text:
Yemen lurches away from national dialogue with renewed violence
- By J. Dana StusterJ. Dana Stuster is a policy analyst at the National Security Network.
It was a year ago yesterday that Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi was formally made president of Yemen in a national referendum. He succeeded the three-decade rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh, who finally yielded to international pressure to step down amid a popular uprising, and Hadi's accession was meant to usher in a two-year transition to a more representative government. Yemeni politicians and U.N. officials have spent much of the past year organizing a National Dialogue, including representatives of many of the country's overlapping and competing factions, divided along tribal, political, and religious lines, to discuss constitutional reforms and, possibly, a more decentralized government.
But yesterday, three representatives from the country's restive south withdrew from the National Dialogue committee in protest of continued suppression of the "Hirak," or Southern Movement, which has called for stronger representation for Yemen's south or secession. Protesters in Aden — which until 1991 was the capital of an independent South Yemeni state — gathered to protest Hadi's reluctance to address southern grievances. They were met with gunfire from the military, which positioned soldiers on rooftops overlooking the protest (recalling the carnage caused by rooftop snipers just less than two years ago in one of the uprisings catalyzing moments); at least four protesters died (maybe eight now) and 40 more were wounded. On the anniversary of the referendum, Yemen's halfway revolution appears as stalled now as ever before.
The delays to the National Dialogue were expected — six months before Saleh stepped down, when the transition plan was still a proposal, Chatham House fellow Ginny Hill said,
I see hurdles at every stage. I think it's going to be a contested process, but it's going to be a contested process that Yemen needs to go through. And I think it will be good if it's contested, because in that process — if it can be contained within a genuinely political space, if it doesn't turn into a violent process — the scope for forging more legitimate political structures potentially lies in this process.
The transition was always going to be messy, but it is increasingly returning to a state of affairs last seen during the uprising's tensest moments in 2011, a race to find an inclusive agreement before the country unravels.
And it is unraveling. Last week, the U.N. Security Council issued a resolution singling out Saleh and his long-exiled southern rival, Ali Salem al-Beidh, as spoilers in the peace process. Last month, a large weapons shipment, including shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, was intercepted en route to Yemen, possibly from Iran; previous to the captured shipment, rumors of other shipments to insurgents had persisted for months. As news came out of Aden, Gregory Johnsen, author of The Last Refuge, tweeted:
You really had to have your head in the sand to miss what is starting to kick off in #Yemen – pretty sad.
— GregorydJohnsen (@gregorydjohnsen) February 20, 2013
In the worst days of the popular uprising, secessionist tribal groups carrying the old South Yemeni flag seized a military base in the southern province of Yafai, prompting retaliatory airstrikes. If southern politicians refuse to participate and the National Dialogue collapses, this could well occur again on a much larger scale. Will Picard, head of the Yemen Peace Project, wrote last night about the potential for a renewal of Yemen's 1994 civil war. "More violence is certain," he concluded. "Little else is."


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For the last year I've been hosting this site on a server running in my basement. While it's been a much better experience than the $6/month, 'everything included', shared hosting plan I was on before, this setup has had its own set of problems. For starters, cable internet is not a viable way to host web sites. Even with a commercial grade, unshared, 10/1Mbps connection the response time to my site was quite high and fluctuated wildly. To make matters worse, we apparently live in a neighborhood that doesn't have much redundancy on the local power grid – we've have numerous power outages in the year we've lived here.
While this might be acceptable for a simple blog, I recently started hosting a few sites for others, including our local .NET Users Group and a neighbor's business site, and the performance and uptime bar needed to be cranked up a bit. I needed something that was on a good, solid internet connection, gave me plenty of control, and was priced low enough to address the wife acceptance factor.
My new home: The Rackspace Cloud
After considering a variety of options, I finally settled on Rackspace's Cloud Servers. I'd been tinkering with their services for some time and had been very impressed not only by the performance and capabilities, but by the price. For as little as $11 per month you can run your very own virtual Linux server with 256MB of RAM and 10GB of disk space. Need Windows servers? They start at about $29 per month for 512MB of RAM and 20GB of disk space. Need some short-term servers to handle capacity? You pay by the hour and there are no minimums or commitments! Their control panel is incredibly easy to use, and for more advanced scenarios there's even an API for automatically scaling up and down. I could go on, but instead I'm going to recommend an excellent review at Social Cloud Now.
For my little setup I went with 2 Ubuntu servers and 1 Windows server – total damage is just over $50/month. This gives me an Apache web server, an IIS web server, and keep the database on its own machine. How does it perform? I think my Pingdom response time report says it all.
Moving up to the Rackspace cloud has cut my response time in half! Before the move my response time averaged close to 800ms, after it's under 400ms (the brief spike was after I had migrated the database to the cloud but before I had migrated the web server). Those are the worldwide numbers – the US average is only 170ms!
A perfect fit
I couldn't be happier with my move to the Rackspace cloud. Having great performance and availability, being easy to use, and affordably priced makes Rackspace my cloud provider of choice.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Pumpkin Chai Loaf
Makes (2) 8×4" loaves
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 1/2 cups wholewheat or spelt flour
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp flaky salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1 cup sunflower or any neutral oil
- 3/4 cup Bhakti Chai Concentrate
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, and Bhakti Chai, then add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold in til combined.
Divide into two 8×4" loaf pans, and bake for around an hour, until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to rest in the pan before turning out to cool on a wire rack. Eat warm with butter or vegan margarine, and a delicious cup of Bhakti.
This delicious recipe was inspired by Anna Broster, Writer & Photographer on ohpapillion.com. We substituted the spices and regular chai tea with Bhakti and it's…perfect!


text:
EPISODE 6 / Clip
Laurie's date with Marcus gets Alex all riled up and, in the heat of the moment, Alex crosses over the friendship boundary line.
The new series premieres in January 2017!
Giselle Gant test Black people on White culture.
Independent R&B artist Ali Caldwell performs her single.
Regina Hall and more share their resolutions for 2016!
CEO Ginger Miller recognizes exceptional members of WVI.
Regina Hall and Naturi Naughton do a Christmas carol mashup
Marsha Ambrosius on working with Michael Jackson.
Kela Walker hits the scene for opening night!
Should 'The Cosby Show' return to television?
'That's just not the man I know.'
The show's second season to air with a plot twist
© {YEAR} BET Networks, and BET Interactive, LLC a wholly owned subsidiary of Black Entertainment Television LLC. All rights reserved.


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My wife and I are off again on a Princess cruise. This time we are going on the Diamond Princess from Vancouver for the Alaska cruistour. Heart of Alaska. Departure August 16, 2008.
Anyone else? I am always up for meeting for a drink.
|All times are GMT -7. The time now is 06:46 AM.


text:
SystemFonts Class
Assembly: PresentationFramework (in presentationframework.dll)
XML Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation
This example shows how to use the static resources of SystemFonts in order to style or customize a button.
System resources expose several system-determined values as both resources and properties in order to help you create visuals that are consistent with system settings. SystemFonts is a class that contains both system font values as static properties, and properties that reference resource keys that can be used to access those values dynamically at runtime. For example, CaptionFontFamily is a SystemFonts value and CaptionFontFamilyKey is a corresponding resource key.
In XAML, you can use the members of SystemFonts as either a static property usage, or a dynamic resource references (with the static property value as the key). Use a dynamic resource reference if you want the font metric to automatically update while the application runs; otherwise, use a static value reference.
The resource keys have the suffix Key appended to the property name.
The following example explains how to access and use the properties of SystemFonts as a static value in order to style or customize a button. This markup example assigns SystemFonts values to a button.
<Button Margin="10, 10, 5, 5" Grid.Column="0" Grid.Row="3" FontSize="{x:Static SystemFonts.IconFontSize}" FontWeight="{x:Static SystemFonts.MessageFontWeight}" FontFamily="{x:Static SystemFonts.CaptionFontFamily}"> SystemFonts </Button>
To use the values of SystemFonts in code, you do not have to use either a static value, or a dynamic resource reference. Instead, use the non-key properties of the SystemFonts class. Although the non-key properties are apparently defined as static properties, the runtime behavior of WPF as hosted by the system will reevaluate the properties in realtime, and will properly account for user-driven changes to system values. The following example shows how to set the font settings of a button.
Button btncsharp = new Button(); btncsharp.Content = "SystemFonts"; btncsharp.Background = SystemColors.ControlDarkDarkBrush; btncsharp.FontSize = SystemFonts.IconFontSize; btncsharp.FontWeight = SystemFonts.MessageFontWeight; btncsharp.FontFamily = SystemFonts.CaptionFontFamily; cv1.Children.Add(btncsharp);
More Code
|How to: Use System Fonts Keys
System resources expose a number of system metrics as resources to help developers create visuals that are consistent with system settings. SystemFonts is a class that contains both system font values and system font resources that bind to the values—for example, CaptionFontFamily and CaptionFontFamilyKey.
Windows 98, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows CE, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Starter EditionThe Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 is supported on Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, and Windows Server 2003 SP1.


text:
ON March 26 and 27, the American Truck Historical Society and friends staged a weekend show at Lancefield, about 45 minutes north of Melbourne.
This would have to rate as one of the best displays of vintage and not-so-vintage trucks in the country. Unlike many country truck events, owners don't attend the ATHS meets to win awards (they hold another in Echuca each September) – which is just as well because there aren't any. Rather, it is about showing the public a working history of trucking. From Robbie Green's three Peterbilts – in various states of restoration – to his old man Sid's ancient Blitz, to Ray Shalders '77SAR, this show is trucking heaven.
If not one member of the public turned up, I have the feeling that these blokes wouldn't give a damn – they are so busy swapping yarns, both true and tall. Many of the vehicles displayed are trucks that once belonged to fathers or uncles, got sold and have been hunted down to bring them back into the family fold. It's gratifying to see the number of young 'uns involved as well.
A standout was the Peterbilt that wasn't! Starting life as a GMC ambulance, David Boxhall of Midway Concrete Garden Supply modified bits off an '84 Pete to create something very special. As mechanic Geoff Maloney explained, David decided to "start a project" and it sort of got out of hand.
"She's got FC50 diffs, fully air bagged with the GMC 7litre turbo diesel. We shortened the bonnet and the sleeper and ended up with a real head turner."
The truck is used for the Variety Club Bash, as well as a rolling company advertisement. Ross Talbot turned up with his 1972 International Butterbox. Bought as a "toy", Rosco loves the looks she gets. "She's got a 425 Nissan V8 in her now, rather than the original 671GM, along with a 15 speed overdrive and 44,000 Rockwells. She's had a few mods – like the love-heart shaped windows in the rear pillars and the leopard skin wrap-around dash. I reckon the previous owner did that as a sop to his missus."
All in all, the organisers reckoned the attendance was over 110 trucks of all makes and vintages.
Set in the beautiful surrounds of Lancefield, this is a must for your calendar next March. Tell all your friends. They won't be disappointed.
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text:
Swaged Cartridge Heater, 67W/sq. In.
TEMPCO| Zoro #: G1745012| Mfr #: HDC13055
Zoro #: G1745012Mfr. Part #: HDC13055
$62.98 /ea
This item ships free. DetailsStandard ground shipping
Technical Specifications
|Zoro #: G1745012 Mfr #: HDC13055
|Max. Temp. Capability: 1400 Degrees F
|Precision Sheath Dia. Tolerance: +/- 0.002"
|Sheath Material: 321 Stainless Steel
|Diameter: 1/2"
|Item: Swaged Cartridge Heater
|Includes: 10" Braid On Leads
|Watts: 1000
|Lead Length: 12"
|Watt Density: 67W/sq. in.
|Length: 10"
|Country of Origin (subject to change): United States
Product Description
Swaged Cartridge Heater, Heater Voltage 240VAC, Lead Length 12 In., Diameter 1/2 In., Length 10 In., 1000 Watts, Watt Density 67W/sq. in., Max. Temp. Capability 1400 Degrees F, Sheath Material 321 Stainless Steel, Precision Sheath Dia. Tolerance +/- 0.002 In., Includes 10 In. Braid On Leads


text: Custom House is located within the spectacular Waterfront complex. Established occupiers who have chosen The Waterfront include: Age UK, West Midlands Ambulance Service, HM Revenue & Customs and Higgs & Sons Solicitors. The Waterfront provides a range of bars, restaurants and retail facilities in addition to the Copthorne Hotel. Adjacent to the Waterfront is intu Merry Hill Shopping Centre which boasts an excellent selection of shops, restaurants, cafes and a multiplex cinema. It is a major regional destination.The premises comprise high specification offices. The specification includes:- Raised Floors Suspended Ceilings Recessed lighting Air conditioning 24/7 access Car parkingB3 Second Floor 4,036 sq ft (374.96 sq m) On application.


text:
Teen Dies after Falls Church area Crash
Fairfax County Police Department
Public Information Office
4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030
703-246-2253. TTY 703-204-2264. Fax 703-246-4253
News Release: 2012/0007/LHC(3)
January 7, 2012
Teen Dies after Falls Church area Crash
McLean Police District – An 18-year-old died at Inova Fairfax Hospital on Friday, January 6 as a result of injuries he sustained in a traffic crash on January 2, 2012. Carlos Hernandez of 2915 John Marshall Drive, Falls Church was a passenger in the back seat of a 2001 Honda Accord and was ejected during the crash.
The crash occurred around 12:40 a.m. in the 2900 block of Graham Road near Rice Street. The driver lost control of the vehicle, ran off the road and struck a tree. Police have not placed any charges but are continuing to investigate. Crash Reconstruction Unit Detectives believe that speed may be one of the causative factors of the crash
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477, e-mail at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text "TIP187" plus your message to CRIMES/274637 or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.


text:
© 2002-2017
Encyclopaedia Metallum
Best viewed
without Internet Explorer,
in 1280 x 960 resolution
or higher.
Warbringer's sophomore album, this is the first finding, indicates that the formation is still prone to showmanship. Gary Holt has produced the eleven songs and it goes without saying that the band makes no secret of this fact. The result is a cloggy snare drum and, to put it more generally, a sound that is neither great nor terrible. A slight lack of power and transparency does not lead to a disastrous mix and, by the way, the bass guitar is laudably audible, but I think another producer could have done a better job. Bad luck, the sun of the iconic Exodus leader does not warm the ground on which the guys of Warbringer stand. Guess you will not be surprised when I tell you that I do not like these actions in the name of namedropping, to quote the legendary Driller Killer at this point.
Anyway, Warbringer are on the right track. Only three members are left from the debut and the new line up has written better, more effective riffs. Furthermore, the songs are less erratic than those of "War Without End". Instead of using each and every (mostly mediocre) idea, the band has either reduced the number of riffs per song or they just have worked more meticulously. The result are more coherent pieces and some of them, surprise, surprise, hit the bull's eye.
The beginning of "Severed Reality" combines a heavily stomping part with ferocious staccato guitar figures before a fast-paced, straight verse takes command. Sawing guitars start a mid-tempo part where the chorus is embedded. Intensive solo guitars build a bridge before an uncomplicated section delivers a final dose of pressure, power and intransigence. "Prey for Death" with its bulky riffs at the beginning turns out to be a mid-paced monster with a clear structure. This is not a new milestone of the sub genre, but a more than solid thrasher. Unlike on the debut, the five-piece provides evidence that it has a compositional substance; and while doing so, Warbringer are able to demonstrate that they are more than a mere media hype. The slightly weird and impulsive guitar line at the beginning of the vigorous (yet overlong) "Senseless Life" is also able to attract my attention.
These positive elements do not exclude that some parts of the album fail to get the listener under its spell. The band was not able to identify and erase each and every (speed) part which is going nowhere. Moreover, one cannot say that the album scores with individuality. Only fools would wonder that the sound hails the works of Exodus after their reunion and the riffing as well as the drumming follows tried and tested formulas. Not to mention the vocals which do not add a charismatic element. Experiments are not on the agenda of Warbringer and that's normally no big deal at all, but this band has proclaimed to be the main protagonist of a new era of thrash. Against this backdrop, the group does not live up to its own ambitions. Only the fairly gloomy instrumental called "Nightmare Anatomy" tries to expand the musical offering, but its pretty lame configuration leads this intention ad absurdum. What remains is a acceptable album which constitutes a huge improvement after the half-baked debut, no more, no less.
As genres go, thrash metal has always generated more questions than answers. At first, it was questions like "Can we go faster?" and "Thrash or chug?" but now we've come to the point where the thrash revival has brought back some more head-scratchers. For example, "What is thrash - a style or a movement?" or "Do we really need more thrash bands?" I understand that I'm a few years off the boil in addressing this point (sums up my entire musical history), though to estimate the quality of an album like this, the question of originality is just as important as those of enjoyment and skill. One thing that we can do which adds an extra dimension to this discussion is to scrutinize the more recent output of the "real" (by which I mean 80s) thrash bands and weigh it up against the young pretenders in Municipal Waste, Bonded by Blood, and, of course, Warbringer. Objectively, the newer bands are doing more for the thrash genre than Slayer and Exodus and Destruction, while we shouldn't even mention Metallica, who have dropped out of the picture entirely. Thus, although the modern thrashers are largely retreading old ground, the traditional thrashers have mostly lost their way or abandoned the style, aside from Kreator, Overkill, and Sodom, who are still doing pretty well - so perhaps thrash does need Warbringer.
From my own opinion, I have always thought that thrash metal has rather a limited bag of tricks, meaning that the success of its deployment is down to the effectiveness of those tropes rather than any kind of experimentation or progress. On 'Waking into Nightmares', Warbringer are very successful at using the basic thrash template to create a strong effect on the listener, arguably getting all the basic tricks right and adding in a few subtleties of their own. First of all, the riffs are good, with a very meaty guitar tone that chugs heavily like latter-day Exodus. Although there are plenty of mid-paced riffs, the band accelerates into full-on thrash at times, as well as mixing things up with some electrifying death metal breaks, such as at the close of 'Living in a Whirlwind' or the savagery of 'Forgotten Dead'. The remarkable bass presence of Ben Bennett has been previously commented on, to which I would like to add my thoughts on the efforts of Nic Ritter on drums. Both were new members for this album and give the album a dense character that squeezes the sound, allowing little space for atmosphere or contemplation, as the weight of percussion and thick guitar presses down on the listener, aside from the eerily empty instrumental 'Nightmare Anatomy'. The drumming is fairly conventional, with some added extreme intensity at times, but the bass is more playful, scraping and glugging like a loose chain against the side of a well, so that there is a very forceful thrust to the tempo changes, in addition to a hazy sense of movement in the background, which is sometimes unnerving.
The basic groundwork is thus done well, with few surprises in the songwriting department. However, the final pieces to the thrash puzzle are usually the leads and vocals, which here are more or less average, though with some notable features. John Kevill has a delivery that doesn't deviate far from the clipped shout of Tom Araya, but with the advantage of a weirdly distorted vibrato, which isn't operatic or melodic in any sense, actually giving the impression that he is morbidly afraid or demented - certainly a great attribute for the themes of madness and destruction. On the other hand, he only has the one trick, so he has to keep the intensity high. This mostly occurs, though he struggles a little in the mid-paced songs. As for the leads, there isn't a lot of remarkable soloing and almost no additional melody to speak of, riffs taking the main focus while each song develops its structure. There are plenty of squealing blasts of noise, though thankfully these guys know how to structure a lead break as well, meaning that there is about 30 seconds of well-planned shredding in each song. 'Senseless Life' deserves a special mention for containing the pick of the leads: the last two minutes of the song deviates from its rather rhythmic opening into a flat-out sprint of a riff with spiralling lead, which is cut off by a verse and leads into a bouncy marching riff; that riff has a bonafide melody added to it and then a final lead (sounding oddly familiar and folky, though I can't quite place it) rounds out the most enjoyable two minutes of the album.
The close of 'Senseless Life' is probably the choicest snippet, but few of the songs here sound poor, even if 'Prey for Death' cruises a bit and 'Shadow from the Tomb' can't be brought easily to mind. The opening pair of 'Jackal' and 'Living in a Whirlwind' are shortest and the most focused, arguably providing the most viciously sustained attack. Also, the cry of "jackal!" after less than a minute of listening marks a great transition into a nice mid-paced section. There isn't a great deal to choose between the songs on here, which is both a strength of 'Waking into Nightmares' and a weakness, since it means that the album is enjoyable throughout, yet doesn't deliver a killer punch, which would transform it from merely a worthy thrash album into a necessary listen for new and old fans alike. As it is, 'Waking into Nightmares' doesn't pander to the past as much as Warbringer's debut, yet doesn't succeed in taking thrash forward either. Good, but won't convince the sceptics.
Warbringer are a band that, by now, need little introduction. Their first album, War WIthout End (WWE), popularity began after the release of their first LP "War Without End," a raw, flawed, heaping pile of thrash metal that left listeners either wanting more or offering criticism. Their second effort, "Waking Into Nightmares," satisfies requests from both sides, employing the same fiery vigor as seen on their previous release. "Waking Into Nightmares" is an entirely different animal from "War Without End." Warbringer's style is polished, bolstered by a very clean production and a superb mixing/mastering, and trade youthful rawness for a polished, refined edge. Every single instrument comes through clearly, allowing the listener to appreciate each instruments' tone.
The guitar work is similar to the style seen on WWE, but with a few changes. Lead guitar work takes more of a back seat, letting the music rely more on the hooks and swings of the rhythm guitar. Of particular notice is the guitar tone. It is an improvement over the last and helps to create the enveloping, dark atmosphere on this release - particularly shining through on "Severed Reality" and "Scorched Earth," and "Prey For Death." The tone, by itself, comes across as a little thin, so it benefits from, as well as compliments, the added low end from the drums and bass guitar. The overall performance from the guitar section is nothing short of phenomenal. The riffs are catchy, melodic, and most are headbangingly fun, like on "Scorched Earth" and "Shadow From The Tomb," while others ascetically emphasize darker emotions.
One of the more admirable qualities of this release is the presence and style of the bass guitar. It is pronounced, rather than buried, in the mix and shines through alongside the other instruments. The tone is a meaty and mechanical bellow that, when combined with Ben Bennet's boisterous play style, adds an aggressive "in-your-face" characteristic to the mix. On lower notes, it adds an engine-like rumble that turns into a roar when combined with a blast beat.
Equally impressive as the bass, the drumming adds its own idiosyncratic style. Nic Ritter manages to maintain a cohesive sound on the album while mixing it up every now and then as well. Carefully poised between precision and feel, he aggressively keeps time in a technical manner throughout every song. "Waking Into Nightmares" is double bass heavy compared to other Warbringer albums, as a result, the music teases at death metal on occasion. Examples of this sound are particularly noticeable on "Prey For Death," "Shadow From The Tomb," and "Forgotten Dead."
Warbringer also do a bit of experimenting on this album, alterations in their instrument playing aside. The distorted production of "Severed Reality" is a nice touch and is befitting of the track's name. Death growls are used for the first time on "Shadow From The Tomb" and add a "WOW" effect, keeping the album's momentum up. There is also the beautifully ominous "Nightmare Anatomy," an instrumental that experiments with a progressive sound and ambient guitar effects.
"Waking Into Nightmares" is an example of the maturation of Warbringer from their youthful, raw beginnings on "War Without End." Significant improvements were made in songwriting, production, and mixing/mastering (thanks Gary Holt), yielding a product that is far superior to their last and providing lasting, genuine appeal.
For Warbringer it all went very quickly, thanks to Myspace they were discovered by the general public and their EP was (rightly so) praised highly everywhere. It was therefore not very surprising that they were picked up by a major label like Century Media not long afterwards, givving them the chance to record their debut album. This cd was received with varying criticisms but the general consensus was that it was good but a bit generic. The fans couldn't care less though and after some very successful tours with Exodus and Kreator, these young wolves of Warbringer are back to do what they do best on this second record, 'Waking Into Nightmares', namely thrashing till they drop.
After a first listen it is immediately evident that much progress has been made compared to the previous one. Firstly, the production suits better, every instrument is mixed in perfectly (probably thanks to Gary Holt taking the time to producing this) so this time around you can actually hear bassist Ben Bennet. A nice example of this can be found on their instrumental song "Nightmare Anatomy", where he especially exhibits his art.
The biggest change however, we find back in the guitar-work. The chunky riffs are almost dripping from the CD, it is precisely because of those riffs that Warbringer can distinguish itself from other new thrash groups. Nevertheless, they failed to develop their own unique style, although they mix Bay Area Thrash with Teutonic Thrash, or to be more specific Slayer with Kreator. Also influences from Testament, Destruction and Exodus can be found (Pray For Death could be taken from an old Exodus record). But who can expect originality from a genre that reached its peak back in the 80s? With Waking Into Nightmares Warbringer proves that the aggression and technique of their live performances can also be delivered on their cds. A record where you get what you expect, some very good Thrash metal indeed.
Originally written for progressive violence
Expectations weren't set particularly high for Warbringer's sophomore effort, Waking into Nightmares, in my camp. War Without End was okay the first time, but held absolutely no lasting value and isn't even fun for a romp nearly three years later. It happened, they got exposure, put on a killer live show and garnered a strong fanbase. I'll be the first to admit, Warbringer puts on one hell of a show. Their youthful enthusiasm for their craft is rivaled only be the mighty Diamond Plate, and it really shows when on stage (which is ALL THE DAMN TIME. I swear they were on every remotely thrash tour for at least two and a half solid years). It's just unfortunate that the studio effort fell flat in fully capturing that energy and in turn brought light on the unoriginal thrash that they actually played.
Every problem has been addressed with Waking into Nightmares. The production has been cleaned up and presents one of the better (and most fitting) jobs in modern thrash, the songwriting is more interesting, the band seems more energetic, and everything on the whole just sounds more akin to their famous live show. The energy is conveyed so well on this record that it can actually be difficult to fight the urge to get up and engage in sweaty man bumping when tracks like the ode to the aforementioned mosh pit, "Living in a Whirlwind", start shredding through your speakers. Riff wise, they still aren't the freshest chips in the pantry, but they're the best flavor so it really isn't all that worrisome to indulge yourself regardless. These kids still love the early borderline death metal thrash bands like Slayer and Demolition Hammer, and as such still continue to flatter them by consistently taking cues and borrowing ideas, but they're done in such a way that it's neither thievery nor laziness. It also helps that they're lighter than the aforementioned bands, emulating them mostly through tempo and attitude. Tracks like "Scorched Earth" and "Prey for Death" carry a more second-tier bay area vibe ala Testament or Exodus, while tracks like "Abandoned by Time" and "Shadow from the Tomb" fill themselves with double bass and riffs possibly taken straight from Reign in Blood b-sides. The latter pairing actually ends up being a far better pairing simply because Warbringer is better at taking heaps of influence from Slayer than Testament in the riff department. Now on the flipside, their leads and solos take much more melodic cues, akin to those of the very same second tier California acts whose riffs they aren't all that good at lifting.
Earlier, I mentioned Demolition Hammer, a much smaller name in comparison to the other two bands I've mainly used for comparison, and one may be wondering where that comparison comes from. Simply put, John Kevill must have had Tortured Existence on repeat outside of his crib as an infant, because he grew up to have a voice nearly indistinguishable from the one found on Demolition Hammer's first two records. This isn't even close to a bad thing, considering the vicious snarl is just as awesome in 2009 as it was twenty years ago. The hoarse barks work extremely well with the melodic Slayer mishmash underneath, and any other style of vocals would just feel out of place. The songwriting itself is actually fairly diverse despite heavily taking every cue from a whole two different bands. "Jackal", "Severed Reality", and "Forgotten Dead" are rip roaring thrash numbers that take an equal amount of prisoners as they do shit (hint: it's none), "Shadows from the Tomb", "Senseless Life" and "Abandoned by Time" really harken to Slayer's mid eighties heyday of brutality with an early proto-death edge, and there's even a mellowish instrumental interlude in "Nightmare Anatomy".
I'd say there's something for everybody here, but that isn't quite the truth. Despite the surprising variety and overall energy, everything still basically boils down to this sounding like a super group with Kerry King writing the riffs, Alex Skolnik writing the solos, Dave Lombardo behind the kit, and Steve Reilly on the mic. While that basically sounds like a dream band, it does tend to borrow a little too heavily from the source material. On the whole though, these kids have their hearts in the right place and will probably continue to produce legit thrash metal long after this retro resurgence dies out. Time will only tell if Waking into Nightmares was a fluke, but for now I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt and say they're just maturing and will continue to improve.
Originally written for http://lairofthebastard.blogspot.com/
Sound: Warbringer is an up and coming Thrash Metal band from California featuring John Kevill, John Laux, Adam Carroll, Ben Bennett, & Nic Ritter. Many of the (as they are called) Retro Thrash bands are considered to be unoriginal and very boring due to the fact that all they do is try and capture the sound of 80's Thrash bands without adding their own elements. Well Thrashers of the world I have come to tell you of a Thrash album from the 21st Century that actually captures the elements of 80's Thrash and still original. The album is "Waking into Nightmares."
The album's first track, "Jackal," bursts through with a nice little drum intro from Nic Ritter which is followed by a thrash riff that loves to kick your balls in constantly as it thrashes you into oblivion. That is just the first few seconds of the song people. Then Kevill comes in with a roar of a voice that sounds like Paul Baloff and Chuck Schuldiner had a bastard child together. And in between the guitar breaks is Ben Bennett's Metal yet funky basslines that continue throughout the rest of the album, which was something that was missing from the last album. This song ultimately thrashes you to no end. The next track is a nice little thrasher called "Living in a Whirlwind." It too thrashes with it's chugging intro riff and fast paced drums and of course the beast that is John Kevill. "Severed Reality" could be called the first single off the album. The song launches off with a riff that sounds very similar to something from "Soldier of Misfortune" era Sacrifice. Then launches into an equally heavy verse riff with bass and drum fills galore.
Just to save some space, I'll skip the next two tracks, which are thrashers nonetheless, but still not as good as the track "Prey For Death." This song reeks of Demolition Hammer influence. It is a very catchy thrash song that makes you headbang to no end, until it suddenly rapes your soul. And in the middle of the song is a nice guitar breakdown with somewhat of a bass solo from Mr. Bennett which leads into a Megadethy riff that suddenly picks up some more double bass along the way. After this is "Nightmare Anatomy," which is a nice little instrumental piece kind of like Metallica's "Call of Kthulu" meets Strapping Young Lad. After this is "Shadow From the Tomb" which is a track that starts off with a crazy motherf--ker of a riff that launches you into an almost Death Metal riff before going into a drum fill and right into the thrashy yet catchy verse. This song also features some nice death growls from Ben Bennett on this one as well.
The last two songs are "Senseless Life" and "Forgotten Dead" which are some pretty thrashy numbers, the latter being a nice slower thrasher reminding you of "Hell Awaits" era Slayer as it then launches you into total thrashdom. Overall this album gets a 10 because I truly believe this album will be held up in the same position as Slayer's "Hell Awaits," Kreator's "Pleasure to Kill." and Exodus's "Bonded By Blood." So a 100 out of 100 it is. // 100
Lyrics and Singing: Since the album is a thrash album, a lot of the lyrics deal with either A: pretty gruesome situations or B: the way the lyricist looks at something in society, a certain figure, a place, etc.... The song "Jackal" seems to be about some really annoying asshole who also claims the title of "dick" (out of your mouth comes nothing but deceit, I want only to see it shut.) "Living in a Whirlwind" is obviously about addiction, probably something like alcohol or drugs (Cheating death, just to get your fix) & (Still you're sinking lower, each day more desperate.) "Severed Reality" is about all the really screwed up things you see while on LSD (Twisting masses taking form beyond the murky black, A scream breaks the silence and the skies begin to crack.) "Prey for Death" is about a post apocalyptic world where people still live (Heat beats down over barren wastes, Desolate realms of ash, Vultures circling overhead, They feed on your dying past....Parched with thirst but you cannot drink, The oceans melt away)and soon revert to cannibalism (Breed so you can eat the young, Keeps hunger at bay) These are some pretty nice thrash tracks, and the lyrics definitely suit the music. // 94
Impression: Overall this album gets a 98 because is is that f--king good of an album. This album actually gave me hope that someday Metal would not be about breakdowns and how "Hardc0r3" the music was. This is a total Thrash out, balls out album. It reminds me of the days of early Slayer, Demolition Hammer, "Cavelera" era Sepultura, and Sacrifice. If you want a new album that makes you think it's 1986 and Thrash is at it's peak, go buy this, NOW. And actually buy it, don't download it, the band needs the money because Hardc0r3 kids won't listen to their music because it's not br00tal enough or some stupid shit. Anyway a 98/100 for the best Thrash band since 1991 it is. // 98/100
originally posted @
[ http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/warbringer/waking_into_nightmares/index.html ]
In the dark wasteland of the American metal scene there are few bands who hold the intensity and aggressiveness to stand up and destroy everything the mainstream has managed to destroy. Warbringer is one of those bands. Warbringer's debut, War Without End, is a well known release in the metal community but left a bad taste in most metalheads mouth's. It's main issues were the genericness of the album, the drumming on War Without End sounded delayed, and the music was just generally uninspired. Their second release is FAR better.
For one they have a new drummer who is much more competent and is actually a productive member. Their two guitarists have also learned a great deal more and the riffs on this album are actually memorable and are pretty varied for a thrash album. The bassist has changed since the last (and has changed back since the album was released) but I'd say that both Andy and Ben were on about equal footing... or at least as far as the bass in both albums. Finally the best thing this band has done is that they've moved from the Exodus and Slayer worship of their first album to a sound much more reminiscent of early death/thrash bands like Destruction, Morbid Saint, and Magnus.
This album slaughters from the start to the end with really only one break from the relentless onslaught which is Nightmare Anatomy (which is a great song anyways in the vein Call of Cthulu.... Not that this band sounds ANYTHING like that band anyways). This album even has a song with death growls on Shadow from the Tomb which is definitely a step in the right direction. The album itself is riff aplenty all of which are memorable and thrash-able. The solos for the most part aren't anything special except for the solo for Abandoned by Time which caused me to lose my virginity twice over and left my ass quite sore.
I'd say the only real problem with this album is that Nightmare Anatomy comes at a really bad time. I think it would have been better at the beginning or end of the record because it comes in right in the middle of two of the thrashiest songs on the album, Prey for Death and Shadow from the Tomb, which makes it somewhat more drawn out.
Ultimately this release is what Warbringer should have been releasing instead of War Without End. It is thrashier, more varied, better composed, blacker, more extreme, and much heavier and is in every way better than War Without End. The direction the band has taken is a direction I'd like them to continue down the road on with their next album. This is retro-thrash done RIGHT (unlike Evile, Fueled by Fire, Mantic Ritual and others). Every metalhead who respects the giants of old will enjoy this album.
To be fair, I'm all for this resurgence of old-school-ish thrash metal as much as the next guy. Definitely a vast improvement over the wasteland of -core bands that have populated the tours and airwaves lo these past several years. Plus, giving some of the more deserving second and third tier acts a career revival warrants a thumbs up in my book. However, in the case of the young and fresh new bands, you need to know your craft and do it well. That involves either pumping in fresh blood or writing songs that are good enough to overlook their lack of originality.
So for all you new thrash bands looking for attention, do NOT follow these guys' path.
Back when WARBRINGER first burst into the scene I tried to get into them as they were to be part of a number of shows I was up for seeing. Upon first glance they seemed like a genuinely routine metal act. And then the music started...I sampled some tracks off their first album, "War Without End", and each one was so unoriginal and hackneyed that they were all virtually unenjoyable. A conglomerate of ripped-off old SLAYER and MEGADETH riffs mixed into a somewhat modern approach from a glorified cover band that was hyped so much as the next best metal act so loudly I was almost deafened. I'd hoped that, as time would progress, these guys would mature enough to be able to write and record their own, original work. I was proven wholly wrong once I listened to "Waking Into Nightmares". Everything that made these goons so horrid and bothersome is back, if not worse in some places. Sure, the performance is energetic and spirited, the guitars rip-roarin', the acidic snarls wicked and impure, and the drumwork like bombastic machine-gun pops all combined with the violence that made thrash so frightening back in the 80s seems to be in full swing, but that really shouldn't amount to a hill of beans if you wear your influences so brightly on your sleeves. You could package this with a SLAYER or EXODUS logo and for my money I doubt anyone would really tell the difference. I didn't find anything on this exercise of monotony worth its purchase, where the inundation of half-baked riffs and ideas from the likes of "Living In a Whirlwind", "Prey for Death" and "Shadow From the Tomb" bothered the hell out of me. Oh well.
In the end this doesn't at all live up to all the hype the WARBRINGERs have gotten over the years. If this is the direction they wish to take from here on out then I'll tip my hat and bid them good day. I've got better bands to listen to.
So Warbringer got quite a lot of attention with their last album, and also a lot of complaints. Many mentioned that it was generic, and that the production sucked. While that album was fun, those flaws were there, and they brought it down a lot.
Now then, this album took those flaws, and promptly shot them in the head with a shotgun that shoots pure thrash metal. The production is now excellent. All the parts (vocals, guitars, bass, drums) are nicely balanced out so that no one is drowning out anyone else. And while Warbringer certainly isn't a band that creates brilliantly new and imaginative thrash metal, they are no longer generic. They've found their niche, and they've thrashed hard where they are.
The drumming has especially improved. The last drummer had trouble keeping a steady tempo, and could barely keep up with the band. Now the newer drummer Nic Ritter has fixed this. He keeps it consistent through the whole album, providing good drumming that drives the music forward.
John Kevil's vocals are excellent on this album. His voice simply rips through your ears as he screams and belts out lyrics. One the song Shadows of the Tomb he even tries a growl, although I think this was a failed idea. His growl might become good with practice. It's very old school, making me think of Death's first two albums, Possessed, and Morbid Angel. However, it isn't good yet, so it's a weakness on the album. Still, it only shows up as the chorus on one song, and on the rest of the album he screams, roars, and shouts the whole way through providing a good thrashy performance.
The guitarists are quite good. Their solos still need work, as they still sound too similar to Metallica and Testament solos, but they've gotten better since the last album. The riffs on this album are where the guitarists really shine. They're fast and intense, as all thrash riffs are. They don't ever rely on speed to cover up for a lack of quality, which is nice since some thrash bands (Kreator and Sodom come to mind) have done that in the past, but Warbringer manages to avoid that trap.
The bass is audible on this album, which is a plus since the bassist is fairly good. Sometimes he he just follows the guitars, and sometimes he does his own unique thing to drive the song forward. The bassist seems to have a good idea of when he should do which thing, which is a quality that many good bassists have.
Gary Holt produced this album, and with a thrash legend like that behind this, it's no wonder that it sounds much better than the last one. As I said before, no one drowns out anyone else excessively. The guitar tone has also improved since the last album, where it was muddy, but now it's crisp and perfectly suited for Warbringer's music. Gary Holt really did well here.
I wanna bring up one song, which is Nightmare Anatomy. It's an instrumental, and it's more progressive and gentle than the rest of the songs on Waking Into Nightmares. After the first 6 thrashing songs, this feels a bit out of place. I feel it would have been much better if this had been placed closer to the end, instead of being near the middle. Still, despite how out of place it is, it's a good instrumental. It shows Warbringer maturing musically, and experimenting it a bit.
This album is one of the few good modern thrash albums comign out in a flood of bands that simply rip off the old thrash songs (I'm looking at YOU Evile!), and shows how to do retro-thrash correctly. It should be fun and enjoyable for almost all fans of thrash.
When I first heard Warbringer's debut "War Without End" I was left with mixed feelings. The album had a lot of things going for it, but it also left a lot to be desired. The riffs were a little generic, the production was REALLY generic(seriously, awful even by thrash standards,) the vocals were monotonous, etc. I mean it wasn't a terrible album, but it was boring and just a rehash of Vio-lence and Exodus riffs. But with this album, these guys have came into a sound more of their own. I mean it's not a drastic change by any stretch of the imagination, in fact it's quite subtle, but it's there. The riffs are catchier and sound like they have reason, the production is thicker and way better than the crappy mix their debut had. The drums are much more precise. The band also slows down more, but in slowing down they seem to have become heavier. This album sounds less like Vio-lence, and more like Demolition Hammer....Really, it sounds a hell of a lot like Demolition Hammer at times.
This time around the songs are a little more varied, and much catchier. The second track, "Living In a Whirlwind" shows just how catchy they can be. At exactly 30 seconds into the song, the music stops and John screams "Living in a whirlwind!!" and it explodes back into the verse riff. It's just one of those moments, simple but very effective. "Abandoned By Time" is one of the heavier songs on the album, good chugging riff and ultra fast double bass. "Prey For Death" is total Demolition Hammer worship, even the vocal pattern sounds eerily similar to a DH song that I can't quite place at the moment. But it's probably the best song on the album. "Shadow From the Tomb" changes things up quite a bit, the verses have some weird riffing and vocal effects. I believe their bass player sings quite a bit on this song(don't quote me on that,) he has a sort of John Tardy growl, it actually works quite well. "Forgotten Dead" closes the album off in spectacular fashion, it's a song with varied tempos and changes. I love the ending and the way the song abruptly stops.
There are a few flaws though. For one, the guitar solos often sound out of place, and almost always sound too light and happy and simply don't fit well with the really heavy music. Also, the vocals are slightly too loud in the mix, and there's a little too much mid. Both of these problems can be remedied a bit by using any decent audio editing program and cutting some of the mids out with a graphic EQ or whatever(or just fucking with your stereos EQ.) The songs are a bit repetitive but this is thrash after all, they actually did a good job of keeping things varied. All in all, this is a really solid release from these guys, I expect to see more good things from them and hopefully they keep kicking ass.
Warbringer are fucking back with a vengeance, holy shit! And what a fucking mighty follow up this is to last years War Without End, when they landed onto the thrash metal scene with a gigantic fist in the face. War Without End gained much acclaim, garnering many fans as well as plenty of mindless haters. 2009 brings Waking Into Nightmares, the sophomore effort and an overall better performance. I will have a very hard time believing that there are many thrash fans out there that can't find something enjoyable from this release, it's an overall better output and solid thrash album for all sorts of fans.
War Without End was a solid and short thrash album with loads of ridiculous solos, cool riffs and fun choruses; so what's the difference here. Well, Waking Into Nightmares is essentially War Without End, taken to a more extreme, with a much more polished sound and an even greater overall performance in essentially ever aspect. I will always love the debut, there are loads of classic songs here, but it's fairly safe to say that on Waking Into Nightmares, all the major factors are taken here into a better light and improved a lot. Starting off with the vocals and guitars, everything here packs much more of a punch and is stepped up in every direction. John Kevill takes vocal duties seriously, giving 110% performance in every situation possible. One thing you will notice on this new album, is the prominent death/thrash feel, now it's not as heavily introduced as a Demolition Hammer song, or Morbid Saint or even someone like the harsher or rawer Teutonic bands; but it's definitely there and is noticed throughout. Kevill adapts to each situation easily, whether it's an insanely cool opening yell or a lower growl or the his more standard delivery that packs a more punch.
The production here is also to be noticed, more polished and probably better for this style, is easily a good factor for Warbringer. Everything from the vocals to the guitars and the drums is more noticeable and powerful; with new drummer Nic Ritter taking the harness with much ease and exercising his insane talent behind the kit. On War Without End, the drums weren't doing much other than just being the standard affair and keeping the rhythm, but here Ritter introduces something that is always better in thrash metal, producing a better vibe that ups the heavy factor and incorporates more than just the standard beat. Definitely a plus here. Guitar duties still done by John Laux and Adam Carroll are still top notch, there wasn't a thing I could complain about guitar-wise on War Without End, and if it's possible on this follow up, the riffs are even better and the lead work is even better! Lead work is more structured and taken more into consideration than just wild and frantic solos, although the feel is still here it's much more insanely fantastic. Every guitar solo here is memorable, especially taking into account the ridiculous shredding on Abandoned by Time. The riffs, if you can imagine, are much heavier and more thrashier with a more distinct headbanging feel; perfect!
War Without End featured plenty of chanted and sing along choruses that fit the style perfectly, which is something in thrash I absolutely love; a band that can write really catchy choruses and just awesome songs that stick out. Waking Into Nightmares features this style again, with Prey for Death and Senseless Life following the tradition, catchy singing along with some fun riffing. Waking Into Nightmares features my favorite thing on albums, the killer 1-2-3 combo of opening songs; Jackal, Living in a Whirlwind and Severed Reality. These are easily my favorite types of songs, with Jackal opening up the album with probably the best song, some killer vocal lines that lead up to Kevill yelling "....JACKAL!" at about 1 minute in and a ridiculously awesome main riff enters like Gorro from Mortal Kombat and takes your body and just snaps it in half with it's 4 arms. Fuck yeah. Living in a Whirlwind has to be one of the coolest tracks they've ever written, with a sweet opening riff that leads into.... "LIVING IN A WHIRLWIND!" with even more insane riffing. Gang shouted back up vocals are spotted throughout the album, highly prominent and a definite plus. Kevill manages to make "whirlwind" have 3 syllables now and for that, I fucking salute him!
Throughout the album you will notice the small improvements that proves this is an overall better release than War Without End. May it be the more incorporated death/thrash influences, the improved drumming, the more structured riffing and lead guitar work or even the production and powerful vocal delivery; it's all here found throughout the entire album that absolutely decimates the fucking competition. As noted before, the death/thrash style starts to rise up into Warbringer's style, although definitely more thrash than "death/thrash", you can find the heavy Demolition Hammer influence on Abandoned by Time where the listener is absolutely maimed by the insanely cool "breakdown" where Ritter starts blast beating and over top is one of the coolest fucking solos, reminds me of something Dark Angel would do.
Two things manage to stick out above all else on this album, firstly the third to last song Nightmare Anatomy. It's a four minute instrumental, that starts off slow and ominous with clean guitars and a nice display of drumming. At the two minute mark is climaxes and leads into a nice almost 'moving' thrash instrumental, that creates a nice ominous and cool atmosphere. It's not bad in any way, just a strange inclusion onto the album that I was not expecting. The other thing that sticks out probably the most, was featured on Shadow From the Tomb (only song with lyrics not written by John Kevill, instead by bassist Ben Bennett), where about halfway through we hear... death metal vocals? That's right folks, straight up death metal growling, instead of Kevill's usual semi yelled growl and delivery, we get a full on death metal chorus, that sounds a lot like Martin Van Drunen actually, which is definitely something I look forward to hearing live.
So, with this excellent sophomore outing, Warbringer have totally kicked my ass once again. This is easily one of the better retro-thrash albums to be released period, and fuck this is a definite overall killer thrash album in general. Warbringer have established themselves as one of the best thrash bands to grace the scene within the few years with now two killer albums. This has it all, really cool and catchy chorus, powerful riffs and solos that pack a punch and some of the best thrash vocals around at this time. Even if you didn't like War Without End, I can't imagine you disliking Waking Into Nightmares, there is so much more new to be found as well as plenty of the refined elements they employed earlier, this is an album you shouldn't miss on, I'm having a hard time finding anything wrong with it actually. So pick this up if you are a fan of thrash or death/thrash and definitely if you loved the debut, if you don't well... you're a pussy. WHIR-IL-WIND!
As much as I was bored to death by Warbringer's previous release, War Without End, I was much more entertained by Waking Into Nightmares. I preordered the album and got a bonus disc, the rough mix tracks to two of the songs, which was a nice touch, but unnecessary. It seems like they could've saved a lot of money and made the rough mix tracks just bonus tracks on the album.
The major thing that keeps me listening to this album is the riffs. They're not as bland and mediocre as in the previous release. Maybe its just the production, maybe I've acquired more of a fondness of thrash recently, but the riffs keep me pretty entertained. Having seen some of the newer trash bands live like Warbringer, Municipal Waste, and Lazarus A.D. helps my thrash appetite.
Aside from the riffs, the lead work is pretty standard. Nothing really mindblowing or groundbreaking, but its not really supposed to be. Its trash. As long as it sounds cool (and it does), that's all that matters.
Next is the drums. There's much more double bass (which I'm a fan of), and the drummer didn't consistently sound like he was trying to keep up with the rest of the band as on the previous album. Getting a new drummer was a step in the right direction for Warbringer.
I can't even hear the bass. Maybe its just me, but I usually can't hear the bass in anything anyway.
The vocals are pretty much the same as the previous album, maybe turned up a little bit, if not a little better. It seems John has improved a little bit, which makes the album that much more enjoyable. But again, maybe its just the production. The only complaint I have is that the lyrics could be a little more evil, but I guess Warbringer isn't really that evil of a band.
All in all, I am very satisfied with this album. I really, really wanted to like Warbringer, but War Without End just bored me to tears. This release is much better and is a giant step in the right direction. I will be definiitely be at the next show when I get an opportunity.


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Two shot following car chase with Birmingham Police; Mayor Bell's security detail involved
Birmingham Police dispatch has confirmed that two subjects have suffered gunshot wounds following a car pursuit with officers.
The incident happened around 8 p.m. on Interstate 59 North with the chase ending at the 22nd Street exit. All northbound lanes are currently closed.
The conditions of the subjects shot is unknown at this time.
We will continue to follow this story and provide updates as information is made available.
Update #1
Police have recovered a weapon off of 17th Street North, and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation was called to the scene to investigate the incident.
Two Birmingham Police officers were involved in the shooting.
Both suspects shot were taken to UAB Hospital. Their conditions remain unknown.
I-59 North is now open.
Update #2
According to an al.com report, Mayor William Bell's security detail was involved in the incident.
Update #3
Birmingham Police Department release:
"The Birmingham Police Department reports that two Birmingham Police Officers were involved in a shooting that occurred on today, November 30, 2012 at I-59 North and the 22nd Street exit. At approximate 7:47 p.m., officers from the North Precinct responded to the 300 block of 8th Avenue North to investigate a report of shots fired.{} Moments later, officers were dispatched to I-59 North and the 22nd Street exit.{} Upon arrival, officers discovered that two Birmingham Police Officers were involved in a shooting with three suspects.One black male suspect and one black female suspect were taken to UAB Hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds.{} A third black male suspect was taken into custody without incident.{} There were no other reported injuries.{} The identity of the three suspects have not been confirmed. {}The Alabama Bureau of Investigation or A.B.I. is the lead investigating agency.{} The three suspects have not been formally charged."


text: How much is a reasonable price for a nwt recent canali suit ? i found one on ebay for $700, it's a lot for a canali suit but i like the pattern and when i tried a canali suit at a store i really liked the fit, much more than brioni.. I know brioni is better on the construction, handwork but fit was not great for me... I hesitate to get this canali for $700, any advice ? I looked on the BS but couldn't find anything of the suit i am looking for.


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Tell us about yourself!
"Is this book ever gonna end??"
WOW, REALLY??? I would have been done and out already! Too much drama for me! The crap that Gideon does is unforgiveable! She has no balls!!!
Loving books :) Quick and honest reviews.
"Second book, better than the first"
The story is a stronger than the first book. Twisted ending that intrigues me on how they move forward with this behind them.
50 Shades of grey but on a whole different level. These books have a stronger story and raunchier sex than 50 shades. Both good books in their own ways.
I pretty much did.
Reflected in you: A crossfire novel book 2 by Sylvia Day
The second book is better than the first. It is full of unexpected twist and turns keeping it intriguing. Stronger story, tons of raunchy sex, and entices you to read the third book. Although, I still find Cross creepy and Eva naïve the read is still a good one. Ready for the third book.
it's the best way to spend a working day, and i'm thankful my job is one where i can listen to books all day long.
"couldn't get enough!"
i listened to this book several times and i couldn't get enough. if you loved the first one in the series (Bared to You), then this won't disappoint. Gideon's story takes shape in this book and the ending about sent me over the edge, making me so excited for the third book. i loved this! couldn't get enough!
"Not as good as the first one."
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, but this one just had way too much agnst for me.
I've always been a avid reader so now I'm a avid listener. I prefer the paranormal genre but I do like to switch things up. It's boring if you don't have variety. Of course I do love the romance and the hotter the better. Also, you can't beat a good thriller filled with suspense and a ending you can't even guess at until the very end.
"Loved it!!"
Yes it was very good. It was a perfect continuation of Bared to You. Sometimes the second book does not stand up to the first book but this one was great. I enjoyed the story.
None that I know of.
I enjoyed everyone.
I like it because we all are flawed in some way and the author did a very good job conveying a very passionate relationship with emotional challenges.
It was well worth the credit. I recommend listening to Bared to You first.
I'm a 25 year old mum to my beautiful nearly 2 yr old daughter and i LOVE books , both reading and listening to them :D
"Great sequel to Bared to You"
ranks in about top 25 % , great listen
you learn more about Gideons past and what happened to him when he was younger.
i think she is a great narrator!!
My past was as violent as his, and I was just as broken. We'd never work. It was too hard, too painful…except
"All I've Ever Wanted"
What a remarkable journey into the lives of Gideon and Eva. The narration was a delight. The book was perfect. Oh how I love thee, let me count the ways:
The Narrator was fabulous, (after listening to this book, now one of my top 3 all time favorites)
The Plot was simply the best, the sexual tension/scenes, the pleasure, the eagerness, the characters, the anxiety, the love, the fulfillment, the laughs, the tears, the longing for the next book. I am now officially obsessed with the Crossfire series.
This book has little (very little) likeness to Fifty Shades of Gray.
My note to publisher and Author:
I hate you for making me wait until June for the next book.
Love a good romance
"Didn't want it to end"
Up with my favorites
The ending
Great would listen to her again
Both books are an emotional roller coaster ride
Love this site! I have a very busy job, so listening to audio books enables me to keep up on great stories!
"Wow, didn't see THAT ending coming..."
Upper 25%.
Really strong voices. Each one has their own story and voice. I love that they didn't blend together.
Yes ma'am!
So this probably defeats the purpose of the book, but I found myself wanting more talk and less sex. Weird hey? I know. In this book we delved more into of Gideon's problems, as well as more of Eva's past. I was rooting for them, and was bothered by sex being the answer to everything for them. However, I am really looking forward to the third book. And by the way...did anyone else see that ending coming? Not me!
"Great sequel to Bared to You"
Another great book that follows Bared to You. I can not wait to read the rest of the sequels.


text:
Ray Hicks, North Carolina's celebrated storyteller, lived atop Beech Mountain in Watauga County. Though his homeplace was very near Boone, it was culturally distant from the fast-developing college town down the road. He and his wife Rosa lived in a manner more common to the pioneer than the modern mountaineer. A visitor to the Hickses' striking two-story frame house was likely to find Rosa busy drying apples and "putting up" produce from the garden, while Ray entertained a group of friends and neighbors in the front room.
One was struck first by Mr. Hicks' physical appearance--his lanky frame approaching seven feet. But the true marvel of the man was his verbal presence. He spoke a dialect of English that retained much of the vocabulary, phrasing, expression, and accent of earlier English and Scotch-Irish immigrants to the region. So much so that he was featured on Robert McNeil's PBS series The Story of English.
Mr. Hicks relished the spoken word and was a natural storyteller. Folklorist and former director of the Folk Arts Program at the National Endowment for the Arts, Bess Lomax Hawes, once said, "There isn't any other Ray and never has been another Ray, except, maybe, back in the Middle Ages. He moves into a story, and is totally engrossed. He talks about the characters as if they'd just stepped 'round back of his house, or gone up the road a piece."
Mr. Hicks was particularly fond of telling a group of stories known as Jack tales, which are kin to the well-known stories "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Jack and the Giant Killer." The tales have ancient antecedents in Celtic and European folklore. In Ray's interpretations, which might have taken the better part of an hour to complete, there was a wonderful weave of fairy tale elements with realistic trappings of Southern Appalachian culture.
Less well known were Mr. Hicks' musical abilities. He was a powerful singer of traditional British and American ballads and a soulful harmonica player.
The North Carolina Arts Council was not the first organization to honor Ray Hicks. In 1983, he received the National Heritage Fellowship Award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Though his distaste for traveling limited his public exposure, Ray appeared in a number of film documentaries and was profiled in The New Yorker magazine.
Mr. Hicks regularly performed at the annual National Storytellers Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee, which was a good place to experience first-hand the extraordinary qualities of the man. The event attracts large crowds each year to hear the country's best storytellers, and Mr. Hicks was the star of the festival. He remained at the forefront of a national revitalization of a venerable art form until his death in 2003 at the age of 80.
Courtesy of the North Carolina Arts Council, www.ncarts.org. More information about Ray Hicks is available online at http://www.rayhicks.com/In 1983, Ray Hicks was presented with the National Heritage Fellowship of the Folk Arts Program of the National Endowment of the Arts.http://www.nea.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/fellow.php?id=1983_03
Full Name: Ray Hicks
Contact: Please communicate any messages or requests for information about this principal to Folkstreams administration by our
Contact Form. Thank you.


text:
2 CVs for "Operator" in PK-12441 Sambalri Gala (Azad Kashmir).
data entery operatorBhakkar City, Punjab I am a student of B.sc. i have passed f.sc(math ,Physics ,computer) with 66.27% and matric with science ====70.82% i also have the computer based knowledge (programming and etc,,,,,,) [more]
Data Entry OperatorBhakkar City, Punjab Seeking challenges where a diverse background and a proven technical expertise will be utilized to advance in the world. [more]
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text:
Same-sex marriage applicants test NC county
Posted October 15, 2013
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — An official in western North Carolina has accepted marriage license requests from 10 same-sex couples, despite a 2012 amendment to the state constitution forbidding such marriages.
Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger said he thinks the state's ban is unconstitutional, but he would hold the licenses awaiting legal guidance from the state.
Chief Deputy Attorney General Grayson Kelley sent Reisinger a letter Tuesday noting that a lawsuit has been filed to challenge the constitutional ban.
"Unless the courts rule otherwise or North Carolina law is changed, issuance of a marriage license to a same-sex couple would be a violation of the law," Kelley wrote.
Attorney General Roy Cooper said Monday that he supports gay marriage, but he has said he'll defend the state's constitutional ban on gay marriage.
Brenda Clark and Carol McCrory, a couple who have been together for 25 years, were the first to ask Reisinger for a license Tuesday morning.
Reisinger congratulated them, then said he would ask the attorney general for permission before signing their license.
"I think it's pretty clear that there is a contradiction between state law and federal law, and we want some clarification," Reisinger said.
McCrory praised Reisinger for his courage in accepting their marriage license request. "I'm very proud of you," she said.
The Campaign for Southern Equality has been going from county to county, trying to find someone to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples as part of its "We Do" campaign.
The Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, called Reisinger's action "another step forward in the path to full equality for LGBT people."
Before the 10 couples applied for marriage licenses Tuesday, Beach-Ferrara and 100 supporters gathered in a downtown Asheville church to encourage them.
Beach-Ferrara said they will keep pressing the issue. She called the state's ban on same-sex marriage "morally wrong."
"You can only deal with this for so long. It wears on your soul. It wears on your spirit, and it's wrong," she said.
Reisinger's announcement Monday that he would accept licenses came hours after an Associated Press story revealed that Cooper said he supports same-sex marriage. But Cooper also said his personal views won't prevent him from defending North Carolina's ban in court.
Cooper is named as a defendant and is the state's lead designated attorney in a lawsuit filed by several same-sex couples that was recently expanded to challenge the constitutionality of the amendment in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision over the summer.
Thirteen states and the District of Columbia permit same-sex marriages.
This is the second time the Campaign for Southern Equality has targeted Asheville. The bohemian university town in western North Carolina has a large gay and lesbian population.
Two years ago, a same-sex couple was arrested after refusing to leave Reisinger's office when the pair was turned down for a marriage license. The arrests followed a downtown rally that drew about 300 people, where same-sex couples were blessed by clergy members.
Reisinger recalled that protest and said it was now time to take action. He said he told the attorney general's office last week that he was planning to accept marriage licenses from same-sex couples.
But Reisinger said he would abide by the attorney general's ruling.
"If the attorney general says he will not allow me to issue marriage licenses, then I will respect the law of the land. But if he grants me permission to issue these marriage licenses, I will be excited to be the first in the South to make that happen," he said.


text:
Research In Psychology: Methods and Design, 7th Edition
November 2012, ©2013
An appealing, understandable, and valuable text, Research in Psychology: Methods and Design, 7th edition continues to offer its readers a clear, concise look at psychological science, experimental methods, and correlational research. This new edition also includes an added emphasis on research ethics; how the APA's most recent code of ethics is applied to research, and the issue of scientific fraud. Rounded out with helpful learning aids, step-by-step instructions, and detailed examples of real research studies makes the material easy to read and student-friendly.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Scientific Thinking in Psychology
Chapter 2: Ethics in Psychological Research
Chapter 3: Developing Ideas for Research in Psychology
Chapter 4: Measurement and Data Analysis
Chapter 5: Introduction to Experimental Research
Chapter 6: Methodological Control in Experimental Research
Chapter 7: Experimental Design I: Single-Factor Designs
Chapter 8: Experimental Design II: Factorial Designs
Chapter 9: Correlational Research
Chapter 10: Quasi-Experimental Designs and Applied Research
Chapter 11: Small N Designs
Chapter 12: Observational and Survey Research Methods
New To This Edition
- 12 new research examples are included in this edition.
The Wiley Advantage
- Research examples range from contemporary research to classic studies in order to illustrate various methodological points and enhance critical thinking.
- Early coverage of experiments: The text gets to experiments as quickly as possible, and covers non-experimental research after experiments.
- Engaging historical material: Origins boxes show how different research methods and concepts have evolved.
- Extensive student review and applications exercises: These provide opportunities for instructors to engage their students in active learning.
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text:
BUFORD -- Some quick perspective on Friday's Class AAA semifinal at Buford's Tom Riden Stadium:
-- Callaway will be making its first ever state semifinal appearance, Buford its seventh straight.
-- Callaway is hunting for its first ever state championship, Buford its ninth in 13 seasons.
Yet the talk out of Buford this week could easily be mistaken for a Callaway quote:
"We haven't really done anything in our minds yet," Wolves senior quarterback Montgomery VanGorder said. "We're felling pretty good coming into this game, but we've got to play our best ball right now. This is the semifinals."
When you combine Buford's talent with that attitude, it's no wonder the Wolves (13-0) are right back in the championship race. And Buford says that to stay in that hunt it must focus squarely on a Cavaliers squad (12-1) that has the kind of athleticism to derail any team.
(To watch a video preview of Friday's Class AAA semifinal, simply click "play" in the box to the right.)
"I'd start with the word explosive," Buford coach Jess Simpson said of Callaway. "On offense they have four or five guys that are just special players. They're very well coached up front. And defensively they are very similar to (Buford quarterfinal opponent) Carver (Columbus), maybe not quite as big as Carver, but maybe even different in some good ways as well. They hit well, get off blocks well, rally to the ball well. It's going to be a challenge again for us this week."
That challenge starts for Buford's offense against a Callaway defense that features senior linebacker Keshun Freeman (a Georgia Tech commit) and junior defensive back Terry Godwin. The standouts anchor a unit allowing 14.8 points per game and prides itself on swarming to the ball and overwhelming foes with numbers.
"They're a great defense, probably the best defense we've seen," VanGorder said. "We just have to play physical, come out and start fast and run the ball and throw it when we have to and we'll be all right."
The Wolves have had little trouble doing that to opponents this season, averaging 265 rush yards per game behind a dominant offensive line and a number of capable backs. Thomas Wilson (717 yards, 16 touchdowns) and Joshua Thomas (725 yards, 11 TDs) lead a stable of rushers that include eight backs that have run for over 100 yards and 15 different players that have tallied a rushing touchdown. Their play, combined with VanGorder and Taylor Mitchell at quarterback (1,458 passing yards split almost evenly, 9 TDs apiece, completing 67 and 69 of their passes, respectively) have helped Buford average just under 50 points per game.
"We have great running backs, and we have a great offensive line. It's luxurious really," VanGorder said. "We're just back there managing the game, and, when we have to, we make big plays. All the running backs do their jobs. And if one guy goes down we've got another guy who can step in."
And then there is that defense.
Buford's 4-3 unit enters tonight's contest allowing just 6 points per game and just 13 points through three playoff wins (4.3 points per game).
"I think this is one of the best defenses perhaps to come through Buford, which is saying a lot," Wolves senior linebacker and Clemson commit Korie Rogers said. "We have a lot of speed on the edges and at the same time we have power with our line and linebackers, and I feel like our players are dedicated and listening to what the coaches are saying and buying in, and that's going to get us going in the right direction."
That direction will focus on stopping on the Cavaliers run game this week.
Featuring quarterback Tez Parks, running back Eddie Culpepper and fullback Devon Rosser, the Cavaliers have lit up the postseason, averaging 48.6 points through three wins. Yet the Wolves enter the battle allowing just 1.7 yards per rush.
"The challenge as far as keys go is pretty simple for our defense," Rogers said of Friday's contest. "I just hope we can make it look simple on Friday night."
To the outsider, the Wolves have certainly made things look pretty simple this postseason, outscoring three foes 134-13. Yet Rogers says that Buford's coaching staff ensures there are no thoughts of coasting.
"Honestly it all goes back to the coaches and the fact they never get satisfied," Rogers said. "Many teams would have been happy with a 26-0 lead over Woodward Academy at halftime (in a second round game the Wolves went on to win 40-7), but we get to halftime and we're getting yelled at for missing certain keys and stuff that can hurt us later in the playoffs, so I think it all goes back to the coaches."
Yet the Wolves coaches say they are just part of the equation and note that much of the motivation throughout each week comes from within the roster itself.
"We have a great group of seniors and they're very locked in and focused," Simpson said. "And they take a lot of pride in playing well on Friday night. I think as a senior you think about your legacy a little bit, but as a high school kid you really only think of that when you're older and gone. I think they're in the moment right now, and that's where I want them to be. All that other stuff is just stuff for people to talk about. We can talk about it later. Let's just play good this week."
-- NOTE: Buford is 11-0 in state semifinal games since 2000.
CALLAWAY at BUFORD
-- WHAT: Class AAA football semifinal
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday
-- WHERE: Tom Riden Stadium, Buford
-- CALLAWAY (12-1, No. 1 seed Region 4-AAA): Defeated St. Pius 35-21 in the quarterfinals
-- BUFORD (13-0, No. 1 seed Region 7-AAA): Defeated Carver, Columbus 36-6 in the quarterfinals
-- HISTORY: Buford won the only previous meeting, 52-14 in the second round of the 2010 Class AA playoffs.
-- WINNER PLAYS: Washington County vs. Ringgold winner in the Class AAA title game at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13 in the Georgia Dome


text:
I'm post-op breast augmentation from a 34AA to full C (400cc). I want to know how long do you wear a sports bra and would a tighter one be best apposed to a comfortable bra?
Sports Bra and Tighter Bra After Breast Implants?
Doctor Answers 56
Bra style and size following breast augmentation
If at any time you are concerned your bra is not the right size or possibly is too tight i would advise you to follow up with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. One of the many reasons why I prefer to provide two post-operative garments to my patients as part of the personalized post-operative kit is to assure the proper fit.
I do hope you have found this information helpful and I wish you luck!
To Bra or not to Bra, there is no right answer
There is no right answer that has been investigated in a scientific manner. Most surgeons have their own routine, though none can prove they are right. Personally, I ask my patients to switch to a tight, elastic sports bra with a wide lateral strap on the day after surgery and to wear it for several days or longer. My theory is that the pressure reduces some of the swelling. After several days, this should no longer be effective. I then tell them that they can switch to any comfortable inexpensive bra that fits well. I also advise them that they will have to change size bra as the swelling resolves, and not to buy a nice, expensive bra for at least 2-3 months.
Not enough info?
I usually place the implants under the muscle. It usually takes ~3-4 weeks before they start to drop into place. I won't let patients wear a bra until the implants are where they need to be and things look the best they will look. This may take months. Additionally, I have my patients wear an uncomfortable band to push the implants down for several weeks after surgery.
I never want a bra to be uncomfortable, or worse, painful, as this can cause serious problems.
Discuss this with your surgeon over an exam- he is the best one to guide you toward a happy ending.
You might also like...
Bra after implants
Bra after implants is individual
The decision to wear a bra immediately after breast augmentation is an individual one and you should discuss this with your surgeon. In my practice, I encourage my patients to wear a sports bra to give support to the added weight from the implants to give gentle compression to help reduce any swelling. Good luck.
Ask your surgeon
There are so many variables that must be considered in order to answer your question, that you would be best served by asking your particular surgeon the question you posed.
In some cases, I have a patient wear a bra, and in some I specifically may advise against it. Sometimes, I may not have the patient wear a bra and may even put an elastic strap across the top of the chest to "seat" the implants.
Learn more: http://www.antell-md.com/newyorkplasticsurgeon/breastimplants_nyc.htm
Sport bra and tighter after breast implants?
After breast surgery, you should wear a soft bra for 3-4 months
Bra or not?
Corpus Christi,
This is a question that only your surgeon should answer. Every surgeon has his/her own protocol for bra use after breast augmentation surgery. You should follow the instructions that your personal surgeon provides. If he/she has not told you what to wear, call their office and ask. Good luck!
Ask your surgeon regarding post-op care
There is no standard to post-op care is concerned. Some situations need more support and some require less. Ask your surgeon. Most of the time, if the surgery went according to plan, I will have my patients do what is comfortable and often suggest going without a bra to allow the soft tissues to accommodate more naturally around the implant and allow gravity to help the implants shape the breasts while instructing use of a sports bra when exercising or doing sports.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


text:
|Trad, TR
|YDS: 5.10c French: 6b Ewbanks: 20 UIAA: VII ZA: 20 British: E2 5b [details]
|Pete Cleveland
|Page Views:
|Submitted By:
|Tom Anderson-Brown on Mar 19, 2002
|Comments on Jack the Ripper
|Add Comment
|Show which comments —
By Anonymous
Mar 22, 2002
|f.a.: pete cleveland
By Steve Sangdahl
From: eldo sprngs,co
Mar 22, 2005
rating: 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
|well worth doing. i seemto remember good gear.
By Tradiban
Sep 8, 2010
rating: 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13
Never hand-jammed, lay back on the crack and find the right sequence for feet.
At the end of the crack traverse right to under the roof in the dihedral and finish on Cop Ripper for the full value.
By Burt Lindquist
From: Madison, WI
Sep 9, 2010
|That's absurd.... go back... hand jam the thing on a nice humid 90F day after it has been raining alot. Only then will you discover Jack's true nature....
By Andy Hansen
From: Longmont, Colorado
Jun 27, 2011
rating: 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
|Hand jam boulder problem. Sick. Awesome route with good gear but pretty strenuous to place it at times. After the initial crux section the moves are super sweet and 5.8ish. Finishing on Snedgar's Nose is heady but there is a SPLITTER .5 BD size crack for 25 feet to follow to the top.


text:
Boyhood dreams became realities for a pair of Florida Gators on Thursday as both forward Chandler Parsons and center Vernon Macklin were selected in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft.
Though he was hoping to be picked a round earlier, Parsons was excited and emotional when the Houston Rockets chose him with the No. 38 overall selection. Having logged thousands of miles working out for more than of the NBA's teams, he previously noted that Houston's workout was one of the most grueling and physically demanding.
Parsons, the 2011 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, averaged 11.3 points per game as a senior and led Florida in both rebounds (7.8) and assists (3.7) last season. A team leader who is praised for his size, athleticism and basketball IQ, he shot 48 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from three and 55.7 from the charity stripe in 2011.
Seeing his teammate and friend get drafted, Macklin did not have to wait much longer to share a similar fate. Just 14 slots later, he was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the No. 52 overall pick.
Macklin, who transferred from Georgetown and was forced to sit out a season, has a huge upside due to his pure strength and ability to score in the post. However, scouts and NBA general managers have informed him that he needs to work on his aggressiveness and rebounding.
He averaged 11.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last year and upped his field goal percentage to .593 due in part to his consistent hook shot.
Forward Alex Tyus, the third senior eligible to be selected, was not chosen on Thursday. He will become an undrafted free agent but will have to wait until the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement is settled before a team can sign him. Other options for Tyus include playing overseas or in the NBA Developmental League.
It is the fourth time in school history that the University of Florida has had at least two players selected in the NBA Draft in the same year (1984, 2000, 2007). Parsons and Macklin, the 32nd and 33rd players chosen out of Florida all-time, are the first Gators to ever be picked by their respective teams.


text: I've been feeling like crap all weekend, so luckily I was at my dads house where Jackson could play with the other dogs, and run around the fenced in yard. I got out and tried to take a few pics of what little snow we have left. Also, his new Ruffwear Climate Change - love it! (also, his hair is annoying the crap out of me! He just groomed and it seems to immediately fall back in his eyes, ugh, I don't know what the deal is, or what the groomer is doing). This is on the pool cover, LOL


text: Remember the Packers game at Reliant a few years ago. It was a Sunday night game that came down to the last play. Ryan Longwell made a FG as time expired to give the Green Bay the win. Well.......booya!!! Payback is a mutha! Way to go Texans, way to go Kris. P.S. Protect the ball and don't try and give away the game Jacoby.


text:
My gut tells me that we have a big investment opportunity today in American banks. The problem is that my brain tells me that there is no way I have the expertise to figure out exactly what is on the balance sheet of these entities.
I've never been convinced that people inside banks are fully aware of the real risk that lies in their assets. I mean how many loans get underwritten by branches that are supervised by some guy who will never even meet the executives who run the bank? A bank is only as good as its internal controls on its underwriting standards. And internal controls are only as good as the people using them. And we all know what people are capable of. These are huge institutions that rely on the effectiveness of their systems. That frightens me.
However. While I can't really drill into those assets to the level I would like. A person could always take a basket approach to such a contrarian investment if you believe that an entire sector is likely wildly undervalued. It reduces the risk of betting too much on one bad seed, and allows exposure to the simple premise that banks will survive and generally are in pretty good shape.
I saw this article and interview with Dick Bove and I have to admit it made a lot of sense to me:
The stock market is "simply flipping out" by selling off American banks, but the drop in their European counterparts is justified, Richard Bove told CNBC Thursday.
The selling in U.S. banks is "ridiculous," the Rochdale Securities banking analyst said on a day when the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down about 4 percent.
"Take a look at Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) bonds today, it's flat. If you look at Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) bonds today, they're actually up a little bit. So the bond market is telling you that there isn't a risk in the American system. The stock market is simply flipping out," he said.
But the selling in European banks is justified because of the continued uncertainty. He said these banks "have to give these countries that can't repay their debt three to five years of [a] debt-free period. They don't pay their principal back and you cut their interest rates at the same point in time. As a result, that gives them a chance to build up some cash flow to improve their economies."
But he also wants European banks to be forced to "write these loans down to what the true value is. We can't tell if tomorrow morning Greece wakes up and says, 'We're going to be just like Argentina. We're not going to pay you back ever.' Then banks will have to write this back down. So these banks have got to write down their assets to real value."
Finally, "You need a strong group of central banks — China, the U.S., Europe — to put together a pool of money that can be accessed by the banks to rebuild their capital."
Here is the video:
Rather than try and wade in here myself and buy a basket of banks, I think the smart move is to enlist the services of a proven financial sector investor to do it for me. And what I'm thinking is that buying into the Fairholme Fund, or buying stocks that mimic the Fairholme Fund's huge exposure to the financial sector is a terrific strategy.
These were the main holdings of Fairholme as of their last semi-annual report:
Top Ten Holdings
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A) 7.2%
AIA Group 6.7%
Sears Holding Corp (NASDAQ:SHLD) 6.4%
Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) 5.7%
Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM) 5.6%
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) 5.5%
Citigroup (NYSE:C) 5.5%
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) 5.3%
Regions Financial (NYSE:RF) 5.3%
Total of Top Ten Holdings 71.2%
Buying now we are certainly getting a big discount from the price Fairholme paid. I'd suggest buying the stocks directly might be the better strategy as Fairholme is likely going to be struggling with redemptions for some time which could impact its performance to some degree.
Another alternative is to simply follow Buffett and Prem Watsa and buy the higher quality banks such as Wells Fargo. It is hard to imagine that with Buffett's 20-plus years as a major shareholder that he doesn't have a good feel for everything about WFC. And he is still buying today.
My gut tells me that we have a big investment opportunity today in American banks. The problem is that my brain tells me that there is no way I have the expertise to figure out exactly what is on the balance sheet of these entities.


text:
Colin Meloy, the singer-songwriter at the heart of the Decemberists, spent his musically formative years in Missoula, Montana, but you couldn't prove it by Castaways and Cutouts. The first full-length by his band, which is currently based in Portland, Oregon, sounds for all the world like the work of a hyper-literate Brit whose moody pop sensibility was formed while matriculating at Oxford.
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"Leslie Anne Levine," the lead track here, sets the tone via a narrator "born at nine and dead at noon," whose only love was "a chimney sweep/Lost and lodged inside a flue/Back in 1842." The formality of this language, which Meloy croons in a crisp, clean tenor voice that keeps hinting at an accent he never actually displays, is paired with music highlighted by Jenny Conlee's patient accordion, Chris Funk's atmospheric pedal steel, Ezra Holbrook's unfussy drumming and Nate Query's steady upright bass. The resulting tune is simultaneously ghoulish and enchanting -- a blend not yet available at your neighborhood Starbucks.
Although Meloy seems most comfortable moving at a modest tempo, he occasionally comes up with a jaunty melody of the sort that enlivens "The Legionnaire's Lament," in which the desert-dwelling protagonist hopes for "a Frigidaire to come passing by." Still, misery lurks behind every hook: Consider the sonically sprightly "July, July!," which moves from a couplet celebrating a light-magenta camisole to lyrical images of blood rolling down the drain. As for the concluding "Youth and Beauty Brigade," this rallying cry to bedwetters, ambulance chasers, pickpockets and those with light loafers might seem funny on the page, but its execution is oddly melancholic, and all the better for it. Anglophiles from Missoula, unite.