center
Sponsored by: the Terrarium
Contact: , Christina Eddington
Rock County Rotary will team up with students from Beloit College to help tackle this issue. The event will take place in the Field House of the Sports Center. The goal will be to package 50,000 meals that will be distributed to thousands of children in Nicaragua.
This event is free and open to students, faculty, and staff.