text:
Hey guys,
It seems I'm having some internet issues today so I most likely won't be posting. Hopefully all will be back to normal tomorrow and I'll be able to wrap up the first weekend of FED CUP and all the WEEKEND WINNERS.
Until then have a good one!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Letter to DtL readers: Please stand by...
Hey guys,
Friday, February 6, 2009
Quote of the Day: Murray on WADA procedure
- Andy Murray on undergoing tennis' new anti-doping testing under the WADA code
Uh, there's a lot I could say about this quote by the Brit baller but I'll stick to the point: These measures -- known location one hour of every day, 3 missed appointments warrants up to 2-year suspension -- seem pretty severe as he (and Rafael Nadal) have described it especially since the number of doping allegations in tennis are far under the numbers reported by other sports.
And I suppose during tourneys it's especially hard because of the constant change of match schedules.
But until the ballers can organize and fight the new measures, they better make sure to pee into that cup in a timely manner...and let them watch if they want.
(image via Gettty)
Labels: Andy Murray, anti-doping, controversy, player quotes, tennis
Shrieka finally playing points with serves, looks towards March return
Maria Sharapova, who withdrew from the Paris Open + Dubai, provided an update on her Weekly Doodles about the progress of her recovery:
I have been training in Florida the last few weeks and really working hard on getting the strength back in my arm. It's really amazing how you can do all the exercises and rehab in the world but nothing substitutes the time you spent on court running and hitting hundreds of balls. The biggest lesson I have learned throughout this whole process is that it takes so much patience to get back to where you were physically. You are never really going to forget 'how' to hit a tennis ball but what you do forget is how much work and repitition you must put into every single day in order to get back to where you were. And the only way to get back into good shape is by playing tennis. Unfortunately just because the doctor fixes the problem and gives you the green light to practice doesn't mean that you can just go out there playing tournaments. Yesterday I played my first few points with serves in about 6 months which was pretty exciting! Right now I'm aiming for Palm Springs, or Miami, depending on how things shape up. I cannot wait to get back to playing tournamentsIt's pretty crazy that Shrieka just played "her first few points with serves in about 6 months". The recovery has been pretty slow at best but it's better to take it easy on the shoulder than rushing back. It's also interesting after all the speculation about her status recently we're finally getting some actual statements about her the withdrawal and her progress.
In any case, the earliest we'll see her looks to be March.
Heal on Shrieka, heal on.
(image via mariasharapova.com)
Labels: injuries, Maria Sharapova, player quotes, player sites, tennis
Thursday, February 5, 2009
(UPDATED) Rafa LIVE CHAT: Did anyone get through? Anyone??
I've heard from a few readers today (more like annoyed readers) who attempted to get into the Babolat-sponsored LIVE CHAT with Rafael Nadal and were unable to get through. Some even tried to stop by early and were told it was at capacity already.
Is there anyone out there who made it into the chat with the Mallorcan Matador? Let us know!
And for those of you who didn't (myself included), feel free to leave your uncensored thoughts in the comments section.
*still wearing very pissed-off face*
UPDATE: Click here for LIVE CHAT transcript in case you missed it (and no doubt most of you did. Boo.)
UPDATE #2: Thanks to Meri again for sending over Part 2 of the the Matador shooting a TV ad most likely for Banesto. We get suited up Rafa, casual clad in jeans Rafa, and I'm-about-to-bust-out-laughing-I-swear Rafa. CHECK IT -
Labels: media, Rafael Nadal, sponsorship, tennis
VIDEO VAULT: Serena the "odd girl" visits Jay Leno and talks Oz, streakers, and superstitions
The WTA Penthouse's latest resident Serena Williams stopped by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night to discuss winning her fourth Aussie Open crown and her return to World No.1.
The self-described "odd girl" also talks about the insufferable Aussie heat, the streaker who paid a visit to her doubles match with Venus, and her superstitions (which I thought she didn't have for religious reasons - but whatever).
I have to say ReRe looks really great in the salmon-colored dress and seems happier than ever before. Plus, she seems def comfortable in front of the late night crowd - no shocker there. I mean, the girl loves the spotlight.
(via dimewars.com)
Labels: celebrity, media, Serena Williams, tennis, TV
THE LOW DOWN: Justine + Kim both prepping for exo tourneys - is a return to the WTA Tour next?
Retired lady ballers Justine Henin + Kim Clijsters are both reportedly prepping to play a few exhibitions during the 2009 season.
Belgian papers have noted that the 7-time Grand Slammer Justine is slated to appear at the Belgian Tennis Trophy exhibition in Charleroi on December 5 - 6 while former US Open champ Kim has been training on a regular basis with former sparring partner Wim Fissette and physical coach Sam Verslegers to prepare for some exhibitions this year as well according to her website.
So of course the rumor mill is buzzing with talk (and lots of hope) that the two Belgian ballers will eventually make their returns back to the WTA Tour (and, boy, does the Tour need them.)
As the saying goes, never say "never" but who really knows. Personally, I'd love to see both of them back.
Do you guys think this signals their intentions to return to full-time play or not?
(image via Getty)
Labels: exhibition match, gossip, justine henin, tennis
PHOTO OP: Madona in full dress, served bagels by Galina
Madona Najarian was spotted in Perth battling Galina Voskoboeva in their Asia/Oceania Group FED CUP tie today. Unfortunately the Iranian was served double bagels by her Kazakhstani foe - ouch.
Regardless, what a stirring image it is to see a lady baller in full Islamic dress cracking groundies in a FED CUP match. You can never say tennis isn't a truly international, far-reaching sport, eh?
(image via TONY ASHBY/AFP/Getty Images)
Labels: FED CUP, Madona Najarian, photo op, tennis
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
(UPDATED) THE LOW DOWN: Shrieka withdraws from Paris + Dubai, officials cite "failure to fully recover" from shoulder injury
More bad news for the MIA Maria Sharapova.
The 3-time Grand Slammer, who's been forced out of action since last August with a balky right shoulder, has withdrawn from next week's Paris Open and Dubai the following week after failing to fully recover, tournament officials confirmed.
This announcement is murky at best but it could mean a few things: either her shoulder is still tender from surgery, her overall competitive fitness still needs a lot of work, or, worst case scenario, it's been reinjured.
In any case, the Shrieka camp must be seriously worried about her long-term prospects considering this is her dominant side.
The WTA Tour desperately needs her back in the fold so this is very troubling news.
Stay tuned.
UPDATE: Shrieka finally released a statement about the withdrawal via her website -
I'm very disappointed to be unable to compete in the upcoming Open GDF SUEZ and Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, both of which are great events that I was very much hoping to be able to play. My shoulder continues to improve every day and I am working very hard on the practice court. I'm looking forward to being back on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour very soon.(image via Getty)
MEDIA MASHUP: Rafa shoots TV spot in Palma, posts final blog from Oz
Thanks to DtL reader (and def rabid Rafanatic) Meri again for a new behind-the-scenes video featuring Rafael Nadal!
A day after getting mobbed at the airport, the world's top baller was spotted back in Palma shooting a TV spot. I'm not sure what it's for or what the newscaster is saying here (feel free to add translation in the comments section) but does it really matter?
Rafa looks great and def in a relaxed, happy mood.
Ah, to be 22-years old, loaded, and on top of the (tennis) world.
*hides face from Starbucks patrons, cries into backpack*
BONUS: The Aussie Open champ posted one last blog for The Times after his big win on Sunday. Here it is in case you missed it:
HI everyone, I am writing this last blog from the Australian Open. I say from the Oz Open and not Melbourne since I am writing it on the plane on my way back home. There are many questions that you can ask me and most of them have been answered at the press conference. I just want to say a few more things... First that I didn't have that much time to celebrate. Let me explain why:
I got to the hotel at around 3.30 am. The work doesn't finish on court with the prize giving ceremony... After that a lot of things are still happening: TV interviews, Anti-Doping Control, press conference, more TV interviews, radio interviews, live interviews with some radios in Spain and finally back to the locker room to celebrate with my team. We had some sparkling wine there and we celebrated a bit. We also brought in the Spanish media reps tha travelled all the way to Melbourne and stayed there these weeks with us.
As I say I got back to hotel at around 3.30am and I know that Benito, my PR guy, had a party ready at a local club. We thought about going but I had something to eat and had to do massage or I would have been really tired. So we decided to stay in the room. It as around 4.30am and anyway the club was closed then. So we stayed and watched some football on TV. There was nothing we could do. It was too late!!! We ate and simply stayed there.
I had to wake up pretty early since had to do more press. The Spanish media came to the hotel and I talked to them. Also to Neil Harman from this newspaper. Then the official photo with the trophy that you have probably seen in the paper. Then more one on ones. After that we went back to the hotel and had lunch at my favorite restaurant. We ate Japanese and then went back to the room to get all the luggage ready. Lots of bags, lots of them. Got to the airport and here I am. I am getting back home after 30 hours traveling...
Anyway, it has been an amazing tournament. I am very, very happy as you can all imagine and I am also happy I have now 2/3 days at home before going to Rotterdam to my next tournament. I didn't play well there last year and I would love to do well.
Thanks all for reading this blog, for all your questions, for all your support and for following this. I also have a great time although I missed a couple of blogs... Apologies for that.
Bye and thanks.
Labels: advertising, media, player blogs, player quotes, Rafael Nadal, tennis, TV, video
PHOTO OP: Nando bares it for Spanish Men's Health, faux hawk secret revealed
Fernando Verdasco is featured on the cover and inside shots in the latest edition of Spanish Men's Health.
I'm not sure what the actual story is about but I imagine it has something to do with the Aussie Open semifinalist's nutrition, game, fitness, blah blah blah. I mean, it is Men's Health now.
But really, who needs silly words when you have a body to look at like Nando's. Plus, we get to see how he keeps that hair from never EVER moving. Seriously, isn't it about time to retire the mountains of gel AND the up-do, faux hawk mess? Me thinks so.
Anyway, prepare to drool...
(image via ATP Men's Tennis Blog)
Labels: Fernando Verdasco, media, Men's Health, publishing, tennis
Rafanatics rejoice: Babolat sponsors LIVE CHAT with Oz Open champ
Now that he's survived his smoochy arrival back home, Rafael Nadal will have the safety of the internet to be able to interact with fans this time around.
His racquet-maker, Babolat, is sponsoring a LIVE CHAT with the newly-crowned Aussie Open champ this Thursday, February 5th. Just click on the "Register Me" link to sign up for the chat and a chance to win a racquet signed by the Matador.
Okay Rafanatics, prepare yourselves and your questions - but keep it clean, if you can.
PS - Thanks Barcelona2012 + Isabelle!
(screen capture via chat-rafa.com)
Labels: Babolat, live chat, Rafael Nadal, sponsorship, tennis
Kiri dumps coach, talks Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
Like Ana Ivanovic, Maria Kirilenko has also made some changes in her personnel to help awaken her slumbering game.
The Russian, who fell in the first round to Sara Errani at the Aussie Open, has dumped her coach, Eric Van Harpen, for someone a little closer to home - her father Yuri Kirilenko:
It's like in the life, sometimes you feel you need to change something. Especially in sport, when something doesn't work. Eric helped me a lot, I learned a lot of new things thanks to him. We are still good friends with him and his daughter Laura.Good news Kiri fans! It seems she's never had a clear idea of what her strengths and weaknesses are and, therefore, never had a solid game plan when taking the court. Hopefully, this new arrangement will spark new energy for the petite lady baller.
And, thanks to DtL reader Damien for tipping me off to Kiri's thoughts on her upcoming spread in this month's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue:
I have very good memories of the photo shooting for Sports Illustrated. I went to Dominican Republic with my mother. I was there for three days and I had a great time ! All days on the beach posing :-) I can tell I was busy all the days but it was so nice ! A great team worked with me. The great photographer Walter Iooss, I think it is a greatest photographer I ever work with. So, I can't wait when the pictures come out ! There are coming 15th of February I guess.Here we go again. I'll be curious to see if this lady baller can pull off the whole modeling/sex kitten moment.
(images via Getty)
Labels: coaching, Maria Kirilenko, player quotes, player sites, tennis
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
(UPDATED) VIDEO VAULT: Rabid Rafanatic breaks through, plants *smooch* on Oz Open champ
Thanks to DtL reader Meri for send me this link of Rafael Nadal arriving at the Palma de Mallorca airport after his stirring win at the Aussie Open.
The world's top baller is seen being mobbed by the media and also by some eager fans including one woman who breaks through the crowd to plant a wet *smooch* on the Matador's right cheek only to have him wipe it right off!
Gotta give the rabid Rafanatics credit, though. You can't keep 'em down though Rafa may want to try - you never know what they may do when given the chance (seriously, just check the comments section here for some detailed ideas...if you dare.)
UPDATE: Thanks to Barcelona2012 for sending me the link to photos of the incident in question. Rafanatics - which one of you is the culprit? Announce yourself!
Labels: Rafael Nadal, tennis, video
The Times' Harman wants these awkward post-match moments to stop - can you blame him?
Neil Harman has had his fill of watching awkward post-match moments (join the club) and he's not gonna take it anymore.
After watching Roger Federer literally dissolve into tears after his heartbreaking loss to Rafael Nadal at the Aussie Open, The Times' exasperated correspondent is pleading with tennis officials to go the way of most sports in the world and stop forcing the "loser" to get up in front of millions of spectators and viewers around the globe and speak:
No, someone, somehow has to take the bull by the horns and tell the television companies that we actually don't want or need this any more and whoever thought it was right in the first place should have seen how they would have liked it. Whether or not Federer should have reacted in the manner he did (the Net Post prefers a stiff upper lip but everyone is entitled to their opinion) that he need not have been placed in that position is without question.
He even goes on to lambast the Aussie Open's love for daily on-court interviews after every match citing Alicia Molik's talk with Jelena Dokic after her third round match and Jim Courier's embarrassing moment during his discussion with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga:
The Australian Open is the only grand slam where on-court interviews are a matter of daily, often cringe-inducing routine. This year they reached their nadir when Alicia Molik, an above-average former Australian player and the latest of such renown to join the Channel 7 team of former players, said to Jelena Dokic "give me a hug, girl" at the end of her third round match on Rod Laver Arena. Never have one's toes curled so much.OMG - so hysterical! Yeah, and of course we'll never forget Nole mouthing off about A-Rod and the NYC crowd at the US Open last year. Don't they know you NEVER give a bitter man the mic?
Dokic could hardly refuse but she clearly wanted no part of such manufactured sentimental guff. And then we had Jim Courier, a fine commentator, putting on a Muhammad Ali mask to interview Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who, you've guessed it, looks like Muhammad Ali. M. Tsonga went along with the gag like a good sport. It was pitiful.
It really doesn't make any sense to force someone who may have had their heart ripped from their chest (yes you Fed) to get up and tell everyone how they feel about getting their heart ripped from their chest - like we can't tell. Plus, do we really learn anything interesting right after they've just played their match? They're usually tired, worn out, sweaty and ready to hit the locker rooms - and that's usually what they tell us.
Let's give the winner some time to soak the moment in and let the loser go on their un-merry way.
What do you guys think about these post-match moments?
(image via Getty)
Labels: Australian Open, media, Roger Federer, tennis
Rafa backs Phelps, "In the end sportsmen are just not machines," says Nadal
Rafael Nadal has Michael Phelps' back.
The Aussie Open champ was asked about the record-setting Olympian's current PR fiasco in which Phelps was caught on camera holding a bong though he claims he did not smoke any marijuana. A sympathetic Rafa told the press:
It does not portray the best possible image, but everyone can have a slip-up. In the end sportsmen are just not machines. Everyone is free to do whatever they want.
The Spaniard, who met the champion swimmer during his own gold medal-winning run in Beijing last summer, believes Phelps shouldn't be criticized for personal actions taken while on break from competition:
He has been on holiday for some time. He has attained all his goals and he is taking a sabbatical leave and he is totally free to be able to do it. He will have plenty of time to get back and prepare for the coming Games.Agreed. It's troubling from a sponsorship/PR standpoint but that's about it. What he does on his personal time is his choice but he def needs to be more careful about who he hangs out with and what he's doing in front of cameras.
I mean, hello, you're kinda famous.
(image via Getty)
Labels: controversy, media, player quotes, Rafael Nadal, tennis
THE LOW DOWN: Will Dave Rineberg become Ana's new coach?
Speaking of Ana Ivanovic, The Tennis Times is reporting DH Management, who represent the Serb, has been in talks with Dave Rineberg as a potential coach.
Ana most recently worked with Sven Groenefeld through adidas' baller development program but this set up prevented him from traveling with her full-time or coaching her if she competed against another adidas-sponsored baller. The 21-year old announced the split prior to the Aussie Open but the pair were spotted working together during some Melbourne practice sessions.
Rineberg previously coached Venus + Serena Williams and penned the book Venus & Serena, My Seven Years as Hitting Coach in 2005.
The Boca Raton-based coach was quoted as saying about the potential partnership,
I'd be honored and thrilled to coach Ms Ivanovic back to #1 on the WTA, I think there are only a few coaches who have coached a player to the #1 spot and for me well, I've coached the best girls in the world and I think Ms Ivanovic could out do them all.Well Rineberg certainly has the right credentials so it could be a great move. But in any case, it's good to hear her management is moving quickly to get this coaching issue settled before Ana suffers any more bad losses.
(image via Getty)
Labels: Ana Ivanovic, coaching, Dave Rineberg, gossip, tennis
PHOTO OP: Murray gets frosty in Roehampton, frolics in surprise snow
Andy Murray was spotted at the National Tennis Center in Roehampton frolicking in the snow, building snowmen and throwing snow balls during the recent surprise snow storm that swept through England and handcuffed the parts of the country.
Believe you me Andy, it may be all fun and games now but I'd like to see you after the 10th snow storm like here in New York.
Egads! Here it comes again....
(image via andymurray.com)
Labels: Andy Murray, photo op, tennis
More images from Ana's Rolex ad campaign, discusses rumored Melbourne moves
Team Ana have released more images of Ana Ivanovic doing her modeling, sex kitten thing in an ad campaign for sponsor Rolex.
I have to say the above image is the best one out of the bunch - she looks stunning and she seems relaxed and comfortable. The bottom two? Meh - trying too hard for sure.
Could it be she's not comfortable showing a bit of skin? Or maybe she feels better having a big stick near her face (not that I know ANYTHING about that)??
Anyway the Serb, who slipped to World No.8 this week after falling in the Oz Open third round, also discussed the rumors that the year's first major might move it's location from Melbourne saying:
I've made no secret of my love for Melbourne or this tournament. I was therefore concerned when I heard reports that its long-term future is not entirely safe.The fact that Ana's publicly discussing the possibility of a move makes me think it's definitely a concern for Tennis Australia and the rumors aren't unfounded. Very interesting indeed.
For me, it simply isn't even a question: the Australian Open should remain in Melbourne. I am very young and admit I am no expert on the history of the game, but for me as a player I feel that this tournament belongs here as much as any of the other three Grand Slams belong in their current locations. To move any of them would be unthinkable.
And how does the Roland Garros champ feel about the idea of moving the Slam back in the calendar?
I would not move this tournament from its current calendar position either. I always spend up to a month training in Australia beforehand, and I can feel the public's holiday spirit during the summer months. It also ensures that we get great crowds.Eh, did you forget you just got embarrassed by Alisa Kleybanova and lost early in Melbourne, Ana? I certainly wouldn't say you were in "great form" and "prepared well". You may want to rethink that last part of your blog because you def looked like you could've used a bit more prep time.
It makes sense to keep it in January, when so many people are on holiday. Moving it to February, to allow players more warm-up tournaments, is an interesting idea, but I don't think it's necessary. Looking at the matches this year, it's clear that the players are already in great form, because they prepared well.
Just sayin'.
(images via anaivanovic.com)
Monday, February 2, 2009
2009 AUSTRALIAN OPEN WRAP-UP: The Ladies
The ladies' draw started off missing a major component: defending champ Maria Sharapova, who withdrew when her surgically repaired right shoulder rendered her unfit for the Melbourne fight. However, a slew of other eager lady ballers were already prepared to stake their claim on the first Grand Slam of the year.
Serena Williams knows what it takes to win the Oz Open crown – she's won the title every odd year since 2003 – so would fate be on her side this time around? It wasn't so clear at the outset when she fought through some scratchy patches in her opening rounds and lost the first set to Victoria Azarenka in the Round of 16. But, as luck would have it, Vika retired from their match after having been ill earlier in the day and gave safe passage for ReRe into the quarterfinals where she battled familiar foe Svetlana Kuznetsova. The 27-year old lost the first set but as luck would have it again, the scorching Aussie heat caused the Rod Laver Arena retractable roof to be closed and in turn caused ReRe's supreme game to open up.
The rest, as they say, was history as were her opponents including Sveta, semifinal foe Elena Dementieva, and Dinara Safina in the final. She earned her second consecutive Grand Slam, a 10th career major moving her past Monica Seles on the all-time list, regained the keys to the WTA Penthouse, and topped the list of career prize-money earners in all of women's sports (surpassing golfer Annika Sorenstam) by winning the doubles title with sister Venus and making the final. ReRe will be on the short list of faves for Roland Garros and if she grabs that one too watch out!
Dinara entered Melbourne with a some matches at the Hopman Cup and a finals appearance in Sydney but her form, particularly the serve, were still off. She needed needed 3 sets in 3 of her matches including her fourth round tussle against Frenchie Alize Cornet. After going down 2-5 in the third set, the Russian found the range on her groundies and saved 2 match points along the way to make her first quarterfinal in Oz. Unfortunately for D, she got spanked by ReRe in the final 6-0, 6-3 but it was a solid effort nonetheless for the new World No.2.
There's a big difference between reaching No.1 and actually staying there. Such is the problem for sister Serbs Jelena Jankovic + Ana Ivanovic. After a 2008 breakout season which saw both lady ballers rise to the top spot and both make a Grand Slam final - JJ in Flushing Meadows and Ana at Roland Garros where she grabbed her maiden major – their games have tailed off considerably. Like Nole, outside concerns may be to blame: JJ switched clothing sponsors from Reebok to ANTA, was rumored to be leaving Prince, and battled a flu at the JB Group Classic that left her short of matches. Ana had her off-season romance and on-season breakup with Fernando Verdasco and announced she was no longer working with adidas baller development coach Sven Groenefeld though they reconnected during the fortnight.
In most winning scenarios, consistency is THE key and these issues seemingly left them with no confidence and both lost early – JJ to Marion Bartoli in the fourth round and Ana to the unheralded Russian teen Alisa Kleybanova in her third rounder. Let's hope their focus turns back to tennis or their slippery Serbian Slide may have no end in sight.
Breakout Performance (tie): Jelena Dokic's inspiring run to the quarterfinals, taking out 11th seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round; Borna Bikic and his arms making their welcomed appearance in her baller box
Most Disappointing Performance: Venus Williams second round debacle, going down to Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro after winning the first set, leading 2-5 and holding a match point in the third
Kudos also go out to Elena Dementieva who came in with two warm up titles under her belt and reached her first Oz semifinals; Bart for schooling JJ, Alisa for schooling Ana; Vera Zvonareva for serving 4 bagels in her early matches before going down to Dinara in the semifinals; and Carla for making good on her defeat of V and reaching her second major quarterfinal (surely one to watch during the upcoming clay-court season.)
Labels: Australian Open, tennis, tournament wrap-up
2009 AUSTRALIAN OPEN WRAP-UP: The Boys
The first major of the year, the Aussie Open, is now in the history books and the champions have been crowned. If you're anything like me, you had a number of questions running around your noggin but left Oz with even more. Regardless, the 2009 tennis season is now shaping up to be one for the ages.
Can enough be said of Rafael Nadal and his effort of the past fortnight? The world's top baller entered Melbourne with a new look (it's got sleeves!) and concerns about some '08 season-ending injuries that left him short of match play and with a little bit of rust. Plus, he'd just lost early in Doha to Gael Monfils and had never been to a hard-court major final in his career. Like that mattered.
The 22-year old blew through his draw in blazing form up until the now-classic semifinal heavyweight bout against compatriot Fernando Verdasco. The pair threw body blow after body blow for 5 hours 14 mins (an Aussie Open record) and in the end Rafa's trademark mental toughness pulled him through in 5 sets. And with only a day to recover and practice for the final against Roger Federer, pundits and fans (including his most loyal Rafanatics) wondered if there was anything left. But the steely-eyed Spaniard put all concerns aside, dug in his Nike heels and put on one of the most impressive physical displays ever seen in the sport, going another 5 sets to defeat the Swiss stylist for his first Aussie Open title (the first Spaniard to do so) and sixth career major (the second youngest to earn six majors by 22 behind Bjorn Borg.) And with only the US Open title eluding him, a career Golden Slam is within his reach as is the ultimate prize: the calendar-year GRAND SLAM this season.
Roger Federer came into Melbourne healthy this time around after beginning the '08 season with mononucleosis. He also began in fine form but bumped up against a zoning Tomas Berdych in the fourth round, needing 5 sets and his bag of tricks to get by his Czech foe. But his biggest test came in the final when he battled Rafa for the 19th time in their respective careers. On paper the 27-year old held the advantage: multiple hard-court majors titles in his pocket including 3 Oz Open crowns and a fatigued foe in Rafa. Like that mattered.
His poor record of not converting break point chances in their past matches continued (only 6 of 19) and his serve (52% success on first serves) was nowhere to be found during the match. He fell to Rafa for the sixth time in a Grand Slam meeting, third consecutive time in major final meetings, and a added a fifth consecutive loss to the Spaniard. His post-match pool of tears bared the naked truths: he may be further away from a record-tying 14th Grand Slam crown than ever before and, more strikingly, Rafa is clearly the better baller now and may be the better baller when all is said and done. Let's hope he gets a full-time traveling coach sooner than later.
Defending champ Novak Djokovic flew mostly under the radar and gained more attention for his switch to HEAD from Wilson than for his game. He made his way to a third round encounter with American via Bosnia Amer Delic which included a violent encounter between fans from the respective countries outside the stadium. Nole then faced a rejuvinated Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals, their first since the contentious US Open meet up in the same round last year. The Serb won that encounter but wasn't so lucky this time around, retiring mid-match after struggling mightily with the heat. It seems his personality has become prickly and his game more stagnant which leaves the outlook for the rest of his season very muddy.
Andy Murray entered the Aussie Open as the prohibitive fave to take the Aussie Open crown to the dismay of a few after going undefeated in the warmup tourneys, earning wins over Rafa + Fed. But the Brit baller had the unfortunate luck of running into the buzz saw known as Nando and was shell-shocked in the fourth round. However, the 21-year old is still developing his vast arsenal and should be a contender at any tourney he enters for the rest of the year.
The breakout star of the tourney was, of course, Nando. The 25-year old was the Davis Cup hero when Spain defeated Argentina in the final last season and spent the off-season not only romancing Ana Ivanovic but also training intensively in Las Vegas with Gil Reyes. He entered the Aussie Open with high hopes and a confidence-building appearance in the Queensland final but nothing could predict what would happen next: defeat of Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and his first appearance in a Grand Slam semifinal. Nando, of course, made the trip worthwhile by playing a now-classic epic encounter with Rafa. Unfortunately for him, a double-fault on match point sealed his fate but if Nando keeps the focus and dedication on building his game he should be in the mix for the rest of the season.
Big props go out to Andy Roddick for putting in the hard yards during the off-season and making his fourth semifinal appearance Down Under; Juan Martin del Potro for making his second consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal (though his mental game needs a tune up); Yen-Hsun Lu for his second round upset of David Nalbandian and his mustached belly bump; Gael Monfils + Gilles Simon for their PDA; and Marat Safin who most likely played, and lost, his last match ever in Oz. *still wearing sad face*
Labels: Australian Open, tennis, tournament wrap-up
(UPDATED) PHOTO OP: Rafa raises his chances for calendar-year GRAND SLAM
Rafael Nadal was spotted at a photo call for the Aussie Open sporting the new silver hardware he won after defeating a teary Roger Federer in the Sunday final.
I'm thinking this win and momentum bodes well for Rafa and his first attempt at the calendar-year GRAND SLAM especially since Regal Rog may be reeling from this loss for a while. But no pressure, really.
My eye would be on Andy Murray, though, to be his biggest obstacle this year. Anyway, congrats again on the big win Rafa!
UPDATE: After the big win, Rafa repeated his plea directed at the tennis officials to reconsider the number of hard-court tourneys on the large-scale calendar to help prevent injury and lengthen careers on both Tours:
This calendar I am playing with this surface—hard court surface—is tougher than grass or clay for the body, and all the time we are playing more on this surface.He also deemed winning the Davis Cup this year his main goal now. I guess he'll be standing in Roger Federer's way here too!
In my humble opinion, we have to change that a bit more. I can say that because I won a grand slam on hard (courts).
Before if I say that, a lot of people think `He wants to change because he's a clay player.' But believe me, I don't think anything about if I am a clay court player or not.
When I say this, I think about the best for the players and for the future. It's not possible to have a lot of injuries on tour like this. So we have to try to change something.
...To play with this aggression and with this rhythm all the time from the 1st of January to 31st of December is impossible.
(image via WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)
Labels: Australian Open, photo op, Rafael Nadal, tennis
VANtage Point: Welcome to Van, a look at Johannesburg
(Hey readers! Meet Van Sias, writer of the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone? and a new contributor to DtL. He'll be taking a weekly look at one of the upcoming tourneys and giving his picks on who'll come out on top. Welcome Van!)
Now that the Australian Open is out of the way, we can get on with other things, such as the launch of VANtage Point!
What's up? My name is Van Sias and I publish a blog called Tennis Talk, Anyone? In a whole cross-marketing, cross-over, cross-pollinating thing going on, I'm going to write something for Down the Line! each week where I spotlight one of the many tournaments on the ATP and WTA tours — even taking into consideration the Challenger and ITF tournaments, too.
In case you're wondering why you'd want to check this out, just know this: There's almost nothing I'd rather do than break down draw sheets and make predictions on tournaments, and I've been that way for 20 years now. (Well, there are other things I like to do, but this stuff is near the top!)
Anyway, here's how it goes: First , I'll comment on an event last week or the one I spotlighted, then I'll mention this week's pick. I'll give you a "Player to Watch" and make my predictions for the semifinals.
So without further ado, here's the first VANtage Point!
A Look Back: The first major of 2009 has come and gone with Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams taking the crowns. My favorite moment of the tournament? The trophy presentation after the men's final. Not many guys will admit this, but I'm a pretty emotional dude and I think I was bawling right along with Rog Federer! Good luck to him and hats off to the winners.
This Week's Spotlight: To me, this is when the season really starts. You have months before another major, so it's just players getting out there doing the work to set themselves up for the remaining Grand Slams. That being said, there's a lot of action going on this week and the first tournament I've got my eye on is the ATP 250 stop in Johannesburg, South Africa.
This is the first time in a long time the Tour's been in SA with a regular tour event and there's a few big names sprinkled in the draw. The top two seeds are my boy Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (yeah, he is: Dude is the real deal) and David Ferrer. Check out the draw here.
Player to Watch: Now this is who I really have my eyes on there, and I'm saying it here first at the Point to look out for him the rest of the year: Marcos Baghdatis. I think if he's healthy, he's going to do some damage this season. Plus, he seems pretty dedicated: I mean, anytime someone gets a haircut that means they're focused, right?
The Final Four: Jo-Willy over Bjorn Phau; the Bagh Man over Benjamin Becker.
And the Winner Is: Tsonga in a tough one.
There you have it: the first VANtage Point! It won't be so long next time, but check back to see how I made out.
(image via Getty)
Labels: guest post, Johannesburg, preview, tennis, VANtage Point
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Quote of the Day: Rafa on Fed
- Newly crowned Aussie Open champ Rafael Nadal on Roger Federer's post-match pool of tears
True enough Rafa, though I doubt all champions feel this way about their rivals - friends or not. But maybe that's why this particular rivalry has such a special quality and transcends even the sport.
I guess we tennis fans can consider ourselves very lucky.
(image via Getty, via GOTOTENNIS)
VIDEO VAULT: Emotional Fed drowns in pool of tears during Aussie Open trophy presentation
In case you missed it, here's video of the Aussie Open men's final trophy presentation which featured the usual happenings - tons of "thanks", some trophy lifting, praise, consolatory words - and something very unusual: Roger Federer completely shattered.
The usually serene Swiss was left in a pool of tears and unable to address the crowd, the pain of the loss written all over his face. He eventually makes his way back to the mic after some coaxing from Rafa but continues to sob uncontrollably throughout the rest of the presentation.
This one REALLY hurt.
(image via Getty)
Labels: Australian Open, Roger Federer, tennis, video
(UPDATED) PHOTO OP: Rafa tops Fed, earns first Aussie Open title and sixth career major
Rafael Nadal may have felt the after effects of his Friday night spectacular but you wouldn't know it.
The world's top baller, who only had a day to recover from his 5+ hour semifinal versus Fernando Verdasco and needed treatment in today's third set, left everything he had on the court and defeated Roger Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2 in the Aussie Open final for his sixth career major title and first on hard-court. He becomes the first Spanish baller to win the title in Oz and ties Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg on the all-time list with six Grand Slams each.
The 22-year old has now beaten his rival 5 consecutive times, leads their head-to-head 13-6 (6-2 in Grand Slam meet ups) and currently holds three of the four major championships with only the US Open missing from his resume.
In his post-match presser, Rafa was asked about grabbing his sixth Grand Slam:
Well, very special, no, for me. Is a dream win here, one Grand Slam on hard court. I worked very hard the last ‑‑ well, all my life for improve the tennis outside courts, well, outside of clay.And what does he think was the key to winning the match in the end?
Very happy, no? Very happy for the title. Today was really lot of emotions on court. I was there with the best player I ever saw, like is Roger.
My uncle always told me Rod Laver was the best because he win two times the Grand Slam, the whole Grand Slam, the four in a row, and for like six or seven years he didn't play. So for that reason he can be.
Everything was very special. Sorry was tough moment for Rog today. I know how tough must be there in important situation from him. But, you know, no, he's a great champion. He's the best. And he's, for sure, very important person for our sport, no?
So sorry for him, but at the same time congratulate him for everything.
I think he had more mistakes than me in the fifth. I was more solid than Roger on the fifth. For that reason I won the match, no?Kudos go out to the Mallorcan Matador for showing real grit and determination and, above all, the mental strength to come back a day after the grueling semifinal 5-setter and take the title. I wasn't sure if he would have any legs left to fight the battle against Fed but he proved me wrong.
In the game when I had the first break, he has one mistake with the important ‑‑ important mistake with the backhand on the breakpoint. That was very important for me.
UPDATE: Thanks to DtL reader Johanne for tipping me off to Rafa's updated blog celebrating today's Aussie Open win...
Hello Everyone!
Where should I begin….!I'VE WON THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN! YES!
When I finally celebrated my last point I felt something I've never felt before, it was a more peaceful victory compared to the one in Roland Garros and Wimbledon but at the same time, it was come completed. And I know why it was that way.
I grew up as a clay-courter and my style of game adapted to that: I learned to push my opponents out of the court and that made me wear out my physic with some much running around and long rallies.
But my uncle Tony and I knew that my game had to have more dimensions to it so that I could have the same kind of results on other surfaces. I had to change my game radically, more direct and aggressive. I had to improve my service as well and control my game when going up to the net. Make my shots flatter and my volley more accurate.
We had lots of work ahead of us for sure.
Every year we've had improve my game on hard courts and even though I bit Djoko in the final of the Olympic games, this final against Roger Federer, (who has recuperated his form) was going to be a test of fire for me.
But we made it!
All the hard work, the dedication I put into it was well worth it. And that is what sport is really about. A victory tastes amazing only if it is the result of hard work.
UPDATE #2: Here's Rafa being interviewed by ESPN's Chris Fowler after the huge win...
(images via Getty)
Labels: Australian Open, photo op, Rafael Nadal, tennis


text:
, (Persian Bāwend), an Iranian dynasty which ruled in Ṭabaristān for over 700 years (45-750/ 665-1349). The centre of the dynasty was the mountainous area, although they frequently ruled the lowlands south of the Caspian Sea. The name is traced back to an ancestor Bāw who was either 1) named Ispahbad of Ṭabaristān by Ḵh̲usraw Parwīz (Rabino, 411), or 2) a prominent Magian of Rayy (Marquart, Ērānšahr , 128, where an etymology of the name is also given). The several rulers of the Bāwand dynasty were called ispahbad or malik al-d̲j̲ibāl , and they were usually independent, though someti…
Bāwand(493 words)
Cite this pageFrye, R.N.. "Bāwand." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Brill Online, 2016. Reference. 26 May 2016 <http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/bawand-SIM_1294>
First appeared online: 2012
First Print Edition: isbn: 9789004161214, 1960-2007
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Christmas Quotes
If you hitch your wagon to a star, be sure it's the Star of Bethlehem.
I've seen
the face of Jesus...
The best Christmas gift of all is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up with one another.
Jesus is the reason for the season!
From a little spark may burst a mighty flame.
The only
blind person at Christmastime is he who has not Christmas in his heart.
There is no
name so sweet on earth,
What can I
give Him,
Christ was one child Who knew more than His parents--yet He obeyed them.
A Christian is one who makes it easier for other people to believe in God.
Keeping Christmas is good. but sharing it with others is even better.
beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, led in paths of light.
The three
wise men saw the light and followed it.
my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give,
it's Christmas.
A joy that
is shared is a joy made double.
approach Christmas with an expectant hush,
God grant
you the light in Christmas, which is faith;
It is not
the gift, but the thought that counts.
like a candle, burns brightest at Christmastime.
Born in a
is not a religion, it is a relationship.
living is the best kind of Christmas giving.
The way you
spend Christmas is far more important than how much.
I never
realized God's birth before,
The way to
Christmas lies through an ancient gate....It is a little gate, child-high,
child-wide, and there is a password:
Giving yourself is the greatest gift of all.
Love is a circle that goes on and on and on.
Do all the
good you can,
Take Christ
out of Christmas, and December becomes the bleakest and most colorless
month of the year.
Whatever else you give to your children, give them roots and give them wings.
You can
never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father's face
and tell him you have received his Christmas gift.
The great
man is he who does not lose his child's heart.
We may seek
God by our intellect, but we only can find him with our heart.
The only
gift is a portion of thyself.
The hinge of
history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.
Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.
Christmas is a spark that ignites in someone's heart.
How many
angels are there?
makes Christmas a burden;
The joy of
brightening a child's heart creates the magic of Christmas.
Now and then
it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.
Seek joy in what you give... not in what you get.
Reflect upon
your present blessings, of which every man has plenty;
The very
purpose of Christ's coming into the world was that He might offer up His
life as a sacrifice for the sins of men. He came to die. This
is the heart of Christmas.
Christmas is
telling time--wondering time. Wonder enough about it, and you'll
know, and you'll tell about it....
So remember
while December
If we think
of our heart,
There are
two ways to live your life.
I am not
alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that,
of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone.
Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most
indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.
The great man is he who does
not lose his child's heart.
It is Christmas every time
you let God love others through you...yes, it is Christmas every time you
smile at your brother and offer him your hand.
It comes every year and will
go on forever. And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the
customs. Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and
ponders, like Mary in the secret spaces of her heart.
Each day of the holidays
comes bringing its own gifts.
Were earth a thousand times
as fair
Love and life
Don't worry if your Christmas card list seems to be growing each year. Instead, be grateful! It just means you're making friends faster than you are losing them.
A little child
Christmas began in the heart
of God. It is complete only when it reaches the heart of man.
Thanks be to God for His
unspeakable Gift--
Appreciation is a wonderful
The Christmas season reminds us that a demonstration of religion is always much better than a definition of it...especially in front of the kids.
Perhaps the best Yuletide decorations are to be wreathed in smiles and wrapped in hugs.
The miracle of Christmas is that a baby can be so decisive.
It is good to be children
sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty founder was
a child himself.
Christmas is not just a day,
an event to be observed and speedily forgotten. It is a spirit which
should permeate every part of our lives.
quotes taken from
the following sources:


text:
While that's impressive, Virtual Beverly Hills is not just an earthquake-mapping tool — its capabilities go further. In this modern era of terror, other disaster scenarios beyond just the natural variety must be considered. For this reason, Virtual Beverly Hills also can map the potential damage areas produced by an explosive device or a chemical spill. The system also shows emergency personnel where evacuations might be required and even provides easy access to homeowner contact information.
"For situational awareness, the emergency responders can add data layers based on the type of event," Kebede said. "If there is a report of an explosive, first responders could automatically calculate the potential area to be evacuated."
To accomplish this, a user would simply select a point on the map, and using a drop-down menu, select from a variety of explosives, each displaying values unique to their type. TNT, for example, has distinct destructive capability that's different from C4 or a simple pipe bomb. The values are also changeable if emergency personnel find themselves dealing with an unorthodox explosive.
With the appropriate explosive selected, Virtual Beverly Hills then shows where the affected population resides and can display the results by age if officials need to evacuate those requiring assistance. The system also identifies critical infrastructure that would be affected by a blast.
The process is similar for other kinds of localized threats.
"Say a chemical spill is reported, a user can identify what the perimeter is the first responder should focus on," Kebede said. "Users can select what type of chemical it is, whether it's day or night. It will identify the area to be evacuated and where the potential damage will be."
Past, Present and Future
Work on building Virtual Beverly Hills began more than a year ago. CIO Schirmer said Mayor Delshad was enthusiastic about building a next-generation mapping tool that could be used by the city, regional governments and eventually the state.
"We knew that we needed a new application to support our EOC [Emergency Operations Center], which was new as well," Schirmer said. "But we wanted to do more, to bring in lots of different data sources and create this common operating platform so that all the members [and] different branches of the EOC could be on the same platform."
So with the blessing of the mayor and City Council — who lobbied for and won $800,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice's Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program — Schirmer and his staff consulted with other agencies and states. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was an obvious first stop, but the city also worked with Maryland to learn about its mapping application, StateStat.


text:
Posted by maddog2020
I don't like it. I want to be entertained by the game and not the anouncing of it. I want the anouncing and play by play to point out stuff me and the average viewer might miss.
I want attention on the game and it's players, not the anouncer and his catch phrases.
It's a distraction. Each time a player receives a pass and it is bobbled, or pops up a little, or totally blown and the puck deflects away Edwards always says
That description isn't valid each time, but he says it each time.
I'm getting tired of him ragging on broken carbon sticks. OK, I'm partial, I love mine and yes I will admit that the pros break them a lot. But wooden sticks broke as well, it's not as if they NEVER broke, and it's not the huge conspiracy that Jack makes it out to be.


text:
After a slow start play off chasing Chelmsford began to take control, cranking up the pressure on the Maidenhead defence with a series of set pieces.
The pace of Ricky Modeste on City's right wing was a well known threat and when he cut inside on a mazy run leading the United defence on a merry dance, Gray was able to move into the vacuum created in the penalty area. On receipt of Modeste's pass he fired home with ease to put City ahead in the 28th minute.
The frailties of Maidenhead's defence looked ripe for exploitation but United weathered the storm and started to push forward using the outlet of talented left winger Max Worsfold.
Reaching half time just one goal behind Maidenhead came out after the interval looking determined to get back into the game and when a Jefferson Louis shot went narrowly over the bar hopes were raised of a comeback. These were swiftly dashed when Rob Edmans doubled the lead from close range after Maidenhead failed to clear.
Whatever the deficiencies of the Maidenhead team, a tendency to quit isn't one of them and Louis soon hit the target only to be foiled by the feet of goalkeeper Carl Pentney. At the other end captain Ashley Nicholls kept United in the game when he cleared a Gray shot off the line and with City unable to see off United, a late goal from Jon-Jo Bates raised the prospect of a unlikely late fightback, especially when the referee signalled five minutes of stoppage time. However this came to naught leaving City to celebrate another three points in their push for promotion whilst the gap between Maidenhead and safety grew once more.
Magpies: Clement, Behzadi (86 Smith), Soloman, Nicholls, Rose, Fagan, Federico (57 Hendry), Hinds, Louis, Faulconbridge, Worsfold (74 Bates).
Unused subs: Baddeley, Murphy.
Cautions: Soloman 17, Hendry 70.
Goal: Bates 87.
Clarets: Pentney, Nunn, Robinson, Tann (74 El-Abd), Haines, Rainford, Lock, Sanderson, Gray (66 Boylan), Edmans, Modeste (89 Ake).
Unused subs: Chabaan, Hughes-Mason.
Cautions: Sanderson 24, Edmans 62, Rainford 77.
Attendance: 509.


text:
Home » Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs » Bureau of Public Affairs » Bureau of Public Affairs: Office of Press Relations » Press Releases » Press Releases: 2011 » Press Releases: December 2011 » Ambassador Locke Presents One Millionth Visa in China: Wait Times Drop to Less Than One Week
On December 14 at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Ambassador Gary Locke presented the one millionth visa adjudicated in China this year. With the help of additional personnel and process improvements, Mission China has also successfully reduced the average wait time for a visa interview appointment to less than one week.
Since taking up his post in China, Ambassador Locke has emphasized the importance of travel and trade between the two nations. According to the Department of Commerce, in 2010, more than 800,000 Chinese visitors contributed $5 billion to the U.S. economy.
More Chinese visitors will create more jobs and opportunities in the U.S. travel and tourism industries. In addition to ongoing efforts to keep visa wait times low, the United States is encouraging the Chinese government to extend visa reciprocity to allow both U.S. and Chinese travelers longer validity visas, which is in the interests of both nations.
The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.


text:
JAILmake Studio's awesome plantable table invites nature to dinner
Plantable consists of four potted table legs attached to a recycled English oak top. Each leg is hand bent and fillet brazed into a twisting trellis for greenery to grow upon. Simply plant and water your favorite climbing vine such as tomatoes or sweet peas
Read more >


text:
Letters for My Daughters Has Moved
If you've read these letters in the past (or just arrived here now), you can read new and updated life lessons at
Originally, I started writing these for my two daughters, Chelsea and Brooke as they were completing college and starting life as young adults, but I stopped because I wanted them to be for more than the two of them—but for their families and my nieces and nephews and for their friends, etc.
Finally, after seeing several of my nieces and nephews at Brooke's wedding, I decided to create a new site that wasn't focused on just Chelsea and Brooke but had a broader application. Over time, I'll take the lessons from this site and make them more generic so they apply to everyone, plus I've already started writing some original content (and have hundreds of other ideas in the hopper).
So, head on over to http://www.TheJohnsonLetters.com and enjoy new and updated content there!
To your accelerated success!
P.S. If you've been receiving these letters by RSS email feed, make sure you join again at the bottom of any post (just enter your email address, submit, click the confirmation link in the confirmation email and you'll be in again).
Flickr photo from Andrew Huff


text:
Your short message goes here.
Product 6/21
Totally Diva Hottest Seller Top quality.
Top Top Quality heavy Solid Rolo chain
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Each circle measures just a tad over 1/4 inch. each an every one is soldered closed creating a perfect necklace ,strong , wear it all the time , I do guarantee the finish .
Will come in box Brand new
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Looking for that total designer high fashion chain , This it what all the Divas are wearing for the season , Don't sit back , Get one and be a Fashion Diva.
Leash her in !!Great submissive neck chain .
My high qualityE electroplate products come with a simple LIFETIME WARRANTY. If for ANY REASON, at ANY TIME, a defect develops INCLUDING TARNISHING, you can return it for a FREE replacement!
These stunning products are made of sterling silver electroplate @20-100 mils thick, layered and bonded over a base of semiprecious metals. Compared to most overlay items that are 3 - 5 mils thick,at BeautiflStuff you get a much higher quality of finish on all my overlay items . I do 100% Guarantee it .


text:
- Filed Under
PRESS RELEASE: Direct from Prudential C. Dan Joyner Co., REALTORS
Greenville, SC – Prudential C. Dan Joyner Co., REALTORS® is pleased to announce that Robert Sams has joined the company and serves as a sales associate at the Easley/Powdersville office. Sams brings 14 years of real estate experience with him and has earned his Graduate REALTOR Institute (GRI) and Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Designations. He received his Bachelor of Science at Georgia State University in Communication.
"We are excited to have Robert join us at the Easley office," said Anush Showghi, Broker-in-Charge. "We welcome him to the company."
Sams currently lives in Easley with his wife, Phyllis, and two children, Liz and Holly. He is an active volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, Boy Scouts of America, and Pickens County Library systems. He is past president of the Easley Rotary Club and Deacon at Easley Presbyterian Church. In his free time he enjoys reading, music, cooking and his dog.
Founded by C. Dan Joyner in 1964, Prudential C. Dan Joyner Co., REALTORS is the Upstate's largest real estate company. The company serves the entire region with eight residential offices and nearly 300 agents. For more information, visit www.cdanjoyner.com.
Prudential Real Estate is a part of Brookfield Residential Property Services' integrated real estate brokerage franchise company. Brookfield Residential Property Services is a leading global provider of real estate and relocation services, technology and knowledge.


text:
I'm looking for a bike rack for my bike and my gf's bike. I saw a Saris Guardian for sale online for around $75. the description said it fit all bikes. Does anyone have this bike rack or can anyone suggest any other bike racks that work with women's bikes? I drive a 2004 Nissan Sentra. A hitch bike rack is not really an option. my car is pretty low to the ground and hitches cost $100. I cant afford that on top of the cost of a bike rack. So I'm looking at bike racks that fit over the trunk. and i dont want to go through the expense of installing a roof rack either. and honestly, i dont know if my little sentra can handle the weight of two bikes on its roof.
I want a good quality bike rack. i was also looking at the Saris bones, but i'd have to get an "adapter" (a pole that attaches to the seat and handlebars) for the women's bike to make it fit on that rack.


text:
Agritainment (Agriculture + Entertainment) in Western PA
Posted: November 2, 2012
Patronizing these types of businesses brings the average person a little closer to where their food comes from. However, less than 1% of the US population still farms (NASS, 2007), and increasing numbers of folks don't have a relative in living memory who owns a farm. This combination of factors has created a business opportunity for many farmers to have on-farm seasonal festivals open to the general public. These activities are collectively referred to as 'Agritainment', which comes from the combination of the words agriculture and entertainment and can equal fun and profits.
Agritainment takes several shapes and can include B&B farm stays, petting zoos, pick your own, seasonal dinners and fall festivals with hayrides. These activities in addition to traditional farm work and sales can provide an increased margin of profitability for farms. In Western PA, there are a few wonderful farms that welcome involvement of their customers via Agritainment. Notably,Weatherbury Farm has farm stays. Large farm festivals occur seasonally at Trax and Soergel's, while Triple B Farm has a robust market and education program for school field trips.
To help customers learn more about Agritainment the Direct Marketing team at Penn State Extension is collaborating with a team of Pittsburgh filmmakers to create a video entitled: 'Agritainment, Down Home fun on the Farm', which was recently shot at Trax Farm's Fall Festival. Watch for the video in 2013. It will be shared widely and freely with Pennsylvania farmers to post on their own farm websites!
Check out the farms mentioned in this article for some fun on the farm!


text:
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|What BA Bird Am I Flying Tomorrow!? posted Thu May 4 2006 06:17:45 by Radelow
|Am I Flying On A New Air Canada 777-300ER? posted Mon Jan 22 2007 11:41:31 by Gilesdavies
|Any G4 Peeps Know What Frame Is Flying 4102 Today posted Tue Oct 10 2006 21:17:13 by Clickhappy
|What Airplane Did AA Call "stretch"? posted Fri Sep 1 2006 19:31:00 by United787
|How To Know What You Are Flying Next To.. posted Tue Aug 8 2006 13:28:35 by Deaphen
|What Airplane Is Used On This Flight ... posted Wed Jun 7 2006 09:41:45 by GulfStreamGirl
|What Pan Am And Olympus Turboprops Did I Fly? posted Mon Oct 31 2005 00:27:56 by EALflyer
|I Am Flying Over Siberia Right Now! posted Tue Jun 21 2005 22:17:58 by AirPacific747
|What Plane Am I On? posted Tue May 10 2005 20:50:12 by CHRISBA777ER
|What Aircraft Am I Taking posted Mon Dec 6 2004 02:21:58 by Jfkaua


text: Batazan is actually my first "real" map I've made. I am trying to get out of the "zone" map making for video game design. This is just a random world I made at work. I used Dj's CC3 annual for it. It's free to use for anyone who can't think of world to use or whatever. Any critiques necessary would be fine.


text:
I'm pootling along the lovely twisty A435 from Cheltenham to Cirencester on my Speed Triple. I'm doing 60-70 and I notice the back end wobbles abit, almost skips through mid-corner, most noticeably when you shift left to right or vice versa across the rough central part of your lane. Cut the speed down or stay on the smooth and it's fine. Tyre pressures are spot on. The tyres are Michelin Pilot Powers with 2.5K miles. A mate reckons the tyres are getting squared off and the wobble is due the squared 'edge' contacting the road as the bike leans into the corner. That makes sense but how bad do tyres have to be before this happens? And does this mean no more commuting? And do I have to get my knee down on every corner from now on?
In a nutshell, yes.
2.5k isn't bad from a rear tyre, such as a Pilot Power. Try a more touring based tyre for the rear next time.
Your local dealer should be able to advise you on whats, what.
if you run your hand over the tyre, you can easily feel a flat spot on the profile.
it happens. no biggie.
2500 from a pilot power? not too bad. i just changed a supersport rear on my clients bike at 1500.
i get the same problem, with a shimmy on the rear, on my 955.. but that has done 7000 miles stomping up and down the AP7.
one hint.. avon storms.
if you think you need loadsa grip, try an avon viper sport front, matched to a storm rear. i have just fitted this combo to an 04 blade on saturday, after running it on the 955 for over a year.
done track days, hooning twistie days, commuting days... it does everything. they both wear out at about 6 to 7 thou.
thing is.. all tyres feel good for the 1st thousand miles.. its what they are like at the end of their life that counts (bridgestone bt 020's on a 955 being a noticable exception). thats why i run avons, they hold their profile well into their later miles.
if more tyre advice needed that is specific to your triumph, try
and go to the sports section.
sports bikes
but, for christ sake, do a search first.. tyre threads make up about 75% of all thds on this board.
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About Mladost Velika Obarska
FK Mladost Velika Obarska was established in 1948. Originally known as DTV Partizan, the club first adopted its current name in 1956 and has retained it ever since. Over the years, the team have spent much of their time competing in the lower divisions of the various league systems they have been a part of. However, in recent seasons, they have managed to climb through the league structure in Bosnia and Herzegovina and have subsequently enhanced their reputation within the country.
For several decades, Mladost Velika Obarska formed part of Yugoslavia's football league structure, where they competed in various regional leagues. By the time of the country's collapse, they had climbed through several divisions and were competing in the regional North League of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Since the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the club has experienced a dramatic climb through the ranks. After bouncing around the lower divisions for several years, the team gained promotion from the third tier at the end of the 2007-08 season. From there, they went on to establish themselves in the country's second tier, known as the First League of the Republika Srpska. Before long, the team were competing near the top of the league and in 2012-13, they were crowned as champions. As a result, they gained their first ever promotion to the Premier League. The side's best performance in the Cup of the Republika Srpska came in 1994, when they were able to reach the quarter final stage. To date, they have not participated in a major continental tournament.
Amongst the club's most notable former players are names like Branimir Bajić, Vladimir Todorović, Željko Krstić and Branislav Ružić.
Mladost Velika Obarska currently play their home matches at Gradski Stadion. The venue is one of the smallest stadiums to host top level games in the country, with a maximum capacity of 1,000.


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Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 126.96.36.199
Forum Moderators: goodroi
Long story short, I need to revert back to those old url's. But so many people have linked to those seo friendly url's that if they or a bot follow those link, it will just get a 404 error.
Should I just create a new forum under a different url? That way I can keep the visitors that follow the links to friendly url? something like below?
And then on the old forum, have a big message at top, that says "New Forum URL Located Here" How do I tell google or other search engine bots to not crawl the old forum? Also I don't know how to mass do a 301 redirect...i could do manually...but 2 million is a lot.
My other problem is, that my new forum is using a SSO (single sign on) system that shares the "Community" sections like General talk, debates, chit chat, with about 4 other forums. So that means, if someone posts something under the chit chat section it gets shared with 4 other forums on 4 different domains.
If i put in a robot.txt file to not index or follow www.example.com/forum/display?=10 it won't follow or index any of the links that display on that URL? Cuz each community section has over 50,000 posts. 50,000x4 forums is definately gonna be duplicate content.
How do I go about this problem?
if it is an apache server, you might be able to do something with RewriteRule or RewriteMap directives.


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Island Cove Park
La Scie
Camp overlooking the ocean with immediate access to walking trails, picnic areas, French Shore Lookout.
Location data provided by the operator. Please confirm location before departure.
Full shower and bathroom facilities, dumping station, water and electrical hookup, restaurants, gas bar, washer and dryer facilities, walking trails with lookout points, children's playground area, picnic area, firepits and firewood.
Helpful Information
9 Serviced and 4 Unserviced Sites
$18 Tents, $20 unserviced, $22 serviced; RV dumping free if staying in the park and $5 if not.
Contact Information
Route 414 , La Scie
49.9651, -55.6038 (Download GPX)
May 17 - Sep 30
+1 (709) 675 2303
+1 (709) 566 2034
+1 (709) 566 2034
+1 (709) 675 2168
Driving distances and calculations derived using Google Maps. Actual driving times may vary. GPS coordinates have been provided by tourism operators. Please confirm location with operator before departure.


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- Monday March 11th, 2013 :: 09:56 a.m. EDT
Press Release from BPD re Motor Vehicle Crash on 3/10/2013
Incident Type: 1-Car Motor Vehicle Crash
Date/Time: 3/10/2013, 0019hrs
Incident #: 13BU005345
Location: Riverside Avenue, Burlington
Investigator: Officer Krystal Wrinn, (802) 540-2293
Suspect: Under Investigation & Attempting to Locate
On March 10, 2013, at approximately 0019hrs, Burlington Police Officers along with Burlington Fire & Rescue responded to a report of a single vehice motor vehicle crash on Riverside Avenue in Burlington. Initial reports indicated that the male operator fled the area on foot immediately after the crash. The vehicle in question struck a tree, municipal sign and street light, resulting in the closure of Riverside Avenue for a short period of time.
The cause of this crash is under investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash or those with information regarding the crash are encouraged to contact Officer Krystal Wrinn at (802) 540-2293.
Burlington, VT Police Department
1 North Ave
Burlington, VT 05401
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 802-658-2704


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Law Enforcement Group Endorses Four In Supervisors Race
A public safety organization has made endorsements in the Albemarle supervisors race. Mike Wells, the president of the local chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, says his group has endorsed Diantha McKeel in the Jack Jouett District, Brad Sheffield in the Rio District, Duane Snow in the Samuel Miller District, and Jane Dittmar in the Scottsville District. Wells says the candidates are committed to making strong law enforcement a priority.


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August 14, 2014
Savannah Morning News reports on Habitat for Humanity's home building efforts, citing "Wheaton in Chicago" students among the list of volunteer groups who helped build home number 128.
August 13, 2014
Wheaton College is ranked 62 in The Daily Meal's list of America's 75 best colleges for food.
The relationship between anthropologists and Christian identity is discussed in this Oxford University Press blog post by McManis Professor of Christian Thought Timothy Larsen.
Suburban Life Media interviews local author Alfred Cedeno BA '07, MA '09 about his new book, "The Resurrection of Rey Pescador."


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This topic is archived and can not be replied to any more.
|TAM Business Class And Transfers posted Tue Nov 14 2006 18:34:48 by Richcandy
|Las Vegas Hotels And LAS posted Thu Oct 9 2003 07:44:35 by Pizzapolli
|SAS And SAS Hotels posted Sun Oct 15 2006 21:07:56 by BA787
|New Carry-on Rules And Hotels. posted Tue Aug 29 2006 04:50:49 by JerseyGuy
|Paris CDG Info On Transfers And Gate Info posted Mon Jul 24 2006 18:16:53 by 9W77W
|Airport Transfers And Airline Responsibility posted Fri May 5 2006 02:29:35 by DFWMzuri
|Demand From AGP To PRG, WAW And BUD posted Tue Jan 25 2005 12:40:45 by Pe@rson
|Charter Info From BRU To ALC And AGP posted Fri Jul 16 2004 19:21:18 by N659AA
|EASYJET: New Destinations From AMS-> SXF And AGP? posted Fri Feb 20 2004 13:30:22 by Klm-md11
|Long Layovers And Comped Hotels - When? posted Thu Sep 26 2002 06:05:40 by Travellin'man


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WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- Before you stock your freezer for the winter, give it a close check.
Haier America Trading is recalling 67,000 chest freezers.
This impacts the Black and Decker model BFE53 and Haier model ESNCM053E 5.3 cubic foot capacity white chests freezers.
There's a problem with a capacitor. It can overheat and cause a fire. Eighteen incidents have been reported including four fires that caused some minor damage.


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Krannert School of Management
The business world has been on a rollercoaster in recent years. An Economics degree from the Krannert School will put you in the front seat and give you the perspective to anticipate and understand future twists and turns.
The Economics major will advance your analytical skills by exposing you to real-world economic issues. With this degree, doors will be opened to consulting firms, investment banks, government agencies, marketing firms and financial trading companies. You'll also be well-positioned to continue your education in graduate or law school.
Economics is the most broad-based major offered at Krannert. It allows a high degree of flexibility in choosing coursework, and allows you to tailor your classes to your interests. We'll supply what you demand in an economics education.
Economics (School of Management) Website


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The CX SIG reviews most any product. We have conducted Expert Reviews for commercial Web sites, e-commerce sites, business-to-business sites, Web-based applications, desktop applications, mobile devices, and more.
You can browse the Internet to your current site, application, or product, or bring in a prototype.
Meeting Announcement
On the first Tuesday of the month, we will contact you to remind you of the meeting and to develop the e-mail announcement. The announcement is due on the second Tuesday of the month and is sent on the third Tuesday.
Meeting Format and Agenda
As the presenter, you should arrive at 5:30 pm to prepare for your presentation (connect your laptop to the projector, ensure good Internet connection, etc.) and to review the agenda with the Facilitator. The crowd typically starts showing up around 6:00 pm.
The Facilitator introduces you, and then you give a brief overview of your company and the product you are presenting. The reviewers may ask general questions about your company and the product.
The Facilitator leads a discussion around your business objectives, your target customer characteristics, your customers' goals, and the tasks needed to reach these goals. Once there is a good understanding of these, then we begin to look at the user experience.
The reviewers ask questions about the current design and offer suggestions for it to better meet your customers' goals and your business objectives.
After the product is reviewed to your satisfaction, we summarize the design 'take-aways.' We usually finish around 7:30 pm but will go as late as necessary for you to get what you need.
Meeting Date, Time, and Place
The CX SIG meets at on the fourth Tuesday of each month (except November and December) at Intuit Inc., 7545 Torrey Santa Fe Road, San Diego, CA 92129. Check in at the Security Desk in the lobby when you arrive.
To arrange a date to present your product at the SD UX SIG, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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I've been called the Dashiell Hammett of Palestine, the John Le Carre of the Middle East, the James Ellroy of…Palestine, the Graham Greene of Jerusalem, and the Georges Simenon of the Palestinian refugee camps. Depends which review you happen to have read. I've published three previous novels about Omar Yussef, my Palestinian schoolteacher/sleuth. Omar has […]
Why's a Palestinian sleuth in Brooklyn?
- February 12, 2010
- Leave a comment


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Grayson delendum est.
The NRCC wasted no time at all in reminding the world of what Alan Grayson likes to, frankly, spew on a regular basis: It's actually an impressive video in its brevity: the temptation to make it a twenty-minute highlight of every vicious, sexist*, and bigoted thing that Grayson's ever said must have been difficult. Which reminds me, Grayson: that Senior Policy Advisor of yours, Matt | Read More »


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Edit Article
How to Have a Happy Dog
If you are good dog carer*, you will want your animal to be as happy as possible. Here's how to have a happy dog.
- "Carer" is a better word than "owner" which makes animals sound as if they were nothing more than mere property.
This article has been tagged as a stub.
That means it's off to a good start, but still has room to grow into a more helpful resource. Until the article reaches its full potential, it will be hidden from search results. Can you help it flourish? If you think the article offers complete and accurate instructions, feel free to remove this tag.
1Buy them the occasional treat. Don't overfeed them as overweight dogs live shorter lives and are more prone to heart disease, but this doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with giving them the odd treat, especially healthy treats.
2Walk them regularly. If your dog doesn't want to go walking, that is okay. He or she may be getting old or they may not be feeling 100%. This doesn't mean that there is anything critically wrong with them. However, all dogs need exercise and if your dog continually doesn't want to go out, it is wise to see your veterinarian.
3Show them your love by petting them. Unless he or she is fearful or badly socialized, your dog will love being petted.
4Include them in your family life. If you are going to a dog-friendly park or beach, take them with you.
5If your dog is in contact with children, show them how to handle them properly. They should not pat a dog on the head. Some dogs like this, but some get frightened and may bite in defense. They should also know not to hold a dog by his or her ears, tail or neck. Although their mother dog would have carried them by their necks, only she knows how to do this without hurting them.
6Groom your dog regularly. Even if he or she has very short fur, occasional grooming is still required.
7Play with your dog. Some dogs, gun dogs in particular, still love a good old game of fetch, but others may prefer tug-of-war or "Go find!"
8Make sure you do your research before getting any breed of dog. You will need to know the specific requirements and the personality of your chosen breed in order to have a happy dog. For instance, an Irish Wolfhound would not be happy living in an apartment.
Community Q&A
Ask a Question
- Try to show your dog love at least once a day.
- If the dog wants to go out, let him or her out. Even if you are working, it does not take too long to walk over and open the door for them. If you are unable to do this for any reason, maybe you should consider installing a dog flap. These do exist and they allow the dog more freedom.
- Treats do not have to be edible. Toys count as treats as well. Kong toys are, arguably, the best dog toys ever invented. Basically, you put food in them and the dog tries to get it out.
- Not all dogs want to be constantly cuddled every waking hour. They need their own space too.
- Remember to pay attention to your family and friends as well.


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|Topic: 747SP-NG?
Username: FLY777UAL
Posted 2000-05-13 20:52:55 and read 1477 times.
Why wouldn't Boeing be up to making another SP model, except this time based upon the 747-400?
|Topic: RE: 747SP-NG?
Username: ZRH
Posted 2000-05-13 21:12:40 and read 1431 times.
I think there would be no use for it. The 777LR and 340-500/600 have enough range for all routes and about the same passenger capacity like a 747SP; A 747SP is shorter than a normal 747. The SP was designed in the 1970ties because they were not able to give a normal 747 this range in these days (engines and other technical reasons). This is over. I think the 747SP was quite a deformed animal.
|Topic: RE: 747SP-NG?
Username: FLY777UAL
Posted 2000-05-13 21:24:39 and read 1426 times.
(The original 747SP's range was the top of the line only for a few months until the 747-200B came out...)
|Topic: RE: 747SP-NG?
Username: Sammyk
Posted 2000-05-13 21:43:06 and read 1412 times.
Actually, until the 744 came out, the 747SP had the highest range. It was basically purpose built for PanAm for their Japanese routes from New York. If they wanted ETOPS exemptions, they could have just as easily modifed the MD-11 for this mission. Also, if developed, I would not be surprised if the aircraft would cost more (due to development costs) than the current 744, and with less seats, it would be less economical to fly.
|Topic: RE: 747SP-NG?
Username: Bacardi182
Posted 2000-05-14 07:01:22 and read 1372 times.
yeah but could you imagine flights such as miami to hong kong? or tokio to buenos aires? that would be crazy!!!!!
|Topic: RE: 747SP-NG?
Username: FLY777UAL
Posted 2000-05-14 10:08:35 and read 1364 times.
Actually, according to Boeing, the range of the 747SP was outdone (just by a bit, though) when the 747-200B rolled out and was able to take over the SP routes, such as JFK-NRT (which was operated by -200B's well into the late 90's). Airlines found it (the -200B) a much better deal, as it was able to transport more people over a greater range.
|Topic: About The 747-200B And -SP
Username: Triple Seven
Posted 2000-05-14 10:21:22 and read 1367 times.
I think there is a little confussion here. The first 747-200B (88th off the line) appeared as early as 1971...way before the first flight of the SP. It was not the design range of the -200B that killed the SP but the advent of more powerfull engines that did. The initial models up to 1978 were all modestly powered thus lacked the range. However it was only in the late 1970s that more powerful engines were made available (JT9D-7Q/Q3/R4G2/GE CF6-50E2/-80C/RR RB211-524D4), immediately permiting the -200Bs to fly long range sectors that were the domain of the SPs (still with weight restrictions).
|Topic: RE: 747SP-NG?
Username: FLY777UAL
Posted 2000-05-14 10:29:27 and read 1362 times.
Thanks for clearing that up, Triple Seven. So it was the engines coupled with the 747-200B airframe which allowed for the range, and not the 747-200B itself.
Copyright © Lundgren Aerospace. All rights reserved.


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The Class 5A Mid-Willamette Conference has named their boys all-league team for the 2013-14 season, and Nate Sherwood of West Albany High School has been named the player of the year.
Want to see your league's all-conference team on OregonLive.com? Send the list to firstname.lastname@example.com
Player of the year: Nate Sherwood, senior, West Albany
Coach of the year: Michael Stair, Crescent Valley
First team
Nate Sherwood, senior, West Albany
Ian Sucich, senior, Silverton
Tanner Sanders, senior, Crescent Valley
Joe Casey, sophomore, Crescent Valley
Isaiah Edwards, junior, West Albany
Sam Roth, senior, Silverton
Second team
Cole Garrett, senior, Corvallis
Ian Smith, junior, Lebanon
Jordan Davis, junior, Corvallis
Rey Ruiz, junior, Woodburn
Zach Heagy, senior, West Albany
Honorable mention
Hayden Broadus, junior, Dallas
JJ Stewart, sophomore, West Albany
Cole Church, senior, Dallas
JD Lasswell, junior, Corvallis
Spencer McCarron, junior Dallas
Tyler Romeo, junior, Lebanon
Cole Chandler, junior, Silverton
Tynan Cardwell, junior, South Albany
Nick Finneman, sophomore, South Albany
Joey Roos, junior, West Albany
Logan Munson, junior, Silverton
Hunter Hurley, junior, Crescent Valley
Orlando Hernandez, senior, Woodburn
CJ Hargis, senior Lebanon
Cody Lahoda, senior West Albany


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Joe Bonamassa and his band gave Blues fans a night to remember at the Palace Theater Tuesday evening.
Blues singer and guitarist Joe Bonamassa brings his band to the Palace Theater Tuesday, November 15 at 8 p.m. In this interview, he talks about his latest projects and his passion for the Blues.
WFPK show host, Danny O'Day and the Lush Life will be performing an array of blues and jazz standards at Clifton's Pizza (2030 Frankfort Ave) this Sunday, January 23 from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. O'Day encourages his friends to come and sit in during the night, making for lots of surprises.
If '60s and '70s blues influenced rock 'n' roll is your bag, then rocking to The Predators at Stevie Ray's is where you should be on New Year's Eve.
Louisville bluesman Hambone unveils his new CD Conflagrations with an in-store at ear-X-tacy and a release party at the venerable Check's Cafe this Thursday and Friday.
Video of Big Poppa Stampley performing a song in front of the Great Escape on Bardstown Road. 9/11/2010
From 1968 to 2010, Steve Miller Band is still making music.
Want some cool blues to chill down a hot saturday night? Ain't gonna happen with Hambone!
Blues legend B.B. King will be playing Horseshoe Casino on the Fourth of July as part of their Summer Outdoor Concert Series.
- ‹ previous
- 2 of 2


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Robo01 yes the Lotus must be awfully slow, hence Raikkonen being third in the drivers championship and a grand prix winner. So slow......


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Prince Harry and Mayor Bloomberg Have Long, Intense Conversation
What were they talking about? We think we know.
So Mayor Bloomberg was in London today, which he said was to discuss the economic crisis, but according to the Times, he also paid a visit to the royal family, where he "spent about half an hour on Monday morning with Prince Harry, the third in line to the British throne." That's … weird. His aides claimed the two were talking about Harry's charity, Sentebale, but we suspect that in reality Bloomberg (like us) read that Kate Middleton story in Vanity Fair this month and was trying to find out if she was a Machiavellian tartlet. [City Room/NYT]


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Appearing as a presenter on the 2011 Emmy Awards last night, Charlie Sheen declared before naming the nominees, "I want to take a moment here to get something off my chest and say something to everyone here at Two and a Half Men..." Oh shit!
"From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television."
Sheen later tweeted that he had spoken with his replacement, Ashton Kutcher. "Seriously," he tweeted to Kutcher, "great talking to you. We'll all be watching. Make us proud." Or else!
Alec Baldwin pulled out of last night's telecast and left the Emmys after Fox decided to cut his joke about News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch from the opening segment. Baldwin tweeted, "I did a short Emmy pretape a few days ago. Now they tell me NewsCorp may cut the funniest line.
Lion King 3D shit on everything at the box office this weekend, earning $29.3 million. It's sort of like in the movie when Simba comes back from hanging out with his two edible friends on feet and beats the piss out of Scar. The movie has now grossed a total of $357.8 million and JTT will never have to work again a day in his life.
You know what five words Chuck Berry said before every show? "Pay me my money!"
Here is a 30-second stream of The View off of the new Lou Reed/Metallica collaboration, Lulu. It sounds like the biggest piece of shit since this:
The top-ranked competitive eater in the word and reigning king of the Bratwurst-eating world defended his crown here in Cincinnati at the Oktoberfest Zinzinnati by eating 35 brats in 10 minutes. For his troubles, Johnny Chestnut won $2,000, a trip to the Porta-John and a hat.
When Atlantic City police raided the home of a suspected drug dealer they found a pound of marijuana, $2,600 in cash and two alligators.
will be making television appearances this upcoming week, performing
first on Saturday
Night LIve and
again on The
Colbert Report next
Monday. Here's a video of them playing "The Daily Mail" at


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Feb. 2, 2008
BERKELEY - The No. 5 California women's water polo team won its first home game of the 2008 campaign, knocking off San Jose State, 9-5, on Saturday afternoon at Spieker Aquatics Complex. Molly Hayes led the Golden Bears with a game-high three goals while goalie Heather Stuart amassed 11 saves between the posts. Cal improves to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play while the Spartans fall to 4-1 and 0-1 in the MPSF.
"We played good defense," head coach Richard Corso said. "For 3.5 quarters, I thought our defense was excellent, and I think that was the difference in the game. I was very, very happy with our defense, not only from an individual perspective, but it was great team defense as well."
Cal got on the board first, four minutes into the first quarter when senior defender Molly Hayes scored in the final seconds on the shot clock. SJSU could not capitalize on a six-on-four opportunity with 2:50 to play in the period thanks to solid defense by the Bears. Sophomore utility Darby Anderson, despite being heavily guarded, scored on a hook shot to give Cal a 2-0 lead.
After a shot clock malfunction resulted in a delay at the beginning of the second stanza, California scored off a skip shot from Hayes. The Spartans scored their first goal of the game halfway through the second quarter when sophomore attacker Tanya Torres skipped a shot to the back corner to bring San Jose State within two, 3-1. Sophomore two-meter Grace Reynolds scored when her powerful shot when right past SJSU goalie Kendra Adama. The Bears took a 5-1 lead with 1:26 to play in the half when Hayes scored off a lob shot with sophomore defender Remy Champion dishing out the assist.
The Spartans won the sprint to open the second half and scored less than a minute in when freshman Adrianna Vogt scored from seven meters out, bringing the score to 5-2. The Bears took advantage of a SJSU shot-clock violation to get the ball and score with a goal from Reynolds, who was assisted by Hayes, to give them a 6-2 lead. Senior goalie Heather Stuart made an key block at the 3:15 mark when San Jose State earned a five-meter penalty shot.
Sophomore utility Stephanie Schnugg brought the score to 7-2 when she scored her first goal of the game from five meters outside the goal with two minutes to play in the third period. Thirty seconds later, SJSU junior two-meter Juliet Moss scored off a powerful shot on goal to bring the Spartans within four, 7-3. The Bears extended their lead to 8-3 when Anderson put the ball in the back corner with a minute remaining in the third quarter.
Neither team scored in the final period until the four-minute mark when sophomore defender Meghan Corso scored from beyond the 10 meters. Corso's goal, which brought the score to 9-3, would be Cal's final goal of the game. SJSU sophomore utility Bridget McKee went around Stuart to score with 2:17 remaining in regulation. The Spartans scored their last goal of the game 1:27 left on the clock off shot from Moss.
Stuart had an exceptional day in goal for the Bears, with 11 saves, including the huge block of the 5-meter penalty shot. MPSF Player of the Week Kendra Adama notched six saves between the posts for San Jose State. The Bears host Sonoma State on Sunday in a nonconference match-up at 12 p.m. at Spieker Aquatics Complex.
Score by period 1 2 3 4 F San Jose State 0 1 2 2 5 California 2 3 3 1 9San Jose State goals: Juliet Moss 2, Bridget McKee 1, Tanya Torres 1, Adrianna Vogt 1
California goals: Molly Hayes 3, Darby Anderson 2, Grace Reynolds 2, Meghan Corso 1, Stephanie Schnugg 1


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By Matt Tomsic
Published June 10, 2011
An administrative law judge for the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday blocked three Boeing South Carolina employees from intervening in the NLRB's case against Boeing.
Administrative Law Judge Clifford H. Anderson cited case law to establish that the North Charleston employees — Dennis Murray, Cynthia Ramaker and Meredith Going — don't have a legal interest in the NLRB case against Boeing.
Boeing and the other parties to the case are well-represented and devoting sufficient time and resources to the case, the judge wrote.
"The adversary system of jurisprudence will work in this case without additional parties," Anderson wrote in his ruling.
The judge also wrote that the case would be delayed if the three employees were included. The parties will have to agree to procedures on the handling of any proprietary and confidential documents, and adding parties to the mix "would be a seriously complicating event."
The employees filed the motion to intervene in the labor dispute on June 2. The motion was announced by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, a Washington, D.C., organization.
Murray led the effort to decertify the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers from the Charleston plant; Ramaker was a former president with the local union; and Going was previously a member of the machinists union, according to legal filings.
The NLRB and the machinists union both responded in opposition to the motion. NLRB general counsel Lafe Solomon said the intervention would delay and complicate the trial; the union said that the three employees don't have direct interest in the case and that the NLRB's policies don't support intervention by second parties who might be negatively affected by the board's remedying of unfair labor practices of others.
Boeing supported the case, saying the trio have interest in the case because they could lose their jobs, depending on the case's outcome.
The labor dispute has received increased attention as the case's first hearing — set for Tuesday — nears.
Tom Wroblewski, president of District Lodge 751 of the machinists union — which represents California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho — wrote North Charleston employees a letter Wednesday saying politicians are using the complaint to "fit their broader anti-union or anti-Obama agendas." He also wrote that the NLRB is not trying to shut down the North Charleston plant.
On Thursday, S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wrote an amicus brief for 16 states that oppose the NLRB's complaint against Boeing.
Reach Matt Tomsic at 843-849-3144.


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Hat-Tip to Menashe himself on this blog post to which he finally responds and owns up to the fact that he is a Gentile convert to Judaism. Menashe seeks to obfuscate and make minor points major smokescreens for him to hide behind. However he now admits this much:
- He was born and raised as an Anglican with Anglican parents and his grandparents were two Anglicans, one Methodist and one Roman Catholic.
- Menashe's conversion to Judaism was by the Beth Din in London with Manchester Rabbis acting in a supervisory role, as they do for those going through conversion who are living in the Jewish community located around the Bury, Salford and Manchester boundaries.
- Finally Menashe comments "We are also fortunate unlike some converts in maintaining our close familial ties and associations."
You can hear Menashe in all his self-deprecating (not) glory on Light to the Nations on Arutz7 here as he climbs aboard the anti-missionary gravy-train.
Menashe is free to believe what he wishes and change his mind however he wishes, and free to disagree with whomever he wishes, it is a free world and we have free will. However Menashe has made a religious journey and is in a different spiritual place to the one he started in. He now criticises other people who are making a similar journey but do not end up agreeing with him – that, is called hypocrisy.


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|U.S. Attorney's Office August 02, 2012
JACKSON, MS—Fred Ronald Adams, of Meridian, Mississippi, pled guilty in U.S. District Court today to possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen announced.
Adams admitted to possession of pornographic images that depicted minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He agreed to forfeit to the government his computer and other electronic devices used to facilitate the illegal activity. Adams will be sentenced on October 11, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case demonstrates the mission of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice nationwide initiative launched in May, 2006, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Through Project Safe Childhood, federal, state, and local law enforcement officials have formed partnerships to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
This case was investigated by the Meridian Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Glenda R. Haynes.