text:
Prem wrap: Harry off to a flyer, Villa rampant
Harry Redknapp took less than 24 hours to deliver what Tottenham Hotspur wanted all season - a victory to kick-start their Premier League campaign.
Roman Pavlyuchenko and Darren Bent grabbed the goals as they beat Bolton 2-0 at White Hart Lane but all eyes were on Redknapp after his appointment to succeed Juande Ramos as Spurs boss.
They are still bottom of the table but made up ground on the other strugglers with a first league win of the season at the ninth attempt.
Elsewhere on Sunday Liverpool beat Chelsea 1-0 to end the Blues' 86-game unbeaten home league record to move three points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Xabi Alonso scored the only goal of the game at Stamford Bridge in the ninth minute when his 20-yard shot deflected off Jose Bosingwa to leave goalkeeper Petr Cech flat-footed.
Chelsea had their moments but Ashley Cole wasted their best chance of the match in the 73rd minute by firing wide from eight yards.
Bolton had Gavin McCann sent off in the second half for two bookable offences.
British record signing Robinho completed his first Manchester City hat-trick to take sorry Stoke apart at Eastlands.
The £32.5million Brazilian opened his account after just 14 minutes, then added another from Daniel Sturridge's excellent pass just after the re-start.
But he saved the best until last, finishing off a flowing four-pass move 17 minutes from the end with a clinical finish past Thomas Sorensen as City won 3-0.
Gabriel Agbonlahor further enhanced his claims to be a part of Fabio Capello's England plans by creating two goals and scoring another as Aston Villa thrashed Wigan 4-0.
Agbonlahor won a controversial first-half penalty which Gareth Barry converted and then stole the show in the second half with a predatory strike and a brilliant assist.
In the 57th minute he bundled home a close-range shot and then embarked on a delightful run and inch-perfect cross for substitute John Carew to head home five minutes later.
Substitute Steve Sidwell curled home a superb fourth goal in the last minute at the JJB Stadium.
Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.


text:
Drag the line on the map to calculate the driving distance for a different route.
If you want to verify these driving directions
or look for another possible route, you can try
Google Maps, Bing Maps, or MapQuest.
The total driving distance from Burlington, VT to Montreal, Canada is 100 miles or 161 kilometers.
Your trip begins in Burlington, Vermont. It ends in Montreal, Canada.
If you are planning a road trip, you might also want to calculate the total driving time from Burlington, VT to Montreal, Canada so you can see when you'll arrive at your destination.
You can also calculate the cost of driving from Burlington, VT to Montreal, Canada based on current local fuel prices and an estimate of your car's best gas mileage.
If you're meeting a friend, you might be interested in finding the city that is halfway between Burlington, VT and Montreal, Canada.
Planning to fly a plane instead? You might be more interested in calculating the straight line distance to fly from Burlington, VT to Montreal, Canada.
There is no direct flight from Burlington to Montreal Canada. It's about 100 miles driving distance between both cities, but you may have to spend time waiting at the border crossing during peak seasons.
Montreal is the world's second largest French-speaking city. But you don't need to learn French to visit Montreal.
Take a walking tour at Old Montreal. Explore the many historic sites, museums, churches and squares. Notre Dame Basilica, Place d'Armes, Place Jacques-Cartier, City Hall, Bonsecours Market, Chateau Ramezay and Champ de Mars are some of the landmarks of the city.
Check out the cafés, restaurants and shops on the cobblestone Rue St. Paul (St. Paul Street). It is the oldest street in Montreal and is named after its founder Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve.
Place Jacques-Cartier is Old Montreal's public square located close to the Old Port. This lively place is filled with performers, artists, street cafés and vendors selling crafts and souvenirs.
Travelmath helps you find driving distances based on actual directions for your road trip. You can get the distance between cities, airports, states, countries, or zip codes to figure out the best route to travel to your destination. Combine this information with the fuel cost tool to find out how much it will cost you to drive the distance, or compare the results to the straight line distance to determine whether it's better to drive or fly. You can print out pages with a travel map.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
ORLETON ace Roger Moran will be retiring from racing in the MSA British Hillclimb Championship at the end of the season.
The veteran driver and 1997 British champion revealed his plans to retire from the large capacity racing car class.
Roger's seat will be taken next year by Alex Summers, from Tenbury Wells, who has been campaigning a DJ Firehawk with great success this term.
Roger's son, Scott Moran, remains on course for back-to-back titles after finishing first and second in the run-offs last weekend at Shelsley Walsh.
Scott leads this season's championship and will be hoping to strengthen his grip on the title race at Gurston Down this weekend.
Scott said: "I won the first run-off and then came runner-up in the second and I think that I am 11 points ahead on dropped scores.
"I was four points ahead going into Shelsley Walsh and I picked up 19 points and Trevor Willis collected 12 points."
Speaking of Roger's decision, Scott said: "This is my dad's last season in the Gould he's 62 years old now.
"My dad has had a really good run and he still wants to be among the best.
"But he knows that he can no longer do what he's achieved in the past and he still wants to be competitive."
Tenbury star Summers, who is fourth in the leaderboard, will be sharing the Gould next term.
Scott said: "It will be good because Alex is a young, up-and-coming driver and he's more than capable of operating that sort of machine.
"It will take Alex a few meetings to get settled into the car. Alex is a young and enthusiastic and an undoubtedly a very good driver."
Scott added: "I will be doing less next season but Alex will be there and he's hoping to do the whole season in the car.
"It will be very good for him and a fresh challenge."


text:
Katy Perry and John Mayer planning wedding?
Rumours are rife that Katy Perry and John Mayer are planning to say "I do", with ideas for a wedding in the works.
Last week the couple sparked chatter of engagement after Perry was spotted wearing a ruby ring on Valentine's Day, which was later said to be a commitment ring to celebrate moving in together.
Now, speculation is circulating that the couple plans to tie the knot in a low key ceremony.
A source told Grazia, "Katy and John want to have a really intimate traditional ceremony with only their closest friends and family. They're both from fairly traditional families and don't want a big party.
"They had so much fun when they visited her hometown that Katy and John have both agreed it would make sense to do it there. They loved San Ysidro because it's so private and peaceful with amazing scenery."
This would be the first marriage for Mayer, while Perry was previously wed to British comedian Russell Brand.
The source described Perry and Mayer's relationship was "very serious" and said, "Katy always swore she wouldn't rush into marriage again, but they get on so well and she really thinks he's changed. His friends can't believe how much she has tamed him, and Katy's parents absolutely adore him."
Photo: Getty/Getty Images News/Alex Wong
Has she gone too far?
Poor Sophie!


text:
I completed my first project for the Colette Patterns 2012 Spring/Summer Palette Challenge and I couldn't be more pleased. I have to be honest, as my third ever handmade garment attempt, I kind of needed this one to be a win. I liked my Meringue skirt for the fabric and the piping, but structurally it had issues. I learned so much about fit making the Pastille dress, but realistically, I don't see it being something I will wear very often. If I was going… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Colette Sewing Handbook
A Pastille for Easter
I completed my first dress (my second garment and the second project in the Colette Sewing Handbook), just in time for Easter dinner at Flower's house! My inspiration for the fabric and the trim was from this post from the Nashville blog, Lladybird. The author, Lauren, makes the cutest clothes and always seems to find the perfect fabric for each project. To steal a saying from Monica, the owner of the West Seattle Fabric Company and author of the blog Bursting the Seams,… Read more »
Sew-along Tag-along: Pastille Muslin
There is currently a "sew-along" happening, where fans of the Colette Sewing Handbook, are "sewing along" with bloggers Rhinestones and Telephones and Miss Crayola Creepy as they sew all the projects from the book, in order. I had never even heard of a sew-along, but when I heard about it, I thought to myself, "I am a fan of the Colette Sewing Handbook and I have already made the first project, the Meringue skirt!" Unfortunately, when I found out about it, they were already… Read more »
My "Meringue" skirt- dance party tested, sewing nerd approved
For a long time, I have dreamed of making my own clothes, so this is kind of a milestone for me. Last weekend, I completed my first ever garment; the "Meringue" skirt from The Colette Sewing Handbook. First of all, this book is awesome. I read about it in a post on Seattle blog, Not Martha. It was perfect timing when I saw it, because I had just gotten my new sewing machine and was looking for a good book to learn from…. Read more »


text: Thanksgiving morning is the 3rd Annual Turkey Trot and it's going to be a record-breaker! More than 700 participants are pre-registered for the 5k run/jog/walk which raises money for the Ballard Food Bank.. Given that only a couple hundred people participated last year, organizers were hoping for 500 participants to help raise $6,000 for the food bank. As of earlier this week they've already beat their expectations. At the finish line, Inferno Dogs will be serving "Griddles" (think McDonald's sausage McMuffin) w/ juice at Golden Gardens for a $5 suggested donation with all proceeds going to the Food Bank. The registration is closed, but you can still show up and pay $20 to join in the fun. The 5k starts at 9 a.m. at NW 85th & 32 Ave NW. Here's a look at the route.


text:
Shares of Nabi Biopharmaceuticals ( NABI) were among the worst-performing health-related stocks Tuesday, tumbling nearly 72% after the biotechnology company halted development of its staph infection vaccines. The company decided to discontinue developing the vaccines after its StaphVax product failed to meet the primary endpoint of a Phase III trial. The study found no reduction in S. aureus types 5 and 8 infections in the StaphVax group of patients as compared to a placebo group. "We are obviously surprised and very disappointed with the results of the StaphVax confirmatory Phase III trial," the company said. In addition to halting further development of StaphVax and withdrawing its application to market StaphVax in the European Union, Nabi said it would also halt development of Altastaph, the company's investigational product for the prevention and treatment of S. aureus infections. Shares were trading down $9.25 to $3.60. Allergan ( AGN) rose 8% after the eye-care products company posted better-than-expected third-quarter results. The company earned $150.5 million, or $1.12 a share, on sales of $606.1 million. Excluding items, Allergan have earned $112.1 million, or 83 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call expected earnings, before items, of 79 cents a share, and sales of $569.6 million. A year earlier, Allergan earned $92 million, or 69 cents a share, on sales of $510.8 million. Excluding items, the company would have earned $89 million, or 67 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Looking ahead, Allergan forecast fourth-quarter earnings of 88 cents to 89 cents a share, in line with analysts' forecast of 89 cents. The company sees sales of $565 million to $580 million, bracketing analysts' mean estimate of $570 million. Shares recently were up $6.74 to $96.04. Shares of Health Net ( HNT) rose 1% after the company posted third-quarter results that topped forecasts. The managed-health care company earned $78.2 million, or 67 cents a share, on sales of $3.06 billion. Analysts projected earnings of 64 cents a share, with sales of $3.04 billion. A year earlier, Health Net earned $71.9 million, or 64 cents a share, on sales of $2.94 billion.
- Log In
- Newsletters
Access insights and guidance from our Wall Street pros. Find the product that's right for you.
- Action Alerts PLUS
- Daily Swing Trade
- Income Seeker
- Quant Ratings
- Real Money
- Real Money Pro
- Stocks Under $10
- Top Stocks
- Trifecta Stocks
- Real Money Pro Portfolio
- Chairman's Club
- Compare All


text:
Entertainment of Wednesday, 19 January 2005
Source: Story Credits Henderson State University Oracle
...Alongside Samuel L. Jackson In "Coach Carter"
A taxi driver slows amid traffic to greet another driver. Two girls run across the streets holding hands. On the other side of the road, merchants have lined up their multicolored glass beads on wooden tables under a scorching sun, leaving little place for customers.
Two women dressed in wraps and scarves wind their way through the aisles, carrying heavy baskets on their heads and exchanging jokes with the sellers. The heat does not seem to kill the friendliness around Accra's Makola market, as a woman and her toddling son hug their relations one last time before loading their baggage into a waiting taxi.
Born in Accra, Ghana in West Africa, Nana Gbewonyo left his native land at the age of three. With his mother he moved to California, where they joined his father. During his high school years, Gbewonyo played football, and as he got older he tried out for basketball in California. His talent and devotion attracted the attention of the coaches across the country, including Joe Redmond of HSU, who tried to recruit him.
Gbewonyo ended up joining the Washburn University basketball team in Kansas, but during his last year, Gbewonyo contacted Redmond and asked him if he was still able to join the HSU team. Redmond welcomed him with open arms for the 2002-2003 season.
But how did the young man from Ghana go from college basketball player to Hollywood movie star? For Gbewonyo, the change came as a real surprise.
After his last HSU basketball game, an agent Gbewonyo had met in California tried to call him. The agent reached Zavier Lewis, a senior education major, and explained that the director of an upcoming movie called 'Coach Carter' was looking for a young male to act the part of a teenage basketball player.
Coach Carter is an inspirational account of a controversial high school basketball coach, Ken Carter, played by Samuel L. Jackson. In Richmond, California, he received both high praise and staunch criticism when he made national news in 1999 for benching his entire undefeated basketball team for poor academic performance.
The agent asked Lewis to help him reach Gbewonyo and see if he wanted the part. Soon Gbewonyo was on a plane back to his home state, where he filmed the movie.
'Gbewonyo and I joked and laughed all the time. He reminded me of myself. A care-free guy,' Lewis said.
'When Xavier told me about the movie, I didn't think I would have any chance,' Gbewonyo said. 'I almost didn't go.'
But he finally went for the audition. His personality and friendliness won the hearts of the directors, who offered him a part.
Even then, 'I did not know how big it was,' Gbewonyo said. After having a personal conversation with the producer and the director, the 23-year-old Reddie began to realize that he was experiencing a 'dream come true.'
He learned that a major producer of the film, in which Gbewonyo plays the ordinary high school kid facing adversity, was basketball legend Michael Jordan. When he arrived on set, Gbewonyo met his main movie partner: Samuel L. Jackson, who plays the title role of Coach Carter.
'I was hesitant at first, but I realized that Samuel L. Jackson is a great guy,' Gbewonyo said. 'From the first meeting he called me by my first name and broke the ice.'
As a new recruit in the movie business, Gbewonyo had a few difficulties acting, but the crew and other actors helped him along.
In Coach Carter, Nana plays Junior Battle, an outstanding player who doesn't go to class.
'One of the main challenges on set was working with Jackson. He jokes around a lot, so it is hard to keep a straight face,' Gbewonyo said. Beyond the fact that Jackson's jokes were a challenge, they also proved a source of relaxation for the movie rookie.
Among other celebrities in the cast of Coach Carter is Ashanti. Gbewonyo exchanged a few words with her off camera, but he does not really get to interact with her on set. Rob Brown, who starred in 'Finding Forrester,' was another actor Gbewonyo got to know.
Despite the fact that being first-time actor was difficult, Gbewonyo realized that the directors, the hairdressers and the other workers in the background faced bigger challenge in the making of the movie. 'Their work requires a lot of thinking, patience, and sometimes manual labor,' he said.
After some days of filming, Gbewonyo found an opportunity to interact with the rest of the actors during several outings.
HSU basketball coach Redmond said Gbewonyo has always acted very cordially, and that is one of the qualities that he first noticed.
'Nana is social butterfly,' Redmond said. 'He made friends with everybody on the team and also people that were not athletes.'
Gbewonyo's other strengths noticed by Redmond are his work ethic and his obedience. Gbewonyo would spend long hours on the court practicing and perfecting his talent, he would listen to the coach's instructions, and he played as hard as he could during the games, Redmond said.
'Nana always talked about wanting to be in a movie, and he would joke about it,' Redmond said. 'He is the kind of person who, when he sets his mind to something, he will do it. I am really happy for him.'
According to Redmond, Gbewonyo used to tease him about his height and call him a kid. During a team visit to Orlando for a tournament at Disney World, Gbewonyo asked a steward to bring a child seat and a pacifier for the coach.
Gbewonyo says his personality and behavior will remain the same despite his movie stardom. He also cautions those who don't know him not to associate him with the character he plays, who is not always admirable in his actions.
He remains eager to see where his acting career will go after this film's release. 'If it not for this movie, it would not have happened.'
Coach Carter begins showing on Friday, January 14.
-Picture shows Gbewonyo in Coach Carter.


text:
Skip to comments.10 Weapons That Animals Use
Posted on 04/19/2012 7:34:25 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
10 Weapons That Animals Use
We've come a long way from thinking that what separates us from the animals is, say, using a rock to bash in the skull of our competitors. It turns out that there are a lot of creatures out that that re-purpose tools to make their personal world better and someone else's world a lot worse. Take a look at the world's craziest and most intimidating weapons wielded by animals.
10. The Herring Gull's Bread
This bird has learned how to use bread to construct a trap. Herring gulls live in large colonies in the urban areas of Scotland, supplementing their natural food with discarded human food. When their population went up, and discarded human food didn't completely meet their needs, they headed to goldfish ponds. There, they used pieces of dropped bread to lure goldfish to the surface, where they swooped down and ate them. They're not just warriors, they're gamblers as well, risking their heard-earned bread to get a little meat. With them around, it's like the Old West with wings.
9. The Dolphin's Nets
Bottlenose dolphins have found inspiration in old gladiator movies and created nets to catch and trap their prey. Not being content with being larger and traveling in large groups, the dolphins learned that fish can't tell the difference between walls of bubbles or of mud and regular solid walls. The dolphins circle schools of fish, either blowing air bubbles or kicking up mud and sand, forcing the fish into smaller and smaller areas, at which point the dolphins charge through and eat them.
8. The Raven's Play-Fighting Swords
The common raven has been acknowledged as one of the most intelligent birds - and animals - anywhere. They're able to improvise tools in new situations, teach other birds how to use tools, and will play with any new object they've found, looking for a use for it. The twigs that they break off of trees aren't helpful in actual fights compared to their powerful beaks and claws, but they do use them as weapons - in play sword fights. Young ravens will joust at each other and clack their twigs together just the way young kids who break branches off of trees do.
7. The Seagull's Cars
In the ongoing war between shelled animals and winged animals, hard surfaces were the best technology either of them had devised. Gulls would fly high up and drop oysters and clams onto rocks, shattering them and feasting on their gooey insides. But that didn't always work, and the repeated trips up were tiring and the oysters could just roll off the rocks into the sea. Then the car came along, and suddenly the oysters' prospects dimmed. If a sidewalk couldn't finish off an oyster, a truck driving over it certainly could. Seagulls would drop the oysters in the crosswalks of intersections, let the cars roll over them, wait for the light to change, and then swoop down and feast. They know our patterns, people. And they know how to weaponize us.
6. The Elephant's Rocks
Sometimes you need to get back to basics with a good, old-fashioned rock. Elephants certainly do. These giant mammals have been known to throw rocks at anyone they don't like. Wild elephants toss rocks at cars, but even 'tame' elephants get in on the act. In Korea, a woman at a children's zoo sustained a head injury because an elephant threw a rock at her. There have also been cases when elephants picked up big rocks and threw them at electric fences, downing them so they could pass through. So not only do elephants use rocks as projectiles, they use them in siege warfare as well. They will take down our walls. (There are plenty of clips on youtube of elephants throwing rocks. I picked this one to show the precision of their aim and because the people taunting the elephant clearly deserved it.)
5. The Gorilla's Dirt and Rocks
This one is sinister because it's aimed at humans. Gorillas in Cameroon were observed being rather unfriendly to incoming humans. The humans were not poachers, but the gorillas didn't care too much about that. They weren't welcome, and so the gorillas drove them back by throwing rocks and dirt at them. This would be quite disturbing, if it weren't for the fact that the western lowland gorillas seemed to forget that they were a great deal bigger (weighing up to three hundred pounds) and altogether stronger than the people coming through, and instead believed that thrown dirt was more frightening than a gorilla attack.
4. The Dolphin's Sea Snake
Dolphins, it has been widely observed, are evil geniuses. They murder for fun. They kidnap other dolphins. They apparently hump every tourist silly enough to get in the water with them. Oh, and they use live sea snakes as weapons. The sea snake is one of the deadliest snakes in the world, and its venom causes 'full respiratory paralysis.' Normally sea snakes are pretty chill, but one thing that really whips them into aggression is being grabbed around the midsection by a dolphin and dragged through schools of fish. The sea snakes bite the fish, the fish die, and 'harvester' dolphins gather them up. This means that if you anger a dolphin, at least a dolphin around Australia, it can get back at you by siccing a snake on you.
3. The Blanket Octopus's Jellyfish Whip
The Blanket Octopus is an octopus with beautiful webbing between its tentacles, making it look like it's trailing blankets. It uses these to sail around the ocean and entrap its prey, but they aren't its most formidable tool. It's immune to the sting of the Man of War jellyfish, so when the octopus is feeling in need of security, it glides down to the jellyfish and rips off a few tentacles. These tentacles are full of stinging poison that will hurt or kill almost anything else in the ocean, so the octopus carries them around, and whips the everloving crap out of whatever it pleases. This technically shouldn't be scarier than a dolphin with a sea snake, but it is, because while the dolphin carries the snake in its mouth, the octopus carries the jellyfish tentacle in its hand. It's like a tiny eight-armed alien whipping you with poison. Would you tell it to stop? Not if there were any more Man of Wars in sight.
2. The Boxer Crab's Gloves
You get in a fight with a crab, you better have a manager. If he's any good, like Mickey, he'll make sure you don't fight a boxer crab. It looks like a cheerleader, waving around little pom-poms and walking sideways. Get in the ring with it, though, and you'll get an unpleasant surprise. The pom-poms are any of three different kinds of sea anemones. These anemones share one common trait: the ability to sting the hell out of anything they touch. The boxer crab will punch something with its fist covered in anemones, causing whatever it is, small prey or large predator, a huge amount of pain. It's not the boxer's fault. It must break you. This was just the best way to do it.
1. The Chimp's Arsenal
I've never liked monkeys (or apes, but monkeys is a funnier word), but haven't put my finger on why. I thought maybe it was just reading Murders in the Rue Morgue and an impressionable age, but now I understand that I was on to something. Gone are the days when chimps were cute guys who made sticks that could pull up termites from hills. In are the days when chimps, specifically a chimp group living in Senegal, sharpen spears with their teeth, and skewer sleeping bush babies, eating them corn-dog style. When they're done, they clean the spear and move on, saving it for later. This group also lives, part of the time, in caves. As an added bonus, another chimp at a zoo in Sweden is throwing rocks at visitors. That's nothing new, but what's disturbing is the chimp is saving the rocks, piling them up so he has a weapons cache when people who displease him come around. This means that stronger, more agile apes are not only making weapons but hoarding them to build arsenals. This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a thousand screaming, armed chimpanzees.
Don't stand downwind of my dog after a big meal. Just sayin'.
The deadliest weapon in the entire animal kingdom is the Commie 'RAT race card.
What about armed bears?
Great post!
Nope! The #1 weapon used by animals is the suicide vest.
Meanwhile, the orca has no clever tools or gimmicks. It is the Chuck Norris of the animal world.
What is fascinating is that some of these animals are not
even closely related to man physiologically or phenotypically.
Yet they demonstrate an understanding of simple physics and
the use of matter, and are able to construct complex living structures.
Consider the termite mound, anthill, wasps nest, birds nest,
beaver dam, and beehive. Consider that ants cultivate fungi
for food, and milk aphids, and set aside parts of their
colony for reproduction. How large is the ant brain?
What about the beaver dam. It can be a large structure.
Humans living in the wild can construct
shelter but the beaver has been doing that for a long time.
Can animals be smarter than many humans?
As a whole, humans are somewhat stupid and controlled more by animal instinct than we will likely ever know. We have just recently become very good at passing down old knowledge and reusing it. It makes us look like intelligent beings but how many humans actually invent new things or figure things out on their own? Most are just followers.
If you dropped off most humans on a desert island without any previous knowledge passed down to them, they would live just like monkeys.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
Welcome to Viking Fitness Centers
Marysville, Marine City, & Port Huron
24-Hour Member Access
Cardiovascular Training Machines
Treadmills, Ellipticals, Climbers, Bikes,
Cardio Entertainment, & More!
Strength Training Equipment
Selectorized, Plate-Load,
& Free Weights
Group Exercise Classes - Marysville
Body Sculpt, Cardio Blast, Firm, Step,
Strength, & Women Only Classes
Personal Training Programs
by Compel Fitness
Viking Fitness Center has been serving St. Clair County since 1993 and we are locally owned and operated. We are IPFA affiliated with over 1,200 gyms nationwide so you can workout as a guest at those gyms at no cost or you may transfer the un-used portion of your Viking Fitness membership to the new gym.
When visiting Viking Fitness Center you will enjoy exercising on a wide variety of state-of-the-art equipment in a friendly, helpful atmosphere. Afterwards you can pamper yourself with our relaxing saunas, shower facilities and private dressing rooms; available 24/7 at all three locations.
In addition to our complete health and fitness center facilities, we offer free childcare Monday through Saturday at our Marysville location. Viking Fitness Center (Health Club) provides tanning facilities at each of our three locations (Marysville, Marine City & Port Huron). Our facilities provide free tanning as well as free swimming pool access at an area motel with a three-gym membership.
*Local residents, first time visitors, 18 years or older.


text:
Loading Prices..
A Grammar of Sunwar: Descriptive Grammar, Paradigms, Texts and Glossary (Languages of the Greater Himalayan Region) (Brill's Tibetan Studies Library; Languages of the Greater Himalayan Region) (v. 7)
This description of Sunwar, an endangered Tibeto-Burman language spoken in eastern Nepal, is based on extensive field work by the author and contains a chapter with background information on the Sunwar language, its speakers and their culture, followed by sections on the phonology, the indigenous writing system and the morphology of Sunwar. Verb paradigms, glossed texts, a Sunwar-English glossary and bibliographical references are also presented. Contact between the Sunwar and Nepali languages resulted in language change, most visible in the verbal system, where the older biactantial agreement system typical for Kiranti languages disappeared and suffix conjugations emerged. This book will interest those interested in descriptive linguistics, language change and languages of South Asia.
- Dewey Decimal: 495.49
Book Details
- Physical Description: 6.4"x9.7"x0.9"; 1.6 lb; 315 pages
- Edition Info: Hardcover; 2008-03-15
- Education & Reference -- Foreign Languages -- Instruction -- Southeast Asian
- Education & Reference -- Words & Language
- Politics & Social Sciences -- Social Sciences
Buying This Book
We query many merchants so that you can instantly compare prices and availability. You can even check historic prices and subscribe for notifications. For a manual check, clicking on a link will open a new window with a search for this book on the merchant's site of your choice.
- Amazon.com by title or by ISBN - widest selection, reliable service, good prices
- Abebooks.com by title or by ISBN - good source for rare and out-of-print books
- Textbooks.com by title or by ISBN - large inventory of new & used textbooks
- Alibris.com by title or by ISBN - their slogan is "books you thought you'd never find"
- eCampus.com by title or by ISBN - they specialize in textbooks, used and new
- BN.com by title or by ISBN - Barnes & Noble has a wide selection of new and used books


text:
"I think I was 4 years old when I drew my first dick," Anthony Hassett says with a chuckle. "I think it was my teacher's dick."
That first phallic doodle paved the way for Hassett, who is currently exhibiting his latest body of work, Quién es?, at The Capitol Coffee Co. through July 1.
"I like spaces like this—cafés, cultural centers—all these peripheral places where it's just ordinary traffic, people coming and going," the artist says of the low-key locale, which he favors over established galleries.
"I don't like the idea of approaching galleries," he explains. "For example, a prominent gallery here in town a couple of years ago said they wanted to see my books, so I brought them over. An hour later, they called me and asked me to come get that 'crap' outta there."
A quick tour of Quién es? might explain why. Consisting of Moleskine Japanese pocketbooks laden with provocative images—think nun with a gun and anal- sex-engaging football players—housed in cigar boxes, es? leads up to a tableau comprising 12 depictions of a modern "axis of evil" (ranging from the Ayatollah Khomeini to Michelle Obama), all pictured with cigarettes hanging from their lips.
"A lot of my images are offensive—you know, they're meant to be provocative," Hassett says bluntly. "In the United States, I often feel that there's a lot of complacency. And it's not that I'm working to be provocative or that the art is supposed to be transgressive—although that's the kind of art that I'm often attracted to—but I feel that I'm drawing what I'm seeing."
Hassett expands, "I'm not making anything up. Most of the imagery that I put in my books comes from images I see in the world."
That innate curiosity has often led him to peer behind life's proverbial curtain.
"It's a part of the world that we like to conveniently edit out. We have an obsession in the US for sanitizing our realities, and I actually don't," he says. "I have a different philosophy. I like to think that it's better to know all of the horrors of the modern world and still retain your spirit and still be able to function, act and be creative."
Titled The Cigarette After, the series, Hassett says, has a double meaning. "As a smoker, people are constantly harassing me; I'll be walking down the street smoking and a jogger will run by me and go—cough, cough—and make a very dramatic moment out of it."
He heard the Dalai Lama smokes and, after a quick sketch in one of his notebooks, the idea took flight.
The other concept behind the grouping, he says, evolved from the act of uninvitedly flexing political muscle. "It started to become about power—and the false projection of power—and the sexual: the idea of having a cigarette after sex," he says. "To me, the smoking series represents the cigarette that power has after it successfully screws the people."
The imagemaker cites Gandhi as a particular example.
"A lot of people think of him as a saint, and all that is true. But in the last couple of years, it's come out that Gandhi was having a gay relationship with a German bodybuilder," Hassett points out. "This was never said. Gandhi could not have been considered a saint had this been known—which to me is absolutely ridiculous."
Put more succinctly: "The Cigarette After is having a smoke after you, basically, screwed the people with this false idea of who you are."
The modern media world also influences Hassett: Some of his pieces are direct iterations of images he encounters online.
"I turned off my Google SafeSearch mode years ago," he says. "I realized that if I took of the filter and punched in something like 'high school,' I would get, you know, cheerleaders; cheerleaders having sex with animals; gay high school sex; mixed together with real, academic photos, and I thought, 'This is insanity!' All of the borders are down with this imagery onslaught."
He says people internalize—both consciously and semi-consciously—thousands of these images a day. "The time we're living in is so beyond belief…and we're all bored by it."
Sipping his coffee, Hassett is quick to point out that he's not "making a moral statement about it," but rather offers a reflection "on the outrageousness of modern existence."
Immersed in the theme, his approach in hanging the show is also directly inspired by the Google image result grid.
"I tried to have my own algorithm, like Google does; I intuitively let the books arrange themselves," he says. "And they often become thematic around the news cycle for the two months it takes to make a book."
As for his own dreams of mass recognition, Hassett remains grounded. "My main thing is drawing. That whole other dimension of showing it is like 'whore' to me."
Asked if he hopes the coffee shop exhibit garners gallery attention, his answer is true to self: "I don't really care. I don't give a fuck."


text:
Cattaraugus County lawmakers discuss possible uses for casino money
LITTLE VALLEY – Cattaraugus County has received $500,000 of the $6.7 million expected from the pot of delinquent casino revenue.
County Administrator Jack Searles, who said the remainder of that sum is expected to arrive shortly, made the assessment during a meeting of the Legislature last week, when possible targets for the money were discussed.
"We are like kids that just got our allowance and are going to the candy store. We are going to spend all of our money and come away with a bad stomachache," observed Legislator Susan Labuhn, D-Salamanca.
One project seeking the coveted "pot of gold," as it was referred to by Legislator James J. Snyder Jr., R-Cuba, is the Olean Campus of Jamestown Community College, which requested $500,000 to buy and renovate the Knights of Columbus building next to the campus on Hamilton Street. The building would become home to the proposed advanced manufacturing certificate program, expected to graduate 25 to 40 students per year.
To make room for the JCC project, the Legislature approved a resolution that would let the sheriff's office use $425,000 from the fund balance to upgrade the county dispatch system.
The funds, according to the amendment, would be replaced by casino revenue when it arrives from the state.
The project, requested by Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb, would enhance the dispatch computer system.
"This is close to a $1 million upgrade with a very low cost and free upgrade," said Legislator, Patrick J. Murphy, R-Cattaraugus.
Absent was support for a visitors center at the former Kwik Fill site in Ellicottville. The county was asked to contribute $40,000 per year for the next 10 years to help offset the rental fees and utilities for the center, which would offer tourism information about the county, according to Brian McFadden of the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce. The subsidy for the project was tabled, pending the receipt of more casino revenue.
"I think what we need to do is have an application process for the casino funds," said Legislator Howard VanRensselaer, R-Randolph. "What we need to do is make sure we look at all the projects and determine what projects are going to have the greatest benefit for the county."
VanRensselaer is chairman of the county Committee on Economic Development, Planning and Tourism.
Legislator Carl Edwards, R-Limestone, suggested another element for the application process.
"We need a strategy," he said. "We don't have one. We need to do something like that so we have a map on where we would like to go with tourism and development."
Wednesday's meeting of the Legislature gets under way at 3 p.m. in the Legislative Chambers, third floor, Cattaraugus County Center, 303 Court St.


text:
20 June 2005
The politics of hope
Valerie Braithwaite (ed.), Hope, Power, and Governance, The Annals of The American Academy of Political and Social Science, Volume 592, March 2004.
When Martin Luther King Jnr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on 28 August 1963 and spoke of his dream for racial equality, he galvanised thousands of Americans to act in pursuit of a shared ideal: a world without racial injustice. King was preaching the politics of hope, a political vision underpinned by the conviction that the future can be better and that as individuals and communities we have the power to change things so as to make it so. For his audience, many of whom felt alienated and despairing, King's words were an empowering invitation not simply to dream of a better future, but to set course to achieve it.
The achievements of the civil rights movement stand witness to the power of hope, harnessed rightly, as an engine for positive social change. Hope enables individuals and communities to embark on the pursuit of difficult goals where success may be far from certain, and sustains their resolve through adversity or setbacks that might otherwise cause them to lose heart and give up. Yet social scientists to date have had comparatively little to say about the role and value of emotions such as hope in public life. But a new volume of essays on Hope, Power, and Governance edited by Valerie Braithwaite of the Australian National University looks set to change that. The collection aims to convince social scientists that hope is a topic worthy of serious academic attention; and mounts an impressive case for the importance of designing social institutions in ways that allow and nurture the kind of hope that empowers individuals to take active steps towards creating a better future for themselves and their communities. The collection is timely politically as well as intellectually, in a climate which seems all too often dominated by a politics of despair: the fear that the future is unlikely to be better, and that change is likely to be for the worse.
While alive to the virtues of hope, the volume is not blind to its pitfalls either. Hope has the power to transform lives for the better; but, harnessed wrongly, it can be a recipe for disappointment and further despair. False hopes, manipulated by marketers or powerful political forces in the service of ends that are unattainable or undesirable, have the power to waste and destroy lives. The key, as ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle might have put it, is to hope appropriately: to have the right amount of hope directed towards the right kind of goal in the right kind of way. The outcome has to be desirable; the amount of hope not excessively disproportionate to the expected results; and we must be empowered to take concrete steps in pursuit of the outcome, not merely drawn into wishful thinking. Much of Hope, Power, and Governance is devoted to the important job of filling out the detail of the recipe for hoping appropriately; and to working out how social institutions can be designed to facilitate good hope, whilst guarding against bad.
The volume is representative of the recent revival of interest in the emotions across moral and political theory, evident also in the rebirth of neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics which assigns centre stage to questions of character and in the calls for an 'ethics of care' to replace or supplement traditional utilitarian and Kantian 'ethics of justice'. The revival has been motivated in many quarters by a perception that orthodox moral and political theories of the so-called Enlightenment tradition have accorded undue primacy to reason, at the expense of the emotions and other affective aspects of human life. The split between reason and emotion, the conception of the ideal moral agent as one who employs the stern ruling hand of reason to keep their unruly crew of emotions in line, and the view that rationality guides responsible human action against the contrary influence of blind passion, have all exerted a profound influence on contemporary political and moral thought.
In feminist circles, the priority of reason over emotion has been viewed as closely tied to the exclusion or denigration of the feminine. Reason has traditionally been associated with masculine activities, emotion with female weakness and this association, it is claimed, is more than merely accidental. According to this line of critique, traditional Kantian and utilitarian theories, despite their differences, both see morality and justice primarily as about applying abstract and universal principles of right action to particular cases: whether those principles are lists of duties, as deontologists think, or a general instruction to act so as to maximise overall utility, producing the greatest good for the greatest number, as utilitarians believe. These theories, it is claimed, ignore or downplay the role of the emotions, viewing them as things to be controlled by the rational will or appropriately regulated by principles of rational choice, but not as legitimate sources of understanding in their own right. Much contemporary feminist moral philosophy focuses on re-examining and revaluing the place of emotions in morality. As Virginia Held (1990) describes the mood,
The hard task is to explain exactly how emotions do or should interact with reason. Hope is an interesting case study here. Hope has been criticised as epistemically irrational, insofar as it leads us to overestimate the probability that the hoped-for state of affairs will come about given the evidence available to us. But hope, like many other emotions, stands in a considerably more complex and potentially productive relation to practical rationality than this kind of criticism acknowledges. Hopeful people may well be epistemically irrational. Yet being hopeful may nonetheless be part of an entirely rational strategy. Hopeful people are more likely to achieve difficult goals than those who have a more realistic assessment of the chances, for they are more likely to invest resources in trying to achieve them and to persevere despite setbacks, which is a precondition for eventual success. Had King and his followers been purely dispassionate calculators of expected utility, they might well have chosen to set their sights on considerably more modest goals; having hope was the basis for achieving larger social change.
While it is important to recognise the value and power of hope in public and private life, it is equally important to acknowledge that it is somewhat arbitrary to single out hope for special attention. There is a growing trend in our society, evident in many of the popular psychology titles lining bookstore shelves, to valorise the 'positive' emotions: those emotions that make us feel good about ourselves. The so-called negative emotions—anger, guilt, shame, fear, regret—those that are unpleasant to experience or make us feel bad about ourselves are often depicted as less valuable, and sometimes even as altogether undesirable elements to be purged from our psychologies so far as possible. This seems to me to be a mistake. For the negative emotions have just as important and valuable a role to play in our psychological and social lives as the positive ones.
Guilt, for example, is the emotion that arises when we feel we could not defend ourselves against the anger of others. Guilt is not a pleasant feeling, but it plays a valuable role in regulating our behaviour. The prospect of feeling guilty later on frequently acts as a very effective deterrent against doing something that would be detrimental to the interests of others, but which we might otherwise be tempted to do regardless. Guilt keeps us toeing the moral line in situations where we would otherwise be tempted to stray; and quite rationally so, wherever guilt is a cost we would rather not incur. And where we do stray, guilt prompts us to try to make reparation for our behaviour by apologising, confessing or trying to set things right again. In this way, guilt acts as an important social adhesive, enabling the restoration of social harmony where there might otherwise be ongoing anger or resentment. Guilt supplements more formal forms of regulation such as legal regulation, and sometimes even renders it unnecessary in areas of our lives where such regulation would be intrusive, costly and undesirable.
Shame plays a similarly important de facto regulatory role. Shame feels very much like guilt, but is usually described as the emotion we experience when we feel that we've done something that would or could earn the contempt or disdain, rather than the anger, of others. We feel ashamed when we've failed to live up to our own or others' expectations, even if we've done nothing to feel guilty about. Anger too, when directed at cruelty or injustice, is a powerful motivator. All of these kinds of emotions, rightly harnessed, have the power to help us create a better future. Of course, as with positive emotions like hope, there are times when it is inappropriate to feel guilt, shame or anger. Guilt, anger and shame, like hope, can go wrong. Again, in each case, the key is to respond appropriately.
The topic of hope, and of the emotions more generally, is fertile territory for moral and political theorists, promising much that has the power to transform lives as well as theories.
Held, V. 1990, 'Feminist Transformations of Moral Theory', Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, vol. 50, supplement, pp. 321–44.
Dr Caroline West is lecturer in philosophy at the University of Sydney. Her main areas of teaching and research interest are in metaphysics (especially issues of identity, persistence and personal identity), moral philosophy (meta-ethics, normative ethics and applied ethics), political philosophy and feminist philosophy.
View other articles by Caroline West:


text:
'); var yuipath = 'clientscript/yui'; var yuicombopath = ''; var remoteyui = false; } else // Load Rest of YUI remotely (where possible) { var yuipath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/2.9.0/build'; var yuicombopath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/combo'; var remoteyui = true; if (!yuicombopath) { document.write('
Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.
He's up to #8 in DraftExpress Mock Draft now.
Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.
im sure it's raw cause he sure isnt dumb.
A half-dozen NBA scouts and executives told me they believed Biyombo was older than his listed age of 18, based not only on his mature body but also his leadership skills, as he led the Internationals through their pre-practice stretches and was their most vocal and energetic player. Questions of his age won't necessarily damage his stock in the draft, as his maturity will be viewed as strength. He is forecasted as a first-round pick with a chance to sneak into the lottery. SI.com
he not only has size, but did you watch him against the most talented high school players the other ngiht? the davis guy going to ky is going to be number 1 pick in 2012 and he held is own against all those.... he not only has size but he can play. I seen him shoot two free throws and make them with ease. he's got it...
I also thought alot of basketball exspecially the nba it's about building for the future also. this guy has the talent there is to many scouts with high praise for him. he will certainly make an NBA player..
Bismack Biyombo (12 pt, 11 reb, 10 blk)
The undeniable star of the show, Biyombo was literally a man among boys relative to the U.S. Team. There has been a ton of buzz about him the past week in NBA Draft circles, and he lived up to it by having the first triple-double in Nike Hoop Summit history. He's only 6'9", but has a freakish 7'7" wingspan to supplement his already muscular frame and explosive athleticism.
He is a physical banger in the post who absolutely overwhelmed the U.S. post players around the basket and was a physical mismatch, even against Davis and Christmas. He does an excellent job positioning himself in the post and his motor is going throughout the entire game.
With the amount of shots he turns away on defense, you don't want to say they were "blocked," but rather "Bismacked!" Still an incredibly raw talent with almost zero post game, and was clearly very uncomfortable putting the ball on the floor.
Biyombo was asked after the game if he was leaning toward declaring for the 2011 NBA Draft and said it was something he and his agent would talk about. After his performance tonight, it's hard to see him not declare, as he should be a late lottery to mid-first rounder carrying this momentum into it.
Biyombo has been compared to Serge Ibaka (who I also saw play in this same event in 2008) in terms of style and physical makeup, but Ibaka did not make nearly the splash that Biyombo did this year
With Bismarck Biyombo having an impressive (and impressive measurements. 7-7 wingspan!) Nike Hoops Summit week. How high could he potentially go if he enters the draft? He's the HOT name among NBA scouts and execs right now. When we first wrote about him in early March, the thought was that NBA teams would be looking at him for next year. At the time only a handful of scouts have seen him. But over the last month, as more scouts went to see him play, he's been rising on their boards. Now that he's at the Hoop Summit, measured bigger than expected and has been dominating in practices ... he's a legit prospect this year. Think the next Serge Ibaka. ESPN.com
Last edited by DAVIDLOCKHART40; 04-11-2011 at 02:42 PM.
Now it seems like Biyombo or nothing for me with this pick.
If he's there at 15, I'll take him, but if he's taken before we select, then try and trade the pick or draft for another team then trade the rights.
Really, this kid has only been playing basketball for 4 years. Nobody knows exactly what his future holds.
But looking at him from Joe's perspective, he's the ideal heir to Ben Wallace as the team's resident enforcer, and no GM in the NBA loves wingspan more than Joe.
2-3 years down the line, Bismack/Monroe could potentially be a hell of a frontcourt. Not going to lie. Insanely active on the boards.
Perry Jones is staying in school. Reports are that Harrison Barnes will too. This kid's gonna wind up in the top 5 of this craptastic draft, watch.
So far I've only seen one person mention the best aspect of his game that I saw on the video. His hands are fan-friggin-tastic. I went looking for more vids of him and every one of them shows this. He catches EVERY pass that makes it into his zip code no matter how crappy it is.
i'd listen to sum1 who has PLAYED AGAINST HIM over ur opinion...
08 and Beyond
i knew there would be this kind of remark sooner or later.... dont be cruel man we just talking hoops... im just posting from SI and other people who have seen him play. can you find me one article where a player says he is dumb? If not then just go away.
and i have a friend,daddy,cousin who played against him dont count... seriously you dislike him and you know it.. But, he is going to be an hell of a player..if he is dumb with what i seen in him, then id still draft him being dumb.
you would listen to someone that played against him? well who is you're friend? maybe we would like to draft him. or is maybe you're friend just got schooled and he said yeah man he dumb. So friend, tell us who you're friend is? Id like to see his stats,ect. Im just going by basketball scouts,ect, thats all im doing to come to the conclusion i have made. Ans surely they know talent.
Last edited by DAVIDLOCKHART40; 04-12-2011 at 02:31 PM.
Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.
Those 4 years include everything - youth leagues in Africa, Spain, etc. Think HS career.
He's been in ACB (Spanish league) for only a couple months. His real pro experience is very minimal in comparison with other 18 year olds from European leagues in recent years. Rubio, Valanciunas, etc.
I wouldn't build any huge conclusions for or against Biyombo based on his pro experience.
Biyombo has played 14 games in ACB for a very mediocre team, and got bench minutes. It's incomparable to Rubio's experience when he was drafted, or Valanciunas, even Kanter.
Don't know if he's a bust or not, just saying it's ridiculous to think that much of a few months in ACB.
There's a reason why he suddenly got 'discovered' in the last couple months.
It's because he was burried on the youth team for years, while other prodigees of his age were getting ACB, Italian Serie A or even Euroleague experience.
robert glenn, and the Ps almost DID draft him. any other questions?
08 and Beyond
Secondly, Darko's a starting center in the NBA and putting together a decent little career. I understand he's not met his lofty expectations, but I think anyone should be happy drafting a starter-caliber player, since most draft picks are out of the league in a year or two. Darko's a flop not because he's THAT awful, but because he happened to be drafted in one of the most talented drafts in a long time.
The ability to play at Europe's top levels is indicative of SOMETHING. It's no guarantee, but it's analogous to playing top flight NCAA, for Kansas or Carolina or something like that.
2010 IKL Fantasy Basketball Champion Baltimore Bulldogs
Biyombo has great size and potential, but it is very difficult making that translate from Europe to the NBA. Serge Ibaka becoming a good player is more of an anomaly than Darko being a bust when we look at big men who played in Europe and then played in the NBA.
I wont repeat what ilive said about Darko busting, since i completely agree.
I don't know if Biyombo busts or not, I'm sure however that any reasonable scout won't take those 14 ACB games very seriously these days. Biyombo is where he is mostly due to impressive measurements and dominating the predraft.
Last edited by ballism; 04-13-2011 at 06:14 AM.
I will say this, blocked shots are tangible, and they do translate.
The fact he averages 2 blocks per game overseas in less than half a game is nothing short of phenomenal. The European game does not allow for a lot of blocks.
Also, I disagree about his hype being based solely on his measurements..He is where is he because of what he did in the Hoops Summit game. That's what shot him up the draft chart. 12 blocks against an entire team of (most likely) future NBA players. Fantastic athletes that are the best among their peers at getting shots off in the paint.
Take a look at the guys he's swatting. Austin Rivers is a projected top-5 pick in 2012. James McAdoo is a projected top-5 pick. Marquis Teague is a projected top-20 pick.
These are all kids that will be joining him in the NBA in the next 3 years. These aren't Euroleague lifers.
Last edited by Kstat; 04-13-2011 at 07:33 AM.
or maybe my English failed there
that game isn't a pre-draft camp. Most of those kids are going on to college.
Oh, and draftexpress's updated 2011 mock draft has the Pistons drafting Biyombo at #7. Somehow, I'm not surprised.
Last edited by Kstat; 04-13-2011 at 07:36 AM.
Darko can block. Thabeet can block. They are still busts. And it's still 14 ACB games.
If a team drafts Biyombo in top 10 as projected on draftexpress, it will be because of camps and workouts. Not because of some huge rock solid pro experience in Spain - he simply does not have that.
His pro experience is in fact nearly identical to Skita's (13 games in Serie A, a couple years on youth factory team in Slovenia). For a top 10 pick from Europe, he'd be one of the least experienced.
There's a period of time between season and the draft, and I simply used a general term for that.
Last edited by ballism; 04-13-2011 at 08:01 AM.
As for Thabeet...the jury is out on him, but he was nowhere near as agile or athletic as Biyombo is.