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Google has announced that it is set to acquire Channel Intelligence, an e-commerce company. The deal will take place for $125 million, and is set to be finalized during this quarter. Channel Intelligence deals with product promotion, having worked with big names like Best Buy and Target, and is said to track almost 15-percent of US-based online sales.
Channel Intelligence is part of the ICG Group, which works with companies in the service and cloud-based software sectors. Meanwhile, Channel Intelligence offers CI Boost, a variety of services, including Facebook Platform and Product Search. In addition to ICG, Channel Intelligence is also owned by Aweida Capital.
Said ICG's CEO Walter Buckley: "The sale of CI to Google is a testament to the quality of its technology and its strong team led by ICG President, Doug Alexander, who positioned the company to succeed in the rapidly growing e-marketing industry. As drivers and architects of CI's growth and success, we are very pleased with this outcome."
In addition to tracking almost 15-percent of online sales, Channel Intelligence is said to be responsible for just under $2 billion in annual online sales in the United States. The online sales concern a wide array of products, including toys, appliances, consumer electronics, and home improvement items.
[via ICG]


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Feb 14 2008
Raptors in Love
It's Valentine's Day and all across America lovers are giving gifts and going out to dinner.
Even though it doesn't feel like spring, the birds of prey are courting too.
Birds time their egg laying so that their babies are born when the most food is available. For peregrines, who eat birds, hatching occurs during spring migration when thousands of songbirds are passing through. For red-tailed hawks, who eat rodents, their babies hatch when the year's first mice, chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits have left the nest.
To get the hatching time right, peregrine egg laying has to happen in late March in Pittsburgh so February is courting time.
Pictured here are Dorothy and Erie in a uniquely peregrine courtship ritual. They bow low toward each other over the scrape - where Dorothy will lay the eggs - and they make a creaking call to each other. Peregrine females are larger than males, so Dorothy is the one on the left. This falconcam photo is from 2003, but peregrine pairs do this every year.
Raptors have other courting rituals amazingly similar to those of humans.
People court by walking hand-in-hand. Raptors court by flying together. Today our local red-tailed hawks did some courtship flying over Central Catholic High School.
Just as men take their wives out to dinner, the male raptor catches prey and offers it to his lady. Often, after she eats as much as she wants he finishes the feast. Many humans reverse this when the wife eats off the husband's plate because she "doesn't want any dessert."
Soon I will participate in the dessert exchange ritual. I'm a wife.
3 Responses to "Raptors in Love"
# Amy Cushon 14 Feb 2008 at 6:53 pm
Hello again,
I just wanted to write and say how much I enjoy reading your entries. I did a random search for a local bird watcher that day I spotted the bald eagle and I came across you and this lovely site.
I love birds. I did a class with Chuck Tague years ago, but haven't kept up with classes or outings.I've been quite the amateur for years, but reading your entries gives me these great little morsels to take with me. Thanks for your passion and your writing. I'm hoping to join the Three Rivers Birding Club this spring and get more involved.
Thanks again.
I haven't seen the eagle again, but I always have my binos ready in case he/she flies by.
Happy Valentine's Day!
# Dianne Drishon 05 Mar 2008 at 1:39 pm
Glad to come uppon your blog. I just recently found out about the nest and am so very pleased. Thank you for your vilgilence. I wanted to pass on another wonderful website palemale.com from New York Central Park. I look at this website every day because the author is a wonderful photographer and shares as much passion and protection of the 2 red tailed hawks he loves, "Palemale" and "Lola" Enjoy!
# Marilyn Terrellon 05 Mar 2008 at 5:10 pm
My falcon-loving daughter in Pittsburgh told me about the peregrines and took me to the top of the Cathedral of Learning when I came to visit. I love your blog and love knowing the histories of the two birds Erie and Dorothy. Long may they live and procreate!

subset: commoncrawl


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THE governorship election taking place in Ondo State on Saturday is not going to be a tea party for any of the three gladiators vying for the coveted seat of governor. Incidentally the trio: Olusola Oke of the PDP, Olusegun Mimiko of the ruling LP and Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the A C N, are graduates of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State.
For the first time in the history of the state, the three candidates eyeing the governorship position are representing the three senatorial areas of the state with each of them not only formidable in his locality but is ready to coast home to victory with every vote in his domain.
Oke, popularly referred to as "Oke is okay", represents the southern area where the immediate past Governor Olusegun Agagu hails from; Mimiko, fondly called Iroko of Ondo politics, is from the central; while Akeredolu; who goes by the name "the Chosen/ Aketi ", is from the northern area.
Of the 13 political parties presenting candidates for the contest, only the three are actually in the race while others are just there.
The opposition parties, that is PDP and A C N, are fielding heavyweights who are not leaving any stone unturned to uproot the Iroko of Ondo politics. It may actually be a big task for any of them because Mimiko himself is seeing this election as the fight of his life. It will either make or mar him politically.
While the PDP leaders, especially Agagu and the national leader of the A C N, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, would want to do all within their reach to sack Mimiko from the Government House to save their faces, the governor will want to prove a point that he is firmly in control of the state politically.
The three parties and their chieftains from within and outside the state have been involved in electioneering campaign across the 18 council areas of the state within the last one month. While the A C N campaign centres on personality attack of Mimiko, Oke chooses to combine attack with an assurance of building on the achievements of the immediate past Governor Olusegun Agagu before he was sacked.
Mimiko too combines attack of the A C N and the PDP with an improvement on his three years achievements in all the sectors of the economy.
Vice President Namadi Sambo led the National Chairman of the PDP Bamanga Tukur to the state to mobilise support for Oke who is the immediate past National Legal Adviser of the party, while Tinubu and National Chairman of the ACN Bisi Akande led other south west governors to the state for a three-day electioneering campaign for its candidate who is a former Nigeria Bar Association NBA President.
The choice of Oke as the candidate of the PDP has no doubt breathed life into the comatose party which has been engulfed in crisis since 2007 when the party was sacked.
Whereas some chieftains of the party are still not in support of his candidature, majority of them have beaten a retreat. His choice, despite the fact that Agagu equally hails from the southern area, is to neutralise Mimiko incursion into the senatorial zone believed to be the PDP stronghold.
In the A C N, the choice of Akeredolu greatly affected the popularity of the party following which many of the party chieftains, including some governorship aspirants, defected to the ruling LP and PDP in protest of his alleged imposition by leaders of the party from Lagos. His choice, despite criticism, was, according to the party leaders, to settle the northern area especially the Owo people, who have been marginalised after the tenure of the late sage, former Governor Adekunle Ajasin.
A critical analysis of the candidates shows that while Oke will put up a brilliant performance in the South where he hails from, Mimiko is banking on his achievements in the area to give the PDP candidate a good fight in his domain. Mimiko is planning to poach in this zone because many of his political appointees are from the southern part of the state.
The councils in the South which Oke may win include Ilaje, Okitipupa with the help of Agagu, who is from there, and Ese Odo because of the Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty Programme and Niger Delta Affairs, Hon Kingsly Kuku, but the leader of ex-militant from the area, High Chief Bibopri Ajube, has vowed to work for the victory of Mimiko in the council area. The governor too may coast home to victory in the three remaining councils in the zone: Irele, Ile Oluji/Okeigbo and Odigbo.
Mimiko's associates ready to work for him in the zone include the environment commissioner Sola Ebiseni, the commissioner representing the state on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dele Omogbemi, a former commissioner on the Board of NDDC, Benson Enikuemehin, the member representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Raphael Nomiye, the chairman of the council, Banji Okuomo and the members of the House of Assembly, Oyebo Aladetan and Gbenga Edema.
The votes from Ilaje may be won by the LP or be spilt with the PDP. But the people of the area will not entirely leave their own at this crucial hour. In Irele, the LP with education commissioner Remi Olatubora and former works commissioner Yele Omogunwa will be able to checkmate the only House of Representatives member of the PDP from the area, Albert Akintoye.
The ACN may pull some weight in Okitipupa where its deputy governorship candidate, Dr Paul Akintelure, hails from but he cannot go far. The contest in Okitipupa is between LP and PDP with PDP having the upper hand. It is believed that the A C N may have votes in Odigbo and Ile Oluji but it will be minimal.
Now to the central senatorial district consisting of Ondo West and Ondo East, Ile Oluji Okeigbo, Akure North and Akure South, and Ifedore where the incumbent hails from, this is not the stronghold of the two opposition parties and Mimiko is expected to win massively in this zone.
The governor is expected to garner majority of the votes in his domain going by the level of development in this area of the state. Infact, he is being vilified for the concentration of projects here but, while many do not see the political implication, Iroko knew that the payback time will come and October 20 may be the time. But the likes of the Special Adviser to the Osun State Governor on Environment, Bola Ilori, and Dr Bayo Ademodi, a member of the Afenifere Renewal Group, may pull some weight in Ondo West and East but they cannot rattle Iroko there.
Mimiko has never lost any election in his Ondo West and Ondo East base while Akure South and Akure North local government areas will go the way of LP because of the infrastructural development masterminded by the governor in the areas.
With the likes of information commissioner Kayode Akinmade, the Chief of Staff Dr Kola Ademujimi, the senator representing Ondo Central Senatorial District, Ayo Akinyelure, and Taye Akinyele, a member of the House of Assembly, the hilly Idanre town will vote massively for the LP while the Deputy Director General of the Mimiko Campaign Organization, Clement Faboyede, and Gboye Adegbenro will hold tight to Ifedore council.
The opposition parties will struggle to have the required 25 percent in the central senatorial district despite the existence of the likes of the Director General of the Mimiko Campaign Organization, Chief Tayo Alasoadura in Akure North.
The northern senatorial district, which consists of Owo, Ose, Akoko Northe-East, Akoko North-West, Akoko South-West and Akoko South-East, is regarded as a free zone for the three parties to feed on. The PDP picked its deputy governorship candidate Saka Lawal from there just as the ruling LP deputy governorship candidate Alhaji Ali Olanusi, is from there.
It would have been the stronghold of the A C N if the party had allowed the emergence of its governorship candidate to be transparent. But Olanusi, though an old horse, has more political experience than the youthful Lawal who defected from LP to A C N and later crossed over to the PDP when he failed to be crowned the governorship candidate.
Lawal too is said to be a strategist and a mobilizer of youths who are in his age bracket.
Now the PDP and the LP are battling for the votes from the North with the two deputy governorship candidates cashing on their individual popularity and political patronage to the people. However, the LP won all the House of Assembly seats, the House of Representatives seats and the senatorial seat in the 2011 polls.
Akeredolu's choice frustrated the much-mouthed Akoko Agenda which the six Akoko councils had wanted to sell to the people of Ondo State to produce the governor but the A C N action has divided the councils. However, Akeredolu has been able to win back the heart of some of the aspirants of the party who were aggrieved and they have assured him of support in the areas. However, notable politicians from the areas, Dr. Olu Agunloye, Saka Lawal, and Olaiya Oni, have defected to LP and PDP.
The six Akoko councils have no stake in the opposition A C N and with the slot of deputy governor from both the PDP and the ruling LP, the councils may go either way or better still they may split the votes.
All said and done, the Muslim/Muslim ticket of the two opposition parties may work against them in the North because the district is predominantly Muslim. This may work for the LP which has a Christian/Muslim ticket.
Of the three graduates of the Obafemi Awolowo University, who will wear the Ondo gubernatorial cap on October 20? The answer remains in the belly of time.


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Motel Studios
Brand identity for Shoreditch based photographic studio Motel.
Set in a Victorian railway arch dating from 1865, the studio asked for an identity which reflected the character of the local area.The logotype uses a customised typeface, and was applied to stationery, business cards, and signage. The project also included a website design, and a fold out flyer for visitors.
Client: Motel Studios
Discipline: Branding, stationery, promotional materials and website design
Thank You!


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hi people
after quite a few dsgs, I think I really should make my SB as well it's a sign I became serious...
I dump various things here along with some thoughts. feel free to skip the blurb, especially that my English is so bad. I understand almost everything, but I rarely write and never talk in English.
I'm a programmer, born in 1976, I live in Hungary.
as a child I loved drawing, but at 7 I realized I suck and maths are more exciting for me anyway...
I made not even doodles, but I always loved nice visual things, especially pictures full of beauty, mood or idea...
20 years passed and I felt an urge to draw... but it was only playing... I drew faces (then bodies too) and almost no more and they were simple copies, mostly from an anime.
my copies were often impressive for a complete beginner, but I just traced the lines well, I didn't know how to construct a human figure, my own ones were horrible. so I studied human anatomy, but still half-heartedly.
imagination was never my strong point, but I realized I had no own ideas at all, not even for poses or for a unique face, it was strange, I felt so lame.
then I've "accidentally" found CA and the Daily Sketch Group. I've read and watched DSG topics for 2 days, it was wonderful. one topic, many different styles and interpretation... I registered and made my first DSG entry. it was bad, but it was such a good feeling to make something and to be among the others, making new things.
my progress is noticeable, my confidence has grown, my imagination seems to be not completely dead yet and I have new goals.
it's hard to draw every day, I'm struggling with it. but this feeling is too passionate and wonderful, I won't fail.
my favourite topic is the human(oid) body. I want to be really good at it, anatomy, every kind of expressions, different facial features... both simple and realistic, various styles.
I like clothes and accessories too and I like creatures, plants and I'm ready to make limited effort in order to create backgounds for completeness and mood, but I have an extremely low interest in mechanical things, especially if they're not humanoid-shaped ones (no, I have no mental/emotional problems being a programmer, it's just another thing ). the fact I drew robots shows the power of DSG =)
I like the simpleness and charm of some anime style (I can admire even the most simplest comic), but I think I usually prefer a more realistic approach... I definitely won't use big eyes and anime noses everywhere, but I like interesting shaped eyes and a bit more slender body then ours.
I dunno if it's a problem, but I'm reluctant to spend too much time and efforts for a picture. I love simple but expressive and feelingful styles and besides, I'm a beginner, I need learn the basics and for now, I need making many sketches about anatomy and stuff, I don't like working in detail on a basically messed up base.
thanks if someone has read this much and now my little things...
I start with my few drawings _not_ created with pencil or photoshop.
1. (+dragon pencil sketch) my best (though rushed and unfinished) Commodore-64 picture, 2005, FLI (still 16 fixed colors and 320x200 resolution with 2x1 pixels, but this format has more freedom with colors. except for the first 3 column, but I used a trick. I've created the viewer program and the painter, too )
I really like the dragon, the original pencil sketch became my first avatar.
2. two funny creatures from a thanking card, 2007:
pictures created in Flash (all from 2007):
the winged girl I often draw is Reki/Haibane Renmei. I usually copy very easily, but she drove me nuts!!! I drew many hundreds of Reki, so now some of them are similar to her. I'm not particularly fond of her, but my Love, Alvaro is, he writes fanfic about Reki and himself and I will be his illustrator one day...
3. a picture about her (the body is horrible)
4. an anonymous haibane girl. I just made lines and circles with my new wacom tablet, as an exercise, but I got bored pretty quickly and suddenly she was there. I had to tidy up her a bit and add colors... it was fun.
5. a one-minute dog a test element for a comic maker site which I've been working on.
6. it's a funny pic about Alvaro. Alvaro isn't only a real person, but his own character their appearances and abilities are different, though
7. a logo. it's a request of Alvaro. the Haibane Renmei has a logo, and Alvaro has his own, vaguely resembling the other one. it still need a finishing touch.


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All-Star games in any sport pit the best of the best against each other in a rather loose display of professionalism. Normally what you get is a group of guys looking to to just make it out of the day un-injured. In baseball, however, with home field advantage in the Wold Series on the line, guys come out looking to play and looking to win.
Or at least the National League All-Stars did on Tuesday night.
The N.L. Squad, managed by the retired Tony La Russa, came out swinging hard, putting up five runs in the first inning and setting the tone for the game. With the early lead, pitching became the center of attention as the American League was held scoreless for the first time since the NL's 6-0 win in 1996 at Philadelphia.
"It's very disappointing, because we're competitors and we want to win," said AL manager Ron Washington, who lost for the second straight year. "They came out. They swung the bats. Once they got the lead, started bringing those arms in their hand, and they got the job done."
The NL may have had a little extra motivation to start the game as Chipper Jones was asked to give the pregame speech to the squad. Jones, 40, is retiring at season's end and was emotional about his last All-Star appearance — sharing that before the game.
"I was glad Tony asked me to say something," Jones said. "I just wanted the guys to know that nothing is a given. You don't know when your last one is going to be. Don't miss this opportunity."
Melky Cabrera, nicknamed "the Melk-Man", came away with the MVP award. He went 2-3 with a home run in the stadium he played in last season. He was cheered heavily when he received the award with his mother by his side.
"I didn't come to win an MVP. That's just a surprise," Cabrera said. "The same opportunity that Kansas City gave me last year is the same opportunity that San Francisco is giving me every day to showcase my talent. Again, I'm just very thankful for the fans that voted for me to come here."
The win marked the NL's third straight over the AL who has dominated as a whole in the past quarter century. Overall, the NL has won six games in that stretch.
James LeBeau is a sports contributor for CraveOnline Sports and you can follow him on Twitter @JleBeau76 or subscribe on Facebook.com/CraveOnlineSports.
Photo Credit: AP


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Richland one bus driver off the road after DUI charge
Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:15:45 GMT —
RICHLAND COUNTY, SC (WACH)- A bus driver for Richland School District one is off the road today after an arrest of for drunk driving on Friday October 12.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol says Margaret Means, 61, was arrested for DUI after wrecking the school bus she used for transporting students to and from school by running the bus across a road into a ditch.
Means' route usually includes elementary, middle and high school students, but authorities say no children were on the bus at the time of the wreck. District officials say Means had dropped off students at a middle school and a high school just before the crash. According to an incedent report issued by the Department of Public Safety, says Means had a blood alcohol level of .17, more than twice the legal limit of.08
There were no injuries and no children were on the bus. She was charged with child endangerment and driving under the influence.


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- English
- français
Auto-organisation de complexes de lanthanide dans des structures supramoléculaires: synthèse, propriétés mésomorphes et photophysiques de cristaux liquides luminescents
This work describes the synthesis as well as the photophysical and mesomorphic properties of new luminescent liquid crystals able to emit narrow bands in the visible range, and featuring lanthanide ions incorporated into pro-mesogenic coronands. In order to induce liquid crystalline phases, polar pendent arms with benzoate or benzamide groups have been attached onto the macrocyclic core of the ligands. These arms are further fitted with long aliphatic chains with the purpose of increasing the anisotropy of the system and of generating selective intermolecular interactions pertaining to the formation of the mesophases. Aromatic rings inserted into the receptor function as chromophoric groups for sensitizing the luminescence of lanthanide ions. The first part of this work deals with the study of dibenzo-18-crown-6 derivatives. However, the complexes formed with these ligands do not show any mesomorphic properties and their luminescence in the solid state is low, which led us to improve the design of the receptors. In the second part, ligands from the (2.2) coronand family have been synthesized. The latter are pro-mesogenic since they are able to self-organize into hexagonal columnar superstructures after complexation of a lanthanide ion. This change of state represents the macroscopic expression of the host-guest interaction. In other words, the complexation induces a change in the information coding of the receptor enabling it to self-associate with neighbours, leading to the formation of the mesophase. This is a kind of information transcription, from the microscopic to the macroscopic scale. Moreover, the mesomorphic properties of the complexes have been investigated in terms of the structure of the ligand, the nature of the metal ion and the counter-ion. Photophysical properties of the ligands and the complexes have also been studied. Time-resolved luminescence showed emission of the lanthanide ions in the solid state as well as in the liquid crystalline state. Finally, it was shown how the europium ion can be used as a probe to accurately determine a crystalline-to-liquid crystalline phase transition in Eu-containing liquid crystals. The luminescence changes around the phase transition do not simply arise from common factors, such as the increase in temperature-dependant deactivating processes, and the intensity decrease due to the lower value of the refractive index in the mesophase. There is an additive contribution intrinsic to the phase change and which is the manifestation of the macroscopic effect onto the non-radiative deactivating processes of the metal.
Section de chimie et génie chimique
Faculté des sciences de base
Institut des sciences et ingénierie chimiques
Laboratoire de chimie supramoléculaire des lanthanides
Jury: Daniel Guillon, André Merbach, Claude Piguet, Kay Severin
Public defense: 2004-4-23
Record created on 2005-03-16, modified on 2017-05-12


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The chores are done, so it's time to relax with a wonderful cup of green tea! I carefully cut open the silver package and discovered very thin, very dark leaves with a lovely aroma of spinach. The leaves are such a dark green that they look black. It reminds me of dried black moss, if such a thing exists, but with a much more appealing bouquet of aromas I'm sure.
I think I'm going to go for several steeps with this one to see how the flavors morph. This is going to be fun! I was generous with the leaf too because I almost always brew my teas too weak. First infusion for one minute, and the little leaves opened all the way up! They're actually a very vibrant green color now that they're open. The brewed aroma is very green, very vegetal. And the taste? Matches the aroma perfectly!
This first cup is alive! There's no better way to describe it. It reminds me of spring, flowers blooming and grass growing. Vivacious and thriving with a nice balance between spinach and nori. It's naturally sweet and light but also very flavorful. This is a perfect complement to my mood. :)
The greatest part of this tea is that it has a lovely lingering aftertaste. And even though it's so green, it doesn't taste grassy. It's definitely a steamed veggie taste. Butter not chlorophyll. But as it cools, it loses its vibrancy. Time to move on to steep number two (176 degrees for two minutes)!
The second cup is less salty nori and…flatter. It's still sweet, but a lot less so. It's also no longer buttery. The first cup was definitely the best. But what's remained constant is the lingering vegetal aftertaste, although it's a little delayed now and less green. As this cup cools, it's darker with hints towards, but not fully reaching, bitterness.
I don't think this is a marathon infusion kind of tea. At least not the way I approached it with multiple long steeps. Maybe a series of short steeps would have yielded better results. Of course, now I'm sloshing with tea. So, I think I'm done for now. I was going to go for a third infusion, but I don't think the leaves are up to it.
Still, that first cup was magic! So, I'm rating it accordingly. This is a solid choice for green tea fans.


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I knew there was something off about it. This article lays it out.
I still contend that the whole [italic]"We didn't see it coming" [/italic] bs is just political CYA spin. IT JUST DOESN'T JIVE. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all want to laugh about the GOP being total self-absorbed out of touch idiots but let's get real.
They dialed back their own "internals" a couple days beforehand. Thier GOTV technology was crashing the day of the election. Paul Ryan was already wondering what other jobs he might do. They KNEW they had problems going into Tuesday.
~~~~ (snip)~~~~
However, something doesn't smell right about the story: even with their attempts to unskew their own polling, the Romney camp had to have known they had no better than a bank-shot chance of winning. Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall shared some of my skepticism when he discussed the article, though he didn't connect the final dot. His contention:
[quote]Just too ridiculous. I can maybe believe that the Romney camp thought they had a fighting chance in Ohio — after all the final result was pretty close. I simply cannot believe that they thought they were in such a strong position that they were going to try for a decisive electoral college win.
What's the final dot? The fact that we got a look under the hood at the Romney camp's pre-election internals, if ever so briefly. Remember the leaked Romney internals on Monday afternoon before the election? To start out, set aside the lack of specificity of the internals (no topline numbers, just vague descriptions of the margin in some states), and the unusual place it was leaked to (the Daily Mail, one of the UK's right-wing scandal sheets, though not a Rupert Murdoch property); also, forget for a moment that leaked internals are leaked selectively and leaked for a reason, and often reflect an absolute best-case scenario rather than the most likely state of play for a race. (cont. at link...)


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He has opened the batting every time he has represented the country in limited-overs matches, but given an opportunity, Ajinkya Rahane is ready to be a part of the Indian middle-order as well.
Rahane could very well be asked to take the No. 6 spot in the playing XI for the next match in Nagpur. After all, he has been a part of the 15-member squad as a back-up middle-order batsman.
Speaking to MAIL TODAY, Rahane, who has been in good form, said he was at ease playing at any position and being an opener wouldn't be a hindrance for the Mumbaikar.
"I am comfortable at any position and being an opener has never really been an issue for me, if asked to come down lower in the order. I feel it is always about the confidence that you have as a batsman. I have always looked to be in control of my game and look to focus on my strengths rather than on the batting position," he said.
Rahane has a first-class average of over 63, the eighth-best in history and says the 54-run knock against England in their first warm-up game helped boost his confidence further.
"It helps when you score runs at the start of the season and to play well against a quality English attack always adds that much more value. Batting is all about confidence and having runs in your bag. When the going is good, one should try and cash in as much as possible," he said.
Rahane who has been a part of the Test squad for a while now without getting a game, says it helps to interact with the senior players.
"The seniors in the Indian team are very supportive and they encourage you a lot. I have had an interesting time spending hours talking to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar. They have so much knowledge to impart as they have seen what international cricket is all about, plying their trade over the years," the 24-year-old batsman said.


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Twitter has quietly stopped offering users the ability to instantly translate tweets using Bing's machine translation feature, slightly more than a year after the company started using Microsoft's technology.
Users began noticing the feature's absence earlier this week, though Twitter hasn't said exactly when it stopped offering the service, or why. But one thing is clear: people who want to get tweets translated from a foreign language will have to copy and paste them into a translation service of choice, rather than clicking a button on Twitter's website. More.
See: GeekWire
Subscribe to the translation news daily digest here. See more translation news.


text:
Penis amputation lawsuit: Motion to dismiss filed on behalf of doctors
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - An attorney for physicians accused of amputating a man's penis during a circumcision have filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit and say the claims are false. Mike Florie says his clients, Dr. Michael Bivins and Dr. Alan Aikens, never performed a procedure on Johnny Lee Banks Jr. that involved the removal of any tissue or the amputation of the man's penis. Banks' attorney, John Graves, filed a malpractice suit last week accusing the doctors and their medical groups of malpractice, negligence and other wrongdoing. It seeks an unspecified amount of money. Florie says he's also planning on seeking sanctions and disciplinary actions against Graves. Graves told Al.com he stands by his client's allegations and will respond to the motion for sanctions before a hearing set for Aug. 7.


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(IDAHO FALLS) – Caribou-Targhee National Forest has announced the appointment of Tracy Hollingshead as the new Palisades District Ranger in Idaho Falls. Hollingshead has previously worked as a District Ranger in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming and the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana. A career wildlife biologist with extensive experience in the Intermountain West, Hollingshead is relocating to eastern Idaho with her husband, Mark.
Mike Price, EastIdahoNews.com


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Silver Alert cancelled for Raeford man
Posted February 1, 2011
Raeford, N.C. — The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons canceled a Silver Alert Tuesday night for a Raeford man.
The Hoke County Sheriff's Office said that James Levern Johnson, 53, was found and is fine.
The alert was issued Tuesday evening.
Developed in 2007, the Silver Alert is a system to quickly notify the public about missing endangered adults who suffer from dementia or other cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer's disease.
It also allows caregivers and nursing homes to report a person missing. In the past, only a family member could report an adult missing.


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DEAR WILLIAM, Just think of its being four months ago yesterday since you saw the Servia sail. More than a quarter of my long vacation gone. Why, I shall be walking in on you before you know it ! And when I hear the report of the first Sunday of October at Trinity, and all about Bishop Beckwith's long and eloquent sermon, it seems as if I were within speaking distance of you all the time.
I reached here yesterday, after 'one of the pleasantest journeys I have ever made. Now it seems like getting home, to come to this familiar Berlin again. The folks seem to recognize me upon the streets, and all the swell guards about the royal palace looked as if they wanted to salute me, but were not quite sure that it was right. I spent three days this last week at Leipsic. It is a very curious town, full of business, I believe, but apparently given up to music and education. The hosts of students on the streets, and the multitudes of concerts everywhere, seem to shut out every-thing else. I actually went to two concerts myself, one of them a high Wagner affair, with the most select and high-toned musical audience. I thought I should be glad to see what it was like, and I was surprised to find that I rather liked it. I saw one or two professors, who were very civil, and showed me all there was to see. It is rather a depressing place, I think, to one who is conscious of knowing nothing in particular, and having only a general smattering of a lot of things. Everybody there is a specialist. One man is giving himself up to Arabic, another to Sanskrit, another to cuneiform inscriptions, and another to a particular sort of bug. So every man has some subject, on which he talks you out of your depth in half a minute. It must be a delightful thing to think that you know anything, however small, through and through. If I were twenty-five years younger, and not minister of Trinity Church, I should go to Leipsic and stay there till I knew something, so that no scholar in the world could puzzle me. Then I would come home and go into general life with that one little corner of omniscience always kept to fall back upon when I was reminded in some one of the ways (in which I am constantly reminded) of what an ignoramus I am. But it is no use now. And I must go on with my basket of broken victuals to the end.
So you are back in Boston, and the summer was a great success. I am very glad of it. Who knows but some day the old Andover house may be our summer home, as a fixed thing, with a pretty little establishment that will make summer as domestic and regular a time as winter. It would certainly not be bad. I am glad the children were pleased with the book. I thought they might like it.
Affectionately, P.


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Hot on the heels of sending
multiple first-round and other picks to the Rams for the second overall
selection in April's draft -- or essentially the rights to Robert
Griffin III -- the Redskins were preparing to go on a shopping spree
when free agency opened at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Among the items believed to
be on the list: Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks, and Cortland Finnegan.
They'll have to cross some of those names out.
NFL imposed salary-cap penalties on both the Skins and the Dallas
Cowboys for front-loading contracts during the 2010 uncapped season, a
maneuver the league may have specifically warned teams not to use. As a
result of their disobedience, the Cowboys will have $10 million less to work with, while the Redskins were tagged with a shocking $36
million sanction, a figure that represents roughly one-third of the estimated $120 million cap for
this season.
cap space will be redistributed across the league, handing the Eagles
and another 27 clubs an additional $1.6 million in spending money.
penalties reflect the front-loaded amounts in the bad contracts,
primarily Miles Austin's extension with Dallas, and Albert Haynesworth's
mega-deal with Washington.
the act of "front-loading" a contract means a front office positioned a
bonus or an abnormally large portion of a player's salary during the
uncapped year in exchange for lower figures in future years once the cap
returned. It wasn't expressly against the rules, but apparently the
league informed teams not to do this.
The only bit of good news for the offenders is they can spread the penalty over the next two seasons however they see fit.
$10 mil certainly squeezes the Cowboys, $36 puts the Redskins in a
serious bind. Their roster was thin enough as it stands, and the
franchise mortgaged the future to land the two pick so they could start
building around Griffin. Their front office will have to get creative to
land even one top-tier free agent this year, let alone sign multiple
impact players.
As for the Eagles, $1.6 mil probably doesn't make
an overwhelming difference, but it's still more than they had, and
could help create some breathing room. More importantly, it weakens a
division rival, and potentially cripples another -- especially if
Griffin doesn't pan out in that dysfunctional franchise.


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by Nathan Warner
Contributing writer
Anya Anderson may not be the most obvious student of Arabic, having spent most of her early life at St. Andrew's Catholic School in Elk River, but she was determined to get a grip on the language this past summer while staying in the Al-Waha Language Village, the Arabic language village of the Concordia Language Program in Bemidji.
"Before high school, I really didn't know anyone who wasn't Catholic," she said, "but that all changed when I enrolled at Fridley Middle and High School a few years ago."
In Fridley, Anderson experienced a bit of a culture shock, encountering hundreds of people of varied religions, cultures, and ethnicities.
"One thing that struck me right away as I climbed off the bus was a group of girls walking to class wearing colorful head scarves," she recalled, "and I wondered why they had their heads covered and why they were dressed like that. I quickly learned they were Muslim."
Many of those same girls became her friends and helped fuel her interest in Arabic and Islamic culture, which she soon channeled into her education.
Last year, Anderson was designated a Scholar by Qatar Foundation International (QFI) for her academic achievement and strong desire to learn Arabic. QFI is the Washington, D.C.-based affiliate of the Qatar Foundation, an independent, private, nonprofit charter organization based in Doha, Qatar, an Arab Emirate in the Middle East.
The organization's literature states that it is "dedicated to advancing QF's mission and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser's vision of connecting cultures and advancing global citizenship through education."
A far cry from the Middle East, Anya has spent most of her life in Zimmerman with its seasonal contrasts of spring green and blizzard whiteouts, but she and her family recently moved to New Brighton to be closer to Totino-Grace, Anya's new high school where she is striving for academic excellence in preparation for college.
Anderson says she plans to attend college after high school, double-majoring in Arabic and Islamic studies, but according to her, only about five colleges in the entire United States offer that combination of programs.
Next summer she intends to visit the University of Texas in Austin, which does offer the double-major and may be a good fit for her.
"From there, I want to get my Ph.D. and become a professor," she said, "so I can teach Arabic and the facts on Islamic theology in an Arabic country."
She isn't sure where yet, but is pretty certain it will be one of the more westernized nations such as Morocco or Dubai that are less fundamentalist and more open to women in positions of authority.
"Right now, I'm just focused on my academics and learning the language," she said, "so I have a ways to go yet."
This summer's experiences, however, gave Anya a jump start when she received a scholarship from QFI to attend the Al-Waha Village.
"QFI awarded $100,000 for the Al-Waha Village," Carl-Martin Nelson, director of marketing and communications for Concordia Language Village said. "Fifty thousand dollars of that went to teachers and $50,000 went to students throughout the state, which included Anya."
Concordia Language Villages is a program of Concordia College in Moorhead, and was launched in 1961 with a two-week language immersion program in German attended by only 75 young people.
Fifty years later, they now offer programs in 15 languages year-round to all ages.
Sites are located throughout the north woods of Minnesota and annually attract nearly 11,000 participants from all 50 states and many countries.
At the Al-Waha Village, students experience a simulated visit to an Arabic country.
On arrival, Anya passed through "customs" and was issued an imitated passport before exchanging her American dollars for Jordanian dinar (the currency of the Arabic country of Jordan) and adopting a new Arabic name. Once out of the "customs" office, she was immediately immersed in the Arabic language and culture through large and small learning groups, authentic foods, holiday celebrations, re-enactments of historic events, songs, dances, crafts, games and everyday conversations.
"I made a lot of new friends," she said, "and the food was simply amazing!" The menu included gyros, schwarma, tabouleh, hoummous, baklava, and an Arabic butter cookie called ghrybe. "The baklava was the best!" she laughed.
Among her favorite Arabic words she's learned so far are "fuzzfizz" which translates "to jump lightly, very many times" and "dubduba" which means "teddy bear."
By interacting with staff from all over the world at the Al-Waha Village, Anya said she and her fellow students learned about the many global opportunities available to those who speak more than one language.
"It was an incredible place," Anya said. "I feel I've learned more than I can fully realize yet and I'm determined to pass through customs one day carrying the knowledge I've gained from my visit to the Al-Waha Village!"


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In the name of God, Amen. I Michael Earlocker living in Anne Arundel County and State of Maryland labouring under a bodily affliction though of perfect mind, to constitute and make this my last Will and Testament: After my just debts are paid, I wish all my property of every kind whatsoever to remain in the hands of my beloved wife Honestasia for the use of her and my children only in same manner as though I was living but in case any of my children should marry, it is then my wish, that they do be put into possession of their equal portion of my Estate as soon as can be done without injuring the Estate.
Item, It is my wish, in case my wife marrys hereafter that she be only entitled to one third part of my Estate, as allowed by law in such cases, and that some proper person or persons be appointed to take charge of the property belonging to my children to be applied to their use only. The proper person or persons shall be appointed by the Orphans Court. In witness whereof this the first day of February one thousand eight hundred and three. I fix my hand and seal.
Signed, sealed and delivered in Michael Earlocker
the presence of
Caleb Porter
Horatio Hudson
On the back of the aforegoing Will was the following ___:
Anne Arundel County ~ Then came Caleb Porter and Horatio Hudson the 23rd Day of February 1803. the two subscribing witnesses to the within last Will and Testament of Michael Earlocker, late of Anne Arundel County, deceased, and made Oath on the holy Evangels of Almighty God, That they did see the Testator wherein named sign and seal this Will and that they heard him publish, pronounce and declare the same to be his last Will and Testament; that at the time of his so doing he was to the best of their approxonsing [their spelling!] of a sound desposing mind, memory and understanding; and that they respectfully subscribed their names as witnesses to this Will in the presence and at the request of the Testator, and in the presence of each other.
Sworn before, Jno. Gassaway,
Regr. Wills A. A. County
Source: Wills, Liber JG, No. 2, folio 226, Maryland State Archives, Michael Earlocker, Dated February 1, 1803. Microfilm CR 72,2542.
Contributed to the USGenWeb/MDGenWeb Project by Donna Thomas
Return to the Wills Index Page


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Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) will report its Q3 2012 earnings on October 17th. Natural gas prices remained weak in the United States over the last quarter while crude oil prices witnessed a slight recovery. In North America, the rotary rig count, held steady for oil rigs while experiencing a sharp decline of 20% for gas rigs. Internationally the situation was quite the opposite; the gas rig count grew modestly by about 7% while the oil rig count fell by about 6%. [1] The rig count is widely accepted as a proxy for upstream activity, influencing the demand for services provided by oil field service companies such as Halliburton.
Margin Pressures in The North American Market
Halliburton is more dependent on the North American market than many of its peers, and we believe that this region will be a drag on the company's quarterly earnings.
- Halliburton's 2Q'17 Earnings Beat Market; Expects Shale Boom To Recede In 2018
- Halliburton Set For Another Good Quarter; Foresees Unsustainable Drilling Demand In 2018
- Here's Why We Have Revised Halliburton's Price Estimate
- Halliburton Beats Market Once Again; Remains Optimistic About North American Recovery
- Halliburton To Miss 1Q'17 Earnings Estimate As It Ramps Up Activity To Defend Market Share
- Factors That Will Drive Halliburton's Value In 2017 And Beyond
We expect the company's pressure pumping business to face pricing pressures due to the availability of excess capacity in the North American market. The continuing decline of natural gas prices is also forcing oil and gas companies to focus on reservoirs that offer better economics such as liquid rich plays. This could create logistical issues for the company and given that liquid plays require a lower comparable horsepower for stimulation, it may further add to the overcapacity woes.
We expect things to look a little more positive on the offshore front as the issuance of new drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico has seen several new deepwater rigs arrive in the region. Halliburton has won contracts for directional drilling, fluids, wire line and completion services, and we expect these contracts to improve margins going forward since deepwater drilling promises higher rates and better profit margins.
In Canada, we expect the company's revenues to be higher compared to the last quarter as rigs actively resume work following the seasonal spring breakup.
International Markets Expected To Continue to Drive Growth
In the second quarter, Halliburton reported healthy revenue and margin growth in international markets, and we expect this trend to continue given the company's contract wins in Latin America, Europe and Africa.
In East Africa, the company provides services including drilling, completion and cementing to all deepwater rigs operating in the area. We expect this to help the company make inroads into land based drilling in the region. In Libya, a key North African market, oil exploration activity is experiencing a resurrection following the end of the civil war last year and international oil firms such as BP (NYSE: BP) are resuming operations in the country.
In Brazil, a booming market for offshore exploration, the company mobilized its equipment for its wireline contracts over the second quarter, and we expect this to begin contributing to the company's revenue stream in Q3 as the services commence. We will also be interested to know of the progress the company has made in its bids for directional drilling and testing in the Brazilian market. [2]
Growth In Unconventional Plays In International Markets
Halliburton is recognized as a leader in unconventional plays such as shale gas in the US market; however, the company has severely under-capitalized its unconventional play opportunities in the international market. We are particularly interested in hearing the progress the company has made in markets such as China, Argentina and Mexico, which are rich in shale hydrocarbons.
We have a price estimate of $43.05 for Halliburton, which is about 25% ahead of its current market price.
Understand How a Company's Products Impact its Stock Price at TrefisNotes:
- Baker Hughes Rotary Rig Count [↩]
- Halliburton Q2 Earnings Call, Seeking Alpha [↩]


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Love and Hate Relationship
This site is soooo cool but so hard to love. It's for the X Games. The graphics and use of video and design are so lovely but the navigation is absolutely the worst. I really like what they do with the design when it expands and reveals such cool graphics but I really got annoyed while trying to nav between the sections at the upper level. Maybe my eyes are bad… what do you all think? Have a look.


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NEW YORK (Jun. 8)
The appointment of Gaynor I. Jacobson as executive director of United Hias Service was announced today by Murray I. Gurfein, president. Mr. Jacobson succeeds James P. Rice who has accepted the post of executive director of the Jewish Federation and Welfare Fund of Metropolitan Chicago. Prior to his appointment Mr. Jacobson was director of United Hias European and North African Operations in Geneva.
Mr. Jacobson has served as executive director of the Jewish Social Service Bureau in Rochester; executive secretary of the Rochester Jewish Community Council; country director in Italy, Greece Czechoslovakia, and Hungary for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee; executive director of the Association for Jewish Children in Philadelphia; and executive director of the American Technion Society.


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Did anyone get the number of the truck that hit Pepsi (PEP)? I mean, what happened? If you compare Coca-Cola (KO) and Pepsi on a five-year chart, you'll notice that Coca-Cola is up 45% (plus dividends) while Pepsi only returned dividends (yawn).
Maybe the old school stock pickers out there can tell me. Wasn't Pepsi supposed to be the smaller of the two, with more growth opportunities ahead of it? Pepsi sold salty snacks, so it wasn't entirely dependent on case volume like KO. And wasn't that supposed to be a good thing? Pepsi had the cooler marketing. Coca-Cola had the polar bears that don't talk. Last week, Pepsi reported Q4 and fiscal 2011 year-end results. Is now the time to buy Pepsi or has the fizz gone flat?
Last Thursday, Pepsi said revenue for the quarter rose 11% to $20.2 billion. Higher commodity costs squeezed net income, which only managed to grow 4% to $1.4 billion. Worldwide beverage volume rose 3%. The salty snack business saw volumes rise 8% overall, but consumers in Asia, the Middle East and Africa really chowed down on the snacks. Volumes in those regions were up 15%.
North American volumes continued to struggle, declining 4%. Weak volumes in the carbonated soft drink business wrecked the positive growth seen in the non-carbonated beverage segment. Pepsi has been losing market share to KO the last few years and now Pepsi is planning a big advertising reboot. In 2012, Pepsi will spend an additional $500-600 million on advertising in North America in an attempt to regain share and case volume. (Worldwide, the company plans to spend another $600-700 million on sales and marketing.)
On the conference call, management didn't sound very confident about FY12. The company forecast a 5% decline in earnings per share, principally due to increased marketing and about $1.5 billion in higher commodity costs. Most analysts are looking for 3-5% revenue growth and weak operating margins because of continued investments in infrastructure. The company is part way through a $3 billion share repurchase program -- it spent $600 million buying back shares in FY11 -- and plans to gobble up a similar amount this year.
Flipping through a lot of the Street research, most analysts think PEP is a $70 stock. But why? Pepsi has been an inconsistent performer, especially in North America, its biggest market. Why reward a company that keeps losing market share in its biggest market? I know they have a lot of growth opportunities overseas, but if they can't execute in the USA what makes you think they can execute overseas? People point to Gatorade. Gatorade rapidly lost market share to other sports drinks and for the last three years was helpless to stop the losses. Finally, after reinventing Gatorade, repackaging it and rebranding it, Pepsi has been able to gain share back. So now they have to battle back with the rest of the lineup? Please. Coke has tremendous momentum.
To me, Pepsi is a market performer.


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David Grann says: "Every once in a while that rare book comes along that is not only wonderfully written and utterly compelling but also alters the way you perceive the world. Toby Lester's Da Vinci's Ghost is such a book. Like a detective, Lester uncovers the secrets of an iconic drawing and pieces together a magisterial history of art and ideas and beauty." The author will be in conversation with Robert Krulwich, co-host of RadioLab and Science Correspondent for NPR.
Event date:
Thursday, February 23, 2012 - 7:00pm
Event address:
52 Prince St
10012-3309 New Yorkus
Da Vinci's Ghost: Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image (Hardcover)
Unavailable, our apologies.
Availability: Special order, subject to availability. Arrives in our store in 10+ days if available
Published: Free Press - February 7th, 2012


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About the Author
- Former Chairman & CEO of Mykonos Software and a half dozen start-ups. Race car driver, photographer, and world traveler in search of great street food.


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OLD days are gone and new days are here, unravelling a totally new and a different page of life. As we step into the boundaries of the new schools with shaky hands, sweaty brow and dry mouth, a welcoming breeze hits the face and reaches to the soul, preparing us to meet the new world out there.
Our surroundings are filled with fresh air whispering raw ambitions, goals, aims and aspirations in our ears. With every step taken forward, we step into a new world; a mini world that symbolises the real and much bigger world out there. It's the world that prepares us to endure the difficulties of life that are thrown upon us so that we are totally prepared for what the future has in store for us.
With hope and optimism, we move. We move forward. We stop ourselves from letting the fear and anticipation get over the good of us and we are able to make it to the building we would spend our next few years in; where we would learn to be an educated person, learn to be a responsible member of society, learn to be a good citizen and, most importantly, a good human being.
Large painted words welcoming us inside, boosting our morale and confidence, and so making it all a little less frightening. Getting to meet new faces and getting acquainted makes us forget how scared we were and we realise that it was actually totally worthless to fret so much.
It's magical. It's how it is supposed to be. At the beginning we feel like a baby bird thrown off the hill, frantically flapping the wings, trying not to fall and, exactly like that bird, we come out as a winner and are able to know that we are not going to fall and that we are capable of surviving it.
With everything new, comes the new form of the person who provides us with the knowledge that we never had; who shows us which was not visible to us.
As the place loses its unfamiliarity and we feel like being home that's when we have won the small battles of the day and at the end, we leave the premises with the new "me" inside us: more mature, more responsible and more confident.


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This is the follow-on article from How to Grow a Families Leader: The Eight Characteristics of Leadership.
Using the example of Families.com as our group, how can we each develop the stated eight characteristics in ourselves? While Lisa Pietsch may be seen as the leader of Families.com (she's the community manager), group dynamics would suggest that we each have a role to play in ensuring our group's survival through a systematic understanding of group stages. Bruce Tuckman (educational psychologist) is honored with establishing the five stages of group development.
How do these five stages fit Families.com? We have undergone two mergers in a 10-month period. The propensity for group change, survival or demise, is high. It is time to have a brief look at Tuckman's theory and consider how we can each survive and lead our growing, merging and changing group.
1. Forming: This is the orientation stage of group formation. The unwritten rules of psychological group behavior from new members are to keep things simple and to avoid upsetting anyone. Serious topics and feelings are avoided as new members become oriented to the function of Families.com as well as to one another. Discussion may center around defining their place in the group community, what they're allowed to do/not do, how to approach the new site, and joining with other members who may have interests/concerns similar to their own. Without strong forming strategies, conflict and feelings of alienation may drive new members away. If old members want Families.com to survive and thrive, they will need to actively welcome new members and to assist them in discovering exactly what our group is about. It is only then that we can grow to the next stage where each member must relinquish the comfort of non-threatening topics and risk the possibility of conflict.
2. Storming: This stage is characterised by dissatisfaction, competition and conflict between members and the value of merged sites. Individuals have to bend and mold their feelings, ideas, attitudes, and beliefs to suit the overall group. Some members will choose to do this by becoming domineering and aggressive while others will avoid all conflict and hide. There will be an increased desire for redefining what Families.com is and means and who is welcome. Although conflicts may or may not surface as a whole of site issue, the conflict does exist. Questions will arise about who is going to be responsible for what, what the rules are, what the reward system is, and what criteria for evaluation are. These questions inadvertently reflect conflicts over leadership, structure, power, and authority. In order for us to evolve to the next stage, members need to move from a "testing and proving" mentality to a problem-solving mentality. The most important trait in helping groups to move on to the next stage seems to be the ability to listen to all members – even if we don't agree with what they say.
3. Norming: This is the stage of the resolution of conflict where interpersonal relations between members become cohesive. Group members are engaged in active acknowledgment of all members' contributions, community building and maintenance, and solving of group issues. Members are willing to change their preconceived ideas or opinions on the basis of facts presented by other members, and they actively ask questions of one another. Leadership is shared, and cliques dissolve. When members begin to know-and identify with one another, the level of trust in their personal relations contributes to the development of group cohesion. It is during this stage of development (assuming the group gets this far) that people begin to experience a sense of group belonging and a feeling of relief as a result of resolving interpersonal conflicts.
The major task of this stage is the flow of information between group members: They share feelings and ideas, solicit and give feedback to one another, and explore actions related to the task. Creativity is high. If information flow and cohesion is attained by the group members, the site's interactions will be characterized by openness and sharing of information on both a personal and site survival level. Members will feel good about being part of an effective group.
The major drawback of this stage is that old members may begin to fear the inevitable future breakup of their cohesive sub groups and they may resist change of any sort, including arguing against future mergers.
4. Performing: This stage is characterized by the production of a satisfactory outcome: the reason for the existence of Families.com and working toward the group vision of creating the largest family focused community on the net. When group members reach this stage, their capacity, range, and depth of personal relations expand to true interdependence – they take joint ownership of Families.com. In this stage, people can exist independently by only visiting and being active in one section, in subgroups (forums), or across all areas of the site. Their roles and status dynamically adjust to the changing needs of new members entering our open group. It is in this stage that the group should be most productive. Individual members have become self-assuring, and the need for group approval is past. Members are clear about their reasons for interaction and are family member oriented. There is unity: group identity is complete, group morale is high, and group loyalty is intense. The task function becomes genuine problem solving, leading toward optimal solutions and optimum group development. There is support for helping new members to solve problems and an emphasis on group achievement. The overall goal of this stage is site efficiency through problem solving and vision achievement.
5. Deforming and Mourning: This is the Moving on stage and is genrally talked about in closed groups. However, because Families.com is in open group, any member may terminate their involvement and disengage from both individual relationships formed and community involvement. Even when it is their choice to leave, concluding their involvement can create some apprehension in both themselves and the wider community – in effect, a minor crisis.
The first three stages of group development appear to be something that families.com has recently undergone with the merger of two family-centric sites. Look at these group stage questions and recognise your own part in the process of group development or constipation. Yes, we are each responsible. Are we each actively practicing the eight characteristics of leadership? Are we each prepared to assist Families.com to survive the absolutly normal rocky group dynamics caused by the newest merger? I am, and that's why I chose to share the psychological stages of group development. The internal or external conflict you may currently be experiencing is a normal process of the merger of different sites. Surviving it in tact is the responsibility of all of us, not just of Lisa Pietsch. I'll survive because I choose to handle this like an adult – how about you?
Some information used in this article was drawn from Leadership Tips, Centre for Service and Leadership, George Mason University.
Related families.com Mental Health articles:
How to Handle Change, and, WELCOME SnugglePie,
Emotional Intelligence and Clear Communication,
Do You Get Angry with Your Child? I Do, Because Anger is a Natural Feeling,
Make a difference in another child's life: Actively listen to them.


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Smith has collected astonishing first-person testimony from rescuers who were present as the towers were attacked, evacuated, and then fell. He also recounts his own experiences at the devastation of Ground Zero over the next few weeks: attending to the physically and psychologically wounded, helping organize fund-raising, and attending some of the almost inconceivable number of funerals of firefighters, police officers, and emergency rescue workers.
Report from Ground Zero is the most detailed and immediate record of this unforgettable event, with the unique perspective of a writer who has been praised as "the poet laureate of firefighters".
©2002 Dennis Smith. Recorded by arrangement with Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.; (P)2002 HighBridge Company
"The narrators recreate these emotional interviews with accounts of the horror suffered by these survivors while simultaneously revealing their unselfish acts of heroism under the extreme conditions of war on our own soil. With dignity and respect, the narratives reveal heartbroken yet courageous individuals who instinctively manifested a fighting spirit of good vs. evil, as well as love for their fellow humans. This is a tragic yet inspirational testimony well performed in light of the still fresh memory." (AudioFile)
"Not worth a credit"
Not only is this book boring, it seems pretty biased in terms of its portrayal of what it calls "Middle Easterners." Absolutely pales in comparison in to other books about September 11. Don't bother with it.
No, the narrator's fake crying came across as over the top and distracting.
The experience of 9/11 during and after. Hearing what is what like in the pits working the cleanup.
Eric Conger's narrating would be better suited for a fictional story instead of biographical books. I think a better narrator would have been Dennis Smith himself. The other narrators were great.
No extreme reaction because when you choose a 9/11 book, you pretty much know what you are going to be reading about.
"Very good but..."
The stories of the firemen who worked at WTC on 9/11 and the months after is very dramatic, and their courage and dedication is fascinating to read about.
Unfortunately the narrator Jeff David is just awful. His voice is hard to listen to and sometimes he goes waaaay overboard trying to make the story more dramatic.
Lee Ielpi (a fireman, talking about his son Jonathan Ielpi, who was one of the hundreds of firemen lost in the tragedy) really hits you. "I know he's in good hands but i wish he was in my hands"
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Update: Jordan Davis' father, classmates gather to mourn the 17-year-old's death
Michael David Dunn will be brought from Brevard County to Jacksonville after entering a not-guilty plea to charges of murder and attempted murder in the Friday shooting death of a 17-year-old student at a Jacksonville gas station.
Dunn, 45, of Satellite Beach, waived extradition and should be en route back to Jacksonville before Thursday to face charges in the death of Jordan Russell Davis, according to Lt. Tod Goodyear, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office spokesman.
A gun collector in Jacksonville for his son's wedding, Dunn told police he felt "threatened" after an argument with the Wolfson High student over loud music coming from a sports-utility vehicle parked next to him at the Gate station at 8251 Southside Blvd. Davis was in the back seat when "there were words exchanged," followed by gunfire at 7:40 p.m., said Jacksonville homicide Lt. Rob Schoonover.
"Our suspect produced a weapon and started firing into the vehicle. Our victim was shot a couple of times," Schoonover said. " … They were listening to the music. It was loud; they [other teens] admitted that. But I mean that is not a reason for someone to open fire on them."
Born in Marietta, Ga., Davis is the second Wolfson student to die a violent death this school year. Janay Jackson was in her bed early Aug. 25 when a minivan plowed through the wall of her Kennerly Road home and killed her.
Davis family members couldn't be reached for comment. They requested that the school district and Wolfson employees not speak to the news media, according to school system spokeswoman Jill Johnson.
Dunn lives in an oceanfront townhome in Satellite Beach. He is listed on his LinkedIn web page as vice president of software development since 2004 at Dunn and Dunn Data Systems in Fort Pierce.
Schoonover said Dunn and his girlfriend were next to the red SUV containing Davis and three of his friends. Dunn's girlfriend was inside when Dunn and Davis exchanged words. Shots were fired, leaving Davis hit and eight or nine bullet holes in the SUV, Schoonover said.
The couple drove off after Dunn told her he had "fired at these kids," Schoonover said. They went to their hotel, then returned to Brevard County when they learned what had happened from local news.
Witnesses gave police Dunn's license plate number, which led police to his home. Schoonover said Dunn was planning to turn himself in when he was arrested.
Jacksonville detectives spoke to him after his arrest, where he said "he felt threatened and that is the reason he took action," Schoonover said.
No one answered calls to Dunn's home.
According to his obituary, the Davis family plans to start a foundation in their son's memory to help at-risk students who suffer from tragedies. The family will receive family and friends from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home at 11801 San Jose Blvd., and on Friday night at the West Cobb Funeral Home in Marietta, Ga.
He will be buried after services at noon Saturday at Trinity Chapel Church in Powder Springs, Ga.
firstname.lastname@example.com, (904) 359-4549


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Dear Ladies of the World,
If you are currently in the beautiful and cultural city of Melbourne, please do make sure you swing past our first Australian Flea Market! It's being held on Saturday 10th March.
I have met so many lovely girls who are worrying slightly about how they're going to get their hands on the cash that will make their trip enjoyable… So many have flights booked anywhere from India to Bali, New York to West Australia, England to Berlin, jeezum crow!! A lot of Travelettes lurking and in desperate need to trade their treasured items in order to travel!
There'll be cupcakes for sale, clothes, shoes, handbags, you name it! Fingers crossed for lovely Aussie weather though as it's open air. Check us out on Facebook if you want to know more.
Come on down to the Corner of Elgin Street and Rathdowne Street in Carlton, Melbourne, VIC 3053 (it'll be in the alley-way!) 11am to 6pm.
Much love


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I've had 20% salicylic peels administered on a weekly basis but the level of peeling and flaking is a little too much for me, thought the results in the end are good. Will a 30% glycolic peel result in less 'down time,' peeling and flaking?
Should I Expect More Peeling from 20% Salicylic Acid or 30% Glycolic Acid?
Doctor Answers 2
Chemical peels
A 30% glycolic acid peel will result in less peeling than a salicylic acid peel if it is kept on for about 2 minutes or until your face turns pink. Glycolic acid needs to be neutralized to stop the process, unlike a salicylic acid peel. The strength of glycolic acid depends on whether or not it is buffered, not just the percentage. Buffered is weaker. If left on for too long, you can have more peeling than with a salicylic acid peel. The peels should be 2 to 3 weeks apart, not weekly. Make sure you have your peels with an experienced aesthetician who understands the different peels.
Superficial chemical peels
Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid, glycolic is an alpha hydrox acid. Each will give your a level one peel, this is an intraepidermal peel which is superficial in nature. These type of peels are usually performed by an aesthetician. If your are peeling excessively with salicylic acid then you might try either a buffered 30% Glycolic peel or even microdermabrasion.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


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Date of birth: 3 January 1963
Nationality: Romanian
Playing career: CF Gloria 1922 Bistriţa, FC Steaua Bucureşti, Real Burgos CF
Coaching career: Romania (assistant), FC Bihor Oradea, FC Sportul Studenţesc Bucureşti, Galatasaray AŞ (assistant), FC Sheriff, FC Politehnica Timişoara (assistant), FC Timişoara, Moldova
• A striker, Balint arrived at Steaua aged 17 and spent over ten years at the club. He won five national titles, three Romanian Cups and the 1986 European Champion Clubs' Cup, where he was one of only two players to convert his penalty in the final shoot-out against FC Barcelona.
• Struck 14 goals in 34 games for Romania, then had first taste of coaching as an assistant for four years to Anghel Iordănescu in the national set-up, a role he would perform on two more occasions.
• After a short spell as assistant at Galatasaray, returned for another stint with the national team, working alongside Gheorghe Hagi. Both stepped down after failure to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup ended Balint's run of four successive major tournaments as player or coach.
• Head coach at Bihor and Sportul Studenţesc in between stints with Romania. Joined Sheriff for 2002/03, winning title and Commonwealth Cup before returning to Sportul Studenţesc and gaining promotion. Rejoined Hagi at Politehnica Timişoara before taking a break from the game, returning at Timişoara in 2009.
• Appointed by Moldova in January 2010.
©UEFA.com 1998-2017. All rights reserved.


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Another Friday In The Stacks– Review Pile Edition
By the time you read this, Julie and I will be on the road again.
We were pleasantly surprised with an offer from Scott and Katherine down at the Tokeland hotel to comp us a room for the weekend in return for delivering a printing job down there, so we are off on a Fugitive Easter road trip. Bookscouting may or may not happen, but it is a certainty that homemade peanut butter pie will be consumed. If we do happen to turn up anything interesting, rest assured it'll show up here sooner or later.
But in the meantime, my original plan to spend tomorrow writing a full-on review-pile column is obviously torpedoed. So rather than put it off again, I'll try something new– capsule reviews, the same kind of format as I did for the "stacks" columns. All sorts of cool stuff has arrived this week– some I bought, some was sent to me for review– and this way maybe I can still get through a bunch of it without letting the books pile up for months on end.
Okay? This is an experiment, but if it's something you all want to see more of, let me know.
The Art Of The Croods by Noela Hueso.
The blurb: The Croods takes us back to the beginning, to a previously undiscovered era known as the Croodacious – a time when Mother Nature was still experimenting and the flora and fauna we know today hadn't evolved yet. Trying to find their evolutionary niche are The Croods, a family who must adapt to survive after their cave home is destroyed.
The Art of The Croods traces the evolution of the comedy adventure movie with over 400 pieces of concept art, character sketches, storyboards and digital paintings, along with interviews with the key animation talent.
What I Thought: Honestly, what I thought was that I'd like to see books like this about older, classic animated films. It's become de rigeur to issue an "Art of…" or "Making of…" companion coffee-table volume to accompany the release of a major studio animated movie– you can find similar books devoted to Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Frankenweenie, and on and on and on. But what I'd really love is to see this kind of in-depth coverage and attention paid to something like, oh, the Fleischer Gulliver's Travels, or even TV stuff like Jonny Quest.
That said, The Art of the Croods is a really stunning book. It's a beautiful volume just as an artifact, a lovely hardcover with lots of amazing background paintings and production sketches and color renderings of the original art used to create the animation (all of which are more interesting and lively than the final computer-graphics versions, at least to my eyes.) When they offered to send me this book I wasn't particularly interested in seeing the movie, but I was curious about the backstage stuff. And I indeed found the interviews with the producers and animation artists fascinating reading and even picked up a few things I can probably use in teaching my own cartooning classes. If you are a process junkie, you'll enjoy this, and right now you can get it on Amazon for less than half-price. After reading this detailed account of all the work that went into the project and the thinking behind each different story decision, I'm thinking maybe we should even go see the actual movie after all.
Nick Cardy: Wit-Lash by Cardy, Witterstaetter and Stroud.
The blurb: Renowned commercial artist, illustrator, designer from DC Comics' golden days– all of these apply to Mr. Cardy. In fact, what has always made Nick's work stand out in all of these venues and more, is his sense of design, storytelling…. and of course his sense of humor. In "Wit-Lash" (a takeoff on his run on "Bat Lash," which was also full of humor) we take a look at Nick's sterling wit, while delving into the background of this amazing artist, and looking at some of his works that have not been explored in any other tome along the way.
What I Thought: What do you THINK I thought? It's Nick f'n CARDY. Of course I loved it.
Mine is not the full-on version. This limited-edition forty-dollar hardcover usually comes with a DVD of interviews with Mr. Cardy as well, but mine is just the book. I bought it from Renee Witterstaetter in person at Emerald City, because I'd stopped at her table to tell her how much I adored Nick Cardy: The Artist at War and she asked me if I'd seen this companion volume, focusing on his humor work. So of course I had to have it, and Julie loves it too. It's every bit as delightful as The Artist At War… but funnier. Jammed full of beautiful artwork from Cardy's various magazine cover jobs and caricature work, along with some very rare autobiographical pencil sketches and some examples of his political cartoons. This volume has not been picked up for reprinting by Titan Books, but is only available from Ms. Witterstaetter's own imprint, Eva Ink Publishing. But you could probably get your comics shop to order it for you, or find it from an online dealer. Well worth it.
Modesty Blaise: The Girl in the Iron Mask by Peter O'Donnell and Enric Romero.
The blurb: Features the classic stories 'Fiona', 'Walkabout' and 'The Girl In The Iron Mask' written by popular British crime writer Peter O'Donnell and beautifully illustrated by Enric Badia Romero! Willie's admirer Fiona returns, Modesty faces the outback alone and an iron mask could mark her end in this latest gripping volume! With story introductions by Modesty Blaise archivist Lawrence Blackmore, this outstanding collection of never-before-reprinted material is not to be missed.
What I Thought: Speaking of Titan Books, they kindly sent me the latest in their series of Modesty Blaise reprints. My filthy secret is this– I love Modesty Blaise but I really prefer her later prose adventures to the original comic strip itself. So these books are kind of a hard sell for me going in.
But with even with my bias, I still dug this– it's good solid stuff. This is the 23rd volume in Titan's Modesty reprint series, and the format's the same as always– oversized trade paperback, three stories. The strongest story is the middle one, "Walkabout," featuring Modesty in a hair-raising adventure Down Under, but I enjoyed all three of them well enough. My only gripe with these books is the same one that I have with Titan's James Bond comics reprints– I don't care for this oversized album format. $19.95 just feels like way too much for a hundred pages of black-and-white comics. I much prefer the "omnibus" design that Titan has been using to reprint the Bond albums, putting three of them in each volume, and I'd like to see the Modesty strips get that kind of treatment as well.
Essential Captain Marvel volume 2 by Mike Friedrich, Jim Starlin, Steve Englehart, Al Milgrom, et al.
The blurb: Captain Marvel goes truly cosmic as Jim Starlin takes the reins! Mar-Vell takes on the Super-Skrull, the Thing, the Controller and a horde of his own insecurities, but it's all orchestrated by the mad Titan Thanos! To stop Thanos' plan to become a god, Mar-Vell will need to gain cosmic awareness – and team with the mighty Avengers! Then, it's an explosive battle with Nitro that will have far-reaching consequences, and a trip to the moon to attend the Trial of the Watcher – and clash with the Kree Lunatic Legion!
What I Thought: Longtime readers know that my affection for Marvel's hippy-dippy, anything-goes 1970s superhero comics is second to none, and this is one of my favorite examples. I loved Captain Marvel when I first came across this title way back when– my first issue was #37, "Mayhem on the Moon!" and everyone in the letter column was still grieving over the loss of Jim Starlin. When I finally caught up with those stories, though, I never quite understood what the shouting was about. To this day I will swear to anyone who is fool enough to listen to my comics rants that Englehart's Captain Marvel was even more groundbreaking than Starlin's, made more sense, and was better-constructed. (Starlin's run always gets described as "trippy," but it was Englehart and Milgrom that gave us an actual acid trip for Mar-Vell, in the aforementioned #37.) What's more, I thought Klaus Janson inking Al Milgrom was a better look for the book than Starlin, too; Milgrom was a much better storyteller, and Janson's finishes had cleaner lines, giving the book more of a space-opera, futurist look. "Trial of the Watcher" was a high point, as Steve Englehart took on the challenge of explaining why Uatu the Watcher violates his oath of non-intereference all the damn time, and incidentally also revealed for the first time that the Watcher had a name and that it was Uatu. I own most of the comics reprinted here but I got this paperback anyway because I like having the stories available in a handy bookshelf edition. In any case, Starlin's and Englehart's runs are side-by-side in this volume and you can judge for yourself. I should add that I really like seeing the Al Milgrom-Klaus Janson art in black-and-white, it looks much better here than it did originally on the shitty paper and worse color separations comic books were forced to use back in the day. Even though the Essentials are on newsprint as well, trust me, it's a much BETTER newsprint than the one they used back then.
And there you have it. With that, we are off to the Cranberry Coast once again. Hope you all have a nice Easter or Passover or just-plain-weekend, and I'll see you next week.
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NEW DEHLI—A high-profile Indian parliamentary panel on agriculture has urged a retreat from genetically modified (GM) food crops and is seeking the mandatory labelling of all GM foods. The report from a 31-member standing panel of parliament, delivered today, concludes that GM "field trials under any garb should be discontinued forthwith" and that future research and development should "only be done under strict containment."
The panel undertook their review, the authors say, because of "serious differences of opinion amongst stakeholders and the controversies surrounding transgenic food crops." The furor intensified after a government review gave its blessing to genetically modified brinjal (a type of eggplant).
The panel's deliberations, designed to include many interested parties, gathered 15,000 pages of testimony and 50 oral depositions. The 2-year effort produced a 492-page analysis, "Cultivation of Genetically Modified Food Crops—Prospects and Effects."
The panel chair, Basudeb Acharia, a member of parliament representing the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said in a statement that "India should not go in for GM food crops." He also suggested that "there is a connection" between Bt cotton, a GM product that includes genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to make it pest-resistant, and farmers' suicides, referring to thousands of farmers who have committed suicide in the last few years due to indebtedness, mostly in cotton growing regions.
The panel report deplores the fact that 93% of the cotton crop in India is now Bt cotton, which rapidly replaced traditional cotton in most areas. The panel argues that farmers now have "no alternative" but to buy more expensive Bt cotton seed. The panel concludes that "the experience of last decade has conclusively shown that while [transgenic agriculture] has extensively benefited the industry, as far as the lot of poor farmers is concerned, even trickle down is not visible."
No company or industry group has responded at this time.
The GM review panel also sought to investigate a government regulatory panel's 2009 decision to permit an Indian company to release Bt brinjal. This action "was indicative of collusion of a worst kind," the report charges. The report quotes a former official saying that he felt he was pressured by industry and other officials to approve the release of Bt brinjal. Former environment minister Jairam Ramesh held a countrywide series of public hearings and in February 2010 imposed an indefinite moratorium on the release of Bt brinjal.
The report will now be examined by the relevant ministries, which will consider whether and how to implement the recommendations. These agencies will submit responses back to the panel on actions they have taken.


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With the movement towards sustainable building, the Integr8 range provides solutions to ensure sustainability.
At the heart of the Integr8 range is aluminium itself, a material that is infinitely recycleable and remarkably plentiful: the planets most abundant element.
Aluminium is the third most abundant metal in the earth's crust and at the present rate of usage (not taking into account the fact that more than 96% of aluminium is recycled at the end of product life), the supply of aluminium will be available for several hundred years.
Aluminium as a physical security component is functional, durable and aesthetically appealing.
Aluminium has excellent corrosion resistance qualities, is robust ensuring the highest levels of security and above all, is recyclable ensuring Charter support sustainability.


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Romaine Antoniette BOWLAND Romaine Antoniette BOWLAND, infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ross A. BOWLAND of Liberty street, McDonald, died shortly after birth Wednesday, July 27, 1960, in the Mercy hospital. Surviving, besides her parents, are two sisters and two brothers, and the maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Edgar McKAY of Highland avenue, Oakdale. Funeral services were held July 28 in the Armour funeral home, Imperial, in charge of the Rev. John SHEPARD, pastor of the Robinson's Run U. P. Church, McDonald. Burial was in Robinson's Run cemetery. ---- (Source: August 11, 1960 Obits. McDonald Record-Outlook) (Contributor: Victoria Hospodar Valentine, email@example.com)
Back to Robinson Run Cemetery Page
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Prevent A Breakdown With Your Boat Trailer, Check Your Wheel Bearings [VIDEO]
Ever wonder why sometimes you see a boat on a trailer on the side of the highway with no truck to be found? Probably because the wheel bearing failed and it either lost a week or it has a wheel bent on the side. It's a common mistake that many boaters make - not checking their wheel bearings.


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Date: Saturday April 10th 2010
Place: Club Soda in Montreal
Tour name: Finnish Metal
Bands (in order of play): Swallow the Sun + Moonsorrow + Finntroll
(The tour was supposed to feature Survivor Zero as an opening act but they weren't in Montreal).
The show started with Swallow the Sun—a band I've only recently discovered. Swallow the Sun plays a melodic doom/death metal genre that suits them quite well. The signer, Mikko Kotamäki, used his clean vocals as well as his growls during the whole show, complimenting each song. The sound was excellent, I haven't seen many opening bands with as good a show and was stunned by the quality. I didn't have any expectations going to this show, but Swallow the Sun really amazed me with the calibre of their live music.
They mainly played from their latest album, featuring songs such as 'New Moon' and 'These Woods Breathe Evil'. They also included a few other songs from their previous records. During the performance, you could feel the crowd following the dark ambiance of their songs. The only downside of this band is they look like trees on stage. I wish they were more energetic and would move more, but still, it fits with their music being somewhat slow and dark. They finished the show with the song 'Swallow', which was executed impressively live. They gave us a surprise at the end, saying they'll be back in September.
The second band playing was Moonsorrow, I really liked them live as well. I've listened to their albums once or twice, not enough to get hooked—but what better way to discover a band than going to see them live? I'm not used to seeing bands that play only five songs that last over an hour. Every band member played well, but I must say both guitarists Henri 'Trollhorn'' Urponpoika and Mitja Harvilahti stood out to me. They were able to keep us fixated even if the song lasted over 10 minutes. The crowd was really playing up the Viking mood and some had paint all over their faces and chest. I enjoyed the set list Moonsorrow played and I'd like to see them again someday. The only fault I could find with this band live is they don't talk much between their songs, but I can live with it, since they don't sing in English.
Useless Fact: When Moonsorrow came to play last year in Montreal one of their guitars was stolen, but recovered a few days later.
And now for the headliner, Finntroll! These guys are really energetic compared to the other two bands, especially the singer Mathias 'Vreth' Lillmåns, who reminds me of a troll with the way he moves on stage. If you're wondering, they aren't real trolls, merely humans with paint on their bodies. (But they really do act like trolls.)
Finntroll started out with a few slow-paced songs and then worked up to some more intense songs. The show was great, there was a nice dark folk ambiance. I'm disappointed to say that Finntroll didn't impress me as much as the two other bands. Don't get me wrong, they put on a good show, they just didn't meet my expectations as the headliner band. There was a funny moment in one of their songs where someone backstage took a stuffed dragon and moved with it behind the flags, so we all saw a dragon 'flying' behind one of the guitarists. I never thought I'd see that anywhere but Barney and Friends, let alone a metal show.
Final thoughts: If you enjoy Finntroll you'll really love this show. Finland puts out some really good bands, I was pretty impressed overall. I found Moonsorrow taking the cake for the best band, followed by Swallow the Sun and Finntroll. If you like this genre of music, it's a must see. Alas, I did not get hooked to Finntroll from this performance.


text: Family members of the victims of the mass shooting in Aurora, Colo., comfort each other, July 22, 2012, during a prayer vigil for the victims, in Aurora, Colo. Twelve people were killed and dozens were injured in a shooting attack at a packed movie theater during a showing of the Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises." Police have identified the suspected shooter as James Holmes, 24. (Ted S. Warren/AP Photo)