text:
Hands Down Lyrics - Dashboard Confessional
Review The Song (32)
Breathe in for luck,
breathe in so deep,
this air is blessed,
you share with me.
This night is wild,
so calm and dull,
these hearts they race,
from self control.
Your legs are smooth,
as they graze mine,
we're doing fine,
we're doing nothing at all.
My hopes are so high,
that your kiss might kill me.
So won't you kill me,
so I die happy.
sponsored linksMy heart is yours to fill or burst,
to break or bury,
or wear as jewelery,
which ever you prefer.
The words are hushed lets not get busted;
just lay entwined here, undiscovered.
Safe in here from all the stupid questions.
"hey did you get some?"
Man, that is so dumb.
Stay quiet, stay near, stay close they can't hear...
so we can get some.
My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me.
So won't you kill me, so I die happy.
My heart is yours to fill or burst,
to break or bury, or wear as jewelery,
which ever you prefer.
Hands down this is the best day I can ever remember,
I'll always remember the sound of the stereo,
the dim of the soft lights,
the scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers
and the time on the clock when we realized it's so late
and this walk that we shared together.
The streets were wet
and the gate was locked so I jumped it,
and I let you in.
And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist
and you kissed me like you meant it.
And I knew that you meant it,
that you meant it,
that you meant it,
and I knew,
that you meant it,
that you meant it.
Click here to submit the Corrections of Hands Down Lyrics
Thanks to christina for submitting Hands Down Lyrics.
that you meant it | Reviewer: jb | 3/8/11
damn.. first of all: thanks to the girls from 12/16/07 and 3/27/09.. right from my heart <3
for me, this song is one of the MOST touching pieces of music. i often adopt it to the "coming together" with my first real love. we were around 16 and we definitley knew, there is "something" between us. though, it took us about 3 years, after getting very close, good friends. and folks! that special day, during the holidays, i will never forget ("i will always remember..."). it is exactly like the last part in this song "and you kissed me like you meant it" every time i hear this song i HAVE to sing the whole last verse because it could be written by ourselves. we had nearly three wonderful years. i thought "this is it. this is she" but on day, without any signs she broke up. this was now again ~3 years ago and i still dont know why she really did.
so what i wanna tell you? try to get the best out of every second, when you are really in love. dont waste any time.. it could be short!
peace and lots of love from germany
My heart is yours | Reviewer: Jocie | 8/28/10
This song is amazing, no other way to describe it. The lyrics are special to me because its creepy how well it describes me and my BFs first date. Definately our song and our vows will probably be "My heart is yours to fill or burst, to break or bury, or wear as jewelry, whichever you prefer"
I <3 You Colin :)
<3 | Reviewer: Meg | 7/5/10
this has been my favorite song for six years, and not once has it lost it's affect on me. every time i listen to it it's like i'm hearing it for the first time all over again, the magic never leaves
wow | Reviewer: esther | 6/7/09
this song is awesome, the first time i heard it i completely stopped what i was doing... facinated!!! every time i listen to it i get that feeling of exitement takes over - this is a BRILLIANT song!!!
amazing and touching. | Reviewer: Anonymous | 3/27/09
you can't help but love it. it is, in one word, perfection. this song is one of those that gives you that 'feeling'.
.. the feeling you get when you know you love someone. my boyfriend and i dated over a year ago, but then he broke my heart. we became best friends after a period of not speaking to one another. & the whole time we still had feelings for one another. we finally got back together. it just felt right..
& that's why this song reminds me of it and makes me so happy. because no matter what people said, it didn't matter. they judged us for getting back together but we knew they weren't important.
and so it's that feeling again. when someone you love takes your hand and holds it tight, and it makes you feel like they'll never let you go. when you sit there doing absolutely nothing, perhaps not even talking, but in that moment, you are perfectly content. or when you are talking and you can let your mind go anywhere and everywhere. it's that feeling.
Hands Up :D | Reviewer: Catieola | 2/13/09
This is such a beautiful song.
Great lyrics. I'm gonna actually go try and learn how to play my guitar again just so I can play this song.
And I read your whole suckumentary (to the girl on 12/16/07). So touching. <3
i cry when i hear this | Reviewer: jamey fain | 1/9/09
if only a girl loved me that much ive had three girl freinds my first went out with me beacuse she felt sorry for me the second the same and she cheated on me the third was a phsycho who fucked my so called best freind and made out with him in front of my face i played this song for her when we still going out and now every time i hear this i cry and think about tall the stupid shit
(: | Reviewer: Anonymous | 12/27/08
The most heartfelt lyrics ever(:
I've been avoiding any serious relationships, but hearing this song makes me want to reconsider; it makes me want to be loved again.
I hope I find a guy who feels this way about me.
everyone. | Reviewer: kirsty. | 12/4/08
who has a brain would love this song.
its hard to believe that one guy actually wrote these lyrics.
they are so heart felt.
the girl who these lyrics were written for,
must be someone special.
because it is so beautiful.
if only the good guys really did exsist.
love <3 | Reviewer: Paige | 8/18/08
wow, i actually spent the time reading that person's long story && im glad i did. its sad, but true. i agree w/ the whole dont wait 2 tell the person u love them. ive waited 2 many times, && ive always let that person slip through the cracks.
this song is incredible, && i fell in love w/ it the 1st time i listened 2 it.
dashboard confessional is an amazing group, and chris carrabba is a god (=
Reviews By Pages: 1 2 3 4
The following area is only for review, if you want to submit the lyrics or the corrections of the lyrics, please click the link at the end of Hands Down Lyrics.


text:
Blue Transitions
San Diego, CA
Dreaming of warmer weather…
Merry Christmas!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree~
Chicago, IL
Let There Be Light
Schaumburg, IL
Last Call
Sheboygan, WI
In The Face Of Adversity
Or as Bender would say 'Taking over the world, one wallet at a time!'
Sister Bay, WI
Charming little house I spotted in Door County.
This Shall Pass
Door County, WI
Reflecting Awareness
My photography style & vision were fostered while I traveled the world as an adolescent. Living and experiencing a multitude of cultures opened my eyes, instilling within me a deep sense of respect for others along with an appreciation of their beliefs. At the same time, being constantly on the move sometimes made me wish I could just hit the magical pause button.
The common underlying theme that I try to convey in my images is a sense of solitude and calmness. We might lead hectic and fast-paced lifestyles, but if we sit back and pause for a moment, we just might be able to enjoy the world all to ourselves.
The kinds of pictures I enjoy taking include food, floral and night photography.
I currently live in the suburbs of Chicago, along with my wife and young son. Besides photography, I enjoy all things culinary and spending time with my family.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Hottest Companies: Algenol Photo Votes for 2014-15
Here are the photo votes received for Algenol in this years's competition for the Hottest Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy, Renewable Chemicals & Biomaterials. More on photo voting in this years' rankings process, here. Above: Photo Vote of the week for 9/8/14


text:
Psychic/Medium Karen Peterson @ Wells Fargo
Karen Peterson is a locally known psychic/medium with a unique ability to bring messages through from the other side and teach people about life after death. Thousands of people have experienced her sensitivity and caring nature. Karen's goal is to "change a negative view of death to a positive view on life!"
Website:Click to Visit
Sunday, 03 February, 2013
Location: Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
Phone: 707.546.3600
50 Mark West Springs Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Phone: 707.546.3600


text:
Predictive media-optimization-technology provider Kenshoo, a Facebook Strategic Preferred Marketing Developer, examined key metrics and benchmarks for paid search and social advertising in the first quarter.
Ad Spend
Content Marketing 101
Facebook Allowing Select Page Administrators To Create Similar Ads On Different Accounts
Earlier this month, Facebook rolled out a feature allowing users to create repeat events, aimed at making it easier to duplicate details from past events if they were similar to those for new ones. Now, the social network is apparently testing the concept with its ad manager, allowing a select group of page administrators who manage multiple pages to create similar ads for their different accounts, including duplication of the targeting parameters.
Report: Facebook Still Dominates Ad Agencies' Social Media Plans
Ad agencies continued to heavily favor Facebook when asked which social networks they would use in campaigns for their clients, with 85.1 percent tapping Facebook, nearly double the percentage achieved by second-place finisher YouTube, according to Strata.
Facebook Per-Click Ad Prices Rose 54% During Quarter
Marketers spent 25 percent more on Facebook advertising during the third quarter of 2011 compared with the second quarter, resulting in a 54 percent quarterly jump in the average cost per click.


text:
A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls finds that in addition to setting new milestones for futility, Congress is also more hated than it's ever been. A full 83 percent of respondents say they disapprove of the job Congress is doing, the highest number for that question since the poll began tracking the number. (The last time it was even above 50 percent was in 2002.) You can read the full poll questions and results here.
President Obama is not doing so great either, though by comparison to Capitol Hill he looks fantastic. His approval rating is at 45 percent, just off of his all-time low of 44 that he reached in the midst of the debt ceiling crisis in 2011. With a margin of error at about 3 percent, the nation is basically split down the middle on their opinion of him and the way he's handling the economy.
In the midst of tight GOP primaries in both states, Public Policy Polling (PPP) has released information showing that a majority of likely GOP primary voters in the Deep South do not see Obama as a Christian. PPP's Alabama survey of 600 likely GOP primary voters found that only 14 percent consider Obama a Christian, while 45 percent said he is a Muslim and 41 percent answered that they were not sure.
A similar picture surfaced in Mississippi. Of 656 likely GOP primary voters surveyed, 12 percent said Obama was a Christian, 52 percent classified him as a Muslim, and 36 percent fell in the "not sure" category.
College-educated Republicans are more likely to deny scientific reality.
Only 6% of scientists are Republicans now, and only 9% view themselves as Conservative.
The public opinion polls on Congress have become a joke. The latest by Gallup indicates that Congress has received its lowest approval rating ever – 10 percent.
We hate them.
We hate all members of Congress who are not from OUR particular district. At least, that's how it must be since most of us send the same people back to Washington again and again.
The symbol of American success often involves having the biggest house possible, but our outsized fantasies seem to be shifting. According to a new survey, more than three quarters of us consider having sidewalks and places to take a walk one of our top priorities when deciding where to live. Six in 10 people also said they would sacrifice a bigger house to live in a neighborhood that featured a mix of houses, stores, and businesses within an easy walk.
The Millennial generation — those born after 1980 — were a topic of much discussion in the 2008 election. These young voters — the oldest turned 27 that year, and are turning 30 now — leaned Democratic by roughly two-to-one in the 2008 election, and their commitment to Barack Obama, and relatively high voter turnout, was a substantial factor in the election's outcome.
While these voters remain the most Democratically oriented generation today, the advantage has narrowed substantially since 2008. Currently, 52% of Millennial voters are Democrats or lean to the Democratic Party while 39% are Republicans or lean to the GOP. This 13-point edge is less than half the size of the 32-point edge Democrats held three years ago.
A GNT creation ©2007–2014


text:
I love the three panels of him just standing there.
You should leave the pool before the end of time.
Creepy Hooded Figures in the Background of Wedding
"Wonderful. With this wedding part 1 of our plan has been put in motion."
Or if you want to know what's actually going on in this picture.
Read the article and still didn't understand.
I don't usually feel comfortable describing myself as an introvert but. this.
Professors Oak's Test
Created by Dorkly
Good Night Internet.
Wait a second though…. You're the one leaving… So doesn't that mean you enjoy watching yourself walk away?
that was an incredibly good pun
The above statement is an oxymoron. The stater may be a moron. (Now pun chain anyone?)
Grammar Police Chief Shows Up in Thread
"O shit, its the grammar cops. Their coming! Run four it!"
So they're cops now? What ever happened to the Grammar Nazis? I mean, people need to know the difference between hiel and HEIL!


text:
Hello, Jill. I am alive for the same reason you are. Because I have willed it.
Hello, Jill. I am alive for the same reason you are. Because I have willed it.
Regret is an emotion only lower beings are susceptible to. Every action will generate a reaction. Every choice I make is a carefully laid out plan, and when something goes differently than I hypothesized then it is merely time to record this new data, reconsider, and begin a more prefect process.
Said Christian is beyond help. When a being allows the coping mechanism that you call religion to blind them from irrefutable science, they are willingly choosing blatant stupidity. There is no excuse, and no help for those who seem to believe denying themselves knowledge is acceptable.
Such is a legitimate fear.
Perhaps you have the wrong blog.
There is no need to develop such a virus. The point of Uroboros is to eliminate "average" humans possessing "average" genetics to allow those of a superior race to claim the earth as they rightfully should. I am aiding the natural process of the world that lower beings have worked so foolishly to halt.
You're not familiar with my responses to "questions" like these, are you?
I haven't an opinion on the convoluted sexual fantasies of those of you who do not possess the higher thinking required to focus on anything less petty than mammal reproduction.
The answer is simple. Uroboros is designed to do what natural selection has ceased to do; it will purge the world of beings that possess traits less essential to survival. If you are wondering what attributes Uroboros favours, you merely need to look to those that would enhance the survival of the species.
I some how doubt this is a matter you needed to involve me with.


text:
Your a player and you know it. You draft what, 20 teams a year? Play in the "big money" games? Right. Spend 8 bucks if not more on the "over the counter" magazines…and you buy two or three of them? Yeah, your a player. We all are.
Well, now you have one more must stop to make in your daily travels. From now on, my fantasy rants, my fantasy suggestions, my top of the line guys is going to take you to the next level. Today, it is my pleasure to announce that the Fan-Sided Network has added to it's list of entitites, FantasyCPR, your one stop shop for the best advice and information you can get. That matters to you.
Head on over and check out the unofficial launch of FantasyCPR. The ER is still being designed but you will get the first hand look because, well, you read my site. See, I am the lead writer there now and as my loyal readers and friends, you should get a good look at the early design.
Changes will be coming as we progress closer and closer to an official launch…but you are Phanatics…and thus you get it first.
Hope you enjoy it.


text:
After watching A Certain Scientific Railgun and developing an insatiable hunger for anime, I naturally started searching for anything similar to it. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was merely a spin-off of a bigger series. My search having gone far better than expected, I immediately started downloading episodes.
And it.
~~~Review is being punched in the face; please wait...
To Aru Majutsu no Index - a.k.a. A Certain Magical Index - is an action series that straddles the line between supernatural fantasy and science-fiction, like a modern day Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura. Similar to Arcanum, the forces of science and magic clash, creating most of the big-picture plot. Unlike Arcanum, however, instead of clockwork-armoured pistoleers fighting sorcerous elves, science and magic in Index are typically represented by espers of questionable morality and batshit crazy religious folk respectively. But in the end, the protagonist still winds up with a harem on both sides. What the fuck.
Comedy: 5/5
Our protagonist, Kamijou Touma, has the supernatural power to nullify all other supernatural powers, such as magic or psychic abilities. Unfortunately, it also seems to nullify the concept of 'luck'; in almost every episode, something awful happens to him, and it often becomes a plot point. Call it schadenfraude, but Touma's terrible luck, the hijinks that follow and his overreactions to his own misfortune are one of the biggest selling points of the show for me. FUKOU DAAAAAA~!
Action: 5/5
Seeing magic flung about with wild abandon: cool.
Seeing that AS WELL AS teleporters, vector manipulators, electrokinetics and other espers showing off in no-holds-barred combat: awesome.
Seeing all of that AS WELL AS a protagonist whose only means of defending himself against all of that is punching things with his right hand (and his right hand only), and the ways in which he outwits (and outpunches) his stupidly-powerful opponents: GODLIKE.
I won't give out spoilers, but let's just say that the people and things Touma ends up delivering a good old left hook to just get more and more over the top as the series continues. And it's AMAZING.
Plot: 4/5
While there sometimes isn't much of a link between story arcs, many plot points that might seem insignificant or throwaway to begin with are often brought back later on in a rather surprising way. Also, a rather important plot element comes up at the end of the first story arc, the effects of which are seen throughout the entire series.
There are conspiracies, the hidden war between science and magic, the motives behind the antagonists, and a whole lot of other stuff that really pulls a viewer into the show. And you thought it was going to be all about punching things.
World/Characters: 5/5
'Science vs magic' types of stories are one of my favourite genres. And in Index, the weaving of magic and supernatural into psychic powers and supercomputers is pretty much what I'd consider perfect. Furthermore, although the setting and behind-the-scenes sort of stuff is explored far more in the light novels and manga, the anime did a very good job of bringing out as much as it could without ruining the pace or pushing the half-hour time limit per episode.
As for the characters, although we see some occasional flicker of archetypes, they are very unique and have excellent dialogue with one another; the exchanges between characters are just as fun and engaging as the action sequences. The designs, personalities and voice acting are all very high quality, and you won't see any two characters alike in the whole show.
- I think I would vote for Accelerator as Best Anime Villain of All Time. His powers, personality, backstory and characterization all tie in to each other superbly, and who doesn't love an almost untouchable homocidal psychopath? He really does belong in a horror genre show, he's that dangerous.
- 'Evil' mages are almost always Catholic. 'Good' mages are almost always anything else. Real subtle, guys.
- Biribiri is best girl~ |3
Meh, it was just a typical harem with some pseudoserious story that heads nowhere
If you liked or , you'd like the other because...


text:
Srah Srang
Royal baths - no elephants allowed
What we say:
Srah Srang is a mid-sized baray running out to the east of Banteay Kdei towards Pre Rup. Some 700m long and 300m wide, the baray was constructed during the reign of Jayavarman VII and has an almost sublime beauty to it — Angkor expert Maurice Glaize compared its majestic calm to that of Piece d'eau des Suisses at Versailles, yet many today give it but a passing glance.
The western end of the Srah Srang remains in the best condition, lined by a long stone wall with a terrace and staircase at its centre. The stairs are flanked by nagas and fearsome lions as they run down to the water's edge. Dawn here is breathtaking and late afternoon is also particularly pleasant. Should you have ample time, you can walk all the way around its edge. There's a bunch of food and drink stalls here should you be in need of refreshment.
Angkor interactive map
Click on the map below to open a new window with a zoomable interactive map of Angkor, including (where available) points of interest, guesthouses & hotels, restaurants and more.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, Mapbox Terms & Feedback
Travelfish reader reviews
There have been no reviews written by Travelfish readers so far.
Why don't you start the ball rolling?
Photo gallery
Add your photos to this via Flickr More info
Jump to a destination
- Hot spots
- Phnom Penh & surrounds
- Siem Reap, Angkor & West Cambodia
- Sihanoukville & Cambodia's islands
- Banlung, Kratie & the Northeast
Most popular sights in Angkor
Angkor Wat
Phnom Kulen
Baray Reach Dak Community Tour
Beng Mealea
Angkor Gondola
Banteay Srei
The Bayon
Angkor Thom
Kbal Spean
Ta Prohm
Terrace of Elephants
Wat Athvea
West Baray
Phimeanakas and the Royal Palace
Preah Khan
Phnom Krom
Banteay Thom
Phnom Bok
Ta Nei
Banteay Kdei
Pre Rup
Banteay Samre
Srah Srang
East Mebon
Terrace of the Leper King
Chau Say Vibol
Baksei Chamkrong
Ta Keo
Ak Yum
Krol Romeas
Banteay Prei
Prasat Kravan
Preah Ko
Tep Pranam
Krol Kro
Neak Pean
Preah Palilay
West Mebon
Suor Prat
Chau Say Tevoda
East Baray
Ta Som
Preah Pithu
The above sights are the most popular sights in Angkor that people are reading about on Travelfish.org.


text:
333 reviews
By installing you agree to the Terms of Use and other terms
Download size3 MB
Last updated7/3/2014
Works with
- Windows Phone 8.1
- Windows Phone 8
App requires
- phone identity
- photos library
- data services
- movement and directional sensor
- web browser component
- HD720P (720x1280)
- WVGA (480x800)
- WXGA (768x1280)
Supported languages (30)
български čeština dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά English English (United States) Español (España, alfabetización internacional) español (México) suomi français hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia italiano 한국어 lietuvių norsk (bokmål) Nederlands polski português (Brasil) português (Portugal) русский slovenčina slovenski Shqip svenska Türkçe Tiếng Việt 中文(简体) 中文(繁體)
A mobile gateway to thousands of live discussions across the Disqus community of communities. Find, follow and discuss the stuff worth talking about, no matter what stuff you're into. KEY FEATURES ● Stay current with your favorite discussions by receiving timely notifications any time a user replies to you ● Follow friends, frenemies, dinosaurs, and site authors to get updates on their activity throughout the web ● Explore the thousands of active communities and millions of active discussions within the app in the Explore section ● Interact with discussions every way you're familiar with on Disqus: write comments and replies, star your favorite discussions, vote on comments and mention users all within a fluid, native interface ● Live tiles deliver notifications and new activity right to your home screen. Pin extra tiles for search queries and discussions you want to stay on top of ● Moderate discussions for any Disqus-enabled site you administer LEARN MORE http://disqus.com/ http://blog.disqus.com/ NEW IN VERSION 1.7 ● Transparent live tile. Make sure you un-pin and re-pin if you still have the blue one. ● A few bug fixes
10/24/2014Thanks!!! 😊
10/24/2014As a whole this app is great, but small stuff like frequent errors loading articles, no landscape view, and no forward button bog it down. Four stars for now
10/22/2014Ola buen dia
10/21/2014Bem funcional gostei muito.
10/20/2014Could not login at all
10/4/2014Works great for both managing and replying to comments. TRANSPARENTlive tile please? :)
10/4/2014Excellent APP, helped me catch my husband of 20 years cheating!!!
10/3/2014Best App to keep tracking of your comments on various websites and reply when you want
9/23/2014It was working fine but now it let me log in, please fix it
9/21/2014Great app


text:
Doesn't Your Business Deserve a Trustworthy Technology Partner?
Cii Technology Solutions is a full-service technology and development firm.
We make technology work for you by providing: custom software, network
design, web applications, server maintenance, and hardware repair.
Free Mobile Conversion Screenshot
Want to see what your mobile-optimized website could look like? We can show you a free preview of what your mobile visitors could see.
Free Onsite IT Evaluation
Think your IT infrastructure is limiting your office? We can provide a free on-site IT evaluation and give professional recommendations.
Real Solutions for Your Business
We listen to our clients' needs and partner with them to find effective technology solutions.
Technology Services:
Application DevelopmentCustom SoftwareE-CommerceMobile AppsSEO & Social MediaWeb DesignWorkflow Apps
The Latest
Cii is one of the original sponsors of Midtown Raleigh's first 100 minute fitness challenge, Get Moving Midtown.
- We're heading to the @MidtownRAL Alliance Annual Celebration. Looking forward to seeing our Midtown partners! #MidtownRaleigh
A portfolio is a fingerprint: a unique representation of what a firm has built, and the skill sets that it has developed in the process.
Over the last 30+ years, Cii has worked with a wide variety of clients on an even wider variety of software, application, and IT projects. For many, we manage their networks and infrastructure to make their lives easier and remove technical headaches by allowing technology to maximize their business's potential. For others, we build custom websites, internal applications to increase efficiency, and critical line-of-business software. In several cases, we've built kiosk and mobile apps to help companies reach an entirely new audience, or to keep mobile customers and employees connected.
To see case studies for some of the wonderful companies we have worked with, head on over to our Full Portfolio.
"Cii has been a partner of Grant Thornton for many years. Their people are creative, bright, knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Our partners and employees throughout the world could not be more pleased."
– Edward Nusbaum, Executive Partner and CEO / Grant Thornton International
"Cii has been handling all of our in-house IT needs since 2008, and I have to say the level of service is outstanding. The speed of response and knowledge level is unsurpassed. I highly recommend their service to any business that depends on having a solid working network or data system in place."
– Jim White, Product Development / Alien Skin Software, LLC
"Cii refactored our kiosk software and developed our website As a result, our new product equipped with its new software is the most powerful we've offered, and has generated an outstanding response from our clients. Most recently, they assisted is in finding and upgrading customers through SEO, Google Adwords, and email marketing campaigns. Cii's specturm of services offered all the support we needed to make the next phase of our product line successful."
– Kevin Allen, President / LobbyGuard Solutions, LLC
"Cii Technology Solutions brings a sense of fresh energy and vision for the future to their work. When Midtown Raleigh Alliance was fortunate to connect with the Cii team, we knew immediately this is a team that exceeds expectations at every turn and our partnership has been of great benefit not only to MRA but to Midtown Raleigh. Cii recently revamped our website, bringing alive the Midtown vision and sense of community."
– Martha Grove Hipskind, Executive Director / Midtown Raleigh Alliance
Cii is one of the original sponsors of Midtown Raleigh's first 100 minute fitness challenge, Get Moving Midtown.
Don't Let your Website Maintain Itself!
Website maintenance and regular SEO management are a must in the internet of today. Neglecting your site updates is putting it at more risk than you think.Continue Reading »
What to do About Heartbleed
The Heartbleed bug has sent web users with personal info online into a panic. We'll let you know what to do.Continue Reading »
Why Should you Outsource your IT?
All businesses need their IT to help them, not hurt them. Here, we address the question: why should you outsource your IT?Continue Reading »
Let's Talk
The first step to making your technology work for you, is to get in touch with us. We want to make work easy for you, and we have a lot of different ways to do just that. Just reach out and let us know where you need help; we can handle the rest.
Technical Support
If you are an existing client and you need immediate technical assistance, please click here.
The fastest way to get in touch is by picking up the phone. We are available Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5pm Eastern time.
Main number: 919-676-8300
Toll free: 1-800-832-3443
Mailing Address
Need to send us something? Great! We love all things shiny.
Cii Technology Solutions, Inc.
4700 Six Forks Rd. Suite 300
Raleigh, NC 27609
You can email us anytime at email@example.com, or you can fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We won't give out or sell your personal information, and at most, you'll only receive 1-2 emails from us per year.


text:
Chelsea FC manager Jose Mourinho defended his side's lack of trophies by showcasing his record as a manager in a pre-match press conference. The Blues will likely finish this season without a trophy for the first time since 2010-11 and this will be Mourinho's second season in a row without winning any silverware. Despite this however, the manager came out guns blazing in his press conference before Chelsea FC faces Norwich City and he went season by season proclaiming his accomplishments.
Jose Mourinho said in the press conference, "I'm going to tell you something — a bit of the history of my career. My career reached, against Inter [Milan], the maximum you can reach when you win everything. In 2010, I won everything: Scudetto, Coppa Italia, the Champions League".
"After that, this is the history of my career. In the first season [after 2010], I won the [Spanish] cup against the best team in the world [Barcelona] and finished second in the league after the best team in the world, and I lost the Champions League semifinal against the best team in the world".
"The next season, I was champion against the best team in the world, the champions of the records — 100 points, 126 goals, the record team — and we won that league. We lost the Champions League semifinal on penalties [against Bayern Munich] in a day when two of the best penalty takers in football missed, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. And that was a 'bad' season".
"In the third season, we won every match against the best team in the world — in the league, the Super Cup, the cup, at the Bernabeu, at Barcelona — we won everything against them. We won the Super Cup. We lost the league, finished second. And we lost the Champions League semifinal by one goal".
"And the fourth season, which is this one, and probably the first where I don't win a single trophy — unless we win the league — I go to the Champions League semifinal and fight for the title until the last minute of the season. So these are the four bad seasons of my career It went wrong by going year after year like nobody else did. You arrive at a level where finishing second is not good, losing a semifinal is not good. So I'm proud of that. Guilty of that."
Jose Mourinho also made sure to point out that this was a transitional period for the club and said, "for a transitional season, to fight for the title until the last moment and go to the Champions League semifinal I think is a good step, especially because what you do normally is compared with the season before. If you do that, Chelsea lost the title in November last season — Chelsea were like 20 points [actually 14] behind".
"And in the Champions League, Chelsea were the first team to be knocked out in the group phase as champions. So it's been a big step in terms of fighting for the title and for the Champions League. A good step. We are ready for the improvement we need for next season, and we need that. So many teams need years and years to build. We are in a transitional period, but it's not out of context to say this team deserves to start next season with a base to do well."
Mourinho makes an excellent point by pointing out that Chelsea were Premier League title challengers for nearly the whole season and were one half away from the Champions League semifinal. It comes back to the essential question Chelsea fans need to ask themselves, would you trade a Champions League semifinal for a Europa League or League Cup trophy? Mourinho is right to point out his record and he deserves much more than one season back at Chelsea before his tenure or his ability is judged.
Tags: Barcelona Barclay's Premier League Champions League Chelsea FC Chelsea Football Club Inter Milan Jose Mourinho Real Madrid UEFA Champions League


text:
David BedellaComments0
5,644pages on
this wiki
this wiki
David Bedella (born in Chicago on September 25th, 1962) is an American actor who provides voices for the US and UK narrations of Thomas and Friends.
He has had a few minor roles in films such as "Batman Begins" and "Red Light Runners", but he mostly performs in stage musicals including the controversial "Jerry Springer - The Opera". He also played a recurring character in the BBC's medical drama "Holby City" in 2004.
He once performed in the 2013 Christmas pantomime version of Aladdin at New Wimbledon Theatre, London.
- Victor (Blue Mountain Mystery onwards)
- The Cuban Man


text:
A Billion-Color Display
kdawson posted more than 6 years ago | from the i-can-see-clearly-now dept.206
The Future of Things covered the introduction last month of HP's DreamColor display, with 30 bits/pixel, developed in conjunction with DreamWorks Animation. The display is aimed at the video production, animation, and graphic arts industries. HP promises blacker blacks and whiter whites — though TFoT quotes one source who notes that if they deliver this, it will be due to the back-lighting and not to the number of bits/pixel. No word on the size of the displays that will actually be delivered, or on the price.


text:
i would simply like to say that you are an idiot. the twilight saga actually has five books. no one read the fifth one completely through. i didn't even read the second, third, or fourth ones. the first one was a big enough waste of my time. bella fucking swan is only "relatable" (btw, learn to spell) because she's a girl who needs a man to validate her. not to mention the fact that she's a slut whore who can't even decide WHICH man she needs until one of them knocks her up. there is NO SUCH THING as the "perfect american teenager" because americans are snobbish assholes who think they're better than everyone. exhibit a) "is britian [sic] even a real place?" you don't even give a fuck enough to spell it right! B-R-I-T-A-I-N. and yes, bitch (at this point i'm assuming you're female because you LIKE TWILIGHT). it's real. look on a fucking map. take a geography class. take a fucking grammar class too. who taught you grammar? stephenie meyers? because i can assure you, harry potter is FAR better written than any of that twilight crap. so, no. it's not "an easy one" as you say. it's a fucking stupid point that isn't even a real let alone valid point. don't even get me STARTED on how much MORE unrealistic vampires and werewolves are as opposed to magic and castles. castles exist. pick up a european tourist catalogue or something. "magic" happens every day. maybe not like in harry potter, with spells and incantations. but it's real. AND EDWARD FUCKING CULLEN IS A SPARKLY DOUCHE VAMPIRE. VAMPIRES DO NOT FUCKING SPARKLE. at least harry potter has SUBSTANCE. and FOR GOD SAKE. ROBERT PATTINSON WAS IN HARRY POTTER YOU IGNORANT FUCK. "case cloes" (what the fuck does that even mean? unless of course you meant "case closed" which is a different thing entirely.)
Brazil - Geoff Muldaur
The Grey Album is a mashup album by Danger Mouse, released in 2004. It uses an a cappella version of rapper Jay-Z's The Black Album and couples it with instrumentals created from a multitude of unauthorized samples from The Beatles' LP The Beatles (more commonly known as The White Album).
- be an Australian citizen;
- be between the ages of 18 and 30 (inclusive);
- have the equivalent of C$ 2,500 to help cover your expenses at the beginning of your stay;
- be prepared to take out health-care insurance for the duration of your stay – you may have to present evidence of this insurance when you enter Canada;
- pay a participation fee
- have received a signed letter of offer or contract of employment in Canada that is related to your field of professional expertise (degree and/or work experience) and that supports your career development (progression or lateral movement); and blah blah blah
im lookin up the other stuff but dang man


text:
Some collect data in personal interviews; others rely on observation, administrative records, or time diaries to supplement the data. In addition to surveys conducted in the United States, longitudinal surveys in England, Canada, and China were represented at the workshop.
To facilitate the workshop discussion, a summary overview for each survey was prepared, providing a brief introduction, a statement about the central substantive issues that guided development of the survey, the study design, the sampling strategies, and the constructs being assessed. Data collection instruments and methods also were listed, as was information on the current status of the survey. This information appears in Appendixes A and B.
The workshop agenda was structured to allow for discussion of cross-cutting methodological and conceptual issues, identification of common policy questions, and consideration of mechanisms for ongoing information sharing. In advance of the workshop, participants prepared brief statements noting special challenges and issues, and time was allotted at the workshop to address these concerns in open discussion. Ample time was allowed for brainstorming and additional open exchange among the participants. The agenda appears in Appendix C.
Although the agenda was designed to be flexible, allowing ample time for discussions and time for participants to raise issues of particular significance to their survey, the workshop did not cover many methodological issues of relevance and importance to longitudinal studies in general and longitudinal studies on children in specific.
This report is intended to be used by representatives from federal and state agencies engaged in research, data collection, program evaluation, and policy analysis pertaining to children and youth; administration officials engaged in policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation; congressional staff; public and private sponsors of research on children, youth, and families; and data users in academic communities and research organizations that focus on children and their well-being.
Four major issue areas emerged from the workshop: (1) theoretical issues, (2) methodological issues, (3) adequacy of data, and (4) dissemination of data. The topics represent the participants' cross-cutting observations and reflect the issues and challenges researchers face. Participants' ideas regarding the next steps to be taken in conducting longitudinal research on children and youth appear at the end of the report.
Since longitudinal studies span many years, often more than a decade, providing data that are representative of the current population becomes a challenge; such data are usually better collected by cross-sectional surveys. Although many longitudinal surveys are designed to provide continuous representation of the
Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page 3
--> Some collect data in personal interviews; others rely on observation, administrative records, or time diaries to supplement the data. In addition to surveys conducted in the United States, longitudinal surveys in England, Canada, and China were represented at the workshop. To facilitate the workshop discussion, a summary overview for each survey was prepared, providing a brief introduction, a statement about the central substantive issues that guided development of the survey, the study design, the sampling strategies, and the constructs being assessed. Data collection instruments and methods also were listed, as was information on the current status of the survey. This information appears in Appendixes A and B. The workshop agenda was structured to allow for discussion of cross-cutting methodological and conceptual issues, identification of common policy questions, and consideration of mechanisms for ongoing information sharing. In advance of the workshop, participants prepared brief statements noting special challenges and issues, and time was allotted at the workshop to address these concerns in open discussion. Ample time was allowed for brainstorming and additional open exchange among the participants. The agenda appears in Appendix C. Although the agenda was designed to be flexible, allowing ample time for discussions and time for participants to raise issues of particular significance to their survey, the workshop did not cover many methodological issues of relevance and importance to longitudinal studies in general and longitudinal studies on children in specific. This report is intended to be used by representatives from federal and state agencies engaged in research, data collection, program evaluation, and policy analysis pertaining to children and youth; administration officials engaged in policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation; congressional staff; public and private sponsors of research on children, youth, and families; and data users in academic communities and research organizations that focus on children and their well-being. Major Issue Areas Four major issue areas emerged from the workshop: (1) theoretical issues, (2) methodological issues, (3) adequacy of data, and (4) dissemination of data. The topics represent the participants' cross-cutting observations and reflect the issues and challenges researchers face. Participants' ideas regarding the next steps to be taken in conducting longitudinal research on children and youth appear at the end of the report. Since longitudinal studies span many years, often more than a decade, providing data that are representative of the current population becomes a challenge; such data are usually better collected by cross-sectional surveys. Although many longitudinal surveys are designed to provide continuous representation of the
OCR for page 3
--> population or of sampled cohorts, it can be difficult to continue to meet the changing demands for policy relevance, which is often facilitated by including new question sequences into the study design. In addition to the theoretical and methodological issues is the need for critical assessments of existing data on children, child development, and child well-being and careful consideration of topics to be added to future data collections on children, youth, and their families. At the core of the discussions was the issue of ensuring that data will be available to answer current and future policy questions, many of which concern issues of cause and effect and are increasingly focused on children and youth. Participants agreed that children and youth constitute a special population for research, involving both constraints and challenges. A range of developmental issues across infancy, childhood, and youth must be addressed and studied. Thus, traditional survey instruments or interviewing techniques often require reassessment when the focus shifts from adults to children as respondents and subjects or to adults as informants about children or adolescents. Perceptions of respondent burden and cooperation may also differ. Special consents often must be granted when children and adolescents are involved as survey subjects. Theoretical Issues Workshop participants discussed the extent to which specific theoretical perspectives guided the design of the surveys. They also discussed the theoretical underpinnings of measurements used in longitudinal studies on children, including such specific measures as those used in capturing issues related to child development. Theoretical Models Workshop participants debated the extent to which their surveys were guided by a specific theoretical framework or based on a specific theoretical model—for example, a model derived from developmental psychological principles or perspectives founded on behavioral genetics, sociological, or biological theories. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care was guided by developmental psychology, and the hypotheses to be tested by the study were spelled out prior to data collection, providing a unique opportunity to study both predicted and unpredicted connections between processes and outcomes. This appears to be an exception rather than the rule. Most study designs are not based on a specific theoretical model. Some participants thought that surveys, especially those conducted by the federal government, could not commit to one specific theoretical model. However, participants agreed that, in order to study children and youth longitudinally and to capture transitions in their development, it is important to know what is expected to happen at different ages. Experts agree that a good survey design offers data to
OCR for page 3
--> a broad audience and allows for a range of hypotheses to be tested. The measures included in the study usually are not driven by one specific model of development. Once the data have been collected, they can inform questions that arise from a range of theoretical and policy perspectives. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) serves as an example of a survey that allows comparisons of sociological and biological models. Based on a behavioral genetics design, it links children with different kinds of genetic relatedness. A large sampling frame allows the study of combinations, such as twins, half-siblings, cousins, and biologically unrelated children living in the same household, as well as the more common nontwin siblings. At the same time, its sample provides aggregations of respondents into peer, family, school, and neighborhood context that are central to prevailing ecological theories of development. Workshop participants agreed that, in order to understand outcomes for children and youth, surveys must include environmental influences that go beyond the home to the neighborhood, child care provider, school settings, and perhaps even the work site and the judicial system. The workshop participants also agreed that surveys need to consider multiple dimensions of child well-being. Many of the more recent surveys represented at the workshop incorporated this insight into their design. For example, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study assesses children along a number of physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development dimensions—an important distinction from past educational studies that focused almost exclusively on cognitive outcomes. Thus, this study is guided by a framework of children's development and schooling, emphasizing the child and the interaction among the child's family, school, and community. Analyses of the Early Head Start Evaluation will be based in part on the participating programs and theories of change, which specify their expected outcomes and program strategies for achieving them. Participants called for research and development of short scales for implementation in surveys. Such research should include considerations of alternative methodological approaches, such as balanced incomplete block spiraling (BIB). In this approach, a many-item scale is split into overlapping blocks, and each person answers only a few items. The participants also considered it important to provide realistic guidelines about what constructs are amenable to being assessed in the context of surveys. Measurements Workshop participants discussed the goal of assessing children's development in several critical domains, combined with the practical constraints imposed by a survey's methodology. Critical domains of child development include cognitive and noncognitive areas (e.g., physical, social, and emotional development). Processes as well as outcomes should be captured (e.g., approaches to learning
OCR for page 3
--> and approaches to problem solving). The child development community and the survey research community offer different perspectives on the best data collection strategies and often use different instrument validation tools. The participants, very aware of these issues, concurred that it is an enormous challenge to get valid data on children and their development in the context of a survey. Participants recognized that the scales administered in assessments must be appropriate for the ages of the children and youth in the study and that they must be recognized by experts in the field—such as developmental psychologists—as valid and accurate indicators. However, financial and human project resources impose practical constraints on how intensively any given aspect of child development can be assessed. The participants thought, for example, that current clinical assessment scales are not always appropriate for surveys. These scales or batteries are developed for clinical use with individuals—where accuracy is critically important—or for research within relatively small and homogeneous samples. When the objective is not clinical treatment but the estimation and description of relationships among variables and the study population is heterogeneous, it may be both valid and necessary in terms of time and cost of assessment to work with a well-designed subset of assessment items that can be readily administered in the survey setting. Furthermore, the personnel available to administer the assessments often are not professionals in the field but hired data collectors who must be given special training. Thus, the assessment scales must be brief and amenable to standardization and computerized instrumentation. Workshop participants addressed how information is gained from direct and indirect assessments. Indirect assessments are included in many surveys and may involve videotaping behavior. For example, the Early Head Start evaluations videotape interactions between mothers and children at three ages. Most surveys depend on a mixture of assessment methodologies. Measurement of change is a central goal in longitudinal studies, and the participants discussed adaptive testing methodologies to achieve good measurement throughout the range of skills being assessed. It is important that floor and ceiling effects be avoided, e.g., that test items allow for detection of growth for children performing at both the lower and upper end of the distribution of difficulty. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study's kindergarten cohort was offered as an illustration of a survey that uses a two-stage adaptive approach. Here, the degree of success in answering questions early in a test sequence determines the level of difficulty of succeeding questions. This type of approach is also valuable when the time available for testing is limited; children spend most of their testing time responding to items that are at or near their ability level rather than items across the entire ability distribution. Workshop participants also recognized that language use and capacity influence many assessments. Sometimes, because of a lack of multilingual assessment instruments and multilingual data collectors, assessments are conducted in English even if this is not the subject's first language or the language spoken by
OCR for page 3
--> the child. Thus, for a study such as the New Immigrant Survey, the design of more appropriate assessment instruments is a critical challenge. Finally, participants noted the importance of capturing and measuring the impact of children's environments. It is often difficult to separate school effects from neighborhood effects, and the concept of neighborhood is not always clearly conceptualized in the study design. Social science concepts such as cohesion and informal social control may be captured, but measures linking service availability and service utilization at the community level to outcomes for children and youth are lacking. Participants called for better measures of the influence of environment on child development, especially the impact of the neighborhood. Methodological Issues Some methodological challenges are inherent to all longitudinal surveys. Providing representative and current data are among such challenges. From its inception, a longitudinal survey collects data into the future from the same observational units. Thus, a survey's design entails using the proper sampling frame to select a sample representative of that frame. Different strategies are used to ensure that the sample remains representative of the universe it purports to represent over time. As the subjects in the sample age, the sample must be refreshed or augmented to compensate for attrition and other changes. The survey must also be designed to ensure that the data provide timely information. Staying current and addressing emerging policy issues continue to be challenges for those who design longitudinal surveys. Some surveys address this need by augmenting the survey scope, adding supplemental modules for occasional coverage of specific topics. These challenges face all longitudinal surveys, not just surveys of children. For longitudinal surveys of children, however, workshop participants believed it to be especially important to learn the best ways to track respondents and minimize nonresponse. Tracking Respondents Keeping track of respondents who participate in longitudinal surveys—especially those who move or for whom there is no fixed address—is critical to the success of any such survey. It is not uncommon for children to change households, to move as a household, or to change schools during the year or between years with or without changing home addresses, creating both operational and analytical difficulties. This is a particular challenge for those who want to include special populations, such as children involved in foster care, children whose parents have separated or divorced, and children of high-risk families (e.g., low-income families). Although time-tested procedures for tracking respondents are in place, workshop participants emphasized the importance of keeping up with technological advances, such as World Wide Web or CD-ROM-based address
OCR for page 3
--> directories, and using innovative approaches to track respondents, including establishing toll-free phone numbers for respondents to contact researchers, offering monetary incentives, and developing special tracking networks. Minimizing Nonresponse Nonresponse is an issue for all those involved in carrying out surveys, but it is of particular concern in longitudinal data collections, especially those that gather data from different sources and multiple respondents. Obtaining respondents' cooperation is not a trivial issue, but workshop participants agreed that this is an area where survey designers can exercise some control. Perceptions of the burdens on respondents and their impact on response rates may vary by the socioeconomic status of the families involved as well as the children's ages. Workshop participants concurred that too little is known about what works and for whom, particularly with reference to subsamples of children, youth, and families. They called for more tests of the types of incentives, especially monetary, that successfully reduce nonresponse. Adequacy of Data Workshop participants agreed that abundant data on children and youth already have been collected but that there is little or no recent synthesis across subject-matter areas. Suggestions about ways to inventory and synthesize what is known included mining existing datasets to create topic-specific data files, creating collections of topic-specific research papers, and engaging in joint analysis efforts to enhance the knowledge of best current practices in the field. It is evident that data are lacking on some variables of keen current interest. Little is known about how children and adolescents spend their time, for example, or about the role of fathers in children's development. Participants expressed concern about the paucity of relevant policy data to study the effects on children and youth of program and policy changes in such areas as welfare reform. The ensuing discussion focused on three areas in which data appear to be lacking or inadequate: time use, fatherhood, and program evaluation. Time-Use Data Time use of children and adolescents has received increased attention in recent years, but there is little current empirical data on the topic. A few of the surveys represented at the workshop collect such data through diaries. For example, in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), parents or caregivers record children's activities in diaries for each child for two 24-hour periods, weekends and weekdays, from birth through age 12. When completed, the diaries are collected and the entries are edited by interviewers.
OCR for page 3
--> Workshop participants discussed the value of such data to get a picture of how children and youth use their time and to gain insights about input from parents, child care providers, and school personnel. A diary is a unique data collection method and perhaps one of the best ways to get a picture of how children use their time and to gain insight about input from their parents, child care providers, and school personnel. However, the workshop participants expressed a general concern about the validity of time-use data and concurred that more research is needed on measurement errors. Fatherhood Data Data on fathering and father-child interactions are inadequate. Workshop participants called specifically for more survey research on the impact of fathers on child development, as relatively little is known about the roles that both biological and social fathers play in children's development. Traditionally, mothers are believed to be the best survey respondents for questions regarding their children. But interviewing fathers in addition to mothers may enhance understanding of family dynamics and the context in which children develop. This approach poses additional methodological challenges and costs, especially when interviewing fathers involves tracking and locating absent ones (Peters et al., 1996). The impact of absent fathers on children's development is a topic of current national concern, and several of the studies represented at the workshop collect data on this topic. For example, the PSID gathers information from mothers about absent fathers and makes an attempt to locate them, often successfully. Beyond direct assessments of fathering, recent data from the Add Health study concur with previous findings that youth for whom father presence or absence is identified show different behavioral profiles than youth for whom this information is lacking altogether. There appear to be many ways in which fatherhood data can enhance understanding of child development. The NICHD is funding a major interview and videotaping survey of the fathers of Early Head Start children. Program Evaluation Data At the workshop, considerable discussion focused on the extent to which existing surveys can contribute to efforts to assess the effects of recent governmental policy changes on children, youth, and families. In particular, participants debated the ways in which survey data can provide information about the impact of recent welfare reform legislation1 on the outcomes of children and youth. In 1 The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193) made sweeping changes in public assistance for children, youth, and families. Among its major
OCR for page 3
--> general, few surveys include both the child outcome data and input data, such as program participation, that are needed to link findings to welfare reform. Moreover, given the extensive state- and county-level variations in implementation of the law, data that can be disaggregated to this level are needed. Few if any of the existing surveys can provide this level of data. The Early Head Start Evaluation includes information from local site visits that might be useful in monitoring the effects of welfare reform. The Census Bureau's Survey of Program Dynamics (SPD) also would provide much-needed data (see Appendix A for additional details on this survey). Novel child and family content is due to be piloted in spring 1999; however, at the time of the workshop the amount of information that will be collected was still being determined. Overall, the experts believe that available surveys can provide only inferential insights into the effects of welfare reform on children and youth and that most are not able to track the effects.2 Overall, workshop participants cited as a challenge the need to obtain pre- and post-reform data to determine what outcomes can be attributed to policy change. They also noted the special challenges inherent in program evaluations that differ from those facing national longitudinal studies. These include the collection of program and policy data and the critical importance of considering when it is appropriate to assess program or policy outcomes. Often, the desire to study groups that are representative of a national population is at odds with the desire to study comparable groups receiving competing treatments. Dissemination of Data Workshop participants believed public release and dissemination of data to be a controversial and challenging issue. Tensions exist surrounding the wide- reforms, it replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children with Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, which is a time-limited and not an entitlement program. It eliminated many benefits for legal immigrants who arrived in the United States after August 22, 1996, the date of the law's enactment, and left many other decisions about immigrant eligibility to state discretion. 2 Other longitudinal surveys being conducted to monitor the effects of welfare reform on children, youth, and families include the JOBS Child Outcomes Study (since 1989, Child Trends, Inc., has conducted a study of the impact of the federal JOBS program on children's health, cognitive development, adjustment, and school outcomes in three sites across the country); the Measuring Child Outcomes Under Various State Welfare Waivers project (with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NICHD, and private foundations, Child Trends is working with the states of California, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, and Virginia to assess the implications for children of state welfare reforms begun under waivers to the old AFDC program and continued under TANF); and the Multi-City Study of the Effects of Welfare Reform on Children and Families (a multidisciplinary study being carried out by Johns Hopkins University, this five-year project is gathering and analyzing longitudinal data in Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio—National Research Council, 1998).
OCR for page 3
--> spread interest in timely release of datasets to the public, concerns about proper documentation to guard against inappropriate uses of data, and fears about breaches of respondent confidentiality. Data release and disclosure were cited as among the most common challenges faced by those conducting longitudinal surveys. Although the time between data collection and public release varies, it has become increasingly simple to obtain data with the advent of computer disks, the Internet, and electronic data file transfers. Universal availability of data, however, raises a concern for proper analytical applications of data (e.g., when and how to use weighting, how to portray outcome measures). Furthermore, the trend is to seek ways to link data across datasets and to increase the knowledge base for smaller geographic units. It is central in this context to ensure that, when data are made available to the public, the process does not inadvertently disclose information about individual respondents. In addition to confidentiality, consent is a crucial issue for those involved in releasing data, such as videotaped data from longitudinal surveys. Amid growing concerns about confidentiality and privacy in this computer era, workshop participants agreed that efforts are needed both to develop protocols for the research community and to educate the public on these matters. Early Data Release The public's need for up-to-date information, especially for program evaluations, puts pressure on researchers to release data as quickly as possible after collection. In the past, research findings made their way into print, and the data themselves were eventually released to the public and then archived. Today, data are often available simultaneously with or before extensive analysis takes place. Early releases, however, frequently do not include all data adjustments, such as adjustments for nonresponse or imputations for missing data. For some data collections, initial data analyses occur inhouse before the data files are made available to the public. For example, there is a two-year inhouse research period before data from the Denver Youth Survey of the Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency are available for public use. In contrast, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) believes that its first priority is to produce statistics for the public and to make the data available to the public as quickly as possible, although some restrictions are imposed. In the NICHD Study of Early Child Care, early site-specific data files were released only to the principal investigators at the site that provided the data, not to all sites involved in the study. These data have not yet been released to the public. At times, data files are released under contractual arrangements only. The Add Health study has released data to the public using only half of the sample; the full set of data is available only to contractual users of the data.
OCR for page 3
--> Universal Availability of Data Computer technology makes it possible for a broad audience with various levels of statistical sophistication to access data from surveys. Workshop participants discussed whether users who have not been involved in a survey's design and data collection can fully understand the complexities of the data collected and questioned the ability of less experienced users to apply proper weights to data extracts or to calculate standard errors. Participants agreed that a survey's protocol must be clear, concise, and accessible to the user community and that efforts should be made to facilitate proper use of the data—for example, by providing computer programs for computing standard errors, rather than requiring users to do their own calculations. Beyond such efforts to avoid misuses of data, workshop participants did not think they should take responsibility for the public's use or interpretation of data. On the contrary, they thought that further analyses of data may lead to innovative ways of thinking about patterns in the data, new insights, and discoveries. And although ample opportunity exists for individuals to misinterpret data that are disseminated, peer reviews serve as gatekeepers for the scientific community. Data Linkages and Confidentiality In addition to proper analytical applications of data, universal availability also raises concern about confidentiality and data disclosure. The trend in the social sciences field is to seek ways to link data (e.g., linking survey data to state administrative data) and thus to increase the range of information that is available for smaller geographical units. Administrative data can also be used as a validation tool to confirm individual reports of, for example, public benefits received. Data can be linked in many different ways. Some longitudinal studies are designed to pursue personal links to respondents, such as ties to absent fathers, parents, children, and siblings. Some studies also link children and adolescents to their child care providers and their educational environment. Often, a respondent's Social Security number is required for such links to be made successfully, opening the door to perceptions of inappropriate intrusion. The practice of data linkages raises many ethical issues. It remains a challenge to ensure that data confidentiality is not breached. Workshop participants discussed techniques for disguising the identity of respondents, such as different strategies of adding noise to the data (e.g., random components that increase variability but, on average, do not contribute to the magnitude of estimated effects). Depending on the techniques used, it may be possible to identify an individual respondent using just a few variables. Participants agreed that, although linkages across datasets can enhance the utility of survey data in many ways, caution is warranted, particularly when samples of children and youth are involved for whom issues of custody, juvenile crime, and consent for medical


text:
Skip to content
Meet the Moderators of these forums
Meet them all
Meet the Experts in these forums
Steve Farrell
You are in... Forums > Discuss This > MotoGP > Honda expects fierce but friendly fight between Pedrosa and Marquez
Matthew Birt says:
Honda is confident that the good relationship that exists between Dani Pedrosa and rookie Marc Marquez will not be soured by any potential battles on track in the 2013 MotoGP world championship.
The Spanish duo are both being hotly tipped to battle for the title in MotoGP this year, which will inevitably mean they will engage in some strong battles on...
Fields marked with an asterisk * are required
Your reply
Upload image(s) from your computer (up to 3 images)
Terms of use
Use of our community areas and forums is subject to important terms of use. By joining our community and using the features you agree to be bound by these terms. See terms of use below.
Dec 09
Posts: 2492
supermario says:
I just love this one. Its so you. The lyrics are bang on!
Mar 09
Posts: 5383
Nostrodamus says:
This week SM, last week CCB. You must realise by now that I don't given a flying fuck about you.
Mar 13
Posts: 10
FatRat says:
Just seen the vid - Hahaha
Jul 10
Posts: 1394
carcleanerboy says:
Your the worst thing in the world , a liar, plain and simply ,and dont have the balls to stand up for your own beliefs ,sad ,sad man. but hey we wouldnt remind you every round your made to look a clown. hahaha
Your bullshit and opinions which you now deny, have a good chance of coming home to roost. And all because the one thing you never thought would never happen has. Rossi has been given a second chance at Yamaha, Fuck me that must sting.
Quick question. If you don't give a flying fuck, as you say, then why bother to reply?
Or you still just running away?
Apr 11
Posts: 3436
Bultoboy says:
Jan 13
Posts: 209
pannyderosa says:
No sense of humour or is it the fact when nostro is attacked for being an arse you feel the pain as well being an arse yourself?Ha Ha lurve it
Yeah that's right, your perception is astounding, you've hit the nail right on the head
You wouldn't recognise a sense of humour if it introduced itself
I found it hilarious where as I find you quite dull and boring.Can I ask why you did not find it funny?
Save money by comparing quotes. It's quick and easy
Motorcycle Cover | Cheap Motorcycle Insurance | Moped Insurance | Scooter Insurance | 125 Insurance | Work Experience | Complaints Policy
Car Magazine | Empire | FHM | Parkers | LRO | Today's Golfer | Zoo
Bauer Consumer Media Ltd (company number 01176085, 1 Lincoln Court, Lincoln Road, Peterborough, England PE1 2RF)


text:
We all know during the working week it's hard enough to have a moment to think, let alone consider downing tools to leave the office and go somewhere nice for lunch. Infact in recent years lunch has become almost extinct - according to recent research only 1 in 5 people take a full lunch break.
But it's good to have some time out and that if you do, you feel the benefits for the rest of the day. Even if you can't that regularly, it's worth giving yourself that little prod every now and then and forcing yourself to leave your desk.
And if you still fall squarely in the Lunch-Is-For-Wimps Camp, then consider this: all that time you don't take for lunch, amounts to an extra 16 full days at work. Now that's food for thought.
Souli, on George Street in London's Marylebone, is one of those new lovely little lunch havens in London that people want to keep to themselves. And we can understand that. After all, while enjoying one of Souli's deliciously soothing creamy flat whites, who wants to have to lock eyes with the company accountant you've been locking horns with in the boardroom all morning?
Choices include Walnut and Poached Pear Salad with Roquefort dressing and Quinoi Salad with Crushed Cashew and Cranberries. Bread is freshly-baked by artisan French bakers – which basically means sandwiches are a slice above your usual café fare (think Wild Rocket and Fig Chutney or Roast Grass-fed Beef with Watercress and Fresh Horseradish cream) – and the coffee comes from Sant'Eustachio coffee in Rome where they've been roasting the finest beans (Fair Trade, of course) over wood since the 1930s.
Given that lunch al desko has become almost accepted practice now, we welcome the rise of gourmet lunch stops like Souli currently springing up in the capital and bringing back the lunch. All we need to now is to get back into the habit…
17 George Street, Marylebone, W1U 3QL
Open from 7am – 5pm, Monday – Friday
Twitter: @soulifood
Lucy Dunn


text:
Was born on Oct 16th at Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. from birth until today in Jakarta. love football, love sportmanships, The 'Real' fans of Manchester United and Real Madrid. My Beloved Cristiano Ronaldo. Living in Madrid, Espańa. Here's what it is myself, never cared what people say, I keep running my own life on track. Proud to be Madridista, RedArmy, and BeatleMania
Organ Theme by simurai


text:
Copycat "hiPhone 5" Surfaces In China
samzenpus posted more than 3 years ago | from the certified-authentic-fake dept.227
hypnosec writes "A fake iPhone 5, inspired by the leaked images of the device, has been discovered to be on sale in China. The quality of the hiPhone 5 varies with the price, with the most premium version of the device being available for 800 yuan or £76. The device reportedly comes in red and pink. Chinese media is reporting that the fake iPhone 5 is thinner than the iPhone 4 and comes with round edges. Other reports are claiming that the device is extremely light and almost feels like that one is holding a plastic toy. The reports are likely based on some images that were leaked by the supply chain." Since they're going to the trouble of building counterfeit stores, the knock-off phones shouldn't surprise anyone.


text:
Tip: Use Chopsticks as a Cooking Tool
Most non-Asian cooks aren't aware that chopsticks are more than just an eating utensil. They also make great cooking tools. In fact, there are special cooking chopsticks (saibashi in Japanese) that are a little longer and sometimes joined at the end with a string for just that purpose.
Faith recently wrote about how chopsticks are a preferred tool for making scrambled eggs, but there are many other reasons for keeping a pair of chopsticks near your stove. They are excellent for turning and lifting fried foods from a pot of hot fat, stirring noodles and soups, and they make great stir-fry tool, too.
Basically almost anything you can do with tongs, you can also do with chopsticks, and often you can do them better. Of course, you must feel comfortable and skilled with chopsticks before you use them for cooking, especially when working with the deep-fryer!
Julia Child was known for her love of chopsticks in the kitchen and would use them to fish a vegetable from a pot of boiling water to see if it was done. Other uses are grabbing olives and pickles from jars, mixing sauces, fluffing rice, flipping things in the oven. They even make great grilling implements.
Many people keep a variety of sizes on hand to customize according to need, from the larger, made-for-cooking chopsticks to smaller, child-sized versions. Plastic chopsticks would melt and metal ones will conduct the heat, so be careful about adopting just any old pair as your kitchen tool. The best material is obviously wood, with bamboo taking top marks.
Do you cook with chopsticks? What's your favorite use for chopsticks in the kitchen?
Related: No Cherry Pitter? Use a Chop Stick
(Image: Leela Cyd Ross)
6 Comments
Chopsticks are almost a natural extension of my fingers. A good portion of my utensil bin by the stove is comprised of chopsticks of different lengths. I'm more comfortable using them for beating eggs than a fork. The super long chopsticks are great as mentioned above: deep-frying, fishing out the last morsel from a tall jar, stirring pots, grabbing pinches of condiments from jars, etc. I also love the fact that my bamboo ones can be used on all surfaces.
I think the times I reach for my tongs are when I need to grab at something pretty bulky or unwieldy, like a large steak.
As an aside, I also prefer to eat leafy salads with chopsticks rather than a fork. I can grab at leaves a lot easier than stabbing them with a fork.
My go-to utensil for cooking bacon!
I use it for absolutely everything! But just make sure to get a quality pair, maybe without any kind of painting or lacquer - it'll flake right off when it goes in hot cooking oil.
We use plastic chopsticks to create a 'grate' of sorts when adding spices to meat - that way, the plate doesn't steal the spices when we flip the meat over.
We've got the kind with the little string connector. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but they're just right for quickly flipping veggies for tempura and for scrambling eggs for iritamago (or rolling up a tamagoyaki). And yeah--you want plain wood, not anything with lacquer.
I forgot to mention: cheap and short bamboo chopsticks plus some kitchen twine = excellent McGuyvered steaming racks. Growing up, my grandma had all these tic tac toes of chopsticks for use in woks or pans for steaming.


text:
November 13, 2012
Humane Society International Offers Tips for a Safe Diwali for Your Pets
Humane Society International encourages pet owners to take extra precautions to keep their pets safe while celebrating Diwali.
November 8, 2012
HSI India: Pledging to 'Be Cruelty-Free' This Diwali is as Easy as Giving a Missed Call
Pledging to Be Cruelty-Free by avoiding animal-tested cosmetics just got easier for billions of Indians celebrating Diwali this year.
November 8, 2012
World Compassion Day 2012
To celebrate World Compassion Day 2012 and officially launch HSI/India, HSI is hosting an event featuring His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
October 31, 2012
Humane Society International Urges East Coast Residents to Take Pets with Them Should Evacuation Occur
Humane Society International reminds residents of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to take their pets with them if they are told to evacuate.
October 29, 2012
A Day in the Life of an HSI Street Dog Team
An update on HSI's street dog programs in India, Bhutan and the Philippines.
October 25, 2012
FIAPO Joins Forces with HSI's Be Cruelty-Free Campaign to End Cosmetics Animal Testing in India
The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), a national collective of animal protection organisations in India, has become a formal partner of HSI's Be Cruelty-Free campaign to end animal testing for cosmetics in India.
October 10, 2012
HSI Calls for Transatlantic Partnership to Revolutionise Drug, Chemical and Human Health Research and Replace Animal Testing
HSI is calling for the EU and the US to form a groundbreaking transatlantic research partnership to bolster the technology revolution taking place in pharmaceutical and chemical safety testing using cutting-edge non-animal techniques.
October 5, 2012
HSI Praises Hyatt Regency Kolkata for Leadership in Animal Welfare in Bengal
HSI praised Hyatt Regency Kolkata for being the first in the Bengal hospitality industry to initiate procurement of cage-free eggs.
September 30, 2012
Faces of the Animal Protection Movement: Alice Utlang Stands Up for Street Dogs
Philippine veterinarian transforms an outdated stray dog control program into a model of humane practices.
September 5, 2012
HSI Felicita a Cathay Pacific Airways por Decisión de Cesar Envíos de Aletas de Tiburón
Lea la declaración de HSI en respuesta la decisión de Cathay Pacific Airways, con sede en Hong Kong, de detener los envíos de aletas de tiburón y productos de tiburón en sus vuelos.


text:
BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) - John Leddy, Medical Director for the University at Buffalo's Concussion Clinic says, concussion are a serious injury that occurs when your brain functions are disturbed due to your brain being shaken against your skull.
A concussion is usually the cause from a hit to the head or sometimes just a whiplash to the neck. Leddy says there is not way to prevent it except to not play contact sports but says there is a lot the athlete can do to minimize the likelihood of getting a concussion.
"The player can try to minimize the risk of concussion by wearing a properly fitting helmet all the time and keeping their head up being aware as much as possible of what's around them, who might hit them," says Leddy."
He also mentions the National Football League and the National Hockey League are role models to college, high school and peewee sports leagues.
"You can reduce likelihood mainly through fair play and rules changes that prevent blindsided hits," says Leddy.
He goes on to say for those that have already suffered one or two concussions, you are more likely to get a third or a fourth.
Leddy stressed if symptoms are lasting weeks or months the real issue may be a neck injury because they have very similar symptoms.


text:
More reviews by Sherryanne300002
This product is an awesome bronzer looks very natural and pretty but since it contains harmful ingredients I honestly would pass. I TRY not to have makeup products with parabens and so on but its a bit scary when you go to their website hit view ingredients and the California code something link, where it says these ingredients have been shown to cause cancer etc... I would skip a pretty bronzer to avoid birth defects and cancer causing ingredients like holy smokes!!!! that's what their company wrote which is the truth... I'm sure lots of things I own some way cause these things but honestly it has opened my eyes to be more aware and maybe you weren't!!
Love this paired with dandelion. Good for contouring!
Love! This is the first bronzer I found that works for me. It doesn't show up orange or too dark.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
I LOVE THIS BRONZER! perfect for contour. I'm just in love. It's not too dark or too light just perfect.
I just finished Nars Laguna and wanted a replacement. I got the hoopla and it's the perfect colour on me. Buildable and natural colour. I can't wait to use it tomorrow!
I love this bronzer, and I love the brush it came with for contourning my cheekbones. I think that is the first time I have ever been able to say that!
Anyway, I find the color to suit my medium skin tone, and the fact that you only need a little bit, makes the price a bit easier to swallow. Overall, great product and definitely would repurchase!
Wish I could give this a 3.5. Good for contouring, bad for "bronzing". The matte finish of this bronzer gives a good blendable finish that leaves a natural look, but it also can come out quite muddy looking if you overdue it. Biggest con is the price tag, way too steep imo. Though the product lasts for quite some time because you only need a small amount and you're good to go, just refrain from putting it all over your face or you'll look like you a got a bad tan.
This product was a bit of a disappointment for me. So many people rave about it so I decided to buy it (despite it's steep price tag). Here are my pros and cons:
- it's matte!! It can be difficult to find a contour powder/bronzer without any shimmer
- nice universal shade. It's on the brown side, not orange so it looks more natural
- the packaging is so cute!
- it comes with a brush that I found to actually be useful (good for cheek contouring)
- you only need a very small amount of product
- very easy to over apply. First time I used it I swiped the brush through it a couple times and ended up with a giant dark streak on my face
- can be hard to blend out. Once applied it's hard to lighten up through blending incase too much was applied
- tends to end up blotchy/muddy after a couple hours (I have very oily skin)
- fades after 5-6 hours
- price!!! It's a tiny amount of product for the $36+ price tag
Overall, I will not re purchase. Price was too steep, found it to not blend as well as other cheaper products. I think I'll stick to my NYC mosaic bronzer (for a fraction of the price!!)
More reviews by Elisalovesmakeup
love love love this product in every way. you can put it all over as a contor. its brilliant ive ised this 6 times a week for 5-6 months still am no was near hitting pan
I've been looking for a good matte bronzer and had been using MAC but it was so lightly pigmented that I had to use a lot of powder over and over to actually get it to show which is a pain when contouring. This stuff is pigmented great and contours well. That said, I hate the packaging so much I wish I could give it 0 stars, and the brush should get negative stars. That thing is terrible. I tossed it out and use a fluffy brush, which gives me a great look but it's so hard to get into the tiny, deep box that Benefit provided. I am hoping I can find a new container for the bronzer pan and tear open and toss the odd cardboard container that it comes in. For the price, I do think it's quite tiny overall, and the packaging is ridiculous given the price.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No


text:
The nation's head of veteran health services told lawmakers Wednesday that a preliminary review found no evidence to support recent allegations of corruption and unnecessary deaths at the agency's hospital in Phoenix.Read More »
Tag Archives: chairmanFeed Subscription
Among GOP ranks, an ambitious group of governors
For an ambitious group of Republican governors, next year's elections could be a springboard to bigger things in 2016.Read More »
AZ lawmakers face uphill climb to reform income tax system
Arizona lawmakers, business leaders and economists face a daunting task as they try to make any changes to the state's income tax rates and tax system.Read More »
High court won't weigh in on new campaign limits
The Arizona Supreme Court declined to accept a case challenging the state's new campaign contribution limits.
In a Tuesday afternoon order, Justice Robert Brutinel wrote that the court would not accept a petition for special action filed by opponents of HB2593, who hoped to bypass the lower courts and go straight to the Supreme Court. Brutinel did not elaborate on the high court's reason for declining jurisdiction in the case.
Lawmakers achieved election reform, tax reform and tort reform
I commend the governor and the Legislature for enduring the stress of a lengthy session and passing some much-needed legislation that will have a positive effect on our state for a very long time.Read More »
Election bill foes join forces, eye referendum
There's plenty for a broad array of opponents to hate in an omnibus election bill passed at the end of the session, and a diverse coalition is now banding together for a probable citizen referendum drive against HB2305.Read More »
Senator faced pressure to change deciding vote on elections bill
Sen. Steve Pierce was under tremendous pressure from forces within and outside the state Capitol – including at least one official from the National Republican Congressional Committee –during the hours before sine die as lawmakers and others tried to influence his vote on a controversial election bill.Read More »
Capitol Quotes: May 24, 2013
This week's most outstanding quips, gibes and utterances from Arizona's political world.Read More »
State revenue outlook remains uncertain
Despite weeks of budget discussions, the governor and Republican lawmakers still haven't agreed on how much the state will get in revenues over the next three years.Read More »
Governor's Medicaid expansion plan affirms the will of voters
Arizonans are watching as the misinformed rhetoric and vitriol obfuscate an issue that close to a million voters made perfectly clear they support. . .twice.Read More »


text:
It's a 40-45 minute drive to the ski area--there I said it. Spitalerhof is a great place to stay, though. The service is very good--we had a small problem with our hot water and they fixed it immediately! The breakfast was very good, and the dinners at the restaurant were amazing! Free wifi was pretty good, but works the best... More
Location: Italy > Trentino-Alto Adige > South Tyrol Province > Chiusa
Price Range (Based on Average Rates): $
Number of rooms: 38
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Booking.com, Priceline and Odigeo so you can book your Hotel & Appartements Spitalerhof reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.


text:
Our unique posters and photos will look fantastic in your home, office, hotel, restaurant, etc. Find interior design inspiration from our décor page.
Bruce Thomas's live music career is celebrated in the concert memorabilia available at Wolfgang's Vault. The Collection is divided into Bruce Thomas Posters, Bruce Thomas Photographs, Bruce Thomas Apparel as well as other Bruce Thomas memorabilia such as vintage tickets backstage passes and media like Rolling Stone magazines.


text:
Photos and Description of this 1 bedroom holiday apartment in Paignton - 26 New Esplanade Court
One-bedroom, ground floor apartment within walking distance of the beach
The new Esplanade Court holiday apartment is set right on Paignton seafront.
The completely refurbished 1 bedroom apartment is on the ground floor and is presented in excellent condition with gardens and its own private patio area, parking and use of the outdoor swimming pool.
The apartment is open all year round and comprises of hall, lounge, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom with 1 double bed, 1 double sofa bed in the bedroom and 1 double bed settee in the lounge. The shower room has been completely refurbished and features underfloor heating and a washing machine.
The apartment sleeps 6 and families are welcome. The apartment is non-smoking and sorry, but no pets please.
Bed linen and towels are provided.
The apartment is set right behind the Inn on the Green, a family pub and restaurant on the seafront.
- Suitability:
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- children welcome
- non smoking only
- pets not allowed
- wheelchair accessible
About Koshy Jacob
We live in Bridgwater in Somerset and started investing in Property in 2008. Koshy is a Consultant in the NHS and Beulah is a conference Manager. We have 4 adorable children the oldest 13 and the youngest 2.
Koshy Jacob purchased this apartment in 2010
Why Koshy Jacob chose Paignton
We have always loved Devon and this was a very nice place right next to the sea front.
What makes this apartment unique
The Property has been totally refurbished to a very high standard. We feel that it needed to be of a standard that we ourselves would love to use on holiday. It has all the modern facilities one would expect. We have a lovely couple Paul and Leona managing the property down at Paignton who look after the property as if its their own, so we consider ourselves really lucky.


text:
Nolan Area Rug
# 14355
* FREE RUG PAD automatically added to cart with rug purchase. See details>
The Nolan Area Rug from the Metropolitan Collection is an expertly crafted, hand-crafted wool rug with a classic yet contemporary pattern of tone-on-tone stripes against a neutral base. Built to last, the high-low pile ensures longevity.


text:
It's official: unable to stomach Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony and the 2014 NBA Draft being the focus of basketball fans everywhere, LeBron James has decided to opt out of his contract with the Miami Heat, making him an unrestricted free agent and the center of attention once again.
BREAKING: LeBron James' agent informs Heat that he will exercise early termination option, making James free agent. (via @Chris_Broussard )
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 24, 2014
How would LeBron James look in your favorite team's jersey? Wonder no more: http://t.co/3e15dYiR8G (h/t @TeamLeBron_) pic.twitter.com/jlOkdgZwv8 — NBA.com (@NBAcom) June 24, 2014
THE VOTES ARE IN! 62% of SC fans DON'T think LeBron James will return to the Miami Heat. pic.twitter.com/qSNyFcSPny
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 24, 2014
And to think I was ready to simply focus on the damn NBA Draft this week. Plpht.
Now that King James has opted out, every sports reporter, blogger not named Richard Spalding, and delusional fan in the world will start spewing out obvious facts – James could still remain in Miami – statistics that sound important, but really are not – if LeBron re-signs with Heat, he can earn $127.7 million over 5 years max. If he signs elsewhere, he can earn $94.8 million over 4 years max – and a combination of plausible / mostly ludicrous scenarios as to where he could wind up – he's going back to Cleveland!
Shoot me now.
I give James at least this month credit: he didn't make the world endure another Decision. Still, if this move is designed to put pressure on Pat Riley to go out and spend a lot of cash on players that will help Miami get back to the NBA Finals, it strikes me as being a bit unnecessary. Riley already knows what needs to be done, and besides, James had leverage over Riley to begin with: build me a team now, or I walk in 2015.
Yes, James' move frees up some cap space for the Heat to play with, and if Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade follow suit, there will be even more wiggle room in Miami. But seriously – why would the Heat even want to keep Wade and Bosh when they could trade them for some newer parts, or let them walk in free agency?
Eh – nothing I say really matters here. James is an unrestricted free agent, so let the madness begin!
Tags: Boston Celtics Lebron James