text:
American Girls Book Club
Wednesday, June 29, 2011, 11:38 a.m.Palisades Library
American Girls Book Club
Read Molly's Surprise: A Christmas Story by Valerie Tripp.
The McIntire family faces a disappointing Christmas. Dad is off at war in England, Molly's grandparents can't come home for the holidays, and it looks like there won't be many exciting presents. Worst of all, the family hasn't heard from Dad for a long time, and they're worried.
But Molly decides they should make their own merry Christmas – a Christmas filled with unexpected surprises that would make Dad happy. Thanks to Molly, the best surprise of all is waiting for the McIntires on Christmas morning.
Recommended for ages 7-12.
Enjoy a lively book discussion, snacks and a craft.
Pick up a free copy of the book at the library.


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Scientists have been puzzled for centuries about what caused the sudden cooling of the earth some 12,800 year ago, a change so dramatic it led to the extinction of some plants, and animals in North, and South America.
A new scientific paper co-authored by a longtime UC Santa Barbara researcher provides new support for a controversial theory that an asteroid debris field caused a major climatic change over the course of a year.
KCLU's Lance Orozco reports the research team is finding tiny spheres containing exotic materials not normally found on earth which date back to the time period, which they believe were created by the asteroid debris field.
Click on link to listen to/download story: Mass Extinction Research

subset: commoncrawl


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Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Fluff, surprise your sweetie or little ones with a sweet treat for Valentine's Day breakfast!
You should know by now all of Jeremy's favorite foods. I know, I mention him a lot and what he likes. I can't help it, he is the one I cook for the most and I love making new treats to surprise him with.


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I was talking to one of my sisters the other day, and she mentioned that she hadn't had very good luck with the few Rachael Ray recipes she had tried. It's funny, because there are only a handful of her recipes that I haven't liked, and I've tried a lot of her recipes!! So I decided to go through what I had made to make a list of recipes I thought she should try. Before I even started looking through my past recipes, this recipe popped into my head. I had made it before, and I know at least one of my other sisters had tried it and loved it. And then I started craving it!! After pulling a couple of bell peppers from the garden, I decided that I should make this before the frost hits and I lose my basil plant, because buying this much basil any other time of year would break the bank!!
A few changes I made this time, using what I had on hand:
*I didn't use the Asian chili oil because I didn't have any. This made it so I lost the "spicy" aspect, so I just squirted on some Sriracha (which is what I did last time as well). But make sure if you do this to not use too much – that stuff is potent!
*I used a red bell pepper and a yellow bell pepper. Bounty from the garden!
*I left out the bean sprouts because I didn't have any.
See the first time I made this recipe here!
- 1½ cups jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon light vegetable or peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon Asian hot chili oil
- 1½ pounds chicken breasts
- 1 onion
- 2 red bell pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ¼ cup tamari (dark soy sauce)
- A few dashes Thai fish sauce, about 1 teaspoon or so
- 2 cups, about 40 leaves, fresh basil
- ¼ cup salted peanuts
- A handful of cilantro
- Cook the rice according to the package directions.
- Heat the vegetable oil and the Asian chili oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add to the hot oil and cook until no longer pink, 2-3 minutes. Push the chicken off to the side of the pan and add the peppers and onions. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, bean sprouts, and pepper and cook for another minute. Stir in the tamari and fish sauce. Wilt in the basil. Remove from the heat. Serve over the rice, garnished with the peanuts and cilantro.


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Dan Uggla was basically traded to the Atlanta Braves for scraps today, and the questionable competence of the Florida front office isn't even the scariest part.
To me, it's what this says about the trade market — specifically when it comes to Prince Fielder.
Both Fielder and Uggla are very good bats, perhaps even among the best at their positions. However, trade value for both was down because they're not great defenders, they're entering their final year before free agency, and they've rejected extension offers in the past. Nobody was expecting the Marlins to get a haul for Uggla, but you would think he'd net more than a utility infielder and a relief pitcher.
So why is this a problem when it comes to Fielder? Because as similar as they are, Uggla may just be more valuable than Fielder this winter — meaning Fielder could get even less if the Brewers were to trade him.
On the field, the production has been remarkably similar. Take a look at their Wins Above Replacement (measured by Fangraphs) year-to-year since 2006, the year Uggla broke into the majors and Fielder played his first full season:
2006 Uggla 4.0 / Fielder 1.3
2007 Uggla 2.4 / Fielder 5.3
2008 Uggla 4.5 / Fielder 2.7
2009 Uggla 2.8 / Fielder 6.9
2010 Uggla 5.1 / Fielder 4.1
Over the past five seasons, Uggla's compiled a total WAR of 18.9. Over those same five years, Fielder totals 20.2 WAR. What about Baseball Reference's version of WAR, which uses Total Zone for defense instead of UZR?
2006 Uggla 3.5 / Fielder -0.5
2007 Uggla 1.5 / Fielder 3.8
2008 Uggla 4.1 / Fielder 2.1
2009 Uggla 2.3 / Fielder 6.4
2010 Uggla 3.7 / Fielder 3.8
Uggla ends up with a career WAR of 14.9. Fielder ends up with a (full-season) career WAR of 15.6.
Statistically, Fielder's proven to be slightly more valuable over the past 5 years. Unfortunately for the Brewers, though, on-field production isn't the only thing coming into play when it comes to Fielder's trade value.
Uggla may not exactly hold up defensively moving forward, but he at least has the option of moving to third or first in the future. Fielder is already bad, and the perception is that his weight will become a problem as he gets older (note that I'm not saying this should hurt his value, just that the perception is there). The market also happens to be stacked with slugging first basemen — Adrian Gonzalez is likely to be traded, Albert Pujols will be in the same free agent class if no deal is struck, and teams looking for a fix via free agency have the likes of Derrek Lee and Aubrey Huff to fall back on.
Uggla had no such competition in the market, which makes the subpar return all the more puzzling. It's entirely possible that the Marlins just aimed low and this isn't a sign of things to come, but even if that's the case, it still potentially sets the market. A lot of people thought Fielder would be gone this past July, but it seemed like the seller's market scared Doug Melvin off and convinced him to wait a bit longer. Unfortunately, if the first few weeks of this offseason are any indication, it's even more of a seller's market than it was in July.
I'm sure I'll end up writing more about this over the next couple months, but for now, I'll just leave it at this — if the best the Brewers can expect in return for Fielder is the return the Marlins got for Uggla, I'll just take the compensation picks, thanks. No wonder Melvin came out the other day and said he wasn't shopping Fielder.


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Comparison of Tesio and LifeCath Twin Permanent Dialysis Catheters (VyTes)
This study has been completed.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: November 30, 2009
Last updated: May 12, 2016
Last verified: October 2011
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Detailed Description:
This study aims to compare two available types of central venous haemodialysis catheters (lines) - CVCs, and will examine how easy they are to insert, complications, blood flow on dialysis over time, line loss, line clotting and infective events. It will examine whether the LifeCath type of CVC can deliver high blood flow rates from first use after insertion and equivalent function and complication rate to the Tesio type of CVC that is in use in our centre already. Complications relating to dialysis access make up 30% of admissions for haemodialysis patients and so this is a study that could benefit patients and their care providers.
|Device: TesioCath Device: LifeCath Twin
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Comparison of Tesio and LifeCath Twin Permanent Dialysis Catheters
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: DialysisU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Achieving a blood flow rate>=450ml/min at first use after insertion [ Time Frame: First haemodialysis session after insertion ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Achievement of flow rates>=450ml/min at each dialysis session [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
- Line retention (either/both lumens) [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
- Infective episodes (catheter & non-catheter related) [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
- Catheter dysfunction requiring use of thrombolytic agents [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
- Complications at catheter insertion [ Time Frame: Day 1 ]
- Recirculation rates [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
|Study Start Date:
|October 2008
|Study Completion Date:
|September 2011
|Primary Completion Date:
|July 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Active Comparator: Tesio Catheter
Patients randomised to receive the established catheter type in use at our centre [control]
Device: TesioCath
Insertion of the TesioCath(TM) central venous catheter for haemodialysis vascular access
Other Name: BioFlex TesioCath (TM) - MedComp, Harleysville, PA, USA
Active Comparator: LifeCath
Patients randomised to receive the LifeCath Twin catheter - the catheter type being compared to the standard line in use at our centre (Tesio)
Device: LifeCath Twin
Insertion of the LifeCath Twin central venous catheter for haemodialysis vascular access
Other Name: Vygon LifeCath Twin - Vygon(UK) Ltd, Cirencester, Gloucs, UK
Detailed Description:
Complications relating to dialysis access make up to 30% of admissions in haemodialysis patients. Comparative studies of complications between dialysis lines can help physicians and patients choose the best CVC type. In addition determining a type of dialysis line that can deliver good blood flows from the outset can minimise length of hospital stay for access creation. This study aims to perform a head-to-head comparison of two very similar (twin catheter) dialysis lines and examine short and long-term function as well as complication rates at our centre.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age >=18 years old
- No history of prior central venous catheter insertion
- Medically fit for procedure (able to lie flat, no haemodynamic instability)
- No active infection (recent positive blood cultures, clinical signs of infection, CRP>100)
- Able to give informed consent
- Expected to survive more than 12 months after catheter insertion
Exclusion Criteria:
- As above
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01022359
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01022359
|United Kingdom
|Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
|London, United Kingdom, W12 0HS
Sponsors and Collaborators
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
|Principal Investigator:
|Neill Duncan, MBBS MRCP
|Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
|Study Director:
|Albert Power, MBBChir MRCP
|Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
More Information
Keywords provided by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
Duncan ND, Singh S, Cairns TD, Clark M, El-Tayar A, Griffith M, Hakim N, Hamady M, McLean AG, Papalois V, Palmer A, Taube D. Tesio-Caths provide effective and safe long-term vascular access. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2004 Nov;19(11):2816-22. Epub 2004 Aug 31.
Perini S, LaBerge JM, Pearl JM, Santiestiban HL, Ives HE, Omachi RS, Graber M, Wilson MW, Marder SR, Don BR, Kerlan RK Jr, Gordon RL. Tesio catheter: radiologically guided placement, mechanical performance, and adequacy of delivered dialysis. Radiology. 2000 Apr;215(1):129-37.
|Responsible Party:
|Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01022359 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|November 30, 2009
|Last Updated:
|May 12, 2016
Keywords provided by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust:
vascular access
central venous catheter
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
CKC designation announced at GREDF annual meeting
Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:30:49 GMT —
The Great River Economic Development Foundation held its annual meeting Wednesday night.
Mayor John Spring announced that the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission has approved designation of U.S. 36 as part of the Chicago to Kansas City or CKC Highway.
Outgoing GREDF Board Chairman Connie Schroeder gave a feature presentation that included highlights from the past year.


text:
Taurus PT709
View Single Post
December 30, 2012, 12:27 PM
tristar viper
Senior Member
Join Date: August 8, 2009
Location: Ohio
Posts: 889
Taurus PT709
First, I did a search and most threads I saw were quite old, from 2009 and 2010.
Has anybody
purchased one of these guns? Is it good, bad, etc. ?
I looked at one of these this morning after using the range. I have been looking at a few single stack 9mm's lately, and to be honest I would like to try another Taurus and I like this 709. The reason I'd like another is because I have a 738 that has been a totally phenomenal little gun for almost 2 years now.
Please provide any experiences you have, as long as it is with the most current version of the PT709.
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Hostelworld Tavsiyeleri
Bu hostele bayılıyoruz! Tutarlı bir şekilde yüksek müşteri puanları ve üstün kalite notlarıyla beğenimizi kazandı.
Sonuçları Karşılaştır
Xi'an şehrinde ne zaman kalmak istiyorsunuz?
Müsaitlik durumunu kontrol etmek için tarihleri girin.
- Müsaitlik ve fiyatları araştır
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En İyi Fiyat Garantisi
Herhangi bir web sitesinde daha ucuz bir rezervasyon bulursanız, farkı size geri öderiz.
Bayılacağınız hosteller
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7 Sages(Qixian)Youth Hostel
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Han Tang Inn Hostel
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Alley Youth Hostel
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Xi'an Xiangzimen International Youth Hostel
Xiangzimen International Youth Hostel
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Shuyuan is Xi'an's original backpackers' hostel, and though often imitated we're never duplicated.
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text:
by Joni Astrup
Associate editor
Peregrine falcons — the world's fastest bird — are nesting again atop Great River Energy in Elk River after a rocky start this spring.
The falcon pair that has been nesting at GRE for the last several years returned to the nesting box in early March. Four eggs were laid in mid-April.
But on April 22, the female falcon disappeared from the nesting box, according to Jennifer Howell, GRE external communications specialist. It's not known what became of her.
The male falcon attempted to incubate the eggs in the female's absence but he, too, eventually left the box, Howell said.
However, the male has since returned to the nesting box with a new female, a banded falcon named Dot. She hatched and was banded in June 2007 at Xcel Energy's Blackdog Power Plant in Burnsville.
Dot laid four eggs in the Elk River nesting box the week of May 11. They are expected to hatch around June 18, Howell said.
A "bird cam" keeps tabs on the nest box. To see the birds, go to http://www.greatriverenergy.com.
Great River Energy expects to have the young — called eyasses — banded the week of July 4.
This is the fifth year peregrine falcons are nesting at the GRE power plant, located at 17845 Highway 10.
A Boy Scout built the original nesting box as part of his Eagle Scout project in 2006. The box was replaced in 2010 as a local Elk River student's 4-H project.
Peregrines first nested at GRE in 2007. Since then 13 young peregrines have "fledged" or left the nesting box. The young birds were all banded, but Howell said none has been recorded anywhere. "We are keeping an eye out for them," she said.
GRE's Elk River power plant is a considered a desirable site for a nesting box because it is located in a peregrine falcon migratory flyway. The site, beside the Mississippi River, is also a draw because the birds prefer to nest in high locations near water, according to GRE.
The peregrine is the world's fastest bird. When it goes into a dive, it can reach speeds of 175 mph.


text:
Junior high students from across the Santa Clarita Valley gathered Wednesday to participate in bridge-building activities designed to promote positive interpersonal and group relations between students.
The activities were part of the city of Santa Clarita's annual Youth Summit, a collaborative effort between the city and the William S. Hart Union High School District. Students were selected from all six Hart district junior highs and from Castaic Middle School, with around 350 students attending the event held at the Santa Clarita Activities Center.
"We wanted to bring students together from all over the valley to see how much they have in common," said Greg Lee, the Hart district's coordinator of diversity. "We want them to then go back to their schools and become more engaged in efforts to build a strong supportive campus community."
Mayor Bob Kellar welcomed the students as they arrived, all wearing T-shirts reflecting the summit's theme: "Respecting Ourselves, Respecting Each Other."
Kellar encouraged the students to get involved with their community and reminded them that respecting themselves also meant respecting the environment at large and the community in which they live.
In addition to interactive activities, the students also heard from keynote speaker Keith Hawkins, who encouraged the students to show appreciation for the adults in their lives.
The day concluded with students meeting in their school groups to brainstorm ways to bring the energy and commitment of the day back to their own campuses. The goal of the summit is to encourage students to make sure all kids on local campuses are included socially and feel connected.


text:
Baylor's defense has its share of question marks but Linebacker is not one of them.
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From Our Friends
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For the crepes alone or for a dish that uses crepe with fillings, sauces, etc.?
How about a shrimp etouffee or gumbo in a crepe? That would work quite well for a brunch with cafe' au lait, beignets and mimosas.
Make a separate sauce with just the saucing without the shrimp to serve over the crepe stuffed with the sauced shrimp inside the crepe. Maybe sitting on a mound of rice or grits (polenta)
Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.
I posted a dessert recipe using crepes and used Julia Childs master recipe here it is:
I gave up on making crepes years ago and now buy from a local pastry guy (just asked and said "sure". I like sautéed mushrooms in a dark béchamel flavored with mushroom drippings...or fresh shrimp.
This isn't a crepe recipe. But an application of a crepe like savory batter. Very thin.
Using Steamy Kitchen's firecracker shrimp as starting point.
I didn't have egg roll wrappers and made very thin savory crepes, and use those instead to wrap and fry.
Wow! They crisped up wonderfully far much better than egg roll wraps. I've used with egg roll recipes now..a bit of work, but fantastic for egg rolls, especially with finally chopped green onions in the batter.
I use the one called basic crepe recipe from Epicurious. http://www.epicurious.com...
I wish I could get them more browned, but they were quickly eaten by my kids and husband. Filled with creamy homemade ricotta from food52 website, previously frozen blackberries and honey drizzled on top. We also did a savory one with mushrooms. I was able to make a huge plateful and kept it warm in the oven as I cooked. Good luck!
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text:
If you were a General Manger which player would you first as your franchise player.
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If you were a General Manger which player would you first as your franchise player.
I voted for Dwight Howard. He is only 23 with five years of service in the league and has yet to reach his prime.
LeBron is probably the only player in the league I would take over Howard.
Dwight Howard is a beast, but then again so is Lebron. Idk it is a tough one for me, but I take Howard. There just aren't that many big men these days anywhere near as prolific as him. Not to take away from James, but there are plenty of prolific scorers in the league.
"The greatest thing you know Comes not from above but below" Danzig
I love me some dominate center action.
Anyway, he is Superman!
...Still "flying casual"
LeBron is probably the better choice, but I don't think by a lot, and I just don't like the guy. BRB I gotta go practice my crab dribble.
I'm convinced that you and Peck do this just to taunt me.
This space for rent.
I'd just like to add I'd take Chris Paul over both... the best player at the most important position.
Im with HCPacersIN, bigs of Howard's magnitude just don't come around anymore.
Last edited by Roaming Gnome; 01-28-2009 at 03:07 PM.
...Still "flying casual"
Gotta' go with Howard. Dominant big men are too rare nowadays.
To call James a 'prolific scorer' is pure injustice. He's more than a scorer. He is a point guard. He can guard ANY position on the floor, he rebounds, he plays defense. He can post you up, he can shoot the 3 ball, take you to the rim. There isn't anything he CAN'T do.
Yes, there are plenty of scorers in the NBA, but there is nobody else like Lebron. I would take Lebron 10 times out of 10. Howards still needs good players to get him the ball in positions to score. Lebron scores without anyone's help as he can bring the ball up the court, AND is the one who can put the ball in players hands when they're in a position to score. Easy call.
-- Steve --
Steve makes me regret picking Howard.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. - Winston Churchill
If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning. - Catherine Aird
LeBron is a month over 24. Age doesn't factor into the equation. LeBron could average a triple double before all is said and done.
He's on the cover of this week's SI. Here's the story:
Chris Ballard
The Power of LeBron
There was a moment during last Friday's Cavaliers-Warriors game when it looked as if Golden State center Andris Biedrins, who is no small man at 6' 11" and 245 pounds, had been sucked out of an airplane hold, so forcefully was he sent flying backward. Biedrins was attempting to protect the rim when Cleveland forward LeBron James came charging down the lane in that straight-line, parting-the-waters manner of his. Gamely, Biedrins took to the air to try to block the shot, and then -- whoomp! -- next thing you knew he was hurtling onto his backside.
As for the 6' 8" James, he remained both on-balance and on-course, as if he'd merely hit a patch of turbulence on his solo commuter flight -- nonstop from basket to basket, departing 15 times nightly -- before rattling in a layup. Minutes later he took off again, only this time he toppled two Warriors, then threw down a one-handed dunk of surpassing violence. Afterward, Golden State forward Stephen Jackson described the perils of such encounters, "As big as he is, you hope he just doesn't run you over and give you a concussion."
And just how big is James, exactly? Well, that is a matter of intense speculation around the NBA. He came into the league in 2003 weighing 240 pounds and is listed at 250 in this year's media guide, but that number is clearly low. There are whispers that he goes 265; one report recently had him at 274. "He's at least 260, right?" guessed Jackson, who added that D-ing up James is like "guarding a brick wall."
In an attempt to settle the matter last week I brought a scale to my interview with James at a ballroom in San Francisco's St. Regis Hotel. He laughed, but didn't get on. "I can't let everybody know everything about LeBron," said James, who more than any other star understands the value of mystique. He did joke that he'd "gotten fat" -- this from a man with 5% body fat whose raised veins run like tiny interstates up his arms and calves -- then hemmed and hawed before confiding that he had gained eight pounds this summer "even though I was trying to lose 10." That said, a Cavs source puts James's weight "between 265 and 270."
Which, considering his extraordinary speed and skill, is staggering. There are plenty of centers who don't weigh that much, including Cleveland's own, 7' 3", 260-pound Zydrunas Ilgauskas. If Magic Johnson was the first big man to play like a point forward, then James is the league's first point linebacker. "He even makes reads like a football player," says Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan, who worked with James for the last three years on the national team. "And he has enough speed; he could probably play free safety." Imagine that coming up to hit you on a slant pattern over the middle.
It would be one thing if James were merely an athletic marvel, but his game has grown along with his physique. He's the primary reason the Cavaliers were an Eastern Conference-best 34-8 at week's end -- including 20-0 at home -- and, for the first time in James's career, a championship contender. Sure, credit also goes to coach Mike Brown, who was wise enough to delegate offensive and defensive game plans to his lieutenants this season, as well as 6' 1" Mo Williams, who is the diminutive Pippen to James's Jordan. But it all comes down to the guy who through Sunday was averaging 27.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 2.0 steals and three mother-of-God-did-you-see-that? plays a game. "You knew the Cavs would be good, but I didn't think they'd be this good," says one Eastern Conference scout. "I didn't think LeBron was going to improve that much, especially defensively. It's not usual to see a guy his age come back better and stronger every year. He really is a freak."
If so, then let us examine this freak who, it should also be noted, has scored almost 12,000 points and is barely 24. By taking the measure of the man, perhaps we can calculate his impact on the game. Consider this LeBronatomy 101.
Chest (XXL)
This is sure to exasperate scrawny teenagers toiling in weight rooms the world over, but despite his bodybuilder's physique, James has never really lifted. At least not the way a normal human would to develop such musculature. (Think heavy weight, low reps, lots of grunting and Metallica.)
Rather, James began working out seriously only last June. "He just messed around in the weight room and got by on raw strength his first few years," says Cavs trainer Mike Mancias, who oversees all of James's conditioning work. Even now, James eschews what he calls "iron-man championship lifting," such as the bench press, for core exercises, dumbbells and, starting last summer, yoga -- not that he was an easy convert. "I had to start with poses he wouldn't think were too goofy, if you catch my drift," says Mancias. Still, there was James at a hotel in Los Angeles last summer, busting out some downward dog by the pool in front of his fellow guests.
That James has gained weight is as much a mystery to him as anyone else. He doesn't gulp protein shakes or pound down extra carbs, instead eating three square meals (such as oatmeal, chicken, salmon) prepared by his chef, with the occasional candy snack in between. "It's kind of crazy," James says. "My body's, like, reversed."
Now James lifts every game day for 20 to 30 minutes, following a set routine. Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry attributes the new regimen to James's national team experience. "From a corporate sense, it's like those guys spent their summers sharing best practices," says Ferry. "If they have a meeting in the morning and Kobe Bryant comes in sweaty, LeBron's going to say, Holy s---, this guy's already working. That's what it takes."
Arms (Fine-tuned)
Just as Tiger Woods remade his swing when he was already dominant, James spent last summer quietly reconstructing his jumper, working with assistant coach Chris Jent five days a week, an hour and a half per session. If you watched James shoot last year, you know why; even though teams were petrified of his penetration, he sometimes looked like he was chucking pumpkins at the backboard. According to NBA. com, he hit only 37.1% of his two-point jumpers from the top of the key and the wings, which are the money spots for an off-the-dribble midrange shooter.
So James worked to develop what Jent calls a "calmer" shot. This meant better balance -- when firing on the move, James has to contend with the considerable momentum created by his weight -- and keeping his right elbow locked at his side so that, as James puts it, "the ball will go straight instead of veering off sometimes."
Like a pee-wee player, James began by putting up one-handed shots close to the basket. Next came one-dribble jumpers and free throws, then midrange shots. Remarkably, never once during the sessions did he fling a three-pointer. (Let's see you spend one hour at the gym and resist the temptation.) "He's so strong that he can shoot a jumper from half-court," explains Jent. "Form first, and the range will come."
The results are encouraging, if still indicative of a work in progress. At week's end James was shooting 43.8% on two-pointers from the top of the key and the wings. When he's hot -- as he was in the Cavs' 88-80 win at Portland on Jan. 21 -- he will hit a succession of deep one-dribble pull-ups that make him all but unguardable. "That's the shot he didn't have before," noted one Eastern Conference personnel executive at the game. "A couple of those I was like, 'No way,' but he hit them." Indeed, the jumpers, fading and daggerlike, were reminiscent of -- what's his name again? -- oh yes, Mr. Bryant.
Feet (Size 16)
Last summer Idan Ravin, a Washington, D.C.-based trainer whose clients include New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul and Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, worked out James and was struck by how quickly he covered ground. "Most players can go full speed from baseline to baseline in somewhere between 11 and 14 strides," says Ravin. "LeBron covers that in nine or 10."
This is especially valuable on defense. Draw a circle of, say, six feet around most players and this is how much space they can patrol -- call it their defensive radius. For James, that circle can become almost twice as big. "He can be all the way in the lane on that skip pass and still close out [on a shooter on the wing]," says Cavs assistant Mike Malone, the team's defensive coordinator. "And it's not a six-foot guy like me closing out, it's 'Holy crap, this is a big guy coming at you.' " He's become a lockdown guy too. In a Jan. 9 showdown with the defending champion Boston Celtics, James harassed swingman Paul Pierce into 4-of-15 shooting with five turnovers in a 98-83 Cleveland win. "He's leaps and bounds better on defense now," says one Eastern Conference scout, praising James's footwork, balance and understanding of schemes. "He's not trying to leak out for dunks anymore. I think before, that's what separated Kobe from him, but now LeBron has stepped it up to his level."
In essence James has become the coolest toy any defense-inclined coach could imagine. When the Cavs play the Hornets, for example, James can not only guard the 6-foot Paul, but he can also switch to 6' 9", 240-pound power forward David West on a pick-and-roll. "Instead of a little guy like Mo or Daniel Gibson, now it's LeBron switched on to West, and he can bang him," says Malone. "You know how tough that is for a team?"
Of course there are still lapses. Occasional Ball-watching. Losing his man on he weakside. Not crowding a shooter. "But then," says Malone, "he goes and does something ridiculous you could never teach a player." For example, according to the Cavs, James now has ten "chase-downs" this season -- that is, ten times he has caught an opponent on a breakaway in time to erase their shot, often, it should be noted, with great gusto.
Legs (Fast-twitchy)
At the NBA predraft camp six years ago, James's vertical leap was measured at 44 inches. Given that he estimates he gets about a foot higher jumping off one leg, that means that with a running start he could probably leap over your armoire without even turning horizontal. This, it goes without saying, is a useful basketball skill. For example, when asked what one part of James's game he would steal, teammate Wally Szczerbiak says, "That go-go Gadget calf muscle on his left leg."
This is not to imply James's two-foot jumping is subpar. A couple of weeks ago, with Cleveland depleted by injury, he jumped center against the Memphis Grizzlies, winning the tip against 7' 1" Marc Gasol. A week later he played center for nearly 12 minutes against the Hornets and held his own, which should come as no surprise considering what he did during the Olympics. "He would switch off on opposing centers and say, 'Don't worry about him, he ain't going anywhere," says McMillan. "Because he understands leverage, he would get underneath bigger guys so they couldn't move."
Midsection (Lots o' Crunches)
To explain James' uncanny body control, which emanates from his core, let us turn to teammate and LeBron aficionado Mo Williams. Asked the most remarkable thing he's seen James do, Williams chooses not a soaring jam or violent blocked shot but a loose ball early this season. "Most guys have to bend down, pick it up, and take their time to get up," says Williams. "In one motion, he dove down to the floor, scooped it up"- - and here Williams mimics a low pirouette -- "and without touching the floor he's back on his feet for one dribble and a dunk. In one motion."
Eyes (New and Improved)
Despite his estimable court vision, up until a year ago, James had trouble seeing certain things. Like, say, road signs. Growing up, James had horrible eyesight. "I was in the classroom, and I couldn't see the chalkboard, so I had to move to the front. I couldn't see a sign three blocks down. I couldn't see a lot of stuff."
So, obviously, he got glasses, right?
"Nah," he says with a sheepish smile. "My pride wouldn't let me."
Thus during high school and his first five years in the NBA, James operated in something of a haze, which must make all the players who got torched by him feel great. Only James claims it never affected his game. "I could see everything on the court. I never had a problem with here" -- he holds his hands to the side of his head, indicating his peripheral vision -- "it was right here in front that I had the problem."
Then, a little over a year ago, James got Lasik surgery. Now, as he puts it, "it's kind of cool, because I can see stuff in the distance. I'm like, So that's what that is! Pressed, he admits it's probably improved his on-court performance too, saying, "Well, I have gotten better."
Hands (Flinging It)
They measure 9 1/4 inches from the bottom of his palm to the top of his middle finger, and he's been able to palm a basketball since the 10th grade. This allows him not only to wave it around if he so pleases on drives but also to grab a disproportionate number of one-handed rebounds. It also enables him to throw passes with astonishing velocity. "At first I had to get used to it because he'd surprise me," says Szczerbiak. "He'll be on the other side of the court and -- bam! -- the ball's right in your shooting pocket."
The Cav catching many of those passes this season is Williams, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team trade last August. That Williams is a point guard with a shooting guard's mentality is O.K. by James, who says he loves that Williams "has confidence and doesn't hesitate." That Williams is accurate doesn't hurt either; according to 82games.com he was third in the NBA this season in two-point jump shot accuracy (49.4%). The result: James finally has the sidekick he's longed for. "Every night I go out on the court, I know there's a guy I can rely on to make things happen for the team and himself and for me," says James. What he does not add is, It's about time, but no one would blame him if he did.
Brain (Like a CEO's)
As physically gifted as James is, Ravin says his "soft skills" might be his greatest asset. "He's so engaging and able to command so much attention and respect that people will mimic him," says Ravin. "That's very powerful, especially in a league of guys trying to fit in."
This season, James is even more vocal. He cajoles, he ribs, he commands, all with his coach's blessing. During huddles James suggests plays, and on the floor he has the freedom to change defensive matchups. So when you see James switch onto an elite scorer like Bryant or Blazers guard Brandon Roy, it is his decision, not Brown's.
James's knowledge of the game is such that McMillan thinks he could coach one day. Then again, as McMillan notes, "When you have that type of mind and then the talent that he has, he could do pretty much whatever he wants."
And that's the really scary part. At age 24 James is already one of the two best players on the planet while remaining far from a finished masterpiece. (The other, the 30-year-old Bryant, is pretty well-refined at this point.) "We saw him grow up from 18 to 24," says Ferry. "And we're going to see him change again from now until 30. We just don't know how."
Even James can't help but marvel at his potential sometimes. "If I'm just getting my man-strength now," he says, "I don't want to see me at 32."
Me neither LeBron. Me neither.
Last edited by BRushWithDeath; 01-28-2009 at 03:23 PM.
"I had to take her down like Chris Brown."
-Lance Stephenson
My current order would be:
LeBron - He does everything. Best player in the league right now, most complete player since Magic Johnson. He's so much more than just a scorer as someone tried to say above.
Howard - A dominant big man is very, very rare. He's only 23, and still has room to get better than he is right now, which should be utterly scary to the rest of the league. He understands the importance of rebounding and works to be the best in that area.
And I'll add one more that should be thought about for a case like this:
Chris Paul - Best point in the league. Great point guards are only slightly less rare than great big men. He helped turn the Hornets around in just two years. You don't see those types of changes in a team culture that quickly very often. A player like Paul makes all of your players better and is extremely valuable.
I know LBJ is more than just a scorer, but there are also other great scorers in the league that can do a variety of all the attributes that James possesses. Howard is in a class of his own right now imo. Again, as I said in my original post, I don't mean to take anything away from Lebron at all.
"The greatest thing you know Comes not from above but below" Danzig
What are you talking about? Yeah, there are some scorers that can rebound like Lebron (PF's) and scorers who can pass like Lebron (who play PG), but there is no single package anywhere near anything like Lebron. Lebron is much more in a class of his own than Howard is.
That, and Lebron can take over a game in the final minute. Howard you can NOT trust to do so. They'll just foul him and put his 58% FT shooting *** on the line.
This isn't even a close debate. It's Lebron, then everyone else.
-- Steve --
I voted for LeBron too. Lebron can do it all and although Howard is a dominant Center, he's not very good at creating his own shot and he doesn't deal with double-teams that well. I'm sure he'll get better at both of those aspects but LeBron can already do everything, other than block shots, better than Howard.
LeBron. Not even close.
i roll with maragin
I can't believe people are even considering this. Thank you for stating the obvious.
Lebron is the best offensive player in the league right now and the best defensive player in the league right now.
It isn't close, the only logical comparison is Kobe and Lebron with ages taken out of the mix and I'd still chose Lebron any day of the week and twice on Sunday.


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BBC Review
Four Swedish chaps who decided that admiring a Picasso statue was a bit boring...
Ben Ashmore 2007
Let me introduce you to the picturesque Swedish town of Krstinehamn. Described as a 'summer idyll' by its very own tourism board this little known fishing town boasts a 15 meter Picasso statue, the oldest rune stone in the country, a respected folk museum, oh, and brutal metallers Memfis: Four Swedish chaps who decided that admiring the Picasso statue was a bit boring and decided to spend their time crafting surprisingly good metal tunes.
Memfis, aware of the pitfalls of metal-by-numbers, deftly step around the carcasses of wannabe Satan-botherers and deliver an impressive album that calls up images of the much-lauded Dillinger Escape Plan. Each track has been crafted perfectly to deliver some viciously fast thrills, melodic funk, trippy pyschedelia – which seems to have been borrowed from fellow Swedes, Dungen – and some good old fashioned industrial rock – with some head nodding towards Rammstein. All coming in at just 3 minutes.
Often when a metal band attempts to switch between styles during one song they can often produce a track that sounds cobbled together. The brilliance of Memfis is in the fluidity of their songs. Take ''Forever Discounted'', which starts off as early Brand New then decides to change into some impressive heavy metal before breaking down into Iowa-era Slipknot and finally ending in a piece of music which calls up images of the Vangelis soundtrack to Blade Runner.
Exciting things lie ahead for Memfis. It seems that for heaviness of quality, on just has to look north...


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SSH: Permission denied, please try again.
Hi all,
i'm having problems with ssh. I have many hosts in a private subnet, and all this hosts have to access a host with a public IP outside the subnet. i've done the correct forwarding in a PC-router which is the default gateway. Every host in the subnet can access the other host with public IP with ping command.
The problem is that some host can do ssh to that public IP properly, but other host, after enter the correct password cannot access the machine:
root@xxx's password:what do you think is goig on?
Check in /etc/ssh/sshd_config if you got PermitRootLogin yes
But remember it is not to safe. It is better to login as normal user and then use su :)
/etc/ssh/sshd_config is all comented, but like i said before, from some machines i can login as root via ssh and from others i cannot. maybe a problem with pam? i don't know what to do!!!! :(
Not a problem with PAM. If you had a problem with PAM, _none_ of the hosts would be able to login.
Not a problem with the firewall / port forwarding. In either case you wouldn't get the login prompt either.
Have you checked if you can login as a different user from these hosts?
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:56 PM.


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She's tired of taking a backseat to divorced men's children
Q: Am I a big whiny baby with unreasonable expectations, or are most men in Washington state cavemen who know more about deer and salmon than they do about women?
I'm highly educated and sophisticated, and date guys who earn as little as $60K to doctors, lawyers, and multimillionaires. They all have one thing in common: Once divorced, they are guilt-driven, and put their kids first — and sometimes, their ex second. It has been as ugly as my sitting in the backseat of the car because the kid sits with Daddy in front. I do not believe they would do that to their first wives.
I have always believed a significant other should be No. 1 because that's the person who will be with you long after the kids are gone, and that's how I treat my SO. What is the deal with these wimpy guys who feel sorry for their kids because of the divorce?
The Insignificant Other
A: How do your kids like taking the emotional backseat to your significant other du jour?
The daddy who assigned you the actual backseat was being ridiculous. But your citing that example (and sophistication)?) to justify having such unapologetically selfish priorities verges on the perverse. These "first wives" are the kids' moms.
I would think I'm being set up here, yet that kids-will-be-gone mind-set has surprising tenacity. So I will spell out my objection: When you trade in doctor for millionaire, Doc is gone. When your children grow up and move away, they're still your children.
And they will be carrying around, as it happens, priorities you taught them. These men you ridicule aren't responsible just for feeding, clothing and sheltering their kids; they also need to guide them to a firm sense of responsibility, of purpose, of self.
Certainly you don't want to create outsize senses of entitlement — by, say, granting kids too much power over adults,.
However, I doubt you'd have wanted this message from your mommy: "I need to look out for No. 1 here, so please amuse yourself while I concentrate on this man I'm auditioning."
A preference for the company of deer and salmon is starting to make some sense.
Friends like you for who you are, not what you have
Q: In my former life I was a real party animal and always up for anything, anytime! However, now that I am in law school, I am no longer able to act with abandon.
My friends from undergrad and fellow law students do not seem to appreciate how poor I am. They keep asking why I am "no fun" anymore. I tried playing it off, but got so sick of the questions that I started telling the truth. How am I supposed to get through this with friends on the other side?
Poor Law School Student
A: The truth! Blimey.
You liked you as a free-spending party beast. And why not?
But building a self-image on ephemera like money is, as you've discovered, a fine way to find yourself broke and in need of a different self-image.
Good people seek out friends for their kindness, conversation and generosity of spirit. You already know this; now you just need to believe it.


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Community features include discussion lists, administration tools, membership information, and community activity counters. All of this is available by default on community sites (e.g., those sites built with the community site template). But you can integrate these same community features on team sites, records sites, project sites, and so on. This article shows you how.
Important: SharePoint community cannot be activated in Office 365 Group Connected sites.
Why add community features to your site?
Let's say you have a team site that is actively used by employees in your organization to store project files, update vacation calendars, and so on. Because employees are already comfortable using the team site and are accustomed to going to it for all job-related information, and because the team site has a lot of valuable information that you don't want to have to migrate to a new community site, you decide to add community functionality so your employees can take advantage of the discussion, moderation, and reputation features. An added benefit is that you don't have to create or manage a separate site.
Adding community features is a two-step process. First, you activate them; second, you add them to your sites. You must be a site admin or site collection admin to activate or deactivate community features.
Activate community features
From the top level of your site collection click Settings > Site Settings.
On the Site Settings page, under Site Actions, click Manage site features.
On the Site Features page, scroll down to Community Site Feature and click Activate.
Deactivate community features
From the top level of your site collection click Settings > Site Settings.
On the Site Settings page, under Site Actions, click Manage site features.
On the Site Features page, scroll down to Community Site Feature and click Deactivate.
Caution: If you delete individual discussion lists from the community after deactivating it and then reactivate the community, your site will not function as expected. You'll either have to delete all lists or delete no lists if you plan to reactivate the community at some later date.
Available community features
Once community features are activated, you'll have a new set of pages in your Site Pages library: Home, Members, Categories, and About. All of these pages are listed for you in the Quick Launch. You'll also see a new set of web parts in the web part gallery. You can add these web parts to your team site pages just like you would add any other web part. This table describes the web parts that come with community feature activation:
Web Part
About this community
Displays the community description and other properties, such as established date.
Enables non-members to join the community. The button hides itself if the user is already a member.
My membership
Displays reputation and membership information for the current visitor of a community site.
Provides community owners and administrators with quick links to common settings pages and content lists for managing a community site.
What's happening
Displays the number of members within a community site.
Add community features to your site
Navigate to the page where you want to add one or more community features.
On the Page tab, in the Edit group, click Edit Page.
Scroll down the page until you reach the location where you want to insert the community feature and click Add a Web Part.
In the Categories list click Community.
In the Parts list click the desired web part.
In Add part to, select the location for the web part. Choices are Top, Left, and Right.
Click Add.
On the Page tab, in the Edit group, click Stop Editing.


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Long Realty Housing Reports
Real estate is local. Market conditions can vary greatly by area and price point. Find out how the market is doing by you with our Long Realty Housing Report.
These videos provides a quick overview of the latest real estate trends.
For detailed information in any specific area of Arizona, please view the housing reports above or contact me.
Tucson and Southern AZ Housing Report Video
Tucson and Southern AZ Housing Report Video
A low supply of homes for sale coupled with an increase in buyer demand, especially at price points under $350,000, is the story this year throughout most of Arizona. Multiple offer situations and homes selling quickly at these price points means that buyers should move quickly and with confidence. Read more...
Tucson and Southern Arizona Mid-Year Market Report
Phoenix, Central and Northern Arizona Mid-Year Market Report
5 Reasons Why You Should Not For Sale by Owner!
In today's market, with home prices rising and a lack of inventory, some homeowners may consider trying to sell their homes on their own, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). There are several reasons why this might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers.
Read More
Our "In Touch with
Real Estate"
Get monthly email updates on the market plus buying, selling and living in Arizona.


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May 12th Releases
Some great films are coming out this weekend. All three are filled with suspense and drama. Your choices for the week are:
Taken: "I don't know you who you are. I don't know what you want. If you're looking for a ransom, I can tell you, I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills acquired over a very long career in the shadows, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you. And I will kill you."
With these chilling words to a member of a band of kidnappers, former government operative Bryan Mills begins the longest 96-hours of his life – and the hunt for the fearsome organization that has taken his daughter Kim.
Mills had only recently given up his government career as what he calls, a "preventer" – "I prevented bad things from happenings," he says – to be near Kim, who lives with Bryan's ex-wife Lenore and her new husband. To make ends meet, Bryan joins some former colleagues for special security details (like guarding a pop diva), but most of his time and energy are spent re-connecting with Kim.
Bryan's familial goal is nearly derailed when Kim requests his permission to spend time in Paris with a friend. All too aware of the dangers that could lie ahead for Kim in a foreign land, Bryan says no, but Kim's disappointment leads him to very reluctantly relent.
Bryan's worst fears are realized when Kim and her friend Amanda are suddenly abducted – in broad daylight – from the Paris apartment at which they've just arrived. Moments before Kim is dragged away by the as yet unseen and unknown assailants, she manages to phone Bryan, who begins to expertly piece together clues that will take him to the darkness of Paris's underworld, and to the City of Light's plushest mansions. He will face nightmares worse than anything he experienced in black ops – and let nothing and no one stop him from saving his daughter.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans: Explores the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires known as Death Dealers and their onetime slaves, the Lycans.
Passengers: After a plane crash, a young therapist, Claire (Anne Hathaway), is assigned by her mentor (Andre Braugher) to counsel the flight's five survivors. When they share their recollections of the incident — which some say include an explosion that the airline claims never happened — Claire is intrigued by Eric (Patrick Wilson), the most secretive of the passengers. Just as Claire's professional relationship with Eric — despite her better judgment — blossoms into a romance, the survivors begin to disappear mysteriously, one by one. Claire suspects that Eric may hold all the answers and becomes determined to uncover the truth, no matter the consequences.


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Program and Lodging:
Day 1: Arrival – Welcome at Faro / Lisbon airport.
1:00 hour drive to Lagos (3.00 hours from Lisbon). Lodging in a typical Algarve building 4* Hotel with swimming-pool, that epitomizes the Algarve culture, with blue and white corridors which link the rooms, patios, restaurants and bar .
Day 2: Hike Lagos to Luz Beach (13 km, +450 m).
Start your walking in Lagos by the old and narrow streets getting to the sea. You can still see evidence of the wall surrounding the town for protection. You follow an amazing coast line to Ponta da Piedade where you will find fantastic sceneries of cliffs, caves and rocks with an amazing mixture of colors! From above the sea you will see the small town of Luz where there is a beautiful beach of fine and golden sand. Lodging in nice 4* Hotel with swimming-pool and gardens, close to the sea and to the beach.
Day 3: Hike Luz to Salema village – (13 km, +400 m).
On this day you will find some small fishing villages and some abandoned fortresses which remind us of the time when this coast was ravaged by pirates! In Salema you can enjoy the beach and the tasty local gastronomy based on fresh fish from the ocean. Night on a Guest House close to the beach, inside the typical village of Salema.
Day 4: Short car transfer and Hike from the Typical inland villages to Salema – (9 km, +150 m) or (16,5 km, +300 m).
This is your rest day in Salema, or not; you have the possibility to discover some typical inland villages and an amazing stone pine wood. Night on the same hotel as day before.
Day 5: Hike Salema to Sagres (16,5 km, +700 m, difficult terrain) or transfer by car to Zavial and hike to Sagres (11 km, +300 m, moderate).
This day is the most spectacular in natural beauty! Deserted secret beaches with lagoons and a coast line almost untouched by Man, a landscape of rare beauty which is discovered while you walk along trails on the cliffs. Finally you get to beautiful Baleeira Bay, with an amazing beach of fine sand and five small islands which give this place a unique charm! This is where you will stay the last two nights of your program. Lodging in a 4* new hotel with swimming-pool and beautiful views over the sea.
Day 6: Hike Sagres to Cape S. Vicente – (14 km, +200 m). Transfer back by car to Sagres.
On the last walking day you will walk along the high cliffs of Sagres and to Cape S. Vicente - the place where the land ends and the sea begins! Sagres is the south-westernmost point in continental Europe and the place from where our brave forefathers sailed on their caravels seeking new peoples and continents five centuries ago! Lodging in the same 4* new hotel.
Day 7: Departure – Farewell at Faro / Lisbon airport. 1.30 h drive to Faro airport. (3.30 h to Lisbon).
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text:
JERUSALEM (Dec. 28)
President Zalman Shazar kindled his Chanukah lamp this evening with a torch carried to his home here by relay runners from Modi'in, gravesite of the Maccabees. In all, more than 5,000 youths and sportsmen participated in the traditional Chanukah relays today, or- ganized by the Maccabee sports organization. The racers carried torches from Modi'in to the principal cities and towns of the country.
Chanukah lights were kindled at the West Wall Tuesday night, site of the Temple in Old Jerusalem, for the first time since the second century when the Holy City was last under Jewish control. A huge menorah, set up on the site, was kindled by Dr. Zerah Warhaftig, Minister of Religious Affairs. Other torches, kindled at Modi'in, gravesite of the Maccabees, were flown from Lydda Airport to 33 countries around the world where they were received by youth organizations and representatives of Zionist groups and Jewish communities.
The kindling of the lights at the West Wall, an act believed last carried out when Bar-Kochba and his warriors were defending Jerusalem against the legions of Rome, coincided with announcement of the discovery of a stone slab said to be part of the southern wall of the Second Temple which was destroyed by Titus in 70 A.D. The existence of a southern wall was long suspected but digging began only recently. Some rabbinical authorities say the southern wall is as holy as the Western Wall.


text:
Yes, Learning
"While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die." (Leonardo da Vinci)
WO. This is an excellent thread to read. Chock full of good stuff. I have always had a really goofy take on death and how it connects to learning. I never thought of death as a bad or scary thing. It's just the next step in where ever it is we're all headed......It's the only thing we are ALL guaranteed to experience! So I think if we embrace as much knowledge as possible and learn all we can about as much as is possible for us then maybe death leads to somewhere even cooler then where we are. For me death is like the last big surprise to look forward to. I know how odd that sounds. I've never been suicidal either...just accepting that it waits up ahead like a future turn on life's road.... :)
awaaa thanks.... :)
This is a wonderful quote really made me think , I think I feel the same way . I will die that is a fact , if I must then I want to be able to die knowing I have made something worthwhile of my life . That I have reached out to as many people as I can and helped whenever I could, that I have loved my family and friends the best I could . That I have shown compassion and empathy wherever possible and that I leave the earth trying my hardest to have left no scars behind me , that no one will think on my memory with anger or hurt. Knowing this I make my path , walk down my road of life with always this thoughts in mind . Therefore I am learning how to die .
A very good quote. I understand becuase for a while I was learning how to die. So that quote really rings a bell with me.
I may be wrong but i feel this is a relevant quote to add. I love to look back on these words as well.

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered "Man.... Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."
I have to agree but for the most part I think people in general have a tendency to take the easy way out. In the sense of they need to be told how to be happy instead of looking for it within themselves. Everywhere we turn we are force fed images and ideas that we need this or that to be happy in return you are never content with what you currently have and you fail to miss the little things that make life so special and unique to us all. Dalai Lama's words here are a great way to bring us back to the reality of things.
If to live is to die, or if. . . to die is to live. . . then I should know what should be worth living or dying for. "Self denial" is all I could come up. . . I might as well seek to have what's for my children's happiness first, before embarking to the unknown.