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The FBI has opened a civil rights investigation into the actions of three police officers and two federal agents.
Video shows them taking part in the bloody arrest of retired school teacher Robert Davis.
Davis says he went out to buy cigarettes in the French quarter and stopped a police officer to ask about a curfew. Davis says he does not believe the beating was racial.


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Elliott Broidy speaks! To me??
What makes community journalism so rewarding is you write about the people, issues and places you care most about.
That's also what makes it so awkward.
Take Elliott Broidy.
Three years ago, Broidy pleaded guilty to a felony charge in a "pay-to-play" arrangement with the New York state pension fund.
The crime — rewarding official misconduct — can carry a penalty of up to four years in prison. Former New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who ran the crooked fund, spent one-and-a-half years behind bars.
But in this community, it was Broidy's name that caught my eye.
Broidy served on the boards of numerous Jewish charities in Los Angeles and cut a high profile as Republican National Committee (RNC) finance chair and board member of the Republican Jewish Coalition. What's more, as the founder and CEO of Markstone Capital Group, Broidy brought hundreds of millions of dollars of investment capital to Israel.
In Los Angeles, Broidy's admission to the courts that he'd spent nearly $1 million on gifts for state officials even as they had invested New York state public pension funds in Markstone was big news, a deep source of embarrassment to him and a shock to the many people close to him.
And I made it much, much worse.
In a December 2009 editorial, I questioned whether Broidy's plea didn't warrant a more public rebuke. I challenged community leaders, who so eagerly praise and promote their philanthropists, to say something publicly about the values and conduct they expect their contributors to uphold.
You don't kick a guy when he's down, I wrote, but neither can we pretend that philanthropy derived from unethical business dealings is not a communal stain.
I didn't know Broidy, had never met him, but I soon discovered we had many friends in common. I found that out because some of them stopped speaking to me, a couple called in private to say they agreed with me, and others told me how much my words hurt.
The last thing I expected, then, was to pick up my office phone recently and hear, "Rob? Hi, it's Elliott Broidy."
On Nov. 26, 2012, Manhattan State Supreme Court Judge Lewis Bart Stone reduced Broidy's felony conviction to a misdemeanor and closed the case against him.
That moment put an end to a dark three-year chapter in Broidy's life, and, through a mutual friend, Broidy reached out to me to explain it all from his point of view.
In his statement from the bench, Judge Stone noted that Broidy had paid the state $18 million in restitution — an amount in "significant excess of what he received." The judge and prosecutor commended Broidy on his cooperation with the investigators.
"It is this Court's view that … the type of criminality that Mr. Hevesi and his minions indulged in … would never have come to the full light of day had Mr. Broidy not volunteered" to cooperate, Judge Stone said. Broidy, said the court, was "the final nail in the coffin on those who tried to rip off the system."
The judge rewarded what he called Broidy's "exemplary" behavior with the lightest possible sentence.
Elliott Broidy and I met in his Century City offices, in a conference room whose wall of windows overlooks West Los Angeles. Broidy is 55. He is a solid man, soft-spoken and — I suppose for good reason — guarded.
Broidy didn't relish talking about what had happened. His goal, he said, was to move forward. "I'm a very positive person," he said.
But, still, I had to ask him: "Why'd you do it?"
Hevesi and his minions had already given Broidy some $250 million in pension fund business when, in subsequent conversations, they asked him for a few favors.
"I should have said no. OK?" Broidy said. "But I didn't, which I regret. But they ratcheted this up to the highest level because they wanted to put a couple people in jail, and in order to do that, they needed to bring me down. To the lowest."
The actual gifts were more tawdry than tainted. One official asked Broidy to pay some medical and housing bills for his girlfriend, "The Mod Squad" actress Peggy Lipton. Another wanted money to help finance a movie, and Hevesi took some luxury trips to Italy and Israel on Broidy's dime — all of it after Broidy already had their business.
"It didn't impact me getting the money, but it was wrong," Broidy said. "What I did is in no way excusable. I just wish I had asked a lawyer. These people became my friends, and there's a big difference between a friend and a business relationship. "
Broidy said the fact that he was a high-profile Republican made him even more of a target. As finance chair of the RNC, he traveled the country and raised $439 million for the cause.
"It put a big target on my head," Broidy said. "I'm not naïve about it. Did that make my legal situation a lot worse? Sure. But it doesn't excuse what I did."
What really interested me, I told Broidy, wasn't what he did, but how he dealt with the aftermath.
Broidy said his wife, Robin, and their children's support sustained him. But the advice of his friend Kenneth Langone, a major New York philanthropist and co-founder of Home Depot, saved him.
"Kenneth just got in my face and said, 'Look, don't listen to anyone. Take the pain, admit it, do everything the right way, put it behind you.' "
Although others urged Broidy to fight and plead not guilty, he listened to Langone. He resigned from the board of the company he'd founded, Markstone Capital Group, and spent the next three years and more than $30 million in costs and fees working through his legal troubles.
"Admitting what occurred and cooperating with the prosecutors was the first step toward redemption," Broidy said.
What made that long journey bearable, Broidy said, was that his family and friends never wavered in their support.
Broidy was deeply involved in Wilshire Boulevard Temple, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, The Jewish Federation and AIPAC, among many other charities, and those relationships sustained him.
"My friends all stood by me. My rabbis stood by me. Rabbi[s] Hier, Leder, Wolpe were very supportive as I went through this. The Federation leaders stood by me."
His children's schools, Marlborough School and Brawerman Elementary, also were sensitive and supportive, Broidy said.
"The thing that served me well is I had a lot of goodwill," Broidy said. "I really don't have any enemies. I spent my life working hard and doing good work. And when you stumble, you have a shot when you have something deposited in the bank. That's what allowed me over the last few years to walk around and be fine, and to come back. My friends stuck with me. My family stuck with me."
At that point I put down my pen and looked up at Broidy.
"So what you're saying," I said, "is I was the only jerk."
"It hurt," Broidy said of my column at the time. "But I didn't feel your piece was directed at me personally, because you said you didn't know me. I felt you were really tough on me, but you called it as you saw it."
"Boy," I said, "you really are a positive person."
Broidy is back doing business — the court put no restrictions on his activities — though he has no interest in the pension fund world.
With the weight of a felony plea off his shoulders, his major focus, he said, will be philanthropy.
On Jan. 16, Broidy and his wife, Robin, are serving as co-chairs of the Chai Lifeline gala honoring Beverly Hills Unified School District board member Lisa Korbatov, CAA agent Stuart Manashil and Sony Latin Music President Nir Seroussi.
Chai Lifeline supports families facing life-threatening illnesses. The night before our meeting, a young woman named Hannah, whose leg had been amputated due to cancer, visited the Broidys' home. Broidy said it put his own troubles in perspective.
"To see her spreading the word about Chai Lifeline and seeing her wonderful and positive attitude was very moving," he said. "I've been very blessed, very fortunate."
A photo of Broidy with President George W. Bush sits on a breakfront in the conference room where we sat, but Broidy said he is less interested in partisan politics now.
"The highly partisan stuff is tough," he said. "I don't have the stomach for it. I did it, but I'm not a partisan in social views. I'm very interested in nonpartisan support for Israel. That's what's important to me."
I wanted to tell Broidy I was sorry if my column caused him pain, but it felt disingenuous — of course I knew it would cause some pain. And if most of our mutual friends resented me for pointing the finger at Broidy when he fell, the upside is I can just as publicly show how he has modeled the path of redemption. Our tradition is chock full of remarkable men and women who sometimes stumble — shouldn't our journalism be as well?
What I did say to Broidy was that, in hindsight, the galling injustice is that the people and institutions who helped sink the U.S. economy haven't faced a day in court, or answered for their behavior, while Broidy, whose actions paled in comparison, saw his life and reputation turned upside down.
Broidy took a while to compose his thoughts.
"My father once told me life isn't always fair," he said. "I don't wish anyone else ill will. I don't compare myself to others. At the end of the day, it all comes down to what kind of person you are."
Rob Eshman is publisher and editor-in-chief of TRIBE Media Corp./Jewish Journal. E-mail him at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can follow him on Twitter @foodaism.

subset: commoncrawl


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Emotional win for St Pat's Silverstream
St Pat's Silverstream beat arch-rivals St Pat's Town at Evans Bay today in an emotional rugby encounter.
The Silverstream players dedicated their 22-20 victory to their former schoolmate Zelius Venter, a Year-10 student at the school who died this week following a mountain biking accident in Upper Hutt.
Halfback Luke Coulston said the team had put extra effort into the match to win it for Zelius, who was a promising junior rugby player himself before his fatal accident.
''We all played for him today. We're going through a hard time. It's sad to hear that he's gone ... We did it for his family,'' he said.
The two teams and more than 1000 spectators observed a minute's silence for Zelius before the game kicked off this afternoon.
At the ref's whistle following the minute there was subdued cheering from the Silverstream pupils lining one side of the field.
The St Pat's Silverstream first XV - wearing black arm-bands - followed their hosts with an emotional haka.
The two teams then needed to be separated on the half way line before kick-off. David Cournane, manager for the Silverstream team, said the game had taken on added significance.
"I guess it's just stepped it up what's already a massive game in the competition. There's some real emotion about it. The young fella hasn't even been laid to rest yet it's incredibly raw for them."
The Silverstream school community has been rocked by the death of the year 10 student , a keen sportsman who would have been part of the junior exchange between the schools.
"It will be emotional," Silverstream first XV captain Andy Knight said before the game.
"A lot of us know the family and some of the younger boys in the team were very close to Zelius. It was devastating and we'll do our best to honour him."
The rugby match is the focal point of the annual winter exchange that comprises 10 matches over seven sports, the others being football, hockey, basketball, athletics, badminton and golf.
The match was televised live on Sky's Rugby Channel and was the 80th traditional between the two schools.
The clash is also one of the key matches in the final round of the premier-one championship, with second place on the table still up for grabs.
Wellington College are assured of the top spot going into the quarterfinals but only one point separates Silverstream (20 points), Scots College (20) and Town (19).
On Saturday, Scots meet fifth- placed St Bernard's, Wellington College take on Hutt International and Rongotai meet Aotea.
The advantages of finishing second are significant, bringing what should be an easier quarterfinal and the prospect of a home semifinal. It would also remove the possibility of a semifinal clash with Wellington College.
Silverstream would be guaranteed second spot if they could win with a bonus point today, as they beat Scots in round-robin play, but defeat would mean they could finish as low as fourth.
A win is worth four points, with a bonus point for four tries or losing by seven points or less.
"It's an important game for a number of reasons and there will be no lack of motivation, I can assure you," Silverstream coach Rob Ackerman said. "It's a big local derby and we are looking forward to the challenge."
Silverstream beat Town 20-12 in the Williment Cup competition early in the season and have shown steady improvement through the winter.
They made Wellington College work in the traditional match on June 6, before going down 24-13, and, in the three premier-one rounds since, have scored 111 points and conceded just seven.
Silverstream also illustrated their progress when just failing to beat St Bede's College, from Christchurch, late last month.
Knight acknowledged the extra edge a traditional fixture carried. "A traditional is a massive step up. The whole school is watching and everyone puts their body on the line.
"It's also a game we need to win."
St Pat's Town won the 2010 traditional but Silverstream have dominated the clash in recent times, recording 12 wins in a row before 2010, and winning again last year.
However, Town have also improved sharply after a slow start to the season, winning their last four premier-one games, and are back at full strength, after a series of early injuries.
The only health concern now is coach Brendan Reidy, who has been reduced to whispering his instructions after suffering from laryngitis.
Star fullback Tauasosi Tuimavave is fully fit again and the team has been boosted by the return of the 2011 skipper Luke Donaldson and front-row forward Aresmin Schaumkell, who are completing their level 3 NCEA year, after returning last month from an exchange programme in France.
Ground conditions are unlikely to be ideal this afternoon but neither Donaldson nor Schaumkell, who were based at Arras, in the north of France, will be complaining.
The temperature at Arras was often below freezing. "It did get as low as minus 15," Donaldson said.
"The usual test as to whether we played a game or not, was if a car key could go into the ground."
Schaumkell and Donaldson, who were away for nine months, attended Lycee Robespierre high school.
They played for the school team in an under-19 competition and also played sevens rugby for the Arras club, with both teams reaching the national finals.
The St Pat's pair, who lived in an apartment with six other rugby players, including two Kiwis, attended 10 hours of school a week, mainly English classes, and had up to 15 hours of rugby training, plus games.
"They play their rugby at a slower pace [in France] and I was huffing and puffing a bit after the first training run back here," Donaldson said. "They played their rugby a bit like league - they just run straight at you.
"But it was a great experience and improved aspects of my rugby, particularly my decision-making."
Schaumkell and Donaldson would also be capable of discussing tactics in French this afternoon.
"I'm not fluent but I can definitely hold a conversation [in French]," Donaldson said.
Contact Tim Barton
Racing editor and college sport writer
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
The Dominion Post


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Reviews - Sydney House Hotel3
Coton Crescent, Coton Hill, Shrewsbury, SY1 2LJ
Customer Reviews
Our reviews are from genuine LateRooms.com customers. We verify that the customer has stayed before leaving a review.
Very Good
91% would recommend it to a friend
Customer service
Food quality
Room quality
Stress free B & B
Clean, comfortable and friendly stay and excellent value for money.
Amazing breakfast. On site parking a valuable bonus.
Read More Less
Returning again and again!
We've been coming to Shrewsbury for a number of years their amazing LGBT festivals and always choose to stay at Sydney House.
We've always had a very welcome and enjoyed the breakfast which sets you up for the day. Car parking is an added bonus, it's only a few minutes' walk into town, which is well worth a visit - there's plenty to do and see, and no, we're not on commission from the Town Council!
Read More Less
Lovely Stay
Lovely stay very warm when we entered which was great as the weather outside was cold and wet.
very friendly staff, room was clean and tidy, the only fault i would find was the shower head in the bathroom could do with replacing. Breakfast was lovely and plenty of it.
Read More Less
Convenient location
The hotel provided free parking and was within easy walking distance of Shrewsbury town centre for sightseeing, shopping, and eating.
The owner was very friendly and helpful.
Read More Less
Comfortable B & B
Good location just out of town with parking.
Compact but adequate room. Fantastic breakfast provided. Good value for money. I would recommend.
Read More Less
Sydney House Hotel
Good B & B.
Pleasant guest house with very helpful staff and good breakfast.
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Excellent hotel
Couldn't fault this hotel for convenience cleanliness and friendly helpful staff.
Will definitely stay here again when I next visit Shrewsbury. Breakfast was tasty well cooked, good choice and more of it than we could eat
Read More Less
Weekend Away
We stayed 2 nights at this hotel.
The staff we're lovely and extremely helpful. The property was clean but somewhat dated. Our bedroom was on the top floor and while it was clean it really required some attention.The paper behind the bed was peeling off,the shower required some attention and the room just did not smell fresh. Breakfast was delicious and as stated earlier the staff were lovely and helpful.
Read More Less
Sydney House Hotel
Stayed for one night whilst on a night out in Shrewsbury.
Free parking, good location, easy 10 minute walk into town. Lovely cozy room, little dated but it added to the charm. Amazing breakfast and lovely friendly service. Would definitely stay again. Couple of local pubs just down the road for the way home.
Read More Less
Enjoyable friendly stay.
This was our first visit to Shrewsbury and loved everything that the place had to offer.
The location of the hotel was perfect with less than a 10 minute walk into town. The hotel was quiet, comfortable and very friendly. Loved the cooked breakfast and never seen so many different cereals on offer. Our room was at the very top with the slope of the roof but had zero issues with size or steps. We will definitely visit Shrewsbury again and we will stay here again.
Read More Less


text: Posted February 11, 2014 · Report post A lot of information online says that jojoba oil is very good for hydrating the skin, and therefore getting rid of wrinkles. However, some of the websites encourage usage of jojoba oil under the eyes to get rid of fine lines and wrinkles, and some of the websites state that you should never use jojoba oil on the delicate skin around the eyes. I just ordered Jojoba oil to try for the first time from acne.org, and as I do have fine lines and wrinkles starting to form under my eyes, I am hoping my answer is the jojoba oil. Is it ok to use the jojoba oil straight from the bottle on the skin, especially under the eyes? I plan to mix a few drops with the moisturizer as instructed on acne.org, for my entire face, but wondered if I could get more concentrated effort under my eyes with the straight oil? Or will putting the oil directly on the skin under my eyes be harmful? Thanks for any help/advice/answers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text: Jon Brake Even though President Abraham Lincoln considered it one of his poorest speeches, the Gettysburg Address has become one of most powerful and moving speeches in American history. After all, he wrote it on the train to Gettysburg as he was traveling there to dedicate a cemetery to the men who fought there in the American Civil War. He didn't spend a whole lot of time on it, but what he said in those close to two minutes was very profound and changed the world forever. Why dedicate a cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania? The three-day Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. More than 45,000 men were killed, injured, captured or went missing. Of those 45,000 men only around 7,500 were actually buried. This battle was also the turning point of the war when Confederate General Robert E. Lee was defeated and realized that a successful invasion of the North was not possible. This is why a cemetery was dedicated. "The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can neyer forget what they did here." Lincoln is saying that giving their lives for freedom was more important than anything else. He is also saying that we should not take what they did for granted. Freedom isn't free and these brave men paid the ultimate price for freedom and the preservation of the Union. The Civil War was necessary to uphold and sustain our government which was built on the principles of democracy and freedom. The words of this most famous speech have inspired Americans for generations and will no doubt inspire Americans forever. Jon Brake Fisher High School Fisher, IL


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On this episode of The Malliard Report, the guest for the hour is Dr. Rebecca Housel, She is a long time friend of the host Jim Malliard. She is the Ceo of Soul Arrow Entertainment. As you listen to this episode you will realize the connection that Jim and Rebecca have.
The way that Soul Arrow Entertainment came about is one you have to hear for yourself. The clientele of the business was film and tv clients and authors. She also does fundraisers and book promotions. Her business has a stance to repair the world. Each year a cause close to her heart receives donations from the fundraisers. Which leads into a little bit of a conversation of just some of the challenges for selling tickets to an event.


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This column is part of a feature series which focuses on a different Centre County family each week. Five new columns will be released each month unless some technical difficulty enters the picture.
This column's focus is on MAYS. An effort has been made to identify all persons carrying that name in the 1890 U.S. Census, using the Centre County business directory which was formed from a preliminary review of that census before the larger set of 1890 U.S. Census records was destroyed by fire. (Sadly, the postal directory does not typically provide the ages of females, but it's the best record we've got).
No books in the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library in Bellefonte apparently deal with the Mays family.
There are several different first-name entries for Mays in John Blair Linn's History of Centre and Clinton County (1883). In addition, there are references to the name in Beers' Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania (1898).
And, now, your ancestors' MAYS neighbors in 1890:
In BELLEFONTE Borough:
Bertha Mayes--31 N. Allegheny
In BOGGS Township:Jacob, 6--Milesburg John Mayes, 76, shoemaker--Roland Mary J.--Milesburg Hattie Michael, 69, laborer--Milesburg Hannah George R. 20 John 21 W. A., 35--Milesburg Della A. Hannah E. Michael 6 James E. 5 George T. 3 John R. 1 John H. 11
In CENTRE HALL Borough:Olive H. Mayes
In COLLEGE Township:Martha Mayes--Lemont
In HARRIS Towsnhip:Alice Mayes--Boalsburg Ellen M. Mayes--Boalsburg Mary A. Mayes--Boalsburg William R. Mayes, 16--Linden Hall William S. Mayes, 16--Linden Hall
In HOWARD Towsnhip:Jacob Mayes, 41, farmer--Mt. Eagle Nancy J. Joseph 2 William H. 10 Rachael E. Maria Charles T. 1
In PHILIPSBURG Borough:Catharine May--Presquile St. Rebecca--2nd St. Gertrude Harry 16
In POTTER Township:Caroline--Centre Hall Mabel N. Maggie E.
In RUSH Township:Thomas A. Mayes, 45, laborer--Philipsburg Helen Harry 16 John H. 14 Lillie
In SNOW SHOE Township:Anthony Mayes, 34--Snow Shoe John Mayes, 54, laborer--Snow Shoe Sarah E. Margaret A. Rebecca E. Gideon 11 Joseph F. 9 Carrie L. George F. 4 Lydia A. Mayes--Clarence James G. 22 William L. 18 Susan Matthias, 52--Snow Shoe Mary E. John A. 22 Robert 17


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Every day, thousands of people are reaching audiences of millions using the medium of radio interviews. Imagine being able to present to hundreds of thousands of people all in one go and sit back and watch as hundreds and even thousands of people flock to your website to buy your product. Amazingly, while radio shows typically charge huge sums of money to businesses wanting to advertise, they are desperate to interview people for free!
The trick is to approach radio stations and make your proposal to be interviewed so compelling that it is almost impossible for them to refuse. Alex Carroll averages well in excess of 1,000 radio interviews and shares some of his top strategies with us.
This interview may contain references to dates, events, etc., that have already taken place. These references have not been omitted in order to maintain the integrity of the recording, as all Meet The Giants interviews are REAL and unedited conversations.
©2009 Meet The Giants (P)2009 Meet The Giants
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text: Z.1 – Financial Accounts of the United States, Fourth Quarter 2013: "The net worth of households and nonprofits was $80.7 trillion at the end of 2013, about $3 trillion more than at the end of the third quarter. For 2013 as a whole, net worth increased $9.8 trillion, or 14 percent, driven largely by a $5.6 trillion increase in the value of directly and indirectly held corprorate equities and a $2.3 trillion increase in the value of real estate. Domestic nonfinancial debt outstanding was $42 trillion at the end of the fourth quarter of 2013, of which household debt was $13.1 trillion, nonfinancial business debt was $13.6 trillion, and total government debt was $15.3 trillion. Domestic nonfinancial debt growth was 5.4 percent at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2013, about 1½ percentage points more than in the third quarter."


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does it sync
I would like to use it with macbooks and ipads. Will it sync all of the ipads from the one computer?
- Asked by Andrew B from Byron Center
Bretford Mobility Cart 30 for MacBook
Product No Longer Available
1 Answer from the Community
This cart does NOT sync. You need the Bretford Powersync Cart. I have one and it works wonderful for syncing my iPads to one single macbook!
- Answered by Erin W from Buffalo Grove


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I don't take myself too seriously.
I watch people play sports for a living — it's one of the greatest jobs in the world. And for one full athletic calendar year now, I've been lucky enough to do it for the greater Copperas Cove area.
Having said that, with the final UIL-sanctioned activity completed for the trio of high schools I primarily cover — Copperas Cove, Lampasas and Gatesville — it seems only appropriate to put together an awards banquet of sorts to recognize all the year's standout performers.
So, without further ado, and to be taken with a grain of salt, here are my honors from the preceding school year.
And as a notification, the opinions expressed regarding the following awards belong to me and in no way reflect the feelings of the Killeen Daily Herald.
BEST SUSPENSE: Copperas Cove boys basketball — Bulldawgs junior guard Montre' Williams hit a game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer in overtime against Shoemaker in the District 8-5A finale to clinch the program's first playoff berth since 2008.
MOST IMPROVED: Gatesville football — One year after going 4-6, head coach Kyle Cooper guided a team anchored by 28 seniors to the program's second-best record in school history, winning 13 consecutive games before falling to Graham in the Class 3A, Division II quarterfinals.
MOST ENTERTAINING: Billy White Jr., Copperas Cove boys head basketball coach — This could easily be called the Stuart Beckwith Award in honor of the former Lampasas girls basketball and girls golf coach, but White has claimed the title thanks to his fiery attitude, intense stare-downs and larger than life personality on the court.
MOST CONSISTENT: Gatesville volleyball — The Hornets made their 10th consecutive playoff appearance this season with seven squads producing district championships and the last four seasons ending in either the regional quarterfinals or regional semifinals.
BEST SEQUEL: Lampasas girls soccer — After posting just two wins in 2011, the Lady Badgers won three playoff games in 2012 under first-year head coach Tracy Brantley. This year, behind District 34-4A MVP Analise Watson, who is only a sophomore, Lampasas won its first district title since 1993 and advanced to sectionals before being eliminated.
Rickey Phillips, Gatesville head vollyeball coach — Phillips goes above and beyond the call of duty by sending out daily emails regarding all the school's activities, keeping parents, fans and sports writers constantly informed. Additionally, his maintenance on the school's athletic website makes it one of the most informative found anywhere on the Internet.
Cole Edmiston, Gatesville QB, and Vondareaz King, Copperas Cove RB — Had to go with co-winners for this one because virtually no situation could stop the Hornets quarterback from leading his team to victory and virtually no defense could stop the Bulldawgs running back from finding the end zone.
Celneque Bobbitt, Harker Heights boys head basketball coach — He's not from one of the three schools I cover, but c'mon!
Teresa Durham, former Copperas Cove girls head basketball coach — After winning a state title at China Spring, she took the Lady Bulldawgs back to the playoffs for the first time in three years before unexpectedly stepping down from the position. While more than capable, her replacement — Eldridge McAdams — has big shoes to fill.
Kenneth Peiser, Lampasas head tennis coach — Despite working in virtual obscurity, the coach has spent 14 years with the program, taking the team to state in 2012 and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.
MOST DRAMATIC MOMENT: Gatesville girls golf — A controversial disqualification following the final round of the Class 3A state tournament dropped the Hornets from second to third in the final standings.
OFFENSIVE COACH OF THE YEAR: Jimmy Randolph, former Lampasas head football coach — He's full of verbal ammunition and has a clever quote for any situation. Hated to see him go.
DEFENSIVE COACH OF THE YEAR: Jack Welch, Copperas Cove head football coach — Nobody does a more thorough job of looking out for their team and protecting their players from any and all distractions.
Blayne McGhee, Gatesville softball — After missing virtually the entire nondistrict portion of the schedule following labrum surgery on her throwing arm last September, the sophomore was named District 8-3A MVP — an award she did not even know existed prior to winning it.
Qiana Canete, Copperas Cove volleyball — Led the Lady Bulldawgs to their first undefeated district championship in school history and was named District 8-5A MVP and KDHpressbox.com All-Area MVP as a junior.
Cory Scott, Copperas Cove boys basketball and track — He was named District 8-5A offensive player of the year after helping the team end a four-year playoff drought. He became the first player in program history to sign a national letter of intent to play at a Division I school, and despite competing in only four meets, he won the Class 5A state championship in the high jump.
So, there you have it. That's my take on the year in area high school sports. Congrats to all those who were lucky enough to land on this oh-so prestigious list.
I'm sure some were snubbed in the process, but we're talking about a numbskull writer dishing out his less-than-expert opinion on made-up awards. Let's try not to take it too seriously, OK?


text:
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Nic Petrossi has been an Orange County resident for 37 years. The journey started when dad, Dominic Sr., took a leap of faith to start his own Lamppost Pizza franchise in Yorba Linda back in 1977. Graduating from Troy High, Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, and a Masters Degree in Educational Technology - almost 40 years later Nic now resides in Placentia and lives out a passion to help people buy and sell real estate.
Nic attends Crossfit classes in Yorba Linda to keep fit and enjoys playing acoustic guitar and hanging out with his kids in his free time. One of Nic's favorite quotes is "The Proof is in the Pudding," and with Realtors talk is cheap. The service and experience of over 200 satisfied past clients speaks volumes regarding the heart and dedication Nic pours into each and every home sale.


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Postby Dude23 » Sun Jan 20, 2013 1:10 pm
Postby Freedomtodiscover » Sun Jan 20, 2013 1:55 pm
Postby Dude23 » Sun Jan 20, 2013 9:05 pm
Postby ilikeme1 » Sun Jan 20, 2013 9:22 pm
Postby 432521 » Sun Jan 20, 2013 9:49 pm
Postby sakhalin » Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:42 pm
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Postby sakhalin » Mon Jan 21, 2013 5:33 pm
Postby FutureBillionaire » Mon Jan 21, 2013 6:11 pm
sakhalin wrote:My IT came today! I had no idea that it's light blue...I thought it was grey, lol! Really pretty.
Postby Randiesel75 » Tue Jan 22, 2013 6:08 am
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Different Strokes...
Your recent column ("Understanding the Times," August) quoted the federal DOE to justify decentralizing K12 education. Ah yes, let us return to those wonderful days of no federal role for education: racial segregation, no standards, less funding, no special education, and so on. When we examine the nations who spend far less but achieve higher levels of student performance, do we see less control or more? Why don't you go to Singapore and then report back. I am shocked at how gullible you are.
Bill Kendall, director of technology, Braintree (Mass.) Public Schools
In Good Humor
I appreciate your work and the magazine, particularly your take on humor, satire and parody. Just wanted to say thanks!
David Milz, superintendent, Salem (Wis.) School District
Quality Public Schools for All
Roosevelt vs. Reagan was such a great piece ("Understanding the Times," July). Very nice work. DA continues to expand in content, size and quality. All of your content is excellent, and the look and feel of the magazine is very professional!
Vicki Smith Bigham, president, Bigham Technology Solutions Inc., Houston, Texas
I'm sick and tired of the U.S. being a throw away society ("Understanding the Times," July). Get tired of your marriage, you throw it away and find a new spouse. Tired of your car, you throw it away and get a new one. Computer, cell phone, clothes ... the list goes on and on. Some companies (like those that make computer printers) even encourage us to throw away old ones and purchase new ones. I think we would be better off if we tried to fix some of the things we have instead of always looking for the new. In a way society has instilled this into our worldview and it sure seems to be a part of who you are-this is exactly what you encourage in your piece. I have just one simple question: Why can't we first try to fix broken schools instead of throwing them away for new ones? It's not our job to start throwing schools away, it's our job to start fixing poor schools.
Reece Blincoe, superintendent, Stockdale (Texas) Independent School District
Editor's comment: Thank you for your comments regarding my column. I am not, however, saying to "throw away" anything. I am saying that there is a significant difference between Roosevelt's and Reagan's philosophies of the appropriate role of the federal government with regard to education and other services. I said that Reagan was right and advocated a " fresh look at how best to ensure universal access to quality education in a free society." Furthermore, my position advocates more schools, not fewer.
Dan E. Kinnaman, publisher of DA
Widespread Applications of Teaching Techniques
I read January's article "Teaching Techniques for Supervisors" and distributed copies to my consultants. So many of the ideas and techniques you shared are also appropriate for workshop trainers! As we begin planning our professional development opportunities and developing support documents for our curriculum standards, this article will provide very important information. My consultants and I have also reviewed the article for a proposed session for new teacher orientation! This story will be a continuing reference for us and for the educators we serve. Thank you.
Marilyn C. Palmer, chief, K5 language arts/social studies, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Raleigh, N.C.
Questioning Oprah
There are more important issues than Oprah and her money ("Speaking Out," June). I see that you have nothing better to do. What's your contribution to how we tackle illiteracy? What can you do about it? As the old saying goes, you're part of the problem. What is the solution?
Name and district withheld
Cheaters Never Prosper?
I totally agree with you on the use of iPods for test taking ("Understanding the Times," June). Testing has to change and it has to be related to the real world, not something contrived. I join the bandwagon Dan!
Rosemary Parmigiani, principal, Snyder-Girotti Elementary School, Bristol, Penn.
Letters to the Editor may be sent to firstname.lastname@example.com, or mailed to Judy F. Hartnett, District Administration, 488 Main Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851. Selections that are published may be edited for length and clarity, and become the property of District Administration.


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Taylor Swift Performs 'Hey Porsche' With Nelly in St. Louis
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Taylor Swift is known for pulling out all the stops during her live shows and her Red tour will certainly be no different! Her last tour 'round the world, she got into the habit of covering a song of a famous artist from every city she stopped in. Now it looks like T. Swift is raising the stakes!
At her latest stop in St. Louis, the '22' songstress brought out one of the city's more prominent musical figures, none other than Nelly! The St. Lunatics ringleader launched into a performance of his country-fied new single 'Hey Porsche,' with a little accompaniment by Swift herself!
The two superstars worked the stage and the crowd like the consummate pros they are. We must admit we were a bit disappointed Nelly didn't launch into one of his classics like 'Country Grammar' or that his St. Lunatics didn't make an appearance. Seriously, does Murphy Lee really have that much going on?
Swift played a gracious hosted asking the crowd, "How much do you love Nelly?!" At the end of the song, the two unlikely buds embraced and skipped off the stage together in total bliss!
We're just going to say what you're thinking… Nelly and Taylor Swift collaboration ASAP! Please and thank you!


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Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Why men are a pain in the back
And then I changed my routine. Took the bus to Harvard Square instead of Central Square. Then, because I was going to the hospital to vote, I took Cambridge St. instead of Broadway. And le voilà. He saw me first. I was walking with my head down, as usual, but even so, I saw the jolt of recognition in his body. Then, because I had been looking for it for months, I noticed his peculiar, bouncy gait, his hunched shoulders. We made eye contact. He looked guilty, like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. He half-smiled, a shit-eating grin, looking for a reprieve, an unspoken agreement hesitantly spreading its tentacles in the air between us. So that was it then. He was going to continue walking west, I was going to keep going east, each of us smiling awkwardly and knowingly, and pretending nothing had ever happened. It was decided.
But then I changed my mind. Just as we passed each other, I stopped, turned. "Hey?" I said questioningly, eyebrows raised, equal parts breezy nonchalance and measured defiance.
"Hey," he said warily. Guilty eyes. Shit-eating grin.
"What's up?" I said.
"Nothing," he said defensively. "Just saying hi, that's all."
"Oh. Hi."
"Hi...How are you?"
"Good, how are you?"
"Ok...Well, bye then." And I spun on my heel and walked away, heading east, off to carry out my patriotic duty. I didn't wait to see the expression on his face, but I imagine it was pure relief.
I don't care, I tried to tell myself. I'm too cool to care. I refuse to lower myself to accusations, to anger, to groveling, to saying Please, just tell me why! That stuff's for crazy psycho chicks, and that's not me. At least, not anymore. I'm twenty-seven now, and beyond these petty little grievances. I don't give a shit why some flaky art history student whose sexual orientation is questionable at best goes all deer-in-the-headlights when he passes me on the street, I tried to tell myself.
I had almost convinced myself, too, when suddenly the entire left side of my lower back spasmed, leading to crippling, hobbling pain. As I walked home hunched over, my hand pressed into the twitching mass of nerves of my back, I thought back on all the psychology classes I had taken over the years, and reconsidered the effectiveness of repressing my emotions. Let's just say the next time I run into him, he better have something more interesting to say, or else be ready to shell out for all the Advil I'm going to need as a result of him being a giant pain in the ass. Er...back.
8 comments:
He sounds like a little kid. You did the grown-up thing. I guess that's not much comfort now, but one day there will be a man who will appreciate you. No kidding.ReplyDelete
This exact same thing happened to me this past fall. Twice. Except instead of back pain, it was neck pain.ReplyDelete
But neck pain is too cliché.ReplyDelete
can we plot an elaborate plan so you are prepared for next time? a stratgem? anything? at least trip him next time. dont waste your gods given long legs letting him bounce on by- and i know you would feel better!ReplyDelete
that should say god not gods...ReplyDelete
Next time I plan to stick my tongue out. That'll show him!ReplyDelete
Same. Exact. Thing. Except... I ride the F'n boat with him EVERY DAY, and, I really liked kissing him, but, obviously, he didn't like kissing me as much, and now, it's over and done, but, yet, I get to see him, almost every, f'n day.ReplyDelete
Fun? right?
- AnonymousNovember 29, 2012 at 6:57 PM
My guess as a guy is that it's too difficult to set anything up, and the proposing a new time is going to get shot down again. I think your schedule is too busy. Consider adding items to your schedule that can get preempted (ie: you're going to go work out, but if something else comes along, you'll forgo working out in lieu of that new activity). If it's a chore just to schedule hanging out with you, then it's a chore to hang out with you. Make it easy for people to hang out.ReplyDelete


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Writing for Canada's National Post, Acton University lecturer Fr. Raymond de Souza calls our attention to the 25th anniversary this year of the defeat of communism and observes that "there are new questions about the unity of liberties." In the 1980s, he writes, "when in the Gdansk shipyard the workers began to rattle the cage of communism, they demanded economic liberties (free trade unions), personal liberties (speech, the press), political liberties (democracy), legal liberties (against the police state) and religious liberty (the strikers insisted upon public worship in the shipyard itself)."
In continuity with older revolutions and even older political philosophy, he adds, "the liberties demanded were thought to be all of a piece. Liberty was not divisible, it was thought and often said. Today that question is is up for debate."
For his National Post column, Fr. de Souza interviewed theologian Michael Novak — also lecturing at Acton U. in Grand Rapids, Mich., this week.
Novak argues that religious liberty is the first liberty, for if you do not have the freedom to believe what you will about ultimate questions, or the freedom to order your relationship to God, then what other freedoms are possible? If his inner sanctuary is violated, none of the other things man does and has are safe. Novak argues that economic liberty is the "second liberty." It is not more important in principle than freedom of the press, but in practice it may be. Not everyone has something to say in public all the time; everyone engages in economic activity every day. If you wish to have a culture of liberty, economic liberty is worth paying attention to.
Acton Research Director Samuel Gregg told de Souza that "in authoritarian regimes such as China, expanding economic liberties can be a prelude to a greater demand for religious liberties." That remains to be tested, Gregg cautions, though there is evidence that China's economic liberalization has produced a more intense religious practice in the Chinese population.
"Once you grant more liberty in one area, it is hard to stop freedom from spreading to other spheres of life," argues Gregg … "Economic liberty, for instance, requires and encourages people to think and choose freely. Without this, entrepreneurship and free exchange are impossible. It is, however, difficult to limit this reflection and choosing to economic questions. People start asking social questions, political questions, and, yes, religious questions."
Read "Christians should support all liberties, not just religious liberty" by Fr. Raymond de Souza in the National Post.
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Own all of the lectures from Acton University 2013 on a USB flash drive with this inexpensive bundle. Valued at $55.44, these lectures were recorded live at Acton University 2013 sessions. The drive itself comes with lectures numbered, including the lecturer and course title in the file name.
Includes plenary lectures from:
Rev. Robert Sirico, co-founder of the Acton Institute and author of Defending the Free Market
Marina Nemat, author of Prisoner of Tehran
William McGurn, former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush
Samuel Gregg, author of Becoming Europe and Tea Party Catholic
Includes lectures from the following popular speakers:
Andreas Widmer, author of The Pope and the CEO
Jordan Ballor, author of Ecumenical Babel and Get Your Hands Dirty
Anthony Bradley, author of Keep Your Head Up and Liberating Black Theology
Victor Claar, author ofFair Trade? Its Prospects as a Poverty Solution
Jonathan Witt, lead writer for the PovertyCure initiative
Kishore Jayabalan, director of Istituto Acton
Charlie Self, author of Flourishing Churches and Communities: A Pentecostal Primer on Faith, Work, and Economics for Spirit-Empowered Discipleship
Michael Butler, author of Creation and the Heart of Man: An Orthodox Perspective on Environmentalism
Vincent Bacote, Director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College
John Armstrong, author of The Unity Factor: One Lord, One Church, One Mission
...and more!
Visit the official Acton University website for information on attending in person!
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Northrdige (9-2) at Bingham (10-0)
5A state tournament quarterfinal
Friday, 4 p.m.
Parry's Power Guide: Bingham by 24
All-time series: Northridge leads 5-2
Coach vs. Coach: Bingham's Dave Peck leads Northridge's Erik Thompson, 2-0
Last meeting: Oct. 31, 2008 — Bingham 42, Northridge 7 (5A first round at Bingham)
Northridge has been able to steamroll most of its opponents with a powerful running game, as the Knights average 230 yards per game on the ground.
Well, that strength will be put to the test — to put it mildly — on Friday when the Knights play at top-ranked Bingham in the 5A quarterfinals. No team has been able to run on the Miners, who feature a front seven that has played like a brick wall this season.
"It's our strength against their strength," said Northridge coach Erik Thompson. "They've got a really good scheme matched up with really great players. We're going to battle and do whatever we can."
The Knights will have to pull out all the stops against a Miner defense that has allowed just four rushing touchdowns all season. Riverton got two of the rushing scores, and Alta and Taylorsville each hit paydirt during garbage time.
Bingham's stout run defense will probably put more pressure on Northridge quarterback Trent Buckley to try and win Friday's game for the Knights. He'll have to distribute the ball to his backs and receivers to move the chains against the Miners.
Bingham coach Dave Peck said he's impressed with what he's seen of Buckley.
"I think their quarterback is a lot like our quarterback (Stefan Cantwell)," Peck said. "He's a tough kid that could play about anywhere. I like the way he plays. He's probably a big reason for their success. You can tell he's a leader, just a kid who competes."
Defensively, the Knights will have to contend with the state's most powerful run game. Bingham, which will have star running back Harvey Langi back in the lineup after a one-game suspension, hasn't been slowed by anyone all season. The Miners have other solid backs besides Langi, and when defenses have loaded up to stop their run, they've been hurt by Cantwell.
"I think people think we just pound the ball all the time, but we can throw the ball with the best of them," Peck said. "Cantwell throws the heck out of it. He has the strongest arm of any kid I've ever been around. He's a good leader, has great grades. He's just an athlete. He's definitely a huge reason for our success."
The Knights have enjoyed an outstanding turnaround this season. They've won four more games than last year when they didn't qualify for the playoffs. They won a playoff game for the first time in six years when they beat Alta, 21-14, last week.
A bad tournament draw forces Northridge to face Bingham already, but the Knights feel OK about taking their shot against one of the best teams in state history.
"Opportunity is knocking on our door," Thompson said. "We can dare to be great, and if we don't measure up then we'll take our hats off to Bingham and feel good about our performance."
An enormous problem for Northridge in this game is depth. The Knights have a few key players that go both ways, while the Miners don't have any.
"I think we just wear people out, especially in the trenches," Peck said. "By the time we get to the third and fourth quarter we've been pounding on them both ways. We're a pretty physical team in all aspects of the game."
Northridge statistical breakdown
Scoring offense: 30.7 ppg
Scoring defense: 12.4 ppg
Passing leader: Trent Buckley (97-171, 56.7%, 1,634 yards, 12 TDs)
Rushing leaders: Brock Johnson & Jordan Lee (135 carries, 870 yards, 10 TDs; 106 carries, 656 yards, 10 TDs).
Receiving leader: Shaymus Bertagnolli (24 receptions, 479 yards, 5 TDs)
Tackles leaders: Austin Tate & Brock Johnson (233 total tackles)
Sacks leader: Five players tied with two
Interceptions leader: Austin Gottschalk (6 interceptions)
Bingham statistical breakdown
Scoring offense: 50.3 ppg
Scoring defense: 8.0 ppg
Passing leader: Stefan Cantwell (71-117, 60.7%, 1,378 yards, 22 TDs)
Rushing leader: Harvey Langi (110 carries, 1,090 yards, 15 TDs).
Receiving leaders: Brady Measom & Josh Smith (18 receptions, 557 yards, 6 TDs; 15 receptions, 320 yards, 8 TDs)
Tackles leaders: Roman Valenzuela & Jared Afalava (129 total tackles)
Sacks leader: Moses Kaumatule (5 sacks)
Interceptions leader: Logan Parker (3 interceptions)


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Sorry for the delay again! I will have you all know that I am currently on spring break, not off in Miami or something just in my hometown but this week's winner had me laughing though.
Without further adieu, The winner is olgrandad with "Meet Sam 'n Ella, proprietors of Bac'nEggs, Springfields' newest B 'n B." Loved it olgrandad!
Check back next Sunday for the new Caption that Critter photo!


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Pictures of Jake Gyllenhaal With Mom Naomi Foner in LA
Jake Gyllenhaal Lunches With His Mother Before Father's Day
Jake Gyllenhaal was out on Friday keeping his body buff with another visit to his gym in LA. He smiled on the way out to his car despite some disappointment on Thursday — Jake watched the last game in the NBA Finals, but his Celtics ended up losing to the Lakers. Jake did, though, enjoy his view of the ladies from his seat in the Staples Center. On Saturday, Jake's female companion was his mom Naomi Foner. The pair grabbed lunch at La Mill Coffee Boutique, as Jake fit in some family time before celebrating Father's Day yesterday.


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Medal of Honor Recipient Charles P. Murray, Jr. dies
Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:57:28 GMT —
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (PRNewswire) -- The Congressional Medal of Honor Society announces that Colonel Charles P. Murray, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient, passed away August 12 in Columbia at age 90.
Charles received his Medal of Honor in Salzburg, Austria, presented by Lt. Gen. Geoffrey Keyes, Commanding Gen. U.S. II Corps. on July 5, 1945.Read more Luncheon honors living Medal of Honor recipients
He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy by commanding Company C, 30th Infantry, displaying supreme courage and heroic initiative near Kaysersberg, France, on 16 December 1944, while leading a reinforced platoon into enemy territory, Murray fired from an exposed position, disorganizing the enemy ranks and forcing their withdrawal. He then moved with his patrol to secure possession of a bridge and construction of a roadblock, capturing enemy troops while sustaining injuries.
Charles Murray is survived by his wife Anne and many other family members. Funeral services are pending. There are 84 Medal of Honor recipients alive today.
(Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.)


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Education experts today see gaming as an potential tool to increase student engagement. I look no further than my 10-year-old daughter as proof.
Having just spent the last 30 minutes of a drive home reading her assigned book, she closed it and went directly for her iPod to play some subway surfing thing. I asked why she would stop reading when we had another 15 minutes to go before reaching home. She shot back that her eyes were tired and she was falling asleep, unable to concentrate on the book. Yet she had no trouble obtaining her high score in the subway game.
The evolution of education is quickly following the evolution of publishing. In order to capture and hold the focus of students today, there must be more interaction than mere words on pages. Students need video, analytics, and interaction.
It should be no surprise that electronic educational materials have quickly gone from simple PDFs of printed pages to entire suites of adaptive learning products, which can include video games that use specific learning objectives in which students perform actions.
And they are not all games specifically designed for education. Some teachers are encouragingstudents to play Minecraft, World of Warcraft, and even Angry Birds as part of the learning environment.


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Sun Protection at the Park with SwimZip
Posted on June 05 2015
I love taking my boys to the park, but with all the sun that kids get on the walk to and from the park and while playing outside we never leave the house without a sun hat and a sun shirt! Did you know regular cotton shirts let harmful UV rays through shirts! So Scary!
So, I thought I'd show you a cute outfit that I'd put my boys in for our walk.
I start off with an awesome stylish t - I love this As Seen On IG by Mag Pie
Then I toss over a SwimZip zip up shirt - this one is called Surfer Dude (red/white)
I add some cute freshly picked moccs - prefect for baby feet to learn to walk!
A pair of harem shorts - i love the ones by Little Gypsey Finery
We can't go anywhere without a teether! My babies teether are coming in - how cute is this Bannor Toy Bear Teether!
Also, both my boys LOVE bubbles right now, so we bring some bubble along for our longer walks! :)
And I never go to the park without a SwimZip Roundie!
And don't forget - I always put sunscreen on the boys and I whenever we leave the house!


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By Emily A. Benfer, the supervising attorney and teaching fellow at Georgetown University Law Center's Federal Legislation and Administrative Clinic. Benfer is also the author of a recent ACS Issue Brief, "The ADA Amendments Act: An Overview of Recent Changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act."
Earlier this month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking revising its regulations to comport with the recent changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") under the ADA Amendments Act ("ADAAA"). The proposed regulations are consistent with the interpretation of the ADAAA outlined in "The ADA Amendments Act: An Overview of Recent Changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act" and mark a positive evolution in the law - one that reinvigorates the ADA by providing protection for individuals who were not previously covered.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was intended to be a strong and broad civil rights law. Once lauded as a tremendous step forward for the disability community, the Supreme Court not only turned the ADA on its heels but shoved it two steps back. In Toyota v. Williams, the Supreme Court transformed the broad scope of the ADA into a nearly insurmountable demanding standard. In Sutton v. United Airlines, Inc., the Supreme Court required consideration of mitigating measures in determining whether a person is disabled and created a subjective standard for proving a covered entity regarded a person as disabled. These two cases shattered the inclusive standard applied by courts construing the definition of "handicapped individual" under the Rehabilitation Act - a standard Congress expected to be followed under the ADA - and invited courts to deny people seeking protection from discrimination. This contortion of the ADA resulted in lower court determinations that denied people with epilepsy, HIV, muscular dystrophy and cancer, among other disabilities, protection from discrimination.
Despite the past holdings and reasoning, the future of disability law is bright and the end of discrimination against persons with disabilities is near. The ADA Amendments Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2009, is a critical step towards meeting ADA's objective of providing "a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination" and "clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards addressing discrimination' against people with disabilities."
As the EEOC recognizes, "The effect of these changes is to make it easier for an individual seeking protection under the ADA to establish that he or she has a disability within the meaning of the ADA." For example, consistent with the provisions of the ADAAA, the EEOC's proposed rules:
• provides that the definition of "disability" shall be interpreted broadly;
• revises the term "substantially limits" by providing that a limitation need not "significantly" or "severely" restrict a major life activity in order to meet the standard, and attempts to effectuate Congress's clear instruction that "substantially limits" is not to be misconstrued to require the "level of limitation, and the intensity of focus" applied by the Supreme Court in Toyota Motor Mfg., Ky v. Williams, 534 U.S. 134 (2002)
• expands the definition of "major life activities" through two non-exhaustive lists that are consistent with the ADAAA's legislative history:
o the first list includes activities such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, sitting, reaching, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, interacting with others, and working
o the second list includes major bodily functions, such as functions of the immune system, special sense organs, and skin; normal cell growth; and digestive, genitourinary, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, cardiovascular, endocrine, hemic, lymphatic, musculoskeletal, and reproductive functions
• provides that an impairment that is episodic or in remission is a disability if it would substantially limit a major life activity when active;
• provides that the definition of "regarded as" is changed so that it no longer requires a showing that the employer perceived the individual to be substantially limited in a major life activity, and instead provides that an applicant or employee who is subjected to an action prohibited by the ADA (e.g., failure to hire, denial of promotion, or termination) because of an actual or perceived impairment will meet the "regarded as" definition of disability, unless the impairment is both transitory and minor.
Watchdogs for civil rights and liberties are encouraged to learn more about the ADA Amendments Act and participate in the public comment period. For an overview of the ADA Amendments Act, please see my recent ACS Issue brief. To comment on the NPRM or for additional information, visit here.
Together, we will ensure that the rights and dignity of people with disabilities are upheld and where they are not, the ADAAA serves as a powerful condemnation of and protection against discrimination.


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Hornady LNL AP loading .223 problems
Just got my press a couple months ago and have had fun loading .40 S&W, .308, and 30-06. My trouble started when I tried to load .223 using RCBS small base dies for use in my AR-15. When the case is pushed up into the powder drop, it's like the measure is cutting the grains of IMR4198 and the force is causing the mouth of the case to be rolled in/down enough that causes difficulty in the next step of bullet seating. When the bullet is seated down to the canelure, you can grab the bullet and just spin it around in the case! It won't come out but it's just loose and will spin around! Is there a trick to make the powder drop smoother so the force doesn't roll down the mouth of the small .223 case? Am I doing something else wrong? Is there a "special" powder insert/funnel made for the .223 case so the load of the powder drop is placed on the shoulder and not the case mouth? I know the sizer is working ok because directly after I size/prime the case I can pick it up and try to push a bullet down in it by hand and I can't cause it's nice and tight. HELP PLEASE! I'm about ready to call Hornady and ask them WTH! Your opinions will be gratly appreciated.
First things first Welcome you should jump over to the introduction section and introduce yourself to everyone.
As far as the loading problems. I have a dillon not a Hornady both are quality machines that work good.
My dillon has a different way of handling powder. I have bushings for each caliber I am going to load.
Not sure why you are using 4198 in the 223 that is a big stick to stuff in a 22 cal hole. In the progressive I would use a short cut powder like varget or a ball powder like H335, H380, W760. these meter and flow real well in a progressive. Cutting grains of powder is a problem with the uniflow type of powder measure where it is a round tube in a round block. You have to use force to break the powder. If you want to stick to IMR powders I would go with 4064, 4895 these are small and short for the most part.
I too have a Dillon so I will speak in generalities. Because of the small mouth of the .223 you need to trim to a uniform length. If the powder funnel is set for a long case, a short case will spill powder. If the funnel is set for a short case, a long case will be damaged (like you describe).
In general IMR/stick powders are a bad idea for the .223 in a progressive press. If you use a trickler and/or weight each charge, they are fine. The powder delivery system of a progressive press funnelling into the narrow neck of a .223 funnel wreaks havock with the larger kernals. Bridging and cutting of kernals is fairly common.
In a nutshell - trim to uniform length and use a ball powder like W-296, BLC-2 H-335.
If you are stuck on using IMR 4198 then I would get the drop tube and loading the powder by hand. Other than that check your adjustments and trim like robo said.
is the dillon like the lee powder measure.the case pushes the tube up and activates the powder measure.if it is you have the measure set wrong back it off and push acase up then bring measure down to touch.while holding case up.what ever you are forching the case into the measure.
2230 powder was made for the 223.you can get more in as less air space.
Thanks for the info ... I've been looking into some of the suggestions even before I asked the question but thought I'd get some opinions. I'm probably going to H335 but now I've got 7 lbs. of this IMR4198 to figure out what to do with. I could possibly use it in the .308 with a 150 gn FMJBT in the AR10 ... I just haven't seen any load data for it.
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Have a Tax Question? Ask a Tax Expert
Welcome and thanks for your question!
Unfortunately, if the $750 is considered a rebate, then the car dealer is correct. Rebates are not considered to be a reduction in the invoice price for sales tax purposes.
If you look at section 8 on Connecticut Form H-13, you will see that sales tax is calculated on net purchase price, which is defined as invoice price less trade-in allowance. It may seem illogical, but the rebate isn't treated as a reduction in the purchase price. It is treated like a cash payment -- a separate transaction -- to the buyer even though that may not directly relate to the actual flow of the transaction.
However, if the $750 is not a rebate and is simply a reduction in the purchase price as part of your negotiations with the dealer, then you should not pay tax on it.
I know it may seem illogical since they are giving you the rebate off the top, but think about mail-in rebates. If you went to an appliance store and purchased a stove for $1,000 and received a 10% mail-in rebate, you would pay tax in the store on $1,000 and receive a check in the mail for $100. The state is still viewing your rebate similarly to the two separate transactions in this example.
I am sorry that I could not deliver better news. If you have any follow-up questions, please do not hesitate to ask and I will gladly assist you. If not, then please accept this answer with a positive rating. I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy your new vehicle!


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One of the most exciting developments of the digital economy is the ability to answer difficult questions and solve complex problems through the use of sophisticated tools. Cloud-based data and analytics platforms are a boon to organizations given the volume and variety of data, the speed with which a lot of data expires, and the variability of business people's need to tap into particular data sources at any given time. Sponsored by IBMRead More
…An amazing writer and storyteller, Abbie has the ability to extract the voice of the company and bring it to life in her work. This was especially important in the case study she wrote on the evolution of our company's culture. Abbie felt like a member of our team. Her professionalism and thoroughness stood out.
We worked closely with Abbie on an original research report investigating the role of the CIO at innovative companies. I have the highest respect and regard for her work.
Abbie has been a contributing editor to Harvard Business Review Analytic Services since 2010 and has led some of our most important projects on business transformation. Her understanding of the confluence of technology and business is exceptional.
Thought Leadership for a Digital Age
Lundberg Media delivers world-class thought leadership for executive audiences. With over 25 years' experience creating relevant, compelling content for C level executives, we help tech marketers cut through the noise with engaging content that customers and prospects value. Not sure where to start? We'll help you design a successful thought-leadership approach, with the right mix of content and timing. Services include:
- Consulting
- Research
- Writing
- Editing
- Podcasts
- Infographics
- Presentations and events
We cover the digital economy in all its aspects — how customers are driving change from the outside in, the impact of digitization on operations and business models, and how to lead most effectively in an increasingly open, connected and intelligence-driven world.
Contact abbie for your next thought-leadership projectContact Abbie
Content and Engagement.
Helping technology marketers connect with CIOs
I work directly with technology marketers to increase their insight into their customers' world. I also produce high-level content and lead events to help them build relationships with CIOs.
- Audience Insight
- Message Development
- Research & Analysis
- Case Studies
- Executive Dinners and Roundtables
- Working with the Media
Major Papers for Harvard Business Review Analytic Services
Harvard Business Review Analytic Services is an independent sponsored research unit within Harvard Business Review Group. HBR AS conducts research and comparative analysis on management challenges and emerging business opportunities. I've led over 20 research projects for them, typically on topics having to do with business technology leadership and digital transformation. Here are the most recent.
A wave of disruption is threatening businesses around the world, as new entrants with structural cost advantages and a "digital first" culture spring up in a wide range of industries. The new competitors offer solutions that are often simpler, cheaper, or more convenient for customers. They display the ability to leverage digital technologies to understand the customer, sense market shifts, and innovate faster than the competition. Sponsored by IBMRead More
In the connected economy, value is created through the technology-enabled links between people, machines, and organizations. But we are still in the early stages of the shift to the connected economy (CE). Less than a fifth of the roughly 700 respondents to a new global survey from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services say they employ CE business models, products, or processes to a significant extent today. But what exactly does it mean for a company to be among the CE leaders? Sponsored by IBMRead More
Over the next three years, cloud services will penetrate deeper into organizations' computing environments at an accelerated rate. Companies that take an ad hoc approach miss out on many of cloud's benefits and experience a variety of pitfalls. In this guide, we provide a framework for taking a more strategic, planned approach to cloud while still moving quickly. Sponsored by OracleRead More
The shift to a digital economy is creating a talent crisis that is putting companies survival—and CIOs' own careers—on the line. Competition for a finite pool of skilled technologists and IT leaders is sharply increasing as organizations of all types rely more heavily on digital technology. At the same time, the nature of the skills that organizations need in IT is changing. Sponsored by Red HatRead More
Customer experience (CX) has become a remarkably sophisticated discipline, according to new research from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services. Driven by tech-savvy customers, it requires new processes and organizational structures, and often the reorientation of an entire organization's culture. Creating an extraordinary customer experience depends on having the right people and skills in place to deliver and the right technology—from the analytics that provide customer insight to the applications consumers "touch" to the networks that support them. Sponsored by VerizonRead More
Digital business trends are having an enormous impact on organization's business models and the central role of great software in their ability to compete. In fact, two-thirds of respondents to a recent survey say that their company's future depends on the quality of their software.Sponsored by CA TechnologiesRead More
Marketing has transformed from a largely one-way activity of sending information about products and services to an ongoing exchange of information and insight among buyers, sellers, prospects, and partners. Today, it is less about promotion and more about engagement. Sponsored by SalesforceRead More
See all the HBR Research Documents.VISIT HBR ANALYTIC SERVICES
MIT Center for Information Systems Research projects
MIT CISR conducts field-based research on issues related to how companies will design themselves and manage for success in the digital economy. In a recent project, we explored how boards of directors are engaging with CIOs and executive teams around digital issues.


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Thu 4 Sep 2003
Thansk for the welcome. Yeah I applied earlier today - didn't think I
would get a response until tomorrow!
I'm supposed to be working, well I suppose I am - researching Don
Lenzer's wonderful discussion you guys had about on shooting in the
field etc...what a treasure trove of information.


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Welcome to E-Books Directory
This is a freely downloadable e-book.
Religious Perplexities by L. P. Jacks
Read this book online or download it here for free
Religious Perplexities
by L. P. Jacks
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton 1922
The first and greatest of religious perplexities, the source of all the rest, arises in the mysterious fact of our existence as individual souls. Our perplexities spring from the very root of life. Why are we here at all?
More Sites Like This
|Science Books Online
|Books Fairy
|Maths e-Books
|Programming Books


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Over the past few months, we have received, and reviewed, hundreds of submissions from mostly DIY artists and bands. In the coming weeks and months, we'll be sharing the best artists of the hundreds of submissions we've reviewed (and will continue to review) with you via a number of playlists series that highlight talented unsigned bands that deserve to be heard. This is the first volume of 5 DIY Bands to Watch in 2013.
Hemmingbirds – Chicago, Illinois
Riding on the success of their debut record, Death Wave, released in 2010, Chicago indie rock band Hemmingbirds began working on its follow-up early in 2012. Departing from the original solo writing process (attributed to band leader Yoo Soo Kim) of Death Wave, Hemmingbirds worked on their sophomore effort, The Vines of Age, collectively. As a result, the album marks a transition from the group's original folk- influenced sound into something heavier, noisier and more soulful.
"Line of Bones" – Hemmingbirds from The Vines of Age – Sept. 25th
"Toxic Noise" – Hemmingbirds from The Vines of Age
The Hemmingbirds Official Website
Jumpiter – Brooklyn, New York
Jumpiter is the musical project of Brooklyn solo artist Sean Schuyler, who writes and records in his 'cramped' apartment with the goal of channeling his "inner Jimmy Page to make some fun headphone listening." While any Jimmy Page comparison is way off from the reality, the two songs featured below are pretty good for a solo artist few have heard of. In November, Jumpiter self-released a self-titled fifth release, featuring a collection of hard-rock and power-pop songs touching on darkness and humor in songs like "Asbestos Of The Gods" and "Bugspray."
"Bug Spray" – Jumpiter from Jumpiter
"Asbestos Of The Gods" – Jumpiter from Jumpiter
Cloud Lantern – Albuquerque, New Mexico
From the magical desert southwest area of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Cloud Lantern blipped on our radar with their self-produced DIY release of the EP, Songs for Eluard. The band integrates post-punk, surf pop, garage rock, shoegaze and math-rock, and have become well-known within Albuquerque DIY indie rock scene. The new EP is a tribute to the poet Paul Eluard, whose contributions to the surrealist art movement are well-noted.
Cloud Latern's sound is risque, enthralling and accessible; the first single, "Backgammon," is a bright, sunny summer day, lo-fi surf pop track, featuring a driving drum beat, crashing cymbals, and lo-fi, surf rock guitars jamming away. The second single, "Pushkin Around," is yet another surf pop mixed with post-punk track that comes off very much like a noise pop or power pop track. The band most recent release was in July of 2012.
"Backgammon" – Cloud Lantern from Songs for Eluard EP
"Pushkin Around" – Cloud Lantern from Songs for Eluard EP
Website: Cloud Lantern's Official Website
The Jesus Rehab – Seattle, Washington
The Jesus Rehab is a Seattle DIY indie rock band that has its roots in southwest Michigan, where lead singer Jared Cortese and his brother, Dominic Cortese, began to write and record the songs that would later become the band's first EP, Scatterbrained in 2007. The EP was well-received, and the band extensively toured the Pacific Northwest, and also appeared at South by Southwest (SXSW) in 2010. The band's sound is marked by powerful vocals and driving rhythms which have led to comparisons to bands like OK Go, The Flaming Lips and Weezer, the latter being most apparent to us. Last April, they dropped their new album, Drunken Hillbilly Fight Bar, and sent us in these two singles.
"Long Way To Fall" – The Jesus Rehad from Drunken Hillbilly Fight Bar
"Carry You" – The Jesus Rehad from Drunken Hillbilly Fight Bar
Website: The Jesus Rehab Official website
Appalachians – Sacramento, California
Appalachians is a Sacramento DIY duo formed in 2010 by musicians Marshall Van Leuven and Trevor Dahl. The duo first met in a jazz band in the 6th grade, and have been making music together ever since. In addition to songwriting and singing, Van Leuven and Dahl play guitars, banjos, mandolins, washboards, among other instruments. In July of 2012, the duo dropped their debut album, The Rolling C's, featuring terrific songs like "Playing Pretend" and "Outro." We're looking forward to what the duo release this year; apparently, there is a new album in the works.
"Playing Pretend" – Appalachians from The Rolling C's
"Outro" – Appalachians from The Rolling C's
Listen to more tracks from Appalachians' Bandcamp page


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Research Topics
K Troy Harker
Affiliation: Dalhousie University
Country: Canada
Detail Information
- Impaired place navigation in place and matching-to-place swimming pool tasks follows both retrosplenial cortex lesions and cingulum bundle lesions in ratsK Troy Harker
Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Hippocampus 14:224-31. 2004..The results are discussed in relation to the anatomical organization of CG and RG projections to the hippocampus and with respect to their possible separate/conjoint contributions to spatial behavior...
- A reaffirmation of the retrosplenial contribution to rodent navigation: reviewing the influences of lesion, strain, and taskK Troy Harker
Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 4J1, Canada
Neurosci Biobehav Rev 28:485-96. 2004..The reconciliation of behavioural results following RS lesions strengthens the view that RS forms a part of the neural circuitry that underlies spatial navigation...
- Place and matching-to-place spatial learning affected by rat inbreeding (Dark-Agouti, Fischer 344) and albinism (Wistar, Sprague-Dawley) but not domestication (wild rat vs. Long-Evans, Fischer-Norway)K Troy Harker
Canadian Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alta, Canada
Behav Brain Res 134:467-77. 2002..In general, although nonspatial and spatial deficits were associated with both inbreeding and albinism, impaired spatial performance is not a necessary result of domestication...
- Variation in visual acuity within pigmented, and between pigmented and albino rat strainsGlen T Prusky
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1K 3M4
Behav Brain Res 136:339-48. 2002..Therefore, a consideration of strain differences in visual function should accompany the selection of a rat model for behavioral tasks that involve vision, or when comparing visuo-behavioral measurements across rat strains...
- Impaired spatial performance in rats with retrosplenial lesions: importance of the spatial problem and the rat strain in identifying lesion effects in a swimming poolK Troy Harker
Canadian Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, Canada
J Neurosci 22:1155-64. 2002....
- Assessment of visual working memory using event-related potentialsK Troy Harker
Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4J1
Clin Neurophysiol 118:2479-88. 2007....


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Product Information
A1 Refurbished Desktop
Presenting the Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e desktop designed for enterprise-class productivity, manageability, and reliability. This fully loaded desktop is available in tower, small form factor, and the tiny form factor. The tiny form factor is the industry's first 1L virtualization ready desktop with VESA mount support for multiple mounting options. Mount the Lenovo tiny at the back of a supported monitor, to save more desk space, and use the optional battery for system backup. Lenovo Enhanced Experience 3 with RapidBoot HDD Accelerator provides incomparable efficiency with quick start up on the latest Windows platform. Desktop connectivity is enriched with wireless and Bluetooth support in all form factors. Whether in a school or an office, the ThinkCentre M72e offers performance beyond expectations, quicker productivity, and legendary reliability.


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It is common to think these two share the same habitat, when they in fact don't.
– Polar bears live in the Artic (North Pole) and although most polar bears are born on land, they spend most of their time at sea.
– Penguins live mainly in the Antarctic (South Pole) but are also fond off the coast of Australia and as far up as the Galapagos Islands (the Ecuador).


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The 12th annual Baylor University Sacred Harp Singing is set for Feb. 9 in the Great Hall of Truett Theological Seminary. The singing will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a brief introduction to Sacred Harp singing. After a lunch break, singing will begin again and conclude at 3 p.m. All are welcome at this participatory activity. For more information, call (254) 772-5572.
The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor's College of Visual and Performing Arts and its art department currently are presenting Cross/Purpose, an exhibition of some of the many forms the cross has taken over the centuries and the purposes for which it has been used. Pieces in the exhibit range from the sixth century to the contemporary. The exhibition continues through Feb. 9. The exhibit hall is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
East Texas Baptist University will hold a preview day for high school seniors and college transfer students Feb. 14-15. Visiting students will spend the night in a dorm, socialize with current students, and visit with professors at breakfast and by attending classes. The event begins Thursday at 6 p.m. A $20 nonrefundable fee must be paid to register for the event, but if a student submits an application for admission during the event, the application fee will be waived. For more information, call (800) 804-3828.
Nora Lozano and Dinorah Méndez, scholars at the Baptist University of the Américas, contributed articles and commentaries to the Biblia de Estudio Mundo Hispano (Study Bible for the Hispanic World). Lozano wrote an article about the Bible and the priesthood of every believer. Méndez wrote the introduction and notes for 1 and 2 Timothy.
Mike Williams, professor of history, has been named Dallas Baptist University's outstanding faculty member for 2012. He began teaching at DBU as an adjunct professor and joined the faculty full time in 1995. He became dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences the following year. He teaches Baptist history, American church history, and Civil War and Reconstruction history. He is a member of First Baptist Church in Willow Park.
Howard Payne University's Baptist Student Ministry raised $3,513 for missions and left several HPU men with attention-getting facial hair. After a month of growing beards, the men spun a wheel that determined how their beards would be shaved, including half beards, stripes and more. Other students pledged money for the privilege of seeing the men in their innovative facial hair stylings.
Vicki House has been named interim vice president for enrollment management at Hardin-Simmons University. She also will continue to serve as executive assistant to the president. She is a member of Beltway Baptist Church in Abilene. Also, James Stone has been appointed interim executive director of marketing. He will continue to serve as HSU's director of church relations and Logsdon Seminary's director of placement and congregational relations. He is a member of First Baptist Church in Abilene.
Randy Perkins, 15th, as minister of missions/consultant at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Abilene, Oct. 1.
Richard Segars, 35th, as minister of education and administration, First Baptist Church in Graham, Jan. 1.
Greg Traylor, 10th, as pastor of First Baptist Church in Beeville, Jan. 5.
Scott Jones, fifth, as pastor of First Baptist Church in Rockport, Jan. 13.
Abel Almendarez, fifth, as senior adult pastor at First Baptist Church in Portland, Jan. 20.
Jeff Reid, 20th, as associate pastor at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Abilene, Feb. 1.
Family Deaf Church held a constitution service Jan. 26 at the site of its host congregation, Baptist Temple Church in San Antonio. Family Deaf Church was formed to reach out to the deaf and their families. John Richey is pastor.
Care to comment? Send an email to our interim opinion editor, Blake Atwood. Maximum length for publication is 250 words.


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You are reading the older HTML site
Positive Feedback
Sex, Drugs and High-End Audio- Part 1: The Good
"Dude, hemp speakers! Mary Jane for your ears! 420 foreva!!!!!1111" And on and on went a post by some pothead about my coverage of the Omega HempTone 8 speakers. Ah, the youth of America. What will become of them?
But I digress. If you don't know me, my name is Josh Ray, humble narrator of the audio gossip rag SonicFlare.com and this article is the first of many to come about a 20-something audiophile's view of hi-fi and its tenuous courtship with the unwashed audio ignorant masses. My simple goal with SonicFlare is to bring high-end audio to the iPod generation. Easy, right? Laughably difficult, but I sincerely believe a mass conversion can happen that will turn iPodders into audiophiles. Or, at least, into audio consumers rather than audio idiots.
So what is the iPod generation? For lack of a better description, iPodders are the "latest and greatest" generation, spending every last penny earned from midnight shifts at Starbucks on the newest MP3 players, video games and cell phones. We love cutting-edge technology and we're willing to do whatever it takes to get it. One would assume that would translate into audio equipment but, alas, the "foolish amounts of disposable income" generation doesn't even know hi-fi exists.
Let's talk numbers to see just why I believe there's a market for hi-fi. First, his High Apple Holiness Steve Jobs announced at the recent Macworld Expo that 42 million iPods and 850 million iTunes tracks have been sold thus far. Additionally, the iPod accessories cottage industry racked up an estimated one billion in sales over the holiday season. And that's only the iPod-centric world to say nothing for the car audio and home theater titans. Naturally, these consumers are all potential hi-fi customers. They are listening to the music which means the first great hurdle has been overcome.
Now, some will say it's impossible to turn these low-end consumers into tweaky audiophiles. After all, who cares about cabling, power conditioning or clear sound to begin with? I say it's absolutely possible and one need only look at Monster Cable and their empire built on convincing people to buy cable and power upgrades for their lack-luster systems. And let's not forget "Bigger Profits Through Advertising." Bose has a nice schtick and people eat it up to the tune of $1.5 billion a year. It's clear consumers are ripe for audio-specific marketing, but the high-end has yet to speak their language and take off the way it should.
But high-end audio has a high-end price, iPodders and Best Buyers can't be expected to drop high-end coin on a "worthy" system, right? Right, but if we take a look at the pop consumers a few years older, we see outrageous numbers of big ticket plasmas, sports cars and expensive threads flying off the shelves. BMW sold 1.3 million vehicles last year. Is it too much to believe more than 0.1% of BMW owners could spend a couple grand on an audio system? Not at all. The median home price in California surpassed $500k, the least expensive BMW is $30k and the most popular Gucci product ever is a $500 iPod case. Relative to their entire luxury investments over a few year period, a $5k system is chump change.
As for how the revolution will happen, it's hard to say, of course, but I've always wondered why musicians and actors are never identified with their high-end systems the way they are with cars, clothing and houses. We know they're rocking Wilson, Martin Logan, Linn or McIntosh so let's see it or, at least, read about it. Hell, 50 Cent has a new music video, why aren't his groupies grinding his Ferrari red Alexandrias? What, not phallic enough? And what about the musicians out there? Are they really content with letting people listen to their art through tiny plastic shoeboxes?
There are problems, of course, and no single spark will ignite the conversion. A mass public awareness campaign with a half billion a year would do the trick but, next to that, I can tell you what I'm doing at the grassroots level. First, I'm trying to perk the audio neophytes' interest in cool, unusual products while, at the same time, connect with the new school audiophile community from the open-source Positive Feedback Online to the hard-core underground of 6Moons. I've become involved with www.TheA5.com which is finally answering the age-old question: "if the tortilla industry has their own God-damn association (www.tortilla-info.com) why don't we?" iPods and MP3s are rapidly changing the music industry while the audio industry is in a massive flux of its own. The key is to get the two industries jamming in harmony.
Interestingly, the reaction to myself, my site and my cause has been mixed and very enlightening. There are those who, after hearing what I'm all about, say, "it will never, ever, ever, ever, ever happen." And then there are those who say, "Dude, iPod users! Tell them about high-end audio! 300B foreva!!!!1111" Who is right? Time will tell. But if the little outreach I've done so far is any indication, the world is ready to embrace hi-fi, hi-fi just has to embrace them back.
In my next column, I'll look at some of the major barriers to entry and potential ways to break them down. Stay tuned and send your ideas, comments or rants to email@example.com.


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Ichiro smirked at Oz then gave a little wink and smiled. "Of course I will..." He answered as he gently grabbed his arm and played along with Oz. "Just promise me you won't cut your hair," He joked as he softly kissed him on the forehead.
R.I.P. Rikki Tanaka.
1/1/96 - 10/3/13


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|Strength of Schedule Report
Articles Tagged Ben Sheets
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August 15, 2012 5:58 am
Ben Sheets comes up with a new way to describe routine soreness.
Every pitcher goes through the occasional "dead arm" period, most often early in the season. But when you've spent 345 career days (and two entire seasons) on the disabled list, the way Ben Sheets has, you need a stronger way to describe it:
August 7, 2012 6:00 am
Ben and Sam talk about the presents, futures, and contracts of two starters having interesting seasons: Cliff Lee and Ben Sheets.
Effectively Wild Episode 15: "Cat Fight"
Download Here (15 MB; 15:51)
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July 30, 2010 8:00 am
Injuries to trade-bait players wreck even the best-laid plans.
Injuries are never fun, even when they take their toll on teams you root against. There exists something unfair with regards to when they occur, as best-laid plans set forth at the onset of the season can spiral out of control if players counted on to contribute are literally unable to play the game. They can also come out of nowhere, a statement to which the Phillies will easily attest; arguably the healthiest team in the sport over the last two years, they have experienced situations this season when their backup shortstop needed his backup to play. Injuries can also have a compounding effect on team resources, especially if the bug-bitten player is costly; not only does the team lose his production and on the field, but his salary requirements could prevent them from acquiring an impactful replacement.
April 2, 2007 12:00 am
Full predictions and ballots for the senior circuit, plus who might be on their way to winning it all.
Yesterday we started our predictions miniseries with a look at the American League. Opening Day means that it's time for our National League and World Series picks.
Each author's division standings predictions may be found later in the article. Here, we present a wisdom-of-crowds summary of the results. In each table you'll find the average rank of each team in their division, plus the results of our preseason MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year voting. Coming off of their win on the season's inaugural night, BP likes the Mets to take the NL East again, and sees a three-team horse race in the Central.
This is a BP Premium article. To read it, sign up for Premium today!
August 3, 2006 12:00 am
Derek tackles a Sheets-Harang duel, and one pitcher gets the better of it in the return of Prospectus Game of the Week.
The Reds, who lead the wild card race and are within scratching distance of the Cardinals for the lead in the NL Central, started off the major trading by dealing their starting shortstop (Felipe Lopez) and their starting rightfielder (Austin Kearns) to the Washington Nationals for a gift basket of middle relievers--Gary Majewski, Bill Bray, and Darryl Thompson--along with infielders Royce Clayton and Brendan Harris. The big trade was an acknowledgment of the weakness of the Reds bullpen--even now, with their new, improved bullpen, the Reds are still tenth in the league in WXRL, and fifteenth in Adjusted Runs Prevented--and a decision to emphasize defense. Still, that doesn't change the fact that the Reds surrendered two youngish full-time position players, one of whom was an All-Star last year, for three no-name relievers and a couple of role players.
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April 1, 2005 12:00 am
We conclude our predictions with the National League, plus the staff World Series picks.
Yesterday we started our prediction miniseries with a look at the American League. Today we unveil our National League and World Series picks.
Each author's ballot may be found later in the article. Here, we neatly summarize the results. In each division standings table you'll find the average rank of the team, plus the standard deviation. The lower the standard deviation, the more in agreement the authors were about that team's place in the division standings. In our AL column, the Royals had a standard deviation of 0, meaning that all authors agreed they would finish last. We have similar consensus with the old/new Washington Nationals, also picked to finish last across the board. Such agreement is rare around here, and obviously means that both the Royals and Nationals will finish third in their respective divisions.
July 14, 2004 12:00 am
Welcome all to the results of the Baseball Prospectus Mid-Season Awards. The points system is 10-7-5-3-1 for the MVP and Cy Young Awards, and 5-3-1 for the Rookie Awards. BP authors' picks, with all-too-clever comments, are included here, below the awards standings. Hitters: Ballots, Points (1st Place Votes), (Avg/OBP/SLG/RARP/VORP) Pitchers: Ballots, Points (1st Place Votes), (ERA, IP, SNWAR or ARP, VORP)
Welcome all to the results of the Baseball Prospectus Mid-Season Awards.
The points system is 10-7-5-3-1 for the MVP and Cy Young Awards, and 5-3-1 for the Rookie Awards. BP authors' picks, with all-too-clever comments, are included here, below the awards standings.
July 12, 2001 12:00 am
(Numbers in parentheses indicate number of ballots on which the player appeared, then number of first-place votes received.)