text:
SARASOTA - People usually think of retirement as what they'll do at the end of their career, but here on the Suncoast, retirement is often just the beginning of a new one.
Jim Slobodnik or Jimski, as he likes to be called, thought he was all done with work. When he and his wife retired to the Suncoast they were just going to sit back and take it easy. In no time at all he was bored to death. But the next career he chose almost killed him.
Since setting up his cart at Johnny's Car Wash, Jimski is getting rave reviews on his hot dogs and lots of return customers.
Slobodnik grew up in Chicago where he had a very successful career. "I had I had my own design studio in Chicago. I build and design cars for some of the leading manufacturing companies."
But after retiring to Florida he got bored and opened a restaurant at the Marathon Station on the South Tamiami Trail. The stress got to him and he had developed life threatening heart problems. His doctor gave him a dire warning. "He said if you want to be around for a while longer get rid of the street."
As he pondered what to do next, he was approached by some of his former customers who worked at Jonny's Car Wash.
"A couple of our guys loved his hot dogs. He's been wonderful...They're excellent," says Assistant Manager Mark Souza.
Jimski says you bet they are. He sells only Vienna Hot Dogs that were developed in Chicago during the depression. The nutritious Vienna Hot Dogs were sold on carts on Chicago streets. They cost 4 cents to make and sold for a nickel. That penny profit was pretty good back then. Jimski's hot dogs sell for $3 to $4, and he says you can still make a good living selling hot dogs today. "You can make a pretty good living at anything if you really put your heart and soul into it."
He certainly puts his heart and soul into these dogs. "I like to see the look on people's face when they take that first bite."
Going from restaurant to hot dog stand may have just saved his life. "The stress level has dropped. I feel better. I see the doc once a month. It's working out really, really god. This has worked out the best I've ever done and it's all due to hot dogs."
Look for Jimski and his hot dog cart and try his famous Chicago hot dogs on Monday, Friday and Saturday's from 10 to 4 at Johnny's Car Wash at 3825 South Tamiami Trail next to Southgate Mall.


text:
What are you magnifying?
For centuries, long before the invention of eyeglasses, people used magnifying glasses to read small print or help them to see better. Of course, a magnifying glass doesn't actually change the size of something, it changes your perspective so that it appears larger to you.
Interestingly, our minds work a lot like a magnifying glass. The more you think about something, the larger you perceive it to be. When you focus intently on your situation, it doesn't actually change anything in the natural, but your situation becomes larger and larger in your mind. Magnifying the wrong things can set your life on the wrong course in a hurry. That's why we have to keep things in the right perspective and know when to stop dwelling on the things we can't change. If you continue to focus on your problems, they can become so large in your mind that you can literally be consumed by them. But when you focus on God and magnify Him in your life, all the things of this world—the challenges, obstacles and disappointments—just seem to melt away.
Here's another way to look at it: if you hold up a quarter in front of you with your arm outstretched and one eye closed, the quarter seems small compared to everything else you see around you. But if you pull that quarter closer to your eye, it appears much larger. In fact, if you hold it closely enough, you won't be able to see anything else. This is what happens so often in life — difficulties and challenges seem so much larger than they actually are simply because we hold them closer than necessary.
The wrong perspective will lead you down the wrong path, but changing your perspective can happen in a split second by simply changing your focus. When I come up against challenges, I remind myself of all the great things God has done for me. I begin to thank Him for allowing me to know Him; I thank Him for my family, friends, amazing opportunities, i.e, job, education, etc. I recall how God brought me through past trials and difficulties. I am always amazed at how my perspective changes when I have a grateful heart and choose to magnify the right things in my life!
Today, I encourage you to take inventory of your thoughts. You might want to make a list of all the things that are magnified in your life right now. Hold that list out in front of you and think about how big your God is! Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in greater ways. Sing a song of praise to Him as you release that list of cares into His loving arms. Remember, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Magnify Him and watch the weight of the world disappear.
"O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Psalm 34:3)
Comments (1)
What you wrote here is a beautiful analogy on life and how we perceive things. You really made me look at things differently. I loved everything you said about life and our obstacles and how if we change our eyeglasses on a situation than things can be taken more lightly. I agree that the wrong perspective will lead you down the wrong path! Thanks again for the beautiful words.
Jessie | http://theopticalview.com/eyeglasses/

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Angie's on Team Jen in O'Reilly Feud?
Jennifer Aniston has a friend in Angelina Jolie … at least when it comes to defending single mothers.
A friend of Angelina's says that the Salt star would defend Jen against Bill O'Reilly's accusation that she is "destroying our society" for saying that women don't need to have a man to start a family.
From PopEater:
Angie would totally defend Jennifer on this. She agrees with Jennifer that a woman doesn't need a man to start a family to be a good mother. For Bill to take issue with this statement is him taking issue with every single parent in the world.
Bill attacked the 41-year-old Aniston for some comments she made while doing press for her new film, The Switch, which deals with artificial insemination. Jen said that women are realizing that they "don't need to settle with a man to have that child." Watch Bill's harsh reaction below:
Naturally, Angie would be against attacks on single mothers since she used to be one until Brad Pitt came along. The Oscar-winning beauty adopted son Maddox in 2002, several years before she hooked up with Brad.
Angelina was also raised by her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, after she divorced from Angie's father, actor Jon Voight.
Do you think Angie and Jen should team up against Bill? Let us know what you think in the comments below.


text:
a book by irvine welsh composed of short stories that was later made into a move consisting of 3 of his stories.
by anna l June 04, 2007
The Urban Dictionary Mug
One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.Buy the mug


text:
London - If fashion is your thing, all roads lead to London.
For the second year running, it has beaten New York to the title of fashion capital of the world.
And the capital left Barcelona trailing in third, followed by Paris and Madrid.
Analysts say the Duchess of Cambridge's impeccable style and the success of this summer's Olympics were important factors in deciding the 21012 rankings.
The importance of British fashion was highlighted in the closing ceremony last month when supermodels including Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Lily Cole made an appearance in the musical extravaganza.
The results were compiled by the Global Language Monitor (GLM), which analysed the internet, blogs, the top 175,000 print and electronic global media and other sources to produce the list.
Paul Payack, president of GLM, said "Kate Middleton has proved to be incredibly impactful on the British fashion brand. The second thing is the Olympics being in the UK. For high fashion Paris is number one but it is not the media machine these other places are.
"Barcelona has made a really strong attempt to move forward and those efforts are paying off."
The ease with which the Duchess of Cambridge mixes high street with high-end fashion has contributed millions of pounds to the British fashion industry, experts say.
Her influence on fashion first became clear in 2007 when a dress she wore for her 25th birthday – a £40 (about R500) Topshop tunic – sold out within 24 hours.
The £385 silk Issa Sapphire dress she wore when she and Prince William announced their engagement also sold out and spawned scores of copies at retailers, from Tesco to LK Bennett.
Shoppers were so keen to emulate her look that a fight broke out in a New York jewellery store between two women desperate to buy the last pair of the earrings the Duchess wore for her engagement photographs. - Daily Mail


text:
The beaches - 11 in Suffolk, eight in Norfolk and 10 in Essex - had to pass strict checks for cleanliness, public facilities and water quality.
Encams, the charity that runs the Seaside Awards, said some beaches needed 400 hours of cleaning a week to maintain the necessary standards.
Winning the award means the beaches can fly the coveted yellow and blue flag.
Southend Chalkwell and Southend Jubilee beaches in Essex are first time winners of the award, as well as Heacham strand in Norfolk.
Nigel Tansley-Thomas, Encams regional director, said: "Beach managers have realised that the way to draw the crowds and keep the visitors happy is to clean the beach thoroughly and frequently, ensure bins are not overflowing and of course, provide clean toilets."
Encams is a national charity which works to improve local environments.
It organises the Seaside Awards and runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.


text:
James Robinson, who created the much-acclaimed Starman series in the mid-90s, is returning to helm The Shade #1 with artist Cully Hammer. This spin-off series, showing us that Mikaal Tomas has resumed the mantle of Starman, and continuity from Robinson's Justice League: Cry For Justice story is carrying over into the DCnU. But this series will focus on the eloquent Richard Swift, the mystically and mysteriously immortal shadow-manipulator known as The Shade.
Check out these preview pages from The Shade #1, due out next week. DC is promising a jaw-dropping twist to end this issue, so brace yourself!


text:
Twenty-five years ago this summer, Jim Tressel took over for Bill Narduzzi as Youngstown State's head football coach.
He was just the Penguins' fourth boss in school history and until the first sentence you just read in this story, probably the only other YSU head coach you could name if questioned.
Though the program wasn't exactly in great shape at the time of his departure, Narduzzi himself was eventually inducted into the Youngstown State Hall of Fame in 1996, ten years after Tressel took over for him (going 2-9 in his first season before developing the program into the I-AA powerhouse that it became).
Narduzzi's son Pat, a freshman in 1985, had led the Penguins - and the entire conference - in tackles that season in playing for his father. However, once Tressel took over for pops in 1986, Pat promptly left Youngstown State and transferred to Rhode Island.
Pat is now one of Mark Dantonio's assistants at Michigan State, just one of the schools that are currently in Feast Mode with Ohio's top prep prospects in the wake of Tressel's resignation.
It's an interesting little anecdote, isn't it. Not only for you, Buckeye fan, but apparently to anyone with even a casual interest in college sports.
Reading new or old stories about Ohio State football, beyond the festering scandal activated by players busted for affronting their amateur statuses in a tattoo parlor, and about things that Tressel might have done decades ago is suddenly a burgeoning summer enterprise in the world of journalism.
Word is that Sports Illustrated is returning to Columbus for even more investigative fun, and that ESPN - an entertainment bureau that spent three full years deliberately ignoring and refusing to report the hard evidence of the 2005 Heisman Winner receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in improper benefits - now wants a piece of the action as well.
But why are they coming back to rehash Ohio State again?
There are no more documents to access. The university has already received and processed enough Freedom of Information Act public records requests that we can now surmise what Tressel, Gene Smith and Gordon Gee were eating while they were reading their emails over the past several years.
The NCAA is already giving the athletic department a full colonoscopy. The Columbus Dispatch is still clumsily fumbling around with its little car investigation like a kitten batting a ball of yarn around, blowing detail after detail in trying to look like a credible, investigative reporting outfit.
Thad Gibson's free car? Terrelle Pryor's new Nissan? Our entire "Buckeyes getting sweetheart deals on cars investigative report that went viral is total bullshit? Our bad!
At this point, the scandal news has run its course. Bloggers like Brooks Melchoir can continue to reconstruct old information to look like breaking news to gain pageviews and new Twitter followers on the cheap, but doing so is redundant, repetitive and relatively easy for anyone with an attention span to tear apart.
Unfortunately for you, bad news - old or new - about your team still sells like crazy. [Full disclosure: 11W traffic blazes right into plaid in times of Buckeye strife. It happens organically though, not because we just make shit up with the hope of it going viral.]
August 12 is the day of Ohio State's meeting with the NCAA's Committee on Infractions. Then, we all wait. Weeks later there will be a ruling. In the meantime you will continue to hear noise about the peril that the Buckeye football program and athletic department at large are facing. Recruiting is going to get harder for Ohio State because of all of the stories being written about Ohio State. It's. A. Perfect. Circle.
Cargate is now over and the vast majority of the accusations that came from the pen of George Dohrmann are being vehemently denied by the accused, who claim to have to Dohrmann didn't: Proof. Alas, it doesn't matter anymore.
Tressel is gone, Joe Bauserman is potentially warming up for Akron, Ejuan Price never checked in and Ohio's prep stars are all understandably jittery. The damage being done months ahead of the NCAA's ruling is already well beyond significant.
In this endless offseason, it's all Ohio State, all the time, and stop feeling like a victim because it's not a witch hunt. It's a feeding frenzy. There's a difference.
it's because no one cares about tarheel football
The intrepid Dr. Saturday recently pointed out just how grossly underreported the scandal at North Carolina has been. Don't get worked up over it. You don't care about UNC football. Nobody does. UNC fans barely do. Football is how they pass the time until basketball season begins.
If a deadbeat, sketchy former roommate of North Carolina's "star" quarterback (you have no idea what his name is and neither does anyone else) announced that his ex-roommate made $20-40K selling memorabilia, you might raise your eyebrows, but you'd definitely move on quickly because it's UNC football.
If that QB drove several loaner cars for three years before abruptly leaving school, you'd wonder which UNC booster was wasting time with a football player instead of working a star point guard to keep him happy and on campus.
North Carolina has played in three January Bowl games over the past 60 years. It's a program that wins games that are of little consequence outside of campus.
Football sanctions hitting a program like North Carolina have the same effect that gloomy, overcast skies have on Purdue's campus: UNC football has no national impact on the news cycle whether it's good or bad, and every day in humanity's abortion of West Lafayette is a shitty day regardless the weather. It doesn't register. It doesn't matter at all.
So the it's-not-fair-why-doesn't-UNC-get-this-kind-of-attention whine is a non-starter. ESPN probably ignored the Reggie Bush case to avoid having to promote Yahoo! Sports - who broke the story - every time the investigation was mentioned.
Why ESPN didn't decide to send Tom Friend or one of its many other moon-faced charlatans in to start their own investigation in Los Angeles is a mystery. Perhaps they learned something from sitting that one out.
The only thing potentially interesting about UNC right now is its coach, who gives that story the potential to actually be interesting, if a journalist or a network is daring enough to do some work: UNC boss Butch Davis is a guy who comes with the narrative of having cured the Miami Hurricanes of their probation monkey ways while bringing them back to national prominence on the clean before bolting for the Browns.
Davis flames out in Cleveland, takes over UNC's corpse from John Bunting (you had no idea who the previous coach was) and all of a sudden he starts getting players. The probe at UNC goes back to 2007 when Davis arrived, spans numerous violations, a lot more money than what Tatgate uncovered, prima facie evidence of it happening and...barely a sound from the media.
Doing a deeper dive into UNC football and venturing back to 2007 means looking back at a crappy football team. The deeper dive at Ohio State meant revisiting a BCS title winner and excuse to say "Maurice Clarett" again. Ah, perhaps that's why ESPN is so interested all of a sudden: An old flame beckoning with its siren song is difficult to resist.
It's not like Davis covered up that UNC players made petty cash selling autographs and trinkets that belonged to them, because that would be a big deal. This was merely thousands and thousands of dollars in benefits, unpaid fines and special treatment documented by an actual, boring paper trail. Sure, it's not an anonymous source riffing on a 30-year old football camp raffle, but that just makes it so much more mysterious and sexy.
Every scandal has a fall guy, and Davis is working hard to make sure his former defensive line coach John Blake plays that part by publicly regretting he ever hired him and figuratively throwing him under the emblematic bus.
And that's where a journalist or network would have to be daring enough to do some real work: Start looking into Blake the way they look into Tressel's camp raffles in the early eighties.
A dozen years ago, Bob Stoops inherited Blake's roster at Oklahoma and then won a national championship with it in his second year. When Blake was fired from Oklahoma on account of lousiness, he destroyed all of his recruiting records prior to leaving. He spent three years at Nebraska and a year at Mississippi State.
Blake was a decidedly lousy head coach and a generally bitter guy, but he's always been a great recruiter. Surely he only got his hands this dirty in Chapel Hill. This episode must have been an isolated incident.
As boring as UNC football is, Blake got his start in coaching (and playing) with one of the great masters and admitted cheaters in college football history, Barry Switzer.
But a second trip to Columbus is easier. It doesn't even matter if nothing new is uncovered; this is a topic, a school and a story that is proven to sell and sell well. Ohio State ends up on the cover of SI in good times, in bad times and for absolutely no reason at all simply because it sells.
The hard work has already been done. Starting fresh with a story about a program nobody is interested in, despite the fact that it probably has tentacles across three BCS conferences and the NFL, isn't likely to be pursued.
You really don't care about seeing the media spotlight on UNC football. You only wish this would happen because the media spotlight is finite and this would require Ohio State to cede some of it to someone else. You don't care who it is. SPOILER: It's not going to be UNC.
kingmakers & ambulance chasers
How do journalists decide what they're going to cover? It's the same in every news room, at every desk and in every parents' basement (BOOM /blogger'd): List all potential topics; pursue the most interesting and/or relevant ones.
Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Ohio State, Alabama, Penn State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, USC: Those are the winningest programs in college football. That's where you can make your name as an investigative journalist. Blue bloods are a good starting point in any industry.
Michigan, despite what their currently giddy fans are projecting, is coming off of its worst three-year stretch in its history. The football program is currently on probation for committing major violations. The local media was a willing saboteur throughout the Rich Rodriguez era and the old guard wasn't overly defensive about it either.
That era has passed. Just because Michigan fans have short memories about what's transpired recently both on the field and in the AD and wish to invalidate their magical 1-9 run against Ohio State on account of Tressel's dark arts (he cheated every year OMG vacate everything!1!) doesn't mean the Wolverines got a pass. They didn't.
The media was all over them. If the team wasn't losing at home to FCS teams and Toledo in the meantime the aftershocks would have been worse. It's Michigan's singular benefit of the Rodriguez era: The dimming spotlight, which with all blue bloods, is just a temporary, painful thing.
Texas and Alabama are largely sheltered by their local media, and the story of a legacy SWAC program or an SEC West school being involved in anything mischievous doesn't strike a chord with too many people. Maybe with you in your struggle to just experience a normal, boring offseason, but you're in the minority.
You're probably wondering why Brian Kelly escaped the 24-hour news cycle that Tressel faced daily until his resignation when a kid died on his watch. As negligent as Notre Dame was in Declan Sullivan's death, it was a tragedy borne of poor decision-making and high winds.
This story would play better on an unwatchable cable news program like Nancy Grace than in sports media, and if Sullivan had been a missing blonde girl from the South, you can bet the story of his passing would be more mainstream.
Oklahoma cheating? That story has already been done several times. It's tired.
Auburn's not one of the winningest programs, but it has the glass testicle in its house and it came with an asterisk even before the title game with Oregon. The legacy of systemic cheating there goes back far beyond Cam Newton.
It's practically an accepted part of Alabama football culture at this point. Brooks will find out very quickly that sensationalizing that culture isn't going to get him the pageviews that cutting and pasting Ohio State articles together does.
Auburn has the potential to steal the spotlight, but they're unlikely to leave incriminating paper trails like Tressel did. They'd rather have you continue to believe that Cecil Newton's decrepit church which was on the verge of being condemned before it magically fixed itself without a single receipt to show for the construction work, right around the same time his talented son decided to shun his preferred destination - Mississippi State - for Auburn. They are experts down there.
Tennessee's football and basketball programs are both solidly in the NCAA's shithouse already. Perhaps you've heard about this already.
You're holding out hope for a bomb from Eugene, OR on what looks like a lot of smoke to go with the fire that is already burning. The only concern the media has about Oregon football is how stupid its next uniform iteration is going to look. You know, LeMichael James drives a Land Ro-OOOOH LOOK SHINY OBJECTS.
A conference that plays too many of its games after two-thirds of the country is already sleeping generally doesn't grab the headlines necessary of a viral, salacious sports story. If you're hoping that Oregon grabs what is currently Ohio State's with the same degree of media heat, you're going to be disappointed.
It's the Big Ten that has long painted itself with a brush of superiority in lauding itself on achievements ranging from academics to grant endowments to oversigning legislation. And it was Tressel who played the part of a man in position to tell others how to live virtuously.
The attempts to bring him down go back to his time in Youngstown. The most recent attempt in l'affaire Clarett was largely unsuccessful. It took the underground memorabilia trade to bring finally bring about his demise in coaching.
His sloppy willingness to allow Tatgate to happen, complete with a paper trail, was akin to riding in the back of a convertible through an easily triangulated driving space in downtown Dallas.
That begat the rehashing of Clarett, Ray Isaac and the birth of that 30-year old raffle story that is impossible to confirm or deny along with the whole brass ring that comes with having your name on a story about one of college football's blue bloods.
And that is why Ohio State is the center of media attention. It isn't borne out of hate or jealousy, it comes from the love that writers and reporters have for seeing themselves on the marquee.
It's a large part of the reason kids decide they want to be journalists - to break the big story. In order for that to happen, you have to hunt elephants. Unfortunately for Ohio State, even the wild misses with scandal reporting are inflicting damage. It's up to the NCAA to decide how badly the actual hits will hurt.


text: The powerful Morphy Richards Turbosteam 40679 Steam Iron in blue provides superb ironing capabilities, allowing you to remove creases from your clothes with ease.Diamonds are foreverThe Turbosteam 40679 Steam Iron boasts a premium diamond soleplate which is designed to be robust and provide supreme crease removal. The durable soleplate is built to last, and can glide across your clothes, helping to care for your clothes as you iron creases away.The 400 ml water tank lets you iron for longer without needing to refill the iron, whilst the easy view water level window makes it simple to see when it needs topping up. This allows constant steaming to dismiss creases from clothing, and the 120 g shot of steam helps to remove even the most stubborn creases by penetrating deep into the fabric as you iron.You can also make use of the fine water spray to mist a large area while you are using the 2000 W iron.Tip technologyWith tip technology, the Turbosteam Steam Iron allows you to use your iron in a horizontal or vertical position, which makes it ideal for steaming garments.It also includes a non-drip system which will not allow the iron to leak water onto the fabric, even if you use the iron before it has reached the required temperature. This iron take approximately two minutes to reach the correct temperature.With a three-year manufacturers guarantee, the Morphy Richards Turbosteam 40679 Steam Iron is ideal for ironing your familys clothes.Check stock and price


text:
Ford will continue its aggressive technology onslaught by completing the roll-out of its innovative Rear View Camera System that will be available on nearly all Ford and Lincoln models by the end of 2011.
Ford's system uses an exterior camera embedded in the rear of the vehicle that sends images to a video display in the rearview mirror or the navigation system screen to help enhance visibility directly behind the vehicle when the driver is in reverse.
The rearview mirror system allows customers a choice in systems.
Ford's Rear View Camera System image is overlaid with lines that mark the width of the vehicle and are shown either on a rear-view mirror display or navigation system screen.
The camera's low light capability, combined with the intensity of the vehicle's reverse lamps, helps illuminate the image even in dark parking areas.
Ford's system will be offered on most of its full-size pickups, vans and crossovers – including the new 2011 Ford Explorer – with the added benefit of helping truck owners align and hitch trailers.
Source: Ford.


text:
It seems apt that the US presidential election and the start of China's leadership transition should coincide, given the critical role that political engagement between the two countries will play in forging the landscape of the global economy in the 21st century.
The prospects of the relationship between the world's two largest economies will be shaped by this week's orchestrated ascension of China's "fifth generation" of leaders at the 18th National Party Congress and the showdown between
The confluence of milestone events in Chinese and US politics comes as both Beijing and Washington have worked to deepen their engagement over the past few years, though the relationship is strained by issues over trade, intellectual property rights, and the value of China's currency, the yuan.
The concern about the impact of China's policies on the US economy has been underscored by Romney's pledge to name Beijing as a currency manipulator in his first day in office which, if delivered, will produce a significant change in the tone of the relationship come January 20.
Visits by senior leaders from both countries – including the February visit to the US by China's next president Xi Jinping – have helped build trust, as has Beijing's allowing the yuan to rise to a near two-decade high against the US dollar.
But attempts to forge a closer relationship have butted up against foreign policy tensions, namely China's concerns about the US military "pivot" back to Asia (which some view as an attempt to contain China) and Washington's concerns about Beijing's rapid military modernisation and bellicose behaviour in long-standing territorial disputes.
China's rise as a key rival to US economic and political power is reshaping the global landscape and how the countries' leaders handle its dynamics will have consequences for the global economy and markets.
The US-China relationship will be key to the global economy over coming decades, making it imperative their leaders ensure each country is encouraged to take the measures necessary to resolve not only domestic imbalances but also global economic imbalances.
Global markets have sharpened their focus on the need for renewed reform momentum in China as seven consecutive quarters of slower growth have highlighted the vulnerabilities of its heavy dependence on fixed-asset investment as a driver of growth.
The era of leadership under President
There is hope the incoming generation of leaders – lead by Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang as premier – will revive the reform agenda needed to shift the economy to one driven by consumption and less reliant on fixed-asset investment.
Possible reforms include boosting household income through investment in healthcare and social security to encourage the Chinese to save less and spend more.
The growth of China's middle class would provide more diverse sources of growth for the economy, while increased imports would transmit growth to other economies.
But reforms mean challenging vested interests.
Allowing the yuan to appreciate would boost the purchasing power of Chinese consumers and dampen political pressure from Washington.
But a stronger currency would also threaten the competitiveness of China's exporters.
Liberalising interest rates would increase household incomes but higher rates would mean higher borrowing costs for large state-owned enterprises that have consolidated dominant positions in several industries through the provision of cheap loans sourced from the financial repression of Chinese households.
Only time will show if the new leadership (who fully assume their new roles at the National People's Congress in March) have the stomachs for reform or whether the consensual nature of Chinese politics stalls change.
The US has its own problems.
Its economy remains sluggish, mired in debt and faced with yawning budget deficits. How senior US policymakers deal with the issues will affect not only the US but also other countries, including China.
Returning the world's largest economy to a sustainable growth path would help exporters such as China that have endured a sharp downturn in shipments due to weakness in major Western markets.
Given the US's role as a monetary superpower and provider of the global reserve currency, Washington needs to be conscious that the impacts of such policy tools as quantitative easing are transmitted around the globe, as higher liquidity feeds capital inflows and stronger commodity prices (a common Chinese Communist Party criticism of quantitative easing).
The relationship between the US and China is key to the prosperity of the global economy and that prosperity could be underwritten by the countries' leaders forging a relationship based on co-operation rather than combative coexistence.
The Australian Financial Review


text:
This is Mars
Art and science merge in a book of hi-res space camera images that reveals the red planet's beauty
Eight years ago, the NASA space probe Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was fitted with the largest and most powerful camera (more commonly known as the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE for short) to ever be launched past Earth's orbit. The gains to the scientific community from this mission have been enormous, including the discovery of large amounts of ice on Mars and that the planet's topography undergoes seasonal changes. But one of the biggest public benefits is the collection of 29,000 (and counting) high-resolution images of Mars' surface that have been transmitted back to Earth and reveal the beauty of the enigmatic red planet.
French designer and editor Xavier Barral has carefully whittled the number of images down to 152 black-and-white photographs in the oversized hardcover "This is Mars," from photo authority and publisher Aperture. Canyons, landslides, river deposits, cold jets, impact craters—the terrain of Mars is incredibly diverse and the extraordinarily detailed images from HiRISE change any preconceptions one might have had about what Mars "looks" like. The images are consistent, covering areas three miles across, with no post-production zooming. The book makes a planet 140 million miles away a little more tangible, and feel a little more closer.
Complementing the black-and-white images is an introduction from planetary geologist Alfred McEwen, an essay by French astrophysicist Francis Rocard, maps of Mars and a descriptive image index by Curiosity rover scientist Nicolas Mangold. Cool Hunting spoke with Dr McEwen, who is based at the University of Arizona in Tucson where the HiRISE images are processed, to learn more about the technology behind the captured images.
What is your role in the HiRISE project?
So, I'm the principle investigator of HiRISE. I was involved from the beginning and proposing the whole concept—design, the build of the instrument, testing and launch. At this point it's an operating instrument, so we do two main things here. One is that we do the science planning, decisions about what to target and the uplink of the exact choices for the various camera settings, so we'll call that all "uplink." Then we do what we call "downlink." We get the data when it comes back and we do all the processing of the data and making our products that are on our website.
I read that the HiRISE camera was designed to last for a few years and that it's already surpassed that goal. Are the images you're receiving now considered a bonus?
That's right. The [MRO's] primary mission was only two years long, so that ended in around the end of 2008, but everything is healthy. The spacecraft has plenty of fuel and there's no reason not to keep going.
How long does it take for the HiRISE camera to send the photos back to Earth?
The light time between Earth and Mars varies from something like five to 20 minutes, if I remember right. That's not very significant, but when we take an image, we take it very rapidly. We've collected huge images within just seconds but then we store all the data within our instruments, then it takes 10 minutes or so just to play that data to the spacecraft, a solid state recorder. It then prepares the data in certain ways for transmission. And you know, the spacecraft doesn't always have antenna time with Earth, so it might have to wait until an antenna on Earth is pointed in the right direction to send data back. It does that for at least eight hours a day, and we usually get our images back within 24 hours of acquiring them.
That's incredibly fast. The textures visible in these HiRISE images are almost unbelievable. If the cover didn't say Mars, I would have thought this was an art book.
Polar regions are where a lot of weird stuff is... [Page] 164 is a polar scene—a north polar scene—and all those little features there, those are barchan sand dunes, they're sort of crescent-shaped sand dunes. Most of these sand dunes are active; the wind is blowing the sand. The dunes move about a meter per year. There's also frost on the surface and some of the bright/dark streaking is where there's frost. This is one I always liked because the bright area of the dune with frost on it against the black background, it almost looks like a flock of birds or something.
In your essay, you write how each photo teaches something different about Mars. Through the HiRISE project, were there a lot of hypotheses that became disproved?
I think the HiRISE images have really changed the thinking of the science community about many aspects of Mars. It's had a big effect there—they're also beautiful images, which is great for people to enjoy. There's been—oh, I haven't got a good count, but several hundred scientific papers published based on HiRISE observations. And this is the basis for deciding where to land for the Phoenix mission, for MSL [Mars Science Laboratory] and for future landers, so it has indirect benefits there as well once it lands.
We've learned a great deal about Mars from this data, especially about active Mars today. There were debates about whether or not these sand dunes were active today because the air is so thin. Now we know for sure they're definitely active. And there were debates about gullies and how they formed, but now we've observed that they are active in forming almost exclusively in the winter and spring when there's frost on the ground. So it isn't water today that's forming, it's a process related to this dry ice [frozen CO2] that condenses from the atmosphere.
You've learned a lot about Mars today; have you learned anything more about Mars' history?
Yes, certainly we have, in particular when coordinated with the CRISM, the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars. They're identifying the minerals and then from our images you can see exactly which layer or which sort of surface texture and rock corresponds to which minerals. So then we have the information to determine the geological processes and histories of ancient Mars.
How did HiRISE pave the way for the Curiosity Rover? Could Curiosity have been possible without this project?
We've aided them a great deal by learning where to land safely and where to go explore. It might have been more risky [without HiRISE] because in particular, they wouldn't have known for sure where or not there were things like boulders that would be. If you happen to land right on top of one them, that could be the end of the mission right there. And you could land someplace where it's just very difficult to drive the rover over. For example, the Opportunity Rover got stuck in some sand dunes for like several weeks. They use our images to decide exactly where to drive so they haven't gotten stuck now ever since HiRISE has gotten there and provided data for them to use.
Generally, what are the differences between the HiRISE camera and the cameras on the Curiosity Rover?
It's a much bigger camera. It's a telescope, it's a half-meter diameter, primary mirror. The cameras on Curiosity are much smaller—more of a wide angle—but of course, they're on the surface and can get much closer to the rocks that they're imaging, so they get higher resolution for things that are close to the rover. [Curiosity's] is not a more powerful camera, but they have the great advantage of being on the surface.
Do you expect to do a similar hi-res imaging project for another planet any time soon?
Maybe—we should do this for the moon. I'm a co-investigator for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, which has got a huge number of high resolution images. And then future missions, that's a great idea. There aren't very many new missions that NASA has planned right now, unfortunately. They've cut back Mars quite a bit. They've cut back other things even more, given the political problems in this country.
That's so unfortunate. I can't imagine what the other planets might look like up close, seeing how Mars looked completely different than I expected.
Yes, hopefully they'll change that, but we do have all the new images of Mercury from the Messenger mission. I wouldn't be surprised if they produce an atlas at some point. And for Saturn, there's certainly lots of possibilities there. And we need new missions to Jupiter because the Galileo mission that was there, the antenna didn't unfurl properly and so we had very low data rates. We got little bits and pieces only from Jupiter's system, which is just spectacular...[but] we need to go back there.
How can people view the images that didn't make the cut for "This is Mars"?
It's available to everyone. Go to our HiRISE website—all the images and products at full resolution are available. It takes us a few weeks after we get the data to process it and check it before it's available to the whole public, but you know, except for the last few weeks, it's all there. Go there and spend the rest of your life browsing those images.
There's also something called HiWish. Anybody in the world can go there and suggest images for us to take. Anywhere on Mars, pick your place for a reason. Tell us why you think it's of interest and submit that, and that goes into our system and it depends on how they get prioritized and what the opportunities are, when you can see things and so forth, but we've taken something like 2,000 of those public suggested images already, so they get taken. [HiRISE] was all funded by NASA, taxpayers' money, and we try to give the public something back for it.
How does the public know what to request?
There's a number of ways of doing that. One of those ways, there's another camera on MRO called the Context Camera. It's six meters per pixel, so it's like 20 times coarser resolution than HiRISE, but it has a much wider field of view, and so most of Mars has been imaged by that. You can look at that and see wow, that feature looks really interesting, but I wish I had higher resolution, that's the place to suggest a HiRISE image.
"This is Mars" is available from Aperture for $85.
Photos by Nara Shin


text:
In the past week, the company's share price has fallen 52¢, or almost 10 per cent. The payment of its 18¢ per share interim dividend explains part of the drop and the rest is due to concerns its prized surcharge is under threat.
Thanks to the Reserve Bank of Australia, as of March 18, Visa, Mastercard and other credit card companies have new powers to ensure merchants only charge the "reasonable cost of acceptance" when accepting credit card payments. Visa is the first to announce it will enforce the new rules and expects the majority of surcharges to "be close to the merchant service fee", which is about 0.85 of a percentage point.
To prevent its 10 per cent surcharge from being pushed down, Cabcharge may be forced to prove such a fee is reasonable. Russell Gill of JP Morgan estimates Cabcharge makes a 29 per cent return on invested capital in its cards-processing business, which includes both credit cards and Cabcharge-branded cards. It is difficult to work out exactly what return it makes on processing credit cards but Mr Gill argues it would be "very difficult for Cabcharge to continue to charge a 10 per cent headline fee to consumers under the guise of a 'reasonable cost of acceptance'."
Other questions circling Cabcharge include whether other credit card providers like MasterCard and American Express follow Visa's lead, whether Victoria's new Premier
With so many questions, most analysts have "sell" recommendations on the stock suggesting it may have further to fall.
The Australian Financial Review


text:
Lindsay Lohan and Leonardo DiCaprio are dating
19-year old Lindsay Lohan and 32-year old Leonardo DiCaprio are supposedly dating. They were first spotted kissing during Lindsay's New Year's Eve party at Miami's Prive nightclub; and after she had her asthma attack, Leonardo allegedly visited her at the hospital.
A source told Britain's Daily Star Sunday newspaper: "Leo visited every night. He would sneak in through a back entrance wearing a cap which covered his face. The 32-year-old actor is reportedly so smitten with the 19-year-old that he plans to fly to New York with her to meet her mother and manager, Dina.
I really hope this is true. Not because they'd make a cute couple, but because it'd be funny if Leonardo constantly made snide comments comparing Lindsay Lohan to Gisele Bundchen. "Oh, you're eating dinner? Gisele never used to eat dinner." And then Lindsay would run sobbing to the bathroom, two fingers down her throat and a bottle of laxatives in her hand.
Lindsay Lohan dating DiCaprio [Female First]


text:
By Bill Center, U-T
ST. LOUIS _ For five months of the season, Kevin Correia and Wade LeBlanc were key members of the Padres rotation.
Although both struggled late in August, Correia and LeBlanc helped pitch to the Padres to first in the National League West.
But over the past 2 1/2 weeks, both had been virtually idle.
Then Friday night, both appeared in the same game as Mat Latos lasted just 1 1/3 innings in both the worst and shortest outing of his young career.
Correia entered the game in the second in relief of Latos and gave up one hit (allowing the eighth run charged to Latos to score) and a walk in 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
LeBlanc followed Correia and allowed one run (a solo homer by Matt Holliday) on four hits over two innings.
Until Friday night, LeBlanc hadn't appeared in a game since giving up six runs on six hits in three innings at Arizona on Aug. 30. He was 1-2 over his last three starts while giving up 16 runs in 13 innings.
And Correia had made one previous, three-inning relief appearance since his most recent start on Aug. 31. He was 0-3 in his last three starts and gave up 20 runs in 12 innings.
"I'm a little surprised at what has happened," said LeBlanc, who was 8-12 with a 4.15 earned run average in 25 starts.
"It's a weird situation to go from being relied on every fifth day to not pitching at all. It feels like being exiled. I know it's not, but it almost feels like punishment. They told me they were going to have me skip a start and I haven't heard much since."
Correia also said he has been told little since his last start.
"I almost feel like I'm on the sidelines watching," said Correia, "Right now, I'm not in the situation where I can help the team win games which is hard for me. I want this team to win."
Correia admitted this has been a difficult season on (10-10, 5.40 ERA) and off the field (the death of his younger brother Trevor in a hiking fall last May).
"Last season (12-11, 3.91 ERA in 33 starts) boosted my career and I wanted to build on that," said Correia. "But I go hot-and-cold for a team that's winning, which was disappointing. Still, I always thought I was going to get hot and it didn't happen the way I expected."
A San Diego native, the 30-year-old Correia knows his second season is his last as a Padre. He made $3.6 million this season in his final year of control and becomes a free agent at the end of the World Series.
"This is what kind of what happened to me in San Francisco," said Correia. "The Giants had a lot of young pitchers come along and decided they didn't need me. There isn't much future for me here, obviously.
"Wade is in a different situation. I thought he had a great year. He's still young (26). I think he has to be in the Padres future plans."
Neither pitcher said they were looking very far ahead, however.
"There's not a lot I can do about when they ask me, but I'm ready for whatever role if they need me," said LeBlanc. "I'm not following my mid-start routine right now because I'm in the bullpen."
"It's probably a little easier for me because I've been in the bullpen before with the Giants," said Correia. "But it's not easy, it's never going to be easy."
Correia was a victim of the case of 24-hour flu that Latos developed on Sept. 6. Latos was scratched that night for Tim Stauffer. Correia had originally been scheduled to start Sept. 7, but Latos worked that night and beat the Dodgers.
Cory Luebke (1-1, 4.60 ERA) moved into LeBlanc's slot with Chris Young starting there Saturday afternoon. Stauffer is 1-1 with a 3.00 in his three September starts.
*breaker Gwynn swings
Tony Gwynn appeared as a hitter Friday night for the first time since having surgery Aug. 19 to remove the fractured tip of the hook of the hamate bone in his right wrist.
Gwynn struck out as a pinch-hitter.
(619) 293-1851 Twitter@Sdutpadres


text:
I found it utterly unbelievable this morning when I contacted the HMRC PAYE forms orderline (08457 646 646) to place a small order for P60 forms.
Firstly, they no longer provide 3-part versions which is semi-understandable seen as everybody has to submit on line, but I still like to retain a paper copy for myself.
But, what really took the biscuit was that HMRC are currently "out of stock" of P60 forms one day before the end of the tax year!
They have assured me that my delievery will be despatched when they arrive, lets hope it is not after 31st May 2011 or otherwise I will have failed to meet my obligations under the PAYE regulations in providing my employees and my clients' employees with Form P60 by the due date.
What is going on with that organisation?
Please login or register to join the discussion.
You got to love em !!!!
HMRC just get worse and worse
I have some spares here if you PM me I'll send you some
Copy of P60
Why not order twice as many forms P60 as you need and then print a P14 onto the extra copy of the P60 (OK - the dates of birth, joining and leaving are blocked out on the P60, but you can still read them) for your file (and for giving copies to clients who lose the original)?
As to the Orderline being out of stock temporarily, it is not too surprising. We always order forms online and it takes at least a couple of weeks for them to be delivered. Perhaps they have been out of stock or perhaps it is their slow processing of orders, but don't panic, the forms will arrive in time. Just make a note to order at the beginning of March, rather than April, next year.
Every year ... same thing!
You know this happens every year..... when I was a young girl, they used to call it housekeeping; making sure you had sufficient stocks of what you needed and doing a "special order" if the stocks were running low.
Ah the good old days....trouble is no one cares anymore


text:
[x] Ive been to an anime convention.
[x] I colour my fingernails/toenails to match my cosplay.
[ ] The shoes have to be exact before I can call it a cosplay.
[ ] My favorite hobby when I was small was dress-up
[ ] I talk about anime all the time, even with people who dont like it.
[ ] I did Karate
[ ] I have a variety of bi-sexual friends and dont mind.
[ ] Pacific Mall is my favorite place to shop
[ ] At school I try to wear the same clothes as my favorite character and hope that people notice.
[x] I love anything oriental.
[x] I'd love to work at an anime convention.
[x] I'd rather spend my cosplay money on a decent wig then have my real hair if it doesnt look like the character.
[x] I have at least 8 facebook pictures of me in cosplay
[ ] I usually go cosplay shopping once a month
[ ] I'd rather be at an anime convention with friends and my favorite voice actor then at my favorite band's concert with back stage tickets alone. (Though who wants to go to a concert alone?? (I'd do it if I was going to meet Hayley Williams haha))
[x] I've spent at least 50$ in manga
[x] My icon on msn is an anime/manga character
[x] My deviantart is filled with fanart
[ ] I have at least 10 costumes
[x] I watch either Naruto or Death Note.
[ ] I change my fav. anime weekly
[ ] I wear keychains on my backpack.
[ ] I'd rather be called emo then girly
[ ] My obsessive complex scares my parents
[ ] I attempt to speak japanese words to my friends
[x] I've been or am reading/watching currently over 3 animes/mangas
[ ] Nekos are adorable
[ ] I don't know the difference between a boy and a girl at anime conventions.
[ ] Screw diamonds! A girls best friend is yaoi.
[ ] I know the ending of an anime/manga after watching/reading the first episode/chapter
[ ] Youtube is where I watch anime, dubbing is stupid. (All for subbed not dubbed... but not on youtube where quality is rubbish)
[ ] All I want to do at sleepovers is talk about how my favorite character shouldn't have died!
[ ] I write fanfictions and post them all over the internet.
[ ] My convention friends totally PWN school pals.
[x] I hate bad cosplays
[ ] One day, Ill move to Japan.
[x] More then half of my weekend is spent on the computer.
[ ] I have my own anime group called...
[ ] I'd rather marry a poor otaku then a rich football player. (Neither :/)
[ ] Online games FTW.
[ ] I'm into roleplay.
[x] I am self-conscious when it comes to cosplay.
[ ] I cry when my favorite characters die
[ ] My room has at least 2 anime/manga posters
[ ] I've purchased so much anime merchandise, I cant even keep up with it all anymore!
[x] I don't do sports
[ ] I HATE preps.
[x] I squeal when anime conventions are coming up soon and I plan to attend.
[x] I eat pocky
[x] I love romance mangas
[ ] Shounen-ai and Shojo-ai
[ ] I know Hare Hare Yukai by heart
[x] I usually spend an hour or over to get ready to leave my house for a convention. (well, cosplay...)
[ ] I only have like 5 billion hair/wig products
[x] I love to get dressed up.
[ ] every part of my outfit needs to be perfect
[ ] I hold a grudge against Sasuke.
[x] I would love to have a photo shoot at a conventon
[ ] I dont care what people think of me, as long as anime exists.
[x] I wish I were famous for my cosplays!
[ ] I wish I could meet my fav voice actor.
[ ] I fake my age on online games
[ ] I own plushies and action figure
[ ] J-POP is the best music
[ ] Ive played MapleStory or Gaiaonline before
[/] I like to be the center of attention at conventions
[x] I dont mind it when people ask for my picture at cons.
[ ] When things get akward the word 'ie.' comes to mind
[ ] I'd rather not pay attention in school.
[ ] I scribble anime characters all over my notebooks
[x] I sing to japanese songs and FAIL.
[x] I would love to attend a convention in Japan
[x] I always like anime characters with a bad additude
[ ] Evil PWNS Good
[ ] I wouldn't be caught dead missing my fav. anime marathon
[x] my closet is STOCK FULL of cosplay items
[ ] Right now you're listening to an anime theme song
[x] I compare myself to other cosplayers and HAVE to be better.
[ ] I change my screen name every day
...I'm 28½% Otaku, apparently.
So... Hadn't made a journal in a while. I guess this isn't particularly exciting. I should get back to work / post some real art haha


text:
Journal, Day 35
Durham, NC; Asheville, NC; Athens, GA / Carrie St. George Comer
On the plane to Durham. I'm reading poetry so I'm paranoid, but the family around me is paying less attention to me than I am to them. Turbulence. The dad and the kids whoop with glee. Dad says, "Did you feel that?" Mom says, "You'd have to be dead not to feel that." I burrow deeper into Blue Colonial by David Roderick and hope that reading really hard will keep us from crashing. Mom says, "This is jarring my bones . . . David, I'm ready for my pillow now." I'm sitting between Mom and Dad. "Ooh, my back and legs are killing me. When we get home I'm gonna get my heating blanket." No response from anyone. "Ooh, my back hurts." Should I say something? Do I speak English? "Mike Wallace looks like he don't feel good." The dense grey outside the window clears and we can see a brown body of water, mounds of red dirt, houses going up on clearcut. We land roughly. As we pull up to the gate, Dad says, "That looks like a brand new plane, don't it?" Mom says, "Honey, I wouldn't know a brand new plane if it, if it—"
Oo ya—it's cold. I'm wearing flip flops and hoping the rum didn't shatter in my suitcase.
In line for the restroom—Southern accents, chitchat, Duke sweatshirts. For a number of reasons, Duke sux.
Switch to boots. Rum bottle intact. Sweater. Do people think I'm a terrorist? Like, ever?
A taxi takes me downtown. I'm standing on a desolate sidewalk. They're trying to revive the city parts of the city. Orange cones. Piles of brick. Work trucks. The old buildings are beautiful but no one's around. Such is the case with lots of American cities. The downtowns abandoned. Life takes place on the outer rim, in shopping centers and on interstates. Everyone wants a new house on clearcut. Everyone wants to be close to Home Depot and Applebee's. It's not that I can't understand this. Everyone wants space and convenience. We've got kids to raise, after all. I can understand this. But still. "A pile of junk is a kind of faith," says Roderick. True that. But this other kind of junk is a pile of fucking shit, in my estimation.
Did NC go red or blue? Red. Red or blue, the language I live and judge by. My state also went red. Like a bloody foot hanging off the corner of the nation. But scratch that. Some people are evil. Some people don't care. What's the difference?
So the reading went down in the Baldwin Lofts. Matthew closed it down with "a dress of lapping glass." Ken Rumble read first: "seizure suit." Sierra Nelson went after him: "Forgive me, we were made of wood when we made our wedding bed." And also Mark McMorris: "the dog that is a star in the sky." To mention a few.
Now it's grey and drizzly and we're headed to Asheville.
We're climbing a mountain. Some fall foliage, a casual light over the trees.
Asheville's had success with its downtown revival. People stroll the streets on Saturday night, bundled in shawls and hats. Lots of babies in slings. And sometimes when you look to your left there's a mountain face glowing pink and yellow. We read at Malaprop's Bookstore. Props to those guys. Big turnout. Very cozy. Just what I wanted from NC. Matthew's friends Steve and Nava were kind enough to let us crash in their lovely bungalow with little
Sunday and off to Athens. Long drive through the drizzle. A stop at a gas station where Linas has Mark read a poem to a local guy. A stop at the bus wash where Linas has Valzhyna read a poem to the guy who washed the bus. Linas skateboards round and
round us with his camera.
Joshua cracks open the rum and the bus gets a little warmer and a little more fun. We arrive late in Athens. A long country road takes us to the ATHICA Gallery Space. There are lots of questions on the poetry bus—Why are we stopping? What time do we leave? What's that? Who's this?—and sometimes an answer or two. You just gotta roll with it. Roll with the poetry bus.
In the ATHICA, a circle of orange cones and a hand welded toy soldier sculpture that looks like a dead soldier in a mound of sand. On the walls, big posters of Bush and Rove prez and sez dispensers. A great big cotton mushroom cloud with a hole in the top and a ladder hanging out of the hole. A cluster of Bush voodoo dolls hanging from the ceiling. People start to show up—this always surprises me. The reading was killer. Here's another taste. Bob: "Why don't you just crawl off and die? That's just the way I roll." Joshua: "spiritually, I'm all full of cookies." Travis: "can you find God? / He's hunting you / with a pencil." And the Athenians went ga ga for Valzhyna: "I'm telling you this is not pain. This is just the embrace of a very strong god, one with an unshaven cheek that prickles when he kisses you."
Vic Chesnutt closed it down, and he was brill. His voice is delicious. I wish he'd gone on. The audience was tuned in. The space was cool. Sabrina Orah Mark (she's funny, The Babies is brilliant) took us to The Globe after. And Tonya Foster joined us last night, cool. She's now headed toward home—New Orleans. But first, Tuscaloosa. T-town. Bama.


text:
Gratitude is a wonderful way to experience this world through peace, freedom, and joy. When we recognize the limitless good contained in every moment, we begin to know the grace that flows through life.
Allow all things from a place of love. Love is what urges you forward, to move in allowing and attracting your purpose, your truest desires.
When we are feeling God's Love there is a Rightness inside, a sense that All Is Well. Once we have had that feeling, we long with every fiber of our being to experience it again, because it is our true state.
This entry is inspired by Earth-Keeper Chronicles, article The Polarity of Power & Love. As I read this article I received a deeper meaning of how power and love are one in the same.
Competition is the contrast to enlightenment, without it how would truly know what enlightenment is. There must be contrast in all things, each must have its opposite for us to gravitate to our truest desires.
Today have appreciation for creating with love. Today have appreciation for being a witness to love's creation. Today have appreciation to know We are truly connected as One.
Today have appreciation for Knowing God.
Be thankful this day and everyday for the ability to love ourselves. Be thankful this day and everyday for the manners taught to us to show gratitude for all we have and given to us. Be thankful this day and everyday for the knowledge of self to feel worthy in the presence of self and others.
The voice of consciousness is more than our intuition or the little voice in our head keeping us out of trouble. It is also the source of the knowledge in which our path, creative and divine energy comes from.
With all that is going on in the world and in our lives, it is easy to get disgruntled. Sometimes it is easier to just let our thoughts go into the negative channels, where we seem to have a habitual groove, and just ruminate on how bad things seem to be.
We've all heard it a bazillion times, that a practice of gratitude can heal and transform. But it's so easy to forget how powerful it is until we stumble upon these moments.
Yes loving frustration. We all know what frustration is, when we are fed up with a situation, yet remain very hopeful. The hopeful aspect is what makes it loving. Last week I read an entry from one of my favorite Spirits, Kryon.
What is our soul signature? Our soul signature is like a fingerprint, it is our personal vibration other souls recognize. Our signature stays with us from the time of our first incarnation, our first creation. This light is the core, the spark of our being.
Love is a simple, yet the strongest emotion of them all. It's the lesser of the other emotions that complicates love. The range of other emotions, such as fear, sadness, jealousy, lust, anger, happiness, relaxation, complacency and other like feelings are conditions of being.
The Universe is perfect in all the magnificence you see. The experience you co-create with us, consciously is also perfect. It is an illusion you see with your physical eyes and judge the unconscious creation. The creation is one of experience, allowance, and ease, it is what you choose it be.


text:
Post Jobs
Job Seeker:
Sign Up
Career Resources
Career Events
Company Profiles
Life Sciences
Search Job Title Only
News By Subject
News by Disease
News By Date
Search News
Get Our FREE
Industry eNewsletter
) Shells Out $8.6 Billion for
Staying up-to-date has never been simpler. Sign up for the
free GenePool newsletter
Allegan, Michigan and Dublin, Ireland — (29 July 2013) — Perrigo Company (NYSE: PRGO), a leading global provider of quality, affordable healthcare products ("Perrigo") and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) ("Elan"), a leading biotechnology company headquartered in Ireland, today announced that, following a formal sale process conducted by Elan, Perrigo and Elan have entered into a definitive agreement (the "Transaction Agreement") under which Elan will be acquired by a new holding company incorporated in Ireland ("New Perrigo"). The cash and stock transaction, which is valued at approximately US$8.6 billion based on the closing price of Perrigo shares on 26 July 2013 (US$6.7 billion excluding Elan's cash on hand), will create a global healthcare company with an industry-leading growth profile and the geographic scale and scope to continue building a truly differentiated business.
"Through this transaction, Perrigo establishes a diversified platform for further international expansion," stated Perrigo Chairman and CEO, Joseph C. Papa. "We believe this transaction is compelling for Elan shareholders and fully takes into account the value of Elan's assets, including a large cash balance and a double-digit royalty claim on Tysabri®, a blockbuster product that generated revenues of US$1.6 billion last year and has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 19%. We believe the combination of Perrigo and Elan will create an industry-leading global healthcare company with the balance sheet liquidity and operational structure to accelerate our growth and capitalize on international market opportunities."
Mr. Robert A. Ingram, Chairman of Elan, commented, "This is an excellent transaction for Elan shareholders and provides them with cash consideration as well as the opportunity to benefit from the potential upside value of the new company. Joe Papa and his team have demonstrated exceptional capability and delivery of results in building a premier healthcare company over the past number of years. We have the confidence in Joe and his leadership team to continue to grow and expand its presence on a global scale."
Additionally, Elan CEO Mr. G. Kelly Martin, said, "The Elan platform has been constructed over the years to provide a unique and compelling investment thesis for our shareholders. This transaction underscores the tremendous value of Elan's platform. The new combined company should deliver value, growth and diversification to shareholders for many years to come."
The proposed transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the respective boards of directors of Perrigo and Elan, is expected to close by the end of calendar year 2013. At the close of the transaction, Perrigo and Elan will be combined under New Perrigo, a new company incorporated in Ireland, where Elan is incorporated today. New Perrigo, which is expected to be called Perrigo Company plc or a variant thereof, will be led by Perrigo's current leadership team. Elan's current business portfolio includes royalties from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) treatment Tysabri® (marketed and distributed by Biogen Idec, Inc.), along with a neuropsychiatric pipeline with near term value-creating opportunities. Tysabri® had a 19% compound annual growth rate over the 2008–2012 period. Elan currently earns a 12% royalty on global net sales of Tysabri®. From 1 May 2014 onwards, the royalty increases to 18% on annual net sales up to US$2.0 billion, and to 25% on annual net sales above this amount. The Tysabri® cash flows are highly sustainable with multiple barriers to entry, analogous to the fundamentals of Perrigo's core business. Further upside exists if Tysabri® is approved for Secondary Progressive MS.
Under the terms of the Transaction Agreement, at the closing of the acquisition, Elan shareholders will receive US$6.25 in cash and 0.07636 shares of New Perrigo for each Elan share. The transaction values each Elan share at US$16.50 based on the closing price of Perrigo shares on 26 July 2013, which represents a premium of approximately 10.5% compared to the closing price of Elan American Depositary Shares on 26 July 2013, the last trading day prior to the date of this announcement. The transaction values the entire share capital of Elan at approximately US$8.6 billion based on Perrigo's closing share price on 26 July 2013. Net of cash, the transaction is valued at US$6.7 billion. Perrigo shareholders will receive one share of New Perrigo for each share of Perrigo that they own upon closing and US$0.01 per share in cash. The transaction will be taxable, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to both the Elan shareholders and the Perrigo shareholders.
Immediately after the closing of the transaction, Perrigo shareholders are expected to own approximately 71% of the combined company while Elan shareholders are expected to own approximately 29%. Shares of New Perrigo will be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and are expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
Key benefits of the transaction for Perrigo and Elan:
Platform for International Expansion
- Operating base in Ireland to serve as a business hub and gateway for expansion into international markets
- Scale, resources and corporate structure to drive strategic initiatives and investments
- Differentiated business model well-positioned to continue growth in core markets and to expand to other international markets
Strong Business and Financial Profile
- Highly diversified revenue stream
- Strong pro forma cash flows to continue to support an investment grade credit profile
- Robust and sustainable growth outlook
Financially Compelling
- Enhances revenue, adjusted EBITDA and earnings growth rates and expands margins
- Immediately accretive to Perrigo adjusted earnings per share in 2014
- Meaningful synergy opportunities
Benefits to Elan Shareholders
- Upfront value unlocked via the cash consideration, while Elan Shareholders will also have the opportunity to participate in the benefits of New Perrigo
- Perrigo management team with strong track record of successfully acquiring and integrating diverse businesses
The combination is expected to result in more than US$150 million of recurring after-tax annual operating expense and tax savings. Certain of these synergies result from the elimination of redundant public company costs while optimizing back-office support and the global R&D functions. Additionally, tax savings are expected to arise from the combined company being incorporated in Ireland with organizational, operations and capitalization structures that will enable the combined company to more efficiently manage its global cash and treasury operations.2
Mr. Papa concluded, "We are very impressed with the accomplishments of Elan's leadership team. Over the past decades, they have built a company that delivers high quality healthcare products with a focus on innovations in science to fill significant unmet medical needs around the world. This strategic transaction aligns with Perrigo's acquisition strategy and our previously-stated intentions to grow our international business. We expect New Perrigo to create tremendous value for our shareholders for years to come."
Perrigo has secured an aggregate amount of US$4.35 billion in fully underwritten bridge financing commitments from Barclays and HSBC Bank USA, N.A., which, in addition to Perrigo cash on hand, are available to finance the cash portion of the transaction, pay fees and expenses related to the transaction and refinance Perrigo's existing indebtedness including its current term loan, private placement notes and existing public bonds. Perrigo plans to refinance and repay the bridge borrowings through new debt issuances and the use of Elan cash on hand.
The combination is subject to the terms of the Transaction Agreement among Perrigo, Elan, New Perrigo and certain other parties. The acquisition of Elan by New Perrigo will be effected by means of a "scheme of arrangement" (the "Scheme") under Irish law pursuant to which New Perrigo will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Elan from Elan shareholders for cash and shares (the "Acquisition"). The Acquisition will be subject to the terms and conditions to be set forth in the Scheme document to be delivered to Elan shareholders. To become effective, the Scheme will require, among other things, the approval at a meeting convened pursuant to an order of the Irish High Court (the "Court Meeting") of a majority in number of Elan shareholders, present and voting either in person or by proxy, representing 75% or more in value of the Elan shares held by such holders as well as the approval by Elan shareholders of resolutions relating to the implementation of the Scheme at an extraordinary general meeting to be held directly after the Court Meeting. Following the requisite Elan shareholder approval being obtained, the sanction of the Irish High Court is also required for the Scheme to become effective. In addition, the Transaction Agreement must be approved by Perrigo shareholders at a special shareholders meeting to be convened by Perrigo. The Acquisition, which is unanimously recommended by the respective boards of directors of both companies, also is subject to receipt of certain regulatory approvals and certain other conditions, as more particularly set out in Appendix I to this announcement.
Conference Call with Perrigo and Elan Management at 8:30 AM EDT, 29 July 2013
Perrigo's and Elan's conference call to discuss this transaction is available to all interested parties as a live teleconference today at 8:30 a.m. EDT in the U.S. at the following phone numbers: U.S.: +1-877-248-9413; international: +1-973-582-2737. The conference ID is 24325296. This news release can be accessed under its headline on Perrigo's website at www.perrigo.com and on Elan's website at www.elan.com. Also available on the companies' websites prior to the call will be a presentation on this transaction that will also be covered during the call.
About Perrigo
From its beginnings as a packager of generic home remedies in 1887, Allegan, Michigan-based Perrigo Company has grown to become a leading global provider of quality, affordable healthcare products. Perrigo develops, manufactures and distributes over-the-counter (OTC) and generic prescription (Rx) pharmaceuticals, infant formulas, nutritional products, animal health, dietary supplements and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). The company is the world's largest manufacturer of OTC pharmaceutical products for the store brand market. The company's primary markets and locations of logistics operations have evolved over the years to include the United States, Israel, Mexico, the United Kingdom, India, China and Australia. Visit Perrigo on the Internet at www.perrigo.com.
About Elan
Elan is a biotechnology company, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, committed to making a difference in the lives of patients and their families by dedicating itself to bringing innovations in science to fill significant unmet medical needs that continue to exist around the world. Elan's ordinary shares are traded on the ISE under ISIN IE0003072950; American Depositary Shares representing ordinary shares of Elan are traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol ELN. For additional information about Elan, please visit Elan's web site at www.elan.com.
About New Perrigo
New Perrigo is a private limited company incorporated in Ireland solely for the purpose of effecting the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement. Prior to the effective date of the Scheme (the "Effective Date"), New Perrigo will be converted, pursuant to the Irish Companies Acts 1963–2012, to a public limited company. To date, New Perrigo has not conducted any activities other than those incidental to its formation and the execution of the Transaction Agreement.
Conditioned only upon the prior consummation and implementation of the Scheme and the Acquisition, an indirect subsidiary of New Perrigo ("Merger Sub"), will merge with and into Perrigo, as a result of which the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub will cease and Perrigo will continue as the surviving corporation as a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of New Perrigo. At the Effective Date, all Perrigo shares will be cancelled and each Perrigo share will automatically be converted into the right to receive one New Perrigo share and US$0.01 in cash.
For more information:
Elan Investor Relations:
Chris Burns
David Marshall
Elan Media Relations:
Emer Reynolds
Help employers find you! Check out all the
post your resume
Read at
Related News
Perrigo Company
(PRGO) Buys
Fera Pharmaceuticals
's Ophthalmic Product Portfolio for up to $129 Million
(CELG) Nabs Option to Buy
Acetylon Pharmaceuticals
for More Than $1.7 Billion
Perrigo Company
(PRGO) Announces
Final Approval for Generic Equivalent to Sanctura XR®
New Suitors Prey on
Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Perrigo Company
(PRGO) Confirms Patent Challenge for Generic Version of Axiron® Topical Solution
Recordati S.p.A
Buys Tunisia's
Opalia Pharma
for 37 Million Euros
BioPharm Executive:
Here's to
Elan Corporation PLC
(ELN): Is it a Toast or a Wake?
(IPN.PA) Strikes a $207 Million Deal to Buy
Theravance, Inc.
(THRX) CEO: The
Elan Corporation PLC
(ELN) Vote Doesn't Mean Much
Pfizer Inc.
(PFE) Not Moving Forward With
Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(ONXX) Bid: Sources
comments powered by Disqus.
comments powered by
Elan Corporation PLC
Perrigo Company
Biotech/Pharma - Mergers and Acquisitions
Biotech/Pharma - Mergers and Acquisitions (World)


text:
How Are You Learning?/
I remember middle school like it was yesterday; I was the student hoping for practical learning opportunities. I would wait anxiously for the teacher to break us into groups to work on a project or lab—it was a much easier for me to learn when I was working in these interactive environments rather than studying a chapter of a book or memorizing content. For me, learning happened through concepts and evidence. It's why I loved dissecting insects, watching documentaries, and visiting museums. Learning came best by experiences or stories rather than raw data or formulas.
For many of my peers, movie days translated into an opportunity to fall asleep in class. But for me it was the chance to apply learning that we heard about every day. I would geek out about a documentary film relating to a significant moment in history or a case study exploring the nature of physics in a way that a textbook couldn't capture. That visual learning style stuck with me through college and into my professional career. Fast-forwarding a few-too-many years to today, my learning style has certainly adapted, but those practical roots remain consistent.
The FIP Video Library is a resource created for those who, like me, learn by seeing. Serving as a supplement to the Foundations of FIP and FIP in Action Modules, this library is meant to tell the stories of teachers from around the state who are using formative instructional practices in their classrooms. Viewers can watch teachers applying what they've learned in a way that improves student learning. These short films provide practical examples and takeaways for education improvement, and an affirmation that all of the hard work of integrating Ohio's New Learning Standards is paying off.
Our first film shoot being featured in the FIP Video Library was with Kate Kennedy, a 6th grade English language arts teacher at Evening Street Elementary in Worthington, Ohio. Prior to her time at Evening Street, Kate co-authored How to Use Value-Added Analysis to Improve Student Learning: A field guide for school and district leaders, so I knew that Kate understood the value of FIP and could showcase it on a day-to-day basis.
We watched as students received immediate feedback on their work, individually catered to their needs. Student ownership of learning was evident as they responded to the stated learning targets with ease and enthusiasm. For me, it had been years since I'd been in a K-12 building, and I was blown away by the new technology, constructed teaching strategies, and incredible knowledge of the students. (Admittedly, though, my eyes navigated towards the cool, handmade building structures made of popsicle sticks in the hallway.) Dipsticks with student names created an opportunity to hear from all students rather than the same two or three voices. Learning targets were posted throughout the room and drove every lesson. When I interviewed students, they could tell me why each learning target was important and how it applied to the writing project they were working on in class.
The Ohio Department of Education and Battelle for Kids will be visiting ten school districts to capture and share short films that will guide educators and encourage formative instructional practices. As Virginia noted in "Practice What You Teach," educators need access to resources that will challenge them, so that they, too, can take ownership of their learning. Perhaps you were the same middle school student I was, looking for practical application rather than theory or memorization. This video library was made for us.
Access the entire video library on the FIP Your School Ohio website here.


text:
Fire Crews Rescue 2 Men From Big Walnut Creek On Southeast Side
Fire officials launched a water rescue after two men fell out of their fishing raft in southeast Columbus on Wednesday morning.
According to officials, the men were tossed into the Big Walnut Creek near Noe Bixby and Refugee roads shortly before noon.
Fire officials launched boats after a report of a man in the water.
The first individual was rescued shortly after noon. The man told authorities that there could be another victim, who he was fishing with, in the water.
Authorities rescued the second man at about 12:30 p.m.
Franklin County officials asked 10TV's Chopper 10 to assist in locating the second person in the water.
The two men were identified as Robert Simons and Marion Tyler.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for more information.


text:
This week in Tampa: Kenny Chesney, Lauryn Hill, Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks and more
As everyone should know by now, the biggest concert of the weekend is Kenny Chesney with Zac Brown, Billy Currington and Uncle Kracker at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday.
So why is the concert we're most excited about is next week?
Truth is, it's one of those weeks where everyone probably has their own concert pick that they're dying to see. Maybe it's Kenny. Maybe it's Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings at the Ritz Ybor. Maybe it's Helmet at the State Theatre. Maybe it's Rod Stewart, above, and Stevie Nicks at the St. Pete Times Forum. Heck, maybe it's DJ Pauly D at the Venue.
For us, it's Lauryn Hill at the Ritz Ybor. We're dying to see whether she can bring the fire to such a small club. The fact that she's even coming to Tampa is a miracle; if she pulls off even a capable show, we'll be thrilled.
For the details on Kenny Chesney, click here. For the details on Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, click here. For all the rest of Carole Liparoto's concert picks, including Lil Jon, Sophie B. Hawkins, Paper Tongues, Awolnation, Murs, Rachel Goodrich and more, click after the jump...
Lauryn Hill
WEDNESDAY 9 p.m. The Ritz Ybor, 1503 E Seventh Ave., Tampa. $65 and up. (813) 229-7827.
She's become as recognized for her irresistible, Aretha-honoring voice as she has for her reclusive lifestyle. That said, Ex-Fugee Lauryn Hill playing Tampa is a huge deal. After Hill released '98 masterwork The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which still stands as one of the most beloved hip-hop releases ever (ranked by Rolling Stone as one of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time), she fled from public view. But her return to the stage has left fans divided — some scratching their heads over Hill's tardiness and improvised sets, others screaming for more. Here's what we gather from a recent Village Voice review: If you're okay with hearing Hill's hits a little differently than you remember them, and sticking around until the wee hours on a weekday, it actually should be a pretty great show.
DJ Pauly D
FRIDAY 9 p.m. The Venue, 2675 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater. $20 and up. (727) 571-2222.
Gym. Tan. Laundry. Blow-out. T-shirt time. Beat up the beat. There, now that we've officially sullied Soundcheck's good name by rolling out all of the Pauly DelVecchio Jersey Shore-isms, we're here to announce that the well-oiled reality star will spin at the Venue Friday. With that, we leave you one final Pauly D gem. "My hair's windproof, waterproof, soccerproof, motocycleproof. I'm not sure if my hair's bulletproof. I'm not willin' to try that."
Sophie B. Hawkins
With Elysian Sex Drive
FRIDAY 8 p.m. The Local 662, 662 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. $22. (727) 258-4829.
After playing percussion with Bryan Ferry in the '80s, free sprit Sophie B. Hawkins scored solo hits with Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover and As I Lay Me Down. Her poppy, New Age-y, I-am-woman sound put her up there with the Paula Coles and Joan Osbornes of the day. This week when I typed Sophie into iTunes, I was also recommended a "Saturday Errands" playlist. Whatever that means.
Lil Jon
With VJ Ray, VJ Kidd Leow, DJ Jamie Ferrera
SUNDAY 4 p.m. Shephard's Beach Resort, 601 S Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater. $15-$20. (727) 441-6875.
WHAT?!? YE-AH! King of crunk Lil Jon will bestow upon the Shephard's spring break crowd lots of gold-toothed goodness Sunday. The dirty South chant rapper (and now Celebrity Apprentice contestant) is responsible for some of the most abrasive music in history. Yet we're fully prepared to sing every word to Get Low. Party with this crunk rock royal as he spins, yells and sips Patron from a bejewled chalice. It's good to be the king.
97x Freebie Weebie
Featuring Paper Tongues, Awolnation, Marksmen, Make the Mountain
SUNDAY 5 p.m. Jannus Live, 16 Second St. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 565-0551. Free (but must have ticket to enter). 97xonline.com.
Never mind riding to California. Paper Tongues love Tampa Bay. In fact, we're beginning to wonder if there's any event in the area that Paper Tongues won't play. So far, we're counting 98 Rockfest, the 97X Backyard BBQ, the Bucs' season kickoff party, 97X Next Big Thing and the 93.3FLZ Meet Ball. Now, the Randy Jackson-supported rockers will perform at 97x's Freebie Weebie. Get there early to catch top local talent Marksmen and Make the Mountain.
The Metalliance Tour
Featuring Helmet, Kylesa, Saint Vitus, more
SUNDAY 5 p.m. State Theatre, 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. $25. (727) 895-3045.
To quote Beavis and Butt-head, "DADA DAA DAA, DADA DAA DAA. Helmet rules." This New York alt-metal band is best known for early '90s head-down pounders Unsung and Wilma's Rainbow. After enduring numerous lineup changes, singer/guitarist Page Hamilton remains the group's lone original member. Opener Kylesa, a bipolar prog band with dueling drummers and vocalists, is a must-see. Not unlike Mastodon or Baroness, these guys and one gal bring the kind of melody and finesse to sludge metal that even Pitchfork can respect.
With Whole Wheat Bread, Tabi Bonney
TUESDAY 7:30 p.m. Crowbar, 1812 17th St. N, Ybor City. $12 and up. (813) 241-8600.
Forget for a moment that Murs looks like he just stuck a finger in a light socket, and you'll find that this is one seriously skilled artist. The politically minded MC with the pointy dreads offers Slick-Rick-like storytelling, soul-saturated beats, humor and onstage acrobatics. Best of all, Murs crams big concepts in short verses. From Dreamchaser: "We all chase money 'cause we scared to chase dreams." If you like Aesop Rock, Atmosphere or 9th Wonder, you'll probably dig Murs.
Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks
WEDNESDAY 7:30 p.m. St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. $49.50-$149.50. (813) 301-2500.
Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks on the same phone interview? Just the three of us? Gosh, what could possibly go wrong. The rock icons (combined age: 128) were doing a recent press blitz for their upcoming tour, a somewhat promising double-bill that stops at the St. Pete Times Forum on Wednesday. I had 10 minutes to make magic; things went kablooey in less than three. An opening question about the state of the pop duet was snuffed out awkwardly. "Why don't we just talk about our tour, mate?" Rod said. Good idea. Any chance you guys will be dueting during the show? Maybe Leather and Lace? Stop Draggin' My Heart Around? "We honestly don't know," Rod said. Oookay. Could two singers with such utterly distinctive voices as theirs break into the milquetoast music biz these days? "God either gives you talent or he doesn't," said Rod. Stevie then went on a diatribe about Internet piracy. And Rod eventually said something about Stevie being nude. And the 10 minutes were up. — Sean Daly
Rachel Goodrich
With Sons of Hippies, more
THURSDAY 9 p.m. Crowbar, 1812 N. 17th St., Ybor City. $5-$8. (813) 241-8600.
Ex-South Floridian Rachel Goodrich is a cartoony-sweet tinkerer on the rise. The quirky artist, who was recently profiled by Vogue, uses guitar, keyboard, ukulele, kazoo, harmonica, recorder, xylophone, banjo, mandolin, pots, pans, spoons, and so on to create a jangly folk pop blend she calls "shake-a-billy." "You know, I like to take a dark mindset and give it a happy soundtrack," Goodrich told The Miami New Times recently. If you like Regina Spektor, give Goodrich a whirl.
Also playing
Badfish, a Tribute to Sublime Fri. With Scotty Don't, Bootleg. 7 p.m. State Theatre, 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. $16. (727) 895-3045.
The Fritz Fri. 9 p.m. Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. Free. (727) 736-0606.
Tony Orlando Fri. and Sat. 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Busch Gardens, 10165 N. McKinley Dr., Tampa. Free with park admission. 1-888-800-5447.
Big Red Robot Fri. With Fear and Respect, Ares, more. 6 p.m. The Neptune Lounge, 13 S. Safford Ave., Tarpon Springs. $8. (727) 943-5713.
Infinite Groove Orchestra Fri. With The Jim Morey Band. 9 p.m. New World Brewery, 1313 E. Eighth Ave., Ybor City. $6. (813) 248-4969.
Days of the New Sat. With Through the Side, more. 7 p.m. State Theatre, 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. $15. (727) 895-3045.
Naturally 7 Sun. 8 p.m. The Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 North W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa. $35 and up. (813) 229-7827.
Hymn For Her Sun. 4 p.m. Ella's Folk Art Cafe, 5119 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. Free. (813) 234-1000
Chris Botti Sun. 8 p.m. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. $39-$70. (727) 791-7400.
Weedeater Tues. With Zoroaster. 7 p.m. Orpheum, 1902 Republica de Cuba Ave., Ybor City. $12-$15. (813) 248-9500.
Norma Jean Thurs. 6 p.m. State Theatre, 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. $15-$17. (727) 895-3045.
Superhumanoids Thurs. With The Pauses, Lions after Dark, more. 7 p.m. The Local 662, 662 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. $8. (727) 258-4829.
The Clicks Thurs. With Sick of Sarah. 7 p.m. Orpheum, 1902 Republica de Cuba Ave., Ybor City. $12.50. (813) 248-9500.
Grand Prix Rev-Up Party Thurs. featuring Alter Eagles, Crossroads. 7 p.m. Jannus Live, 16 Second St. N., St. Petersburg. Free (but must have ticket to enter). Visit jannuslive.com or call (727) 565-0551.
Songbirds: Ladies of Jazz Thurs. featuring Denise Moore, Whitney James, Sasha Tuck. 7:30 p.m. The Palladium, 253 Fifth Ave. N, St. Petersburg. $20. mypalladium.org.
-- Carole Liparoto, tbt*


text:
Hector Barbera, making the switch from satellite Ducati to FTR-Kawasaki CRT machinery for the 2013 MotoGP season, made big gains during the second Sepang pre-season test.
- Home
- MotoGP
- Championships
- Forums
- CrashTV
- Live
Hector Barbera, making the switch from satellite Ducati to FTR-Kawasaki CRT machinery for the 2013 MotoGP season, made big gains during the second Sepang pre-season test.
19th and 4.1s from the front at the opening test, Barbera used chassis and electronic developments to close to 2.8s from the top by the end of the second test.
The highest placed rider using the standard ECU system, Barbera's best time was just a few tenths shy of CRT leading Aspar ART riders Randy de Puniet and Aleix Espargaro.
"I am very happy because we have improved noticeably and we have greatly solved the chattering problem," said Barbera. "It has not disappeared entirely, but in a large extent, and that allows me to ride better and more comfortable.
"During the first two days I rode with the chassis of the previous test and today I did it with the new one and, although it is not very different, it incorporates little changes that I have liked.
"We have also made progress with electronics, we begin to understand it better and we are on the right way.
"The general assessment is very positive. We have ridden 1.4s faster than in the previous test, we are 0.3s slower than the best CRT and, above all, we have managed to have a very good pace with used tyres.
"The truth is that I have very good feelings before the last test in Jerez."
Team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama, riding with a healing left wrist after suffering training fractures during a motocross accident in January, set a best lap 0.8s from Barbera. The Japanese is yet to cure his chatter issues.
"We have improved and I am encouraged with the result but we still have too much chattering to be faster and to be able to ride with more confidence. This has been the biggest problem I have had these days.
"Although it is not perfect, the hand has bothered me much less and in Qatar [for the first race] I believe that I will be back to full fitness.
"I have tried the new chassis in this last session and I liked but I will have more information in Jerez. We have spent a lot of time doing tests and different settings and, although we have not found the definite way, we have always managed to have better pace than in the previous test.
"Increasingly we are closer to the fastest riders of the category and that means that we are on the right lines."


text:
This evening, Emily Rooney at WGBH reported that John Henry and Globe CEO Mike Sheehan ignored warnings from their own circulation department that the new home-delivery system could fail.
Henry fired back tonight in a tweet:
WGBH now has added a fiction writer to its news lineup. Makes for great stories!


text:
Here are a few tips on how to prepare for death.
"1" by Sarah Murray
"1" by Stephan Mosel
"Along The Grand Canal 10" by Son Of Groucho
"Dnd Vehicle Plate No. 1" by Jerry "Woody"
"Star 1" by Mike Linksvayer
"The Number 1" by Timothy Krause
"The One And Only" by Comrade Foot
"Voie 1" by Jean-Etienne Minh-Duy Poirrier
"2" by Andreas Cappell
"2" by Brian
"2" by Tanja Van Den Berg-Niggendijker
"Alberta 1984-Current Personalized 1 Digit" by Jerry "Woody"
"Door No 2" by Kate Hiscock
"Einsame Zwei" by Chaouki
"Number 2" by Jon Jordan
"Two" by Dave Gough
"Victory Cruise Ship" by Rusty Clark
"3" by David Michalczuk
"3" by Nicolas Nova
"3" by Pattie
"Come In Number 3" by Andrew Taylor
"4 Brick" by Paul Kalupnieks
"4" by Rosmarie Voegtli
Used under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Unported & 3.0 Unported licenses.