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At 11 on a December morning, Gregg Housh, a 34-year-old computer engineer from Boston and an Internet activist associated with Anonymous—the loosely affiliated organization of hackers whom the media has variously called "domestic terrorists," "an Internet hate machine," and "the dark heart of the Web"—takes my call as he is preparing to make an appearance on CNN. "You're the 35th media person to call me this morning!" Housh booms in jubilant tones, noting I am not from "England or Australia," like many of the others. Though Housh disavows any illegal activity himself, he expresses surprise that he hasn't heard from the F.B.I., which is currently looking to capture patriotic and well-intentioned Internet heroes such as he—ones who might have knowledge of how, exactly, the Web sites of MasterCard, Visa, and PayPal were brought down after they shut off any donations to WikiLeaks processed through their organizations. "The government knows where I am if they want to find me," he says. "I'm here!" That's more than can be said for most members of Anonymous, who are, appropriately enough, staying anonymous, hiding their I.P. addresses in Internet Relay Chat rooms and posting under deadpanned handles like Coldblood and Tux, the latter a possible shorthand for the group's logo, which features a man in a tuxedo, sans head.
The Pirate Bay's first run-in with the law (Steven Daly, March 2007)
The founding fathers of cyber-crime (Bryan Burrough, June 2000)
Julian Assange, WikiLeak's dark master (Sarah Ellison, February 2011)
In the past couple of months, though, this group—previously best known for wearing Guy Fawkes masks and cavorting to techno music in front of Scientology churches while holding up signs that say things like honk if you are driving a car and don't worry, we're from the internet—has become very famous indeed. The "hacktivist" drama would end, or at least pause, with an international manhunt for 40 teenagers and twenty-somethings by the F.B.I. and the London Metropolitan Police at the end of January, with search warrants executed and computers seized. But before Christmas, they were just trying to defend Julian Assange, their brother in "haxx," who was in jail in England awaiting extradition on possibly trumped-up charges of sex crimes (women's rights, in this group, not being a prime subject), while several companies had shut off the nutrients WikiLeaks needs for survival—not only financial ones but also server space and domains. (WikiLeaks had to register on the Web with the Swiss Pirate Party.)
That was not cool. Anonymous needed to take care of that. "Corporations should not bow to government pressure," explains Housh. "Government is supposed to be there to do simple things to make people happy, and that's all." Bam! On December 8 they shut down MasterCard for 37 hours. Blam! Visa down, for 12 hours. Zop! PayPal … well, it didn't go down except for the blog, but at least Anonymous's attacks made the site run a lot slower. They also shut down the sites of a Swiss bank, Senator Joe Lieberman (after he prodded Amazon to kick WikiLeaks off its system), and the Swedish prosecutor investigating Assange's alleged sex crimes. "Freedom of expression is priceless," Anonymous crowed on their Twitter page. "For everything else, there's MasterCard."
All it took to accomplish this was spreading the word to other computer geeks to activate a loic, or "low-orbit ion cannon," which sounds like some sort of Star Wars fantasy but in reality is merely a piece of software that, once downloaded, allows Anonymous to take over control of your computer. The computer is then turned into a volunteer zombie, making requests for access to Web sites, like MasterCard.com, that can't handle the amount of incoming traffic and consequently get knocked offline (that's called a DDoS attack, a distributed denial of service, for the nerds out there). DDoSes aren't the most complicated hacks—Slate tech columnist Farhad Manjoo compares them to the "Mean Girls-esque trick of having your friends prank-call your loser enemy all night long to tie up her phone"—but a Web site, for most companies, is like hanging a shingle, and when someone uses a sledgehammer to knock your sign down, it creates great discomfort and fear in the mind of the owner.
During those heady days of early December, at least 50,000 people signed on to be part of the Anonymous army, joining in the grand disruption of the global wheels of commerce (er, kind of … these sites may have gone down in the DDoS attacks, but it's not as though actual MasterCards didn't keep working perfectly at the checkout). "I guess you could call it an army, but I wouldn't," says Housh, unfurling another telephone monologue. "Anonymous isn't an army, or a group, per se. There aren't members. Anyone who uses the loic is Anonymous, which means that anybody at any time in their lives can become Anonymous. Anonymous is nobody and nothing and nowhere." He laughs a little, somewhat ghoulishly. "For all I know, you downloaded the loic, too—you've never proved to me you didn't—so you might be Anonymous, too."
If you've spent any time in Internet chat rooms, you've probably come across the saying "Don't feed the trolls." That means that you're not supposed to shower any sort of attention, neither praise nor wrath, and definitely not CNN coverage, on the Internet's top troublemakers, those flame-throwing, drama-producing, forum-obsessed kids with an excess of both computer savvy and time on their hands. Right now, though, the trolls are getting really well fed, though whether they're also involved in a reputable practice of civil disobedience is a worthy subject of debate.
In the Internet underworld, trolls are known for such socially and technically juvenile high jinks as posting chauvinistic statements on feminist blogs, but some of them are also "script kiddies" or even "elite hackers." Anonymous is attractive to these people, and they have participated in recent Anonymous actions like taking down the Web sites of the governments of Tunisia, Iran, and Egypt. A high-level attack, by someone with master's-degree-caliber computer skills, was also directed toward the demimonde gossip site Gawker, which experienced one of the worst hacks ever perpetrated on a media company. Hackers stole the passwords to Gawker's employees' e-mail accounts, along with 200,000 unencrypted commenter passwords, their source code, internal e-mails, and chat logs—then dumped this information on the Pirate Bay (the Internet's biggest aggregator site for downloading TV shows and movies for free). "Your empire has been compromised, your servers, your databases, online accounts and source code have all been ripped to shreds!" wrote the group, calling themselves "Gnosis," in a note to Gawker. "Fuck you Gawker, how's this for script kids?"
For a long time before all this (at least on the Internet continuum of time), the trolls had been relatively well contained. Their main hangout was [MyHemorrhoids.com](">4chan.org, a heavily trafficked "image board," which is a regular bulletin board, like one you might use to argue about politics or trade tips on yoga retreats, but with a few key differences. 4chan does not have archives or searchability. It's one of the last places on the Internet where you really can say anything you want and it won't come back to haunt you. Anything posted on 4chan has generally disappeared by the end of the day, and there's no chance of Google finding it again. There's also no requirement to register under your real name, as on Facebook, or even a fake one, as on om nom nom goes the hungry cat." They started the "Rickroll," a trick where you click on a link you want to see, but instead you're brought to a YouTube video of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" (more than 44 million people had watched the video at press time). They've put a swastika on the top of Google's "hot trends" list. They gamed an online poll that Justin Bieber fans had set up to decide which country he should visit first on his world tour, and voted to send him to North Korea. In 2008 they spread a rumor that Steve Jobs had a heart attack, and the shares of Apple dropped $10. A /b/ board member, a student at the University of Tennessee and the son of a state assemblyman, hacked into Sarah Palin's Yahoo account during the 2008 presidential campaign. (He's now serving one year in prison.)
After Poole came out with his real identity, 4channers voted him to the top of a poll for Time magazine's most influential person of the year, with an approval rating of 390 percent. They also hacked the rest of the poll so that the first letter of each of the top 21 names (Carlos Slim, Angela Merkel) spelled out marblecake also the game, a reference to pornographic argot and to the game that Time magazine just lost.
Still, it's a long way from Rickrolling to taking down MasterCard's Web site. For trolls, the prime order of business used to be getting "lulz"—a Schadenfreude-tastic bunch of LOLs, like what most of us experience while watching Jersey Shore. It's easy to get lulz when a 4chan member says that he wants to name his kid whatever is suggested in the 77th post. ("Courage Wolf" is what the trolls came up with.) But after a while, they were ready to take on bigger targets.
In 2008, a nine-minute Scientology internal video of Tom Cruise promoting the religion, with great fervor, was leaked onto YouTube. (In it Cruise claims, among other incredible statements, that Scientologists should stop at accidents, "because you know you're the only one who can really help.") Scientology initially succeeded in squelching the video by threatening lawsuits, but when 4chan caught wind of it, "someone posted a thread about it, and it very quickly bubbled up into a big thing," says Poole. With their hacking expertise, 4chan organized a massive DDoS on Scientology's Web site, and someone reposted the video as well. And we all had some pretty good lulz at Cruise's expense then, didn't we?
In any case, not everyone on 4chan wanted the fun to stop there with Scientology, and a small group broke off from the site; this was the founding of Anonymous, a name chosen in honor of the 4chan username they had all shared. Suddenly, Web sites and viral videos against the church popped up everywhere, with solemn invocations about Scientology's "campaigns of misinformation, your suppression of dissent, your litigious nature." Tens of thousands of Anonymous members started hitting the streets I.R.L. as well, in their Guy Fawkes masks. Housh was taken to court by Scientology after protesting outside one of their churches in Boston's Back Bay. (The judge ordered him to stay away from the church for one year.)
The Anonymous campaign against Scientology is a bit messy: it's about protecting free access to information but also about prosecuting Scientology as a fake religion, and also about getting lulz. But it succeeded in sparking a previously moribund ideological impulse in many trolls, which, in September 2010, they spun into a new campaign: Operation Payback, a series of DDoS attacks against the R.I.A.A. and M.P.A.A. following hack attacks on the Pirate Bay.
By this point, Poole was more vigorously enforcing 4chan's ground rules, banning the posting of personal information and calls to invasion, so 4chan wasn't as important to the trolls anymore. It was easy enough to recruit for DDoS attacks by posting calls on Facebook and Twitter and a zillion other social-networking sites around the globe where news spreads like wildfire.
By the end of 2010, the authorities were starting to catch up with Anonymous, but they still weren't getting far enough. A 16-year-old Dutch kid was arrested for allegedly participating in the attacks. The F.B.I. raided a Texas server-hosting company in Dallas, claiming that some of the Operation Payback DDoS traffic had come through their I.P. address, along with servers in British Colombia and Germany, where a log entry read, "Good_night,_paypal_Sweet_dreams_from_Anonops."
But these were just minor deterrents, these government investigations, and Anonymous was still going strong, defending WikiLeaks' cause—after all, as they like to say, Julian Assange is the "most successful international troll of all time!" They executed attacks on the Web site of Ireland's main opposition party and even the official site of Zimbabwe's government, after President Robert Mugabe's wife sued a newspaper for publishing a WikiLeaks report that she was involved in the trade of illicit diamonds.
Anonymous felt compelled, as well, to support the revolutions in Middle Eastern nations, and went after targets like the Tunisian stock exchange and the Tunisian prime minister's Web site, where they placed a note: "We will use this brief span of attention we've captured to deliver a clear and present message. Like a fistful of sand … the more you squeeze your citizens the more that they will flow right out of your hand." But then everything seemed to come to a screeching halt.
On January 27, the authorities tore into the homes of five young men in the U.K., and the F.B.I. executed 40 search warrants, including one on a student from Georgia Tech. They took their cameras, phones, computers, and hard drives, and in the U.S., they claimed that each member, if found guilty of carrying out DDoS attacks against corporations and Web sites, could receive a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
So, Housh was on the phone again, taking calls from The New York Times, while trying to scrape the ice from another northeastern ice storm off his car. "Those tactics might work on old-world criminals, but these arrests aren't going to scare anyone," he said, a bit breathlessly. "The F.B.I., the government, the Man, whatever you want to call them, doesn't know what they're doing, because nothing they did now will change a thing. The fact is that, by today, half the people who were arrested are back online, because they know they haven't broken any laws! After all, that's the reason they acted out in the first place—to defend WikiLeaks, which hasn't broken any laws either."
This is an argument we're likely to keep having over the next few years: Are Anonymous cyber-vandals or vigorous grassroots protesters? On one hand, Web sites are property, and taking them down is stealing, in a way. At the same time, this is a moment of worldwide upheaval and change, and Anonymous is part of the democratic revolution. Just don't piss them off. In February, in a hack much like the one Gnosis inflicted on Gawker, they ripped apart a security firm that they believed was planning to sell their identities to the U.S. government. According to Barrett Brown, an Anonymous strategist, they did this because the firm's data was mostly bogus and could have gotten a lot of innocent people arrested, but their retribution—exposing internal data and over 70,000 private e-mails—was merciless.
The Pirate Bay's first run-in with the law (Steven Daly, March 2007)
The founding fathers of cyber-crime (Bryan Burrough, June 2000)
Julian Assange, WikiLeak's dark master (Sarah Ellison, February 2011)
They're not above turning on their own, either. Housh says that he feels particularly bad about the arrest of Coldblood, a 20-year-old Briton named Christopher Wood. According to Housh, Coldblood wasn't taking part in the attacks, though he had been part of the group before, but he had agreed to be interviewed by the press on the topic. The trolls didn't like what he had to say, though, and one of the guys who was involved in the attacks "took their anger out on him," says Housh, by changing his handle to "Coldblood." So the London police picked up Wood, thinking it was the same Coldblood, and Wood lost his job as a result. "It's really sad," says Housh. "He didn't do anything. He was just Anonymous."
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What's your favourite music award show? The answer is of course "I don't have one". It's a trick question because music awards shows run the gamut from shit to embarrassing shit. There was a time when I watched MTV and the Brit Awards avidly, because instead of trotting out big fat albums by big fat "artists" (that had already sold a million billion copies) they would occasionally present you with something thought provoking and brilliant that you hadn't heard of. Things like Portishead or Roni Size.
The award format isn't to blame in itself though, which is why when I was recently asked to be part of a fledgling effort I got quite excited. Put together by the frighteningly knowledgable Paul Ackroyd, the Dead Albatross is designed to publicise and commend music that currently exists in obscurity for the average listener. I spend a lot of time listening to weird, scary and obtuse music and yet I had only heard of two artists on the shortlist of twenty albums. I'm currently wading through this shortlist (so I can do my job as a judge) and the only consistent thing about these albums so far is that they are all excellent in one way or another.
So why am I telling you all this? Well after the judging is complete, the awards show will be broadcast live on Reel Rebels Radio (a London internet radio station of impeccable taste) on Wednesday 30th October from 8 – 11 PM. I have had my mind blown by so many of Ackroyd's radio shows that a best of the best compilation is truly too much to contemplate. It will be challenging listening. There may not be a single tune that you can whistle for the duration of the whole three hours. But if you enjoy the sound of people pushing the boundaries of what constitutes music then tune in here and for further information on this fine project go here
Kim Monaghan

subset: commoncrawl


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Another impressive set of Photoshop actions has been added to our collection. And it's free!
The "Binder clips" actions create binder clips from scratch. The actions create also a bonus template, showing your photo suspended using two binder clips!
The action is compatible with Photoshop and PS Elements. It is available for download here.


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Desert - Star of Delusive Hopes
I have to admit that I did not hold much hope that a band called Desert was going to be any good. I'd never heard of them before and with such a bland and non-metal name, I expected they would be just another in a long line of mediocre nobody bands. However, when I started playing them in the car this morning it gave me pause. After a couple songs I decided I had to listen with headphones before passing judgment (my car has a real problem with loud road noise, so I miss a lot of detail when listening in the car.)
Now that I've got the headphones on I can tell that this is one of my favorite types of metal albums: the kind that comes out of nowhere and surprises me with how good it sounds.
"Star of Delusive Hopes" was billed as power metal, but that category is definitely too narrow to contain this album. It does have elements of power metal, but it also shows signs of death and gothic metal as well. There are plenty of clean vocals (which at first reminded me of Moonspell) with occasional harsh vocals. It often sounds huge and epic and contains lots of keyboards, but also has quiet piano moments.
I Googled the band and wasn't really able to find all that much about them, but I did see that they are from Israel, which probably explains why they sound so different to me. Every metal band from Israel that I've heard has had a very distinctive sound to them. More Israeli metal bands please!
The other thing I learned they have going for them is that "Lament for Soldier's Glory" features Sabaton's Joakim Brodén as guest vocalist. And dammit now I just got goose bumps. Need I say more?
I think they've got a little further to go yet before they put out a masterpiece, but they definitely have the potential to make something amazing. I hope to hear more from them in the future.


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Archive for January, 2007
Sweden's Unleashed is getting ready to pound the fuck out of North America this summer as they get ready to »
Artist/Band: Novembers Doom Album Title: Novella Reservoir Rating: 5 Review: Novella Reservoir, the sixth album from Novembers Doom, mite quite »
Type O Negative will be releasing their long awaited album, Dead Again on March 13,2007. This one has been a »
Skinny Puppy's lateset effort, Mythmaker, hits the shelves today. This disc is being hailed as their most ambitious work to »
Stolen Babies is heading out for a seven day mini tour with Estradasphere. The mini tour has both bands 6 »
Fleshgore has posted a new track on their myspace page. "Wake Up" is just a small sample of what can »
Asguard have just finished writing and recording the follow up to last years "Dreamslave". The new disc, titled "Dreamslave….Awakening", will »
Souvein will be on tour in February. They will be joined on the road by Christine and Parabellum. They have »
Black Tie Revue has just signed a new deal with Gearhead Records. Their first full length album for their new »


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Non PD in EU
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis is a work written in 1910 by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, and premiered that same year to great success. The piece, scored for string orchestra, was created using a melody which renaissance composer Thomas Tallis wrote in 1567 to contribute to the Psalter for the Archbishop of Canterbury. Vaughan Williams' Fantasia derives most of its material from this melody, with the music growing from certain motives. The work is scored for a string orchestra, which is divided in three: a full orchestra, a single desk ... 更多
There are no questions yet.


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(This page may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.)
This is the seven-year-old girl who tragically died after strong winds blew a bouncy castle more than 150m across a park in Essex while she was trapped inside.
Summer Grant was taking part in an Easter celebration at Harlow Town Park, in Harlow, organised by Thurston Fun Fairs when a 'strong gust of wind' blew it off its moorings.
The girl, from Norwich, was rushed to hospital with serious injuries, but was later confirmed to have died.
Essex Police confirmed a 24-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man, both from Cambridgeshire, have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence and remain in police custody.
It is the second bouncy castle disaster at Harlow Town Park in less than a year, after another collapsed with children inside in May 2015.
Tributes for the schoolgirl have been flooding in following the incident, as family and friends struggle to come to terms with the shattering loss.
This afternoon, a tearful family spokesman spoke from the doorstep of a terraced house in Harlow less than two miles from the park.
He spoke only to say the family are 'devastated' and asked for time to mourn Summer's loss.
A neighbour added: 'It's heartbreaking. I couldn't imagine it – that poor family. They're going to need time.'
Among the tributes at the park's entrance is an Easter basket while another card on a bunch of flowers reads: 'God has taken a beautiful girl for his angel. RIP Princess.'
Floral tributes are being left by families at the gate to Harlow Town Park. One read poignantly: 'God has taken a beautiful girl for his angel. RIP Princess.'
The father of one little girl who left an Easter Bunny mug at the scene said simply: 'It is too much for me to even bear thinking about.'
It is believed the dome-shaped inflatable carrying the girl blew over a number of trailers and caravans in the park and landed down a hill.
Ray Smith, a representative of the Showmans' Guild of Great Britain, said the tragedy was due to a 'sudden gust'.
He said: 'Had it been a consistent wind they would have closed down all the inflatables.'


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Also appearing as "Jennife" on GoddessNudes.
A sweet treasure. Lizette has a pretty face with brown eyes and framed by long wavy hair.
The body is very slender. Therefore, the medium-sized round and perfectly shaped breasts are particularly noticeable. They are naturally hanging and incredibly sexy.
The long slender legs with their delicate knuckles are as breathtaking as the beautiful smooth feet with the light silky soles. Something for gourmets.


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An Experienced & Qualified Judge
Nancy Gordon was elected to the District Court bench in 2006 and re-elected in 2010. Her judicial career follows a twenty-six year legal career. Gordon was the first Durham lawyer to be certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Family Law Specialist and the only Durham lawyer to be elected to a Fellowship with the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; she maintains those qualifications today.
During her legal career, she was consistently AV rated by her peers.
Playing to her strengths, Judge Gordon is assigned primarily to the
Durham Family Court
where she hears family disputes including divorces, child custody, property division and child support cases. She also presides over Abuse/Neglect and Dependency cases. Since 2007, the volume of family law cases filed in Durham, particularly those with one or more self-represented party, has increased significantly. In 2008, the Local Rules for the Durham County Family Court were revised and new case management procedures were implemented. The increase in self-represented litigants and the increased financial pressures on families resulting from the recent economic downturn presents a significant challenge for the Durham courts and the family court judges.
A Hard-working Judge
udge Gordon works hard to make prompt and fair decisions for the families coming into her courtroom.
In addition to her time in Family Court, including Abuse,Neglect & Dependency Court and divorce court, Judge Gordon continues to be part of the general District Court rotation where she presides over sizable criminal dockets, first appearances, general civil court and, occasionally, traffic court. Until June 30, 2011 when the NC Legislature cut funds for North Carolina's drug court programs, Judge Gordon actively presided over the 14th Judicial District
Family Drug Treatment Court
; it was the aim of FDTC to keep addicted parents out of jail and in drug and mental health treatment so they could be reunified and productively parent their children.
Judge Gordon would like to bring a cutting edge Veteran's Court to Durham to serve returning Vets who suffer from PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury and other combat-related injuries.
A Knowledgeable Judge with Personal and Professional Integrity
Since she's been on the bench, Judge Gordon has served as an elected Vice President of the North Carolina Bar Association. Additionally, she presently serves as a member of the District Court Judges Association Board of Governors, she's published several articles in law and bar publications, and she's made presentations to other judges at the North Carolina Judicial College.
Being a judge is a privilege and a public service. Each day is a challenge and an opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. Mindful of the wise words of Abraham Lincoln "I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day," Judge Gordon works hard, makes decisions promptly, manages her large dockets and treats everyone in her courtroom fairly and with dignity. She is an advocate of educating the public and community about our courts and how they work.


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Football odds at Bovada (Bodog)
Pro football betting at Bovada (Bodog) Sportsbook!
Get the best handicapping articles and gambling advice throughout the football, basketball and baseball seasons from the world's top sports handicappers, as well as from Bovada (Bodog) Sportsbook and Casino.
After a two day respite on Thursday and Friday, the NBA will begin its "second season" this weekend. Unlike college basketball's "March Madness", the NBA playoffs are not a "one-and-done" deal, therefore producing far fewer upsets. You think Bucknell would have beaten Kansas in a best-of-seven series?
The NBA's rebirth began with Bird and Magic's rookie season (1979-80). That's now 25 years ago (boy, I am I OLD!). During that period, there have been very few 'surprise' champions in the NBA. A quick check of the record book shows that only TWO of the last 25 NBA champions finished with a regular season record that was NOT among the league's three-best in their title year. The short list includes the 1994-95 Houston Rockets and last year's Detroit Pistons.
The Rockets finished the '94-'95 season tied for the league's 10th-best record, even though they were defending champs. They then went on to beat Utah (60 wins), Phoenix (59 wins), San Antonio (62 wins) and Orlando (57 wins) to capture their second consecutive title. The team's playoff-run of beating four teams with a combined total of 238 regular season wins remains the most-impressive playoff performance since the league went to an 82-game schedule in the 1967-68 season.
The Pistons finished last year's regular season with 54 wins, the second-best win total in the East but just the sixth-best total in the league. Detroit faced early elimination (second round) when they were down three games-to-two against the Nets but they rallied to win Game 6 in New Jersey and Game 7 in Detroit to advance. The Pistons then beat the Pacers in six games in the Conference Finals and of course the Lakers (4-1) in the NBA Finals, to claim the franchise's third NBA crown and Larry Browns' first NBA title.
Detroit's win in last year's NBA Finals ended a five-year winning streak by the Western Conference. While the East has taken 13 titles and the West 12 since that 1979-80 season, there can be little argument that the West is again the stronger conference this year.
Phoenix owns the league's best overall record at 62-20, as well as the league's best road mark (31-10). The Suns average a league-high 110.4 PPG, the highest per game average since three teams topped the 110-point mark in the 1994-95 season. San Antonio's 59 regular season wins tied Miami for the second-best mark in the league this year. Despite Tim Duncan missing 16 games due to injury, the Spurs allowed the fewest points (88.4 PPG) and had the greatest margin of victory (plus-7.8 PPG) of any team in the league.
Six of the eight Western Conference playoff teams won at least 50 games this year (Denver won 49 and Memphis won 45) and all eight scored more points than they allowed. All but Sacramento (20-21), Memphis (19-22) and Denver (18-23) had winning records on the road. In comparison, the East had just two 50-game winners, Miami (59) and Detroit (54). Three teams, the Nets, Sixers and Wizards were outscored by their opponents. Only Miami (24-17) and Detroit (22-19) posted winning road records!
Handicapping the NBA playoffs is much different than in the regular season. Teams prepare for a single opponent with no "look-ahead" situations or real travel concerns as all series are now the best-of-seven and are spread out over a two week period (if the series were to go a full seven games).
Home favorites were an outstanding 19-8 ATS in last year's first round, after going 21-16-1 ATS the previous year (the first in which the opening round was expanded to a best-of-seven series). In comparison, home favorites were just 34-34-2 ATS over the final three rounds of the last two postseasons.
Just as I never fill out my brackets in the NCAA tournament (for fear of 'locking' myself into a 'pick'), I won't try to anticipate who will win this year's NBA title, either. This allows me to treat each series and more importantly each game, separately. I NEVER look ahead, rather I take each day, game-by-game.
This philosophy has produced some great playoff-runs for me over the years. Internet regulars might remember my 7-3 start to the 2003 playoffs or my 8-2 start last year that reached 17-8 through my first 25 playoff releases.
I'm 'armed and ready' to begin this year's NBA postseason and you can find my selections right here at BigAl.com beginning on Saturday.


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Outrageous Opportunities
Travel the World
Baylor students gain new perspectives that come from domestic and international travel.
Click to find out more
Be a Harris-Stanford Scholar
"It feels great to go to a school that is committed to producing students who are true global citizens committed to changing the world." - Aman Madan '15
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Explore Creative Pursuits
Elise Askonas '14 dabbled in dance throughout elementary school, but when she arrived at Baylor as a sixth grader she decided to pursue it more seriously.
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Impact Communities
"We can all change the world by first changing our outlook on life." Terrence Ferguson '13
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Push Outdoor Boundaries
"After a filling pancake breakfast, we ventured on to the Santa Maria River in the Panamanian jungle. We paddled over many rapids, rocks, and calm water…
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Match Interests with Electives
Jamy Wheless, a designer and animator for Industrial Light & Magic in Los Angeles, worked on the digital characters of Yoda and Dexter Jettster for the Star Wars movie.
Click to find out more
Learn from Experts
Baylor's science department chair Dr. Dawn Richards recently visited China to serve as expert and chairman at the Fourth International Workshop on Environmental Health and Pollution Control.
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Like clockwork you can count on a new Woody Allen movie every year. That's fine. Plenty of directors do only one movie a year; the difference is that Allen is a legend who has been coasting by telling the same story for decades. Sure, he dresses them up differently; sometimes he sets them in France, sometimes he has one of the characters be a con artist, and sometimes, like in the middling Wonder Wheel, he uses a Coney Island amusement park as the background.
In this case, the 1950s Coney Island setting makes for one of Allen's most evocative, with cinematographer Vittorio Storaro capturing the nostalgia of the era. You can practically feel the weightless freedom of the Ferris wheel, smell the stale popcorn and hot dogs, as Vittorio's images enrapture with warm oranges and reds, occasionally shifting into darker hues to match the fatalistic tendencies of the story's tragic characters. And they are all tragic in their own way, which seems to be the point of Allen's melodrama; the director clearly in a mood to try and recapture the dark magic of Crimes and Misdemeanors but skewing closer to the serviceable Match Point.
To be fair, I think Allen is best when his mood is sour like this, but Wonder Wheel still feels like too much of a retread to get a pass. In the first 30 seconds I wanted to shut it off outright, as lifeguard/narrator Mickey Rubin (Justin Timberlake, super miscast) tells us he has "aspirations of being a great writer". Ugh, really? He's a classic Allen trope character; pretentious, stereotypically charming, and forgettable. Because he fancies himself a playwright he looks for the tragic flaw in everyone he meets, which means we too will be told exactly what is wrong with them, rather than allowing the actors to show us. If Mickey is a classic Allen trope, he's responsible for carrying on a classic Allen fail.
The story's actual focus belongs to Ginny, played by the wonderful Kate Winslet in a performance that is better than the script allows for. A former actress now a waitress working a the carnival's fish shack, she's stuck in a loveless marriage to a hump appropriately named Humpty (Jim Belushi), with who she has a fire-starting son (Jack Gore). So life isn't good, but she finds fleeting moments of happiness in the affair she's carrying on with Mickey, who naturally analyzes the Hell out of this adulterous situation for us. Yeah, that's passionate. The walls start closing in on Ginny with the arrival of Humpty's estranged daughter Carolina (Juno Temple, beneath her), a sexy, spunky little number who drives the men wild, including Mickey.
Oh, and Carolina has mobsters (including Paulie Walnuts!!!) chasing after her.
Gangsters, adultery, arson, it all makes for a Shakespearean level tragedy minus the pathos or the character development to make much of an emotional impact. Allen gives his characters a lot of things to say but not much to actually do, and while that's okay if we don't get to see much of Belushi it's a crime with Winslet. She alone gives us a character worth sympathizing with, as Ginny, despite her indiscretions, is simply a woman who wants more than the meager life she's stuck in. In her desperation for excitement she's made missteps, and Allen at first seems to sympathize with her situation, too. But no, he instead spends the bulk of the film obsessing over her age, and emphasizing every way in which she is wrong. It's not something you ever see him do with the plethora of male characters put in similar situations.
Allen hits on the "tragic flaw" theme so hard he doesn't realize his own failings, up to and including parallels to his own personal life. Without giving too much away, there comes a point when Mickey, who finds himself the prize in a battle of the heart between Ginny and Carolina, is forced to make a decision. In doing so he practically quotes Allen during his public apology for pursuing his then-stepdaughter Soon-Yi, "The heart wants what it wants". Poor Mickey. Screw you, Ginny, for ruining everything, but that Mickey guy...man, can't believe he was put in such a predicament. He had no say in the matter, the heart wants what it wants.
You can watch Wonder Wheel and never think for a second about Allen's problematic perspective, but still find it to be an underwhelming film. I keep thinking at some point Allen will put all of the pieces together again and deliver one final classic. But even here, with a terrific lead performance by Winslet and beautifully effective cinematography, Allen ended up being his own worst enemy.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5


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(For the complete Scarborough-South Portland game story, with additional photos and a detailed box score, please visit theforecaster.net)
On Jan. 2, the Scarborough and South Portland boys' basketball teams produced 131 points.
Friday night, the schools' football teams put up 115.
In the first countable meeting in nine years between the neighbors, the host Red Storm and the valiant Red Riots produced a game for the ages, one that took more than 48 minutes to decide.
For 24 minutes, however, it looked like it would be a Scarborough romp, as the Red Storm, desperate for a signature victory in a season dwindling away, rode the unstoppable rushing of Dan LeClair and the multi-dimensional skills of quarterback Ben Greenberg to a seemingly safe 27-6 halftime lead.
LeClair scored on a 1-yard run to break the ice and make it 7-0 after one quarter. Early in the second, Greenberg scored from 9-yards out. Moments later, LeClair scored on an 18-yard run for a 21-0 lead. South Portland finally got on the board on a 2-yard run from Joey DiBiase after the Red Riots recovered a fumbled punt. Scarborough drove right back, however, and made it a three-touchdown differential at halftime as Greenberg broke away for a 53-yard run.
"It was very discouraging at halftime," South Portland coach Steve Stinson said. "We weren't responding to being punched in the face. You can't give teams 24 minutes to do what they want and think you'll win. We didn't match their intensity early."
Then, proud South Portland roared to life.
In just over six minutes of the third period, the Red Riots scored three TDs, thanks to the passing and throwing of their talented senior signal caller, Duncan Preston, and the rushing of DiBiase. An 8-yard Preston run, 5-yard Preston run after an interception and a 31-yard DiBiase scamper improbably tied the score at 27-27.
A long Red Storm drive culminated in a 7-yard Greenberg run with 6:57 to play to put the hosts back on top 34-27, but back came South Portland and with 3:31 to go, Preston found senior Jordan Susi for a 21-yard score to create another deadlock.
Not to be outdone, Greenberg led a 70-yard drive in just three plays, capping it with a 20-yard run and when Greenberg added a two-point conversion rush with 2:30 left, Scarborough was ahead again, 42-34.
Preston and his teammates then said, "anything you can do, I can do better," rising off the deck once more, and with just 32.5 seconds left in regulation, DiBiase scored on a 6-yard run and Preston found his big tight end, junior Jaren Muller, for the two-point conversion and the game would, fittingly, go to overtime.
Scarborough got the first chance and it took just one play for LeClair to score on a 10-yard run. Red Storm coach Lance Johnson opted to go for two points and LeClair scored on the rush to make it 50-42.
"It reminds me of the movie 'The Longest Yard,' when they say, 'We're convicts. We always go for it all.'" Greenberg said. "That was coach's mentality, to go for two points."
South Portland, again, responded, as Preston, after a dazzling individual effort, hit junior Hayden Owen from 5-yards out and Preston barely got into the end zone on the two-point conversion to tie the score for the final time, 50-50, and force a second OT.
There, the Red Riots went on top for the first time all evening, as Preston found a wide-open Muller in the end zone for a 10-yard score. Stinson elected to go for the safe extra point and a 57-50 advantage.
"We wanted to put a full seven points on the board," Stinson said. "We wanted to force them to score from the 10 and have to convert a two-point play. Anything else and we'd win."
Scarborough had one final chance and it appeared to be for naught, when on third-and-goal, Greenberg couldn't handle the snap and the Red Riots appeared to recover the ball to end the game, breaking out in a wild celebration in the aftermath. It was premature, as Greenberg was ruled to be down by contact and the hosts kept the ball.
"The ball was down and I didn't see it because I was in the back, but they said it was down," said LeClair. "It looked like the game was over."
"I saw a bobbled snap and saw a bunch of humanity, then the ball come into the end zone and Hayden fell on it," Stinson said. "An official said he had a view of a player with the ball and his knee down."
Then, on fourth down, LeClair barely broke the plane from the 1 and this game for the ages came down to a two-point try.
"I knew I just had to keep going," LeClair said. "I had to lay it on the line. They knew it was coming, I just had to give it my all."
With South Portland understandably keying on Greenberg and LeClair, the handoff, surprisingly, went to Red Storm senior Chris Cyr, who dragged a tackler into the end zone, barely, and at last, Scarborough could celebrate arguably the most exciting victory in program annals, 58-57.
"It was incredible," said Cyr. "The last play was great. We just went for it. We ran a reverse and it paid off. I had to jump for it. I was a little worried, but I knew my teammates would block for me. They did great."
"We have athletes and Chris Cyr is a special athlete," Johnson said. "I felt like if we got him on the run, full speed before that handoff, he wouldn't be denied."
The Red Storm evened its record at 3-3 and dropped the Red Riots to 4-2 in the process.
"It's the best game I've ever played in," said Greenberg. "It was fun too. I always love playing in tight games like this."
"It's right up there (with the best games I've ever been involved with)," added Johnson. "You don't play a lot of overtime games in high school. It was an exciting game if it went to overtime or not. It was a lot of fun. Some parts of it were more fun than others. It really was amazing."
The Red Riots might have fallen short on the scoreboard, but their effort was worthy of admiration.
""It was quite an evening," said Stinson. "It was good to be competitive in the second half after not being very competitive in the first half. I liked how we responded. It was encouraging. It's a game of inches and unfortunately, we gave up too many inches in the first half."
LeClair rushed for 214 yards and four TDs on 28 attempts. Greenberg added 186 yards and four scores on 23 rushes, giving the Red Storm a nice round number of 400 yards rushing. Through the air, Greenberg wound up 6-of-11, good for 102 yards and one interception.
South Portland's rushing attack featured 116 yards and three TDs on 20 carries from DiBiase. Preston gained 68 yards and scored twice on 13 rushes. Preston completed 13-of-23 passes, good for 172 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once.
South Portland (third in the Western Class A Crabtree Points standings) returns home to face Biddeford (4-2 and fourth) Friday, then closes with the "Battle of the Bridge" at Eastern A power Portland Oct. 25.
"It's important for us to come out and play a full 48 minutes against Biddeford," Stinson said. " We'll live to play another day. We won't line up against anyone thinking we can't win."
Scarborough (fifth in Western A, but hoping to move up to host a playoff game) goes to Massabesic (1-5 and eighth) Friday, then closes at home versus Noble Oct. 25.
"We have to play tough against Noble and Massabesic," Greenberg said. "We can put ourselves in a good position if we can beat those teams. The region is wide open."
"This gives us momentum," Cyr said. "I think this will start us rolling. No one will want to play us in the playoffs now."
"We've been competitive with the better teams," Johnson added. "This is big beating a quality opponent like South Portland. We get better every week."
Cape Elizabeth was hoping for big things when it hosted Yarmouth in the first-ever countable gridiron battle between the schools Friday night, but the Capers, despite forcing a 7-7 first quarter tie on Jack Drinan's TD run, didn't have the answers from there and the Clippers went on to a 27-7 victory, dropping Cape Elizabeth to 3-3 on the season.
The Capers (now fifth in the Western C Crabtrees) hope to get back on track Friday when they go to 0-6 Gray-New Gloucester (ranked 10th).
Sidebar Elements
Scarborough senior quarterback Ben Greenberg bulls his way up the middle into the end zone in the first half of Friday night's showdown versus South Portland. Greenberg scored four touchdowns to help the Red Storm win a double-overtime thriller.
Scarborough senior Alec Cohen brings South Portland senior Jordan Susi to the turf during the first half of Friday's game. On a night where 115 points were scored, there were't a lot of defensive highlights.
Cape Elizabeth junior Christian Lavallee bounces off a Yarmouth tackler during Friday's 27-7 loss.


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A law firm is a business that has been established by more than one lawyer who works on the cases of their clients together. A law firm can also have associates, and these are individuals who also work with the lawyers in handling various cases. There are risks that come with running such a business, and all the lawyers share this together with the loss and profits incurred. It is vital that you get the appropriate law firm to handle your legal issues or provide you with advice as a business. There are various factors that will make your choice easier.
Get a law firm that has the experience of working with businesses such as yours. That means that they know what is required in your field and can provide you with legal explanations and advice in a simple way. If you are just starting your business, it is a wise idea to choose a small firm because they are not only cheap but they also value you. All the lawyers in the firm should also have a working certificate, and it should be provided by a law society. A qualified law firm is that one which is tested by the law society and provides good legal counsel. Check out bankruptcy attorney columbia sc or click to read more on this.
When you are searching for a law firm, one of the best places to search is the law society. Friends and people in the same business can also provide you with useful information. The law society can link individuals with the right lawyer in their specialization. They can also arrange for a free consultation. Before you decide to select a law firm, it is good to meet with them and have a talk. Through a conversation, you can tell whether the law firm is competent or not in their undertakings.
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For many women, a wedding gown is the most important clothing purchase of their lifetime. It is an investment that should be preserved with the best cleaning and storing methods available. No one wants to take chances with something as precious as a wedding gown. These are our expert tips on how to care for your gown so that it stays in perfect condition for years to come.
Check garment care labels or any instructions that came with your gown and follow the instructions for best results. Most will recommend dry cleaning or professional wet-cleaning. Unlike traditional dry cleaning, which uses perchloroethylene, SolvonK4 solvent will not damage the intricate beadwork, sequins, lace and embroidery commonly found on wedding gowns, and won't dissolve glue that attaches embellishments to gowns. It won't shrink your gown or leave it with a funky odor. Cleaning with SolvonK4 is like giving your gown a mineral bath—it will come out softer and brighter, with all special trims and details intact.
Always have your gown cleaned before putting it in storage. Check your gown for any visible stains, including graying of the hem where it touched the ground, and point them out to your dry cleaner. Stains from seemingly clear substances like body oils, perspiration, white wine and sugary substances may not appear for some time. Once these have a chance to oxidize, they may show up as light brown or yellow splotches that are difficult to remove. Have your gown cleaned soon after your wedding to prevent these kinds of surprises.
After your gown is cleaned, it is important to store in a manner that will preserve it safely. First decide if you want store your gown hanging or folded. If your gown is strapless, has very thin straps, or is very heavy, folding may be a better choice because hanging will put a lot of stress on the fabric holding it up. However, if your dress is very thin or of especially delicate material (such as antique lace or silk), you should hang it to eliminate the risk of permanent creasing from folding.
It is best to have your gown stored and preserved by professionals, such as Prestige Preservation. If you choose to take care of your gown yourself, here are some tips on how to store it safely.
Hanging storage
Plastic garment bags are a definite "don't"—they give off undetectable fumes that can severely weaken and damage the garment fibers.
It is essential that the gown be allowed to breathe, so that mold and mildew don't have a chance to grow.
Purchase a special preservation bag, available at many specialty shops, or use a plain white cotton sheet that has been thoroughly washed.
Cut a hole in the sheet so there is a place for the hanger to go through.
Use a very wide padded hanger to help the gown keep its shape.
If you don't have a padded hanger, make your own by wrapping a white cotton sheet around a sturdy hanger.
Hang your gown in a dry, dark place in the main living area of your home, not the attic, basement, or garage. Textiles are very sensitive to changes in heat and humidity.
Take your gown out every 2 years or so to let it air out and inspect it to be sure nothing has happened to it in storage.
Box storage
Use only an acid-free box with acid-free tissue paper. Regular cardboard and tissue break down over time, damaging fabrics.
Select a box that is large enough. Cramming your gown into a too-small box or folding it too many times can cause permanent creasing and weaken the fabric.
Wrap your gown entirely in acid-free tissue before folding. Ensure that none of the fabric touches itself.
Line box with tissue before placing the gown inside.
Do not seal the box—many wedding preservation services permanently seal boxes for storage in order to keep air and dust out. But if you want to prevent permanent creases, or if you just want to take your gown out and admire it occasionally, make sure the box lid is removable.
Store your boxed gown in a dry, dark place in the main living area of your home, not the attic, basement, or garage. Textiles are very sensitive to changes in heat and humidity. Condensation can also develop in sealed boxes, creating mildew and mold growth. Make sure your gown has room to breathe.
Take your gown out of storage every 2 years or so and air it out.
Re-fold your gown differently than it was folded before so that permanent creases do not develop.
Back to actuality


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You wanna know what's more important than throwin' away money at a strip club? Assets. Credit is important but its not the grail. Its also not the silver bullet. A lot of people see credit as a short cut to success. They assume that credit will allow them to skip steps like living below your means and increasing their income and stacking their paper, so they can immediately start investing at a high level. WRONG. The aforementioned habits help you not only get there but stay there. Its not enough to get to assets if your poor habits are going to cause you to lose them.
When I heard that Jay Z line I thought "and…. what else?". Yes credit is important but its not the end all be all. Too many of us think that credit is free money. It is definitely not free and it all has to be paid back. This quick blog will tell you about the many things that assets allow you to do that credit just wont.
Assets allow you to be the bank
When you own assets that have no debt against them, or at least have equity (forced or natural), you are able to leverage those assets with a line of credit. This allows you to be the bank and be the lender. The same is true about having large amounts of money in brokerage accounts and even your personal retirement accounts. You can take a loan out against those assets while still owning those assets.
This is a double whammy. This is how the wealthy invest. I'm not saying that you have to avoid debt, because even the wealthy use OPM. I am telling you that being credit rich and cash and asset poor is not the solution to your problems. Too many cash and asset poor are looking to credit when they need to be looking at their financial statements. Build those up first or at least along side of your credit score but its not either or.
Assets require you to be wealth conscious, credit requires you to be consumer conscious
After you get your assets, you can use your assets to level up your life in the same way that you can use your credit to level up your life. The difference is that the person you will have become to build those assets will take you further than the skills you learn when you get good credit.
Getting good credit requires that you get really good at paying OTHER people. Paying in full on time is the mantra. But what does that mean and what does that look like? Well credit comes with interest. Your credit score shows how well you can manage the skill of paying people interest. This is why your credit goes up when you take on different kinds of debt. They want to see how skilled you are at managing different kinds of accounts. This is nothing to brag about. In the words of Malcolm X, debt is slavery and I think that is actually biblical. Slavery is not noble and neither is consumer culture. Remember, producers get rich and consumers get poor.
Getting your assets up requires that you get really good at having others pay you. It requires that you be a producer. A producer of housing, a producer of valuable produces and services etc etc. Which would you rather do? What is more lucrative? What can be duplicated and scaled? When you go down the asset lane you become the solution. When you go down the credit lane, others become your solution and they don't solve your problems for the cheap.
Assets can be passed down
As I said above, assets can be passed down to make the lives of your heirs a lot better. But your credit can't. Now if you are using your credit to buy assets this is smart and high five to you. But using credit to buy high priced things you can't afford to pay cash for is just selfish. Especially if you are going to die and leave them no insurance to hold on to. Life is bigger than just you and your possessions. Life is bigger than you and your ability to brag about your high credit score.
Credit scores are overrated, financial statements are underrated
When you get to a certain level of borrowing and investing the banks care more about your financial statements than they do about your credit score. Banks want to know that if the loan goes bad they have assets to go after. If you have a desire to really do big deals you have to build up your asset column. This is your stock portfolio, your real estate portfolio, your business portfolio. When you have big assets you become attractive to banks because they feel secure in lending you money. At a certain level your credit score just wont cut it so having one that is sky high really wont make or break the deal. If the deal make sense the money will find you.
Conclusion: Having good credit is super important but so is having a stash of reserves and assets that allow you to lend against them. Keep in mind that your kids can't inherit your 800 fico but they can inherit that business, that home, that apartment complex. Do both. It's never either or. But just as you are required to get a good credit score while you build assets you are also required to build assets as you are building your fico. There are no easy fixes. Like Eric Thomas says "im triple double". Dominate all areas of personal finance. If you want to work with one of our credit consultants or personal finance coaches email email@example.com
Be great, invest well,


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I'm supposed to be writing my last paper of the semester. This weekend I've spent every free moment (there weren't many) finishing Jane Eyre so that I could write a paper on the major themes found therein.
I loved it. I've read it before, but this time with fresh eyes. And I loved it.
"'Soothe him; save him; love him; tell him you love him and will be his. Who in the world cares for you? or who will be injured by what you do?' Still indomitable was the reply - 'I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad - as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation; they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour.'"
Who were these brave women who wrote such things against such obstacles? What an inspiration...
1 comments:
- Linda said...
I had to read Jane Eyre in high school and I hated it. I'm sure it had something to do with my attitude...
Maybe I should read it again. I might like it.


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Educational VR
Verkeersplein Amsterdam
To help raise awareness amongst the dangers of biking within a busy city as Amsterdam we designed and developed a VR training tool voor kids and teens. While in VR the user was confronted with several situations.
With a gaze/aim interaction, the user had to make specific choices within these situations. Based on this choice the user was confronted with output related to this choice. Because the whole experience was visualised in VR the kids and teens learned how to make the right decisions within these situations.


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Kristin Fiore
What is your official title?
My official title is Co-owner and Director of Down Dog Yoga Center.
What's an average day in the 'Zoo look like for you?
Right now, prior to opening, it's a lot of communication with construction and teachers, and setting up the yoga schedule. I've been spending a lot of time on the computer working on the website and planning for future programs.
When we open, I will be able to work out of the space, which is so great. I have an office there, so I will be able to work on our program development and administrative work, and I will be teaching six classes a week. I also teach a corporate class out at the company's site once a week.
Can you tell us about your background?
I came to yoga later in life. I didn't take any yoga classes before I had my children, and I'd never been exposed to it in my youth. I just had this feeling that I wanted to take a yoga class; I don't know what it was, but I wanted to give it a try. I went to a class, and ended up loving it right away. It moved me – the connection to the breath, the chanting, the different aspects of what it was to me from both a physical and emotional standpoint – all of it was so beautiful to me.
It started to effect how I felt outside of class, too. I found that, for example, I was more patient with things that would've typically irritated me. I really wanted to expand that. I started off taking class once a week, and as my love for it grew, I started taking class as much as five times a week. I continued my practice, and studied for about two years before deciding to go through teacher training. When I decided to go through training, it was not for the intent to teach, but to further explore my practice.
There are many different formats and types of trainings you can go through that align with your future intent and I looked for an immersion training. There were a lot of programs where you could attend on the weekends and space out the training, but I was a stay-at-home mom at the time, and it would've been difficult to go to the training and then get out of that zone to come home and make dinner, and continue that back and forth. I chose to do a 30-day immersion program, and left my home and my family – no email, no phone, no contact, to the outside world. I had never been away from my children for more than four days; it was a very difficult decision, but I knew it was the best one to make.
I went away and experienced this amazing training. I lived in a clean state for a month and I learned so much. I came home thirty days later, and the result was beyond what I could have ever expected. Like I said, I hadn't gone there with the intention of teaching, but after the training I had this feeling that I had to share this life changing experience. It was something that I believed in and that I was very passionate about, and as I started to share with my friends and family, I found that it continued to be transformational not only for myself, but for others. That was how I began teaching.
What kind of projects are you currently working on?
The opening of Down Dog Yoga Center is the main project. The mission of Down Dog Yoga Center is connecting people to healthy living and community through yoga – that was the vision for creating our space. Healthy living needs to be supported by community, and that community aspect is why we chose to be downtown.
The other thing is supporting the vision for the center. It isn't just about how I teach; I have a dozen teachers who are trained in a variety of types of yoga, and we are figuring out interesting programming and creating a supportive community when you come in for a class. We want the classes to be unique so they meet the needs of different interests and people. There will also be massage therapists along with the diverse schedule to keep our class attendees happy and healthy!
What do you love most about Kalamazoo?
I love Kalamazoo; no, I REALLY love Kalamazoo. I grew up in a small Indiana farm town and the great thing about it was knowing people; I felt safe, and there was a community where I felt I fit in. I felt, though, that 5,000 people was a little too small; I was looking for diversity and more going on around me.
When my husband and I were first married, we lived in the Detroit suburbs. It was fine, but everything was a little too far away and inaccessible. When we moved to Kalamazoo, it felt like the right fit. We know people here, but not everyone. We can go see some great theater, and art is everywhere. We are midway between two major cities, and we can also get across town in about 15 minutes.
I love that we have culture, and the arts, and universities here. I love the Kalamazoo Promise. When we first moved here, we lived outside of the Kalamazoo Public Schools district. It was beautiful, but it wasn't what we needed. We are now in Kalamazoo, and it's wonderful – I love my neighborhood.
What has been one of your biggest learning moments?
The whole immersion experience was a huge learning moment for me. The time away from my children and my husband without communication was very difficult. There were times that I wanted out and wanted to see my kids, and I was physically exhausted from the experience, but I really found another part of myself during that time. I was stronger than I realized.
Another learning experience is building Down Dog Yoga Center. Moving into the space has taught me patience, and trying to coordinate and manage so many different things has been an exercise of faith and trust.
What have you been jammin' to recently? What's on the iPod?
I'm sort of a weird music person. I have teenagers, so I listen to Top 40, but I also grew up with musical theater; my mom loved traditional broadway musicals, but I really enjoy the newer stuff too, so I listen to a lot of musical soundtracks as well. I like jazz and blues. I just really love music in general. I love to sing, so any type of music I can sing to is great.
And then I have an entire arsenal of yoga music. It could be anything from sitar music, to MC Yogi – yes, a rapper yoga guy.
How do you take your coffee?…or do you?
I drink only decaffeinated coffee, unless I'm going to do something like run a marathon – then I drink caffeinated coffee. I gave up caffeine the months before going to my immersion training. The real bonus is now when I drink caffeine; it actually works! I don't do it often, but when I'm required to be up way past when I should be, I'll drink it. I drink my coffee black, and I also drink hot water.
What is your favorite app to use?
I'm required now with my business to get more involved with social media. I am on Facebook and Twitter for business purposes. I'm a little old school, I guess. I like notebooks. I like to see the words on the paper the way I'm writing it; there's something really nice about that for me. I try to use technology wisely, but also try to give it space and not always feel like I have to be connected. I think it's very important to remember to just be with people.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
It's a hard question. I think I would tell myself that there's a limitless potential within you and you have to just find the space where you're a little uncomfortable, but not blindly moving ahead. We all take the wrong step sometimes, and it's OK. I'd tell myself to really fully embrace who you are and to love who you are. Don't be afraid – trust yourself, love yourself, and stay connected to yourself.
Kristin, thank you for taking the time to meet with us and sharing your thoughts! Keep up with Kristin and Down Dog Yoga Center on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to follow us on facebook and twitter for updates.


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The National Golf Day would like to thank everyone who took part in this momentous event. It was an overwhelming success and we are excited for 2019 already. We are busy capturing all the necessary information needed to compile the certificates and we will send the necessary information out in due course. Regardless of what you shot or where you played, you were all part of a day just for golfers. We would like to thank the 6 major winners for taking part and sharing their scores. Well done to every single one of you.
Welcome to the National Golf Day
Everybody's welcome. Best rates for the year on this day. Challenge your heroes!
They say every dog has its day, so why don't golfers? On the 3rd of September golfers will get their time in the sun. The National Golf Day is a celebration of all things golf and a chance for all of us to challenge South Africa's 6 Major winners in a live scoring event. Golf is a sport unique to any other and that is part of the reason it is so popular. It's a game with friends, against yourself. It is a game you can play when you are 4 years old and it is a game you can still compete in at 84 years old. We are celebrating all things golf with the National Golf Day and if you'd like to be part of this incredible national event, register today.Register Now
How it works
Follow our quick and easy guide to understand how it all works and what you need to do in order to get the most from the National Golf Day. It's fast and simple to register so don't hesitate!how it works
If you'd like to find out more about the National Golf Day, how it works and how you can participate as a player, as a golf course or as a teaching Pro we have all the information you need right here.click here
Golf Courses
To make the National Golf Day a nationwide success, we have partnered with most of South Africa's top courses, to give you the best rates on 3 September 2018 which is a day dedicated to golfers. To find out where you can play and the great rate you'll be paying visit our list of participating courses.click here
Doctor's Note
Need some help getting off work? Want a 'sick note' from Dr Gary Player to file with HR. Once again we're here to help, simply download and print our 'sick note', fill in our details and then choose the most appropriate ailment. We won't guarantee that it will work, but it's worth a try!click here
The bragging rights, or the official certificate, which shows whether you came home victorious or went down fighting! All golfers registered to play in the National Golf Day will receive a personalised certificate capturing the day, the scores and your result against all 6 Major winners.click here


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Succeed at GCSE RS in Wales
Course Date: 11 July 2019
Date: 11 July 2019, 9:30am–3:30pm
Location: Cardiff
Trainer: Angela Hill
£205 Special offer! Only £99!
(Platinum NATRE members discount still valid, no other discounts applicable - fee of £99 is lower than course rates for other NATRE discounts, so members are still getting the best price!)
This one-day GCSE course has been designed to meet the requirements of the WJEC specification for Wales, and will be delivered in English. The course will focus on ways to help teachers successfully manage the demands of the more content-rich and academically demanding GCSE specification.
This will be a high-impact course with space for discussion, sharing ideas and reflection. The day will include
workshops such as:
• What can we learn from the first cohort through Unit 1?
• Making systematic study exciting
• Unit 2: Tackling some of the trickier content, e.g. censorship and extremism
• Better extended writing that will get the marks
• Help with Humanism (and other non-religious worldviews)
Click here for more information and printable booking form
HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION: We will use your information to fulfil your contract with us including exercising our legitimate interest to keep you up-to-date with our products and services. For further details please view our full privacy policy and your rights at https://retoday.org.uk/policies-terms-and-cookie-informationOpen Course Application form


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Cerulean Berryweather
Cerulean Berryweather is another friend from the Indigo tribe of wild funny bunnies. Rue's pleasant appearance belies raw instincts and otherworldly strength, making Cerulean a protective friend and ally.
Cerulean is a one of a kind 'Indigo Tribe" bunny. 100% wool inside and out. 15 inches tall with fuzzy wool legs and hand dyed indigo!
These bunnies come with a sweet wooden tag and a hand made, indigo dyed bag!


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Share the post "South Kashmir's youth back Musa's Islamic 'Struggle'"
The orchards across south Kashmir are lush green as it is summer season now and a pleasing fragrance makes the rural landscape here distinct from the region's crowded and polluted urban neighbourhoods.
Amidst this picturesque landscape of Shopian district, militants lurk in shadows, gathering in large numbers in the shade of orchards where they click pictures and shoot videos. Here they are protected by a shield of sympathetic civilians even as the 'nationalist versus Islamist' debate has divided the separatist movement into two camps.
In the villages of Shopian, many young men are open and brazen about their support to Zakir Musa, a militant who is leading the revolt against the traditional separatist leadership – from the militant and political blocs.
In the nearby village of Trenz, a science graduate student burst into a pro-militant rhetoric and described how social media was powering Musa's message to reach every home in the region. "We will do what Zakir will ask us to do. Whatever he said is right," he said.
Musa's threat to the separatists — that he will behead them if they become a hurdle in the path of establishing Islamic rule — has also confused many. "He has been a militant for only four years and the separatist leaders have been here for more time than his age, so how can he say this about them?" Fayaz Ahmad, an orchadist in Shopian, said. "We are with Musa but he should be cautious about what he says," he said.
The police in south Kashmir said they were keenly watching the developments and monitoring their impact as militant numbers in its four districts fluctuate between 120 and 150.


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Actual Estates Advertising Ltd is Actual estate Company Broker based mostly in Arusha and Moshi Tanzania, offers with actual estate properties such as apartments for rent, houses for sale, land plots for promote, farm land on the market, tourism land for promote, actual property funding consultancy, land for lodge and land on the market in Karatu near Ngorongoro Forest. Once I go back if I haven´t found a purchaser I intend to arrange with my estate agent to get in folks to lease it long term ( 11 month lease at a time) as a result of that manner it should give me a little bit cash to outlive on until I find work in the UK and will hopefully forestall my home being broken into and stripped naked, I'm right out in the countryside and sadly with Spain being in such an economic mess, burglaries are on the rise. The rules for UK holiday houses vary from web site to site, and you would want to investigate if you find yourself purchasing for a home here.
Within the early twentieth century, daylight row houses had been 2 rooms huge so that every one rooms however the toilet had home windows. An added additional for anyone moving to France who wish to travel is the fact that you will get into your automotive and be in Spain or Italy or Germany in a matter of hours. Three bedroom houses could be purchased on this pretty, coastal town, for as little as £150,000. Three-bed room homes priced at between £65,000 and £75,000 are plentiful within the Newcastle-upon-Tyne space of Tyne & Put on, notably in Blyth, Cramlington, Sunderland and Jarrow,.
Huntingdon is on a direct practice route into London King's Cross, and a commute into the capital takes simply over an hour. The huge noble homes had been often break up up in 'multi-occupation' and possession, mezzanine floors were inserted into excessive piano nobile flooring. With a landscaped garden and a swimming pool, the seaside houses for sale in Paphos will certainly amaze each investor and buyer of properties in Cyprus who will go to the properties for sale by the ocean in Kato Paphos. Though talked about in the Domesday Book of 1086, the older buildings in the town are predominantly Georgian, and were built after Holt was ravaged by a hearth in 1708, that resulted within the destruction of lots of the authentic medieval homes and buildings.
Certainly one of Kintbury's primary attractions apart from its beauty is its very handy railway station making it extremely engaging to commuters to Reading and London. With a wide array of unique real property options to suit individual wants and preferences, properties on the market in Cyprus embody beautiful beachfront villas, lovely countryside homes and beautiful mansions; so if you're looking to buy a dream house for everlasting residency, a luxury holiday house for carefree holidays or to safe a everlasting residence permit visa or the Cyprus passport, this is the place one can find the best villas for sale.
Your fairy houses and decorating ideas definitely complement my own keen interest in tiddlywinks, titillating place names and tree houses! On the day I researched Uckfield on RightMove, there have been several properties listed at around £275,000, and numerous barely increased priced three bedroom homes in the city, with recent price reductions As with all these items, prices are changing daily, and it is important to do your individual research, but it surely does seem that the tide is slowly turning on home values on this area.


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Julia Dekleva-Leko, the preschool's Director, is American and a longtime resident of Vienna. She oversees the classroom activities on a daily basis and coordinates each year's curriculum.
Trudy Dekleva, the preschool's co-founder and Educational Advisor, is a Montessorian with an M.A. degree in philosophy. She taught ethics at two universities before committing herself to the preschool. Ethics of the person is at the forefront of her teaching philosophy. Mrs. Dekleva has lectured and published on early childhood education.
Gregor Dekleva, the preschool's Administrative Secretary, holds a B.A. in international relations and a postgraduate degree in international studies. He also holds a Montessori primary level diploma. He teaches the art extension course at the preschool. Gregor is American and a longtime resident of Vienna.
Petra Nardelli holds a B.A. from the University of Split in Croatia in early childhood education as well as a Montessori extension diploma from Montessori Center International London. She has been on the teaching staff since 2015.
Crystell Hager holds a degree in mathematics from the New Era University, Quizon City, the Philippines. She taught English as a second language prior to joining the preschool in 2017.
Jan Tegtmeyer, the music teacher, holds a degree from the University of Music and Applied Arts in Vienna in music theory and composition and is a violist. He has taught music at the preschool for nearly a decade. He is actively involved in the musical arrangement of the two performances given each year by the children for parents and their friends.
Marina Stojiljkovic has been with the preschool for nearly two decades. She is responsible for the daily hot meals and is the preschool's general maintenance person.


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Seniors Keara Crook, Deja Jenkins, and Domanique Rahman attended the Diversity Abroad Global Student Leadersh...
Office of Communications
2 East South Street
Galesburg, IL 61401-4999
The Knox College New Plays Festival will feature works written by Knox students, faculty, and alumni in a series of readings and performances from April 12 through May 25.
Initiated this year, the New Plays Festival solicited original works written by Knox students, faculty, and alumni. Throughout spring term, the Knox theatre department will present staged readings and productions featuring students and faculty, in Harbach and Studio theatres in Ford Center for the Fine Arts.
Some performances will be staged readings, in which the actors may use scripts, while others will be partially staged or fully staged productions.
All performances are free and open to the public.
April 12, 13 - 7:30 p.m. in Studio Theatre
Henry Moore is Melting by Jenny Seidelman '99, staged reading directed by Isaac Miller '12. Cast: Jorge Guzman ~ Surge; Micah Snow-Cobb ~ Tommy; Sammie Zimay ~ Carrie; Isaac Miller ~ Charlie; Professor Sherwood Kiraly ~ Jimmy; Mitch Wise ~ Finn; Boe Chiml ~ Mack.
Mitch in the Morning by Joel Pierson '89, staged reading directed by Jordyn Stewart '13. Cast: Neil Phelps ~ Mitch, Miranda Loeber ~ JC; Philip Chau ~ Dave; Caleb Awe ~ Kevin; Jo Neiderhoff ~ Ellen; Jackie Hewelet ~ Grunt; Hollie Dyer ~ Lisa; Allison Diamond ~ Beth.
April 19, 20 - 7:30 p.m. in Studio Theatre
Portrait of a Ukulelist by Becky Gonshak '15, barestage production directed by Holden Meier '16. Cast: Ned Babbott ~ Nick; Carly Berinstein ~ Tori; Elizabeth Tweedy ~ Amanda; Alessandra Power, Michelle Secunda, Maggie Veach ~ Ensemble.
Sips and Drags by Isaac Miller '12, barestage production directed by Jon Hewelt '13. Cast: Rosie Castle ~ June; Jacob Clay ~ James; Arthur Pascale ~ Alex; Andrew Cook ~ Noah; Mike Sprinkle ~ Sam.
April 26, 27 - 7:30 p.m. in Harbach Theatre
Filthy Hands by Dan Blask '96, staged reading directed by Connor Schmidt '14. Cast: Paula Castanos ~ Annabelle; Philip Chau ~ Derrick; Ashley Hamilton ~ Diane; Steve Selwa ~ Senator.
A Good Roll by Oscar Hallas '15, staged reading directed by Becky Gonshak '15. Cast: Andrew Purvis ~ Charlie; Katie Greve ~ Jack; Jackie Hewelt ~ Andrew, John; Jessica Robinson ~ Emily; Alessandra Power ~ Sarah, Lily; Alyssa Gill ~ Vicky, Lena, Michela; Paula Castanos ~ Erin, Lauren; Jacob Clay ~ Mike, Steven, Gabe; Isaac Miller ~ Bryce; Aaron Schiffman ~ Vince, Travis; Sam Auch ~ Jenny; Emily Passarelli ~ Anna, Izzy; Oscar Hallas ~ Mark, Robby.
On the Day of the Shooting by Noah Devros '15, staged reading directed by Ivan Keta '13. Cast: Mitch Fischer ~ Carlton; Rachel Fisher ~ Secretary Price; Nathan Johlas ~ Paul Stanning; Morgan Jellison ~ Perkins; Sophia Utpadel ~ Orin; Jonathan Plotnick ~ Standford; Holden Meier ~ Tom, Sam; Ivy Krill ~ Maddox, Grodon.
May 3, 4 - 7:30 p.m. in Harbach Theatre
Peloponnesus by Tim Lord '98, staged reading directed by Neil Blackadder, professor of theatre. Summary: The Southern Illinois towns of New Athens and Sparta share a lot of history. When New Athens native Tom returns after years of running away from his past and gets involved with Rachel, a Sparta girl with quite a past of her own, everyone begins to understand just how unrelenting history can be. The play is recommended for mature audiences. It contains strong language, and depictions of drug use and theatrical violence. About the Author: Tim J. Lord received his bachelor's degree from Knox in theatre and English literature. A native of St. Louis, he is a graduate of the MFA Playwriting program at UCSD, and currently lives in New York and works with theatre companies nationwide. Cast: Hollie Dyer ~ Stage Directions; Amber Simon ~ Woman 1; Micah Snow-Cobb ~ Man 1; Corey Tatz ~ Man 2; Julie Wertheimer ~ Woman 2; Avecena Hollingsworth ~ Rachel; Tyler Sauter ~ Tom; Mitchell Wise ~ Jared.
May 9, 10, 11 - 7:30 p.m. in Studio Theatre
The Mumbling Waitress by Hali Engelman '13, barestage production directed by Isaac Miller '12. Cast: Mitch Fischer ~ Man 2; Jackie Hewelt ~ Bob; Jonathan Plotnick ~ Man 1; Hannah Tochtrop ~ Waitress.
Scared Money by Sherwood Kiraly '72, visiting instructor in English and theatre and writer-in-residence, partially staged production directed by Autumn McGarr '13 and Markie Jo Crismon '14. Summary: A comedy about six characters in search of a hidden item in a university library. One of them is a faculty member who is having an affair with one of his graduate students. About the Author: Sherwood Kiraly is a novelist, screenwriter, playwright and visiting instructor and writer-in-residence at Knox College. Cast: Isaac Miller ~ Walter; Emily Passarelli ~ Audrey; Alexia Vasilopoulos ~ V; Nicole Acton ~ Claire; Morgan Jellison ~ Curtis; Neil Phelps ~ Sonny.
May 16, 17, 18 - 7:30 p.m. in Harbach Theatre
Summer Song by Jon Hewelt '13, barestage production directed by Kathleen Gullion '14. Cast: Sophia Click ~ Maggie; Mya Kahler ~ Elanor.
McComb 1964 by Niki Acton '16, partially staged production directed by Emily Antoff '15. Cast: Kathleen Gullion ~ Margo; Chloe Luetkemeyer ~ Tess; Jessica Robinson ~ Sylvia; Jordyn Stewart ~ June; Sophia Utpadel ~ Celia; Olivia Wondu ~ Birdie; Caleb Awe ~ Chief Warren; Rose Dolezal ~ Helen; Mike Sprinkle ~ Baylor; Melvin Taylor ~ Dean; Elivabeth Tweedy ~ Clerk.
May 23, 24, 25 - 7:30 p.m. in Studio Theatre
Crash by Sunny Bow Mar Lake by Ben Lee '12, fully staged production directed by Elizabeth Carlin Metz, Smith V. Brand Endowed Chair in Theatre Arts. Cast: Ned Babbott ~ AJ; Sam Butler ~ Sherry; Andrew Cook ~ Allen; Natalie Polechonski ~ Mack; Jeri Murphy ~ Jenna.
Published on April 22, 2013


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OK cheesy title but Jaguar's mid-size executive saloon, the XF, really has something special that seems to have given the brand a new lease of life. I have already touched on the marque's line-up in my post about the XK, but for those not in the know essentially Jaguar models basically consisted of a large grand tourer/coupe (XJ-S/XK) and a big luxury saloon (XJ) for pretty much as long as buyers could remember. In 1989 the company had been bought by Ford yet apart from some investment in engines and interior tech, not fruit appeared to have been born from the venture (though the XK did breath fresh life into the company). This all changed in 1998 with the unveiling of the S Type, a competitor for the BMW 5 Series et al which was based on the upcoming Lincoln LS. Completely different to what Jaguar had offered before, the car initially won praise for its retro styling and handling which was more sprightly than recent Jags had been. Inside too the car featured modern options like sat-nav in addition to the normal leather and wood that buyers expected, and under the bonnet a diesel engine could be had from 2004.
Yet as time went on the market soured abit against the S Type, especially in the face of modern competitors such as the 2003 BMW 5 Series and 2004 Audi A6. The styling dated quite badly despite lots of minor facelifts, and the interior was soon criticised for being too American and sharing too many parts from parent company Ford. The car's baby brother the X Type (introduced in 2001) got similar negative remarks and by mid-2007 the company itself had been put up for sale by Ford alongside Land Rover, from this point the 2 companies were fused together and JLR became a focus for bidding from buyers across the world. Eventually the Indian firm Tata bought them and quickly set about continuing the product development cycles which were already in process.
As the oldest car in the brand's line up, the S Type had already been earmarked for replacement and early in 2007 the C-XF concept had been launched to rave reviews. By the time the deal with Tata had been completed, the production XF had just been released to the public-many of whom lapped up the thoroughly modern design that designer Ian Callum had given the car. Almost as sleek as the CLS four-door coupe launched by Mercedes a few years earlier, the XF was as futuristic as the S Type had been retro; the small glass area and blade-like rear lights gave the car a stealthy look, and the mesh grille at the front of the car was a modern take on the grilles of classic Jaguars.
Inside the XF built upon the much-praised XK's cabin; light and airy the designers made much use of aluminium to cover the dash alongside the traditional wood. A large touchscreen was standard and although it isn't as slick as the system in German rivals, it remains easy to use-especially in newer models which have been given software updates. The XF also gained praise for its party-trick starting up process; as opposed to merely turning a key drivers press a button next to the flush centre console, then the rotary gear selector (think a twisty dial about as big as a few digestives) rises up in all its metal glory and finally the air vents rotate round from their hidden position. This theatrical element may lose its appeal after a few weeks, but for buyers taking their first test drive it is definately a moment to savour. All XF's are well equipped but as expected a premium sound system and other nicities can be added to the car, and out back the Jaguar is able to compete against rivals with a spacious rear cabin and sizeable boot…though taller passengers may feel restricted by the low roofline.
Once on the road the XF tends to recieve near perfect feedback from UK-based reviewers, and indeed international sources still give good feedback in terms of ride, refinement and to an extent handling. The problem is that the XF is based on the same old platform which originated with the S-Type so is now 15 years old! Yes there have been lots of updates made to suspension and steering but neither the S-Type nor Lincoln LS was ever described as particularly sporty. Maybe I am being unfair though, especially as I have not driven the car; the updated range of engines and sport mode in the gearbox are sure to make a difference at least…the S-Type's 2.7 TDV6 was the only engine carried over for the UK market and was originally joined by a 4.2 supercharged V8. In other markets a naturally aspirated V8 was available and in 2009 all engines were replaced; the diesel was upped to 3 litres and the 2 V8's to 5 litres. The line up has also gained a 2.2 litre diesel for European markets, whilst a 2 litre petrol and 3 litre supercharged V6 have just been launched (the latter replacing the regular 5L V8).
The XF recieved a facelift in 2011 and basically consisted of the introduction of the smaller diesel, a new 8 speed gearbox and sleeker headlights based on the original concept. Last year the estate 'Sportbrake' version launched and offers buyers significantly more space for not much more money; the saloon starts at just under £30k and the estate £32k. There are not really many negatives at all when it comes to the XF and to be honest I would not hesistate recommending it to anyone looking for a mid-size executive saloon/estate. The problem is that none of the cars in this sector are bad ones and can offer some more economical/powerful engines, sharper handling and more futuristic tech, but personally I think the XF's look looks and stunning cabin would be enough to swing the balance in favour of the big Jaaag.


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News Archive
Forcing The Turnover
January 09 2002
By Bryan Hersh of 49ers Paradise
One of the biggest factors in any football game, turnovers, play an integral role in deciding the victors of games. It is simple logic that the more times a defense can get the ball into the end zone, either by returning a turnover, or by handing the ball off to the offense, the better a team will fair. In many cases this can be perceived as a fourteen-point turnaround and can often supply the knock out punch your team needs.
It's been a special year for the 49ers defense. Two players on the team, Ahmed Plummer and Zack Bronson accounted for an amazing seven interceptions each. Together they made up slightly more than half of the 49ers forced turnovers. At the season's end, the 49ers were at plus twelve in the turnover ration. That means they forced twelve more turnovers than were forced on them. Interestingly enough, that works out to one extra turnover per win the 49ers had this season.
Defensively, the 49ers recovered ten fumbles and offensively the team lost ten fumbles. But it was the interception margin that really put the 49ers above the rest. The team forced twenty-four interceptions, or twelve more than the twelve forced on them. Of these interceptions, five of them were returned for touchdowns.
This turnover margin is a key factor in the success the 49ers have had this season. The tough part will be continuing to win the turnover battle in the playoffs. Particularly this week against the Packers where, the weather is going to be cold, the 49ers defense needs to step up and give the offense every opportunity possible to put points on the board.


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Lee Emerson
Lee was born in 1958 in Lincoln. After his family moved south, he attended grammar school in Southampton. After a short spell in the Army, he studied History at Cambridge University, and then went on to train as a teacher at London University. After 20 years in the profession, Lee left teaching to be part of a leadership team of a church in Somerset for four years, before taking up the post of Minister at Scott Drive in 2006. Lee was converted from a vague belief in God to genuine faith in Christ in 1979 while he was a student, and was baptised at Above Bar Church, Southampton, in 1980. He was awarded the Certificate in Theology from Moore College, Sydney, in 2004, after completing the College's correspondence course. He is also a lecturer at the Peninsula Gospel Partnership that meets in Plymouth.
Lee's principal work in the church is to preach and teach the Scriptures, to pray and to pastor the congregation, with the help of the leadership team. His ambition for the church at Scott Drive is to see it grow, as men and women, young and old, come to faith in Jesus Christ, and grow in that faith, so that Christ receives the honour He is due in the hearts of the people who belong to Him.
Lee is married to Annette, and they have two adult children.
Stephen Owen
Steve attended Exeter School as a pupil and has lived in the East Devon area most of his life. He came to faith in Christ in his 30s, and joined Scott Drive Church in 2001, becoming a deacon a short time later, and an elder in 2017.
Steve has worked for many years in business, and is a prominent member
of the Gideons. He has a preaching ministry of his own in some of the local churches in the area, often deputising for Lee when he is away.
Steve is married to Jan and they have three adult children
Ian Margeson
Ian was for many years involved in the academic world, lecturing in History at what is now Gloucester University. After moving to Budleigh Salterton, he was invited by a friend to Scott Drive Church, where he heard and believed the gospel in 2008. Ian was baptised at the church in 2011, and was elected onto the diaconate later that year. Ian helps with the finances, and gives time and prayer to those with pastoral needs in the fellowship.
Gurjit Malli
Gurjit was born in the West Midlands to a Sikh family, and came live in Devon in 2003 when he and his brother took over a newsagent business in Exmouth. Later this was sold, and Gurjit found more satisfaction in working in a nursing home, where he met his wife-to-be, Kym, who was already a Christian. Gurjit himself came to faith in 2008, after his housemate became a Christian and challenged him about eternal salvation. He was baptised in 2009. Gurjit & Kym now both work in Exeter, but live in Exmouth a short distance from Scott Drive Church, which they started attending in 2016. Both have a passion to reach unsaved people, and Gurjit has been involved in the church's evangelism as well as serving in other ways. He was elected a deacon in 2018.


text: Japanese architect Takaharu Tezuka might have built the coolest kindergarten in the world. The main playground is the roof of the oblong-shape structure, which has a circumference of over 600 ft. This is where children play under the sun, climb on trees and stairs, run in circles, and make lots of noise. But it doesn't end there. The whole school is an endless playground with trees, skylights for peek-a-boo, washbasins with hoses. No boundaries exist between the inside and outside and between classrooms. For him, putting the kids inside a box would make them nervous. Because the kids have complete freedom to move around, each child walks or runs an average of 2.5 miles everyday. The school has one of the most athletic kindergarteners in Japan. He said "My point is don't control them, don't protect them too much, and they need to tumble sometimes. They need to get some injury. And that makes them learn how to live in this world. I think architecture is capable of changing this world and people's lives. "Sources:Image & Video: YouTube/TED Talks


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Short URL allows you to get another page, and this is the usual and ordinary purpose. For example, this link copi.st/pL8p will get you somewhere very high, and this copi.st/TpZT let you swim with the dolphins.
One additional character * at the end of the short link address let you see all the information about these links. Check it: copi.st/pL8p* is a redirect to Flickr and copi.st/TpZT* - to Youtube.
Here the table of short links modifiers:
I think short URL modifiers are very convenient and useful. The several extra symbols gives you a lot. Is it?