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Flies buzzed around the heads of attendees seated on the patio of Socorro's Capitol Bar, a brick saloon near the town's plaza where, at the turn of the 20th century, the bar's one-time owner, Justice of the Peace Amos Green, held court and jailed the guilty.
More than 100 years later, US Senate candidate Martin Heinrich was on trial by a Democratic base at a quick meet-and-greet in a county where more than 75 percent of voters pulled the lever for Democratic US Sen. Jeff Bingaman in 2006. It was a fundraiser attended by a few dozen of the Democratic faithful. Suggested donation: $25.
The court that Saturday was friendly. One of the first questions, a softball, came from a supporter named Bill.
"If there's one message…I can take back to my mom and family and say, 'This is why I think we should vote for Martin,' will you give me that?" he asked. "That way, I don't have to spend a lot of time; I can get the nuts and bolts and tell them, 'This is going to be a good reason.'"
"Absolutely," Heinrich replied.
It was a hot, long day for Heinrich, with campaign stops in Las Cruces, Socorro and back up to the Valencia County Democratic headquarters to rouse a small group of volunteers. Sweat permeated his blue collared shirt, neatly tucked into his jeans—the politician's everyman ensemble.
Heinrich, a former Albuquerque city councilor turned congressman, answered with a familiar campaign message: His City Council voted to raise the minimum wage while his opponent, former Republican congresswoman Heather Wilson, voted against raising it in Washington—despite repeatedly voting to raise her own pay.
"We became the fourth city in the country to [raise the minimum wage]," Heinrich said. "We were trying to create the momentum so that Washington would do the right thing. She voted six times against raising the minimum wage in Washington, DC. And she voted six times to raise her own pay by close to $30,000. I was looking out for the hard-working constituents of my district. I will do that in the US Senate for the entire state."
Applause immediately rang out. It was neat contrast on the two candidates' records that painted Wilson as self-serving and Heinrich as a public servant.
But in politics, reality is rarely so neat.
In January 2007, Wilson took the floor of the US House, where she had been serving New Mexico's 1st Congressional District for almost a decade—the same district Heinrich now represents.
In 1998, Wilson, now 51, became the first female US Armed Forces veteran to serve in Congress. She has a knack for expressing herself zealously. During a 2004 Congressional hearing, for instance, Wilson apparently shed tears while excoriating a Viacom Inc. executive for airing Janet Jackson's nipple during the Super Bowl halftime show, saying, "You knew what kind of entertainment you were selling, and you wanted all of us to be abuzz here in this room and on the playground in my kids' school, because it improves your ratings, it improves your market share and it lines your pockets!"
January 2007 marked the beginning of the new Democratic majority's 100-hour plan, a legislative blitz by a party that had regained control of the House for the first time in 12 years.
At issue that day was a bill by California Democrat George Miller that would raise the minimum wage for the first time since Wilson took office.
"I would like to tell you about one of my constituents," Wilson said. "Her name is Mary Padilla, and she runs Roadrunner Transmissions in Albuquerque, New Mexico."
Padilla was apparently worried that Miller's bill, which would raise the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour, would prevent Roadrunner from being able to pay for its employees' health benefits.
"The toughest thing for a small business person to do is to make the payroll and provide health insurance," Wilson said on the floor.
Wilson spoke in support of a motion that would effectively add a provision allowing employers like Roadrunner to opt out of paying the higher minimum wage if they provided health insurance to their employees.
"One of the biggest problems we face in this country is the uninsured population," Wilson said. "In my state, about one in four people don't have health insurance. This provision would encourage more small and medium-sized businesses to provide health insurance for their employees."
The opt-out motion failed to make it into the final bill, but Wilson nonetheless joined Democrats in voting for it. The bill passed the House, and eventually the minimum-wage increase was put into an Iraq spending bill that May, for which Wilson also voted.
In the end, Wilson had joined her colleagues in passing the first minimum wage hike in a decade.
It was, however, an aberration in Wilson's record. Heinrich is correct in saying that she voted six times against raising the minimum wage—and also that she cast votes that effectively raised her own congressional pay.
It's just one case in which campaign messages don't necessarily reflect political reality.
But as the election nears, the campaign messages are coming faster and more forcefully—and the nation is watching New Mexico's Senate race.
Jennifer Duffy, senior editor of The Cook Political Report, notes that the Senate's Democratic majority is at stake.
Democrats currently hold the chamber by just four seats; with 33 seats in play this election cycle, the balance could easily shift.
Duffy's Washington-based nonpartisan newsletter, which analyzes elections, calls 10 of those races—including New Mexico's—tossups; the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call includes New Mexico's Senate race as one of seven tossups. Other polls show Heinrich with a fragile lead of anywhere from three to seven points, taking into account margin of error.
"If [Republicans] win New Mexico, they definitely have the majority," Duffy says of the Senate, adding later, "I think this is the most underrated competitive race in the country right now."
Republicans already have the majority in the 435-member US House of Representatives, and Democrats need a net gain of 25 seats to take it back, according to the Rothenberg Political Report. Even if President Barack Obama is reelected this year, he could face two Congressional chambers controlled by recalcitrant Republicans, who have already shown that their opposition to Obama's policies is fierce.
In short, depending on how the numbers shake out, the political future of the nation could hinge on New Mexico's Senate race.
Republicans are hoping for a coup d'état.
"My personal support for Heather Wilson is unabashed," New Mexico Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, who threw his endorsement behind Wilson in the primaries after withdrawing his candidacy, tells SFR. On a recent Saturday, he stopped by the GOP's Santa Fe "victory office," one of many the party has established across the state to act as central operations for GOP campaigns. "We can't take control of the US Senate unless we take this seat in New Mexico."
Duffy says support from Gov. Susana Martinez, whose approval ratings rank among the highest in the country, could help Wilson. But Sanchez declined to say what kind of support the governor might lend the Senate candidate.
Democrats, meanwhile, have been preparing for battle.
Moises Ortega, president of the New Mexico Teamsters Local 492, whose members range from bakers to freight drivers, says Heinrich is one of just two candidates he can recall in his 10 years with the Teamsters who earned primary endorsements. (The other was for Eric Griego, the Democratic state senator who lost the June primary race for Heinrich's congressional seat.)
"It's extremely important to us to try and be able to maintain the Senate in worker-friendly hands," Ortega says, adding later, "We did contribute to [Heinrich's] primary campaign, which is something that's very unusual for us."
The Teamsters have given at least $10,000 to Heinrich, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The political action committee supporting Heinrich also received $5,000 from Teamsters.
In the context of modern politics, though, it's a drop in the bucket.
Compared with other Senate races around the country, the approximately $4 million each that Heinrich and Wilson have raised isn't much. (New Mexico's advertising market is relatively cheap.) And they're neck and neck: The latest fundraising reports, filed June 30 with the Federal Election Commission, show that Wilson raised roughly $164,000 more than Heinrich.
But donations to candidates' campaigns are limited—meaning that outside spending groups can have a big impact on voter perceptions. Freed by the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision to receive unlimited contributions from corporations and unions, the groups can spend unlimited money on political advertising as long as they're technically independent of a candidate's official campaign.
Outside spending groups, which are responsible for many of the political advertisements flooding New Mexico airwaves, "help set an agenda for the campaign," says Lonna Rae Atkeson, a University of New Mexico political science professor who studies elections.
Already, those groups have left their footprint on this race. They include so-called "dark money" organizations like the US Chamber of Commerce, which doesn't disclose its donors and uses money from corporate membership dues to fund some of its political activity.
Other outside spending groups attempting to influence the race include a coalition of at least six environmental advocacy organizations that have thrown their money behind an early—and negative—advertising onslaught against Wilson. Some of these groups are classified as tax-exempt "social welfare" nonprofits, or 501(c)(4)s, by the Internal Revenue Service, which means that political activity must not be their only function. Together, they've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to discredit Wilson's environmental record.
So far, the only super PAC that has appeared in New Mexico's US Senate race is American Crossroads, a group tied to Republican strategist Karl Rove and backed by millions from Texas billionaires Bob Perry and Harold Simmons. It's supporting Wilson, who once served on the board of a group closely affiliated with another Rove group, Crossroads GPS. Rove appeared at a fundraiser with Wilson in June 2011.
Atkeson says negative political advertising can move voters to be emotional—even angry.
"When you're angry, you want to engage in activity," she says.
Even though many of those ads aren't directly associated with the campaigns—and may even reflect agendas with which the candidates themselves disagree—they can sway an election's outcome.
"It's hard for voters to really separate in their heads the different ads and who's responsible for them," Atkeson says.
The result, according to Brian Sanderoff, the president of Albuquerque-based Research & Polling, Inc., is that "voters start to vote on the lesser of two evils and are not sure what to believe."
But outside advertising isn't the only factor muddying the waters in New Mexico's Senate race. While both Heinrich and Wilson have labored to cast each other as extremists—one of Wilson's ads literally calls Heinrich "too extreme"—neither truly is. Heinrich, for instance, has received endorsements from the National Rifle Association; Wilson has pushed to expand government health care programs.
But in an increasingly polarized campaign climate—and an increasingly polarized Congress—is moderation a lost cause?
Heinrich: Job-Killing Extremist or Energy Advocate?
"Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Clean Energy Promotion Act. This bill will help create thousands of clean energy jobs across America and help end our dependence on foreign oil. Today, some 200 solar energy projects, 25 wind energy projects and 200 wind energy production test sites are on hold because the Bureau of Land Management doesn't have the resources to evaluate their applications."
That was Heinrich, on the floor of the US House on June 3, 2009, introducing one of his first bills.
The bill, supported by the solar and wind industries, would have provided the BLM with up to $5 million per year to process a backlog of applications for renewable energy projects on public lands. The money would come from wind and solar developers.
"Not only will we jumpstart clean energy job creation today," Heinrich said, "we'll also be laying the foundation for America's clean energy prosperity tomorrow."
Six Republicans cosponsored Heinrich's bill, but it never made it to the floor. Heinrich reintroduced it again in June 2011. This April, the BLM said it "strongly supports" the bill's objectives, which have the potential to create thousands of jobs, according to BLM estimates.
Now, however, Heinrich is being attacked for voting against the nation's energy independence and job creation—the very same ideals he said were behind the Clean Energy Promotion Act.
One advertisement, paid for by Wilson's campaign, begins with a screen featuring black text from a December Albuquerque Journal editorial: "Workers and the unemployed be damned."
"That's what the Albuquerque Journal said about environmental extremists blocking the Keystone Pipeline—and blocking jobs," a narrator warns in a deep, ominous voice. "Extremists like Martin Heinrich. Even the leaders of both parties support Keystone to create jobs. Extremists like Heinrich stand in the way, while New Mexico leads the nation in job losses. Martin Heinrich puts his left-wing politics first before creating jobs. That's too extreme for New Mexico."
Third-party attacks reiterate that message. An earlier US Chamber of Commerce ad, one of the first negative third-party ads against Heinrich, also attacked him for voting against the Keystone Pipeline, "which would create thousands of American jobs."
The Canadian pipeline operator TransCanada Corp. wants to build a pipeline system to carry Canada's tar sands oil to the Gulf Coast. In January, Obama rejected TransCanada's application to build the pipeline, and studies note that the job-creation numbers cited by TransCanada and its supporters have been misleading.
A recent study conducted by William Wade, president of Energy & Water Economics, a Tennessee-based economic consulting firm, found that construction of the pipeline could produce about 16,000 jobs for two construction years—lower than Keystone estimates and Wilson campaign literature that claims would create 20,000 jobs. But those jobs are temporary, and the pipeline's proposed route doesn't cross New Mexico, so Heinrich's constituents wouldn't reap even temporary employment benefits from its construction unless they moved out of state.
"We need to be focusing our incentives on things that provide jobs right here in New Mexico," Heinrich tells SFR, saying he supports renewable energy development as a more effective means of achieving energy independence.
The ads painting Heinrich as a left-wing, extremist job-killer are misleading. In Socorro, he pointed out that he and US Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-NM, cosponsored a law that provides tax credits for businesses that hire returning veterans. In 2010, Heinrich voted for the Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a Democrat-backed bill that would have excluded from taxation certain capital gain income for stock purchased in qualifying small businesses.
But Sanderoff says the ads might be effective in an election where jobs and the economy are foremost among voters' concerns.
"It's a smart strategy for Republicans to win statewide," he says. "They need to get those crossover Democrats."
Wilson: Oil Industry Puppet or Reasonable Businesswoman?
On July 14, 2005, Wilson informed her Congressional peers that she was "greatly concerned" about an Environmental Protection Agency internal risk study suggesting that in high concentration, methyl tert-butyl ether, or MTBE, is likely a human carcinogen. MTBE is a gasoline additive that reduces smog, she correctly pointed out.
But there are problems with it.
In the early 1990s, Congress required oil companies to put MTBE, or similar additives like ethanol, in gasoline at higher concentrations to oxygenate the fuel, thereby making it more environmentally friendly. But over the years, concerns arose that MTBE may contaminate drinking water, and energy companies faced lawsuits for water contamination related to MTBE.
Wilson's stance at the time: suing oil companies was no solution for cleaning up MTBE-contaminated water.
"We should spend money on getting the spills cleaned up quickly rather than having a lawsuit-based system where people fight in court for years and the lawyers get a big cut of the pie before any cleanup is done," she said, adding that she would support a provision creating a joint industry-government financed trust fund to cover cleanup costs.
But before that statement, Wilson had voted against a motion to eliminate a provision that shielded oil companies from MTBE lawsuits.
This year, environmental organizations jumped on that vote.
One ad goes straight to the family. A child named Emma slowly walks down a school hallway as a female voice narrates: "Emma knows not to talk to strangers. She knows how to just say no. But she doesn't know about MTBE, or that the toxin may be in her drinking water. Emma doesn't know—but Heather Wilson did, when she voted to let oil companies off the hook and take their money."
"Who's Wilson with?" a female narrator asks as Emma looks directly into the camera after drinking from a water fountain. "Not Emma."
The League of Conservation Voters and Defenders of Wildlife Action Committee, part of the environmental coalition supporting Heinrich, paid for the ad.
Sanderoff says that Heinrich and the third-party groups supporting him are trying to paint Wilson as "too accommodating to special interest groups," as being "someone who's beholden to gas, oil."
Her 2005 statement shows that she certainly doesn't favor poisoning drinking water with MTBE. But one point the otherwise vague ad hits accurately is that Wilson, in contrast with Heinrich, has taken big money from the oil and gas industry: Data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics indicates that in this election cycle, she's accepted $177,000 from oil and gas interests—so far her top private-sector supporter. And her legislative record has been favorable to oil and gas interests: One of the last bills she sponsored, in May of 2008, would have streamlined permitting for construction of gasoline refineries.
Health Care: Wedge Issue or Common Ground?
Health care—especially since the US Supreme Court's vote in June to uphold Obama's sweeping health care reform bill—is a hot-button issue this election cycle, and one that's inextricably tied to the issue of government spending. While each side's ads draw a clear distinction between Heinrich and Wilson, the candidates' records are less polarized.
In 2003, for instance, President George W Bush signed into law one of the largest unfunded health care entitlements to that date.
In supporting the bill, Wilson, in the House that November, said to her colleagues, "We all have a right to be proud of what we are about to accomplish here because we have been elected to make a difference."
The law—the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act—created a prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients. Under the Republican-backed plan, seniors would pay small monthly premiums to cover part of the plan's costs. Democrats criticized the plan, noting that it was a bonanza for private insurers, and fought unsuccessfully to add provisions giving the government power to negotiate down prescription prices with private insurers. In 2007, Wilson voted against a bill imposing the negotiating provisions.
There were also warnings about the plan's uncovered costs.
"In the guise of cost containment for the Medicare program, the Medicare [Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization] Act creates a new definition of Medicare insolvency that may threaten Medicare's existing benefit structure," warned the Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc., a nonprofit advocacy group. "Congress would only be able to address the crisis by cutting benefits or increasing cost sharing, reducing provider payments, or increasing the payroll tax contributions—a solution that falls more heavily upon lower-income individuals."
In short, Wilson had joined other Republicans in vastly expanding government spending obligations—with the potential to threaten Medicare's very survival.
Years later, the Tea Party would make government spending one of the hottest political issues of the day. Rick Morlen, president of the Albuquerque Tea Party, says his group met with Wilson in the spring.
"Having her talk with us about it, she understands the debt in the past two years…has gotten to the point where it absolutely has to be addressed," he says. "And it has to be addressed more on the spending side than on the taxation side."
But Wilson—who faced criticism from conservatives for backing the expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program in 2007 through tax increases on cigarettes—has also been the target of attack ads nailing her for increasing government spending. The Club for Growth, a conservative group, released ads in 2008 advising voters to "Tell Heather Wilson to stop wasting our money"; earlier this year, her primary opponent, Las Cruces businessman Greg Sowards, accused her of being a big-spending RINO—"Republican in name only."
But this time, Heinrich is the target.
"Tell Martin Heinrich to stop spending and cut the debt," one Crossroads GPS ad urges. "Heather Wilson will stop the reckless government spending," claims another.
Third-party ads have nailed Heinrich for increasing spending by supporting Obama's health care law, even though the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that it will decrease deficits. (Meanwhile, repealing it would increase the federal deficit by more than $100 billion, according to the CBO.)
In Socorro, Heinrich responded to a question about growing entitlements, telling supporters that he was disappointed that the medical inflation rate wasn't addressed during the health care debate. He wants a medical system that rewards quality over volume, he said, which would reduce medical costs and, consequently, the expenses of programs like Medicare.
So perhaps Heinrich isn't the budget-busting extremist the ads say he is. GovTrack.us, the open-government website that tracks congressional voting records, considers Heinrich's ideology slightly left of center.
Wilson, too, has been known to break with her party. She tried to get the Bush White House to release cost estimates on the prescription drug plan—which were higher than the administration initially let on—and supported government programs like SCHIP.
But both candidates have shown that they've voted with their respective caucus the majority of the time—meaning each would likely support partisan priorities rather than consistently breaking with his or her caucus.
After his trip to Socorro, Heinrich made a stop at the Valencia County Democratic headquarters to greet his loyal volunteers, telling them that the Senate was "the backstop of the craziness of the House Tea Party." As such, it's fitting that New Mexico's Senate candidates would possess more nuanced views than some of their congressional counterparts. The real question, then, is the extent to which Heinrich and Wilson will be swayed by partisan ideology, Washington gridlock and the politics of campaigning.
A report from a May 10, 2012 Board of Directors meeting of the NRDC Action Fund sheds light on the strategy behind third-party ads.
The NRDC Action Fund, a nonprofit that's spent roughly $246,000 in New Mexico's Senate race so far, is one of several environmental groups behind advertisements and other communications in this race.
The report notes that the environmental groups will band together "to work to elect Martin Heinrich to the US Senate in 2012." NRDC identified "180,000 persuadable registered voters across the state who can make the difference for Heinrich's election."
The group would poll key consistencies that "historically respond well to environmental messages." Among them: "sportsman, Hispanics, Independent educated women, Independent mothers of young children, seniors, youth, and Native Americans."
"Our targets are concentrated in and around Albuquerque and in suburban areas around the state," says the report. "Women voters will be an especially important target for us."
The NRDC report concluded its New Mexico strategy section this way: "Heinrich's opponent…will try to hold down the traditional gender gap with suburban women. This is a great opportunity for us because our issues test well with suburban independent women and we can reinforce Wilson's negatives to maintain Heinrich's advantage with women."


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For 2013, Fiat is adding a new Turbo model to the 500 range, that sits in the middle of the Abarth and the base model. This version features a 135-HP 1.4L MultiAir turbo engine with 150 pound-feet of torque: 34 more HP than the standard 500, but 25 less HP than the Abarth. The car also includes a five-speed manual transmission, sport suspension, better steering calibration, stiffer shocks and upgraded brakes.
Visually the Turbo features an aero kit, smoked-out headlamps, sport seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Exciting for some will be the addition of a Beats by Dre audio system. Pricing starts at $19,500 USD.

subset: commoncrawl


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Battleship (Blu-Ray + UltraViolet Digital Copy)
Release Date: 20 August 2012 | Certificate: Suitable for 12 years and over
Featuring: Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgard and Rihanna
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Milton Bradley's strategic board game gets a sci-fi facelift with this Universal Pictures production from director Peter Berg (HANCOCK). The action will pit a small fleet of naval ships against an alien force intent on enriching Earth's valuable assets to ensure their survival. Taylor Kitsch (WOLVERINE) and TRUE BLOOD's Alexander Skarsgard star alongside Liam Neeson, Rihanna, and Brooklyn Decker.
Release Date: 20 August 2012
Certificate: 12 - Suitable for Persons Aged 12 or Over
Actors: Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgard, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Tadanobu Asano and Liam Neeson
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Fiat Linea facelift images leak out!
- May 04, 2012
- 885 Views
Fiat Linea facelift could be just around the corner. If you are wondering how we can say that for certain, then here are a few images of the upcoming refresh. That said, we cannot be certain about the actual launch date of the car. The Fiat Linea in its current avataar has been around for a while now and it would be a good idea for Fiat to upgrade the mid-sized sedan.
At first glance, what catches your attention is the splash of chrome. The grille, the bumpers now feature a lot of chrome with most of the upgrades concentrated around the front grille, front and rear bumper and the interior. Talking about the interior, the dashboard has been redesigned, keeping up with Fiat traditions and straight away I can say, that I like it. Oh yeah! That said, I'm not quite sure about the exterior. I would prefer the old Linea design instead.
Having said that, I would leave that to individual tastes. All I can say that it was high time Fiat upgraded the Linea and the news of the upgrade only comes as a welcome move by the Italian car maker. Can't wait to drive this one in T-Jet guise..
Published ByGaadi Editorial Team
- Write something here...


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Originally Posted by mhindy
This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
I still think that Kanter's biggest problem, by FAR at this point is overthinking the game and moving slowly as a result. Giving him more options is not necessarily a good thing at this point when he finally seems to be figuring out a couple of things he is legitimately very good at.
Maybe in time, but even then unless he's really a great three point shooter it's just as valuable to step out to the freethrow line or on the baseline.
I absoultely agree. his lack of fast practical thinking and acting out of instincts/senses is his biggest problem. he would be a beast if he nailed that.
Also, he is ripped like he never been before. And your body type, a ripped upper body especially, effects your shooting rhythm and reliability. And usually ripped guys don't shoot at high percentages from long range.
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WELSH amateur star Andrew Selby enjoyed a comfortable victory over Italian professional Daniele Limone at the Celtic Manor tonight.
He was representing the British Lionhearts team in their World Series of Boxing match against Italia Thunder and won on points thanks to a unanimous verdict from the judges.
The event, which started in 2010, sees amateur and professional boxers with less than 15 bouts compete without vests and headguards over five three-minute rounds.
Selby, the 2011 World Championship silver medallist and reigning European champion, put a disappointing Olympics behind him having moved up from flyweight to bantamweight and he enjoyed fighting in front of a passionate home crowd.
"I'm pleased to get the win," said Selby. "I haven't boxed since the Olympics so it was quite hard to start off with but from the third round on my punches were landing. It was hard being at home because the crowd were loud and cheering for me and you have to concentrate but the support made me box better.
"It's a good venue and I enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to my next fight in London.
"Without the headguard it was much easier to see shots coming at you but you've got to watch you don't bump heads. I wasn't tired, I was faster than the Italian and that was to my advantage," he added.
"I like the amateur style but it's good to get the opportunity to box top-class pros as well."
In the first fight of the evening British heavyweight Joe Joyce beat Matteo Modugno, another pro, after the Italian received a bad cut in the fourth round and the contest was stopped.


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As of Monday, I joined the ranks of the other 27 year olds out there. No, I don't feel or look any older, however the realization that I am closer to 30 than 20 is hitting hard!It was a normal day at work, with the exception of my phone and in boxes being flooded by some of my favorite people ever. To name a few, I had phone calls, texts, emails or notes from: Hubby, Jessica M., Jessica B., Em, Rach, Liz F., Liz M., Tash, Monica, Megs, Mom, Dad, Sister, Christina, Julie, Kristina, Lester, CT3's parents, Jan, Grandma, Merry, CT3's fire station guys, co-workers who sung and brought cookies…and of course a slew of people via facebook! It made me feel so special and truly loved to be able to talk to or hear from all of the dear people in my life, so THANK YOU! As if the calls and notes weren't enough, I was blessed by lots of fun, thoughtful gifts, mentioned below.
- Jessica gave me a book about the Jewish Feasts (super excited about!!!).
- Elizabeth M. sent me cookies and a sweet note.
- My parents, grandmother, in-laws and aunt all gave me $$$.
- I got all A's …quite possibly the most exciting and worked for present!
- Hubby gave me a NEW CAMERA, a book, a game for the Wii and a Road ID.
- Megs left me a message saying she had dropped a little something in the mail (which I excitedly check the mail daily for now).
The cash I received burned a hole in my pocket pretty quickly as last nigh I splurged a little on a Blackberry. I have spent today trying to learn the ropes of my new handheld and other than my email accounts responding to the wrong ones, I am pretty set! My contract was up with my phone company and so with my renewal, I got a $400-something dollar phone for only $99. Not too shabby! CT3 and I have yet to celebrate (i.e. dinner and cake). He had fire training the night of and though I prayed and hoped he would get out early, there was no way he could. I tried to be understanding, and I was through most of the night, however in the end, my emotions got the best of me. Me in all of my girlishness and desires to celebrate my day-o-birth threw a slight** pity party for myself. Oops. Anyway, at CT3's fire training, it was their "live burn night" where they set cars and trailers on fire and go running into burning buildings for practice…scary, huh?? (He assures me EMS are on scene for stuff like this). Because they only do this twice or so a year, it is something that cannot be missed. He actually videoed the drill on his all-terrain-heat-indestructible-video-camera and maybe he will let me post a video of them in action!! I have pictures and will post them soon…in the mean time I will still ponder my closer proximity to 30 and look forward to continuing birthfest celebrations with dinner and cake tonight!!!**Slight = slightly out of control 🙂


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Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILN)Network Retrospective (ILIAD)
|Tracking Information
|First Received Date ICMJE
|August 2, 2006
|Last Updated Date
|July 25, 2017
|Start Date ICMJE
|September 2004
|Estimated Primary Completion Date
|June 2018 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Change History
|Complete list of historical versions of study NCT00360646 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILN)Network Retrospective
|Official Title ICMJE
|Idiosyncratic Liver Injury Associated With Drugs (ILIAD): A Retrospective Study
|Brief Summary
|The purpose of this study is to establish retrospectively a nationwide registry of patients who have suffered drug-induced liver injury (DILI), and to collect, immortalize and store serum, DNA, and lymphocytes from these patients. ILIAD will serve as a resource for subsequent mechanistic investigations into the basis of severe idiosyncratic DILI. The primary goal of the ILIAD protocol is to create: (a) a clinical database consisting of individuals who have experienced severe DILI caused by four specific drugs, and the relevant clinical data concerning the episode of DILI; and, (b) to create a bank of biological specimens obtained from these individuals. These biological specimens will be DNA, plasma, and immortalized lymphocytes. Immortalized lymphocytes will provide unlimited amounts of genomic DNA for study as well as living immune cells for phenotyping studies. A secondary goal of the ILIAD protocol is to maintain a registry of cases in the ILIAD database so that they may be recontacted in the future. It is expected that this will facilitate additional studies exploring the mechanisms of DILI.
|Detailed Description
Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the single most common reason for regulatory actions concerning drugs, including failure to gain approval for marketing, removal from the market place, and restriction of prescribing indications. DILI is also a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in many patient populations. To stimulate and facilitate research into DILI, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has recently established the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN). One of the initial projects to be conducted by the network is to retrospectively establish a nationwide registry of patients who have suffered severe idiosyncratic liver injury associated with any drugs (ILIAD) and HDS agents, and to collect, immortalize and store serum, DNA, and lymphocytes from these patients (hereafter referred to as the "ILIAD protocol"). This ILIAD protocol will serve as a resource for subsequent mechanistic investigations of the basis for susceptibility to severe idiosyncratic DILI.
The network will initially identify people who have developed DILI onset beyond 6 months of enrollment due to all drugs or HDS/CAM cases that did not meet the entrance criteria for the Prospective study.
The specific aims are as follows:
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Design ICMJE
|Observational Model: Case-Control
Time Perspective: Retrospective
|Target Follow-Up Duration
|Not Provided
|Retention: Samples With DNA
Samples with DNA
|Sampling Method
|Non-Probability Sample
|Study Population
|Patients with liver injury ascribed to any drug or HDS/CAM agent which the DILI onset date occurred beyond six months from enrollment.
|Condition ICMJE
|Drug Induced Liver Injury
|Intervention ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Study Groups/Cohorts
|Publications *
|Rochon J, Protiva P, Seeff LB, Fontana RJ, Liangpunsakul S, Watkins PB, Davern T, McHutchison JG; Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN). Reliability of the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method for assessing causality in drug-induced liver injury. Hepatology. 2008 Oct;48(4):1175-83. doi: 10.1002/hep.22442.
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Estimated Enrollment ICMJE
|Estimated Completion Date
|June 2018
|Estimated Primary Completion Date
|June 2018 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
Inclusion Criteria:
Screening Criteria
To be included in the ILIAD registry, the following criteria must be satisfied:
Exclusion Criteria:
Subjects will be excluded according to the following criteria:
|2 Years and older (Child, Adult, Senior)
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers
|Contacts ICMJE
|Listed Location Countries ICMJE
|United States
|Removed Location Countries
|Administrative Information
|NCT Number ICMJE
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE
|Has Data Monitoring Committee
|U.S. FDA-regulated Product
|Not Provided
|IPD Sharing Statement
|Not Provided
|Responsible Party
|Duke University
|Study Sponsor ICMJE
|Duke University
|Collaborators ICMJE
|National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
|Investigators ICMJE
|PRS Account
|Duke University
|Verification Date
|April 2017
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP


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FedEx Slowing Down?
The powerful run FedEx (FDX) that has had since the announcement of its 32 million share repurchase program appears to be running out of steam.
Back on Oct. 15 the stock surged over 4% on the news with the help of a big jump in trade. This breakout move, which pushed the stock to fresh 52-week highs, unleashed a massive wave of momentum. The stock began a streak of 11 straight gains on the Oct. 15 before taking a two-day rest as October closed....202 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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Rev. Harold D. Ray (Old Time Preacher Man), 64, of Elyria, passed away Monday, August 6, 2007 in the emergency room at EMH Regional Medical Center in Elyria following a sudden illness. He was born February 10, 1943 in Shawnee. He was a resident of Elyria for many years and he also lived in Chatham from 1988 to 2005.
He was a veteran and served in the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1961.
He was employed as a fork lift operator at General Motors' Fisher Guide Plant in Elyria for 23 years. He then attended the Ohio Police Academy and was employed as a security guard at both Medina and Lodi Community Hospitals for seven years.
Rev. Ray was also a licensed minister under the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ. He served as pastor in West Salem at the First United Pentecostal Church from 1968 to 1978, then he served as pastor in Vermilion at Calvary Apostolic Church from 1981 to 1982, then he served as pastor in Chatham at the Apostolic Lighthouse from 1983 to 2005. He was currently attending Calvary Apostolic Church in Elyria, where he preached as recently as this past Sunday evening. He loved preaching the Word of God and spending time with his family. He also enjoyed his pet poodle, "Misty".
He is survived by his beloved wife of 47 years, Sharon (nee Kline); two daughters, Christina Norris (the late Donnie) and Dwanna O'Hare (Paul), both of Elyria; two sons, Michael (Karen) of West Salem and Samuel (Becky) of Creston; 11 grandchildren, Jason Ray, Angel, Michael and Henry Ray, Nathaniel, Jacob, Faith, Keri and Brian O'Hare, and Hannah and Denny Ray. His first great-grandson is due to arrive in September.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Martha (nee Lewis) Ray; by one brother, Allen Ladd Ray; by his grandmother, Etta Eubanks; and by one son-in-law, Donnie R. Norris.
The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M. Thursday at the Liston Funeral Home, 36403 Center Ridge Rd., North Ridgeville.
The funeral service will be Friday at 12 Noon at Abundant Life Christian Center, 315 Morgan Ave., Elyria. Pastor Rod Pamer and Pastor Alan Westmoreland, will co-officiate.
Burial will be at Brookdale Cemetery in Elyria where members from VFW Post #1079 in Elyria, will conduct full military honors.


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Crab cakes get all the glory, but many kinds of fish make terrific multi-ingredient patties. Fishcakes are part of the great thrifty tradition of stretching a small amount of an expensive ingredient. This one starts with cod, a versatile white fish. Be careful choosing cod: Pacific-caught is plentiful, but the overfishing of cod hailing from the Atlantic is causing destruction of ocean habitat. No Pacific cod at your market? Pacific sole, U.S.-farmed tilapia, and, yes, crab would all work well.–Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond
Corn and Cod Cakes Recipe
- Quick Glance
- Serves 4 to 6
- For the cod cakes
- 1/2 pound cod fillet
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, plus 1 teaspoon
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1 slice thick-cut bacon, minced
- 1 roasted red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 small onion, minced (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
- For the vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon store bought or homemade mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon capers, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Canola oil, for pan frying the cakes
- 5 cups baby greens
- Make the cod cakes
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Oil a rimmed baking sheet.
- 2. Brush the cod with the 1 tablespoon canola oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on the prepared sheet. Toss the corn with the 1 teaspoon oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread on a second rimmed sheet. Bake both for 8 minutes, or until the cod flakes easily. Set aside to cool.
- 3. Put the potato in cold salted water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until fork-tender. Mash the potato and butter coarsely with a handheld masher.
- 4. Cook the bacon over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat has rendered. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel and set aside. Saute the bell pepper and onion in the fat for 5 to 8 minutes, until softened. Add the corn and saute for an additional 1 to 2 minutes (the corn tends to pop, so be careful). Allow to cool.
- 5. Beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the cod, potatoes, bacon, onion–corn–bell pepper mixture, bread crumbs, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Use a 1/4 cup dry measuring cup to form the mixture into 1/2-inch-thick cakes. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to one day.
- Make the vinaigrette
- 6. Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, mayonnaise, capers, salt, and pepper together until emulsified. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Set aside.
- Cook the cod cakes
- 7. Heat 1/4 inch of canola oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Fry the cakes in batches, for about 3 minutes per side. Serve the cod cakes with or over baby greens with vinaigrette drizzled on top.
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A Long Island county that tapped its drinking water fund for other projects has reached a deal with the environmental lobby, which had protested the decision.
"[In June], Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and environmentalists touted a deal that would resolve their differences over the county's practice of borrowing from its drinking water protection fund," Newsday reported.
The agreement "ends a three-year legal battle and restores $30 million taken from the county's Drinking Water Protection Program that was diverted to balance the county's budget," the Long Island Press reported.
Environmentalists had argued that the county had illegally raided the fund to fill holes in the budget.
"On November 13th, 2013, The Suffolk County Legislature voted 13-3 to raid the Drinking Water Protection Program to the tune of almost $33 million dollars in order to balance the budget. This was unacceptable then, and now," Save The Great South Bay, an environmental group, argued in a blog post last month.
In announcing the deal, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone appeared with members of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society (LIPBS) and the Group for the East End.
To be ratified, the agreement requires a change in the law, which voters will have the chance to approve or disapprove it in November. "Bellone says he wants taxpayers to decide how the funds will be spent. He announced his support to put the decision on a referendum for voters in November," News 12 Long Island reported.
"Every resident of Suffolk County should feel good about this settlement and not just for its environmental benefits," said Robert DeLuca, president of the Group for the East End, in the Long Island Press.
"What this agreement demonstrates is that no matter how difficult the challenge, government can and does rise above the status quo when it is moved by an organized, mobilized citizenry that acts with purpose, passion and persistence," he said.
Image credit: "Lack of money is the root of all evil - George Bernard Shaw," artist in doing nothing (self unemployed) © 2011, used under an Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
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Strip Mall 2010
Various examples of final presentation work
Various examples of final presentation work
During 2010 I had developed a more architectural approach to my illustrations. I was experimenting with spraypaint for additional texture in selected areas and had developed a stylized approach with people. I have always used copic markers with a combination of white correction pens & pencil crayons for highlights and additional reflections. Some of the illustrations have also been partially rendered to accentuate focal point and gives the drawing that feeling of "work in progress".
Thank You!


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La Habra
This was once the OC capital of Yawn: no record shops, no place to get a drinkable cup of coffee, no bookstore to special-order The Joy of Gay Sex,and no reservations needed at any restaurant. You could eat anywhere—so, of course, you ended up crunching down Super Stars at the 24-hour Carl's Jr. drive-through.
Incorporated in 1925 when the farmers and the ranchers momentarily agreed that, yes, they should be friends, La Habra—like much of Orange County—didn't take off until the 1960s, when most of the building happened. (1950 population was still stalled at a sparse 5,000 humans.) But when the suits torpedoed a proposed Orange-County-to-LAX freeway along Imperial Highway, they sank any chance this place had of one day becoming a destination. And it became what it is: a bedroom community that's still a five-mile drive to any freeway going anywhere and home to two big yearly events: the "I Love La Habra" fest, and the Corn Festival.
Fortunately, as the county matures, there are now a few decent reasons to either visit or stay, lending credence to the City Council folk who claim, slightly unconvincingly, that they never go out at night except to eat Chinese. It begins—began—in the late '90s, when evil empire/soul-crusher Chevron sold a huge tract of land southeast of the Beach Boulevard/Imperial Highway nexus to developers, who flipped it to corporate tools like Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Kohl's, Chili's, Baja Fresh, Borders, Panda Express. You're laughing, but this is still mega in La Habra, which goes begging for things like good Cuban food, a kick-ass vintage clothing store, maybe a martini bar. By the time this publishes, the little city that apparently could sell out should also have its own Costco—chicken bakes and 36-roll packages of toilet paper for all—a surge of development you hope will end cute.
Funny story about all that: it's 1999 and La Habra bags the first Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in the state, an event that so bathed the city in media saturation the citizens still postmortem it the way veterans of Operation Overlord do with Normandy. So how is Krispy Kreme these days?
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Best Strip Club Taboo Gentlemen's Club. Concerned city moralists in 1998 tried to stop what was then called the Pelican Theater from opening in this former bank building apparently for all the usual reasons—nekkid wimmens being the most prominent. Fortunately, they failed, leaving horny North County men and some women—though not as many women as men might hope—with plenty to see. 1001 E. Imperial Hwy., La Habra, (714) 447-3222.
Best Honorary Ambassador Paul Goldenberg. Who? He owns Paul's TV & Video; gives big money to the Democratic Party; and, through his TV, radio and billboard ads proclaiming him the "King of the Big Screen," has become the unofficial city ambassador. His actual shop is small, of course—half of the floor space is sales clerks chanting "We have financing available!" You've seen the TVs (big and expensive); more interesting are the glossy color photos of Paul cuddling up to various celebs: Sharon Stone, Hillary Clinton, Whitney Houston. Whitney Houston? 500 N. Harbor Blvd., La Habra, (714) 529-2314 or (562) 697-6751.
Best Taxidermied Dead Things La Habra Children's Museum. Many years ago, I took my son to the La Habra Children's Museum. It was delightful, like a crazy granny's attic, with bizarre "exhibits" for small children to play in (a them-sized grocery store, a real OCTA bus to drive, a model train village). But the best part was the "Nature Walk," an island of taxidermied creatures that kids are allowed to pet and snuggle. Looking mangy and mite-ridden, they'd clearly been loved by many small children over the years, and it was hilarious after the first few moments of shock. I told my boss to take his kids, and when the subject came up again the other day, asked if he ever had. "I did!" he exclaimed, remembering. "I loved it. It was gross!" Yes. Yes, it was. 301 S. Euclid St., La Habra, (562) 905-9793.
Best Urban Legend Nixon Law Office Marker. It sounded like a good idea at the time when Richard Nixon's former law office, which he occupied for only a few years in the late 1930s, was declared a state historical landmark in 1969 with a garish bronze plaque. That was after the inauguration and before Watergate; the marker has been considered something of a joke ever since, a desperate grab by city officials to have something—anything—of significance in their town. Several years ago, they seemed to wise up, and the office was razed for a spiffy community center. But the marker lives on—in the middle of the parking lot. And if you pee on it, a kitten's life is saved. Supposedly. Northwest corner of Euclid Street and La Habra Boulevard, La Habra.
Best Local Boy Made Good Glenn Allison. On July 1, 1982, Glenn Allison bowled a perfect 900 game at the La Habra 300 Bowl—36 straight strikes. The evil American Bowling Congress (ABC), which regulates these kinds of things, refused to recognize his feat, claiming there was too much wax on the lanes. No matter—Allison became a hero and briefly put the name La Habra on the lips of bowlers everywhere. Sports Illustrated wrote about it, and for years afterward, the alley's sign trumpeted proudly that it was HOME OF THE 900 SERIES, and now Allison—"Mr. 900"—is famous the world over. In bowling alleys. 370 E. Whittier Blvd., La Habra, (562) 691-6721.
Best Fancy Restaurant Cat & Custard Cup. We can't actually afford to eat here, but it stays open and people are always raving about it, so it must be good. The scene: well-made American food in an English-pub setting, only bigger. A massive array of steak, duck, seafood, pork, lamb and deer, and a nice variety of appetizers. 800 E. Whittier Blvd., La Habra, (562) 694-3812 or (714) 992-6496.
Best Dogs Jerry's Wood-Fired Dogs. This just-opened sequel to the original Santa Ana Jerry's also specializes in barbecued hot dogs, but these aren't ordinary weenies. You can order your salty meat roll skinless or with a casing; as an all-beef or turkey dog; or in chili-cheese or corn dog varietals. When you figure thatout, you must choose amongst a dizzying 21-item condiment menu—mustards, peppers, pickles, sauces, plus red, white, grilled or raw onions. Surrender? There's also Bavarian brats, Italian sausages, chicken sausages and a positively pornographic kielbasa. 1360 S. Beach Blvd., Ste. C, La Habra, (562) 697-4644.
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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Spanish Fork, UT, United States, 2012/10/31 - New business owner, Rege Braun, set to open the doors of his new business - FiveStarPainting.com / FiveStarFranchising.com.
Five Star Painting will open its newest locally owned franchise under the ownership and direction of Rege Braun in Sunrise, Florida, this month.
Five Star Paintings fifth Florida location will serve the West Broward County area. After recording over 30 years with corporate operations for Arbys Restaurants, Braun decided to make the transition from working on the franchisor side of business to operating and running a business himself.
I value my time spent working in the corporate environment for so many years, Braun said. I gained a thorough understanding of the nuances of the business model. I learned a great deal about project management and corporate culture, but most importantly, I learned invaluable interpersonal skills that will help me provide Five Star service to the South Florida community.
During his time with Arbys, Braun developed equipment systems that saved the company millions of dollars in labor and food costs, while improving on speed of service and work environment for employees.
"Having franchisees tell me that my work made their lives easier and improved their finances was one of my greatest accomplishments at Arbys, Braun said. I hope to bring that same feeling of accomplishing something of value to Five Star Painting, from offering local residents the best services to providing an exceptional workplace for my employees.
Brauns commitment to provide the local community with high quality service and his unique understanding of the day-to-day operations of a business qualify him to provide the best-personalized customer service to the South Florida community.
I explored other franchise options before deciding on Five Star Painting, Braun said. I just admired the heart of their mission, to deliver a painting experience that customers will be anxious to tell their friends about. I look forward to providing the community with beautifully finished paint jobs at a fair price and establishing customer relationships founded on honesty and integrity.
Five Star Painting specializes in interior/exterior painting, deck and fence refinishing, staining and wallpaper.
Written by / Agency / Source: Five Star Franchising
Availability: All Regions (Including Int'l)
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Nils Lofgren on E Street Band's future: 'Life is not a guarantee'
This is a big year for Bruce Springsteen. The Boss turns 60 (Sept. 23), his Born in the USA album turns 25 and he and his friends with the E Street Band are near the end of two-year-long tour that brings them to Tampa this Saturday.
Rumors out there say this could also be the last tour for the E-Streeters, or at least Clarence Clemons and Max Weinberg.
Hang on there. Guitarist Nils Lofgren, whose has toured with both Springsteen and Neil Young over his long career, wants a word with you rumor-mongers first.
"Life is not a guarantee. I will say we're in the best stage of our lives musically," Lofgren told Stuck in the '80s this week. "Offstage, it's like a fricking MASH unit with heating pads, ice packs. But onstage, we're really kicking it hard. Rather than worry about the future, I'd buy a ticket for one of these remaining shows because we're really on fire."
What else was on Lofgren's mind? You can listen to the whole audio interview right here. But here are some highlights:
ON THE (THUNDER) ROAD AGAIN: "This month is 41 years on the road for me. It's a little scary. When I hit the road when I was 17 in 1968, I never would have been this greedy to think 41 years later I'd be on the road with a band like this."
BRUCE vs. NEIL YOUNG: "I think the commonality is that they're the two greatest writers we have on the planet. They're both still inspired performers. They both like to do loose, reckless shows. But in general, they're really hands-off. If they pick you to play with them, it's usually because they trust your instincts. That's the point of having a great band."
JOINING THE E STREET BAND BEFORE BORN IN THE USA TOUR: "It was a pretty ass on fire thing. This was four weeks before opening night of the the Born in the USA tour. I was so challenged to get so much done. It was 20 shows on the road before I really felt comfortable."
MORE 'BORN' TUNES THIS TOUR? "Not intentionally. Actually, for the first time in years, we started doing Born in the USA a couple times, which is an incredible piece. What does that say about your body of work when you get away with doing two years on the road and never playing Born in the USA? That says volumes about the song list Bruce has to choose from."
Stay tuned for our full "Bruce in the '80s" podcast next week.


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450cc vs 480cc Silicone gel implants... Is there a big difference?
- Swimmer2424
- St. Joseph, Michigan
- Last updated: 4 years ago
Hi everyone! My surgery is April 12th, and at my consultation last week I picked out 450 cc silicone gel implants. I did the rice test today, and made 450 cc and 480 cc rice implants. I feel like I can't tell much of a difference with the two! I am 5'7 and 145 lbs ( goal is to be 135 by surgery day) should I go with the 480 since you do lose a little bit compared to the sizers when you go under the muscle? Plus, everyone I have talked to has said that they wished they had gone bigger. My goal is to be a full D. Any advice would be great!


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This star rating is the opinion of the property owner only. A Self-Rated hotel has not been assessed by the AA or Visit Britain, whose official star ratings we use across LateRooms.com.
Hôtel De France4 Self rated
8 place de la gare, Angers, 49100
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About the hotel
The Hotel de France is facing the TGV station of Angers-Saint Laud and is situated at the heart of the city and only 5 minutes' walk from the castle and fortress. It offers 55 air-conditioned and soundproofed rooms, featuring all modern comfort. Our brasserie and bar "Le Bistrot" and our gastronomic restaurant "Les Plantagenêts" welcome you for business, family or more intimate meals.
For meetings and seminaries, our 3 air-conditioned rooms are at your disposal and offer natural daylight. The attentionate and courteous staff of the Hotel de France will be pleased to welcome you whether you are on a business trip or a tourist visit in Angers. After a good night's sleep in one of the cozy rooms, start the day with delight thanks to a buffet-style organic breakfast.
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- Disabled Facilities, Air conditioning in rooms, 24 Hour Reception, Cots available, Smoking allowed in bedrooms, Safety Deposit Box, Hairdryer in each room, Minibar in each room, Telephone In Each Room, Limited Hours Room Service, Limited room service for hot food, Concierge, Laundry/Valet Service, Wake Up Call Available, Interconnecting rooms available, Lift to all floors, Public Air Conditioning
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- Wi-Fi Available, Meeting Facilities, Wi-Fi Available In Public Areas, Wi-Fi Available In Rooms, Business Centre, Private dining services
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- Car Parking Available Offsite
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- Disabled Access Public Areas, Disabled Access Bedrooms, Disabled toilets on ground floor, Wheelchair Access, Wheelchair Access To Reception, Wheelchair Access To Restaurant, Wheelchair Access To Bar, Wheelchair Access To Conference Rooms
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- [Channels] News, [Channels] Foreign (European)
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UPDATE: Paul McCartney coming to Jacksonville
Yeah, it's Jacksonville. But also, yeah, it's PAUL MCCARTNEY. If ever one man merited a 3-1/2 hour interstate road trip to another corner of Florida, it's him.
McCartney announced another round of dates for his seemingly endless "Out There" tour, including one June 22 at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville -- his first Florida tour stop since a visit to Orlando's Amway Center last spring. He'll also be in Atlanta June 21 and Nashville June 25, if you want to make a week of it.
***UPDATE - 6/9 *** Following a serious virus that forced the postponement of tour dates in Japan and Korea, McCartney has postponed his June 22 Jacksonville show, and others, until October. The new Jacksonville date is Oct. 25. Tickets to the June show will be honored then. Click here for details.
Why Jacksonville, you ask? Actually, McCartney has a pretty long history with the city. The only public concert the Beatles ever played in Florida was at the Gator Bowl in 1964. Then McCartney returned in 2005 as the halftime headliner of Super Bowl XXXIX.
McCartney's concerts these days are legendary affairs, featuring up to three hours of his best Beatles, Wings and solo classics along with new material. Even if you're not a Beatles superfan, you owe it to yourself to see at least one of these concerts at least once in your life.
Tickets to McCartney's Jacksonville show start at just $28.50 and go on sale to the public April 25 (a fan pre-sale begins Thursday). We'd suggest getting them immediately, as they're likely to sell out just as quickly ... but then again, don't be surprised if he adds a second show.
Click here and here for all the details.
-- Jay Cridlin, tbt*


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Ha! I had those hangers as a kid. I had no clue they were that old. Would have taken batter care of them
June 29, 2013Kool Kitsch For Sale on eBay
By Sara In AZ
Hey y'all, check out all the cool stuff that is up for sale on eBay right now!
First up, I am not sure if these towel are vintage or not….but they sure are cool! Check out these Vintage Retro Themed Embroidered Kitchen Dish Towels from seller parrothead523.
Ooooohhhhhhhh, what an amazing set of vintage luggage AND so perfect too! Check out this Vintage Retro 5 Piece Luggage Suitcase Set from seller coololdstuff2011.
The California Buffet Set….FAB for any summer picnic! Check out this Vintage 1950s California Buffet Set In Original Box from seller atomicnoir.
I know it's expensive…..but isn't it SO super cool! Check out this Vintage Retro 1950s Pink and Chrome Garbage Can from seller snoweycigar.
What a neat vintage *pink* lamp….in the original box too! Check out this Vintage Atomic Mid Century Tensor Pink Princess Desk Lamp from seller doctormitch.
These old Belart wall plaques are just da bomb! Check out these Vintage Mid Century Modern Belart Wooden Wall Plaques from seller junkinmytrunkantiques.
Oh yes, the perfect juice set for any mid-century loving home! Check out this Vintage Atomic Starburst Juice Pitcher and Glasses Set from seller shark20.
Oh my gosh…how precious….children's vintage hangers STILL mint in the original box! Check out these Vintage 1950s Earlcraft Children's Plastic Hangers Mint In Box from seller tumbleweedtilly.
And, while we are on the subject of kids….how adorbs is this vintage rocker?!? Check out this Vintage Retro 1950s Shoo Fly Children's Rocking Horse from seller oldepinehillprimitives.
Sorry, but I HAVE to *squeeze* in a few more kid-let things y'all! How about these amazing vintage Granny crafts that you can do yourself…..SO cute!!! This seller, struttinherstuff, has 2 different Jeweled Nursery Rhyme kits available – so be sure to check them both out.
Vintage Edna Looney Mother Goose Picture Kit Mint In Package
Vintage Edna Looney Hey Diddle Diddle Picture Kit Mint In Package
This sure is one amazing green atomic trash can! Check out this Vintage Mid Century Modern Starburst Trash Can Waste Basket from seller talbeeztoolbabe.
So cool…a vintage Libbey Cocktail set still perfect and unused! Check out this Vintage Mid Century Modern Libbey Jewels Pattern Cocktail Set Mint In Box from seller handedpickedtreasure.
What a great little coin pouch/glasses case! Check out this Vintage 1950s Atomic Pattern Coin Purse Eyeglass Case from seller abeyke.
Here is just one of the ultra FABULOUS paintings being offered by El Gato Gomez this week! Check out this El Gato Gomez Mid Century Modern Retro Architecture Painting and be sure to check out all of the other great paintings by El Gato Gomez too!
Do you love gravel art like me? Then you are sure to love these! Check out this Vintage 1960s Set of 2 Grecian Mediterranean Gravel Wall Art Plaques from seller crackerjackfarm.
And finally, whoa…..you must see this plant stand to end all plant stands!!! Eeeeeeeeeee pink!!!!! Love it!!! Check out this Vintage Mid Century Modern Atomic Plant Stand from seller rawgourmetchef.
Have a great weekend y'all!
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Awwwwwww, oh well….at least you enjoyed them while you had them Angie!


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Cautious. Optimistic.
Best Practices by Lou Dzierzak, email@example.com
Thousands attended the 2012 SIA Snow Show on January 26-29, 2012. Snow sports specialty retailers, a key audience at the event, arrived ready to see exhibitors 2013 product introductions first hand, evaluate new technologies and confirm buying decisions for the season ahead.
With more than 900 brands and 3,340 booths, retailer's daily calendars can be booked from dawn to way past dark. "I thought it was a great show. As far as it being a place where business got done versus a place where a lot of people were just partying it was a much better venue," comments Kyle Fisher, owner, Alpine Hut, Seattle WA.
Experienced snow sports retailers acknowledge the pace of innovation varies year to year. Rocker ski and snowboard technology introduced last year continues to drive interest from retailers and skiers. This year, hardgoods and apparel brands appeared to focus more on evolution rather than revolution.
"Last year we saw rocker in skis. That trend still has a lot of horsepower to continue to drive consumers to get new skis," reports Bill Linkenheimer, general manager, Willi's Ski Shop, Fairfax, VA. "The industry is always innovating. Suppliers need to come up with new products to keep things fresh, stay competitive with other vendors and drive consumers into the store. Although I didn't see much that totally impressed me as a product that consumers are going to demand, I believe the industry will continue to work toward that goal."
Jeff Crabtree, co-owner of Skinny Skis, Jackson, WY agrees, "You can't come out with an entire new line each year but everyone wants the new and better, even if it's only a little better. Everyone has something new and combined there is a lot of new product to keep the shelves looking refreshed next season."
New approaches to snowboard bindings attracted attention. "New snowboard binding technology was great to see being explored," says Raul Pinto, owner, Satellite Board Shop, Boulder, CO. "I think this will allow us to tell a better story and why people should upgrade their 10 yr. old set ups. With the binding, boots and boards all doing new innovative product from brands like DCP, YES, GIGI and SLASH pushing this attitude, this will help all the other brands simply because it is a new exciting story to tell snowboarders."
The evolution of product makes it valid for consumers to buy new product. "Customers still come in with their first generation shaped skis," explains Fisher. "The products have changed drastically in the last 10 years if not the last five. With shaped skis and now rocker, the market has evolved in that time as much as it did the twenty years prior to that."
Although backcountry and AT are narrow niches, new ski, boot and binding product introductions attract attention. "From a marketing standpoint it's a great idea. It certainly puts a lot of energy into the market. People relate to the idea," notes Patrick O'Winter, Christy Sports, Avon, CO." But the reality is backcountry skiing in the United States is always going to be marginal."
Alpine and Nordic ski equipment brands have succeeded in making equipment lighter without sacrificing any performance. "In AT the new and refined light boots and skis are great for people looking to 'go light' in the backcountry," says Crabtree. He notes that new lighter weight touring boots from Rossignol, Fischer and Alpina have revitalized Nordic equipment sales.
"People will always want to play outside so as long as I can outfit my customer, rent them equipment to play on for an affordable price, then we'll be in business," says Sara Nilsen, owner, Mountain Tracks, Government Track, OR. "We've been able to expand our business by renting different kinds of equipment like snowboards, alpine, Telemark, cross country skis and snowshoes. We're thinking about adding Alpine Touring next year."
Technical apparel trends also elicited reactions from snowsports buyers. "I think there is a little too much European influence in the new offerings," comments O'Winter. "European lines tend to be a fairly dark in color. For the US market that's not a very good trend. With the hangover concerning the recession people may be more receptive to a little happier than a dark color."
Kathy Burke, apparel buyer, Cole Sport, Park City, UT did seek out more colorful options. "We're seeing very bright colors and fitted silhouettes with lots of 4-way stretch," she explains.
Like hardgoods, apparel trends frequently shift between true innovation and presentations of a broader selection of colors. Imitation also plays a role. "Once an apparel brand comes out with something new and unique, it tends to get copied. That brand may have a year of exclusive then everyone jumps on that bandwagon," says Burke. "There tends to be a lot of product that is similar in the way it feels, looks and the color and material. There's definitely innovation out there with brands that are on the cutting edge and we're on board with them."
Despite the winter of 2011-12 being a slow snow year in most areas of the country, most of the retailers still seemed upbeat. "When you go from the best snow in 38 years to a season with one of the lowest snow years it's eye opening," says Crabtree. "Fortunately, we did have snow and consider ourselves lucky this season. I always say I don't care about the economy, I care about snow."
New products presented at the SIA Snow Show will clearly attract attention from snow sports enthusiasts. Now if the weather would only cooperate. "Innovative product is certainly important but snow is the deciding factor. In a perfect storm of good snow and new technology sales are phenomenal as a result," says Linkenheimer. "When new technology is introduced in a bad snow year that can help make it not as bad as it might be."
O'Winter agrees, "Product innovation is one aspect to growth but not the only one. Weather is 70-80 percent of the equation. If the snow conditions are good people want to go skiing. If the snow conditions are bad there's nothing you can do to push them to go skiing."
At the SIA Snow Show, the collective offerings of hundreds of exhibitors are expected to interest skiers next season. "The ski and boot manufacturers continue to evolve. I don't know that there's any one thing that will motivate consumers to buy next season but there's a lot of cool products out there," O'Winter added.
Looking forward, these retailers are planning more conservative approaches to the beginning of the 2012-13 season. "For the first time in a long time our open to buy dollars will be down next year. We saw a significant decline in demand for clothing and hardgoods. We will have more carryover than normal," explains O'Winter.
Skinny Skis will also manage 2012-13 orders carefully. "Carryover will be minimal but higher than past seasons. That will translate to smaller preseason orders. We have to realize it's okay and healthy for the industry to run out of product. A smaller supply increases demand," says Crabtree.
"This winter season has been slow and steady. Any day it snows, we'll be busy," offers Nilsen. "I stick to a tight budget and use companies like Burton, Scott, Dakine and Girothat will have stock so I can make orders throughout the winter or make multiple ship orders and adjust the order as needed before the next ship date I don't want to be stuck with overstock and have to put everything on clearance just to pay bills during bad snow years. We base our budget on an average year's sales to start off the season and hopefully I get to make more re-orders."
Strong relationships between brands and retailers help both partners' weather poor sales seasons. "We are going to commit to our real partners. The brands that might be on the fringe we may take a year off," says Burke. "We're being cautious and trying to make intelligent buying decisions. If we do have two years in a row of bad weather we won't have a massive amount of inventory we have to dump. We're willing to take risks and work with brands that we have great partnerships with. As a leader in ski you can't compromise the direction of your store. You have to move product to make room for the new look for next year."
Despite less than great snow conditions experienced in some parts of the snowbelt, the SIA Snow Show always leaves attendees inspired about the seasons to come. "This year hasn't been the most profitable. Sell through in some categories has been better in some categories than others. That affects my open-to-buy," offers Fisher.
"We find that one season drives the next. This season hasn't been as bad as it might have been after last year. During this year's early and preseason buyers were very eager to get their skis fixed up and buy new equipment because they used it so much last year," reports Linkenheimer. "This year with the lack of snow, people aren't getting out as much. Next season's preseason may be a little slower. We need to continue to be optimistic but be mindful about our spending and advertising. We will be cautiously optimistic."
Best Practices
Managing a successful snow sports specialty retail store requires expertise in an ever-changing array of business operations. Human resources, event planning, marketing, product selection, social media and e-commerce are just a few examples. Lou Dzierzak has written about these topics for over a decade. Best Practices will shorten the learning curve by offering case studies, resources and how-to tips from experts in specific fields. If you have suggestions for future topics, please feel free to contact Lou at email@example.com.


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Florida picks the nominees
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- We've heard from Iowa and New Hampshire but the biggest voice in this crazy presidential campaign may be yours in 19 days. If you're a Republican, you're poised to pick the nominee. If you're a Democrat, you could deliver a nice lift to Hillary Rodham Clinton -- or drive a nail in her coffin. If you're an independent, sit back and watch this extraordinary campaign as it steams into all-important Florida on Jan. 29. More here.
Btw, it's not only our parochial take that Florida Democrats, boycotted and delegate-less, have a big voice in the Democratic nomination. Here's Karl Rove in today's Wall Street Journal: "...Despite Sen. Harry Reid's son serving as her Nevada chairman, she's likely to lose that state's caucuses on Jan. 19. Then comes South Carolina on Jan. 26, where half the Democratic voters are likely to be African-American and Mr. Obama the probable victor. That means Florida on the 29th looms very large. The outcome of the contest in the Sunshine State is likely to have a disproportionate impact on the 23 contests on Super Tuesday."


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Four teens captured for stealing Pepsi products
Thu, 23 Jan 2014 17:49:36 GMT —
The Dougherty County Sheriff's Office held a press conference Thursday morning about recent break-in's to the Buffalo Rock plant in Albany.
They captured four teenagers, one considered a minor, for stealing Pepsi products from the plant. 17-year-old Chanda Howard and 17-year-old Laquesha Barber were both charged with criminal trespass and theft by taking misdemeanor. 17-year-old De'Eric Adams was charged with criminal trespass, he didn't have products in possession. The 14-year-old minor was charged with criminal trespass and theft by taking misdemeanor and released to his mother after being confirmed.
Captain Craig Dodd told FOX 31 the sheriff's office was providing the plant with extra security after complaints of break-in's. Dodd said the company is taking a loss for the stolen products but more than that, they're suffering a lot of damage to their property.


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I only had appetizers here, but they had the best charbroiled oysters in New Orleans!
Gluten free menu gives a lot of options, and specifically tells you how the dish will be modified.
They do have a gluten free menu. I had the Cobb salad. It's kind of pricey. May need to spell things out for the waiter however.
slow service. limited understanding of menu. all crackers (for non GF) broken. Oyster sauce in plastic cups versus real container. tuna tartare not edible./sent back. grilled oyster ok, but could only taste cheese. not great decor.
Staff was knowledgeable. Been dining here for the past 3 days, have no issues with gluten and dairy free meals (see pictures above). Just ask for the gluten free menu. Good luck.
I ordered a salad with seared tuna. None of their dressing are GF, which is bummer. They do have a GF menu with plenty of options- I would recommend trying something other than that salad.
Okay, they have great charbroiled pastors. However, the gluten free dining is at your own risk. My first order they sent out with bread on top, so they don't quite understand gluten in my opinion. The second batch was bread free and delicious, but I didn't stick around to try anything else. Didn't want to risk getting sick.
the chargrilled oysters are gluten-free.
Metairie location has gluten free menu and is very accommodating. None of the salad dressings are considered safe so expect to have oil and vinegar on any salad you order. For my birthday they even served the free birthday brownie sundae separated out so that I could enjoy the ice cream with whip cream and chocolate sauce (my non-gf table mates enjoyed the brownie). The chargrilled oysters are not to be missed but make sure to ask for no bread or bread on the side. I generally get the maine lobster with the petit filet and have not had a bad meal yet.
Fabulous food, as always!! Can't go wrong at Drago's!! Grilled oysters a must-have!!💗
Accommodating but not very good.
loved this place! they had a gf menu and the bartender was really nice and helpful. their chargrilled oysters are to die for (we had 2 dozen!) and i even brought along my own gf saltine like crackers to make it more authentic. can't wait to return!
Waiter was super friendly. Had grilled fish and potatoes. Awesome!
has a gf menu, but was a bit limited. oysters were great
Bartender was helpful in identifying a few items that could be done gluten-free, but I still didn't feel 100% after eating there. I did not see a gluten-free menu.
No gluten-free menu. Our server told us to choose, then she would tell us if the dish was gf. She said she didn't really understand gluten-free and she proved it. My husband loved the chargrilled oysters but does not have to follow a gf diet. I chose a salad and did ok. But I am cautious when servers are ill-informed.
dragos gluten free menu can be found online, just Google it!
Drago's New Orleans does not have a gluten free menu. I even called in advance and was told that they did but when we arrived the hostess said the server would help you. After an extended back and forth and huge anxiety we landed on the twin filets. I had an allergic reaction that lasted all night.
I had the best char grilled oysters. They also have a gluten free menu. They do not use bread crumbs any time on their grill. They also have vegan items. Awesome menu.
3232 N Arnoult Rd, Metairie, LA 70002
Great food and great service! Has a gluten free menu so it's safer choosing a meal
3232 N Arnoult Rd, Metairie, LA 70002
I would give this place a 5 if not for being gluten free. I ordered intuitively knowing the listed ingredients were gf and had no reaction. Excellent oysters on the 1/2 and an italian crab salad. But went for the oysters and were not disappointed. Few gf offerings, however. My husband said the gumbo was excellent.
3232 N Arnoult Rd, Metairie, LA 70002
We ordered off the gluten-free menu and everything came off the non-gluten menu food was subpar
3232 N Arnoult Rd, Metairie, LA 70002
Horrible service - waitress did not realize I was ordering off their GF menu, served the non-GF item (with pasta), had to correct. I'm not a fish person so can't speak to that.
11 am - 10 pm
11 am - 10 pm
11 am - 10 pm
11 am - 10 pm
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11 am - 10 pm


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NEW YORK -- LeBron James will play his first game since rejoining the Cleveland Cavaliers at home Oct. 30 against New York, then return to Miami for the first time on Christmas.
The NBA regular season will open Oct. 28, with the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs hosting the Dallas Mavericks in one of the three games that night.
The league released its schedule, featuring a lengthened All-Star break, on Wednesday night during an NBA TV special, with James' return to his original NBA team putting the Cavaliers in a number of prime positions.
That includes the game at Miami in the third spot on the five-game Christmas schedule, traditionally a highlight of the NBA season. James led the Heat to two championships and four NBA Finals appearances in four years before deciding to return to his native Ohio.
The other Christmas day games are: Washington at New York; Oklahoma City at San Antonio in a rematch of the Western Conference finals; the Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago; and Golden State at the Los Angeles Clippers.
Greg Oden faces October trial on battery charges
INDIANAPOLIS -- Former NBA No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden is free to leave Indiana while he awaits trial on charges he punched his ex-girlfriend in the face as long as he remains on GPS monitoring, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Marion County Superior Court Judge Steven Rubick entered a routine not guilty plea on behalf of Oden and scheduled the free agent center's trial for Oct. 22. Oden is charged with battery resulting in serious bodily injury and two misdemeanor battery counts.
The 7-foot-tall Oden, wearing a silvery sport coat, dark slacks and a white shirt with no tie, sat grimly at the defense table and answered the judge's questions with a soft "Yes, Your Honor."
Oden's attorney, James Bell, said in a statement after the brief hearing that the defense team would have no comment until the conclusion of the case.
The 26-year-old was arrested at his mother's Indianapolis home last Thursday and released from jail later that day.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed, police officers were called to the home at around 3:30 a.m. last Thursday and found a 24-year-old woman on a blood-spattered sofa with a swollen, bloody face. A friend of the woman told officers that Oden had "punched her in the face."
The report says the injured woman was uncooperative and told officers she had fallen, but was unable to say when and where that occurred.


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Children as young as four should be given group therapy at school to control their behaviour, according to Ofsted.
Some infants are already taking part in weekly "circle time" sessions in which they are encouraged to share their problems, it was disclosed.
The watchdog said it was among a range of methods used by primary schools to improve discipline and reduce suspensions among four- to seven-year-olds.
One school had a "calming tent" where children were placed if they felt angry, upset or frustrated, inspectors said.


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Information about data protection is available at www.westberks.gov.uk/dataprotection


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Beyonce Explains Why She Released New Album All at Once
ABC Digital
Updated at
(NEW YORK) — By now, everyone is wise to the fact that Beyonce has surprised the world by releasing her fifth studio album in its entirety via iTunes with no hype and no warning.
All 14 songs and 17 videos only can be purchased all at once — the intention of the self-titled album is to be consumed from top to bottom.
But why did the megastar decide to do this and shock the world in this way without releasing singles?
"I didn't want to release my music the way I've done it," Beyonce said via a press release. "I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans."
She added that she wanted the music to be complete and unfiltered.
"There's so much that gets between the music, the artist and the fans," she continued. "I felt like I didn't want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it's ready and from me to my fans."
In a video posted on her Facebook page, Beyonce further explains releasing an album whole rather than singles.
"I feel like right now, people experience music differently," she said. "I remember seeing 'Thriller' on TV with my family. It was an event. We all sat around the TV and now looking back, I'm so lucky I was born around that time. I miss that immersive experience. Now, people only listen to a few seconds of a song on their iPods, they don't really invest in a whole album."
She continued, "It's all about the single and the hype."
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


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Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Memphis Rogues
March 2, 1980
The Bayfront Center
Attendance: 5,545
North American Soccer League Programs
56 pages
The North American Soccer League (1968-1984) is best known as the league that brought Pele to the United States and for its flagship New York Cosmos franchise, the team for which Pele played from 1975 to 1977. The NASL's core business was outdoor soccer played on a spring-summer schedule, but the league also dabbled with the emerging sport of indoor soccer with several one-off exhibitions and short tournaments during the mid-1970's.
In the winter of 1979-80 the NASL launched its own indoor league, partly due to pressure from the upstart Major Indoor Soccer League which debuted the previous year. The NASL's indoor league was something less than full-fledged – participation that first winter was optional and only 10 of the league's 24 franchises took part. Notably absent were the Cosmos, who generally looked down their noses at the indoor game and held out until the league's third indoor season in the winter of 1981-82.
The absence of some of the league's best teams and stars left an opening for comparatively anonymous clubs like the Memphis Rogues to shine in that first indoor season. The Rogues had one of the league's lowest payrolls and fared poorly on the field and at the Liberty Bowl box office for outdoor soccer, but all of that changed when the team shifted indoors for six home dates in the winter of 1979.
"We played at the Mid-South Coliseum. We played indoor soccer there when no one knew anything about it and we had sold out every game," recalled Rogues General Manager Rudi Schiffer in 2012. "We won the Western Division championship and we had a heckuva team. We did that with a lot of promotions and it was wild and exciting and everybody loved it. We sold every ticket in the house."
The Rogues advanced all the way to the NASL Indoor championship series in late February 1980. There they met the Tampa Bay Rowdies, a club whose popularity and success in the outdoor game carried over indoors. The Rowdies were runners up in Soccer Bowl 1979, the championship of the NASL's outdoor season. At the gate, they average 27,650 fans for outdoor soccer that summer, second only to the Cosmos.
The Rowdies played indoor soccer at the tiny 5,500-seat Bayfront Center in St. Peterburgr. The Rowdies were nearly unbeatable at home, going 5-1 and playing to standing room only crowds all winter (5,905 announced average).
The Rogues and the Rowdies met in a two-game championship series which began in Memphis on February 29, 1980. 9,081 fans packed the Mid-South Coliseum to see the Rogues take Game One by a score of 5-4. This rare game program was published for the deciding match at Bayfront Center two days later on March 2nd. If the Rogues won the game, the series was over. If the Rowdies won Game Two, the title would be decided by sudden-death "mini-game" immediately following the match. Another sell-out crowd of 5,545 was on hand.
The Rowdies dominated Game Two, winning the match 10-4. After a short intermission, the mini-game began. The Rogues dominated the run of play, outshooting the Rowdies 28-9 in the extra period. But it was the Rowdies who came out on top, when English midfielder Peter Anderson buried a shot behind Rogues goalkeeper John Houska to hand Tampa the first NASL indoor title.
Bayfront Arena was demolished in 2004. Today the former site on the St. Petersburg waterfront hosts the Salvador Dali museum.
The Rogues moved to Calgary in 1980 and the franchise went bankrupt in 1981. The Rowdies survived the demise of the NASL in 1984 and played in various leagues until the early 1990's. They played their final game of indoor soccer at Bayfront Arena in 1987 as a member of the American Indoor Soccer Association.
Check out our 2012 interview with former Memphis Rogues GM Rudi Schiffer about his adventures in the NASL.
Tampa Bay Rowdies Home Page


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Lindsay Lohan may be making lemonade out of lemons!
The actress is reportedly in talks with gossip website Celebuzz to blog about her upcoming 90-day stint in rehab. According to New York Post's Page Six, sources say that if the deal goes through, Lohan would blog about the lessons learned during her court-ordered stay.
Though she is set to enter rehab for a sixth time on Thursday, Lohan reportedly wouldn't begin contributing content until August, after her rehab stay is complete.
On March 18, Lohan was sentenced to rehab in a locked facilityafter pleading no contest to charges of reckless driving and lying to police.


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We start this morning's coffee with instructions on how to erase your online past.
Next up is a list of Not Safe For Work calendars for 2010. It includes the obvious (Vogue, Naked Nerds), the comical (Extraordinary Chickens, Nuns Having Fun). But my absolute favourite:
Do you like cupcakes? Here is a 100-cupcake strong quiz, with doozies like this one:
Everything you see in the photo below is an ice sculpture. Except the person. And maybe the trees. Lots more over at The Big Picture.
(by Ng Han Guan)


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Things Frozen Fans Can't Stop Saying or SingingFrozen fans won't stop, will they? You will say these things if you're a frozen fan.
The Top Ten
I still see little kids with Elsa toys or costumes at Walmart. Drives me nuts. - RiverClanRocks
Ugh... My friend STILL loves this song and STILL sings it. - Minecraftcrazy530
I knew that this would be on here!V 2 Comments
No. I don't want to build a snowman. It's the middle of November, there is no snow. - RiverClanRocks
I sing this all the time! Heh heh, gotcha. I sing the Trump parody.
Do you wanna build a wall?
Young Anna of Arendelle: Do you want to build a snowman? Do you want to come and play?
Me: there is no snow.
Young Anna of Arendelle:...
The Fanbase are little girls with no minds. I can't believe they would say that. I bet the majority of them don't know what impaled means.
That sounds so violent, do Frozen fans realise that?
This is true, but still. - RiverClanRocks
Elsa deserves a lot more attention than that loser spare Anna anyway. We Anna haters like it whenever and whenever else Anna deserves all the and all the other worst things ever happened to her.
The Contenders
Recommended Lists
Related ListsTop Ten Reasons Frozen Fans Should Stop Hating People Who Don't Like Frozen Top Ten Annoying Things Frozen Fans Say Top 10 Things Metal Fans Need to Stop Doing Top 10 Things Three Days Grace Fans Should Stop Complaining About Top Ten People/Things That Were Ruined by Their Fans
List StatsUpdated 22 Sep 2017
2 years, 260 days old


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Revanth Reddy slams CM KCR
Mon, May 02, 2016, 12:19 PM
Telangana TDP working president Revanth Reddy has come down heavily on Telangana state minister KCR. While addressing the media, Revanth Reddy has alleged that KCR is not taking the concerns of some well reputed old factories and alleged that the chief minister is ignoring the concerns of contract employees, Asha workers and also Aaganwadi workers. Revanth Reddy has alleged that CM KCR is encouraging the business of whisky and other alcoholic products and also faulted the state government's attitude over poor supply of water tankers.


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Choose from Three Options
$29 for a golf package for one ($59 total value)
- 18-hole round of golf ($38 value)
- One cart ($15 value)
- One bucket of range balls ($4 value)
- One non-alcoholic drink ($2 value)

$49 for a golf package for two ($103 total value)
- Two 18-hole rounds of golf ($76 value)
- One cart ($15 value)
- Two buckets of range balls ($8 value)
- Two non-alcoholic drinks ($4 value)

$99 for a golf package for four ($206 total value)

- Four 18-hole rounds of golf ($152 value)
- Two carts ($30 value)
- Four buckets of range balls ($16 value)
- Four non-alcoholic drinks ($8 value)

Poinciana Golf Club
Nestled amid palm trees and ponds, Poinciana Golf Club's 18-hole, par-64 course tests players with a scaled-down, 4,561-yard layout. Despite its relatively small size, the course features three par-5s, one of which you'll encounter on the second tee, where you'll look out on a 550-yard hole that is the course's longest and most difficult. Golfers also face the unique challenge of starting their round with a par-3, so they might want to spend extra time warming up at the club's driving range.
Course at a Glance:
- 18-hole, par-64 course
- Length of 4,561 yards from the farthest tees
- Course rating of 60.9 from the farthest tees
- Slope rating of 103 from the farthest tees
- Three tee options