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Thread: WFRP The Enemy Within
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Well the only known grimoires are in the possesion of the colleges of magic...or held by evil chaos dudes like the guys in the warehouse.
Sorry for the delay folks, the AAR follows the last two sessions and as much of it was investigative dialogue I'll try to keep it brief! As always if I remember anything wrong then do speak up. Anyway without further a do lets catch up with our intrepid adventures as they battle forces beyond their ken to save the town of Bogenhafen (and make as much gold as possible).
Konistag, 30th of Jahrdrung.
We catch up with the party as they emerge from the town's sewers late in the evening, bathed in the heavy glow of Morrslieb, the warpstone moon, as well as a considerable amount of effluent, still shaken by their experience encountering a dreaded demon.
They head back to their inn, the luxurious Golden Trout, which has been paid for at the cities expense, dragging the corpse of a dead dwarf and the remains of a goat and goblin [presumably in bags, lucky you didn't bump into the watch!], get cleaned off and head off for a well deserved sleep.
Angestag, 31st of Jahrdrung
Rising bright and early our party make the most of the towns hospitality by digging into a fine breakfast, but as they do the inn keeper approaches looking grumpy and slightly disgusted by these guests. He demands they pay their debts for board and food and when the party protest that the town council was paying for it he informs them that as they did not catch the goblin, which was killed in one of the town's warehouses, they must pay themselves. The party, with slightly less confidence, again protests and as the inn keeper goes off to consult with a colleague they make a break for it, ensuring they wouldn't be sampling the pleasures of the Golden Trout again any time soon.
The party returns to Joseph's boat to discuss their plan of action and update Farnoth [Elesium] who had been recuperating on the boat. Joseph kindly offers to bring the body of the dwarf Gottri to the towns Priest of Moor for burial, since the party were considering just throwing the body in the river.
Farnoth advises that they clearly stumbled into a magic circle of sorts and the party agreed that the best of course of action was to inform the Church of Sigmar, who can deal with this sort of thing [I think you actually went there at night first but were turned away? Cant really remember]. Unfortunately the priests fail to believe the wild claims of a group of adventurers and the only information they manage to get when showing them the now rotting goats head [to the disgust of the priest] is the words Ordo Septenarius, which were carved into the head of the goat, and that this group is a semi-private charitable organisation run by the Merchants Guild.
The party then head to the Schaffenfest to talk to Magistrate Richter and discuss the death of the goblin. He confirms that the goblin was killed in a warehouse belonging to the Steinheiser family, and as such he can offer them no reward, their evidence of a few goblin arms proves disgusting but not persuasive. They also inform him of the death of Gottri the dwarf and while he is saddened he is not surprise, the poor frequently find messy ends in the Empire. He does offer to look into it however.
Disheartened the group decides to head back to the sewers to see if they can find any leads and as they have neither authority nor a ladder to enter through a man hole they head to the docks, where the sewer opens into the river.
When they arrive they see a group gathered round a doom prophet, not an unusual occurrence in the Empire, but this one freaks out when he sees Gottfried [Harlander] and runs away screaming. Ludo [President Weasel], using his bounty hunter intuition that anyone running away is guilty, gives chase and successfully snares the poor mad man in a net. The man screams at the tiny demon to leave him alone and Ludo spots that he's wearing a gold necklace of some value in the shape of a stylised rose, the emblem of the Teugen family. Questioning the man reveals in his babbling that it was a gift from 'Karl' who was taken by chaos. As the rest of the party arrives the man notices Gottfried and freaks out again, eventually passing out.
With this brief entertainment over the party head into the sewers and quickly find their way to the temple. The door has been repaired but is unlocked and it quickly becomes apparent that there is nothing in the room, beyond some scrapes on the floor. However the party notices another door further down the passage and try it.
They quickly find themselves at the end of a number of crossbow wielding thugs, one of which invites them to join him upstairs. The room leads up to a storeroom then to a common room, and the man introduces himself as Frans Braumann and welcomes them to his inn, the Crossed Pike. He informs them that they have stumbled upon his less than legal operations and his associates in his Guild would be less than pleased to find out. However he can think of no reason they cannot get along so long as they prove able to keep secrets.
Braumann is happy to answer their questions, informing them that he knew of the other room in the sewers but to his knowledge it was empty and only accessible through that main passage. However he did know that the room lies underneath the buildings across from the inn, which includes a watch barracks and the offices of the Steinhager family. This could correspond with the handkerchief the party found in the room which had the monogram F.S and learning that the Steinhager's are led by two brothers Frans and Heinrich who hate each other, they send an invitation to Heinrich to discuss the issue.
The adventurers head back to the Magistrate to see if he has learned anything of Gottri but learn that he has retired to his home, feeling ill. The group successfully bluff their way into Richter's house and can see he indeed looks very unwell, with bulging eyes and swollen tongue. His house servant is extremely upset as the Magistrates physician had said he knew of no cure for this affliction. While Richter could not talk he could write and through questioning the party learnt that he could not have been poisoned as he was sharing food and drink with the rest of the court and that he had spoken to the Watch Captain about Gottri and they had no leads, although Richter had found it odd since the Captain had been smiling, and he never smiles [he can't smile RP fans! Like physically can't not because he's too sad].
The party find this whole thing suspicious for some reason and so head to the Temple of Shallya, whose priestesses are well known for their skills in healing. They quickly get talking to one and learn that the affliction is known to them and that while they do not know what causes it they know how to treat it. They learnt this from studying the death of man suffering from the disease several years previously, the merchant Karl Teugen. The priestesses head to the Magistrates house and on a hunch the party head to the physician's guild. Sure enough the party talk to Richter's physician and he is furious, claiming he hasn't see the man in weeks, and storms off to the Magistrates manor.
The party return to the Crossed Pike where they find that Heinrich Steinhager has accepted their invitation and so they head to the Journey's Inn to meet him. He orders drinks and listens to their story and is apparently horrified, he always knew Frans was a bad egg, in fact just today he had found a suspicious invitation to a party [suspicious as he wasn't invited…], the group can see its an invitation from the Ordos Septenarious for a gathering that evening at Johannes Teugen's house. Heinrich also told the party that if his brother was to come to some sort of…accident… then they would be richly rewarded [GM note, I should probably made you roll for corruption points here for accepting you horrors].
As it was getting late the party head to the Johannes Teugens manor, Ludo manages to sneak in over the back wall and Gottfried and Christoph [Gorm] manage to bluff their way in as master and body guard using the invitation, but are eventually asked to leave as Johannes doesn't recognise them. However Ludo manages to watch as the event commences and eight men wearing robes gather in a loose circle. Knowing his voice Ludo hears Johannes update the others on the discovery of the temple in the sewers but let them know that their plan will still go ahead at a new venue tomorrow. Ludo also notices that one of the robbed men seems to tremble slightly as if uncomfortable but before he can see who it is another man enters. Johannes welcomes him, calling him cousin, but almost instantly the man spots Ludo and calls for the guards.
Ludo makes a run for it and makes it to the gardens but can hear guard dogs at his heels, however hearing the commotion Farnoth conjures a huge bang above the house, terrifying the dogs and allowing Ludo to escape. The party flee into the night, heads full of troubled thoughts, as Morrslieb watches them.
Festag, 32nd Jahrdrung
[GM note, the party go to see Friedrich Magarius correctly thinking he will help them, but I can't remember how they figured that out, sorry!] Spending an uncomfortable night on Joseph's boat [not out staying their welcome at all] the party decide to visit Friedrich Magarius, a prominent merchant, and successfully bluff their way in.
Meeting the merchant in his study they accuse him of consorting with chaos and he breaks down, admitting it and repenting, but saying it was only in the interests of the town. He tells the party that Johannes Teguen plans to conduct a ritual this evening to influence trade for the benefit of Bogenhafen [suitably sinister!] but that he has not yet been told where it is, he agrees to meet them that afternoon with the information at the Journey's Inn and the party agree that if they need to contact him they will include a code word in the message.
The party then visit the Magistrate, who already seems much better, Frans Baurmann and Heinrich Steinhager, to update them and request aid. All three men are horrified at this traitorous turn of events and promise to provide assistance if needed.
Our adventurers then head to the Journey's Inn for their rendezvous with Friedrich Magarius but being the suspicious sort send Ludo in first to check it out. The inn is not full of horrible monsters but normal patrons, and as the party enters they are approached by a message boy who says he's come from the town hall with a message from Friedrich Magarius. The letter is sealed with his mark and looks official but does not include the agreed code word, it requests that the party visit his manor immediately.
Arriving at the merchant's house, all seems fine, the guard on the door recognises them and lets them in and they are shown to Friedrich's study by his house servant. They enter the room only to find the body of Friedrich lying bloodied behind his desk, clearly holding something. The party are reluctant to touch him but Farnoth casts a drop spell on him and his hands fly open, revealing a note with W17 written on it. While this is happening they hear someone scream murderers! and see the house servant running out into the street, the guard draws his sword and runs towards the house and they can see a watch patrol running as well.
Before they can react the servant appears again in the doorway and laughs at the party telling them they should of minded their own business, and she receives some missiles in return. A bolas thrown by the Egg [Egg] smashes the woman in face and seems to stun her, but she then disappears [GM note, that bolas did ridiculous damage, far more than it had any right too, bloody bolas].
The party consider their options and decide to surrender to the watch, accept for Ludo who wisely makes a break for it, succeeding easily due to the distraction his colleagues provided. Hours pass and the party are sitting in a jail cell, their weapons confiscated, when the Magistrate arrives, looking ill and upset at the death of his friends. To their protests he advises the party that while he will do what he can to prove their innocence, it will take some time.
The evening wanes on and it seems Johannes Teugen will achieve his dastardly plan of fixing trade in the area […], but lo! What is that scrapping behind the wall? Tis Ludo and his merry band of thieves guild thugs come to release the party though a convenient secret passage [not oblivion! this source books is like 20 years old!].
The passage leads to the sewers and all sewers lead to the Crossed Pike, the party brief Frans Baumann on the current developments, and he believes them, offering the use of some of his men and weapons for those whose arms had been confiscated, all because he's a patriot [and not because he likes people owing him favours]. The party set off, using the sewers to arrive unseen at the docks.
Our adventurers have cleverly deduced the W17 stands for warehouse 17 and make their way towards it. It quickly becomes clear that the warehouse is guarded by a number of thugs, as they watch they see a carriage pull up and Franz Steinhager enters the warehouse, his men carrying a slightly struggling rug.
The party discuss the merits of burning down the warehouse but decide it will probably destroy any evidence that they were not in fact psycho murderers and so consider how best to get through the numerous thugs as Heinrich Steinhager's men haven't turned up [who would have thought he wasn't trust worthy]. Incredibly Christopth and Gottfried decide to attempt a non-violent approach and simply convince the thugs that it was in their best interest to leave.
Even more incredibly it worked.
With no further delay the party break into the warehouse and are greeted with a now familiar site, a large pentagram surrounded by candles with a bloodied goats head in the middle, however this time the ritual circle is surrounded by seven robed men chanting, one leading the others from a book, with a unconscious girl lying in the middle.
Without a second thought Farnoth fires of a magic projectile [tm] blowing the book carrying man to pieces, the party can now see it was the late Frans Steinhagerr. The chanting pauses as the other men squeal in horror Johannes Teugen and his cousin Gideon, who had been conversing in a corner of the warehouse charge over. Johannes takes up the book and continues the chant while Gideon and four Teugen house guards charge the party.
The fighting is swift yet fruitless, the Egg and Gottfried engage Gideon and successfully hit him yet their blows bounce off his skin without leaving a mark. Ludo proves lethal to both parties with his crossbow, cutting the leg off Johannes, who amazingly manages to continue reading [the leg loss was a critical hit, which I don't bother with for baddies except important ones, which is why he didn't die immediately, although he would likely have died in a few rounds anyway] while also 'accidently' hitting Gottfried in the back for considerable damage.
Eventually Farnoth manages to finish of Johannes and the ritual is halted, Gideon is furious and, revealing his true form, pulls its demon self out of its human shell. The other cultists flee in horror but before Gideon can attack the party a tare in reality opens and a voice both furious and soothing speaks. It asks Gideon, who is clearly terrified, where its portal is and as the demon attempts to flee something grabs it and pulls it into the tare which then closes
Some of the party gain insanity points, their heads full of giggling.
Wellentag, 33rd Jahrdrung
The party are again imprisoned but quickly released as investigations led by certain wide-brimmed hat wearing individual's turns up some serious evidence against the merchants involved. The party are rewarded by the town council and asked to keep quite on the events, while the Magistrate offers them each a gift personally [this was due to them saving his life, which wasn't overly likely] and the party manage to coerce Heinrich Steinhagser into giving them more gold.
Everyone then heads to the pub.
Well I lied it was very long, but in fairness it was two sessions! Quite a busy few days for our lads but overall they did very well, saving lives and averting catastrophes, all very heroic, in fact you did almost too well, I'll need to take your competency into account for future sessions :).
The thing l like about Shadows over Bogenhafen is that there's loads of small details that have no bearing and which you might not even encounter, for instance you could of gone to see Johannes and the book suggests stuff to make you think he's a vampire, just for a laugh. Also I know fighting Gideon was frustrating, as he's a demon he takes half damage from normal weapons and with a base toughness of 4 you needed to score at least 10 damage to even slightly hurt him, as such defeating him in combat was not really an option.
Join us next time as our adventurers try to answer the really tough questions in life, like how many holes can a boat have before it sinks, in RPS unofficially presents 'Death on the Reik'.
Sidebar, we won't be doing this over the weekend so I was thinking a day in the coming week, ideally Wednesday but I can also do Monday or Tuesday. I am also away the following weekend so again we can do one on a weekday or just wait to the weekend after.
Please let me know what careers you're considering so I can see if I need to write them into the story, also let me know what gifts your getting from the magistrate (remember up to 50gc and rare quality).
We actually hit the demon with bolas and a blessed crossbow bolt (I got all 36 of my bolts blessed at the temple of Sigmar at considerable expense - it appears to do nothing). It shrugged off the crossbow bolt, again, but the bolas seemed to at least make it take notice.
We worked out that Magarius was probably worth talking to by cross referencing - we had two guys out front at the party, before they were thrown out, and they told us who was there. We had one guy in the ceremony, before he was chased away and nearly eaten by big scary dogs, and he told us that one of the cultists didn't look too happy with the whole thing, but that he couldn't work out who it was under the hood (and because I did my traditional 'fail the intelligence roll by about 50').
Magarius was the guy on the list who both the magistrate and the thieves guild guy had mentioned as being pretty decent, so we thiought we'd go brace him and pretend we knew everything about his involvement - it worked and he confessed.
I'm not sure about corruption for accepting the promise of money to kill whatsisname cultistguy; I'm a bounty hunter anyway, so it's basically just another bounty. In the incredibly unlikely event that he was innocent, we'd have let him go - in the far more probable event of him being a dirty cultist, we'd probably have to kill him anyway, and if not I could justify killing him for the 'bounty' in all the confusion, since the witch hunters would just have burned him even if we took him alive.
It's a dirty trade, though, bounty hunting. That's why I am planning to move into professional marksmanship and become a targeteer.
I'll take a pistol crossbow as my gift, costs 35gp and I'll be able to pick up the knack of using it as we journey (i.e. pay 100XP to get the 'crossbow' skill when I level up as a targeteer).
Targeteer also gets an extra attack - or is that an extra action? Do I get to attack twice a round? Once I level up and buy the extra attack and rapid reload (half an action to reload a crossbow) can I do "aim shoot reload shoot" as a single round?
I suppose that's true, but I think there is a difference in bounty hunting and assignation, maybe just how official it all is I suppose. Good choice of item, think you can use that in close combat? The attack thing is a bit annoying really, you can make an extra attack using the swift attack action but it basically means you will always be using swift attack, I am looking into alternatives which we will discuss when we get to it! I am taking the lack of protest as a yes for Wednesday, see you all then!
I can definitely do Weds, what about the rest of our disreputable band (and Harlander)?
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Hey I'm respectable...apart from all the insanity points of course, gunna have to check when that starts to become an issue haha. Think I am on 4 now. Wednesday 'should' be fine. Sundays are better for me though.
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Wednesday sounds good
Aye we will be sticking with sundays but as i am away this weekend it would be far too long to go without hearing your lovely voices
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I demand that there be more presenting of body parts as proof when completing quests!
I didn't have much of a chance to look at the book in detail as I've been away in surprisingly boring Maidenhead on a course. Anyway I'll be there Wednesday, and I'm hoping to advance to Politician as soon as I can grab the trappings.
I need a best craftsmanship hand weapon, best leather jack, and some pamphlets.
Last edited by Harlander; 30-05-2012 at 04:58 PM.
8 O'Clock tonight gents, be there or I may well do terrible things to your characters (as President Weasel beat me in our last game of Blood Bowl I may have to make Ludo suffer anyway...)
Nobody was permanently hurt, apart from that one ghoul who basically had "KILL ME I'M HERE" stencilled on it in huge letters, and that other ghoul who got killed - but that one was 0SPP anyway, and if he didn't want to get killed what was he doing on the pitch with orcs in the first place? He was just collateral damage, like that time I crossbowed Harlander in the back. I didn't do it on purpose :)
Sorry Sukka MC's I am running a wee bit late, its going to be 8.30
Hey Elesium, we missed your dulcet Teeside tones and your magical mayhem this evening.
Here's what you missed -
A witchhunter gave us an assignment we would have been idiots to refuse. (Despite being idiots, we didn't refuse). We are supposed to investigate someone who recently contacted a Bright Wizard in Altdorf. The contact guy is suspected of working for Estela von Difficult-to-Read, the lady who wrote that indecipherable note to the cultists.
So we packed up and headed to Altdorf.
While saying goodbye (and thanks again for lending us those weapons and the five goons when we were fightin' chaos) to the Thieves Guild head honcho blokey, he asked if we wouldn't mind doing him a favour. We said yes, as if there are two groups of people you would rather be in a good mood with you than a bad one, it's the guys with the bonfires and the fancy hats and the guys with the black masks and the daggers from the shadows when you least expect it.
Thieves Guild (Bogenhafen Regional Office) head honcho blokey (who I am sure has a name) asked us if we'd mind looking for a boat of his which had gone missing between Bogenhafen and Altdorf, taking a side route down the Blut River which coincidentally avoided all the toll collectors and customs inspectors. He told us if we could find the cargo and get it to Altdorf, we could keep the boat.
We found a floating body, then we found the boat, covered in blood. Our investigations disturbed two goblins, who ran away but quickly came back with a river troll!
After a quick conversation ("trolls don't like fire and acid, right?" "that's D&D trolls" "I'm pretty sure these trolls don't like fire either" "Well I am setting this one on fire!") I smashed a lantern on the troll's head and set it on fire. (Memo to self: buy Christof Gorm a new lantern, and look into the possibility of making incendiary devices).
We then proceeded to completely dismantle the troll, with probably the best move being Egg using his mining experience to smash up through the deck from the hold, making the troll's foot fall through and confusing the poor bugger. He then smashed a lantern on its trapped foot when the first one sputtered out.
(the other best bit was when Gottfried von Harlander parry-and riposted and did vast damage - Lowkey said he'd blocked a punch by letting the troll punch pointy-end-on onto his rapier, and the rapier had gone through its hand and right up its arm). Poor troll, it really wasn't his day.
We killed the troll (I say "we", I think I only managed to shoot it once after smashing the lantern on it), then cut its head off and mounted it as a figurehead on our brand new barge. (Which is called "the Drunken Troll" now, for some reason)
Also, we found a woman hiding in a barrel, who turned out to have been hired to escort the cargo to Altdorf, and who also turned out to be an Engineer. She spent the rest of the trip teaching Engineering 101 to, erm, whoever it was who picked Engineer as their new trade.
so that's where we're picking up the Sunday after next (a week and a bit from now) - we've got our own boat, and we're in Altdorf investigating some fella who's connected to the bad lady who seems to have inspired those dastardly Teugens to get up to their chaos shenanigans in Bogenhafen.
(Also I mananged to find a pop-up shrine to Ranald the god of luck, and gave him a sacrifice to get back in his good books, after he made me shoot Harlander in the back last time).
Last edited by President Weasel; 31-05-2012 at 09:48 AM.
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I'm surprised you didnt work your Teugen play at that game pun into that.
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Yeah sorry I missed this guys, during the week is always a bad time for me, and something popped up unexpectedly. But you seem to have handled the troll just fine, if I'd have been there, you wouldn't have had a head with which to mount on the boat....also I don't like witch hunters. Jumped up god botherers.
No worries elesium i know how it is, back to sundays now! Thanks for the write up PW, but does he have a dwarf?
Oh yeah, Gottfried Harlander has a girlfriend now, and we made him bring her with us because we thought it was funny.
Also, the witchfinder casually mentioned he'd cleared your name from that little misunderstanding in Altdorf - he also casually mentioned he'd had that blokey hanged, and I believe there was a strong implication that he could have any of us (and especially you, for being magical and elfy) hanged whenever he felt like it, so we should do what he wanted.
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Can we set fire to him? It would be kind of Ironic.
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Are we on for this sunday?!!?! I must know.


text:
Versace Fall 2011
The scene was a flashback to the Versace heyday: a glamorous evening show, back in the Via Gesu Versace palazzo where Gianni showed in the high eighties, complete with eighties popstars Duran Duran in the front row, with everyone agog and dressed to the nines, and a fresh Prince track pounding. This is the Milan of fantasy, as it should be, as we want it to be—and as it just isn't, enough, recently.
Thank you, Donatella Versace, then, for upping that energy, and extra kudos to her for channelling it briskly to her own realistic ends. The news: Versace now is more focussed on day than delirious disco-wear. She's on the same page with everyone else about coats—in her case, spanking-smart double-breasted military ones with a swing in the skirt, big gold Medusa-stamped buttons, cinched in with great jewelled belts. She's good on proportion, too: above the knee (but not too far), with calf-length boots. And if you want a fitted dress that does "strict" without being schoolmarm-y? Hers, with a split in the hem, or a python appliqué snaking around the body, could do the job nicely.
The point to appreciate is that Donatella's grip on Versace's sexy heritage has turned it in a classy direction. When she uses pattern—the abstracted, curvilinear tulip motif running through this collection—it's sparingly, to dramatize one side of a shift, or to inset in a neckline. It's all controlled and expertly tailored, with never a dip into the vulgar.
That's true of her glossy leather suits, with their pleated skirts (a clever coded meld between Versace's "gladiator" heritage, a kilt and schoolgirl) and, especially, of the way she managed evening. Yes, she did her duty to the house by offering up a couple of the expected strapless ostrich-trimmed gowns that must have a place of honor in a Versace finale. But the one which looked fresh was the relatively simple column with an unfussy camisole top, suspended by spaghetti straps in the back, worn by Arizona Muse, to end the show. It sparkled, but in a coolly confident woman-friendly way: testament to how well Donatella Versace is steering her collection into the future.
Learn more about Donatella Versace in Voguepedia.

subset: commoncrawl


text: this is my paternal grandfather, he lived at 813 francis st omaha ne. he was married to johanna and had 4 boys. john, kenneth,harold(joe) & edward. he was a very happy man, always had a funny joke or story, smiled alot and smoked a pipe. he had a farm in defiance ia wherer he raised clydesdale horses but lost it in the great depression. he then moved to omaha ne where he worked for roberts dairy making deliveries by horse & buggy. he also fought in ww1. i remember walking to the store and to church with him. picking mullberries and shooting rubber bands he kept from the newspapers. my name is mary herman and i loved grandpa herman very much.


text:
Media Misses The Flaws In Discredited U.S. Chamber State Courts Survey
Research ››› ››› SERGIO MUNOZ
Some media outlets have accepted uncritically a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform survey on "state lawsuit climates" for businesses, even though the survey is wholly based on interviews with lawyers and executives for large corporations. Experts have for years critiqued the survey, which claims to rank states on how "fair and reasonable" their tort liability systems are, as "lack[ing] elementary social scientific objectivity" and "substantively inaccurate and methodologically flawed."
The Chamber Of Commerce's Study Targets Courts In Selected States
The Institute For Legal Reform (ILR) Is The Chamber's In-House "Tort Reform" Advocacy Group. This week ILR released its 2012 State Liability Systems Survey, which claims to rank the "legal climate" for businesses in each state:
Lawyers for U.S. companies say California, Illinois and West Virginia have some of the worst legal climates in the country for businesses, according to a new survey released today by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). Delaware, according to those surveyed, has the best legal climate for businesses. Seventy percent of the more than eleven hundred company general counsels and senior attorneys who participated in the survey said a state's lawsuit environment is likely to impact important business decisions at their company, including where to locate or expand their businesses. This number is up thirteen percent from the same survey conducted five years ago, before the recession. ["California, Illinois & West Virginia Rank Among Worst States in Lawsuit Climate Survey; Delaware Ranked Best," 9/10/12]
The Survey Is Based On Interviews With Lawyers And Executives For Corporations With Annual Revenues Of Over $100 Million. From ILR's website:
The 2012 State Liability Systems Ranking Study was conducted for the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform to explore how fair and reasonable the states' tort liability systems are perceived to be by U.S. businesses. Participants in the survey were comprised of a national sample of 1,125 in-house general counsel, senior litigators or attorneys, and other senior executives who indicated that they are knowledgeable about litigation matters at companies with at least $100 million in annual revenues. ["State Lawsuit Climates," accessed 9/11/12]
Some State Media Uncritically Repeat the Attacks...
The Chicago Tribune Warned "Legal Climate Clouds Business In Illinois." From a September 10 article:
Illinois, along with California, Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia, are among the worst states in the country for businesses because of their legal climates, according to survey of corporate attorneys released Monday.
Two Illinois counties did not fare well in the survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's institute for legal reform, either. Cook County was named the most unfair and unreasonable jurisdiction, and Madison County was named the sixth most unfair county. [Chicago Tribune, 9/10/12]
The Sacramento Bee Repeated The Chamber's Lament That California Courts Are "Havens For Class Action Lawsuits." From a September 10 post:
California ranks 47th in the nation in its courts' "fairness and reasonableness" regarding business lawsuits, according to a poll conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform.
Not only is the state's legal climate as a whole ranked fourth worst in the nation, just ahead of Mississippi, Louisiana and West Virginia, but Los Angeles County has the second worst lawsuit climate among local jurisdictions and San Francisco fourth worst. Delaware, the legal home of many major corporations, ranks No. 1 in business legal climate. [Sacramento Bee, 9/10/12]
...Without Noting Flaws Of The Survey's Methodology.
Professor Theodore Eisenberg Of The Cornell University School Of Law Definitively Debunked The Survey In 2009 As "Substantively Inaccurate And Methodologically Flawed." From a 2010 Huffington Post article by Joanne Doroshow, Executive Director of the Center for Justice & Democracy at New York Law School:
[I]t's worth examining just how intellectually dishonest and harmful to the country this "survey" is. Theodore Eisenberg, Professor of Law and Adjunct Professor of Statistical Sciences at Cornell University, severely critiqued this shoddy document last September. Here are just a few highlights:
• "The survey is methodologically flawed and provides little useful information for states assessing their liability systems or for businesses considering investment in states or in the United States. The survey lacks elementary social scientific objectivity and incorrectly characterizes state law. Objectively verifiable responses are correct less than 10% of the time. Respondents ignore legal rules and material events within states."
• "The Chamber's survey violates the elementary principle that evaluation of legal system performance should be based on input from both sides to disputes," noting the obvious: "asking only one side to a dispute about a system will yield biased results."
• Compounding this bias is the fact that respondents are first told of the prior year's results, and are provided monetary incentives.
• Even when one of those states changes its laws to strip consumers or patients of legal rights (such as Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and West Virginia), these states continue to rank "low," which is "consistent with evidence from other states that respondents know little about the states they rank." [Huffington Post, 3/22/10]
State Supreme Court Justices Have Also Questioned The Expertise Of The Survey's Interviewees. From a 2010 Times-Picayune article:
"I strenuously object to the ILR's taking the opinions of just a few attorneys who may never have set foot in Louisiana and making pronouncements about our courts," [Louisiana Chief Justice Catherine] Kimball said in a statement released this week. "Whether we're rated highly or poorly, this survey is not a valid measure of the efficiency or fairness of Louisiana's courts."
The Chamber has conducted eight similar surveys since 2002, prompting Kimball last year to establish the Ad Hoc Supreme Court Committee to Study Perceptions of the Legal System. The committee, chaired by Kimball, includes representatives of the governor's office, the Legislature, the courts, unions, business and legal groups.
Kimball noted a study by Cornell University law and statistics professor Theodore Eisenberg, who said the Chamber survey "lacks elementary social scientific objectivity." The respondents to the survey are not required to have any experience in the states they rank but only need to say they are "somewhat familiar" with a state, Eisenberg said.
"A person can be 'somewhat familiar' with a state's courts because of a single high-profile case or because of a novel or movie based in that state," said Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Greg Guidry, who is on the ad hoc committee. "Those might be honest perceptions, but they have no validity." [The Times-Picayune, 3/24/10]
Indeed, Problems With The Survey Have Been Apparent Since At Least 2004. Investigating Illinois' low ranking, Copley News Service discovered the survey's pollsters admit they have no "hard" data:
The Institute for Legal Reform, an affiliate to the U.S. Chamber, hired Harris Interactive to survey senior corporate lawyers throughout the country to [gauge] the perception of fairness in each state's legal system. In its third year, the survey talked to 1,400 lawyers - compared to fewer than 1,000 lawyers last year.
Humphrey Taylor of Harris Interactive said the survey is based on the individual responses of the lawyers because there is no hard data that can be used to measure the perceived fairness of a state's legal system. [Copley News Service, 3/8/04, via Nexis]
...And The Chamber Admitted In 2005 The Sample Set Was Not Uniformly Qualified To Participate In The Study, According To The Charleston Gazette. Pressed on the survey's methodology, the Chamber and its pollster have admitted the actual knowledge base for specific state courts in their survey is very small:
Critics of the study and the Chamber's goals were quick to present alternative arguments Tuesday. Some questioned the methodology of the study.
[Chairman of the Harris Poll Humphrey] Taylor and [U.S. Chamber president and CEO Tom] Donahue acknowledged not all of the 1,437 lawyers surveyed knew anything about West Virginia's courts. Taylor said "around 107" said they had direct knowledge of the state.
"You could argue that's a small sample, but what they keep saying is '49th, 49th, 49th," " he said. [The Charleston Gazette, 3/9/05, via Nexis]
Some Local Media Are Accurately Reporting The Survey's Flaws
The Philadelphia Inquirer Pointed Out That The Survey Offers Biased View of State Judicial System. From a September 11 article:
The chamber's Institute for Legal Reform said Pennsylvania ranked No. 40 among the states when judged on the size of awards, administration of cases, competence of judges and rules permitting lawyers to choose favorable jurisdictions, among other criteria. Among cities, Philadelphia was ranked the fifth worst, with Chicago having the poorest rating.
The basic complaint: It is too easy to bring legal action against companies in Pennsylvania compared to most states.
Scott Cooper, president of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, which represents the state's trial lawyers, sharply criticized the study, saying it offered a biased view of the state's civil justice system. He said that while business critics often point to excessive jury awards in Pennsylvania, the average is boosted by companies suing one another, not by individuals suing companies.
"Garbage in, garbage out," Cooper said of the study. "There are more lawsuit costs from businesses suing businesses than from individuals suing businesses." [The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/11/12]
The Washington Examiner Reported New Critiques Of The Survey's Impartiality. From a September 10 article:
Businesses had generally low opinions of Maryland judges when it came to their impartiality, fairness and competence, ranking them 33rd in the country in all three categories. Baltimore County in particular has a reputation for courts that favor plaintiffs in civil cases and hand out large verdicts, said Bryan Quigley, spokesman for the Institute for Legal Reform, an arm of the chamber.
Just because a state has laws that ensure victims can seek retribution doesn't make them bad for business, said Sen. Jamin Raskin, D-Montgomery County, who sits on the Judicial Proceedings Committee and teaches law at American University.
"Nobody likes to get sued, but everyone wants to have his or her day in court if they get injured," Raskin said. "I assume on this study, the best state would be one where businesses aren't held accountable for any tort they commit. That's not in any definition of fairness.
"We never know when we're going to be the plaintiff or the victim. We don't want laws that have the thumb on the scale." [The Washington Examiner, 9/10/12]
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(Canavan 5, Geddes 16, 55, Billingham 71, Fitzpatrick 86)
STOURBRIDGE inflicted even more misery on to the Terras at the Bob Lucas Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Weymouth offered very little resistance as the Glassboys completely embarrassed them once again in a comfortable 5-0 victory.
The West Midlanders have now racked up a mammoth 22 goals in their last four meetings with the Terras, conceding just one in the process.
Weymouth player-manager Jason Matthews kept faith with the same starting XI that began the abandoned match at Bashley in midweek.
Adam Kelly and Niall Thompson both made their home debuts with the latter starting on the left wing in front of Scott Walker, who began at left-back.
Jake Green was deployed in the other full-back slot with Ashley Wells and Barry McConnell having to settle for places on the bench where they joined Luke Winsper and Carl McClements.
Stourbridge made two changes to the side that began the 2-2 home draw with Truro City with Ben Birch and Kyle Haynes coming in for Will Richards and Andre Francis.
And it was the Glassboys that made the brighter start with Tom Berwick firing over from 25 yards in the opening minute after a well-worked move through the midfield.
The Terras looked a little nervy but seconds later they responded with Thompson drilling a shot straight at Dean Coleman at the other end.
The low drive was too hot to handle but the ball squirmed clear of the onrushing Ben Joyce allowing the Glassboys to clear.
The game was very open and every time Stourbridge attacked, they looked like creating a chance.
A goal was on the cards and it arrived on five minutes after Berwick had powered his way past Michael Walker on the left.
His cutback found Ben Billingham and when his shot was brilliantly saved by Matthews at point-blank range, there was Drew Canavan following up to fire in the rebound.
The home fans could have been forgiven for fearing the worst after that but their side responded well to going behind and went on to enjoy a decent spell.
Thompson was looking particularly lively and only an excellent intervention stopped his 14th-minute cross from finding Joyce at the near post.
Heavy rain combined with a strong cross-field wind then began to make life tough for both sides and it caused the Terras to switch off.
Their momentary lapse was punished on 16 minutes when the Glassboys made it two.
Berwick was given far too much space just 25 yards out and when his shot hit Michael Walker and ricocheted back into the path of Sean Geddes, he did the rest, rounding Matthews with ease before slotting into an empty net.
The Terras were allowing the visitors far too much space and paying the price, although they were still creating chances at the other end with George Rigg firing over just two minutes later.
It was still Stourbridge that were looking the more threatening side though and on the half-hour they almost grabbed a third.
Kayelden Brown saw his header turned behind by a fantastic block from Jake Green and, from the resulting corner, Leon Broadhurst went even closer with a clever flick that struck the post.
The wind had now relented somewhat and the sun was back out but the Terras looked anything but calm as Broadhurst saw another effort deflect just wide just moments later.
Two-nil flattered the hosts at half-time and Matthews was clearly looking for a reaction at the restart.
Wells replaced Thompson and went to right-back, Green moved across to the left and Scott Walker advanced to left-wing but the switch did little to raise the home side's game.
Stewart Yetton and Ben Joyce continued to be starved of service and Stourbridge looked content to just sit back and play on the break.
Matthews made a fine block on 54 minutes to deny Berwick but, just 60 seconds later, Stourbridge returned to finally add their third.
This time Billingham played in skipper Geddes and he nonchalantly fired home his 15th of the season, giving Matthews no chance.
The Glassboys were now in cruise control and, on 69 minutes, their job was made even easier when Michael Walker saw red for pulling back Billingham when he was clean through.
Referee Michael Webb had no other choice but to send the defender on his way and to make matters worse for the home fans, Billingham curled the resulting free-kick into the bottom right corner for 4-0.
The silence was deafening amongst the Weymouth faithful and, on 86 minutes, the Glassboys rubbed even more salt into the wounds when substitute Jordan Fitzpatrick drove in the fifth from 20 yards.
Matthews looked a forlorn figure at the end and clearly has a huge task now to lift his players for Tuesday night's visit of Bideford.


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the location is very good, at the bisness center of Ankara. The room is not large but very comfortable, the breakfast is very good. I liked swiming pool and SPA. only 2 elevators
I enjoy staying at this hotel. It was very confortable, and luxury. The staff didn't speak english except some of them and missing maps in english
Swimming pool, and the jacuzzi was closed.
The location is good, the rooms are very comfortable They have some problems with the shower - the water pours into the room sometimes. The breakfast is good, but waiters are not.
Friendly hotel staff. Good location. Modern & comfortable rooms. The decoration of the ballroom and the entrance was a little exagerated. Too orriental for my taste. I liked the bedroom.
new and fantastic rooms with some great styled features......bath in the room! great for romantic couple.
Excerllent staff and quality
The location is very nice. Though it is not the very center - still convinient and not noisy area. The staff is mainly helpful. They were not checking my mini bar for the last4 nights, actually did it only on the very first day of my stay. Therefore I was not getting coffe and etc. supplyes but for me personally it did not matter that much. Anyway this was the minus...
Friendly staff, spacious rooms, quiet location
Very comfortable and well equipped hotel in city centre. A bit expensive on food and drinks.
The location is very nice. Though it is not the very center - still convinient and not noisy area. The staff is mainly helpful. They were not checking my mini bar for the last4 nights, actually did it only on the very first day of my stay. Therefore I was not getting coffe and etc. supplyes but for me personally it did not matter that much. Anyway this was the minus...
internal decoration and the facilities were excellent... Nothing....
Although I stated -while booking on your website- that we were the honeymoon couple at this hotel, the staff of this hotel told me that there was not any note like that... Either your website does not work properly or this hotel is not that professional... I had to insist that I booked this room as a honeymoon couple and then we got the special service for the honeymoon couples. breakfast was poor
Quiet and comfortable.Friendly staff.
The staff were very helpful and courteous. The hotel facilities are also very good all in all a very nice hotel
Excellent design, comfy rooms.. As we did not spend too much time at the hotel, i can not give a full review. But we were satisfied from what we had experienced.
Excerllent staff and quality
staff were not at all friendly. we were not greeted or no good byes when we left. very unfriendly place...very quiet as if we were in a mosque.
Very good breakfast Door key not working every day
The hotel breakfast was fantastic, hotel enviroment was very calm most of the times and with a very beatiful interior design. Hotel parking space was nice exactly in front of the main door with a nice waterfall. Room viewes was very good from ankara city and the back street provide very fast access to many stores. Hotel is 5 Km away from ankamall it takes around 10 min to arrive and it is around 40 min away from esb airport in normal city traffic.
Professional service I am a little sceptical about the five-star rating. Some of the finishing in the room was not up to standard, no flat screen TVs. The suite overlooked a large patch of wasteland, which rather spoiled the effect. Although the hotel may not own it, of course. Had to remind them of the need for an extra bed a couple of times (I would stress that this does not mean the service was not excellent),
Friendly and helpful Staff, pretty good location for local restaurants, clean and comfy room. Convenient location if you have a Car.
Very friendly, clean and comfortable. Restaurant service and quality noteworthy.
It's at the most elite part of town nested between two universities and good transportation available. They have problems with hooking up booking.com to their system so they make you wait 5 min while they check your reservation
The accomodation is good, the staff is friendly, the price was fair and breakfast was excellent. The Hotel is located in Bilkent, which is in the south of Ankara and quite far away from the city center but near the Bilkent University. It is ideal for conferences, but for business trips a hotel in the center of Ankara would suit better. The staff is friendly, the accomodation is excellent for a five star hotel in Turkey. If you visit the Bilkent University, this hotel is ideal.
Great location for doing business in Ankara and getting to know some of Ankara. It is located in the newer part of Ankara, near several of the major shopping centers & numerous restaurants in the area.
location and simple comfort
service is top quality, very modern rooms
The rooms are spotless and the staff are so welcoming.The location of the hotel is excellent. The parking space is the worst I have ever seen.You can only leave your car to valet service and the garage is soo narrow that you cannot park on your own and even if you park, there is no lift upstairs so you have to climb up three very steep floors!
The very good location, the quiteness and comfort of the room, Breakfast should be improved in terms of varieties of choices, should be according to the good level of the hotel
The room was excellent. The bed was super comfortable and the linen was ceisp and clean. The cleanliness of the room and the whole hotel was great. The staff were helpful and unlike many hotels the bathroom was fantastic. No
Is a very nice hotel with a very economic price The heating maximun set point was 23 C, and it was really cold
The hotel staff was great, the room was immuculate, and it seemed that everything important in a hotel had been considered. From the Pillow Menu, to the "Do Not Disturb" light, to the awesome bathroom (bathrooms/showers are a big deal to me), the Turkish Delight, newspaper delivery, and VoIP phones, the Divan Hotel has thought of everything!! Not to mention, it is located right in the heart of the city and their weekend rates are fantastic!! Will definitely stay there again next time I'm in Ankara for the weekend.... :0) The a/c in the room was lackluster... I like sleeping in cold rooms, and it seemed like the a/c unit did a poor job a cooling the room. Also, without asking for a mattress pad from the front desk, the beds are quite hard. I don't mind a hard bed, but my girlfriend slept uncomfortably the first night. However, the mattress pad was delivered as soon as we asked, and after that, the bed was fine... No real problem!!
It was new Although the hotel hotel was new, our towels were old! We stayed in a double room. It was really tiny. It was more for a single use. We could hardly move in it. Everything was for a single person, I had to keep asking for stuff. The breakfast is not included in the rate and the price is too high for that quality. The heat turns on only after 7 PM which makes the room quite cold if you are traveling with a child. The hot water was not running properly.
A well located hotel with nice atmosphere. Friendly staff and all well organised. It was all a pleasant stay at a good price. The gym availibility was poor
I am writing this from a room on the 12th floor with a panoramic view looking toward the city center. The room is lovely, the food is wonderful, especially the breakfast that comes with some of the room rates. This is a good place to be with a car (and a GPS with up-to-date Turkey maps). It is pricey, though, and the only practical way to tour the city center from here is to take a taxi to an area (sich as the citadel) where you can walk in reasonable safety. Good hotel for business. This is not my first stay here.


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LAKELAND, Fla. – The Saint Leo baseball team (15-5, 2-1 SSC) split a Sunshine State Conference doubleheader with rival Florida Southern, Saturday afternoon from Henley Field. The Lions dropped a 5-2 decision in game one, before upending Florida Southern, 4-1, in game two. The victory gave Saint Leo the conference series win.
After falling in game one of the doubleheader, the Lions, backed by a two-hit effort from pitcher Rick Teasley, took down the Mocs in the seven-inning nightcap.
Four Lions registered double digit hits including a team-best four hits from catcher Daniel Torres. Dillon Vitale was 3-for-5 in the doubleheader, while Anthony Santa and Dustin Brown posted three and two hits, respectively. Vitale registered the only extra-base hits of the contest and led the team with two runs scored.
Game one saw the Mocs' get to Lions' starting pitcher Charles Neely early as they platted three runs in the top half of the first inning. Still, a resilient Lions' bunch clawed back into the game as they scored a run in the second inning on a Torres' RBI single.
The Mocs extended the lead to 4-1 in the third inning, before the Lions cut the lead in half with an eighth-inning run as Michael Revelle crossed the dish.
Unfortunately, Florida Southern responded with an RBI single of its own in the bottom of the frame to solidify the contest.
Brandon Terry was stellar in relief of Neely as he tossed 4.1 innings of scoreless work, registering a season-high five strikeouts.
In the rubber game, the Lions struck early as Brown's single platted a pair of runners in Anthony Santa and Chris Newcomb.
The Mocs cut the lead in half with a first inning home run, but that was all Florida Southern was able to assemble as Lions' hurler Rick Teasley allowed just three base runners over the next six innings.
Saint Leo added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth as Vitale belted a solo blast over the right centerfield fence, and Torres roped an RBI single to score Newcomb. With Teasley nearly unhittable, the Lions were able to close the Mocs out for their 15th win of the season.
On the hill, Teasley (4-1) was superb as he scattered two hits across seven innings. He struck out six batters and allowed two walks en route to his fourth win of the season.
Baseball will return to action on Wednesday, March 13, as they host the Warner Royals in non-region action. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. from Southard Stadium.
For more on the Saint Leo baseball team, visit SaintLeoLions.com.


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Genre: Game Show, Reality
Premise: In each episode of this game show that simulates what it would be like to be dropped into the middle of an adventure movie, four strangers receive a phone call inviting them to participate, and if they say yes, they're immediately thrust into a high-stakes labyrinth of suspense and intrigue with the chance to win up to $50,000. Working in pairs, the contestants are instructed to follow a movie-like script by the mysterious voice on the phone, and as a series of mental and physical challenges test their loyalty and courage, a surprise and shocking end-game twist reveals their true nature.
|The Triad
|The Wiseguys
|The Conspiracy
|The Bomber


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Emerging Trends
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is an effective and common tool for planners to analyze spatial and geographic data with the ability to present results in a graphic format that is easy to interpret and simple to understand. The GSA Urban Development¦Good Neighbor Program uses GIS to perform spatial analysis to determine whether certain conditions are satisfied when determining location decisions, advising on client portfolio plans, determining trends and patterns specific to Transit Oriented Development (TOD), and even modeling the environmental impact of moving lease locations.
The GSA Urban Development¦Good Neighbor Program has joined efforts with the Federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities (EPA, DOT, HUD) to share GIS information that provides a foundation to align policies that support local communities with more housing choices, better transportation systems, and healthier neighborhoods that attract businesses.


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The more I learn about the dangers of toxins in everyday products, the more shocked I am. I never knew how dangerous and toxic baby mattresses were until recently. Did you know that crib mattresses have been coated with chemicals such as phosphorus, arsenic and antimony. Then most of the mattresses are filled with polyurethane foam with a outer cover made from PVC. Scientist have found that fungus that commonly grows in bedding can interact with these chemicals to create poisonous gases. If a baby breathes or absorbs a lethal dose of the gases, the central nervous system shuts down, stopping breathing and then heart function. These gases can fatally poison a baby, without waking the sleeping baby and without any struggle by the baby. Very scary!
Between bedtime and naps, our babies and toddlers spend more time in bed each day then they do awake. Is your babies sleep environment a healthy one?
Natura World offers a wide range of natural sleep products for adults and children alike. You will find natural and organic mattresses, mattress toppers, bedding, and even organic bedding for pets! They carry a complete line of organic sleep products especially for baby as well. Everything from the crib mattress down to the crib bedding.
Who Is Natura World?
(from their site)
Founded by father and son team, Harry and Ralph Rossdeutscher, Natura was created out of a desire to solve the mystery behind having a healthier, more abundant lifestyle. As research led to the discovery of just how much a quality night's sleep contributed to a productive daily lifestyle, Natura's founders searched for a solution that would help people sleep well in order to live better.
Natura's Mission:
"To help our customers achieve a superior night's sleep, alleviate pain, and increase comfort through unique and exceptional sleep systems that aid overall health and well-being. With our commitment to excellence in service, quality, and attention to detail, we will serve our customer with the greatest care, with the intention of helping them sleep better and live better."
Natura's Vision:
"To achieve excellence individually and corporately in relationships, products, and service in obedience to God's word. To be the leader in our areas of expertise through rapid and continual improvement."
My Natura Experience:
When I had my new baby last fall we switched our old toxic crib mattress out with a healthy organic one and then did the same for my toddler in his crib. My 2 year old recently started using a small pillow at night and has become quite attached to it. The pillow he used was far from a "healthy" one. It was a cheap $5 throw pillow my 10 year old had for years. Seems silly to have a healthy organic crib mattress while having my baby's face against a toxic pillow all night!!! I was excited to have the opportunity to try Natura's Organic Toddler Cloud Pillow. This pillow is the perfect size for my little guy and he made the switch quite easily without a single tear. He carries his new pillow around the house with his favorite blanket. He calls it "Whoa, Whoa" for pillow. Too cute!
The Organic Toddler Cloud Pillow has a super soft 100% organic cotton sateen cover and is filled with certified 100% organic Natura Grow Wool. As you probably have read in some of my previous post, I LOVE wool. Wool wicks away moisture and help keeps your baby nice and dry. This is a great feature to have in a pillow because allergens and dust mites can't thrive in dry, cool environments!
Thanks to Natura, I can now have peace of mind in knowing my son is not breathing in toxic gases at bedtime.
BUY IT: You can purchase the Organic Toddler Cloud Pillow and other natural sleep products at Natura's online store. Click here to shop!
WIN IT: Natura is giving one Happily Domestic reader a fantastic little Organic Toddler Cloud Pillow for their little one! $48 Value.
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Footwear IQRebus brain teasers use words or letters in interesting orientations to represent common phrases.
What phrase is represented below?
Results of the footwear IQ test:
Spanish Shoes: 85
Italian Shoes: 75
Dutch Shoes: 145
AnswerClever Clogs
Clogs are traditional Dutch footwear
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
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HOUSTON - Two teenagers were arrested after a woman was carjacked outside a southwest Houston bar.
Houston police said the carjacking happened at Sherlock's on Westheimer near Gessner about 2:20 a.m.
The 50-year-old victim, who is an employee of the bar, was pulled out of her Pontiac Sunfire and assaulted, investigators said.
Detectives said an undercover officer at a CVS store on Beechnut near Fondren spotted the car a short time later. The officer called for backup while the suspects, who were inside the store, ran out and took off, officials said.
The two were arrested at a gas station on the Southwest Freeway at Beechnut a few minutes later, investigators said.
The suspects' names have not been released. Police said one of them is 17 years old and the other is 15. They will both face robbery charges, officials said.
The woman who was carjacked was not hurt.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Manager Willie Randolph, saying he was acting without prompting, apologized to Mets ownership this afternoon for comments he said claiming criticism he's been under was racially motivated.
He also apologized to SNY, the club's television outlet, for saying he was deliberately portrayed in a negative light.
"I want to apologize to Met ownership, SNY and my team for the unnecessary distraction I created, that I caused the last couple of days. I shouldn't have said what I said. It was a mistake. It's as simple as that. It's a mistake and there are no excuses for it.''
Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon declined to comment.
Randolph said his comments, made to a New Jersey newspaper on Monday, were spoken out of frustration.
Randolph said he was looking for closure. That would come by winning a few games.


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They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but it's still frustrating to see people take your work, copy it and sell it as their own. Unfortunately the Internet has made that a full time job for many companies around the globe.
The latest copycat we've come across is a company calling themselves American Eco Furniture. See any similarities in our logos? Our Vermont Woods Studios logo (above) has three trees made with thumbprints to signify the handcrafted nature of our furniture. The trunk on each tree is unique to convey that our furniture makers are independent, with their own styles, designs and crafting techniques. Our American made furniture is carefully handcrafted in Vermont of solid, sustainably harvested wood. It's guaranteed for a lifetime. It truly is the real thing.
By contrast, most of the furniture sold by this company is neither American made nor eco friendly. I suppose we could have attorneys go after this company but I'm not sure we can afford to take our focus off making Vermont Woods Studios best in it's class– in order to chase them down. It's kind of like that "Whack-A Mole" game. New scams just keep popping up.
I can't help humming that old song by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Remember it? Ain't Nothin Like The Real Thing, Baby.
So I just have to hope consumers aren't getting us confused with the fly-by-nights. In talking with our customers we've learned they typically spend 3-4 months shopping and researching before they make an investment in American handmade furniture. I think that's what it takes anymore to make sure you're getting the real thing.
What do you think? Drop us a line in the comments section below or on our Facebook. We love hearing from you!
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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.


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Norman Augustine to Address Michigan Tech Graduates
Norman Augustine is the featured speaker at Michigan Tech's 2011 Spring Commencement.
April 21, 2011—
Norman Augustine, a leader in both business and government and a powerful advocate for science and engineering education, will address the graduates at Michigan Technological University's Spring Commencement, on Saturday, April 30.
The University will honor the achievements of nearly 1,000 graduates, including 753 students receiving undergraduate degrees, 156 master's degree recipients and 48 PhD graduates.
Augustine chaired the National Academies committee that authored "Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future." The report, presented to Congress in 2005, addresses the role of higher education. In particular, it recommends that the US focus on becoming "the most attractive setting in which to study and perform research so that we can develop, recruit, and retain the best and brightest students, scientists, and engineers from within the United States and throughout the world."
Augustine was CEO and chairm of Martin Marietta and Lockheed Martin until retiring in 1997. He has headed the National Academy of Engineering, the Association of the United States Army, the Aerospace Industries Association, the Defense Science Board, the American Red Cross, and the Boy Scouts of America. In public service, he has been undersecretary and acting secretary of the army.
Among his many honors, Augustine has received the National Medal of Technology from the US president and the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has earned the Department of Defense's highest civilian decoration, the Distinguished Service Medal, five times.
At commencement, Augustine will receive an Honorary Doctorate in Science and Engineering.
Michigan Technological University (www.mtu.edu) is a leading public research university developing new technologies and preparing students to create the future for a prosperous and sustainable world. Michigan Tech offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering; forest resources; computing; technology; business; economics; natural, physical and environmental sciences; arts; humanities; and social sciences.


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Violoncello 3 (STRG2673)
In this unit students will determine with their teacher a programme of study to support their musical development. Students work in close collaboration with each other and gain experience of peer learning and creative expression through performance workshops. They will have opportunities to perform in performance workshop and develop their performance analytic skill through critique of peers in the class. On completion of this unit students should be able to demonstrate technical competence, fluency and some interpretative distinctiveness.
Our courses that offer this unit of study
Further unit of study information
B Mus: 13 one hour lessons/semester and performance workshop/week; B Mus Studies/B Mus Ed: 9 one hour lessons and 3 master classes/semester and performance workshop/week
Teacher mark including technical assessment as specified by unit at beginning or semester (100%)
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Leroy E. Savitts, 63 years of age, passed away Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at his residence following a long illness. Born in Warriors Mark, Pennsylvania on August 27, 1949, he was the son of the late Stanley and Margaret (O'Donnell) Savitts, Sr.
A Hiram area resident the past 58 years, Leroy had been employed at Viskas in Aurora for several years, and then at Tri-County in Twinsburg where he retired from in 2009. Leroy proudly served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps, being a veteran of the Viet Nam Era. He was a member of the Windham American Legion. Leroy enjoyed farming, and spending special times with his family and many friends.
On July 18, 1970, he married his loving wife, Judy (South) Savitts who survives at their home. Also surviving is his devoted daughter, Jody Perrine of Garrettsville, his cherished grandchildren, Justin, Emily and Megan Perrine all of Garrettsville, brothers, Stanley S. Savitts, Jr. of Garrettsville and Stanley M. Savitts of Pennsylvania, sisters, Molly (Wayne) Stebner of Garrettsville, Esther (Glenn) Martin of Hiram, Susan Sindledecker of Newton Falls, Beverly Savitts of Chagrin Falls, and Sandra Himes, Charolette Wagner and Shirley Goss all of Pennsylvania, and 20 nieces and nephews and 31 great nieces and nephews.
Leroy was preceded in death by his brothers, Calvin, John and Walter, sisters, Sara, Margaret and Arlene, sisters-in-law, Debra and Linda and 2 nieces.
Calling hours will be Friday from 6:00 P.M.-8:00 P.M. at the Green Family Funeral Home & Crematory Service in Mantua, where funeral services will be held Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 11:00 A.M. Leroy will then be laid to rest at Fairview Cemetery in Hiram, receiving military honors by the United States Marine Corps Honor Guard Team, assisted by members of the Windham American Legion. His obituary and personal video tribute may be viewed at www.greenfamilyfuneralhome.com.
(Green Family Funeral Home & Crematory Service, 330-274-3145, RC 2-14, 15-2013)SClB


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Dudamel Conducts Where the Wild Things Are
Last Modified:
Part of SU3 Sunday 3
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Netia Jones, Director, Designer and Video Artist
Claire Booth, Max
Susan Bickley, Mama and Tzippy's voice/Female Wild Thing
Christopher Lemmings, Moyshe/Wild Thing with Beard
Jonathan Gunthorpe, Aaron/Wild Thing with Horns
Graeme Broadbent, Emil/Rooster Wild Thing
Graeme Danby, Bernard/Bull Wild Thing
Charlotte McDougal
About This Performance
The late Maurice Sendak's classic children's book comes to life in Oliver Knussen's charming one-act opera. This new production by UK director Netia Jones turns the well-loved book into a magical multimedia event by using innovative technologies that combine live performers with Sendak's incomparable artwork. Sharing the bill is Ravel's beloved Mother Goose, presented with equally imaginative video imagery.
Come for:
The interaction of live performer images with Sendak's unmatched artwork.
And more:
Gustavo Dudamel brings 20th-century musical fantasies to sonic life like no other conductor.
Though this two-hour program is not a "kids' concert," it may be appropriate for some children based on parental discretion. All patrons, regardless of age, must sit quietly through the performance. No one under 6 will be admitted.
A co-production by the Barbican, London, Aldeburgh Music and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, in association with Lightmap
Programs, artists, dates, prices and availability subject to change.
Related Videos
Upbeat Live: pre-concert talks
- Thursday, October 11, 2012 - 7:00pm
- Friday, October 12, 2012 - 7:00pm
- Saturday, October 13, 2012 - 7:00pm
- Sunday, October 14, 2012 - 1:00pm
Deborah Borda
LA Phil President and Chief Executive Officer


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HOUSTON - Houston police arrested a man after a chase and crash in southwest Houston Thursday afternoon.
According to police, when they ran the license plates on a driver's vehicle, the car came back as being stolen.
Officers said they tried to pull the driver over on Club Creek near Beechnut, but the man refused to stop.
The man lead officers on a chase, eventually slamming into a tree and utility line on Evesborough near South Course Drive, according to police.
A woman trying to cross the street at the time said she was almost hit.
"I heard the sirens but didn't know which way they were coming. I saw the black car coming," the woman said.
Police said the fleeing took off running, but officers eventually caught him. His name has not been released.
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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SCARED residents feel it is only a matter of time before someone gets killed after a series of arson attacks on a Grays car dealer.
The fears were expressed after Mini and Acy Exports, on the Globe Industrial Estate, in Towers Road, was targeted for a third time in a matter of weeks.
The latest attack destroyed six vehicles. Three fire crews were needed to deal with the blaze early last Wednesday.
The firm lost ten vehicles in a similar incident on December 17 and six vehicles were left badly damaged in another attack on October 22.
One resident, who lives close to the site and wished to remain anonymous, said residents were living in fear whether there will be another incident.
She said: "Who knows what might happen next? It's only a matter of time until someone gets killed "It's not nice at all living around here at the moment."
Ward councillor Rob Gledhill said it should be a safe area for people to live and work in, but the arson attacks had put lives and livelihoods at risk.
He added: "These attacks are very serious as they are not only harming business owners, but the surrounding neighbours too.
"Residents are extremely concerned for their own safety, as in the past they have been evacuated from their homes in the dead of night and are now reporting to me they are finding bits of glass and debris in their gardens following the attacks."
Police are liaising with the fire service over the incidents.
A police spokesman said: "Police are aware of three separate incidents where the same premises have been subject of suspected arson.
"They are the most recent incident on January 22, an incident on December 17 and one on October 22. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest any specific links between these events.
"But, the same officers are investigating all three incidents. They will continue to progress all three inquiries and are keeping an open mind about potential motives."
Det Sgt Jim Adams, of Grays CID, said: "We would like to try to establish any reason behind these attacks.
"Also, we would be particularly interested to hear from anyone who may know someone who may have come home smelling of petrol or smoke in the early hours of the morning."
Anyone with information who has not yet spoken to the police is asked to call Grays CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.


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Summer opera festivals, part 2
I have been going to the summer festival at the Arena di Verona for many years and every time I go, I come to the same conclusion: no other place can beat it. It's mainly because of the acoustical properties of the ancient Roman amphitheater that is far superior to other summer festival outdoor venues that I have been to. I have to admit that the sheer size of their budget allows for presenting each and every opera with best possible singers, huge choruses, supers and as a spectacle works with the masses there too, both the educated and the novices. The orchestra and chorus are of the highest quality. The cast has, in my experience, always been stellar.
This year was the 90th festival — the festival started in 1913 but had a few interruptions during the war years.
This year I am seeing three operas in Verona; two last week and I will see one more on my way back to Rome.
Don Giovanni was the first one and the interesting fact was that this was the first time that Verona summer festival presented it. They gave the honour to the almost-90-year-old Franco Zeffirelli, the legend of opera, to both design the set and to direct it. It was an excellent production where Zeffirelli gave it a sense of Mozart's time in terms of how he handled the production — both the look and the performing style. It worked well in spite of having hundreds on stage, which would have certainly not been the case at the time when the opera was first composed. Great cast with special mention of one of the world's most celebrated bass-baritones, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, in the title role, well-established opera buffa interpreter Bruno de Simone as Leporello, young Bulgarian bass Deyan Vatchkov as Masetto (although I really wanted to hear him sing a different role!) and a promising young tenor from Albania, Saimir Pirgu, as Don Ottavio. I am now not sure if I am listening this year differently for male roles as we keep wanting more men in our Edmonton Opera chorus, so I am somewhat obsessed with that aspect of our search, but it seems that there is a pool of talented male singers on the summer stages of Europe. I have to add that all the female principals were wonderful to hear too which is especially so for the gorgeous Russian soprano Anna Samuil as Donna Anna. I only heard the French mezzo Geraldine Chauvet live in roles like Adalgisa — I knew she does a great Carmen but didn't imagine her as Zerlina. I love it when great singers surprise us with what range and rep they can actually do and do it so well. It was especially moving when at the end of the opera, Franco Zeffirelli came onstage in his wheelchair and the entire cast and the wonderful conductor Daniel Oren all went on their knees so as not to be higher than Zeffirelli! I felt truly privileged being there that night.
The following night was Romeo et Juliette under the Verona stars and the heat that evening even after midnight persisted as the temperature never went below 35! Other than Faust, Romeo et Juliette is really the only other Gounod opera performed with any regularity. The production, which has only four performances this year, was designed by Eduardo Sanchi, beautiful costumes were designed by Silvia Aymonino, it was directed by Francesco Micheli and musically well-presented by the conductor Fabio Mastrangelo. The sets, the use of the arena as backdrop, lighting and costumes were a really wonderful, magical modern interpretation of the Shakespearean story. There were a couple of moments when I questioned my own ability to understand some set elements or a directorial decision but I quickly got over it. In title roles, to start with, Polish coloratura soprano Aleksandra Kurzak as Juliette was fantastic. I wished I heard John Osborn doing his European debut just a week earlier, but I have to give credit to Stefano Secco as very good Romeo. All in all — a very satisfactory opera experience.


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DAVID Cameron and Nick Clegg have pledged to continue the Government's programme of deficit reduction as they appeared together to launch a mid-term review setting out the coalition's achievements so far and its plans for the remainder of this parliament.
Two and a half years on from the famous press conference in the Rose Garden of 10 Downing Street which marked the formation of the coalition, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister made a rare joint appearance before the media at No 10 to unveil what was billed as a "stock-take" of the Government's progress.
The 46-page document, entitled The Coalition: Together In The National Interest, lists actions from reducing the budget deficit to introducing reforms to the public services.
And it sets out plans - many of them previously announced - for further action in the period to the general election scheduled for May 2015.
Insisting that their actions to reduce the level of public borrowing were "necessary and right", the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister committed themselves to continuing to "pursue our deficit reduction plan while protecting vulnerable groups and key long-term investments".
And they confirmed that detailed plans will be published before the summer for public spending for the 2015/16 fiscal year, which are expected to extend the age of austerity beyond the general election and effectively commit Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to a degree of shared economic policy after 2015.
Mr Cameron insisted the coalition had confounded expectations that it would not last.
"Some people thought our coalition wouldn't make it through our first Christmas, but this Government is now well into its third year, because this coalition was not and is not some short-term arrangement," he said.
"It is a serious five-year commitment to give our country strong, stable and determined leadership that we need for the long term.
"At the heart of that commitment is one simple fact - Britain is in a global race, and that means an hour of reckoning for countries like ours. Some countries will sink, others will swim."
© Press Association 2012


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Engineering giant WorleyParsons has posted a flat first half profit result and tempered its forecasts for the full year.
WorleyParsons made a net profit of $155.1 million in the six months to December 31, up two per cent from $151.9 million in the same period in the previous year.
The company has four business areas servicing the oil and gas, power, mining and infrastructure industries.
''Volatility in commodity prices impacted the market for our services and our growth in the first half,'' chief executive Andrew Wood said in a statement. ''The markets for our services improved towards the end of the period and we continue to expect growth for financial year 2013 on financial year 2012 underlying earnings.
''This positive outlook is subject to sustained business confidence and commodity prices remaining reasonably strong.''
The company's earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) were $251.9 million in the six months to December, up 1.5 per cent on the previous corresponding period.
WorleyParsons shares were down 52 cents, or 2 per cent, at $24.85 in midday trade.
Morningstar analyst Peter Rae said the company's outlook appeared weaker than previous forecasts.
''This appears to be a downgrade from previous guidance for 'good growth','' he said. ''The hydrocarbons (oil and gas) outlook remains strong but it seems the volatility in commodity markets has had a greater impact on some of the other businesses.''
WorleyParsons declared a fully franked interim dividend of 41.5 cents per share, up from 40 cents for the same period in the previous year.


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Please pardon the nob question but still learning. My neighbor is a landscaper and had to cut down to plumb trees that were healthy and alive, just in the way. Good for me he thought of me and brought me all the wood.
I am in the process of cutting it up into useable chucks. I was wanting to use some this weekend in a gas smoker but this wood is just so wet. Does this mean it will smoke better or do I need to let it dry out over the summer before using.
Any thought or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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The recent Phillips Gallery show of contemporary art was one of the best values in Manhattan.
I went to shows at The Museum of Modern Art, The Frick Gallery, The Guggenheim, The Whitney Museum of American Art and elsewhere, and all of them were exceptional, but this exhibition of contemporary art at the Phillips Gallery on 57th Street was a real surprise. Everything on the three floors was for sale, and is going up for auction as I type this tomorrow evening, but what surprised me the most was that if one were a billionaire, or even a well-heeled millionaire, one could pick up an entire "instant museum" in one evening, since practically every major 20th and 21set century artist was represented, and all at what I'd consider reasonable estimates.
Nevertheless, one must bear in the mind the the auction estimates will probably be exceeded — that's what an auction is for, in any case — and some of the signature pieces, such as the Warhol Marilyn, actually four panels set together as a group, and displayed in a room all their own, said simply "estimates available upon request." With Warhols rocketing off the shelf at record prices, who knows what they'll go for?
But there were superb pieces from a wide variety of artists on display, many of them quite attractively priced, and though I certainly can't afford to attend the auction, much less buy any of the work on display, it's a nice gesture that one is able to walk through the gallery at one's leisure, free of cost, and enjoy all the masterworks on display — for free. With nearly every other museum in Manhattan now charging as much as $25 at the door, this alone was a breath of fresh air, and the works themselves were iconic — authentic talismans of the evolution of modern art.
UPDATE: The Warhol quadruple Marilyn sold for $38.2 million; the total collection sold for $78.6 million.


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Posts Tagged imaging
PixelTone | Edit images using your voice
Posted by Vikrant in Digital Imaging on February 23, 2013
Could you perhaps tell a machine what to do? Will it understand what you speak, and do what you want it to? Even something such as "Make it heavenly?"
Perhaps we do not yet have an app that will carry this out for us, but we do have technology to apply such commands to our images. PixelTone, a recent collaboration from Adobe Research and the University of Michigan, is an exploratory iPad application that uses natural language, spoken or written, in conjunction with standard user interface controls and gestures, to edit images.
Read more about PixelTone at peek.adobe.com


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Battlesteads Observatory
The Battlesteads Hotel, Wark, Northumberland, NE48 3LS
Event description
Visit Battlesteads Observatory for an evening of stargazing. Note that event start times are 20:30pm during winter and change to 21:00pm through the summer months.
Observing (if clear)
Event will involve stargazing and observing the skies through telescopes weather permitting
Astronomy Presentation
Event includes an astronomy related presentation or talk.
Event organiser
This event is being organised by Battlesteads Observatory. For details of how to contact them and for more information about this event see "Event bookings & availability" below. Please check that this event is indeed going ahead before travelling.
Light pollution
This location is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to a rural setting based on satellite data from CPRE.
Location darkness on Wednesday 2nd August 2017
The below graphic shows if and when it will be dark at Battlesteads Observatory on the evening of this event. Yellow areas show when the skies are not dark due to daylight (bold yellow) and moonlight (faded yellow). Click on the image for an explanation on how darkness is determined.
Event bookings & availability
The event organiser (Battlesteads Observatory) is dealing with all bookings for this event, please visit their website for more details.
Go to the organiser's web page for this event


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Racism in sport: "Let's put it offside!"
For International Day on the Elimination of Racial
Thursday 21 March 2013
Racism in sport: "Let's put it offside!"
Geneva / Washington, 21 March 2013 – What can we really do to put racism offside? - Asks a group of top human rights experts on racial discrimination International Day on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
"International Day on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is a unique opportunity to celebrate diversity, and on this day we urged all sportswomen and sportsmen, sports authorities and fans to take decisive action against intolerance and racism in sports.
In every society, sportswomen and sportsmen are role models whose behaviour and conduct carries great influence on their fans and in particular the youth. Sports are an opportunity to celebrate human achievement and excellence beyond the narrow boundaries of ethnicity, race or nationality.
Sports events should be seen as a chance to promote inter-culturalism in all societies based on the principles of equality, solidarity and respect for diversity. Racist insults and violence and discrimination have no place in these activities and negate the spirit of sportsmanship.
No country is immune to racist movements and racist manifestations by supporters of sport activities, and today we urge world governments to declare zero tolerance to denigrating and racist expressions in sport; to swiftly address all manifestations of racism, discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, both in sport and in all other situations; and hold accountable the perpetrators.
'We call on States and sports authorities in different parts of the world to intensify the fight against racism through awareness creation, and by imposing appropriate sanctions on clubs and individuals who propagate racial hatred, abuse and violence,' says Mr. Mutuma Ruteere, the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
'Regrettably, we continue to witness supporters of competing teams resorting to racist slurs, gestures and even violence to demean and attack their opponents or players of the opposite team. When such an incident occurs, swift action must be taken, not only by public authorities to condemn it and to hold those responsible to account, but also by the community at large to stand in solidarity against all forms of racial discrimination,' stresses Mr. Alexei S. Avtonomov, who currently heads the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 'Indeed, this day serves as an important reminder for all of us to stand up for the universal principle: 'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.'
'Racial discrimination, xenophobia and stigmatisation faced in particular by people of African descent must be addressed at the community, national and international levels. They can only be effectively combatted by affirming universal values based on human rights and human dignity,' adds Ms. Verene Shepherd, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent. 'We should also recognize the contribution of people of African descent not only to sports, but also to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures.'
'Overcoming racism requires addressing public attitudes and private beliefs which justify and perpetuate racism at all levels and in all areas of life. Success by peoples of African descent in sport has been one important way of enabling the re-evaluation of such harmful attitudes,' says Ms. Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Rapporteur on People of African Descent and Against Racial Discrimination of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
'We must kick discrimination off the field and tackle exclusion once and for all. But what can we really do to put racism offside? Let's uphold both in words and in deeds the values of fair play, honest competition, respect and tolerance both on and off the field.'
Mr. Mutuma Ruteere (Kenya) was appointed by the Human Rights Council as Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in November 2011. Learn more, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Racism/SRRacism/Pages/IndexSRRacism.aspx
The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent was established by the then Commission on Human Rights in 2002 following the World Conference against Racism held in Durban in 2001. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Racism/WGAfricanDescent/Pages/WGEPADIndex.aspx
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by its State parties. Learn more, visit: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/index.htm
The Inter American Commission on Human Rights appointed Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Rapporteur on the Rights of People of African Descent and against Racial Discrimination in 2012. Learn more, log on to: http://oas.org/en/iachr/mandate/what.asp


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I asked the Jose Reyes question of Omar Minaya, who two-stepped around that, also.
Minaya is content to call it a slump. Never mind Reyes' funk began when Willie Randolph pulled him from a game shortly before the All-Star break and several days later Rickey Henderson was hired.
About Reyes' fielding lapses, Minaya said: "Young players let their offense affect their fielding." Odd comment, since Reyes' defense wasn't really a problem until late.
Maybe Reyes' defense bothered him as to where he didn't run out ground balls.
Minaya also downplayed the "showboating" issue the Marlins said fueled them.
This issue isn't going away.


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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey election law officials say spending was at an all-time high in last month's state elections in a record driven by independent interest groups.
Total spending was $124 million according to a preliminary report made public Thursday by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission.
With both Gov. Chris Christie and Democratic challenger Barbara Buono both accepting public funding and accepting spending caps, the spending in their race was $21 million. That is only about one-fourth as much as was spent in the 2005 governor's race.
Independent groups poured nearly $41 million into elections across the state, by far a record.
The report also says a ballot question on minimum wage also attracted record spending at nearly $3 million. Even adjusted for inflation, it ranked third in New Jersey history.