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FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been heavily criticised for telling players subjected to racial abuse not to walk off the pitch, as AC Milan did last week.
Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng led his Milan teammates off last Thursday during a friendly against lower division club Pro Patria following racist chanting by fans.
The match was abandoned, but Blatter does not believe walking off is the best way to combat racism.
"Walk off? No. I don't think that is the solution," Blatter was quoted as saying on the website of Abu Dhabi's The National newspaper yesterday.
"I don't think you can run away, because eventually you can run away if you lose a match," he added.
"This issue is a very touchy subject, but I repeat there is zero tolerance of racism in the stadium."
Suarez handball helps Reds to win
Milan players wore anti-racism shirts during their warm-up for the weekend Serie A match against Siena.
The Fare network, an organisation which says it aims to rid football of racism, said Blatter was in no position to tell Boateng how to react.
Executive director Piara Powar said: "We disagree entirely with the idea that Kevin-Prince Boateng ran away from the Milan match in which he was subjected to racial abuse.
"It's a nonsensical suggestion.
"What does Sepp Blatter know about what it is to be abused or excluded because you are an ethic minority, and what might be the right or wrong way to respond?
"The point is that the hard-won processes put in place to deal with issues of discriminatory abuse, that apply from referees all the way up to international disciplinary commissions, are not being implemented.
"There seem to be so many statements being made off the cuff by football administrators on important issues of policy that are ill-thought out. The message going out is one of indifference by governing bodies at all levels."
Aussie Ryan calls off Rangers trial
Reading striker Jason Roberts tweeted his disapproval of Blatter's remarks: "This is CLASSIC..Blatter has outdone himself here...So..if you are being racially abused in a game, and have reported it to the Ref 3 times, just stand there and take it, that way YOU win..
"And don't worry because Blatter and those like him..are going to hit the Clubs/FA/with a meaningless fine, or write a plan, that way YOU win.
"No Thanks Sepp...tried that..65k fine for repeat offenders like Serbia etc..how about..WALK OFF THE PITCH..the only language you understand!"
Blatter said FIFA was yet to receive a report into last Thursday's incident from the Italian soccer federation, which has opened its own inquiry.
Ronaldo brace fires Real to victory
"The only solution is to be very harsh with the sanctions," Blatter said. "And the sanctions must be a deduction of points or something similar."
Italian police have already identified several perpetrators of the abuse and prosecutors are considering whether to press charges of inciting racial hatred against Pro Patria fans.
Originally published as Sepp 'out of step' on racism


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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Review by Internet Nomad
"A game that flirts with greatness"
Stealth action redefined. Splinter Cell's subtitle may come off as cheesy, but it speaks the truth. Splinter Cell takes tip-toeing and wall-sliding in videogames to new heights, making Solid Snake's adventures seem like bumbling elephant stampedes. Splinter Cell's that quiet. But does this make for an engaging game? The answer is a resounding yes. Splinter Cell carves a place for itself in the world of video games, not as a cheap Metal Gear Solid rip-off, but as an entirely fresh experience that delves deeper than any game has dared to go into the world of espionage.
You are Agent Sam Fisher, member of Third Echelon. You are a Splinter Cell, a master in the art of covert operations, and your mission is to gather as much information as possible for the United States government without tipping off too many enemies. If you fail and are captured, the U.S. will gain a rather unfortunate case of amnesia and forget your existence. You're all alone on these missions, and the less people that see you, the better.
Splinter Cell's plot involves a nasty love triangle between Georgia, the United States, and China (minus the love). The storyline becomes somewhat hard to follow deep into the game, as numerous foreign names will likely become jumbled in your head. I won't divulge too much, but like most games grounded in realism these days, you're out there to kick terrorist booty.
Stealth is the name of the game in Splinter Cell. Sam Fisher isn't armed to the teeth in machine guns and rocket launchers. His arsenal depicts what a normal man could realistically carry on him at one time. This being the case, you can't blow through the levels blowing off the limbs and craniums of your enemies. You'll find yourself dead in a heartbeat playing with that sort of style. Instead, your goal will usually be to avoid the kill, and instead knock the guard out, or even better, sneak past him unnoticed (sorry ladies, those sexist bastards at Ubi Soft included no female enemies). It's rare to see a game with large weaponry deter the player from killing enemies, but Splinter Cell does just that, and it makes for quite a different (and more compelling) experience for most of the flashy gun-toting games of today (read: Enter the Matrix).
Splinter Cell strives for realism, and it reaches its goal to a certain extent. Unconscious bodies (or corpses, as the case may be) can't be left lying in well-lit hallways for other guards to find. You must obscure these bodies in darkness, using the shadows to your advantage. Shadows are the most critical part of Splinter Cell's gameplay. You'll find yourself constantly lurking in them, bright light becoming so heinous to the eye, you may begin to think Fisher is a vampire. Not only are shadows used to hide bodies, but they make for the best hiding places as you wait to attack your next guard. When veiled in complete darkness, a guard inches away will fail to notice you, giving you ample opportunity to give said guard a devastating blow to the skull. These make for extremely tense moments. Waiting minutes on end for a guard to get in the perfect, most vulnerable position, or slinking quietly behind an unknowing guard and nailing him in the head just as he turns around to greet you, never loses its flair. Splinter Cell's extremely slow-paced gameplay has some sort of magic about it that never becomes boring or monotonous.
That is, until you have to replay the same areas. Splinter Cell offers a fair challenge, and Fisher doesn't have the largest health reserves, so you're bound to die numerous times. When replaying the same areas, the guards that were imposing and dangerous moments ago are now lame push-overs since you'll know their exact movements. Having to go through these easy guards once again to return to the difficult point where your death occurred is acceptable, but still incredibly annoying, as Splinter Cell's guards, if not provoked, move in the same exact pattern each time. While it's generally not enjoyable to replay the same areas right after dying in video games, the enjoyment I received from Splinter Cell dropped incredibly sharply in such instances. That's one thing that really works against Splinter Cell. Everything, while enjoyable, has a ''Glad THAT'S over'' feel to it. You don't want to do ANY of it again, at least not immediately.
Splinter Cell looked incredible on the Xbox, and the transition to GameCube has gone quite smoothly, though with some understandable alterations that lessen the graphical awe. The lighting in Splinter Cell, which was amazing, has been toned down substantially for the GameCube. A darkness meter in the bottom right corner indicates how much shadow cover Fisher is in. Sometimes, even when this meter is at 0, you can see Sam quite plainly standing in front of what may look like a black wall, but is actually the shadows he is supposedly lurking in. The night-vision goggles on the other hand are quite excellent visually, giving a grainy, white and gray portrayal of Fisher's world. Due to the many dark areas in the game and GameCube's sometimes poor lighting, I found myself using night-vision nearly all of the game.
The cut-scenes look amazing. They definitely include some of the best character models seen on the GameCube. In-game visuals are nice (and look especially good in night-vision) and show a good level of detail. However, they don't push the GameCube's graphical power to its limits. There are numerous clipping issues. You'll see guards' limbs inside other guards' bodies when laid on top of one another, and many heads will slice right through the wall and can be seen in another room. The framerate is solid and never stuttered during my playtime.
Splinter Cell's music is ambient and fitting for the very serious tasks at hand. There are times when there is no music, and most of these instances fit the extremely tense moments in which they are presented. Sound effects are wonderful. If you can hear Fisher's footsteps, chances are you're moving too fast. Objects such as beer cans and glass bottles can be thrown against walls to give guards an audial distraction. Voice work is quite excellent on all fronts. Sam Fisher, voiced by Michael Ironside, sounds appropriately gritty and badass. All other voices are equally fitting. The excellent vocal work gives the game a much more cinematic feel, and helps the overall atmosphere greatly.
Splinter Cell's a tad on the short side. The game spans about ten levels. Most of the levels are quite huge, but the game can still be beaten in a dedicated rental. There's also a hard mode, with even more focus on stealth, which ups the replay value somewhat.
Though Splinter Cell is a quickie, the game's high production qualities are worth so much more than $5. If you're a fan of stealthy stuff like Metal Gear Solid, or you've always had a soft spot for those secret agent flicks, Splinter Cell needs to be in your collection right now. Everyone else needs to rent this game, just to have experienced it. This is the start of a very, very promising series. With a bit more plot and a bit less predictability, Splinter Cell could knock the Metal Gear Solid series off of its mighty throne. Solid Snake, watch out. Fisher's just behind you, hidden in the shadows.
Reviewer's Rating: 4.0 - Great
Originally Posted: 05/28/03, Updated 05/29/03
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subset: commoncrawl


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Universal has sent Timur Bekmambetov's sequel to Wanted into development hell on the news that Angelina Jolie is leaving to star in Warner Bros.' Gravity. The film is a space thriller directed by Alfonso Cuarón, of the awesome Children of Men, Y tu mamá también, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Cuarón shares screenplay credits with his son, Jonás. Wait, Jonás Cuarón? He must be rich if he has that many accent marks in his name. (That's how it works right?)
Jolie would be alone on-screen for much of the movie, playing the sole surviving human member of a space mission, desperately trying to return home to Earth and her daughter. [Vulture via /film]
So she's alone on the ship? And she's naked, right? I mean . . . since there's no one else around. Come on! The viewers demand realism. If any of us were alone on a ship, we wouldn't be wearing clothes. In space, no one can see your bits.


text: Events are what we do. And we prove this with some 50 trade fairs in Düsseldorf. We also use our expertise beyond the trade fair business – to make our mark in other areas. For instance in sport: as a long-standing partner of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund – DOSB) and the National Paralympic Committee Germany (Deutscher Behindertensportverband – DBS) we operate the German House on behalf of Deutsches Sport Marketing (DSM). And we take on a key task as 'host parents' for athletes, sponsors and partners. Or as part of interpack: with the SAVE FOOD initiative that we run together with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) and the world's leading trade fair for packaging and processes. The international response has proven us right: the initiative is already travelling around the world with events in Russia, Africa and North America. Recognising needs and also taking action is our way of looking beyond our own backyard.


text: Welcome to a website that assists in awakening purpose in life and self awareness. Soul development begins by utilizing the intuition that we are all God given to create inner healing. Daily, I activate this powerful gift to aid others in conducting card readings that unfolds divine guidance and corrects energy flow or blockage. My calling is to gear a person to unearth the inner beauty of self to mirror the outer part. Thus, allowing all six senses to remain in the present moment. Thank you for taking action to find time to visit. Please click on the Assistance page to begin a soul process of clarity and blessings. Enjoy!


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Reiki Rap
We love Reiki so much (and we know you do too) that we wanted to celebrate the beautiful and effective modality that it is! And to celebrate you – all of the amazing practitioners and teachers who spread Reiki to those who benefit.
Here is the first of a series of songs and Reiki music we have created just for you. Reiki reaches all generations and places. Song 1 is Reiki Rap. We had fun combining the zen of Reiki with the beat of rap. Stay tuned for additional Reiki Raps and different types of music celebrating Reiki. Enjoy and feel free to share.
Reiki Rap – Song One
Click here for our Reiki Music and Reiki Songs page where we will post our ongoing new Reiki songs, Reiki videos, and music. Also be sure to bookmark our Reiki YouTube channel
Enjoy a great Reiki-filled day!


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The red chairs have swiveled, the coaches have shepherded their teams through battles, and the fans have helped whittle down the numbers. On Wednesday, one singer will be named winner of The Voice, and one coach will get lifetime bragging rights.
The final four are Beverly McClellan for Team Christina Aguilera, Vicci Martinez for Team Cee Lo Green; Dia Frampton for Team Blake Shelton and Javier Colon for Team Adam Levine.
RELATED: Final Four Sing One Final Time on The Voice
"I feel like I'm waking up in a dream everyday and I don't ever want it to go away because it's the best ever," McClellan tells PEOPLE. "I just want to keep shooting for the moon."
McClellan survived the live rounds even with a cold with the help of Aguilera and her team. "Well, we got a humidifier because I'm from Florida," she reveals. "I'm not used to desert! She got that for me and some hot teas and sprays. It was a complete package."
Martinez, who will showcase an original song about heartbreak for the finale, says the show allows her to be comfortable as a performer. "One of their rules was that we weren't referred to as 'contestants,' " she says. "We were referred to as 'artists' and they wanted to ingrain that into all the staff and everybody's head."
The exposure has already made a difference for Colon, who has struggled to secure a lasting record deal. Last week, three of his recordings on The Voice were in iTunes's Top 100 singles.
VIDEO: Christina Aguilera Hails Her Team's 'Raw Talents' on The Voice
"If you asked me if any of this would have happened four months ago, I would have been like, 'Yeah, right, I'd like to see that,' and here it is," he says.
For Frampton, her hobby of writing children's books has given way to a budding music career. "I remember the first day I got here," she says. "There were so many people jamming on guitars and in singer circles and I was just like, 'This is the most amazing thing ever!'"
The finalists perform Tuesday night (9 p.m. ET) on NBC.


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The following are the songs featured in the show:
"Anyway You Want It" Journey, written by Steve Perry and Neal J. Schon
"Can't Fight This Feeling" REO Speedwagon, written by Kevin Cronin
"Cum on Feel the Noize" Slade, written by Neville Holder and James Lea
"Don't Stop Believin'" Journey, written by Jonathan Cain, Stephen Ray Perry, Neal J. Schon
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" Poison, written by Bobby Dall, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Bret Michaels, Rikki Rocket
"The Final Countdown" Europe, written by Joey Tempest
"Harden My Heart" Quarterflash, written by Marvin Webster Ross
"Heat of the Moment" Asia, written by Geoffrey Downes and John K. Wetton
"Heaven" Warrant, written by Jani Lane, Erik Turner, Jerry Dixon, Steven Sweet and Joey Allen
"Here I Go Again" Whitesnake, written by David Coverdale and Bernard Marsden
"High Enough" Damn Yankees, written by Jack Blades, Ted Nugent and Tommy R. Shaw
"Hit Me with Your Best Shot" Pat Benatar, written by E. Schwartz
"I Hate Myself for Loving You" Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, written by Desmond Child and Joan Jett
"I Wanna Rock" Twisted Sister, written by Daniel Dee Snider
"I Want to Know What Love Is" Foreigner, written by Michael Leslie Jones
"Just Like Paradise" David Lee Roth, written by David Lee Roth and Brett Tuggle
"Keep on Lovin' You" REO Speedwagon, written by Kevin Cronin
"Kiss Me Deadly" Reel Big Fish, written by Mick Smiley
"More Than Words" Extreme, written by Nuno Bettencourt and Gary F. Cherone
"Nothin' But a Good Time" Poison, written by Bobby Dall, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Bret Michaels, Rikki Rocket
"Oh Sherrie" Steve Perry, written by Steve Perry, Randy Goodrum, Bill Cuomo, Craig Krampf
"Renegade" Styx, written by Tommy Shaw
"The Search Is Over" Survivor, written by Frank Sullivan and Jim Peterik
"Shadows of the Night" Pat Benatar, written by D.L. Byron
"Sister Christian" Night Ranger, written by Kelly Keagy
"To Be with You" Mr. Big, written by David Grahame and Eric Martin
"Too Much Time on My Hands" Styx, written by Tommy Shaw
"Waiting for a Girl Like You" Foreigner, written by Michael Leslie Jones and Louis Gramattico
"Wanted Dead or Alive" Bon Jovi, written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richard S. Sambora
"We Built This City" Jefferson Starship, written by Dennis Lambert, Martijn George Page, Bernie Taupin and Peter Wolf
"We're Not Gonna Take It" Twisted Sister, written by Daniel Dee Snider
The worldwide party musical ROCK OF AGES features a mix of 28 rockin' 80s tunes including "Don't Stop Believin'", "We Built This City", "The Final Countdown", "Wanted Dead or Alive", "Here I Go Again", "Can't Fight This Feeling", and "I Want To Know What Love Is".
In 1987, on the Sunset Strip, a small town girl met a big city rocker in LA's most famous rock club, and they fell in love to the greatest songs of the 80s. It's five-time 2009 Tony nominee ROCK OF AGES, an arena-rock love story told through the mind-blowing, face-melting hits of Journey, Night Ranger, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake and many more. Don't miss this awesomely good time about dreaming big, playing loud and partying on!
We are currently implementing an upgrade to our ticketing system. Ticketing is unavailable at this time. We expect to be back at 9:00am. Thank you for your patience.


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The Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC) is an intensive four-day course designed for participants with considerable formal wine tasting experience. It aims to prepare potential new wine show judges and develop the sensory analysis capabilities and the vocabulary of Australian wine industry personnel at an elite level.
The AWAC course is presented under a four-day format, which includes approximately 40 hours of activities over the four days, and twelve leading wine show judges, journalists and winemakers who assist in the presentation of the course.
The aims of the course include:
- Improving participants' sensory skills
- Providing training in the techniques and practices of wine show judging
- Improving participants' appreciation of world wine styles
- Investigating and challenging the basis on which tasters make decisions on quality and preference
- Assisting in the development and use of a standardised vocabulary
- Providing statistical measurement of participants' performance, with respect to:
- discrimination
- stability
- reliability
The AWRI also offers themed tasting courses. Visit the AWRI events calendar for a full listing of upcoming events.
2017 course dates
The next AWAC courses are:
|Monday 20 Nov – Thursday 23 Nov 2017
|May/June 2018 TBC
All Advanced Wine Assessment Courses are held at the Australian Wine Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia
Registration for the AWAC is a two part process:
Part 1: Register for the Course Ballot
Subscribing to this list will automatically enter you into the ballot for any AWAC courses.
Part 2: Complete the online application form detailing your experience
This information will support your application and must be completed as part of the AWAC application process.
Course fees
$4,760 (AUD) including GST
Due to the extensive list of people interested in participating in the course, and if demand exceeds the number of available places, an allocation of places will be made using a ballot system. By registering yourself for the Advanced Wine Assessment course, you will automatically be entered into the ballot for any AWAC courses held. The AWRI does, however, reserve the right not to place applicants if it is considered they do not have sufficient formal wine tasting experience to enable them to participate fully in the course.
Contact details
Advanced Wine Assessment Course
The Australian Wine Research Institute
PO Box 197,Glen Osmond, SA, 5064, Australia.
Phone: (08) 8313 6600
Email: email@example.com
Fax: (08) 8313 6601


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Arlington and Shaftsbury meet to discuss Act 46 merger possibilities
SHAFTSBURY >> The boards of the Arlington and Shaftsbury school districts met on Thursday to discuss whether a merger under Act 46 would be beneficial to both sides.
Shaftsbury, currently a member of the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union with Bennington, North Bennington, Pownal, and Woodford, operates Shaftsbury Elementary School for students from pre-K through sixth grade. From seventh to 12th grade, students attend the Mount Anthony Union school district. Arlington is part of the Battenkill Valley Supervisory Union, with Sandgate, and operates Fisher Elementary School and Arlington Memorial Middle and High School.
Shaftsbury was represented at the table by board chairman Fran Kinney, board members Larry Johnson, Holly Bahan, and Jeffrey Leake, principal Jeff Johnson, and SVSU superintendent Jim Culkeen. Arlington was represented by board chairwoman Dawn Hoyt and board member K. John Smith.
Both boards acknowledged that much work would have to be done to determine if Shaftsbury and Arlington are even realistic partners for a merger. Shaftsbury has representatives on the SVSU's Act 46 study committee, and Arlington is in talks with a number of other districts about a number of possible scenarios. Together, the two districts would have about 870 students, basically evenly divided between the two districts, which would be just short of the 900 students required for one of the preferred governance structures put forth in the act. There would also be physical challenges to overcome, as AMMHS, even without the students from Sandgate, who may end up partnered with another district, is not equipped to handle all of Shaftsbury's middle and high school students. Shaftsbury would also typically have to get voter approval from the other communities in the Mount Anthony Union district to leave, although Culkeen said that Act 46 may act as an "escape hatch" for that particular requirement, although he said legal counsel would be necessary to know for sure. He added that Shaftsbury had very little money tied up in bonds regarding MAU, and could easily buy those out, although he did not have the dollar value of that bond.
Both boards were clear that discussions were in very early stages, and that many aspects of the law still needed to be clarified. "So, here's reality, we don't have a clue what to do," said Smith.
"Neither do we, so we're both even here," responded Kinney, "This is the first meeting we've had." He said that they had reached out to North Bennington about a potential arrangement, but were told, "that they are doing their own thing."
Board members from both districts agreed that the communities of Arlington and Shaftsbury are more similar than other potential partners, such as Bennington and Manchester. Culkeen did point out a potential hurdle in convincing Shaftsbury residents to vote to join Arlington would be the wider variety of extracurricular opportunities available at MAU, including sports offerings such as wrestling. A grandfather system would also have to be put in place so that students currently at MAU could finish their careers there, rather than having to change schools. One potential option, which Culkeen brought up, would be to make the new district school choice for middle and high school, which would mean the students could attend any of MAU, AMMHS, Burr and Burton Academy, or other area high schools. Shaftsbury also shares a teacher contract with the rest of the SVSU, and no one at the table was quite sure how potentially conflicting labor contracts would interact in the event of a merger. All of these matters, and more, would have to be studied before the boards could make a decision on whether consolidation would even be viable.
Smith made a list of all the potential barriers that would need to be studied, which he would bring back to his board and to BVSU superintendent Judy Pullinen, that included "financial, educational, extracurricular, special education, community emotion, transportation, and labor union."
"If you want to start to address topics that will come up with your communities, those are the ones," he said.
The Arlington Board is currently planning a community forum to discuss potential merger options with the residents of their town. The SVSU Act 46 study committee, which will meet again on Monday at 6 p.m. at the SVSU offices, is currently planning forums in each of the towns in the SVSU.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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In mid-April, my intern Neely piled into a car with her buddies and drove six hundred miles to the Calvin College Festival of Faith and Writing.
"We took a road trip in college," I tell her. "But it was like Boones Farm and White Zombie and — well, never mind. How'd yours go? See anybody good?"
"Jeff Chu!" says Neely. "The gay Christian guy who wrote the book Does Jesus Really Love Me? He stole the show. He made people cry."
"Crying?" I reply. "Why?"
"He, uh, read a menu."
"A menu."
"Yeah. He read a story about trying to reconcile with his mother after coming out — details of the meal she fixed for him and his partner when she finally came to visit. He started to cry and everybody else did too." Neely pushes up her smart girl glasses and shifts from side to side. "It was a sweet moment, really. But I guess you had to be there."
I couldn't be, but I called up Jeff directly. He is an editor at Fast Company and the author of Does Jesus Really Love Me? A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America, a book about his yearlong cross-country journey to seek out stories of the faithful struggling to come to terms with a religion that preaches love for all but often practices intolerance. We also talked about the death of his friend Fred Phelps, myriad American Jesuses, and what's been going on since his book hit stores.
Does Jesus Really Love Me? is now out in paperback. What's happened since the initial release?
I've spent a lot of time traveling around the country speaking in bookshops, churches, and college classrooms. It's been incredibly exhausting but also very rewarding. Especially among older gay men and women, I've encountered a great amount of anger and pain. One woman in Iowa told me that she hadn't set foot in a church for over three decades, but in part due to the stories in the book, she was thinking about whether she'd just tried to ignore an element in her life that shouldn't be ignored. No matter where a congregation or a denomination stands theologically on this issue, it's important, I think, to acknowledge and apologize for the immense amount of hurt and harm that has been done, in the name of God, to gay people.
Obviously the trend lines are changing in the church, but there are still many, many young men and women who are hurting. It's been humbling to meet some of them along the way, to hear their stories, and to be reminded that, as much as society has changed, we're still not great at loving one another or having a gracious conversation.
My experience over the past year has reinforced for me the amount of healing that is still needed. Many, many churches are still having a hard time reckoning with this issue. I've been a part of some difficult but important conversations in the past year — and I'm grateful for the pastors who have been brave enough to begin that process with their flocks. It's hard, because there are a lot of worries. Pastors are afraid they're going to lose money by having a conversation that will make people uncomfortable, but really, they should be afraid that they are going to lose souls — and potentially lives — because they're not having it.
A favorite from your book is the story of Gideon Eades, the closeted gay Christian from rural Arizona struggling with how to come out to his strict religious family. I found myself wondering about him later, hoping, praying he was doing all right.
I end the new epilogue for the paperback with an update on Gideon. It was heartbreaking for me to learn that his brother and sister found out that he was gay via Does Jesus Really Love Me? and he was subsequently cut off from his family. What's most remarkable is how Gideon has maintained a stance of complete grace and unconditional love for a family that believes the proper response to his sexuality is to "break fellowship."
I was intrigued by the notion that you met a lot of different Jesuses on the road. How do you know which one is right?
We don't, and we can't. Nobody can prove that they have got Jesus all figured out, and I'd laugh at anyone who makes that claim. This is why they call it faith — it exists beyond reason. And I'd bet that we all have glimmers of accuracy in our conceptions of Jesus, as well as severe flaws.
You visited my hometown, Christian Hollywood — Nashville, Tennessee. What were your thoughts?
It's always dangerous for an outsider to describe a place — it just opens you up to criticism from those who live there. But I think Nashville, like pretty much any place, is complicated. There are different pockets, and Brentwood, for instance, is very distinct from Germantown. What does make the place interesting from the perspective of a religion reporter is the great concentration of Protestant culture there — the publishers, the denominations, the music companies. It is a power center in American Christianity, and worldly power often doesn't fit comfortably with the Gospel.
You state that you found America "eager to love but conflicted on how to do so."
What does love mean? Does it mean you tell people that they have to be celibate in order to be acceptable to God? Does it mean that you embrace them as they are? Does it mean that you tell them they're going to hell? These are all answers that people provide, invoking the word "love." So we really mean totally different things when we're talking about love.
Fred Phelps passed away recently and you were able to spend some time together. What was your perception of Reverend Phelps?
He was one of the toughest interviews of my career. I think he was so used to being caricatured that he pretty much expected reporters to get it wrong. He was, with outsiders, a pretty hard man, but I also saw him being incredibly tender with his family. It was a reminder to me that we all have our facades, that we all put on masks and that we all act. I know many people were skeptical of his theology, but I believe he was sincere in his teachings. I think he really believed the things he said about God and about gay people.
Fred stated you might be able to have a friendship. Did he know you were gay?
I don't know. He never asked me, and I never said. My philosophy of reporting is that any time I spend talking about myself is time that my sources aren't talking. So while I will answer questions, I won't offer unnecessary information.
Quote from the book: Members of Westboro Baptist were much nicer than I expected.
There's a widespread misperception of Westboro as a group of hatemongers. While that is true on some level — we obviously and quite fairly read those "God hates fags" sign as not the most loving — they actually believe they are the world's most loving people, because they're warning us that we're hellbound unless we repent. And when I visited, they were really hospitable. They were happy to talk about everything from their faith to what they'd been reading to what movies they liked.
They see themselves as evangelists, and anyone who engages them in a respectful way will get (from most of them, anyway) a half-decent conversation. If you approach them with hostility, well, we all know they're pretty good at reciprocating. But yes, they were nice. They were pleasant to talk with. They were good hosts. Does that excuse the harmful, terrible things that they preach? No. But I want to put that horrible messaging in its proper context.
You were raised Southern Baptist. What were your formative experiences with faith?
I don't think faith can be narrowed down to one or two formative experiences, at least in not my experience. It's an organism. It's shaped by everything one experiences every day. Some days, my faith is stronger. Other days, it feels less so. I suppose it made a big difference to me that my grandfather was a Baptist preacher and that my grandmother was a Bible teacher and a deaconess. They were really the ones who instilled in me a sense of respect for Scripture and an understanding of the power of faith. Their life experiences also have shaped my views on the relationship between faith and government, because my grandfather had to leave China, after the Communist revolution in 1949, because of his ministry.
I also went to a Christian high school that was officially nondenominational but that has strong roots in the Christian Reformed Church. I attended a youth group and church in my teen years that were part of the Presbyterian Church in America. And I was part of a college fellowship group that was staunchly evangelical. So you could say my religious upbringing was very conservative.
I hear you recently became an elder in your church.
There are more and more churches that don't see sexuality as a deal breaker. My church, Old First Reformed in Brooklyn, is walking distance from my house, and I stumbled into it one Sunday when I was trying to find a place that felt right — not too liberal, not too conservative, welcoming, smart. I like that it's a church in my neighborhood, that it's a diverse congregation (young, old, black, white, straight, gay, rich, poor), and that it's open to all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds not only attending but also serving.
How does Old First Reformed handle the issue of homosexuality?
We don't really talk about it that much — there are many more-pressing questions, like how we're going to find the million-plus dollars that we need to fix the ceiling that's falling down and to restore a beautiful Brooklyn landmark so that we can keep serving the community. One of the things that I like about it is that we open each service with a welcome that announces that we are a community of Jesus in Park Slope — which means that we welcome everyone, no questions asked.
What do evangelicals need to learn about the gay community? What does the gay community need to learn about evangelicals?
That we can have a civilized conversation, meeting at the table as human beings. It seems so elementary, but it's so, so hard. It's going to require grace on both sides. It's going to require a lot of listening. It's going to require that we set aside our expectations and come to the conversation simply with hope. It's going to require people from both communities realizing that we are not our labels and our caricatures. It's going to require people from both communities to see each other as people, not "issues." And it's going to require all of us to view each other as complex, as more than our theological convictions and as more than our sexual identities and orientations. We have a tendency to be reductive, and that doesn't help the conversation at all.
Can we find a faith that fits without making a god in our own image?
It's pretty much impossible, but humility is a good first step. Our minds are feeble. We're going to make mistakes. I choose to believe in a gracious God who gets that, who understands our hearts and our motives, and can tell when we're trying to do right.
Does Jesus really love any of us or are we all screwed?
It depends on whom you ask. But I happen to believe in a Jesus who loves us more than we can even comprehend.


text: Hi, finaly I got it working the solution is found with ip rule. There you can define some additional routing tables and then you can give a special table an extra default gateway. at the end the solution is something with dynamic rewriting of the IP headers you change the "next hop" entry for an existing package and then throw it out via an given device. I found my solution under http://lartc.org/howto/lartc.rpdb.html#LARTC.RPDB.SIMPLE many thanks for your comments Werner WO> Hey folks, WO> I'm new to this list and happy for any input even if this means to WO> answer some questions or be more specific about what I'm searching for WO> so please go on :) WO> Werner DE>> On Tuesday, 29.03.2005 at 18:27 +0200, martin f krafft wrote: >>> I know that it's sometimes a good idea to make sure that the person is >>> actually looking for the right answer, but I have been noticing a >>> tendency here (and elsewhere) to always ask first about the >>> motivations. DE>> Interesting observation ... I'm probably one of those 'guilty' of often DE>> asking for the motivation behind apparently 'strange' requests. DE>> It is helpful to those answering the (apparently unusual) query to know DE>> what problem is being addressed, since past history shows that often the DE>> poster is approaching the problem from the wrong angle, or may even be DE>> addressing the wrong problem! DE>> If I post something strange or esoteric as a question, I feel obliged to DE>> at least *outline* what my motivations are, if only to pre-empt the sort DE>> of question that *I* would retort were I answering that same question. DE>> I agree with you that perhaps Just Answering The Question is an DE>> appropriate response if it is clear what the solution should be (even if DE>> it sounds from the original post that The Wrong Question is being DE>> asked). DE>> I suppose we could answer the question but also query the poster's DE>> motives at the same time :-) DE>> Just thinking out loud ... DE>> Dave.


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Research Topics
Genomes and Genes
S Weyers
Affiliation: Ghent University
Country: Belgium
Detail Information
- Modified classification of Gram-stained vaginal smears to predict spontaneous preterm birth: a prospective cohort studyHans Verstraelen
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Am J Obstet Gynecol 196:528.e1-6. 2007..The purpose of this study was to identify women at risk of spontaneous preterm birth through a 4-category Gram-stained vaginal smear method, not restricted to bacterial vaginosis...
- Does structured counselling influence combined hormonal contraceptive choice?Mireille Merckx
Universitair Medisch Centrum St Pieter, VUB ULB, Brussels, Belgium
Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care 16:418-29. 2011..To assess the effect of structured counselling on women's contraceptive decisions and to evaluate gynaecologists' perceptions of comprehensive contraceptive counselling...
- Women's perceptions and reasons for choosing the pill, patch, or ring in the CHOICE study: a cross-sectional survey of contraceptive method selection after counselingChristian Egarter
Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
BMC Womens Health 13:9. 2013..In this paper we present the reasons given by the 18,787 participating women for selecting their contraceptive method of choice, as well as their perceptions about the contraceptive pill, patch, and ring after counseling...
- Clinical and transvaginal sonographic evaluation of the prostate in transsexual womenSteven Weyers
Department of Gynaecology, University Hospital of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
Urology 74:191-6. 2009..To assess feasibility and diagnostic performance of prostate examination through transvaginal palpation and transvaginal ultrasound in transsexual women (TSW)...
- Cytology of the 'penile' neovagina in transsexual womenS Weyers
Department of Gynaecology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
Cytopathology 21:111-5. 2010..Secondary objectives were to compare our cytological findings with patient characteristics including use of oestrogens, sexual orientation and penetrative intercourse...
- Long-term assessment of the physical, mental, and sexual health among transsexual womenSteven Weyers
Department of Gynaecology, University Hospital of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
J Sex Med 6:752-60. 2009..Studies have shown good sexual satisfaction after transition. However, long-term follow-up data on physical, mental and sexual functioning are lacking...
- Mammography and breast sonography in transsexual womenS Weyers
Department of Gynecology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Eur J Radiol 74:508-13. 2010..Since breast cancer risk in transsexual women is largely unknown and breast exams are very well accepted, breast screening habits in this population should not differ from those of biological women...
- Microflora of the penile skin-lined neovagina of transsexual womenSteven Weyers
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
BMC Microbiol 9:102. 2009..Secondary objectives were to describe possible correlations of this microflora with multiple patients' characteristics, such as sexual orientation, the incidence of vaginal irritation and malodorous vaginal discharge...
- Prediction of recurrent disease by cytology and HPV testing after treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasiaA Aerssens
International Centre for Reproductive Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Cytopathology 20:27-35. 2009..To assess the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and cytology as predictors of residual/recurrent disease after treatment of high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesions...
- Penile reconstruction: is the radial forearm flap really the standard technique?Stan Monstrey
Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
Plast Reconstr Surg 124:510-8. 2009..Still, the radial forearm flap is the most frequently used flap and universally considered as the standard technique...
- Impact of sex reassignment surgery on lower urinary tract functionPiet Hoebeke
Department of Urology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Eur Urol 47:398-402. 2005..To investigate the effects of sex reassignment surgery (SRS) on lower urinary tract function...
- Prevalence of low bone mass in relation to estrogen treatment and body composition in male-to-female transsexual personsGuy T'sjoen
Department of Endocrinology, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
J Clin Densitom 12:306-13. 2009..oral estrogens. Low bone mass is not uncommon in M --> F transsexual persons. Smaller bone size, and a strikingly lower muscle mass compared with men appear to underlie these findings...
- Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata associated with ascites and endometriosis: a case report and review of the literatureT De Vos
Ghent University Hospital, Women s Clinic, Ghent, Belgium
Acta Chir Belg 113:357-63. 2013..She underwent an abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and omentectomy. LPD and endometriosis is a known association. LPD with ascites and endometriosis however has not yet been reported...
- Human papillomavirus DNA detection in women with primary abnormal cytology of the cervix: prevalence and distribution of HPV genotypesE Beerens
Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
Cytopathology 16:199-205. 2005....
- Body composition, volumetric and areal bone parameters in male-to-female transsexual personsBruno Lapauw
Department of Endocrinology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Bone 43:1016-21. 2008..Given the importance of sex steroids for developing and maintaining bone mass, bone health is a matter of concern in daily management of these patients...
- Alzheimer's disease, apolipoprotein E and hormone replacement therapyH Depypere
Department of Gynaecology, University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium Electronic address
Maturitas 94:98-105. 2016..This article reviews the literature on the influence of hormone replacement therapy on the incidence and progression of Alzheimer's disease...
- Contribution of androgen receptor sensitivity to the relation between testosterone and sexual desire: An exploration in male-to-female transsexualsE Elaut
Department of Sexology and Gender Problems, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, Ghent, Belgium
J Endocrinol Invest 33:37-41. 2010..Considering its role in androgen sensitivity, cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeat sequence in the androgen receptor (AR) might modify the relationship between T levels and sexual desire in male-to-female transsexuals...


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Though the election is more than seven months away, candidates on an ever-growing list for San Francisco mayor are working feverishly to identify themselves with voters and donors.
And Monday night is a great chance to meet a majority of them in one shot thanks to a forum put on by Chinese for Affirmative Action.
Confirmed guests include Michela Alioto-Pier, David Chiu, Tony Hall, Dennis Herrera, Phil Ting and Wilma Pang, according to Chinese for Affirmative Action spokeswoman Jenny Lam.
Other candidates, such as Leland Yee, could also show up although they haven't been confirmed at the event, which will be hold at the Chinatown YMCA.
The event goes from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and includes a "much more interpersonal" forum, where candidates will be talking to individuals rather than from a soapbox, Lam said.


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17+ year old premium PR4 destination domain for Northern California. This domain has been the anchor for one of Mendocino, California's most loved bed and breakfast spot for nearly 18 years. The bed and breakfast is going out of business. This creates an amazing opportunity for a blog, an existing business in or near Mendocino, or a referral site for businesses in and near Mendocino.
It is almost never that you have the opportunity to purchase a domain that was created right around the same time that…well, that the Internet was created!


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What to Watch for During Putin's Visit to Beijing Next Week
Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China next week comes amid a background of shifting power in the relationship. Lately, the Sino-Russian relation has shifted in Beijing's favor, helped by shifts in global energy supplies and Moscow's increasing friction with the West. As the WSJ's Brian Spegele and Wayne Ma report:
Beijing's leverage is being tested in negotiations to pipe Siberian gas to China that have dragged on for a decade, but that both sides have said they want to conclude in time for an agreement to be signed during Mr. Putin's visit next week. A Chinese foreign ministry official said Thursday that pricing remains a sticking point. Gazprom, Russia's natural-gas company, described the talks as being "in the final stage" after a meeting between its chief executive and a senior Chinese energy official.
Mr. Putin has already leaned to Beijing in one respect. While he and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Shanghai, more than a dozen ships from their navies will hold large-scale joint drills in the East China Sea in what security scholars say is a sign of Russian support for Beijing against what China says is a more militarily assertive Japan.
The gesture hasn't been reciprocated in Russia's current standoff with the West over Ukraine. China has remained on the sidelines as the Crimea region seceded from Ukraine to join Russia, out of concern of instability and alienating Western trade partners. Further provocations in Ukraine's restive east risks inviting scorn from the Chinese side, said Niklas Swanström, director of the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm.
The two-day trip is intended to highlight what China and Russia call their strategic partnership. Mr. Putin will participate in a regional leaders' conference while in China. A coal project in Siberia financed by the Export-Import Bank of China is likely to be among the agreements announced, according to Russian officials. Moscow and Beijing have found advantages in working together to diminish U.S. influence and create greater room for them to pursue international economic and strategic interests. Mr. Putin is widely depicted in Chinese official media as a powerful leader unafraid to take on the West.
A deal to pipe Siberian gas to China is more likely than ever — but only if Russia makes concessions, says Michal Meidan, an independent consultant on energy geopolitics. And as she points out, "Having that successful state visit is important to Putin but not as important for Xi."
Read the full story on WSJ.com
Also popular on China Real Time now:
WSJ Archives: 25 Years Ago, Mikhail Gorbachev Arrives in Beijing
In Taiwan, Foxconn Sparks Debate Over College Grad Salaries


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A Compelling Defense
Posted by Nov 16, 2011 0 comments
This past summer I sat in a room at the Americans for Arts Annual Convention on a beautiful afternoon and listened to folks from Memphis talk about how art and business have created a partnership that works (you can find a longer blog post about it here).
The conversation wasn't what I expected to hear.
I expected to hear the tired old platitudes about the ROI arts can provide; pie graphs, bar graphs, numbers galore. Bottom line revenue creation. Profit points. Cost projections. Economic development. Blah, blah, blah...
But as I stiffened my spine to sit through another pile of accounting buzzwords, the corporate guy got up and said, "When we're trying to hire quality people, the town's cultural footprint is important in attracting the right kind of people." In short, "I don't really care about the arts themselves or the money the arts can make; I only use them as a tool to make sure we get quality employees."
There was a palpable, audible, unified grumble that cascaded across the room. However, I leaned forward in my chair, newly in love with this guy who cut through the bull and told it like it is.
I loved that he wasn't making ArtsMemphis give him a line about the economic impact of the arts. What he needs is a vibrant community and ArtsMemphis can provide what he needs. Easily. It's what ArtsMemphis is designed to do.
That's how arts should market themselves to business -- arts as a quality of life issue, not an economic one.
Sure, there are economic benefits to the arts, and all the pie graphs certainly aren't meaningless.
But they aren't compelling.
Just the fact that artists are starting to use terms like "ROI" is telling.
Did any of us go into the arts because we took an accounting class?
Do any of us get excited when we see a pie graph? Doubtful. And because we are not passionate about the economic impact of the arts, we cannot be compelling in its defense. It's a language few of us speak.
But what is compelling is how the arts can make a town into a community; how it can make a group of people with disparate opinions into a unified mass of shared concerns.
This is why many of us went into the arts. And when we explain this we speak from the heart and our arguments are more likely to resonate.
This is not to say that we shouldn't also draw up the pie graphs and the bar charts. The arts ARE an economic driver.
But the arts also drive the quality of life in our communities and, in a world that is rebranding "Human Resources" into "Talent Management," that is an argument worth making.


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OLYMPIA, Wash. – An intermittent road closure has been implemented on Olympic National Forest's Pacific Ranger District. Forest Service Road 2280 will be closed from Mile Post 0.0 to Mile Post 1.1 from now until March 9, 2013. The closure will be in effect from Monday through Friday only and the road will remain open on weekends.
This closure is necessary to ensure public safety during timber harvest operations on the Dum T timber sale. The road is narrow with limited turn around areas. There is not sufficient room for safe public access while the timber purchaser utilizes equipment that includes a loader, log decks, yarder, and skyline cables.
This closure will be lifted as soon as harvesting activities are complete and the heavy equipment has been removed. For additional information, please contact the Pacific Ranger District office in Quinault at 360-288-2525.


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Meet Keane C. Rowley, aka Rox-it, a 25-year-old breakdancer, or b-boy, from City Heights.
Later this month, Rowley's heading to Finland for the World Finals Breaking competition, where he'll vie for top honors against b-boys and b-girls from around the world.
When he's not performing, Rowley works behind the counter at Cups La Jolla. The popular cupcake bakery is actually helping him raise money for his trip.
Rowley moved to San Diego from Indiana in 2012 after his wife got into a master's program at San Diego State University. He tells us about the life of a newly transplanted b-boy.
Q: Please describe what you do.
A: I am a breaker (commonly known as breakdancer); we refer to ourselves as b-boys or b-girls. Breaking consists of the standing-up dancing (toprock), dancing on the floor (footwork), pauses in movement (freezes), and momentum moves (power). Put all these together to a breakbeat and you've got yourself breaking, or b-boying. The word "breakdancing" is very much frowned upon in the dance world, however.
Q: When did you discover breaking?
A: My freshman year at Indiana University. I was writing a biology paper in my dorm building and I heard music coming from a nearby room. You can imagine my surprise when I saw people spinning on their heads and wiggling around on the ground. I asked them how I could get involved and they told me to just come to practice and they would teach me the basics. That group was the IU Breakdance Club.
Q: How often do you train and what do you do to prepare?
A: I train by breaking. To create new moves, you slowly move around and try and create concepts and movements that you think look good. Then you start to speed it up and try and connect it with other things you've created. Most of the time, it doesn't work, but some transitions you stumble upon work out amazingly. It's actually pretty easy, it's just time-consuming. I train three to five times a week in two- to three-hour blocks of time.
Q: How does the dance scene in San Diego compare to the one in Indiana?
A: San Diego is much, much larger than the whole state of Indiana. There are roughly 10 b-boys in the whole state (no joke) and maybe three b-girls. You have to travel to find other breakers and events. Unlike San Diego, there are no venues or opportunities that support breaking culture; therefore, no history to continue teaching the next generation.
Q: What's a difficult move you're proud to have mastered?
A: The headspin — took me forever to get that stupid move. Then I come to find out that it's just an OK move, used best in a transition, not as stand alone move. In addition, I didn't know that there were special hats called "headspin caps" that b-boys wear to protect their heads. Now I'm losing my hair since I didn't use a hat for the first two years of breaking — sad day.
Q: How is Cups helping you fund your trip?
A: The studio in Finland is paying for my flight, but they're not paying for hotel, food or travel aside from to the event and back to the airport. Cups is fundraising to help me save just a bit of money while I'm there, as well as to advertise the store itself. If a customer donates $1, we enter them in a raffle to win six full-sized cupcakes and a cupcake named after them for one whole month. It's slow going, but every bit helps me to not go bankrupt while I'm overseas.
Q: Seeing as you work at Cups, tell us what your favorite treat is from there?
A: Our Soy Viennese would have to be my fav: two shots of espresso, cinnamon, honey, and steamed soy milk. My favorite treat would be the Lemon Ricotta cupcake, a gluten-free lemon ricotta torte cup made with ground almonds and topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting. I am lactose intolerant, as well as allergic to milk and almonds, but that does not stop me from eating it every time we have it in the store; it's that good.
Q: What is something people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: I am a sleepwalker and I know that I'm sleepwalking, but there's nothing I can do about it. Usually, I'll think there's a bunch of people in my bedroom trying to dance and so I'll start cleaning up. And then I'll realize that everyone in my bedroom doesn't exist, so I'll go back to bed with everyone still upset and yelling and throwing dream stuff at me.


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Boca Raton (Fla.) West Boca Raton linebacker Jawand Blue made his selection for the Hokies three weeks ago. Just days after the decision, the 6-foot-0, 215-pounder came to Blacksburg and Hokiehaven...
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Lodz (Nov. 1)
A typhus epidemic is raging in the Jewish quarter of Lodz. The town council met in special conference yesterday to take action against the spread of the Epidemic in other centers of the city.
Reports from Kutno, Pintek and Jostynin are that the epidemic is making headqay there.


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Opinions on the Mossberg 500 series shotguns?
Hello everybody I am new to this site:D I hope to learn allot while im here.
Well about 4 weeks ago I got me a Mossberg 500 Mariner 6 shot with bead sight and regular stock. I LOVE this gun. I took it to the range and put allot of shells through it. I now have a fever and NEED ANOTHER. So I have been looking around and doing research. I was looking at the mossberg 590 and 590a1. I hear that the 590a1 is used by the millitary. Then from mossbergs website it seems that all 3 (500, 590, 590a1) is all millitary approved. I was looking on another forum and it had people that was in the army, marine core and navy and every single one of them said that they used a mossberg 500, not a mossberg 590a1. So I know that these guns hold up well. I am just torn right now. I found a nice 500 9 shot pursuader with 20" barrel for $330. I also found a mossberg 590a1 for allittle more. I just dont know which to get:( I wanted to also get a darker shotgun because I like dark colors for my personal taste lol. Im not too worried about blued finish or matte finish from mossberg because I never hear of a rust problem from them. Now when it comes to Remington 870's its a constant thing with new 870's. So what gun do you guys think I should choose?
FYI: I got a new mossberg case in by mistake lol. So now it has to be filled;):rolleyes:
Anyone?:( I just need an opinion of what you would buy.
If it were me I would get a Winchester 1300.....but that's just me.
Intersting. I never heard of a winchester 1300. I like the defence shotguns and so far by the looks of it it looks nice. I understand that mossbergs are underated by people but what about the winchester 1300?
The best pump gun ever made, at least in the oppenion of most old guys, is the Model 12 Win. You can pick up a good used one at a gun show resonable and they will out last any other gun made today.
Mossberg 500s are great guns, they are inexpensive and function well. My first shotgun was a 1300 and I've been in love with them ever since. I've put thousands of rounds thru that gun and it has never once given me a hint of a problem. I especially like how their safety engages the hammer instead of the trigger.
You cannot go wrong with the 500 series. I have two and as well as a Winchester 1200. I would part with the 1200 before I would let either of the 500s go
I've had a Mossberg 500 for years and it's a very stout and reliable shotgun. I recently put a Pachmayr pistol grip on it for home defense. However, that's only because we live in the city. If we ever get out of here and to the country, I'll put the regular stock back on.
I've had my Mossy 500A for almost 25 years now. I can't tell you how many I have put through it, and it has never failed me. I even hunt deer and turkey with it. If I were looking to get another, I would buy a used 500A (you can find ones in very good condition) for less than $180. Then I would buy an extra barrel. Short smooth bores can be had for 'bout $80. Done deal for $200 max. Later on if you want to tac up the thing, then you can get pistol grip stocks and such almost anywhere. The great thing about both Mossberg and Remington shottys is there are tons of aftermarket stuff for them.
Now, if you don't mind spending the extra bucks, then the Remmy 870 is the workhorse standard of shottys.
thanks for the replies:) Remington 870 was actully my first choice before I bought my first shotty but ive learned that they have a major finishing issue. I would buy an 870 if it was an older one. I am going to go gun shopping in 2 weeks. Im going to check out the mossberg 500A and a winchester 1200 and see what I might like best. If I had my choice about it I would get both:D
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QUAIFE-HOBBS TOPS THE TIMES IN WSR TESTS British racer Adrian Quaife-Hobbs proved the man to beat in recent Formula Renault 3.5 testing in Spain, the Tonbridge teenager topping the times sheets in both Barcelona and Motorland Aragon. The 19 ...
British racer Adrian Quaife-Hobbs proved the man to beat in recent Formula Renault 3.5 testing in Spain, the Tonbridge teenager topping the times sheets in both Barcelona and Motorland Aragon. The 19 year-old adapted quickly to the powerful 3.5 litre cars after a successful season in GP3 this year and was consistently running in the top three in almost every session.
Adrian commenced his test programme with Comtec with two days in Barcelona last week. After setting a cracking pace on the first day, the teenager was running in the top two for much of the session on day two before dropping to third when a rain shower spoilt his run on new tyres.
Adrian then headed out to Motorland Aragon and continued the impressive performance with the fastest lap in both sessions on Monday, by nearly four tenths of a second. This set him up well for a repeat in Tuesday's test and he was already running fifth on old tyres before he suffered a brake issue.
The Comtec team did a great job in repairing the problem and Adrian was able to resume testing however a gearbox problem cut short his session. Despite that Adrian was still fifth fastest at the end, with nobody else able to beat his time from day one.
Due to the problem on Tuesday afternoon Adrian was allowed to continue the test into today's (Wednesday's) final test and once again Adrian proved the man to beat, posting the fastest time of the three days and just shy of the outright World Series by Renault lap time.
"It was a fantastic test programme and I'm very happy with my performance and that of the Comtec team," said Adrian. "We were consistently within the top three, apart from the few minor problems which put me fifth, but even then that was set on old tyres when everyone else was on new.
"The Comtec team was great, we all worked really well together and they gave me a competitive car throughout the four and a half days so thanks to them. We also managed to improve the car quite a bit over the course of the tests and it's great to have been fastest again this morning."
Adrian now returns home but will head out to Abu Dhabi in late November to test for Scuderia Coloni in a GP2 car as he considers his plans for 2011.
-source: quaifehobbs.com


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FRIDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- In women with BRCA1/2-associated ovarian cancer (BRCA-OC), the risk of metachronous breast cancer is lower than for unaffected BRCA carriers, according to research published online Nov. 16 in Cancer.
Susan M. Domchek, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues estimated the risk of breast cancer after a diagnosis of BRCA-OC in a study involving 164 women who participated in genetic testing and follow-up studies from 1995 to 2009. One hundred fifteen women had BRCA1 and 49 had BRCA2.
The researchers found that the median follow-up from OC was 5.8 years for those not developing breast cancer. A total of 46 deaths occurred but none were attributed to breast cancer. In the cohort, overall survival was 85 and 68 percent, respectively, at five and 10 years. Eighteen cases of metachronous breast cancer were diagnosed. Breast cancer-free survival was 97 and 91 percent, respectively, at five and 10 years. In a subset of women tested before or within 12 months of BRCA-OC, overall survival was 71 and 62 percent at five and 10 years, respectively, while breast cancer-free survival was 100 and 87 percent, at five and 10 years, respectively.
"We demonstrate that the risk of metachronous breast cancer in the five years after a diagnosis of BRCA ovarian cancer is limited, and that survival is dominated by ovarian cancer-related mortality," the authors write. "These observations argue against aggressive surgical management of breast cancer risk in women with BRCA ovarian cancer, at least in the first five years after their ovarian cancer diagnosis."
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About the Turbo Torch A-32 Extreme Standard Hand Torch Tip - Air Acetylene, 3/4"
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- Specifications
- Product Number: 0386-0106
- Tip Size: 3/4 in. (19.0 mm)
- Gas Flow: 33.2 @ 14 PSI SCFH 2.82 @ (0.9 BAR) M3/HR
- Soft Solder: 4
- 6 in. (100-150 mm)
- Silver Braze: 1-1/2
- 4 in. (40-100 mm)
- Process(es): Air Acetylene
- Warranty
3 year limited warranty through manufacturer.
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Should I call ACTO if I'm having a problem with my landlord?
ACTO does not provide individual service to tenants. If you are a low-income tenant, contact your local legal clinic to see if they can provide free legal advice. To find your nearest legal clinic, go to the clinic page on Legal Aid Ontario's website.
My landlord wants me to start paying the electricity bill for my apartment. Can he force me to do this?
Most tenants in Ontario pay for the electricity they use as part of their rent. This arrangement is made at the beginning of the tenancy and cannot be changed unless you sign an agreement with your landlord that says you will start paying for it separately. New technology, new regulations and rising prices are encouraging landlords to get tenants to agree to this change. You must receive a rent reduction as part of this agreement and there are other requirements that a landlord must meet. See our tip sheet on this issue here before you agree to this or if you need more information.
Can I be evicted in winter?
Yes. There are no seasonal restrictions on when a landlord can apply to the Landlord & Tenant Board to evict a tenant.
My landlord gave me a "Notice to Terminate a Tenancy Early." Do I have to leave?
No. That is just the first step of the eviction process. In most cases, a landlord must first give you notice, then apply to evict you at the Landlord & Tenant Board, receive an order to evict you from the Board, and then take that order to the Sheriff to enforce the eviction. Only the Sheriff is able to evict you from your unit. For more information about the eviction process, see materials provided by Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) including their rental housing guide.
I'm new to Canada and having a hard time finding housing. Are there particular resources for new immigrants?
The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) has a helpful website called http://www.settlement.org/topics.asp?section=HO . You can also visit the Centre of Equality Rights and Accommodation's website and/or the Housing Help Association's website http://www.findhousinghelp.ca/
I'm looking for an apartment and several landlords have told me that they don't rent to people on welfare. Can they do that?
No. It is against the Ontario Human Rights Code to discriminate against a person in respect of their housing simply because they receive social assistance. You can contact:
(1) your local legal clinic,
(2) the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, and/or
(3) the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation
My landlord told me she's going to raise my rent next month. Can she do that?
There is an annual guideline set by the provincial government. In most cases your landlord can only increase your rent once every twelve months by the guideline amount. In most cases, your landlord must give you 90 days written notice of the annual rent increase (unless you specifically agreed to a rent increase in writing or have accepted an additional service and agreed to the increased cost). Landlords can also apply to the Landlord & Tenant Board for an increase above the guideline, based on items like increased utilities costs or renovations. The increase above the guideline must be approved by the Board. See the Landlord & Tenant Board's rent increase guideline document at: http://www.ltb.gov.on.ca/en/Key_Information/STDPROD_098894.htm
I'm not a low-income tenant, but do need some legal advice on a landlord and tenant matter. How do I find a lawyer or paralegal to help me?
There is a free service called the Law Society Referral Service, operated by the Law Society of Upper Canada. The service will provide the name of a lawyer or licensed paralegal who will provide up to 30 minutes free consultation to help you determine your rights and options. You can access the service by calling 1-800-268-8326 or going to their website. You could also contact JusticeNet, a not-for-profit service helping people connect with lawyers who have agreed to work for low- and moderate-income people for fees based on your income. They can be reached at www.justicenet.ca
My landlord won't make some really important repairs to my unit, and I keep asking. What should I do?
It's best to keep records of your requests for maintenance, especially in writing. Take pictures if possible. It is the landlord's responsibility to provide and maintain the unit in good repair. In some cases you may want to contact your local property standards inspectors who can order the landlord to carry out repairs. In many places they can be reached by calling 311 or call your town or city government office. In some areas of the province there are provincial inspectors who can order the landlord to make repairs if you file a written complaint with them. See their website at http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page1181.aspx
You may want to make an application to the Landlord & Tenant Board to ask them to order the landlord to make repairs and refund part of your rent. See our tip sheet about these applications here and the information from Community Legal Education Ontario at http://www.cleo.on.ca/en/publications/mainreps about how to do this.
These steps also apply to concerns about lack of heat, appliances that do not work and bug or rodent infestations.
My landlord shut the heat off because I haven't paid my rent. Can she do that?
No. It is an offense under the Residential Tenancies Act to interfere with vital service (fuel, hydro and/or water), and is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000. Contact your local legal clinic and/or call the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Investigation and Enforcement Unit at 1-888-772-9277 or visit http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page142.aspx
My landlord says he needs to come over to do something in my unit. Can he just show up?
In most cases, the landlord must provide a tenant with 24 hours written notice of entry. Entry must be between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. The notice must specify the reason, day and time of entry. The landlord is not required to provide the tenant with 24 hours written notice in certain situations, including where:
- there is an emergency;
- the tenant lets the landlord in; or
- the landlord is showing the unit to prospective tenants after notice of termination has been given
Where can I find a cheap apartment?
It is difficult to find an affordable place to live if you are living on a low income. Most communities have "Housing Help Centres" that try to help low-income people find accommodation in private rental housing. You can find one that serves your community at https://findhousinghelp.ca/ A number of communities provide affordable rental housing to their residents, but the waiting lists can be very long. To find out how to apply, see the information from the Ontario Non Profit Housing Association at Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association. Information about other housing options is available from Settlement.org
Is there financial help just to tide me over until I can pay my rental arrears?
Most communities in Ontario have "rent banks" that lend tenants money to pay their rental arrears. These rent banks are administered by different agencies in every community, and often have strict criteria about lending money. To find out about them visit http://www.ontariorentbank.net. If you are on social assistance, you should start by discussing the problem with your worker.
My landlord pays the city directly for water service for my rental unit and I agreed to reimburse him for the cost of this service as part of my monthly rent. Do I have a right to ask for a copy of the bill for proof of the actual cost?
You should ask the landlord for a copy of any utility bill for which you are reimbursing her. If she declines to provide proof of the actual cost, you can file an application at the Landlord and Tenant Board and request a refund of any unlawful rent for your unit, including the utility services. You have to file this application with one year of your first reimbursement payment to your landlord in order to have Board order an adjustment in what you are paying.
Some municipalities, such as the City of Toronto, allow the property owner to have the utility bill mailed to their tenant, provided certain terms and certain conditions are met, e.g. the property owner still remains liable for payment. There may be a fee charged for this "duplicate billing" service. If this option is available, you should request that the landlord agree to have a copy of the actual bill mailed to you.
In the Region of Durham, a landlord can request that the water bill be mailed directly to the tenant in their name, but the landlord is still responsible for making the payment to the municipality. The landlord can contact the municipality at any time by phone or E-mail to verify any amount owing on the water bill.
How do I form a tenants' association?
There are a number of ways to bring tenants together for short-term projects or longer term organizing. The Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations in Toronto has published a Tenant Organizing Manual that you can find here. Another tenant organizing manual has been prepared by R.E.N.T. in Waterloo and can be found here.
I live in a housing co-op. Does the Residential Tenancies Act apply?
Yes. However, that law only applies to allow the co-operative to seek an eviction order from the Landlord and Tenant Board after they have made an internal decision to evict you. The rules that apply to these applications are different from the rules that apply to tenants, although the principles are the same. However, you cannot apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board to address problems that you are having with your co-op unit or your co-op community. Those issues are dealt with under the rules in your Occupancy Agreement and the Co-op's by-laws. For more information about Ontario's housing co-operatives, go to the website of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada .
I live in non-profit housing. Does the Residential Tenancies Act apply?
Yes. However, the parts of that Act that regulate rents do not apply. You are also covered by the Housing Services Act which sets out rules for setting subsidized rents and getting access to subsidized housing. That Act allows each of the 47 local service managers to set some of their own rules. The Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association has information for its landlord members and their tenants about these issues at http://www.onpha.on.ca/.
I'm a landlord. Where can I get help?
The Landlord's Self-Help Centre is a non-profit organization that provides information, assistance and educational programs to Ontario's small-scale landlords free of charge. For information about them go to http://www.landlordselfhelp.com/frontpage.asp


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Easter is now less than two weeks away and that means that soon, those little plastic eggs will be everywhere, if they aren't already. I think we have two boxes full of them! I reuse a whole bunch every year for the boys' Easter baskets and egg hunt, but we always seem to finish Easter with way more than we started with. It's like they multiply or something.
I decided to come up with some creative things to do with all of them and I found some great ideas. Some are educational, some are decorative, and some are crafty. I can't decide which to try first!
First, I would like to highlight the wonderful bloggers who allowed me to share their photos, in addition to their ideas!
- Glittered Eggs from Little Pink Monster
- 10 Educational Activities To Do With Easter Eggs from Stockpiling Moms
- Plastic Easter Egg Roll Painting from Fun At Home With Kids
- M is for Music: Preschool Lesson Plan from What's Up Fagans?
Here are some more fun uses for those eggs:
- Reverse Easter Egg Hunting from The Grant Life (featured on Crystal & Co.)
- Exploring Light and Color from Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds
- Painting With Plastic Easter Eggs from Songbirds & Buttons
- Sink the Easter Egg Science Experiment from Little Bins for Little Hands
- Plastic Easter Egg Wreath from The Messy Roost
- Easter Egg Snack from Dirt & Boogers
- Easter Sensory Bath and Egg Hunt from Growing a Jeweled Rose
- Spray Painted Faux Easter Eggs from Cottage at the Crossroads (featured on Debbie Doo's)
- 8 Learning Games Using Plastic Easter Eggs from Premeditated Leftovers
- Angry Birds Egg Craft from Red Ted Art
- Plastic Easter Egg Decorating from Kids Creative Chaos
- Faux Robin's Egg Tutorial from The V Spot
- 7 Learning Activities That Use Plastic Eggs from No Time for Flash Cards
- Plastic Easter Egg Tea Cups from Creativity in Progress
- How to Make Minion Eggs for Easter from A Thrifty Mom
- Easter Egg Tree Tutorial from Sweet Floweret
- Easter Memory Game for Kids from Happily Ever Mom
What do you like to do with all of those plastic Easter eggs?


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SDN: Do Network Engineers Need Programming Skills?4/3/2014
Interop panel debates need for network engineers to have programming skills as industry moves to software-defined networks.
Post a Comment
Marcia Savage is the managing editor for Network Computing, and has been covering technology for 15 years. She has written and edited for CRN and spent several years covering information security for SC Magazine and TechTarget. Marcia began her journalism career in daily newspapers, where her writing won regional journalism awards.


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wrestling / Columns
The Wednesday Wrestling Week That Was 11.07.12: Issue #10
Hello! My name is Sam Smith, and I'm happy to welcome you to the groundbreaking TENTH edition of The Wednesday Wrestling Week That Was!
Ten weeks! Not too shabby, if I say so myself. Now that I have internet fame and notoriety, I need a nickname for my loyal fans. Hogan had the Hulkamaniacs, Rock had the MILLIONS, Cena has the Cenation. Hmmm. Suggestions in the comments, please. This is a pressing issue.
I need to give a shout-out to Tuesday Communique writer Nick Marsico for pimping my article at the end of his every week. It's a regular inter-column love-fest here at 411.
Also, The Walking Dead this week? Holy crap. Good stuff.
In less important news, happy new President day, America! As I write I have no idea who is going to come out on top, so congratulations/commiserations if your guy did/didn't win.
Remember to follow me on Twitter and read my blog! If you are interested, read my review of WWE '13 on one of the other sites I write for.
In space, no-one can hear you Hogans.
– WWE had their Q3 financial report, with lots of words and numbers that I don't really understand. I am many things, but I am no businessman. The bottom line was the company's stock price rising 8.8% on Thursday, closing at $8.80 a share as opposed to $8.09 the day before. That's good, right?
Also coming out of the report was plenty of news about the upcoming WWE Network. It's going to use a premium subscription model, similar to HBO. WWE feel it will take $35-40 million to fully launch, with 57% of US homes having an "interest" in WWE TV. 10-15 million households watch WWE regularly, and another 20-40 million are casual fans. According to Vince, the network claimed that it didn't need to actually capture a huge amount of that to be a success. Apparently, "if they capture the hardcore fan, they will be very successful."
– As you all know, the complexion of Survivor Series was drastically changed on Raw this week, with a triple threat being announced between CM Punk, Cena and Ryback with the WWE title on the line. Word is that WWE changed the match due to the negative reaction that came from last week's announcement of the elimination tag match.
Erm…… what negative reaction? I was very much looking forward to that match. Most people on the internet seemed to be anticipating it too. I hope they don't just mean the shitty crowd at Raw last week. I like to think even WWE wouldn't panic enough to change things because of one crappy crowd.
At least the tag match is still happening, and the triple threat should be decent. I guess they were originally going to save it for TLC.
– In other "WWE changes stuff on the fly" news, the original plan for Hell in a Cell was to have Ryback pin CM Punk clean and win the WWE Championship. Mr. Back would hold it through Survivor Series and lose it in a multi-man match at TLC that didn't involve him being pinned. Vince McMahon apparently settled on the plan three days before the show. The next day, he decided to keep the belt on Punk because the Punker's long reign was more important than Ryback's undefeated streak. I agree. Like I said last week, the streak is nifty, but not necessary at all to build Ryback up as a monster. And speaking of –
– In OTHER other "WWE changes stuff on the fly" news, word is that as late as the day before Hell in a Cell, plans were different for the outcome of the World Heavyweight Championship match. All roads led to Big Show losing, with one scenario having Dolphy Zigglestrom cashing in for his title. Show winning was apparently a last minute decision, to shake up the title picture. Fair enough, I suppose.
– Linda McMahon is predicted to lose her US Senate race. How many times do you have to fail at something before you decide not to try again? Is it two? I hope it's two.
– THQ, who own the rights to the WWE gaming license and just released WWE '13, are in dire straights. The company abruptly ended their quarterly conference call without answering questions and pushed back several games. In response, THQ's shares have dropped by almost 50%. Oh dear.
If THQ do go under, how awesome would it be if EA picked up the WWE license? Say what you will about their evil corporate ways, but EA Sports has a huge amount of money behind it and churns out consistently excellent games. I'd love to see their take on a wrestling game.
– The person behind the infamous "CrankyVince" Twitter account may have been revealed. The account appears to be run by Andrew Goldstein, a former creative member who worked closely with Vinny Mac in 2006/7. After Brian Gewirtz was removed as head writer of Raw last month, the CrankyVince accounted posed several messages. In the midst of this, Goldsten's account briefly posted the following –
The tweet was immediately deleted, but as Hulk Hogan knows, once something is online, it's never going away.
The account, known for posting confidential information, recently suggested Jack Swagger had requested his release, but Swagger's wife denies this. Intrigue!
– Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler is expected to dominate the World Heavyweight Championship scene in 2013. Survivor Series is scheduled to be the blow off of the Big Show/Sheamus fued, opening the door for Ziggley Ziggleman to cash in shortly after.
I'm in two minds about this. If Ziggler goes over this could be the feud that truly cements him as a main event star. If Orton keeps winning and Ziggler ends up back where he started, not so much. And what happened to that Orton heel turn? A dream scenario would be Orton turning heel and Ziggler turning face, although I fear that may be a bit too IWC-wet-dream to ever happen.
– WWE officials want to push David Otunga, but are not sure how. The company is high on Otunga's physique and celebrity connections, but note that he isn't getting over like they expected. Oooh, me, me! I know why! It's cause he wrestles like shit.
Seriously, Otunga is fine in the role he is in, a lackey to the bigger heels who gets squashed every now and then. That WWE want to push someone because he is married to a celebrity should tell you all you need to know about their priorities. What do you think, CM Punk?
– William Regal made on interesting comment on the 10/24 edition of NXT pertaining to the whereabouts of Hunico –
"Camacho is usually out here with his partner Hunico, but Hunico's not here and I'm not allowed to say why. He's in a little trouble, and he got into a little extra curricular activities and causing a bit of grief to people, and he's not gonna be with us for awhile let's put it that way."
Well, that's interesting. If definitely wasn't a wellness violation, as those have to be reported. I imagine that nothing has actually happened. Hunico is injured and Regal is covering for him in a kayfabe manner. If he really had done something bad, I can't see the higher-ups allowing anyone to mention it on air. Watch this space!
– And finally, several weeks ago it was reported a top WWE star spoke up to Vince McMahon, calling him out of touch with the product and audience. Word now is that the star was none other than John Cena. It makes sense. Cena's spot is incredibly safe, so he could voice his mind without fear of repercussion. Similarly, Vince McMahon must respect Cena's opinion at this point. Still, this is all rumor, so take it as such.
Raw, "live" from Birmingham, England! I normally try to make it to both TV tapings when WWE comes to England, as they are usually filmed in London. Birmingham is too far for me to justify traveling, though. A shame. The crowd was fantastic! Would have loved to be a part of it.
Sinsterio and Truth vs. Cesaro and The Prime Time Playaaaaaas
I love how Cole goes on about this ongoing feud between Cesaro and Truth that has lasted exactly one week. Assuming it's Truth challenging for the belt at Survivor Series then. I would have preferred another match with Justin Gabriel myself.
More of this "AJ Scandal" bollocks
The crowd was all over Vickie here. Great stuff. Spontaneous "who are ya" chants for the win.
I also loved the crowd cheering Cena for potentially getting some. Go on my son!
D-Bry vs. Cody Rhodes
And the crowd continues to be excellent. England loves themselves some Daniel Bryan! Shame he lost in a minute.
Kane vs. Damien Sandow
I guess they've gone from "people are saying Daniel Bryan might be the weak link" to "WE ARE SAYING DANIEL BRYAN IS THE WEAK LINK LOOK AT HOW SMALL HE IS"
Brad Maddox in a nifty waistcoat
I assume internet people shit all over this, but I thought Maddox cut a darn good promo. This whole scenario clearly wasn't planned, but if booked right, WWE could come out of it with another big star. Probably not, though. I imagine he'll get squashed loads and then released.
Sheamus vs. The Miz
Decent length, good match.
divas lol
Kofi Kingston vs. Alberto Del Rio
Kofi wins! Against Berto! Behold the power of a push!
Team CoBro vs. Primepico
Poor old Primo and Epico. Faces one week, heels the next. At least they have Rosa to soothe the pain.
Wade Barrett vs. Brodus Clay
Well now. This is a great example of how a good crowd can make a normal match seem excellent. This was a standard 3-minute TV match, but thanks to the amazing crowd reaction, it was the part of the show I enjoyed the most. Seeing Barrett get such a fantastic homecoming response was heart-warming. Great stuff. Really wish I could have been there. Can't say enough how much I loved this.
Wade made a little speech after the show ended which is also worth watching. Take a look.
Push this man! I'd like to see an English WWE Champion in my lifetime.
3MB vs. one of the Usos
I swear 3MB got more of a face reaction than the Usos here. Fantastic. English crowds doing me proud.
I could see the crowd turning 3MB face if they keep acting so goofy and stupid. It's appealing!
CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena and Ryback
So this is about the tenth time Punk and Ziggler have teamed in the last month?
A decent main event. Crowd was hot which helps immensely. And Ziggler didn't get pinned! Good thing I'm not a betting man.
A thoroughly entertaining show this week, thanks largely to the great English crowd. We obviously get less chances to see WWE live over here as they only tour twice a year, so crowds are more pumped when they finally get the opportunity. The taxi and the phonebox on the ramp every time, though? Stereotyping. Racism.
Some fantastic signs as well. I saw one that just said BOG SHOW that cracked me up. And another with "Dolph Ziggler is a briefcase wanker" that made me do a spit-take. I guess WWE don't get rid of rude signs they don't understand.
Very few comments last week. I imagine the hurricane had something to do with it, or I'm losing readers at an alarming rate. What with all this election business at the moment, I'm not predicting too many for next week either. But I will not be deterred!
Bonerfied –
Where can they go with the Maddox storyline? I wish, I WISH, that they would reveal that AJ was behind it because Cena wanted to face Punk instead of Ryback, thus turning Cena heel/tweener in the process. Therefore explaining their "affair" and they become a power heel couple going into Wrestlemania and beyond.
That would have been interesting. I do wonder if this whole "AJ scandal" thing will end with Cena and AJ actually having done the dirty. It won't turn Cena heel obviously, but it might add a little bit of an edge to him. And the guys who boo him normally would approve. Who wouldn't?
KipSmithers –
I think Barrett could work as a face. Have him play up his bare-knuckle fighting past and become a "man-of-the-people" type character who fights for the "little guy". He'd keep his edge, but go after the heels.
It's possible, and I'd love it, but I don't think it's particularly likely. Being English sure helps you get cheered in England, but not so much in the States. I do appreciate Barrett being booked as a dominant-style heel rather than a chickenshit since his return. It would make a transition to a face role easier if it was ever going to happen.
Brian MacLennen –
Alan Partridge and Peter Serafinowicz in one column – Quality!
Damn straight. You know what? Let's have some more –
That's it for another week. Thanks as always for reading, especially if you've stuck it out for ten whole weeks.
Remember to follow me on Twitter and read my blog. Leave a comment! Suggestions on naming my substantial fanbase are appreciated. I'm Sam Smith, back next week. See you then.


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General News of Saturday, 22 December 2012
Source: Daily Guide
For the first time in Ghana's post military era, the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) has decided to pour Ghana's full military arsenal and personnel on the streets of Accra today in an extremely rare display of the country's military might.
Details of the street parade are sketchy but DAILY GUIDE gathered that the Special Forces that were unveiled nine months ago during Ghana's 57th Independence Day anniversary would be part of the parade.
This plan has surprised many critics of the government since no prior hint was given on the parade.
"We are of the strongest of opinion that the proposed Military and Forces parade is reckless, unnecessary and smack of an act of intimidation reminiscent of the 'colonial era' brute show of force. AFAG believes that this exercise would rather exacerbate tension in the country at a time the whole democratic world is calling for calm and moderation," stated political pressure group Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG) in a press statement released yesterday and signed by its leading members, Arnold Boateng, Bright Acheampong Davis Opoku.
It appears that earlier plans by AFAG to stage a street protest on that same day to protest alleged electoral rigging during the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections jerked the NDC government to device the action.
According to AFAG, it planned its demonstration in line with the Public Order law by securing permission from the police. The permission was granted, only for the police to suddenly withdraw the order allowing AFAG's demonstration.
"We had a call yesterday from the police authorities that the President had directed all the security agencies to go on some form of demonstration tomorrow by parading through town with their armory. We think that it is the most unfortunate thing that will ever happen to our country," explained AFAG's Director of Operations Davis Opoku.
According to AFAG, "It is not surprised that when all was set for our demonstration this Friday, the government has activated an unnecessary forces demonstration and consequently has made our planned demonstration virtually impossible to go on without clashing with the military forces and the police."
The dilemma presented to the pressure group has left it with no other option but to back down or risk causing protesting civilians to collide with Ghana's full military might.


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Figure 1:
Growth of
L. pneumophila
isolates in liquid medium. Bacteria were grown in AYET. After 1, 24, and 48 h of incubation, samples were diluted with PBS and spread on CYET. All values represent the average and the standard deviation for three identical experiments. Statistically significant differences compared with the control are indicated by asterisks (


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I know =) I was diagnosed when I was 16, though Im pretty sure I had problems even before that. I am a senior getting ready to graduate in a week and a half I love taking pictures. How about you?
Oh wow! its nice to speak to someone my age!! when were you diagnosed? Tell me a bit about yourself and thank you x
Hey there just saw that you posted your a youngin' too LOL Im 18. Welcome to WHL


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Keep a grip on your pet project with this promotional magnet clip.
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When you want to reward your top students, promotional student gifts from ePromos is exactly what you need. Imprint your school's name on everything from notebooks to backpacks. Great gifts for graduates, and students at any level.