text:
Desert Gift
- Sally John Author
- 2011 29 Jun
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is an excerpt from Desert Gift by Sally John (Tyndale).
At precisely twelve minutes and thirty-five seconds past ten o'clock in the morning, Central Standard Time, Jillian Galloway's world ceased to exist.
She noticed the time because she was a clock watcher, a habit born of working in radio, where fractions of moments truly mattered. When her mike was on and the clock's second hand swept up toward the twelve and listeners were staying tuned in because they wanted to hear the national news at noon, she wasn't about to introduce a new subject.
But there stood Jackson, her husband, introducing a new subject while at the front door, buttoning his black wool overcoat. An assortment of luggage was at his feet, packed and ready to go. Outside, a cab waited at the curb. Somewhere up in the stratosphere a jet soared, making its way to O'Hare airport, where, in a very, very, very short while, they would board it.
She shifted her gaze from the large wall clock beyond his shoulder and made eye contact with him. "What did you say?"
"I said I'm not going." He repeated the words that simply did not fit into that morning's time frame nor anywhere in her comprehension.
"Jack, what are you talking about?"
With a sigh—the exasperated one he seldom emitted except in the kitchen when one of his gourmet concoctions failed—he lowered his shoulder bag to the floor. "I can't keep this up. I just can't." A wince settled into the lines around his eyes. "I'm sorry."
"Honey, you're not making any sense. We're on our way out the door. What on earth . . . ? What can't you keep up?"
"Us, Jill. Us. I can't keep us up."
Beneath her wintry layers of blouse, sweater, silk scarf, and wool jacket, perspiration trickled down her sides. Her gloved fingers ached around the handle of her laptop bag. Her ears burned from the slap of his words, forcing her to let them inside.
Jack's grimace tightened until his hazel eyes were all but seamed shut. "I'm sorry." He spoke in his professional doctor tone: soft, gentle, giving an unpleasant prognosis to an unsuspecting patient. "I can't explain it. It just is."
She swallowed, gulping around the sudden lump in her throat. "You're tired. You haven't had a real vacation in forever. We both need this trip. A little downtime in the sunshine. A little rest. Then we'll talk. We'll decipher whatever this is all about."
"We will talk, but not now. I need some space, some serious space." He shook his head. "The truth is, I want a divorce."
The clock's pendulum ticked and tocked, back and forth, back and forth. It carried off irretrievable moments. It divided time into a before and an after.
Jill blinked. She cleared her throat. The lump remained. She blinked again. "I don't understand."
"Neither do I."
"I have been trying since I woke up this morning."
"Since you woke up this morning? So it's out of the blue, this . . . this . . . this need for space. That can't be. People don't wake up and say they want—want . . ." He hadn't said it, had he? Not the D word. Not really. He didn't mean it.
"Don't, Jill, please. Don't analyze. Don't stick a label on it. It just is." His face smoothed, the creases unfolding as if the burden of the prognosis were no longer his to carry. He opened the front door and grabbed hold of her two bags. "I'll walk you out to the cab."
"Jack! This is crazy! I can't leave now."
"Yes, yes, you can. So many fans are counting on you. Let this go for now and focus on your work. You don't want to disappoint them."
"We need to talk!"
"We will. When you get home." He hurried outside, down the porch steps, and along the sidewalk he had scooped clear of snow before breakfast, knowing the whole entire time, with every shovelful thrown aside, that he wasn't going with her.
They would talk when she got home. When she got home.
She wouldn't be home for five weeks.
Jill stood, motionless. Her loving husband of twenty-four years had just announced that he wanted a divorce.
Behind her the clock chimed a quarter past the hour.
Chapter 1
Aboard a flight from Chicago to Los Angeles
When Jill was a little girl, her father nicknamed her Jillie Jaws. He asked, What choice did he have? Not only were her initials JAW, she was also without question, from birth, a motormouth. When air first hit her lungs, she never even cried. She yammered. Yes sirree, Jillian Autumn Wagner always had something to say.
Until now.
Four hours into it and she had nothing to say.
Not that anyone would have listened. The flight attendants had spent more time buckled in than not because of air turbulence. A sullen thirtyish woman in the window seat wore a headset and kept her nose buried in a novel that sported a strikingly handsome Fabio-type on the cover. The aisle seat remained empty.
Of course it remained empty. It was Jack's.
Her jaw quivered. The movement had no relationship to yammering.
What would her father think? Skip Wagner thought the world of his son-in-law.
Her dad? She was concerned about her dad? What about her audience?
Don't even start, Jillian. Do not even start.
But of course she had started, thanks to Jack's introduction of the subject. He had said her fans were counting on her.
Jack was a kind man, a physician in the classic sense. He was a gentleman who wanted nothing more than to help his patients feel better. That he actually said he wanted a divorce was inconceivable. As if that weren't enough, he had added insult to injury by mentioning her fans. Moments later as they stood at the curb, he'd done it again. At the echo of his voice in her head now, she could scarcely breathe.
"You will be all right," he had said. "This trip is about you meeting your fans." He gave her a quick hug, the stiff-armed sort he used for his elderly, frail mother. Then deftly, one hand under her elbow, the other on the open car door, he ushered her into the backseat of the cab as if she were another scoop of snow tossed aside.
"Jack, I'll go later. I'll get another flight—"
"No!" He shook his head vehemently. "No. I must do it this way. I'm sorry." He shut the car door.
Before the driver pulled from the curb, Jack had scurried away, making it halfway up the sidewalk without a wave or backward glance.
And that was that.
At breakneck speed he had detonated three explosions: He wanted a divorce. He didn't want to talk about it for weeks. He mentioned her fans.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Her fans were women who listened to her radio show and planned to read her new book. They were women from across the country who trusted her advice on how to prevent a husband from doing exactly what her husband had just managed to do.
More specifically they were women in Los Angeles who had already paid money to eat lunch with Jill Galloway. They had paid money to hear her speak about how to communicate in marriage. They had scheduled it on their BlackBerrys for tomorrow.
Before the cab had reached the end of the block, her jaw quit working.
Except for the tremble.
She was supposedly an expert in marital discourse. How did it happen that in ten words or less, with absolutely no forewarning, her own husband had exploded their world with "I want a divorce" and then sent her off to the airport?
The scene was so totally out of character for him it made her head swim. The Galloways were the poster couple for a healthy marriage. They had worked hard for over twenty years at keeping it healthy. She had taught on the subject for a dozen years. She had a solid grasp of the ins and outs—
A sharp jab against her arm startled her.
Her seatmate moved her elbow from the armrest. "Sorry."
Jill nodded and then shook her head and hoped it was a universal sign for no problem.
"Excuse me." The woman pushed the headset from her mane of dark hair. "No one is sitting in the aisle seat. You could use it."
Jill gazed at the empty seat.
"Uh, are you all right?"
She nodded, shook her head, and nodded again. You don't want to know.
"Do you need the attendant?"
Jill's lungs craved air. Her chest felt like it was on fire. Maybe words were piled up inside. Instead of their usual flight off her tongue, they had lumped themselves together and now spontaneous combustion was occurring.
Maybe she was having a heart attack!
Miss Sullen reached up and snapped on the call light.
Jill blurted, "It's my husband's seat."
"Okaaay." Her voice rose on the last syllable.
"He's in Chicago."
The woman's eyebrows twitched.
"And I think he just left me." Jill unbuckled her belt, snapped off the call light, and moved into Jack's seat, affirming that he really and truly was not coming.
The burning sensation lessened. Maybe speaking aloud had released some of the pressure. Maybe what helped was giving voice to truth, the hard truth that she was on a plane somewhere over the Rockies and her husband for no conceivable reason was not.
She shut her eyes. She couldn't even articulate a prayer. Where was God in all this anyway? A simple answer was that He allowed this situation for a reason. A reason she could use someday. Something like a new insight to share with other women or like material for a lesson plan.
Her chest went all hot again. The simple answer did not resonate. No way, nohow.
She pressed her fingers against her breastbone. Was it heartburn? Not the kind that plagued when she was pregnant, but the kind inflicted by such emotional pain it felt like her heart was being seared.
"Maybe he didn't leave you," her seatmate said.
Jill opened her eyes.
Miss Sullen shrugged. "You said you 'think' he left you. If you don't know for sure, maybe he didn't."
"Maybe he didn't." Jill sighed. "Out of the blue he said he wanted a divorce."
"Out of the blue?"
"Yes. The thing is, I can't figure out why he would. I mean, of course I've gone over my obvious, most glaring faults. I talk too much. I drag him to events he doesn't give a hoot about. He wanted four kids but I said no after one. I ignore his parents a lot. I don't cook. I really don't like his office manager. I threw his baseball cards into the trash. It was a mistake—I didn't mean to, but I did it. And I spend an arm and a leg every three weeks for this." She grabbed a fistful of frosted blonde hair. Its carefree style cut exactly one inch below her earlobes remained undisturbed.
Miss Sullen's brows inched upward.
Jill went on. "But that's just everyday life, you know? It's what he married. Piled up for twenty-four years with no serious complaint out of him, do they create a motive? I don't think so. But what about the big-deal stuff? the stuff that really matters?"
The woman's eyes were wide open now.
Jill slid into familiar territory, her tone confident. "The big-deal stuff is definitely in the plus column. Jack and I talk openly about everything, and I mean everything. We always have. We like each other. Physical intimacy is very good. We attend church together. We go on dates regularly. We spend time with mutual friends. He loves his work. I love mine. Our son is a mature young adult. As far as I know, that covers it. And trust me, I know a lot about marriage."
The brows disappeared behind Miss Sullen's bangs. "You sure sound like you do."
"Well, I've studied it for years. I speak at women's conferences about it and teach it to a women's Sunday school class. Have for years." Instantly her jaw locked again. Her cheeks flushed. The gush of boldness ebbed, like water circling a drain. She heard its sickening slurp.
"So," the woman said, "you're like an expert."
"Um, sort of." The doubts were piling up faster than last night's snow. She wasn't about to explain that not only did she speak on the subject, she hosted a syndicated radio show devoted to it. And not only that, but she had even written a book about it.
"Then you know what this is about."
Jill met the young woman's dark eyes, more somber than sullen, wiser than thirtysome years awarded. Her black cashmere sweater did not quite reach the top of low-rise jeans. Her tall boots were of soft leather. Silver bangles clinked on her wrists, a huge diamond flashed on her left hand.
Jill said, "How do you know?"
"My husband is fifteen years older. We met at the beginning of his crisis."
As in midlife crisis.
On any other day up until this day, Jill would have asked the woman a gazillion questions and taken notes. She must be a gold mine of information. She was the prototype of the Younger Woman whose path crossed the Older Guy's as he bounced around in a confused state of dipping hormones or dying career or diminishing whatever.
But right now Jill was not pulling out her pen and pad. Right now she was imagining Jack grinning at a beauty half his age.
"Then again—" the woman slid her headset over her ears—"maybe he just has the flu." She picked up her book and began reading again.
Jill leaned her head against the seat back and closed her eyes. "Midlife crisis and divorce." She whispered the dreaded words as if tasting a kumquat. Their unfamiliar acidic flavor settled on her tongue. Did she have to get used to it?
Tears stung.
I vote for the flu.
* * *
Agonizingly long hours later at the Los Angeles airport, Jill greeted Gretchen MacKelvie curbside with a quick squeeze. "Hi."
"Where's Jack?"
"Home. Flu."
Gretchen held her at arm's length. Taller than Jill's five-two by several inches, she was large-boned with long, wavy brown hair and full lips. "Flu."
Gretchen's left eye narrowed; the other flashed neon green. Her ski-slope nose twitched. She had perfected the matronly glare long before she'd turned forty-two. "What's up with the incomplete sentences, Miss Jaws?"
Jill glared back at her. "It's either flu or midlife crisis. I'm going with flu."
"Jill! What happened?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He just didn't feel like coming." She shrugged off Gretchen's hands. "Is that your rental? The security guy's heading for it."
"Like I care. Stand still and talk to me."
Ignoring her friend, Jill rolled her luggage hastily toward the car, calling out to the guard. "We're here! We're coming."
"You can't park there, ma'am."
"Got it!"
Nodding, he strode past.
Gretchen muttered to herself, aiming her key ring at the car. "Can't even park for five minutes. Curses on terrorists everywhere." The trunk popped open. Together they loaded the cases. "What do you mean he didn't feel like coming? I just saw him on Sunday. He was looking forward to his vacation."
"Yeah, well, evidently his vacation wasn't this one."
"Is it because of his car accident on Tuesday night?"
"That was no big deal. Few stitches on his head. He put on his Cubs hat and went back to work the next morning. The thing is, he said he . . ." Lockjaw set in again. Jill forced the words through clenched teeth. "He said he wants a divorce."
Gretchen gasped.
Jill slammed the trunk lid shut. "He got sick. Hormones, midlife gear switching, flu, whatever. He'll get better."
"No. Way. You're spinning this, aren't you? You're making it palatable. Next you're going to say God works all things together for good."
"Well, He does. Meanwhile, you and I have our own work to do."
"Jillian Galloway, this is huge. A divorce? Oh, my gosh! Why aren't you bawling your head off?"
"I already did, somewhere over Colorado."
"Malarkey. Your mascara isn't smudged, not even a tiny bit."
"Fixed it over Nevada."
"Oh, Jillie."
"Ladies!" The security guard neared again, making a show of flipping open his ticket pad.
They hurried around to the car doors and climbed inside.
Within moments Gretchen eased the car into the traffic. She sighed heavily. "Don't you ever get tired of squeezing the lemons? We do not need any lemonade, sweetums. Not today."
Jill disagreed. She would have said so, but her jaw was too busy forming itself around a wail.
Copyright © 2011 by Sally John. All rights reserved.
Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, www.alivecommunications.com.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.
Visit Tyndale's exciting Web site at www.tyndale.com.
Check out the latest about Sally John at www.sally-john.com.
TYNDALE and Tyndale's quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.


text:
Disability NEWS - January 12, 2012
January 2012 Portland Commission on Disability meetings
Work continuing to establish new Office of Equity
Community Forum on January 19 for assessing city candidate skills
Incight announces its 2012/2013 Scholarship
Training Opportunity for Inter-Group Dialogue Facilitators
Winter weather warning: Sidewalks & curbcuts need to be clear
Portland Commission on Disability to conduct February retreat
Emergency preparedness includes being ready for weather events
Visit the City's Disability Program Facebook page for current postings
Portland Commission on Disability
January 2012 Subcommittee Meetings
PCoD Public Outreach and Awareness Subcommittee
Wednesday, January 18, 3 to 5 p.m.
Disability Rights Oregon
620 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 500
PCoD Employment Subcommittee
Friday, January 27, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Pettygrove Room, City Hall, 1221 SW 4th Avenue
Work continuing to establish
new Office of Equity
Following the adoption of an ordinance on September 21, 2011, the Office of Equity and Human Rights is moving forward with a search for a director. The Office will apply the definition and vision of equity from The Portland Plan and coordinate an implementation strategy for the Equity Initiative Recommendations of the Plan.
Of interest to the disabilities community, the Portland Commission on Disability is included in the new Office. The Commission worked many hours and participated in numerous meetings since the initial proposal in February 2011 by Mayor Sam Adams for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the City's equity policy. The Commission is looking forward to furthering its efforts to increases accessibility in Portland in collaboration with other equity partners.
To be added an e-mail list, receive updates and even be involved in the Equity work, visit Commissioner Amanda Fritz's webpage on Equity. There are also links on the page to more information on the ordinance and the work that has lead to the new Office.
Community Forum set January 19
to discuss city candidate skills
Many voters would like to know more than just what candidates say about themselves and their opponents. To address this need, a unique community forum to identify skills and abilities that Portland mayors and city council members need to serve effectively is scheduled for January 19 from 7 to 9 pm. The forum is sponsored by a diverse group of community and neighborhood organizations and will be held in St. Philip Neri Catholic Church's Carvlin Hall at 2408 SE 16th Ave.
All community members are invited to attend and will be of interest to those who have experience interacting with the members of City Council. The forum will focus on identifying the skills, abilities and temperament need to serve the community and not on particular policy issues. It is non-partisan and not connected to any candidate or campaign. The goal is to give community members a greater voice in the election process and to improve Portland's leadership and governance.
More information is available at http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?a=380098&c=29385 on the Office of Neighborhood Involvement website.
Incight announces its
2012/2013 Scholarship program
Each year, Incight awards approximately 100 scholarships to students with disabilities, ranging in value from $500 to $2,500. Incight announces that its 2012/2013 Scholarship Program is open to students who have demonstrated outstanding merit in giving back to the community and overcoming obstacles in order to pursue higher education.
In addition to providing financial support, Incight remains a valuable resource for its scholars throughout their college years, during the transition from high school to college, while seeking accommodations, and preparing students for post-graduate life entering the employment sector. Click the Incight/Education link to find out more about the program and how to apply. The deadline for new scholarships is March 2, 2012.
Training Opportunity set January 13
for Inter-Group Dialogue Facilitators
The City of Portland's community Inter-Group Dialogue Program (IGD) is seeking candidates who are dedicated to working with diverse racial identity populations, strengthening intergroup relations and fostering understanding, inclusion, and justice in our city. There are three days of training scheduled for January 26 through 28 for people who have experience in group dialogues to become facilitators. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, January 13.
The following are preferred criteria for IGD facilitators and will help guide the selection of the candidates for training: self-confidence in facilitating sensitive conversations, experience with group dialogue processes, availability to be present for full series of dialogue processes, time commitment, and to be willing to facilitate dialogues on a volunteer basis. Further information and the application is available on the Office of Human Relations website or by contacting Koffi Dessou at 503-823-4429 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Winter weather warning:
Sidewalks & curbcuts need to be clear
The Office of Neighborhood Involvement's Disability Program is advising in advance of possible inclement winter weather that property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks of snow and ice. In addition, the snow and/or ice should be cleared with an awareness that curb cuts for driveways and pedestrian access should be left open for people with disabilities who use mobility devices. If the access is blocked, a person with a disability can be blocked from accessing the sidewalk and left stranded in the street or on the sidewalk during cold, severe winter weather.
If you, or anyone you know, encounters trouble while navigating sidewalks during inclement weather, please send us an e-mail with the location address and its cross streets. The goal is to track problem locations and work with Portland Bureau of Transportation to facilitate safe accessibility during winter weather
Portland Commission on Disability
to conduct February retreat
In lieu of a February meeting, the Portland Commission on Disability (PCOD) will conduct a retreat on February 10. No business will be conducted at this work session/retreat while commissioners participate in team building, leadership training, and work plan updating. An internal communications presentation is also planned with an opportunity to assist commissioners in using applications, emails and calendars specific to the commission.
The retreat has been in planning since early fall with a discussion to the full commission at its December 9 meeting. It will offer time for the group to review its work over nearly two years, meet the newer commissioners, update work plans and consider its work with the new Office of Equity and Human Rights.
Emergency preparedness includes
preparing for weather events
Winter weather can quickly change with very serious, unexpected results. Severe ice and snow storms can cause people to be housebound and have to cope with power outages, food supply shortages and other weather-related problems. It is not just the headline-catching disasters that have experts warning that people with disabilities have an emergency preparedness plan in place before an emergency arises.
Emergency Preparedness Training is offered through a partnership with the ONI Disability Program and the Oregon Health Sciences Center. The training is for several hours and provides complete information on making a plan, things to consider, lists of supplies and materials to gather and other information to help participants deal with an unexpected emergency. Materials are provided for participants to take home for use. For information about workshops or to schedule one for a worksite or housing complex, contact Danielle Bailey by email at firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone at 503-494-4858.
Visit Disability Program Facebook page
for news, event postings
The Office of Neighborhood Involvement Disability Program Facebook page features daily postings of news, videos, events and issues of interest to people with disabilities. Visit the program's Facebook page to read these postings and other information posted daily on disability issues, news and concerns.
Get more news/information
at the Disability Program's website
You can access more information on resources, events and the Portland Commission on Disability at the program's website, http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?c=28994.
To update your contact information, if you know someone who would like to receive the newsletter or if you wish to submit information for the newsletter, please contact Patrick Philpott, ONI Disability Program administrative coordinator, at:
Phone: 503-823-3881 - TTY:503-823-6868
Email: email@example.com
Please note: This information may also provided in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF formats. Please use the contact information above to make your request for an alternative format.
The Disability NEWS is distributed by the City of Portland Office of Neighborhood Involvement's Disability Program.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Search Constraints
You searched for: Access Public Remove constraint Access: Public Place Massachusetts Remove constraint Place: Massachusetts Place United States Remove constraint Place: United States Place Arizona Remove constraint Place: Arizona Format Shapefile Remove constraint Format: Shapefile Year 1990 Remove constraint Year: 1990
Search Results
1. County Boundaries of the United States, 1990
1990. Geological Survey (U.S.). This polygon shapefile portrays the 1990 state and county boundaries of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The map layer ... Geological Survey (U.S.).
2. Spread of Africanized Honey Bees in the United States, 1990-2005
1990. United States. Agricultural Research Service. This polygon shapefile portrays the spread, by year, of the Africanized honey bee (AHB) in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Isla... National Atlas of the United States.


text: +InsaneNutter MVC Share Posted December 24, 2013 Recently i was looking at getting an Nintendo 3DS XL for Christmas and was really surprised to find out you don't get a charger with it! I can't understand why something so essential would not be included?, i mean its not like the console is solar powered or anything... From what i've read on-line Nintendo expect you to have a charger from a previous DS console? Well yes I have a DS Lite charger, which according to the internet is incompatible with the 3DS XL anyway... Luckily i knew this from reading reviews before buying the 3DS XL, i just wonder how many people are going to get a 3DS XL this Christmas and not be able to use it? On Amazon the very last paragraph after a massive description states "An AC adapter is not included with the Nintendo 3DS, but can be purchased separately.", hardly very prominent for something i would consider vital information. Nintendo have had some great innovations over the years, however i've always thought Nintendo have made some really silly decisions too... this been the latest i'll probably never understand the point of. Link to post Share on other sites


text:
Welcome back!
I've kept this place online for a while and I used to use it to try to brush up on my web skills. Lately I've kind of let it sit, but since I still use the domain and hosting space I figured I might as well leave it up.
Maybe someday I'll get back to working on the site.


text:
Who the new Pistons general manger will be remains a mystery. The Pistons have begun the process and hope to have someone in place by the draft, although there is no definitive timetable.
Once the new GM is hired, there is a huge decision waiting for them.
It's not hiring a new coach or front office staff, although those are important decisions.
It's not what to do with the Pistons' first-round pick, assuming they have one.
The biggest decision awaiting the new GM is what to do with restricted free agent Greg Monroe.
Monroe is just 23 and coming off a year where he averaged 15.2 points and 9.3 rebounds, the third straight year he's averaged more than 15 points and nine rebounds per game.
He's just scratching the surface of what he can do and has been a model citizen despite going through four tough years. He's a high-character guy.
It seems like keeping him would be a no-brainer, after all talented, young, 6-foot-10 big men don't fall into your lap very often. But it's not so simple.
First off, the new GM has to figure out what the price tag is.
Monroe's agent David Falk is likely going to ask for a max contract, which will be somewhere in the neighborhood of four years and $60 million.
Falk is most famous for being the agent of Michael Jordan and is a master negotiator. Two years ago, Falk was able to convince Portland to sign restricted free agent Roy Hibbert to a four-year, $58 million deal after the Pacers didn't offer what he wanted. Indiana matched, but the key is Falk got the number he wanted for his client.
Expect Falk to do something similar with Monroe. If the Pistons don't offer the money he wants, then he will try find someone who will.
Detroit has the option to match any deal Monroe signs, but is Monroe worth $15 million or something close to that per year?
There was just 19 players in the NBA who made more than $15 million last season and 29 who made $14 million or more. Is Monroe a top 30 NBA player?
The list of power forwards making more than $14 million last season reads Dirk Nowitzki, Amar'e Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Zach Randolph, Blake Griffin, Carlos Boozer, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love.
Do the Pistons think Monroe is in that same class or has the potential to be?
Monroe is a highly skilled offensive player, but his defense is not on the same level. Monroe has drawn some criticism for his lack of athleticism and it was one of his knocks coming out of college. But in the right system and playing alongside Andre Drummond, Monroe can likely do enough defensively to get the job done.
Money, defense and everything else aside, there is still the giant elephant in the room that is Josh Smith, who still has three years left on the four-year, $54 million deal he signed last summer.
It's no secret the Pistons lacked chemistry this season. Detroit had the most talented team it's had in recent years, but finished with 29 wins, the exact same number of wins the Pistons had last season.
It's clear a starting frontcourt of Smith, Monroe and Drummond doesn't work. If anything it's holding all three players back.
Smith has drawn the most criticism of three and some of it rightfully so, but thinking he could play small forward with two big men who do all of their work inside was likely foolish.
If Monroe was a stretch four, then maybe things would have been different, but having Smith on the perimeter was a disaster.
And if you have Smith down low then that puts Monroe or Drummond out of position.
One of the three likely has to go. It won't be Drummond, who is just 20 and has the potential to be a franchise big man.
Dealing Smith won't be easy. It's not impossible, but you will likely have to take a bad contract back.
Smith is talented, but his value is likely at it's lowest and is even lower considering teams know the Pistons have three big men and likely want to deal one.
So do you let Monroe walk or negotiate a sign-and-trade, use that money on a perimeter player and roll with Smith and Drummond?
Fans are still bitter about the Pistons trading away Arron Afflalo, imagine if Monroe has a breakout season after the Pistons let him go.
If you are the new GM do you want that to be the way you start your tenure? Fans could be calling for your head before you have the job a full year.
The Pistons have put themselves in a tough position in regards to Monroe.
What should the Pistons do? It's a complicated question that will likely shape the tenure of the next GM.
Nothing like a little pressure to welcome in the new guy.


text:
Saigon has put Rick Ross on blast for promoting the "destruction of our community" by rapping about topics that are detrimental to the Hip Hop realm. During an interview with SOHH (via HHNM), Sai took down the Maybach Music Group honcho, criticizing those that support his career despite the fact that he delivers extravagant raps.
"Why y'all supportin' a nigga that promotes the destruction of our community? Why are you doin' that? Why would you let this nigga thrive and we don't know where our next jobs are coming from?" he said. "He's rapping about selling kilos of cocaine and selling drugs. This is what he's about, this whole lifestyle saying he's so rich and he eats shrimp every night, and y'all support this shit? Y'all broke and poor and your family's about to get kicked out. That's our hit, son! That's his hit. Nobody knows the words to this song, all they know is "ass, ass, ass, ass, ass, ass, ass." [Background noises] We don't care about "ass, ass, ass, ass," but this is the society we livin' in right now. So it's like alright."
Read the story over at SOHH.com.
[May 25]
UPDATE: Saigon has clarified his comments that were published yesterday on SOHH.com, stating that they were misconstrued.
"Ross is my nigga and I never singled him out abt the fucked up state of Hip Hop… 99% of the artist make that shit so it wouldnt make sense to single out Rick Ross…..," he tweeted.
"@rickyrozay Peace my Nigga, I have no idea where that bullshit on that website came from homie. U know its all love over here, alsways been," he continued. "@rickyrozay I thought niggas was done using me to look like the the Disgruntled Postal Worker of rap…. Salute ya grind all day."
"Ross is one of the few niggas who ever extended his hand to me before. Mad love for @rickyrozay so with that said. Its a dead issue. MRA," wrote Sai. "As I said the last time I seen @rickyrozay He said "if U need anything, just holla" I never did but he extended that to me. Thats Love. I would never shit on a person who extended his hand to me to help me… Yall are some real STUPID muthafuckas… LOL."
[May 26]
UPDATE #2: After Saigon said that his words were misconstrued, SOHH has now released audio confirming that his original statements were true.


text:
When their season began, they were nobody. When it ended, they were somebody. If it's the first Friday of the month, then we're remembering them in this special 1997 [1] edition of Flashback Friday [2] at Faith and Fear in Flushing.
Ten years, seven Fridays. This is one of them.
My vacation pictures came back today. Wanna see 'em?
Aw, where ya going? They're good pictures! It won't take that long, I promise.
Stephanie and I drove to Cooperstown on Monday and returned home Thursday, and the next day I took a train down to Baltimore to see the Mets play their first-ever games, Friday night and Saturday afternoon, at Camden Yards. It was kind of a coincidence that the two things happened in the same week, but it sounds like the perfect baseball tourist adventure, doesn't it?
Well, it was, though mostly I remember the schlep. The schlep and being really tired and buying t-shirts. But enough of me telling you about it. Here are the pictures.
Not these. These are from Shea. I was using up this roll during the first few weeks in August. Kind of like the Mets were using up the roll they had been on in July. We can just run through those real quick.
That's me and Frank the comedy writer who was visiting from California. We saw the Mets lose to the Rockies and some douche named John Thomson shut us out. Mlicki is worthless, as Frank reminded me repeatedly.
That's me and Chuck against Houston on his birthday. Another loss. Reeder got clobbered early for maybe the second time all year, but they hung in there. Got it to 5-4 but kept falling behind. Fucking Astros. Tim Bogar had three hits, Chuck Carr had two. Whaddaya gonna do? We had an OK time anyway. Olerud hit two homers and Ordoñez actually drove in two runs with a pinch-hit. If you look in the background you can see two of the new guys we got in the Lance Johnson trade. That's Brian McRae pinch-hitting and there's Turk Wendell coming in. I'm guessing the key to the deal is Mel Rojas, but you'd have to ask the new GM, Phillips. I liked Joe McIlvaine just fine.
That's me and Stephanie the Sunday before we left for Cooperstown. Got four tickets for the Mets and Padres from my friend at one of the beverage companies, which I gladly accepted despite covering his company because I'm a whore for Mets tickets. That's my e-mail buddy Jason and Bruce, a guy from work. And that's Pete Smith — yes, Pete Smith from the '94 Mets — dumping a triple in front of Butch Huskey, scoring three runs. There's Huskey homering, trying to make up for it. And there's good old Fonzie doubling in Luis Lopez in the seventh, but Trevor Hoffman closed us out and we lost.
That? In my mouth? A cannoli. It was the end of international week and the Mets were having a clearance sale on ethnic food. I can't say I'm sad I missed any of the international-themed games. One night against the Dodgers they had a convergence of Merengue Night, so you had a lot of Dominican fans rooting for Raul Mondesi. Plus Chan Ho Park was pitching for them, so you had a lot of Korean fans rooting for them. I was listening on the radio and I swear I hardly heard anybody cheering when the Mets did anything good.
Bad month at Shea for me. Oh and three. That's me looking depressed as I realize that even though it's been such a fun season, it's late August and we're 5-1/2 in back of the Marlins and we've even fallen behind the Giants.
Oh well. Good time to get out of town. Here's where the vacation pictures start.
This is Stephanie and me at the Kenny Rogers in Rockville Centre. You know: the chicken and country music guy, not the pitcher on the Yankees. We were chowing down on rotisserie chicken and side dishes before taking off on Monday. We love that place. We had to drop off Bernie and Casey at the vet for boarding and then run some other errands and by the time we finished lunch, it was 2:30. I have to admit I was a little worried because as you know I don't like driving at night. RVC is 242 miles from the HOF, so it shouldn't take more than 4-1/2 hours to get there, though I don't drive very fast. I also have to admit that when I don't have to adhere to a schedule, I tend to dawdle, so it's really my own fault.
This is me at the Exxon station in Oceanside staring at a map of New York State I just bought, trying to come up with the least traffic-combative route upstate. Good thing I bothered to notice I didn't own one before we left.
We're passing through Valley Stream here, which is just a few minutes from East Rockaway. I asked Stephanie why they can't just have the Hall of Fame here. It's not like baseball was really invented all the way upstate.
OK, this is us on the New York State Thruway, toward late afternoon. We're turning off to go to Woodstock. By the time we got to Woodstock, I was wary of losing daylight. You know I don't like driving at night. Did I mention that? But Stephanie spent part of her childhood in Woodstock — what a hippie — and hadn't been there since she was four, so I really couldn't say no.
Here we are in Woodstock. They didn't even have the concert there, you know. Just sayin'.
This one here is of me narrowly missing a deer. We had left Woodstock and the sun was beginning to set and I'm trying to find my way back to where I need to be, and a deer trots in front of me. I didn't see any DEER XING signs and it didn't see any COROLLA XING ones, so I guess we're even. I had to slam on the brakes but I missed the deer. It left me rather shook up.
Next, you see me behind the wheel and I'm not doing so good — see all those sweat beads? Once it was getting dark, I knew I couldn't stick with the highway, so I turned off to Route 28.
This is a little after I came to a fork in the road and, like Yogi suggested, I took it. But I took the wrong fork because as you can plainly see, I don't know where the hell I am. It's an unmarked road and I'm kind of panicky. If you look closely, you can see it drizzling. As a result, I'm going like 5 miles an hour and letting what few cars there are pass me. I'm in such a state that I even switch off the Mets-Giants game crackling its way up from Flushing.
There's a cop car going by. I thought he was going to pull me over for not going fast enough. I wouldn't have minded the break.
Here we are pulled over to this house in the middle of nowhere asking these two teenage girls who happen to be outside how to get to Oneonta. Oneonta is a college town adjacent to Cooperstown. I don't just ask for directions to Cooperstown because I have this weird hangup about coming off as a tourist, even a baseball tourist. Somehow, I think I'll come off as more authentic to total strangers if I ask about something less obvious. Yes, it's stupid. Yes, Stephanie thinks it's stupid. But we get directions and we're not all that far off 28, thank goodness.
This one is us pulling into the Best Western parking lot around 9:30, seven hours after we started. I'm literally shaking.
All right, it's Tuesday. Yes, now we're in the actual Hall of Fame. That's me with my Mets cap over my heart. I like to do that. I like to get all solemn with history. I really went respectful in the ballparks room, where I had to pause and pay homage to the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field and Comiskey Park, which I'd actually been to.
Look at that! It's a seat from the Polo Grounds! I wish I had seen it. The park itself, I mean.
In the next few, I'm moving around to the various exhibits. There's me next to Gil Hodges' uniform. There's a 1986 World Series ring. It's all good.
I don't have any pictures of the no-hitter exhibit. I didn't go anywhere near it. If you have to ask me why not, you haven't been paying attention.
This is the plaque room. I guess it's technically the actual Hall of Fame. This is where they honor everybody who we argue about all year, especially in January when the voting comes down. Y'know, it's funny — I'm really passionate about who's in and who's out, but when you're there, the plaque room is really the most boring part of the Hall of Fame. Except for Tom Seaver's.
This is Tom's plaque. Look at what it says: "Franchise power pitcher who transformed Mets from lovable losers to formidable foes." Yeah!
Here's another of Tom's plaque…actually, I think the rest of the envelope is Tom's plaque. I took a lot of pictures from a lot of different angles. I'll get out the next roll.
As you can see, we're outside the Hall in these. See all those bags we're lugging? We got carried away in the gift shop and all the other baseball stores on Main Street. What do you expect? We're t-shirt freaks and this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stock up. I even thought about buying an old-time, pre-refurbishing Yankee Stadium shirt, if you can believe that. Thought about it but didn't. I may have spent too much money in there, but I didn't spend my sanity.
Here's a shirt I bought depicting the Polo Grounds in one of its early incarnations.
Here's another with "Knights" on the front and Roy Hobbs' and Todd Hundley's number (9, of course) on the back.
Here are a couple commemorating and promoting the Hall itself.
Steph got several, too, including this one for the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. League of Their Own was an overrated movie, but it's a neat shirt.
This is another picture on Main Street. I'm surprised how many Mets fans there are, especially how many green Mets caps there are. They had Irish Night at Shea over the weekend and that was the giveaway. As you can see, I've got my "How About Dem 1997 Mets" shirt on. Look! Ordoñez, Olerud, Jones and Hundley on their very own t-shirt! It's important to represent.
Recognize this place? It's Doubleday Field where they play the Hall of Fame game every year. An amateur tournament is going on. Steph got a really good picture of it. We're getting it blown up for the living room.
This is the inside of one of the memorabilia stores. I'm looking for a Washington Senators cap, a red one. They don't have it and I don't want the earlier, darker version. I was in Washington years ago and thought about buying a Senators cap I saw but didn't. If I'm ever going to buy one, I figure Cooperstown is the place. But they don't have it and, honestly, what do I need one for?
These here are the next day, Wednesday. Turned out we didn't need more than a couple of hours inside the Hall, so we're actually at one of those other attractions that all the brochures say Cooperstown has and actually does, the James Fenimore Cooper House. It's pretty cool even if it has nothing to do with baseball.
We're back on Main Street in these, having lunch. Look at the TV in this place. Do you see what's on? Whatever it is, it's not the Mets game. The day before, I noticed one of those stores had the Yankee game from Oakland on. I assumed that since they got Sportschannel up here and it is the baseball capital of the world and the Mets are playing an afternoon game against the Giants, that it would be on in this place. But it's not. Figures.
Our room at the Best Western in the middle of the afternoon…I'm watching the game. The Mets are breaking a three-game losing streak that started on Sunday against the Padres, which, like I said, we went to. We got up to get something to eat in the second and Pete Smith — the pitcher! an ex-Met! not Tony Gwynn but Pete Smith! — dropped one in front of Butch Huskey and drove in three runs and we lost 3-2.
Yeah, I know I already mentioned that. Still pisses me off. That cannoli was excellent, though.
Anyway, I rushed us back to the room to watch the game because it was Jason Isringhausen's long-awaited return from injuries. By the time we got back, Izzy was out but I watched the rest and the Mets won 15-6. There's a shot of the one of the four hits and five RBI from Fonzie. Oh how I love him.
There's Steph reading while I'm watching. Steph's a good sport for interrupting our tourism so I can sit in the room and watch the Mets. Oh how I love her, too.
These pictures are nothing special. We're leaving Cooperstown Thursday morning…we're driving on I-88 because we left nice and early…we stop at SUNY Cobleskill to get college t-shirts — I couldn't find SUNY Oneonta it turned out…we're at a rest stop…we're at another rest stop…and another, because the only way I could do the highway was to keep stopping…here we're enjoying a blueberry doughnut from Dunkin' Donuts, which they had at one of the rest stops…we're passing Yankee Stadium here, which I point out to Steph. I'm in a good enough mood from Cooperstown not to say anything disparaging about it.
These? Those are of Bernie and Casey [3], of course! We're picking them up at the vet Thursday evening. We have a bunch of pictures of them, but I won't bore you. They're such good boys!
Wait! There's more! I have a whole other set of pictures from the Camden Yards part of the trip. It won't take long, I swear.
This is me unpacking and packing simultaneously. It's Thursday night and it's kind of hitting me that we just got home but I'm about to take off again. Boy am I tired. A good tired, I suppose, since it's tired born of baseball, but tired just the same. How do the beat writers do it?
Friday morning, I'm kissing Stephanie goodbye. It only occurred to me tangentially that after spending half our vacation together, I'm abandoning her, if only for an overnight trip. I feel a little guilty, but you'll notice it's not stopping me.
Here I'm outside Dock's Dog House, the summertime snack shack in our neighborhood where I occasionally buy Newsday on my way to the train station. I'm wearing the "No Place Like Tiger Stadium" t-shirt I got at the end of June when we were in Detroit to see the Mets. One of the old codgers who spends his mornings outside Dock's teases me about it. I think his point was the Tigers weren't the Yankees. Coot.
I don't have any pictures from the LIRR or Penn Station or the Amtrak. Sorry.
The next ones are of Baltimore Penn Station, which is a reasonably photogenic place. That's me wandering around out front waiting for Fred. You know about my high school friend Fred Bunz. Ever since he moved here to do medical research at Johns Hopkins, he's been a terrific source for Orioles tickets. His lab gets them. Once he noticed the Mets were on the schedule for late August, he arranged to get seats for the first game Friday night. Fred and the lab's freebies were unavailable for Saturday afternoon, unfortunately, but I ordered a ticket on my own. They're both sellouts, but I managed to get a single.
This is Fred and me at Laura's apartment. Laura is sort of Fred's girlfriend, I think. He's kind of vague about it. Look real close at that table in the corner and remember it.
The next picture is me and Fred driving toward Camden Yards when Fred suddenly realizes he doesn't have the tickets. We had stopped by the lab to pick them up, then Laura's. Now we're almost to the ballpark and no tickets. We start searching the car frantically.
That's me with a murderous glare in my eyes. I love Fred, I really do. He was never much of a baseball fan, and since he moved down there, he sort of clung to the Yankees as his team, though in a benign, inoffensive fashion. This is all to say he was doing me a big favor inviting me down and getting the tickets to see the Mets, but now he's lost them. Fred looks all apologetic and he starts talking about seeking out scalpers.
Fred again. He's at a pay phone. He's calling Laura. It's our last chance to find the damn tickets.
Inside Laura's apartment again. Remember the table? I told you to look closely. While chatting with Laura, Fred mindlessly placed the tickets on the table. I'm rolling my eyes in this one, but I let it go. We've got tickets to grab and a game to haul ass toward.
Check it out. We're in Camden Yards! I'm here and the Mets are here. I thought Interleague was a stupid idea, and I still sort of do, but this is pretty great. There are a lot of Mets fans. Maybe a quarter of the crowd is on holiday from New York. It is Labor Day weekend, after all.
Oy. This guy sitting next to us wouldn't shut up most of the night. He has one comment about Bernard Gilkey getting hit in the head by a fly ball in Men In Black and he keeps rolling it out. It's funny once. Actually, it isn't, but I'm a guest here. Even Fred, who lives in Baltimore, is embarrassed.
Not a great shot, but here's the Bird and, yup, Mr. Met. Between innings they do a battle of the mascots. The PA plays "New York New York" and Mr. Met dances. Then it's "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" and the Bird kicks his ass a little. All in good fun, I suppose.
This is Matt Franco, DH'ing. He hit a two-run homer in the second to give us a 3-0 lead. I don't like the designated hitter, but I can't complain about it here.
This is Cal Ripken, homering to tie it at 3 in the eighth against Greg McMichael. I thought I liked Cal Ripken. This is the problem with Interleague. I never had to do anything with the Orioles except admire them from afar. Now they're the enemy for three days.
And this is John Franco walking dejectedly off the mound in the 12th after giving up the losing hit to that goddamn Ripken. I already didn't like him. Now I can't stand him.
Here's me and Fred in the parking garage where I'm going on about how this Wild Card thing probably isn't going to happen, how I've sensed it since were swept in Colorado two weeks ago and Jerry Fucking DiPoto closed all three games against us. We're now seven behind the Marlins and suddenly five behind the Giants. Fred's going on in earnest tones about how great 1996 was with the Yankees winning the World Series. It's obvious neither one of us is listening to the other guy.
Fred's dropping me off at this hotel near the ballpark. Laura's mother was coming into town Saturday and Fred had to join them, otherwise I'd stay over with him and we'd go to the next game. I'm a reluctant houseguest anyway, so I defused any possible conflict by booking a room nearby. But I gotta tell ya, it's not a great neighborhood. Seems like the kinda place where there'll be sirens blaring through the night. Whenever Fred drives me around Baltimore, he's always characterizing this or that neighborhood as "not the best part of town." Eventually, I told him I concluded Baltimore is, as a whole, not the best part of town. He agreed.
Saturday morning and the hotel is still standing. That's me checking out and checking my Evian overnight bag with the clerk. You'll note he's not giving me a claim check. Don't worry, he says, it'll be here. Why don't I quite believe that?
Recognize this? It's the Babe Ruth Museum. I had plenty of time before the game, so I tracked it down. I was a little queasy at the idea of paying homage to Babe Ruth, but it's also an Orioles museum and, well, it's there. It's not bad. I bought a magnet for the fridge at home.
The Warehouse! Don't you just love the Warehouse? In case you've forgotten, there's a big Orioles Shop in there and I searched for another t-shirt. See the one I settled on? It says Orioles Interleague Play 1997 with a team logo and a National League logo. Kinda stupid, but it was half-price.
Dig the view from the upper deck in left field. Probably the worst seats I've had in Camden Yards — this was my fourth game there — but it's still Camden Yards, for goodness sake.
That's my sullen puss in the second as the Orioles get three off Brian Bohanon. There are still plenty of Mets fans in the house, but the Orioles are in first place and we are in Baltimore. As the Mets fall behind, the cheers are raucous. I'm alone and growing inwardly surly. This may be beautiful Camden Yards, but even the greatest ballpark in America sucks when your team is losing in it.
A more relaxed me here. Why? Look at this picture of the scoreboard. The Mets have taken a 10-5 lead in the seventh thanks to Fonzie and Lopez and Gilkey. That's more like it. Some New Yorkers behind me are doing an M-E-T-S METS! METS! METS! chant. I don't like to mix my sports, but what the hell? METS! METS! METS!
Here's something we can all enjoy. The DiamondVision says "What Goes Around Comes Around." Almost live from New York, there's a highlight from Yankee Stadium and their own unnatural matchup with the Expos. A fan reaches over the rightfield fence and screws with Paul O'Neill trying to catch a ball. It's ruled a home run for Darrin Fletcher. A roar goes up from the Orioles faithful and the Mets interlopers. This resonates with everybody as revenge for Jeffrey Maier last October. Fred said it was still a hot topic down here. Pedro Martinez goes on to shut those bastards down 7-2. That guy is good.
Giddy me leaving OP@CY. Final score: Mets 13 Orioles 6. Gilkey the DH had three hits, four ribbies and a home run to ice it in the ninth. I wonder if that obnoxious kid from last night was watching.
Me in the hotel lobby getting back my Evian bag. Sometimes I worry for nothing.
Me getting into a cab. This was key to my master plan. There's no obvious public transportation between Camden Yards and Baltimore Penn Station, so I was counting on the Inner Harbor area having plenty of cabs postgame. And they do.
And me on the train back to New York. I brought a Walkman and took it out here to get scores (damn Marlins won again). WCBS is reporting Princess Diana was killed in a car accident in Paris.
Finally, I'm in the door at home. Stephanie's asleep in bed, where I give her a kiss hello and good night. Guess we won't be doing our usual Saturday night laundry.
That ends the trip, but I have one more picture I took. It's of a clipping from the Post. See the date? It's from the summer of 1986. It's how to get to Cooperstown and where to stay and such. I included it here to give you an idea of how long I was gameplanning this trip. I had been to the Hall of Fame once before, with my family on Labor Day weekend 1977. Took me almost exactly 20 years to get back. I didn't really have to convince Stephanie, but I did talk it up for a long time. The drive was torture, but it's the Hall of Fame. I'd do it again in a minute…if they'd just move it to Valley Stream.
Maybe we can still win this Wild Card.
Next Friday [4]: Old enough to go it alone.


text:
by: TANZILLA HARNESS SUPPLY
Developed in 2001, this harness was created for the modern racing dog.
In cooperation with Herma and Hans Gatt this harness has undergo
Price CA$49.00
This harness has been extensively used on long distance trips by mushers with larger dogs, like Alaskan Malamutes
To ensure a proper fit, these four points should be measured and sent in with your order.
Be sure that the dog is standing straight for
Price CA$0.00
Additional Option:
Four 1" x 2" strips of reflecting tape
extended padding
special color
special size
Price CA$7.50
An all-purpose harness for racing, training, cross-country and limited weight pull.
Made from heavyweight nylon webbing in the "X&
A heavy duty harness with enlarged front padding.
Back straps adjustable to create a strait pull from the chest without putting pressur
Price CA$125.00
407 Alexander Street, Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 2L8
Phone: (867) 668-6350
Copyright © 2020 TANZILLA HARNESS SUPPLY


text:
AquaNotes® is a waterproof notepad that allows you to record your great ideas while you're in the shower. It's so durable you can even write underwater. They're recyclable, environmentally friendly, and the notepad is printed with soy-based ink.
Write It!
Remove It!
Remember It!
Welcome to AquaNotes. Please contact us if you have any questions while browsing our site.
As seen on:


text:
The U.S. has one of the largest labor forces in the world, and celebrates it annually the first Monday in September. According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, Labor Day was a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. A labor force is the number of people available for work, defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as 16 years and older, and by the World Bank as 15 years and older. It includes agricultural, industrial, and service sectors. The service sector, according to the World Bank, produces "intangible" goods, such as government, health, education, communications, information, and business services, and tends to require less natural capital and more human capital than agricultural or industrial goods.
Based on the most recent data from the CIA's World Factbook, these are the countries with the largest labor forces in the world:
10. Pakistan: 59,210,000 (2012 est.)
Agriculture: 45.1% (cotton, wheat, rice, sugar cane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, and eggs)
Industry: 20.7% (textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp.)
Services: 34.2% (2010 est.)
9. Japan: 65,620,000
Agriculture: 1.1% (rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish)
Industry: 25.6% Japan is among world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, and processed foods.
Services: 73.2%
8. Russia: 75,290,000
Agriculture: 9.7% (grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk)
Industry: 27.8% Russia has a complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; defense industries (including radar, missile production, advanced electronic components), shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, and handicrafts
Services: 62.5%
7. Bangladesh: 78,620,000
Agriculture: 17.2% (rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugar cane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry)
Industry: 28.9% (jute, cotton, garments, paper, leather, fertilizer, iron and steel, cement, petroleum products, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, tea, salt, sugar, edible oils, soap and detergent, fabricated metal products, electricity, natural gas)
Services: 53.9%
6. Brazil: 107,300,000
Agriculture: 5.5% (coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugar cane, cocoa, citrus; beef)
Industry: 26.4% (textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment)
Services: 68.1%
5. Indonesia: 120,000,000
Agriculture: 38.9% (Rubber and similar products, palm oil, poultry, beef, forest products, shrimp, cocoa, coffee, medicinal herbs, essential oil, fish and its similar products, and spices)
Industry: 13.2% (Petroleum and natural gas, textiles, automotive, electrical appliances, apparel, footwear, mining, cement, medical instruments and appliances, handicrafts, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, processed food, jewelry, and tourism)
Services: 47.9%
4. United States: 155,400,000
Agriculture: 1.1% (wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products)
Industry: 19.5% (second largest industrial output in world; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining)
Services: 79.4%
3. European Union: 228,600,000
Agriculture: 5.2% (wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes; dairy products, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry; fish)
Industry: 22.7% (Among the world's largest and most technologically advanced regions, the EU industrial base includes: ferrous and nonferrous metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverages, furniture, paper, textiles)
Services: 72.2%
Individually, none of the EU countries are among the 10 largest labor forces. Germany ranks No. 15 in the world with a labor force of 44.2 million, the U.K. No. 20, and France No. 21.
2. India: 487,300,000
Agriculture: 49% (rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugar cane, lentils, onions, potatoes; dairy products, sheep, goats, poultry; fish)
Industry: 20% (textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software, pharmaceuticals)
Services: 31%
1. China: 797,600,000
Agriculture: 33.6% (China is a world leader in gross value of agricultural output; rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed; pork; fish)
Industry: 30.3% (A world leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products (including footwear, toys, and electronics); food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, railcars and locomotives, ships, aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites)
Services: 36.1%


text:
It's something that cannot be explained to the uninitiated. Something that cannot be conveyed to anyone else but a fellow aficionado. Why would any sensical person drive a vehicle that seems to be getting gallons per mile, rather than miles per gallon. A car that is so loud at idle that it needs to be turned off in order to communicate your order at a drive-thru. A car that shakes, rattles, rolls, and is seemingly always on the brink of setting up a sit down with your maker. Why, why, why? Because we are all psychos.
Sitting in my roommates new Dodge Dart, I admire the shiny, supple new interior with a fantastic infotainment system. I adore the car's fantastic gas mileage and spritely acceleration. But I wouldn't ever for a second dream of driving such a mundane contraption. Sitting at idle, the Dart barely makes a chatter. It's as if you're piloting the newest Android or iOS device. There's no showmanship, no "HEY YOU, I'M A FOUR WHEELED MOVIN' MACHINE, LET'S DO THE DAMN THING". A great little car, the Dart, without question, but you know it just won't do for people with our affliction.
My 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport, as it sits on 31" Cooper Mud Terrains and a mild 3" lift, could not seem further from the Dart I mentioned above. It's louder than hell (courtesy of Flowmaster and some other shade tree mechanic engineering), the electric locks/windows work half of the time, and on windy days it seems as if I'm being tossed about the highway like a cornhole bag at a college tailgate. Conservatively, it gets about 13 MPG and legs its way up to 60 in about as long as it would take me to memorize the dictionary. Also, I go to school in South Georgia and haven't had A/C in 5 years. Yes I keep spare shirts in the back during the summer.
But you know what? I love it. We all love our obnoxious and seriously unreasonable daily drivers. One turn of the key and I am instantly rewarded with that glorious inline-6 growl from the turn down exhaust right before the rear axle. It lets me know that, hey, I'm driving a MACHINE. The squeaks and rattles, the hum of the mud tires, and the raspy, yet throaty exhaust all deliver such a visceral experience that is not matched by today's econoboxes and most cars for that matter. These quirks are something that I feel is being lost in the vehicles of this day and age. A product of people simply wanting to get from A to B rather than enjoying the route along the way, if you will.
Do I some times lust after people cruising along in their new Benz in their climate controlled, butt massaging, supple German cow leather interiors? Absolutely. But I immediately fail to remember how uncomfortable I am when I push the GO pedal to the mat, kick the transmission down, and hear that trusty ol' I6 sing to the heavens like a scorned Coyote. Even many performance cars of today sound like souped up Dysons when the throttle is depressed.
My point is this: Yes, the vehicles we drive may be astonishingly impractical and often times dangerous, but why else would we be enthusiasts? We live for the thrill, the smiles, and the occasional "Hey watch this" (*peels out of McDonalds*) moments. Just being concerned about getting from A to B can lead to a banal existence, and our vehicles are just another way to liven up the day. As far as I'm concerned, if you don't look back at your car as you're walking away, you're simply driving the wrong one.
And some NOIIISEEE. The funky noises coming off the throttle is due to carb cleaning the heck out of the throttle body.


text:
It's super rare that I find a line that fits the crazy-high standards I like to hold for my organic products. Not only do they need to be recyclable, eco-cert and cruetly free, but also should not smell like hippies (sorry, Rachel) and quite obviously be cool, too. So when I do find something that fits all those crazy standards and is amazeballs to boot, I'm really impressed.
So, right now I'm really impressed! Orico London is a relatively new line of organic products for face, body and baby, designed to combat the skin stressors associated with city living: pollution, stress, air-conditioning and heating. [Ed. note: Sounds like this was made for me. - RJ] And, while the line is humungo (not to mention chock full of all sorts of skin-nourishing antioxidants), there are three products in there that I've fallen in love with -- and you will too.
Pure Uplift Firming Face Elixir, $49: This super-light serum literally makes my skin feel firmer in seconds. Plus, it's got glycerin, which smooths those annoying fine lines I'm starting to get while blocking all aforementioned environmental stressors. Did I mention it absorbs instantly? Amazing; now I can layer my SPF lotion on top without waiting like I usually do.
Rush Hour Vibrant Dry Body Oil, $40: The first dry body oil I've ever tried that actually feels dry. This sh*t is legit. I pumped a ton on my skin, rubbed it in (not even very well), and threw on my favorite VINCE silk shirt without thinking (and then, of course, proceeded to have a heart attack). And, lucky me, my shirt didn't get stained like it would have with most other oils.
Little Love Protecting Baby Skin Balm, $24. This tube has not been more than two feet away from me since I got it. The formula has neroli, shea butter and sunflower oils to help soothe skin from head to toe -- especially designed for the little ones, though. It's not greasy. It's not sticky. It's just gone and my skin is left baby soft. I'm gonna start hoarding their baby products, so if they're sold out, you guys know why.


text:
Detail Images
Current Color
Temporarily Out Of Stock
Don't get too bummed. This item is on the way and will be available for purchase as soon as it rolls into the warehouse.
Can't wait? Consider one of the other Road Shoe Covers we have in stock.View Similar Products
Ride free from worry
While Assos has a multitude of seemingly complicated shoe coverings to choose from, these are easy to explain. They're the direct descendant of Assos' legendary airBlock bootie. The Assos winterBootie_S7 is aimed at the same temperature range and does everything the now-discontinued airBlock did, only better.
To start, Assos employed the strataGon fabric for its enhanced waterproofing and breathability. It handles nasty weather better than airBlock, and ultimately, it leaves your foot more comfortable over a long duration. This new fabric's success hinges on Assos' new flexible membrane. Incredibly, the membrane closes down its microscopic pores when cold and opens them up when warm. Not only is the material more waterproof on its own, but thanks to the new panel design, it's increasingly difficult for water to seep in through the seams. There's a large panel that covers up to the ankle without seams, effectively shielding the entire forward portion of the foot with one seamless layer. Two smaller side panels run up from the heel alongside the ankles.
The winterBootie is designed to fit snug around your shoe. While it might require a bit more effort to pull them on, they seal perfectly around your shoe once in place. The toes, cleat areas, and heels have been reinforced with an external layer of durable nylon swatches. The zipper is waterproof with a locking lever and a reflective stripe running the length of the zipper.
- Tame harsh weather with Assos' go-to winter bootie
- Handles nasty weather and keeps your toes toasty
- Flexible membrane closes down pores when cold to keep frost out
- When heated up, pores open to allow sweat to escape, air in
- Waterproof construction shields you from rain and snow
- Paneled design eliminates seams for water to creep in
- Snug fit seals out the elements around your shoe
- Reinforced toe, cleat, and heel areas extend durability
- Item #AAS0099
- Material
- [covers] 50% nylon, 36% polyurethane, 14%, elastane
- Closure
- ankle support cuff
- Compatibility
- road cycling shoes
- Recommended Use
- winter road cycling
- Manufacturer Warranty
- limited
Tech Specs
What do you think about this product?
December 10, 2017
Zipper Design Failure
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
Dammit, Assos. These premium-priced shoe covers still have problematic zippers that split open while riding. I'm pretty sure I had to trash the prior model for the same problem. It doesn't seem that hard to either design a zipper that won't fail for purpose, or come up with some other closure system.
Alan B.
November 18, 2016
Right Place | Right Time
As I wrote in my review for the Fugu, I think the Fugu is the best bootie out there given my riding conditions here in SLC. I won't reiterate what I wrote in that review, but the winterbootie_S7 certainly has it's place depending on where you are riding. This is a great bootie for temps over 45...at least for me. I hate riding in the cold weather since my hands and toes are usually numb within 30 minutes if it's below 50 degress...I know Iâm soft. No reason to bust your a$$ on the road and freeze. Spend the extra money and get the right gear, it allows you to relax, be comfortable, and just ride. I mainly use them in the Spring for morning rides. Snug fit and lightweight. As always, the Assos design and fabric is spot on. The toe and heel reinforcement is great against abrasion, the high ankle is perfect, and the reflective zippers always help. No issues with the zipper as some have commented, but if you have any issues please contact me, happy to help out. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions and/or concerns about fit. Size Purchased, I, Shoe Size: 42.5 (Sidi, Fizik, Specialized, Giro). (Would fit a 43, but nothing bigger) Bill Sherman Customer Account Manager-Bike Office: 801-204-4545 email@example.com
Bill S.
August 17, 2016
The best booty ever!!!
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
I read the reviews and was mostly just disappointed in those and not the booties. I'm just going into my 4th season with this same pair and they have held up like champs. At this point the only reason they don't look new is because, well, 3 full winter seasons will hammer any booties. These are quite easy to put on, and I know others think they're not but if you want to find difficult booties try the fugu model...brutal to put on but fantastic for what they're intended. As far as zippers, I have yet to have a single issue. And yes that is after 3 long winter seasons. As a disclaimer there is printing on the sleeve by the zippers that clearly states you need to avoid excessive tearing of the zippers. Try stretching the material and around your shoes and cleats and stop trying to stretch the zippers. Just be delicate with them and they'll last a really long time doing their job better than any other brand! That's just my two cents though.....
Steve Tibbitts
January 3, 2016
Do not buy these booties.
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
- Large
- Height
- 6` 2"
- Weight
- 155 lbs
I bought these booties as a supplement to a couple of other pairs that I own, primarily for temperatures around 40 degrees. The booties performed well at that temperature, what did not perform well were the zippers. The zipper on one separated after minimal use. Ever tried returning a defective item to Assos? Spare yourself the frustration, don't.
Michael H.
January 22, 2016
I bought a pair of these booties recently , and checked out the quality of the product. After checking out the quality, there is no finer shoe cover on the market. There is a certain technique to putting on the assos product....now i did not pay nearly as much as you gentleman paid, but i can tell you they are well made. I will be testing the product , and will be posting if i have any problems with the zipper or any other defective flaws.
January 22, 2016
Also that shoe chart is not correct.
December 10, 2014
Really disappointed
- Familiarity:
- I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
I wear a US size 10.5 for starters. When I initially tried to put these on I had a ton of trouble getting them to fit over my clip on's and gave up for some time. A few foot soaked rides later I tried again and was able to fit them on. They fit great and worked as advertised. I was stoked! They were pretty dirty after a 30 mile ride in the rain so I threw them on gentle cycle with my other assos gear I used for the ride. A couple days later as I prepped for a rainy ride to work I broke the zipper on the booty. Hoping to arrive with one dry foot I tried the other on and that zipper broke also! Super bummed that I paid so much and got just one ride out of these. I spoil myself with a lot of assos gear but this product disappoints. Any one who does pony up for them please know to handle with care as you put them on. It is a wrestling match getting them on over the shoe clips but must be done with patience and delicate care. This is my first true winter riding and I confess I am a noob. Maybe this is common knowledge and I learned the hard way. Yet my next pair will come at a much more reasonable price point. There must be other quality booties out there for much cheaper. And if I do break them I won't be pissed that I just wasted $179!!!!
Joseph Frick


text:
I have installed Arch on an acer V5-573G. I popped in a SSD drive as a system drive and I have pretty much everything working as I had hoped
The only thing that does not work is a shutdown. Looking in the log files I have the following
Oct 03 20:21:01 acerV5 systemd[1]: Stopped target Local File Systems (Pre).
Oct 03 20:21:01 acerV5 systemd[1]: Stopping Remount Root and Kernel File Systems...
Oct 03 20:21:01 acerV5 systemd[1]: Stopped Remount Root and Kernel File Systems.
Oct 03 20:21:01 acerV5 systemd[1]: Starting Shutdown.
Oct 03 20:21:01 acerV5 systemd[1]: Reached target Shutdown.
Oct 03 20:21:01 acerV5 systemd[1]: Starting Final Step.
Oct 03 20:21:01 acerV5 systemd[1]: Reached target Final Step.
Oct 03 20:21:01 acerV5 systemd[1]: Starting Power-Off...
Oct 03 20:21:01 acerV5 systemd[1]: Shutting down.
Oct 03 20:21:01 acerV5 systemd-journal[129]: Journal stopped
To me that all looks good, with the exception that it does not turn of the computer. It's not a big thing, I guess as I can physically turn it off.
Any pointers would be appreciated
Are you using systemd 208?
After updating 2 machines (both have been kept up-to-date) to systemd 208 and trying to reboot I have seen both machines hang, anyone else experiencing this?
I suppose it is not the expected behavior.
It seems as if whenever systemd is upgraded, that my system hangs if I try to reboot it. It drops to the console output, then does nothing. When I force it by powering off and repowering, it gives me "recovering journal" messages on boot.
It does this every time systemd upgrades. I presume that it has to do with the new systemd not being able to properly reboot a system when a new version is just dropped into the middle of it (for lack of a better explanation). Is there something ELSE I should be doing specifically after a systemd upgrade, or...
FYI: Arch + Openbox, if it matters.
My server hangs too during reboot and shutdown.
I had to downgrade systemd 207 to 204 and the problem is gone.
There is a patch for systemd 207 that fixes this issue but i haven't tried it.
decaturguy, is this issue present with systemd 208?
[quentin@VaioLaptop ~]$ yaourt -Syua
:: Synchronisation des bases de données de paquets...
core 105,4 KiB 197K/s 00:01 [##########################################################################################] 100%
extra 1529,2 KiB 631K/s 00:02 [##########################################################################################] 100%
community 2019,7 KiB 678K/s 00:03 [##########################################################################################] 100%
multilib est à jour
archlinuxfr est à jour
apathism est à jour
musepack-tools : Orphelin
Paquets étrangers: - 46 / 46
==> Nouvelle révision des paquets :
extra/gconf 3.2.6-2 2 -> 3
==> Mise à jour des logiciels (nouvelle version) :
core/systemd 207-5 -> 208-1
core/systemd-sysvcompat 207-5 -> 208-1
==> Continuer la mise à jour ? [O/n]
==> [V]oir les détails. Sélectionner les paquets [M]anuellement.
==> --------------------------------------------------------------
:: Début de la mise à jour complète du système...
:: Remplacer heirloom-mailx par core/s-nail ? [O/n] O
résolution des dépendances...
recherche des conflits entre paquets...
Paquets (5): gconf-3.2.6-3 heirloom-mailx-12.5-3 [suppression] s-nail-14.4.3-1 systemd-208-1 systemd-sysvcompat-208-1
Taille totale de téléchargement : 3,23 MiB
Taille totale installé : 19,51 MiB
Taille de mise à jour net : -1,20 MiB
:: Procéder à l'installation ? [O/n] O
:: Récupération des paquets...
s-nail-14.4.3-1-x86_64 209,6 KiB 326K/s 00:01 [##########################################################################################] 100%
systemd-208-1-x86_64 2,1 MiB 783K/s 00:03 [##########################################################################################] 100%
systemd-sysvcompat-208-1-x86_64 5,7 KiB 0,00B/s 00:00 [##########################################################################################] 100%
gconf-3.2.6-3-x86_64 915,0 KiB 575K/s 00:02 [##########################################################################################] 100%
(4/4) vérification des clés dans le trousseau [##########################################################################################] 100%
(4/4) vérification de l'intégrité des paquets [##########################################################################################] 100%
(4/4) chargement des fichiers des paquets [##########################################################################################] 100%
(4/4) analyse des conflits entre fichiers [##########################################################################################] 100%
(5/5) vérification de l'espace disque disponible [##########################################################################################] 100%
(1/1) désinstallation de heirloom-mailx [##########################################################################################] 100%
(1/4) mise à jour de gconf [##########################################################################################] 100%
(2/4) installation de s-nail [##########################################################################################] 100%
Dépendances optionnelles pour s-nail
smtp-forwarder: for sending mail
(3/4) mise à jour de systemd [##########################################################################################] 100%
avertissement: les permissions pour le répertoire /var/log/journal/ sont différentes
système de fichier : 755, paquet : 2755
(4/4) mise à jour de systemd-sysvcompat
avertissement: les permissions pour le répertoire /var/log/journal/ sont différentes
système de fichier : 755, paquet : 2755
Don't you think the problem is lying there ?
Last edited by Yamashita Ren (2013-10-03 20:49:54)
decaturguy, is this issue present with systemd 208?
v208 should already have a patch for the bug with Type=notify. http://cgit.freedesktop.org/systemd/sys … eade18666e
| alias CUTF='LANG=en_XX.UTF-8@POSIX ' |
karol wrote:
decaturguy, is this issue present with systemd 208?
v208 should already have a patch for the bug with Type=notify. http://cgit.freedesktop.org/systemd/sys … eade18666e
I know https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/37007 :-)
@Yamashita Ren
That's a different thing: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=170749
BTW, when posting on the forum, please prepend your commands with LC_ALL=C so that the output is in English.
Last edited by karol (2013-10-03 20:59:27)
For me the systemd updates have always been problem free.
Only for the update (207-5 -> 208-1) I have experienced this.
For me the experience is more similar to what is described on the second link, in my case xfce was terminated and I was dropped into a black blank screen(1).
On one of the systems I could see that the system was still responsive because pressing ctrl-alt-del would make the HD light blink but the system wouldn't restart, since systemd now manages that I guess that if it was not working then ctrl-alt-del would not work. I could also see the kernel messages telling the sysrq actions I was requesting were not allowed.
On another system the behavior was exactly the same, with the difference that I configured things so I could use all the functionality of sysrq which allowed me to reboot the system that way.
For both systems, after restarting with systemd 208 both reboot and shutdown now work fine.
(1) I don't use a login manager so every time I reboot/shutdown I see some systemd messages about mounting some partitions on access before seeing the messages that briefly show up before reboot/shutdown, this time I was just dropped into a black blank screen as if X was still running somehow and things didnt reach the VT yet.
The second link R00KIE mentions is now https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 7#p1332847
I might have experienced this once, but I don't recall which systemd 207 release it was.
Thank you for the information
I get also a random hang during reboot and shutdown under virtualbox with systemd 208 ( i686 version of archlinux )
I have this bug since systemd 207, with systemd 203 all is ok, I guess it's an upstream bug,
it's similar to this bug :
Last edited by Potomac (2013-10-04 01:50:54)
decaturguy, is this issue present with systemd 208?
I haven't tried it yet, I think I'll wait and see.
Why wait?
Why wait?
It's a server and i usually update it once every month or two. Anyhow I'll try 208 this weekend.
Systemd 208 has changed some permissions for its journaling. The place where systemd stores its journal data is supposed to belong to group "systemd-journal" and have the SETGID bit set (the bit which is usually designated by a "2" before the normal permissions, such as 2755 in one of the posts above). Maybe just setting the /var/log/journal permissions to 2755 and the group to systemd-journal helps?
Edit: Wait, that's done by default already. Sorry for mucking things up.
Last edited by Runiq (2013-10-04 10:37:45)
@Runiq: so the following is already done by the pacman upgrade itself (from your link to the 208 announcement): "However, we recommend adjusting it manually after upgrades too (or from RPM scriptlets), so that the change is not delayed until next reboot."? Or is that the issue at hand here? This thread is not marked [fixed], so I just want to make sure this is not a required manual step for upgrading systemd 207 to 208?
Last edited by twelveeighty (2013-10-04 14:27:08)
Or is that the issue at hand here? This thread is not marked [fixed], so I just want to make sure this is not a required manual step for upgrading systemd 207 to 208?
Nah, that's not the issue. I haven't done anything after the upgrade and my /var/log/journal has the correct permissions set by pacman. I don't encounter OP's reboot problem either.
I also had curious problem with systemd 208-1.It took about 15-20 seconds for KDE Dolphin to open with systemd 208-1. After downgrading to 207-5 (to make sure that systemd was the root of the problem), Dolphin starts normally.
Last edited by kostas213 (2013-10-06 13:34:08)
I think it matters (according to the bug) whether you are using persistent journal files or not. If journald is logging to /var/log/journal/..., the problem shouldn't manifest because the permissions should be right. If it is logging to /run/..., however, you may see the bug because initially the permissions were not being set correctly in that case. So whether it is the issue in the OP's case or not, for example, may depend on whether the OP has disabled persistent journalling.
If, that is, I've understood this correctly (which may very well not be the case).
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way | Help Vampires
Arch Linux | x86_64 | GPT | EFI boot | refind | stub loader | systemd | LVM2 on LUKS
Lenovo x270 | Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-7200U CPU @ 2.50GHz | Intel Corporation Wireless 8265 / 8275 | US keyboard with Euro | 512G NVMe INTEL SSDPEKKF512G7L
Are you using systemd 208?
Yes I am, systemd 208-1
I guess I will dig into this and see if a downgrade solves it
Got the same issue hanging:
but I had to chroot & downgrade back to 207, at least I can boot now. Thanks to all for the support. I did notice that when I upgraded to 208 there was a warning msg.
warning: directory permissions differ on /var/log/journal filestystem: 755 package: 2755.
But when I chroot & downgrade back to 207 the msg reads;
warning: directory permissions differ on /var/log/journal filesystem: 2755 package: 755
Probably nothing I guess but ......
Thanks to all again.
wrt to the permissions warning: https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/37170
for folks who had the hang, maybe there are clues in the systemd logs? maybe the entry near the bottom of this comment showed up in your logs when you upgraded - get the logs using this
journalctl -e -n999999
then search for the entry below - I found it with
The question mark is to search backwards, because that journalctl command puts less at the bottom of the logs, This was the entry where systemd was restarted by pacman. Maybe your entry, (or more entries surrounding it) has more information.
Oct 04 10:46:14 sam systemd[1]: Reexecuting.
Oct 04 10:46:14 sam systemd[1]: systemd 208 running in system mode. (+PAM -LIBWRAP -AUDIT -SELINUX -IMA -SYSVINIT +LIBCRYPTSETUP +GCRYPT +ACL +XZ)
Another command with much more information, (if those search terms don't yield anything)
journalctl -o verbose
and some search terms to get you started - again, this is the entry where pacman restarted systemd.
_CMDLINE=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd --system --deserialize 20
I thought it would use the command
systemctl daemon-reexec
I can't tell you what to look for as this didn't happen to me.
Last edited by Sanjeev K Sharma (2013-10-08 16:22:22)


text:
Hidden Cave is a small cave in the remote Nevada desert that has provided archaeologists with important information about the lifeways of Nevada's ancient inhabitants. The cave was used for most of the Holocene, but unlike many other caves, it seems to have been used for storage rather than as a place to live.
This panorama shows the inside of the cave and a couple of the archaeological trenches that were excavated there and preserved for the posterity. The neat walls surrounding the viewer are the meticulously excavated sides of the archaeological trench. Look carefully to see the layers of aeolian loess that have collected through the centuries. These layers allow archaeologists to associate artifacts with one another and to date the progression of prehistoric use of the cave.


text:
We often pass by scenes like this every day. Yet, through our busy lives, not many of us even glance around. We're frequently not fully taking it all in. Those who have been here a while may've heard me speak of birds once or twice. They have a deep meaning to me if you care to do some digging here. To all of the gracious supporters of my artwork that have rolled in this year, you may see them pop up every now and then.
This particular piece was inspired by a little sparrow I saw hopping around yesterday afternoon.
Is there any creature or symbol that holds a deep meaning to you?
Have a flurry of a Sunday!


text:
John is known as "the apostle whom Jesus loved" (John 20:2), and one of the three considered to be in the "Inner Circle" of Jesus' friends, along with Peter and James. His tenacity showed as John was the only apostle who was there at the foot of the cross when our Lord was crucified.
Scott Hahn and Mark Shea lead you through the multi-layered writings of St. John to discover much more than you probably ever realized about this Gospel!


text:
As we look upon our living rooms filled with plastic instruments, it may be time to despair: Guitar Hero World Tour is beginning to look very, very good. IGN had the chance to give the game a good work out, and its preview has a good amount of exciting news. The most exciting thing could be the new guitar though, with features that could convince even the skeptics to upgrade.
"The biggest addition to the new guitar is the touch pad located on the neck. While playing a song, this touch sensitive strip allows you to alter notes during sustains by sliding up and down the strip (giving more freedom and options than what you had before with just a whammy bar). It can also be used for tapping to play notes, particularly awesome if you want to mimic a slap bass," IGN wrote. It also looks much more like a real guitar, with back and select buttons that look like the bridge of a guitar, a bigger body, and a D-pad that looks like a knob. It's wireless, you can swap out the faceplate, and I want one right now.
We already know about the drums, with the built-in cymbals and the pressure-sensitive pads, but these guitars are something else. While the general play of World Tour may mostly resemble Rock Band, at least the instruments are seeing some innovations. IGN detailed the different ways to use the guitar to create songs, and it sounds great. "The new touch strip can be used to add sustains or staccato notes. Tilting the guitar controls the pitch, raising or lowering it, enabling you to play much more than five notes. Even the back button gets some love—hitting it while strumming adds palm muting."
The game then generates the note charts so you can play your songs, or upload and share them with other gamers. The rhythm game wars may have only begun.


text:
| 10.2°C Belfast
Swansea have re-signed Jonathan de Guzman on loan for next season, the Barclays Premier League club have confirmed.
The Dutch international spent last season on loan at the Liberty Stadium and Swans chairman Huw Jenkins has confirmed that the winger will be remaining in south Wales next term after agreement was reached with his parent-club Villarreal.
"Everyone is happy the loan is continuing,'' Jenkins told swanseacity.net. "Then Jonathan will review his long-term future next summer.''
De Guzman scored eight goals last season as the Swans finished ninth in the Barclays Premier League and won the Capital One Cup and he is aiming to continue that progression come August.
"I had a great year at Swansea,'' said the 25-year-old.
"The people around the club and the fans treated me well.
"It was not just the results we had; it was more about showing we can also compete with the big teams. We played better against the bigger teams.
"We played well in a lot of games. We played good football and it's refreshing playing in a team that has a good football mind.
"I'm very satisfied with what happened. We did very well - we were very creative.
"We really put Swansea on the map."


text:
Hamilton Township ordered to return $2.5 million of "Impact Fees"
Impact Fees ruled illegal in June
Hamilton Township has been ordered to return $2.5 million to impact-fee payers by December 15, 2012.
A Warren County judge issued the ruling on Friday. Judge Flannery ordered $2.1 million be returned to the group of private development companies and the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati that filed suit against Hamilton Township.
Flannery also ordered that the remaining impact fees, paid by those not involved in the suit, comprised a common fund and ordered that Hamilton Township continue to hold those fees and all interest until after a hearing. All payers must be notified of the hearing.
The Hamilton Township "Impact Fee" was imposed on new residential and commercial development projects in Hamilton Township and was used to fund police and fire protection, and roads and parks. Every time a builder or anyone else applied for a building permit, the township would impose a tax that had to be paid to get the zoning certificate.
In June 2012, the Supreme Court of Ohio issued a unanimous decision that a Hamilton Township impact fee constitutes an illegal tax and said the fees, charged since 2007 by Cincinnati's Hamilton Township, constitute a tax that the township wasn't authorized to collect.
The decision reversed a lower court ruling and reinstated the civil suit filed against the township by a group of private development companies and the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati.