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October 18th, 2020
A tender reminder that all we really need is love!
Linda Paskiewicz
October 18th, 2020
Perfect card for an uncle of mine...
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October 18th, 2020
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Born in 1961 in Kiev, Ukraine, Yuri Shevchuk attended the Kiev Art School and later the prestigious Kiev Architectural Academy. Yuriy has adopted the practice of recording his own experiences in his artworks: his three passions, painting, jazz and historical cars have become the focus of his paintings. Since 1993 Shevchuk has been living in the city of Prague, which he depicts in many of his paintings and also where he exhibits his work widely. He has been described as an accomplished master, full of artistic and intellectual energy. Bewitched with jazz music he skillfully and rapidly sketches the cool and charming figures of musicians in action, showing the positive mood of jazz and the stunning spiritual intensity of this bright...
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TORONTO - Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne went into a 40-day election campaign facing a Red Sea of troubles: a massive $12.5-billion deficit, several spending scandals and a police investigation that reached all the way to the premier's office.
But with her Liberals winning a majority government Thursday, Wynne emerged as the saviour of her party's flock, putting a fresh face on a troubled party that has ruled Canada's most populous province for more than a decade.
It was no easy feat. Wynne spent a lot of time during the campaign defending herself against accusations of corruption and mismanagement that have plagued her since she was sworn in as premier more than a year ago.
There was an endless barrage of recriminations from the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats over the scandals she inherited from her predecessor Dalton McGuinty.
She had to answer for the cancellation of two gas plants that will cost an estimated $1.1 billion, a criminal probe into the questionable business dealings of the province's Ornge air ambulance service and a multimillion-dollar decision to bail out the MaRS innovation and research complex in Toronto.
But in life, as well as politics, you have to play the hand that you're dealt, Wynne said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press.
"You deal with the factors and the challenges that you're given, and my approach has been to make the very best of what I've been given," she said.
"I have experienced success, I think, because I've tried to turn whatever the challenge is into energy and into a positive force."
But the Pollyanna premier has flexed her muscles, picking a fight with Prime Minister Stephen Harper over a proposed made-in-Ontario pension plan, spurring an angry Tony Clement to publicly say he wanted her to lose.
When the Tories claimed before the election that Wynne may have tried to cover up the deletion of documents about the gas plants for political reasons, she slapped them with a $2-million lawsuit.
It likely wasn't just about preserving her reputation as premier, but protecting Wynne's biggest asset and the foundation upon which the 2014 Liberal campaign was built: authenticity, an elusive quality among politicians.
"Authenticity is the most important thing you can have as a political leader," said one senior Liberal campaign official. "She hasn't got a phoney bone in her body. And I think that shows so loud and clear."
Former prime minister Jean Chretien, the self-described "little guy from Shawinigan" who loved to roll up his shirt sleeves and dive into welcoming crowds, had that political royal jelly. Wynne is similar in that she doesn't come across as a "super buffed, polished, professional politician," said the official.
Greeted by an ecstatic toddler at a Sudbury campaign rally, Wynne joined her in jumping up and down with a laugh — her staff call it "grandma mode." She was perennially late at campaign events, often taking too long to talk to supporters as she made her way to the exit.
"She's very real," the official said. "And she's got a tone of politics and a style of politics that we're not used to, partially because of her background."
Kathleen O'Day Wynne, 61, became Ontario's first woman premier and Canada's first openly gay provincial leader when she took office on Feb. 11, 2013.
Born in Toronto, she married Phil Cowperthwaite in 1977 and moved to the Netherlands for a few years before returning to Canada. She has a son and two daughters as well as three grandchildren.
But the marriage didn't last. Wynne came out as a lesbian at age 37 and in 2005 married Jane Rounthwaite, whom she'd first met in university about 30 years prior. The two were inseparable over the marathon campaign across the province.
On Thursday, basking in victory and beaming from the podium before a crowd of cheering supporters, Wynne noted that voters have ratified her position as Ontario's first female premier.
"That thing I said in my leadership about how Ontarians don't hold prejudice in their hearts, that Ontarians want to be an open and inclusive people — we have so proven that tonight."
A former school board trustee, Wynne said she made the jump to provincial politics to stop the cuts imposed by the Tories under Mike Harris. His "Common Sense Revolution" in the 1990s slashed spending and pushed ahead with controversial changes to public services that sparked widespread labour unrest and sometimes violent demonstrations.
It "lit a fire" under her, Wynne said. Like-minded people banded together from across Toronto, angry at a government that focused in the individual, rather than the public good.
"I have spent my adult life fighting for the public good, fighting to make life a little bit easier, a bit more fulfilling, better for people," she told a cheering crowd of supporters Thursday night.
"And I am not going to stop that. Not ever."
She was elected to the legislature in 2003 after serving as trustee and running her own company as a conflict mediation professional.
Wynne took on important portfolios under McGuinty, serving as minister of education, aboriginal affairs, municipal affairs and transportation.
Her reputation as a conciliator was part of her appeal during the 2013 leadership contest, a skill she's used to make peace with public school teachers angry over wage-freeze legislation and appointing herself agriculture minister to mend fences with communities upset over decisions to cancel the slots-at-racetracks program and the installation of industrial wind turbines.
She also managed to pass one budget by tailoring it to satisfy the New Democrats, who helped to trigger the election last month by pulling their support for the Liberals.
Experts say she's more "austerity light" than McGuinty, having pulled the party to the left of the political spectrum as premier by putting public services ahead of wrestling down Ontario's massive deficit by 2017-18.
Her campaign platform is diametrically opposite to the Tories: stimulate the economy with big spending. She proposed $29 billion for public transit, roads and bridges over a decade, billions more to lure and keep businesses to Ontario and better wages for workers in health-care and education.
It allowed her to woo NDP supporters who feared a slash-and-burn Tory government, while also exploiting the Conservative plan to cut 100,000 public sector jobs to balance the budget as an economic apocalypse only she could stop.
Wynne's stumbling block was that she was in the inner circle that made those decisions to cancel the gas plants, said Myer Siemiatycki, politics professor at Toronto's Ryerson University.
"There is a certain point at which the past does come back to haunt," he said.
"And even if she was not the main driving force behind any of the problematic areas of the McGuinty government, she was on board when they were made. That's the dilemma that has dogged her and faced her in this campaign."
Wynne has recognized that she couldn't completely erase the past, Siemiatycki said.
"I think what she's tried in the campaign is, let's focus on the future and who do you think is the best candidate for premier going forward."


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NBA Veteran Jason Collins is the first active male player in a major professional sport to come out as gay.
The 34-year old center revealed his sexuality on Sports Illustrated's website on Monday and the outpouring of good will from the Sports community on Twitter has been overwhelming. Here's a sample:


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Palmer pangs for McIlroy, Donald
LUKE Donald and Rory McIlroy have upset the King. Arnold Palmer yesterday revealed his anger at the absence of the world's Nos 1 and 2 from the tournament bearing his name.
"I'm disappointed they aren't here, no question about it," said the 82-year-old on the eve of the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando. "I'm certainly not happy that those fellas chose not to come this year. I had a letter from Rory seeking my consultation and he also told me he wasn't coming. And, of course, that made me feel great."
Palmer has clearly taken the decisions personally. Donald, who regained No 1 with victory in Tampa at the weekend, is having a fortnight off before Augusta while the Northern Irishman is in Miami with his girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki, in the middle of a three-week break.
"We are doing everything we can to entice them to come and play," said Palmer at Bay Hill in Orlando. "When I think back, I went to the British Open to enhance interest in international golf. And to think that those people are now the top players in the world; we'd like to have them here."
Tiger Woods is in the field, however. The former world No 1 is playing his first competitive rounds since withdrawing from the WGC Cadillac Championship 11 days ago with an achilles injury, although he is not concerned about a recurrence in his final Masters warm-up event.
Woods revealed he played a practice round at Augusta on Sunday before playing in the Tavistock Cup, an exhibition event on Monday and Tuesday. "It felt great at Augusta, and that was the test," said Woods, who has won at Bay Hill on six occasions. "So it's actually going to be eight rounds in eight days." That is providing he makes the cut, of course.


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|laziness, impatience, and hubris
Small incremental releases are good!by adrianh (Chancellor)
|on Feb 07, 2004 at 23:21 UTC ( #327392=perlmeditation: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
... or a belated new year's resolution
This is just a copy of what I've just blogged over at use.perl.org. However, I thought people here might be interested in my foolishness too.
A few weeks back Tony Bowden nagged me for the Nth time (sorry again Tony) to upload a new version of Test::Class to CPAN.
Various poor innocents, Tony included, have been putting up with some non-CPAN releases of Test::Class containing a mixed bag of bug fixes, experiments and new features.
I hadn't made a new CPAN release because of the long list of changes and fixes that I wanted to make to the module. With a little bit of work, so I thought, I could get everything finished! People would stand in awe of all the shiny new Test::Class goodness :-)
Unfortunately the Free Time Fairy never visited and the next release remained "ready in a couple of weeks" for over year and a half.
This is from somebody who preaches about the good things open source and agile development methods give you. Somebody who says regular incremental releases are a good thing.
Bad Adrian. No cookie.
Fortunately Tony's polite poking had some effect on this occasion. I did some tidying and Test::Class 0.06_1 hit CPAN. I knew I would quickly fall back into my old habits, so I told Tony:
My new years resolution is now to fix at least one bug/feature a week, so expect a new dev release tomorrow night.
Somehow Test::Class 0.06_2 hit CPAN the next day. Amongst other things it fixed a bug David Wheeler had reported and patched in... gosh where does the time go... January 2002. (Bad Adrian).
After one more week, through some miracle, another Test::Class release managed to escape my subversion repository. Three weeks with a new release each week! How long could this continue?
While exchanging e-mails with David on this very topic I wrote:
Maybe I should blog it to use.perl.org - that way I'd have the threat of public humiliation.
Which David thought "A very good idea. ;-)"
I think it's a jolly good idea too. However, since I don't think there's a year's worth of improvements to be made to Test::Class I'm going to modify my resolution to:
I resolve to make one incremental improvement to my particular corner of the software development world (a new module, a maintenance release, a published article or presentation, etc.) for every week in 2004. Fifty two in all. I'll blog about each one here.
Since we agile folk like public visible charts of progress I introduce you without further ado to...Resolution-o-meter: v1.0
Week: 6, 3 weeks behind
01-02-03-04-05-06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39
40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
As you can see I have some catching up to do. But considering I didn't start until 24 January - not too bad. I wonder how the rest of the year will go?
Feel free to pop back at the start of 2005 to point and laugh :-)
Back to Meditations


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Jesse Walker, RPA, Senior Archaeologist at Richard Grubb & Associates, Inc.
Cranbury New Jersey (USA)
I prepared material for an upcoming simulated archaeological dig for children between the ages of 5 and 11. The event will be held at The Margaret R. Gundy Memorial Library in Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania (USA) on Thursday August 1, 2013 as part of Bucks County Library's "Dig Into Reading" Summer Program. The simulated archaeological dig provides an opportunity for youth to experience the thrill of discovering ancient artifacts. Historic period artifacts and Native American artifacts are buried in dig boxes. Using trowels and other tools, the children uncover stone tools, broken earthenware, and other objects. The children complete artifact identification sheets, which are reviewed. This simulated archaeological dig was conducted during the Spring of 2013 for the Bristol Borough School District after-school program with great success.


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A land of sweeping prairies and abundant wildlife, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba make up Canada's agricultural heartland. Part of the "Making of Canada" series, this map of the Prairie Provinces is half of a two-map set published in December 1994 which accompanied the article "Canada's Highway of Steel."
Coverage Area: Alberta, Saskatchewa, Manitoba


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Canon makes DSLR photography possible for everybody with the advent of EOS 1200D Kit (EF S18-55 IS II). This latest entry model DSLR with its host of user-friendly features and creative filters, enable first-time DSLR users to capture attractive images with sharp details and beautiful background blur.
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text: Since 1887, the Bates brand has outfitted military and law enforcement personnel with premium dress and tactical footgear. Bates boots and shoes are worn by military personnel in nearly forty countries around the world. Men and women in uniform take the call of public service to the extreme, setting aside their own comfort and safety to protect the rights, property and lives of others. In return, they deserve only the highest performance, most comfortable and best value footwear, made by a company that takes its duty as solemnly as soldiers and cops take theirs. The Bates brand has been part of the Wolverine World Wide brand portfolio since 1969 continuing this way the tradition of manufacturing footwear with the finest components and materials, including both Gore-Tex® and Vibram® as well as superior commodity products, from better leathers to stronger laces. Bates is the gold standard in uniform footwear.


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Twitter stock plummets 18% to new lowMay 6, 2014: 4:12 PM ET
Twitter is trending today on Wall Street, but for all the wrong reasons.
Shares of the social media site tumbled to a new low Tuesday, the first day that company insiders were allowed to sell the stock following the company's initial public offering.
The stock dropped 18%, sinking below $32 a share for the first time since Twitter (TWTR) began trading last November.
The sell-off comes at the end of a six-month "lock-up" period in which Twitter executives and other employees were barred from selling the 470 million shares they were granted before the company went public.
Twitter co-founders Jack Dorsey and Evan Williams, along with current CEO Dick Costolo, have said they aren't selling. They are among Twitter's biggest shareholders, but there are others who own the stock, and they appear to be selling today. The worry is that these insiders are disposing of their shares before the stock goes even lower.
A spokesperson for private equity firm Rizvi Traverse, which has an 18% stake in Twitter, did not immediately respond to a call requesting comment.
While it's not unusual for a stock to fall when the lock-up period ends, Twitter was hit particularly hard. Among the social media companies that have gone public in recent years, Twitter had by far the biggest decline on the day of its lock up expiration, according to Bespoke Investment Group. Groupon's stock (GRPN) fell nearly 8% when insiders were freed from lock up in 2012. Shares of LinkedIn (LNKD) fell more than 6% on its lock-up expiration day.
In a sign of the heavy selling, Twitter was one of the most actively traded stocks Tuesday, with more than 109 million shares trading hands. On an average day, trading volume in Twitter stock is about 13 million shares.
Ouf, $TWTR's shellacking is kind amazing tbh. Just surpassed the 2nd largest volume day (Coincidentally, The top!). Only IPO day had larger.
— Jerry Khachoyan (@TheArmoTrader) May 6, 2014
Related: Is Twitter the next MySpace?
Twitter shares have been highly volatile since the IPO. The stock, which was initially priced at $26 a share, soared 73% on its first day. But it really took off in December, rising to a high of nearly $75 a share just before Christmas. The stock went into a tailspin shortly after that. Twitter shares are down more than 45% so far this year.
At current prices, Twitter now has a market value of just about $19 billion. That's down from more than $44 billion at its peak in December.
Twitter's current market cap is $19 billion, the same amount Facebook spent on WhatsApp. $TWTR
— Eli Langer (@EliLanger) May 6, 2014
Investors have been worried about Twitter's user growth. In April, the company said its monthly active user growth ticked up just 6%. In addition, the number of monthly active users viewing the service's "timeline" -- the list of tweets people write -- remained flat from the fourth quarter and down 8% year-over-year. That's not a good sign for Twitter's influence.
Many companies make up ground with strong international growth, but Twitter is struggling there as well. User growth outside of the U.S. was 27% in the first quarter, down from 34% at the end of last year.
The slowdown in user growth overshadowed Twitter's strong revenue gains in the quarter. It broke-even in terms of earnings.
Analysts currently expect Twitter to report a modest loss for the second quarter, though they believe it will turn a profit this year, according to FactSet. Revenue is expected to continue growing a a robust pace, however.
Today the stock has one trend: #lower.
-- CNNMoney's Matt Egan contributed to this report.


text:
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The sunglasses are customized with the racing flair of the Ray-Ban logo on one lens and the Ferrari Shield on the other lens and temple.


text:
Mini-Pendants can provide both task and ambient lighting. They are extremely popular and available in an unlimited range of styles, shapes and colors. Equipped with shades or globes to avoid glare, they are suspended from the ceiling over kitchen counters, breakfast areas, game tables or other work areas. When used over bedside tables, they provide good task lighting and also free up the space occupied by table lamps.
The process of building a new home can be an exhausting endeavor, even when you are not the one swinging the hammer. Choosing all of the products that are going into the house and designing all of the little details can be a time consuming process that many people underestimate when going into this type of adventure. There is truly no better word than adventure to describe what you will encounter when building a new home. While being able to get everything you want in your new home is a major benefit, it can also take a lot of your time to decide on every last detail. When it comes to lighting and light fixtures you will want to be sure you research your options and choose wisely. Lighting can have a tremendous impact on how your home looks and how happy you are when it is finished. There are now so many different lighting products available that you can find just about any type of light fixture imaginable. From mini pendant light fixtures to recessed halogen lights and everything in between, your choice are pretty much unlimited.
One style of fixture that is currently quite popular is the mini pendant lights mentioned above. These can be installed for a variety of applications ranging from task lighting for the kitchen to accent lighting in a bedroom. No matter where you install them, mini pendant lights are a great choice for your home. One of the reasons these are so popular is because they are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and styles. You can also find models that have a colorful glass globe, which the light broadcasts through to give off a very warm and inviting look. With styles ranging from contemporary mini pendant lights to more traditional looking models, you can find the right look to match the rest of the décor in any room of your home.
It is difficult to accurately describe what some of these models look like, therefore your best bet is to look at photos of each model as well as view the technical specifications. These are probably most widely found in kitchens and dining rooms as they offer a focused light source that is great for these areas. When placed over the kitchen sink they provide an excellent source of light for washing dishes and any other chores around the sink area. If mounted over a dining room table they can offer a warm type of lighting that will allow you to easily see everyone around the table without being overly bright. These can also be used as a high quality source of task lighting in a number of other scenarios.
There are some pendant lights which are quite expensive but you can also find some very affordable models that offer the same type of features. In fact, there are a large number of discount mini pendant lights available on our website. There are many models available for under $50, with some for even less than $40.


text:
Wells Fargo Advisors tapped David Kowach president of the firm's Private Client Group in November. Kowach replaces Jim Hays, who is now head of Wells Fargo's Wealth Brokerage Services, the bank-branch channel.
Wells' Private Client Group includes about 11,000 financial advisors, according to the company. As head of its operations, Kowach reports to Danny Ludeman, president and CEO of Wells Fargo Advisors.
"David Kowach has been an integral part of our firm for many years, and has brought his insight and deep knowledge of the business to bear to help our firm and our advisors grow and succeed," said Ludeman, in a press release. "I'm confident that David's outstanding leadership skills and extensive experience will strengthen our Private Client Group and its efforts to help our clients succeed financially."
Kowach began his career as a financial advisor in the Philadelphia area and has 20-plus years of industry experience, including work as a national sales manager for Evergreen Funds. Previously, he led the firm's Business Development Group and was in charge of advisor productivity, recruitment, retention, growth strategies and national sales. Kowach also served as head of private-client services for the Private Client Group.
"I'm excited to have this opportunity. Anyone who knows me knows I love this firm and this business," said Kowach, in a statement. "I'm looking forward to making a real difference on behalf of our financial advisors."
For the third quarter, Wells' Wealth, Brokerage and Retirement unit (which includes its private-client operations) reported net income of $338 million, down from $343 million in the previous quarter but up from $290 million a year ago. Revenue was $3.03 billion, up from $2.97 billion in the second quarter and from $2.89 billion a year ago; the most recent sales figure benefited from $45 million in gains on deferred-compensation plan investments; excluding this item, revenue was flat.
In the retail-brokerage segment, client assets of $1.2 trillion were up 11% from prior year. Managed account assets increased $59 billion, or 25%, from the prior year "driven by strong net flows and market performance," the company says. Wealth-management client assets of $199 billion were up 4% percent from prior year.
Wells Fargo Advisors said its headcount was 18,277, down 109 from 18,386 in the second quarter of 2012. The number of traditional advisors as of Sept. 30 was 10,857 vs. 10,913 in the previous quarter.
Wells Fargo had 2,827 reps working in banks, along with 3,110 licensed bankers. Other advisors include those in FiNet, its independent-advisor channel. The number of its correspondent clearing firms fell by four to 88 in the third quarter.
In June, Wells Fargo named Kent Christian presidents of WFA's Financial Network (FiNet), the firm's independent channel. Christian replaced John Peluso, who became president of First Clearing Correspondent Services, a non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo.
While Peluso led FiNet, the channel grew to 1,100 financial advisors and more than $55 billion in client assets, topping $600 million in production.


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Leafs win in Boston: that was the kind of statement game I've been looing for…
- at 10:15 PM
27 comments:
- Oliver TJanuary 14, 2014 at 10:42 PM
The real statement game is tomorrow night. We have seen this story before. After the thrashing of the Blackhawks we all thought the problems were behind us. If the Leafs show up against Buffalo then I will start to think the train is back on the rails.ReplyDelete
I almost don't want to bring this up, and I'm not sure it even needs to be said in this particular forum. But if the Leafs community is going to anoint Bernier as some type of saviour, that second goal simply cannot happen. That said, Bernier played very well otherwise. I bring up that goal not so much to take away from what he did, but just to point out that he is no less imperfect than the number 1 goalie we already had. I think I'll stop banging on about this issue though. It will do no good to discuss further, and if the team effort tonight is something we can come to expect I will be happy just to see the Leafs win.
The main point I want to make is that this was a good, solid effort, but it will be meaningless without a followup tomorrow night. If the team plays like they did tonight I will be expecting a thorough dismantling of the Sabres.Replies
You're absolutely right, Oliver- without a real follow up in the days ahead, one good game (even against a strong team) in isolation doesn't mean much. There are "upsets" in the NHL every day. It's what you do after a big win that matters.Delete
Yes., the goalie issue is now over. Bernier is the guy. While I agree with your point, it was never a competition, as I've said here many times. Bernier is the goalie and if he continues to win, Leaf fans will be more than happy. Thanks Oliver.
"Did a light bulb go on?"ReplyDelete
Yes, Carlyle performed better as a coach. He had a better "compete level"
He kept his brain moving. He played Holland on the 3rd line. He played McClement on the 4th. He got Kessel and JVR each and extra shift with the 4th line, one that resulted in an penalty and then a power play goal.
It was more like last year. As a coach he had a higher "compete level."
Carlyle now has to develop "more consistency."
I can't disagree, DP. The coach has to adjust, just like players often have too. We've often discussed a faster, quicker lineup here, and that was in evidence Tuesday night. Thanks DP.Delete
- AnonymousJanuary 15, 2014 at 9:27 AM
It seems Carlyle will only adjust for The Bruins and when there's injury/sickness.Delete
Would Gardiner have received PP time if Franson wasn't still battling flu-like symptoms?
Will McClement, a great 4th liner/PKer who until last night been played over his head, go back to leading ice time again while Holland (or D'Amigo) goes back to ~3 minutes?
Will Carlyle ever try to find shifts for Kessel/JVR away from the other team's top defender if that defender's name isn't Chara?
Good questions, Anon. As DP noted, it was a night that saw Carlyle adjusting along the way. We can only assume that will continue!Delete
- AnonymousJanuary 14, 2014 at 11:55 PM
I missed the last 5 minutes. (I had my eyes closed.) C.N.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Oliver TJanuary 15, 2014 at 12:07 AM
I enjoy your contributions, Colleen.Delete
I definitely feel where you're coming from tonight. I sent my sister a text message after the game saying "that's the most intense final 1:30 I've ever seen that didn't end with me saying 'oh, the Leafs %&#ed it up'"
- AnonymousJanuary 15, 2014 at 12:17 AM
Ha! Another night owl, Oliver? At least we're up and happy this time. ColleenacherDelete
- WillburJanuary 15, 2014 at 12:24 AM
You wrote yourself Michael we as fans get carried away with a bad couple of games and we over state a couple of wins. The Leafs won tonight and good on them. They closed out the game. Really though let's be honest, the same old problems were there again tonight. If Bernier (and you know I don't much care for him) doesn't stand on his head in the first period the Leafs are toast. They are playing a team that just got home from the dreaded California trip, probably the three toughest games any team can play in a row and heads back to Dallas tomorrow. Look the Leafs caught a tired Bruin team that is at home for two nights after a long hard road trip, that received just average goaltending and they won good on them. Was it a statement game? I don't think I would go that far. Once again they gave up 40 shots. This is how they won early in the year, great goaltending and super special teams. looking back now we know that it is not sustainable. Over the course of a game maybe even a couple of weeks it is but over the long term, well we know the answer to that.ReplyDelete
I don't want to be too negative about a win, the Leafs did look like they played harder. I'm glad they won because they are going to need every point they can get but this is hardly statement game. As Oliver said I want to see them do it in back to back games.
I did like the fact that Carlyle seemed to pick his line ups with a little more care. Still need to find a fourth line that plays more but tonight was a start. It was a small step in the right direction. Hopefully, it won't be followed by two steps back.Replies
All fair points, Willbur. As I often say about Kessel, he often plays the same game, just with different results on the nights when the puck goes in for he and his linemates. Many of the same issues were present, but they won.Delete
I guess the real point is if the players believe it was a statement game, find their confidence and play like they should be able to the rest of the way. If not, then, yes, it will just have been a nice win in the middle of a long season. Thanks Willbur.
An entertaining game, for sure! Some good goals, some lucky goals, and some great saves at both ends. The Leafs showed a bit more energy than we've seen lately, and a win is always good, but I still see the problems that have bedevilled us all season: one scoring line, costly defensive miscues, and way too many shots against.ReplyDelete
If I'm honest, I'd have to say we didn't outplay the Bruins, but we held our own. It's amazing to me how the Bruins (or the Hawks, or the Pens, etc) always have someone in position to score in the offensive zone. Marchand's goal is a good example - Phaneuf kind of waved his stick at whoever took the first shot, and Lupul loses Marchand who's focussed on the puck and is there to pot the rebound. Gardiner makes an ill-advised pass off the end boards and it's in our net. There's nothing fancy about it.
And yes - Carlyle showed he can adapt. Good on him!
But one win does not a Cup run make! As Oliver says above, Wednesday's game will tell us a lot.Replies
Rome wasn't built in a day, eh, Gerund? So if the Leafs can work to minimize some of those mistakes and build on this, who knows? As you say, the Leafs had some energy, and let's call it a good road win, though it wasn't exactly a game where they kept shots down and all that. But they won. We'll see how Buffalo goes!Delete
- Pete CamJanuary 15, 2014 at 5:18 AM
Oliver T nailed it Michael. This was a wonderful high compete game but will prove meaningless unless they follow it up by putting away an inferior Buffalo team.ReplyDelete
There were many things that I found
encouraging last night.
The Holland, Clarkson, Kulemin line got a cycle going and actually hemmed the Bruins in their own end for an entire shift. I thought Clarkson played his best game as a Leaf despite that flub in the 3rd period.
The first line came to life and was a threat all night, especially on the power play. Bozak maintained his stellar play, Van Riemsdyk weaved some magic and Kessel had 3 assists plus a great back checking effort to help prevent a goal.
Gleason provided that shut down defense that we have been missing this year, especially on the penalty kill and late in the game. I thought Franson looked much more relaxed defensively when paired with Gleason. They were not perfect but they seemed to be building a chemistry that can be further developed. If so they could take a lot of pressure off the Phaneuf-Gunnarsson pairing.
I thought Gardiner showed some of his 2011-12 brilliance at times last night.
Carlyle finally utilized all four centres. Holland was given meaningful 3rd line minutes and McClement, with reduced 4th line minutes, was fresh for extended time on the penalty kill and late game checking duties.
Encouraging for sure but we need to check in after tonight's game and continue this discussion. Hopefully they will give us cause for continued optimism.Replies
Those little moves you mentioned, Gleason with Franson, Holland playing more, McClement more focused on the penalty kill, all seemed (for one night, at least) to help. Gardiner played some good hockey against the Bruins in the playoffs and looked comfortable against them for the most part last night. Reilly just keeps quietly doing a job as a 19 year old.Delete
We all agree that they need to build on this. Thanks Pete.
- BlueANDwhiteJanuary 15, 2014 at 5:48 AM
Hi MichaelReplyDelete
Agree with you Oliver. A number one goalie doesn't give that 2nd goal up. Maybe once in a long long while it can be expected, but maybe we are seeing it happen more than our liking by Bernier. However, he did make up for it the rest of the game by battling afterwards sort of what good goalies do, that is to shake it off.
DP, your reference to Carlyle having a higher compete level and light bulb turning ON is Hilariously accurate. Hopefully he can roll 4 lines more in the future now that he has seen that it works.
Gotta love the shot blocks at the end of the game by Gleason and the tying up the Bruin player by Bozak on the backcheck. This was a huge victory for the Leafs not just from the standings point of view but because they managed to hold off the Bruins in a manner like they failed to do in the infamous game 7.
I hate to be negative in a great victory but that Gardiner turnover for the 3rd goal reflects that he simply needs to make better decisions much more quickly. Although he scored a nice goal, I noticed a couple of offensive chances he had to just get it to the net but held onto the puck a second too long, negating the chance all together.
It is imperative that we follow that up tonight with a good game against Buffalo. It is not a given with this team though because we have already seen this year playing good games against better teams, followed up by laying an egg the next night against a weaker team. I hope we have learned from this type of complacency and correct it this time round.
It was great to see the battle, resiliency and special teams deliver for us tonight. Maybe we should have the flu more often, as it has seem to have brought out an ability to dig deep for something extra the last few games resulting in much better all round efforts.
Sigh... We can breathe again.Replies
I think that was one of the key things, BlueANDwhite- the Leafs (and Bernier) were able to fight through issues along the way. It would have been easy to cave when Boston made it 4-3, for example. So good on the Leafs. Tonight's another opportunity to build some chemistry- and win a game.Delete
- TML__fanJanuary 15, 2014 at 10:21 AM
Not sure it was a "statement" game Michael, but it was indeed a huge hard-fought win. The game easily could have gone south for the Leafs, but they worked hard and did it for a solid 60 minutes. They may not have dominated the play, but at times they did, and they had some excellent scoring opportunities.ReplyDelete
Carlyle made some interesting adjustments last night. I'd like to credit them all to his wisdom, but some he may actually felt forced to do simply because of the flu bug affecting the team. Either way, it worked. That Clarkson-Holland-Kulemin line gave the Bruins trouble all night. They frequently hemmed the Bruins in their own end. That was refreshing to see against any team, but especially against the defensive minded Bruins.
No doubt the Leafs learned an important lesson last night that they have struggled to learn all this season. That is... work hard & play with intensity/urgency for 60 mins. JvR and the first line were on fire last night. One of the best games I've seen from them this year. Gleason had a solid outing, and made a couple of incredible back-to-back blocks so hold the Bruins off.
About the only player who I thought was under-performing for the Leafs was Joffrey Lupul. He just seems to be struggling lately and not able to generate much of an offensive threat. Maybe its the flu or something else were unaware of, but he's not looked his usual self.
We'll see if they can carry the momentum over to tonight against the Sabres. It could be a bit of an anti-climatic game for the Leafs, and we've seen before how difficult those games are for the Leafs. If they struggle to get their competitive juices flowing tonight, have no fear as the Leafs host the Habs Saturday. That will be an important and exciting game against a long-time division rival. That could be an excellent opportunity for another statement game. ;-)Replies
If a line such as Clarkson-Holland-Kulemin can perform as they did last night, that would certainly provide a spark, Don (TML_fan). Playing as a team - even with the customary mistakes and breakdowns - for a full 60 minutes is so important.Delete
You raise a good point about the upcoming Hab game. We need not worry about adrenaline for that contest.
Is it my imagination or did the fans and media select the lines for last night? As much as we here try to temper our so-called expertise on hockey matters with the realization that there are those employed in the NHL to make these decisions, and then there's us. Yet we have all been screaming for the exact changes in the lineup that finally happened last night, and look what happened.ReplyDelete
Like most other comments here, mine will not be filled with too much excitement about last night's win. I'll take the two points and say that the Leafs fought hard the whole game, yet I do not think this game in and of itself will say too much. I think I even said it here a while ago, five or six games in a row with that same "compete level" are needed to show that the Leafs are on to something.
The Leafs certainly looked like the better team at times last night, and at other times the Bruins sure did. Bounces and luck may have gone both ways at various times, so all other things being equal, the Leafs by and large outskated the Bruins, forced them into sloppy penalties, and beat them at special teams. There were too many lazy defensive lapses in our own end for my tastes, but they found space moving the puck out of the zone and through the neutral zone much better than they have all season, and kept the Bruins hemmed in their own zone for several grueling stretches.
My hope tonight is that Carlyle sticks to the same lineup and that it proves to be a better model moving forward. Oh yeah, and is it too much to ask to keep John Scott off the score sheet?Replies
You said it well, Pete. Good breaks both ways, lots of skating, they hemmed the Bruins in at times and won the special teams battle. Does it mean more than two points in the standings?Delete
As for the lineup, there's no reason some version of what we saw last night can't work (if everyone plays hard) against most NHL rosters. Thanks Pete.
The main derivative from last night's game for the team (and the fans) is the knowledge that "we can do it". We can beat a tough team in their building. Last night's win was not a fluke but well deserved after a night of hard work. Confidence building is an important step for this team in my view. Good to get that particular Bruins' monkey off their back.
I agree that there is still lots to work on but, aside from systems and skills, there remains the requirement to put in a 60 minute effort every night. No nights off against "weaker" teams. As noted by other commenters, we will see if that lesson has been learned after the game against Buffalo tonight.
If so, and another spirited game against the Habs follows, I expect the team will have something to build upon. If not, I'm afraid we are back to square one.
Let's hope the next step to maturing as a good "team" starts tonight.Replies
You hit the nail on the head, Ed. Knowing you can indeed "do it" matters to a team and their psyche. If they can reach that next level you refer to in their maturation process, then we'll know they're on to something.Delete
- AnonymousJanuary 15, 2014 at 12:29 PM
I agree that the next game is very important and we know that Scott and Ott will be there to see how much they can annoy the Leafs . The Leafs don't play well against this team. Miller has been very sharp lately and they will need offence, and lots of pucks to the net, to beat him-not a checking 3rd line.ReplyDelete
One thing I think is positive is that the Leafs have competed in three games in a row. It's been a while since we've seen that. If Clarkson can play like that after a long night with the flu, maybe he has turned a corner as well. They have youngsters that are going to make mistakes but, with the lower cap, many teams have inexperienced players on their roster. We do know that these kids give everything they've got.
It's so important that the team responds well to the minor changes Carlyle has implemented otherwise we will see McClement's minutes creeping up, 4th line minutes disappearing and Holland sent back to the Marlies. Randy has finally listened but this group now has to prove in the next few games that these changes make a difference. They won't get a second chance. C.N.Replies
I nodded all the way along, Colleen.Delete
- AnonymousJanuary 15, 2014 at 2:54 PM
Michael, I just wanted to bring up Carter Ashton for a moment. We all know that he will take a bloody nose for this team but I don't think the opposition is lining up just for the pleasure of being the next to give it to him. They're really mad! Carter knows how to hit and battle on the boards. Is he showing an ability to " get under their skin" just a bit as well? ColleenReplyDeleteReplies
A player that agitates the opposition is usually very helpful, no question.Delete


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Last year was the first time I actually participated in Halloween. I dressed up as a pimp, and my sister was my bitch. We had to walk down Jalan Bukit Bintang because we couldn't get a ride to the party, and everyone was sticking their heads out of their cars and yelling at us. It was great. And I made loads of dosh on the way to the party. Life couldn't be any damn sweeter.
Happy Halloween!!!
Just so you know, I've moved… - … to a new blog persona: http://majidah.wordpress.com Let's meet there:)
10 years ago


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abouttreefitty350 wrote:To those who went to the last show (which also sold out early), were people turned away for at the door tickets? Trying to figure out if we should try to go, and since it's a work day for me, getting there 4 hours early isn't an option.
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Brad Goreski to Get His Own Show on Bravo, It's a Brad Brad World 2011-03-31 10:29:25
Brad Goreski Gets His Own Show on Bravo — Check Out All of His Stylish Looks Now!
Brad Goreski Gets His Own Show on Bravo — Check Out All of His Stylish Looks Now!
We've been smitten with Brad Goreski's quirky smile, suave outfits, and cute bow ties ever since we laid eyes on him on The Rachel Zoe Project in 2008. A lot has happened since then with Brad leaving his position at Rachel Zoe last October to spread his own wings and fly — and boy did it pay off. Brad just nabbed his own show on Bravo called It's a Brad Brad World, which will document him as he sets forth in his solo career (i.e. trailing Brad while he hits up Paris Fashion Week and Cannes) as a stylist while simultaneously trying to maintain his personal life. "I'm so excited about my show on @bravotv!," tweeted Goreski. "Can't wait to start filming 'Its a Brad Brad World!!' Dream come true!!" The show is slated to debut sometime this year, so for now, check out all of the Brad cuteness.


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I am writing this article on a Midwest Express flight enroute from New York to Milwaukee. I have never enjoyed flying. Despite the fact that statistically it is assumed to be the safest mode of travel, I like to keep my feet on the ground. It gives me the illusion of control.
With air travel, I feel vulnerable, suspended in the air, despite the reassuring laws of aerodynamics. It reiterates with certainty the message that I am in God's hand and at His mercy.
Intellectually, I realize this is the reality of our lives even as we assume mastery and move about manipulating and conquering the world. "Fill the earth and conquer it," was God's mandate to mankind at the very outset of creation. The implicit challenge in this command describes a very tenuous balance; to understand that although we are commanding conquerors, creators, and manipulators, still the whole of our capabilities stems from the Infinite Source in the absence of which we are nothing and have nothing.
The approaching High Holidays, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, should compel us to pause the rigorous efforts to control our environment, and rededicate our efforts to this awareness, the "coronation" of God as King and Master of our personal universe.
Yet another reflection from my recent trip might be instructive for our pre-holiday introspection. The zipper on my carry-on case, which has persevered through much duress, broke on this trip. Reluctant as I am, at this mature stage in life, to part with anything that has accompanied me for so long, I went into a luggage store to see if my bag could be repaired. They advised me that I would be better served discarding it and investing in a new one.
That's okay when dealing with "things." But what if our inability to let go extends beyond the "suitcases" in our lives? What if we retain excess psychological baggage and patterns of behavior, such as self-deprecating beliefs of our inherent worth? What if we unnecessarily debase our competence, goodness, etc? Or perhaps, we maintain a negative attitude toward others; we are unfairly critical and disparaging of those around us.
An objective analysis of ourselves is especially germane at this time of year. Our sages advise that in our pursuit to improve our behavior, this period in the calendar is especially propitious. Heavenly assistance is most obtainable and beneficial to those who choose to access it.
A wedding took place many generations ago. The two sets of ,mechatunim (in-laws) gathered for the celebration. One of the proud fathers, a rabbi of prestigious lineage, arose, and consistent with his family's custom for such occasions, proceeded to enumerate at great length the names of all of his distinguished ancestors and the magnificent contributions they made to Jewish life.
When he concluded, the other father arose and said, "My ancestors were not rabbis; they were simple tailors and craftsmen, but they too left a legacy. They taught that we are obligated to mend that which is broken and to strengthen that which is whole."
The first father embraced him, exclaiming, "I didn't realize that you had such wonderful lineage!"
Coronating the Almighty as our sovereign during this season requires us to scrutinize our daily activities and interactions, identifying that which needs to be mended and that which needs to be fortified.
My husband has suggested that the medical community's much-touted necessity for an "annual physical" examination should help us appreciate the even more critical and imperative need for an "annual spiritual." Rosh Hashana needs to find us ready with our spiritual luggage in hand.
Some areas to consider might be:
- Our relationship with our Creator, our Source. Can it use enhancement -- i.e. more Torah learning, and greater attention to the quantity and quality of our quiet time to meditate, to pray, to connect.
- Our interpersonal relationships with parents, spouse, children, friends, and community. This might require that we subdue our egos and let go of negative attitudes -- committing to guarding our tongues, being gentler, kinder, more compassionate, loving, understanding, etc.
We all have work to do. We may come from different places -- different points of departure, and we may be at different stages in our life's journey or on the spectrum of personal development and growth. Yet we are all heirs to the legacy of this season, which demands that we take a spiritual inventory in order to mend the torn and strengthen the whole.
May it be a productive and meaningful journey into the New Year for us all.


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IamEpiscopalian.org seeks your video
Here"s your chance to share your faith story and tell everyone why you are an Episcopalian.
The Episcopal Church Office of Communication invites Episcopalians to upload their videos on the new website IamEpiscopalian.org. Since its launch on Ash Wednesday, IamEpiscopalian.org has experienced nearly 50,000 hits.
"Because of the steady and heavy traffic we have moved to a new server and are making arrangements for backup," said Mike Collins, Director of Digital Communication. "We will continue expanding IamEpiscopalian.org, as it is clear that people are enjoying and learning from it."
IamEpiscopalian.org, developed by the Episcopal Church"s Office of Communication, features video vignettes from people relating their personal connections to the Church.
Since the launch, individual videos have been submitted, and more are welcome. "In fact," said Collins, "we"ve heard from one parish that plans to send a whole series of videos."
Video vignettes should be less than 90 seconds. To submit a video, follow the "upload" instructions on the right of IamEpiscopalian.org.
"The response has been overwhelming. People want to talk about how they came to our Church, and others want to listen," commented Anne Rudig, Director of Communication. "Each story is very personal and very distinct."
Collins added, "We will continue to grow the site and improve the user experience."
Comments about IamEpiscopalian.org can be submitted to email@example.com.


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ZARI DISTRICT, Afghanistan – The sound of gunfire was the first sign that the Afghan cop's loyalty was suspect.
It was February in Hadji Musa, a village in the poppy-growing Zari district of northern Kandahar province, traditionally one of the most violent regions in a violent country. 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company, 3-41 Infantry – part of the high-tech 1st Brigade of the 1st Armored Division – had received a tip from Toorjan, commander of the village local police unit, claiming that someone in Hadji Musa wanted to talk. Someone with direct knowledge of Taliban activities.
Beyond that, Toorjan had provided almost no information. All he could offer was an implied promise: Trust me.
And that's exactly what the U.S. platoon did, marching into Hadji Musa behind the lean, mustachioed Toorjan. As the coalition patrol arrived just outside the mud-walled ALP station on the outskirts of the village, Taliban gunfire erupted from the beyond some rows of dormant grape vines.
It was 3rd Platoon's first gunfight in Zari and, for many of the roughly 20 young soldiers, their very first time under fire. "We were like, what's this?" recalls Spec. Joshua Cripps, a mouthy young marksman. The Americans reacted instinctively, diving for cover between the 8-foot-tall earthen berms that double as vine trestles. Afghan army troops returned fire, giving the Americans time to organize a direct assault on the attackers' positions.
One Taliban fighter was wounded and the others fled. No one on the U.S. side got hurt.
Gunsmoke cleared, pulses slowed and the patrol continued. And that's when Toorjan announced that, in fact, there was no informant – he'd been mistaken all along. Only later, after much more exposure to unusual police behavior, would the 3rd Platoon troopers reflect ... and suspect that maybe Toorjan had set them up that day in Hadji Musa.
Over the course of a tense six months in Zari, 3rd Platoon and the rest of Bravo Company would encounter case after case of sketchy behavior by the ALP, possibly indicating that the local police – either willingly or through coercion – had switched sides and were now actively aiding the Taliban.
It's a disturbing possibility with huge implications for the coalition. U.S. officers in Zari say tips from the local cops are supposed to be their main source of battlefield information. If the American-led NATO coalition can't trust the local police, it can't trust much of what it thinks it knows about Afghanistan – and its plans for the war-ravaged country's future could be in big trouble.
Mixed Loyalty ————-
Inspired by the Sons of Iraq militias that had helped change the tide of the fighting in that country, the ALP program was launched in 2009 and represents at least the fifth time that the NATO alliance has tried to stand up local pro-government militia forces. Attempts one through four ended in failure when local policemen began extorting civilians for protection money, selling their weapons and ammo to insurgents and answering to local warlords whose interests did not always align with those of the alliance.
Four times stung, NATO was determined to handle the local police differently. The alliance weeded out the obviously disloyal cops, assigned U.S. Special Forces to advise those remaining and, as an accountability measure, asked the Afghan national police to handle the ALP's meager pay. Still, the local cops' motives and loyalty remain unclear.
Political ambivalence is as Afghan as the blazing sun, jagged mountain peaks and endless pastel fields of blooming poppies, the source of much of the world's opium. Especially in the weakly governed border regions where decades of warfare have taken the greatest toll, Afghans are careful about openly backing one side or another. Instead, they balance between powers, sipping tea and smiling with the Americans while quietly making deals with the Taliban, just in case.
It's a survival mechanism born of long, painful experience. "They don't always have the same confidence in the future," explains Thomas Casey, 3-41 Infantry's bookish executive officer. The locally recruited ALP – Zari, with a nominal population of 81,000, has 600 local cops – embodies this ambivalence.
In Zari recently, one ALP commander showed up to a meeting with American forces sporting Taliban tattoos on his knuckles, signs of his past affiliation with the group. An ALP station in the district was found to be selling ammunition to the insurgents. Another was manufacturing IED components and turning them in to American troops, hoping for rewards of fuel and supplies.
ALP radio chatter, intercepted by U.S. forces, indicated that many of the local cops were unsure who would emerge more powerful following the American withdrawal – the Taliban or the Afghan government – and so were courting both sides. "They're hedging," says Capt. Dennis Halleran, the stocky, boisterous Bravo Company commander.
Vengeance ———
To be fair, some ALP have fought fiercely against the insurgents. In March, a small Taliban force opened fire on a combined ALP and national police squad guarding poppy eradication workers. The cops, both national and local, fought back, killing two Talibs at the cost of two wounded on their side. The ALP proudly brought the insurgents' dead bodies to a U.S. base to verify their claims of combat victory.
But in at least one case, the Taliban appears to have used the pro-NATO cops' initiative against them in order to undermine and influence their less aggressive fellow officers. In late March, a Zari-based local police officer named Toorialay, second-in-command of the ALP unit in Zenadon village, traveled all the way to neighboring Panjwai district to hunt down a Talib who had killed his brother, himself an ALP.
The traditional pashtunwali code of southern Afghanistan demands an eye for eye. But people who know Toorialay say he was motivated by more than revenge. "He hates the Taliban," more than one person tells Danger Room.
Using the investigative skills drummed into him by the U.S. Special Forces who had trained him, Toorialay found his brother's murderer before the district authorities did – and killed the Talib in revenge. That time the law was swifter than vengeance, and local authorities arrested Toorialay. Today he languishes in an Afghan prison.
U.S. troops in Zari say the kidnapping of Toorialay's brother was part of a larger strategy. Toorialay had a reputation, rare among the militia-style ALP, of aggressively patrolling his corner of Zari district. The Americans say Toorialay's leadership had helped keep the insurgents out of Zenadon.
Apparently fearful of directly attacking Toorialay, the Taliban had instead sought to remove the police officer from Zari by killing his brother and thus luring him to Panjwai. Granted, the insurgents apparently did not expect the rogue local cop to succeed in his revenge quest – and so quickly. Even so, the Taliban gambit was successful. It might have come at an unexpectedly high cost, but the village of Zenadon was now wide open to insurgent infiltration.
Rat Lines ———
On one early spring patrol, Bravo Company's 2nd Platoon discovered a small green cloth flag tied to a tree in Zenadon. Overhanging a gap in a badly damaged wall, the flag appeared to be a marker, perhaps meant to show where insurgents could sneak into the town.
The flag becomes a focus of a three-day follow-up mission in Zenadon beginning April 18. "Fighters are here, I have no doubt," 1st Lt. Christopher Gackstatter, 2nd Platoon's tall, baritone-voiced platoon leader, tells his soldiers as they gather on a gravel staging area inside Bravo Company's walled outpost.
It bugs Gackstatter that the ALP seem not to be worried about the apparent Taliban rat lines running into their village. The Zenadon ALP unit, numbering around a dozen men and teenage boys, hasn't been the same since Toorialay left the unit to avenge his murdered brother.
True, the local cops have turned in a number of IEDs they claim to have found in Zenadon. But Gackstatter isn't convinced the cops aren't also helping the insurgents. Passively, perhaps, by turning a blind eye to their rat lines. Or more actively. It's possible the Zenadon ALP actually put the green flag there themselves. "We have a good working relationship with the ALP," Gackstatter reminds his soldiers. "But don't trust 'em."
2nd Platoon rolls into Zenadon in its Stryker vehicles and idles just outside the ALP station. Gackstatter and a security detail led by Sgt. Hun Park sit with the ALP in their surprisingly well-appointed compound. The cops have brand-new motorbikes, new walkie-talkies, a well-tended garden – a even a dove coop full of the cooing, bobbing birds. The American hand out sticks of fruit-flavored gum to the Afghans and accept hot, sweet green tea in return.
"We've pulled IEDs out of the ground that were new, so there are definitely Taliban here," Gackstatter tells the cops. "Are they coming in at night?"
A middle-aged policeman named Radmadullah speaks for his fellow cops. "Everyone looks like a farmer, everyone acts like a farmer," he says vaguely, implying there could be insurgents in the town while artfully dodging the lieutenant's pointed question.
Gackstatter eyes Radmadullah. It occurs to the young lieutenant that he has never seen this particular cop before. And yet here the man sits, representing the entire ALP unit as though he were a longtime veteran of the force. Radmadullah really is a trained and certified local policeman – he has the identity card to prove it – but his background and relationship to Zenadon are unclear. And that makes Gackstatter nervous.
Teacups are drained. Gum is spit out. Half the Americans and several Afghans grab their weapons and head into the heart of Zenadon in a long snaking line. Park takes the lead while Sgt. 1st Class Dennis Barnes, the platoon sergeant, anchors the center of the patrol. Park, always with a wad of chewing tobacco bulging in his lower lip, navigates the mostly lifeless village until he finds that suspicious-looking green flag still suspended from its tree.
He's about to ask one of the ALP about the banner when the Afghan leans in and tears down the flag, insisting it's just garbage blown into the branches by the wind.
But it was tied there, Park thinks.
Standoff ——–
Park makes eye contact with Barnes, whose two decades in the Army have made him cranky and paranoid. Almost wordlessly, Barnes and Park agree to cut short the patrol.
Back between the Strykers, the two non-commissioned officers huddle with Gackstatter. "I don't trust the ALP," the barrel-chested Barnes tells his lieutenant. Park chimes in, describing the cop's weird behavior around the flag.
Together, Barnes, Park and Gackstatter start piecing together the clues: An unknown policeman shows up out of the blue and more or less takes charge of the whole ALP outfit; the cops have new, expensive bikes and intercoms that they should not be able to afford on their meager salaries; and on top of all this, the ALP are going out of their way to keep the Americans from closely inspecting possible evidence of Taliban presence in Zenadon.
The three men glance over at the ALP station and notice something else new and worrying: For the first time in multiple visits, the cops have posted an armed guard on the station wall, overlooking the U.S. bivouac. Over the next few minutes, two more armed guards join the first. Now a full quarter of the Zenadon local police force has its weapons turned toward its American allies. The Americans can't help thinking of the 50 coalition troops killed by their Afghan partners in so-called "insider attacks" in 2012 and 2013.
Gackstatter takes a quick survey of his NCOs: should they stay or go? "Go," Barnes says. "Go," Park adds. "Go," the others say. They're unanimous. End the planned three-day mission after just a couple of hours.
Gackstatter directs some of his soldiers to point their own weapons in the general direction of the ALP station – without being too obvious about it. The other Americans rush to pack up the Strykers. Gackstatter calls across to the ALP, asking for one of them to come outside for a quick word. The lieutenant lies, telling the delegate that 2nd Platoon has been called away on an urgent mission.
The cop clearly knows better. He seems almost desperate to ease the Americans' fears, as though trying to restore the careful equilibrium the Zenadon ALP has struck between the Americans and the Taliban in the weeks since the insurgent-hating Toorialay left the unit. "We are friends," the delegate insists, without explaining who his other friends might be.
Gackstatter shakes the Afghan's hand and assures him 2nd Platoon will be back soon. Just how soon, the Afghan has no idea. For the following day, 2nd Platoon secretly returns to Zenadon, parking their Strykers beyond sight of the ALP station and tuning radio intercept gear, eavesdropping on the intercom frequencies in an attempt to overhear the cops' conversations, and begin determining with whom their most important allies have been speaking ... and to whom they've been answering.


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Saving money. Getting business done faster. Eliminating the need to print and route paper contracts and documents. These are some of the great benefits provided by electronic signatures and records.
But you still have questions: Is it legal? Can I use these technologies internationally? In which sectors can I leverage these technologies? Who else is using electronic signatures, and what benefits are they seeing in the real-world?
The E-Signatures 2011: Electronic Signatures and Records Conference will provide the answers! Organized by the Electronic Signatures and Records Association (ESRA) and scheduled to be held in Washington, DC on November 9th and 10th, the conference brings together a number of government, industry, vendor, and customer speakers to cover topics including:
- IRS eSignature Programs and Initiatives
- International Adoption and Cross Jurisdiction Issues for eSignatures
- Enabling eSignatures and eRecords for eFiling and eTitling with Motor Vehicle Registration Offices
- eSignature Case Studies
- …and more!
Adobe is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of this event, and we encourage you to register now, before it's too late.
PDF Brochure: Announcement – 2011 ESRA Conference
We hope to see you in DC!!


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Prodotto 31/715
IGNITE Limitless Knit Men's Trainers:
The IGNITE Limitless Knit fuses highly technical running features with the design mentality and attitude of modern streetwear. This model provides premium cushioning and energy return with full-length IGNITE Foam embedded in the midsole. Luxe detailing, bold branding and aggressive dimensions make this style a true game-changer.


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Aromatherapy Article|Aromatherapy News
Keep your bathroom clean and aromatic with essential oils!
Posted: February 27, 2012 by
http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/bathroom-clean-safe/ ) that describes how your bathroom space is a potential breeding ground for germs, mold and mildew, which not only cause foul odor, but put you at a risk of infections and allergies. Even a reasonably clean-looking bathroom has disease-causing organisms hiding in inconspicuous places that often escape our attention. Most commercially available cleaning products contain chlorine and other toxic ingredients that pollute the environment and may pose a hazard for children and pets. If you are an eco-conscious individual who likes to do things the natural way, you can try substituting some of these products with essential oils. Certain essential oils possess strong antibacterial and antifungal properties, which make them very potent disinfectants. What's more, they are safe, affordable, environment friendly and leave your bathroom smelling clean!


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Gold Washington State Necklace
Beautiful little Washington State Necklace
Measures 3/4 inch
Chain is 16 inches
1 business day
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Just contact me within: 5 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 14 days of delivery
Request a cancellation within: 12 hours of purchase
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Yes!!! I do offer wholesale and volume pricing on most of my items. Please contact me directly to discuss pricing. email@example.com
I know you want this item as soon as possible and I want you to have it!! All items will be shipped within 24-48 hours. Shipped from Chicago, IL.
Most items are received with 3-5 business days.
That being said, once I drop to the USPS it is, literally, out of my hands. According to USPS, mail can take anywhere from 3-10 business days. Please be patient, I do not have any control over the mail. If you need overnight shipping you may purchase in my shop.
I can NOT be responsible for lost or stolen packages.
-Please double check your address.
-Please have your item delivered to a secure location.
With FREE SHIPPING there is no guaranteed tracking. If you need Tracking or Insurance you may purchase in my shop.
I know you will love your new pieces and want to wear it all the time! If you want it to stay shiny I do not recommend sleeping or showering in the item as it may patina (which looks cool too!).
Some items may be able to be adjusted. I can add a 2 inch extension to any necklace. Please see my page to purchase the extension for $2.00. Please also leave me a note if you want me to add the extension. If there is no note it will come packaged separate.


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The Blue Orange Theatre is a vibrant independent theatre situated in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. We opened our doors in 2011.
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The Blue Orange Theatre is operated by Blue Orange Arts Ltd and is a Registered Charity No. 1145871
- A flexible 100 seat theatre space
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118 Great Hampton St
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0121 212 2643


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Study suggests new role for ECMO in treating patients with cardiac arrest and profound shock
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a procedure traditionally used during cardiac surgeries and in the ICU that functions as an artificial replacement for a patient's heart and lungs, has also been used to resuscitate cardiac arrest victims in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Now, a novel study of this technique in the U.S. has been completed by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, indicating a potential role for this intervention to save patients who are unable to be resuscitated through conventional measures. The new findings will be presented at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga.
ECMO directly oxygenates and removes carbon dioxide from the blood, and is conventionally used for both respiratory and cardiac failure. The procedure requires 24/7 monitoring and care for the duration of the treatment, but provides a critical back-up for patients whose heart and lungs are so severely diseased or damaged that they can no longer function.
"Over the last decade, we have made great strides in the field of cardiac resuscitation science, including the development of novel methods of therapeutic hypothermia and the use of cardiac bypass following cardiac arrest," said lead study author David Gaieski, MD, an associate professor of Emergency Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine and clinical director of Penn's Center for Resuscitation Science. "Yet cardiac arrests still take the lives of more than 300,000 Americans each year, and we are continuing to explore how to use new and expanded strategies to help save these patients. Based on the work of our colleagues in Asia, we sought to report our own experience using ECMO for a select set of patients with refractory cardiac arrest and profound shock."
For the study, the research team used a collaborative approach between clinicians in the Department of Emergency Medicine and surgeons within the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at Penn to assess the outcomes for select patients undergoing ECMO presenting in the emergency department (ED) and for in-hospital cardiac arrests at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
They studied the approach in patients who otherwise would have died – who were unable to be resuscitated through CPR and defibrillation and who would not have been eligible for other post-arrest therapies such as therapeutic hypothermia.
Inclusion criteria for ED patients included witnessed arrest, bystander CPR, and an initial shockable rhythm. For in-patient arrests, inclusion criteria included presumed cardiac etiology of arrest or refractory shock unresponsive to conventional interventions. Main variables were whether a patient was in cardiac arrest or profound shock and location of patient at time of initiation of ECMO, with the primary outcome of survival to hospital discharge.
Thirty-three patients were included in the study. Of these patients, the mean age was 50 years and 70 percent were men. Three-quarters of the patients were treated for cardiac arrest, and the remainder were treated for refractory shock. Using the ECMO strategy, 21 percent of the patients survived to discharge and five were neurologically intact.
"This preliminary study shows that using ECMO in a collaborative model between emergency physicians and cardiothoracic surgeons can be a useful rescue tool in select cardiac arrest and shock patients. The results are promising given that among patients that regain a pulse after cardiac arrest, only one out of three survive to hospital discharge," said senior study author Michael Acker, MD, chief, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at Penn Medicine.
The authors note that because ECMO is a resource-intense technology which requires procedural and management expertise, additional research is needed to refine the technique and select the patients that would benefit most from this intervention. Next, the authors hope to study the use of ECMO in conjunction with therapeutic hypothermia to improve neurological outcomes among survivors of cardiac arrest.
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NEW YORK, United States — Parsons The New School of Design in New York City has canceled a four-day workshop by the controversial fashion designer John Galliano.
Galliano was creative director at Christian Dior when he was fired in 2011 for an anti-Semitic rant. He's currently involved in a lawsuit against his former employer.
The school said in a statement that his appearance was to include "a candid discussion about the connection between his professional work and his actions in the world at large." It said it canceled the workshop after the two sides couldn't reach consensus on the conditions of the conversation.
A spokesman for Galliano didn't immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.
Earlier this year, the designer began a temporary artist residency at the studio of Oscar de la Renta in New York.
Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Insurance billionaire defends initiative spending
George Joseph is funding Prop 33
George Joseph, the up-by-the-bootstraps billionaire funding Proposition 33 on the November ballot, says he tried to find a way to change state insurance law without spending $32 million, but ran out of options.
After failing to win permission from the courts and the Legislature to charge drivers based on their history of coverage, the nonagenarian founder of Mercury General Corp. spent $15.8 million of company money on a 2010 ballot measure that would have accomplished the same thing. That measure lost, with 48 percent of voters supporting it, but the narrowness of the defeat convinced him to come back this year. He has spent $16 million of his own money to bankroll a nearly identical initiative on the November ballot.
"I tried to do it cheaper; I tried to do it through the Legislature," Joseph said of his latest effort to roll back a provision of California's landmark consumer protection law. "The last time we did this, we barely lost the election."
The advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, founded by the author the 1988 initiative regulating insurance rates, has fought Joseph at every turn and portrayed him alternately as an obsessive Captain Ahab and a greedy Mr. Grinch.
But Joseph, who is ranked by Forbes magazine as the 392nd-richest American, said he is not in need of vacation homes or yachts: What he wants is a way for his company steal customers from the competition.
A provision of Proposition 33 would permit the creation of a new policyholder discount for maintaining continuous coverage, meaning drivers would not lose out if they switched insurance companies. Joseph said his company would benefit from that because motorists now insured by other companies will be attracted by Mercury's cheap rates.
Those customers are also statistically likely to be low-risk drivers.
"They make a lot of comments about billionaires, millionaires, all that," said Joseph, who was educated at Harvard but still carries a faint accent from his upbringing in rural West Virginia. "I'm 91 years old. I don't have boats or jets; I don't need them. But I do want to provide our company with a way to grow."
Joseph came closest to achieving his goal in 2002, when then-Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, signed a Mercury-sponsored bill that would have allowed insurers to offer a "continuous coverage" discount to anyone without a 90-day lapse in payments, even if they changed insurers. At the same time, drivers who had dropped insurance coverage in the past would have paid higher premiums.
But that legislation, written by then-Sen. Don Perata, also a Democrat, was struck down in the courts.
Joseph said he is bankrolling this year's initiative himself because rank-and-file Mercury employees grumbled about the millions the Los Angeles-based company spent on the 2010 measure.
"A lot of our people didn't get very much of a bonus that year," Joseph said. "There was a lot of criticism that we spent this money and it didn't really help the employees any."
The former World War II bomber navigator spent 50 years turning Mercury into California's fourth largest auto insurance company, pioneering the art of risk assessment and becoming one of the state's wealthiest residents.
The campaign in support of Proposition 33 has attempted to paint him as an eccentric workaholic with a strong belief in the value of competition. But critics say voters are unlikely to separate Joseph from the special interest he represents.
"When you get to billionaire status, I think you're pretty much indistinguishable from your company," said Consumer Watchdog founder Harvey Rosenfield, who has been sparring with Joseph since the 1980s.
Joseph stepped down as Mercury's chief executive officer in 2006, pledging to spend more time lobbying for insurance industry interests. Even so, he comes to work each day in his 2007 BMW 7 Series. In addition to his direct campaign spending, he has given $2 million to the California Republican Party over the last two years.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said she could not recall a time when voters have approved an initiative funded exclusively by a single rich individual. But she is not surprised that California's most affluent keep trying.
"It's a gambit," she said. "People who make it in business take risks, and nothing could be riskier than the California initiative process."


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It's likely among one of the most dangerous places a team of journalists has ever traveled for CNN. The random and indiscriminate killing of citizens in Homs, Syria made this a story the world had to see.
This one-hour documentary will expose a side of the story that rarely gets reported: the behind the scenes stories of those who helped the team of journalists along the way, the tough choices CNN executives made to keep their team safe, the dangerous journey into the heart of the onslaught, and the unfiltered account of those reporting and surviving a trip into hell.
Don't miss CNN Presents: 72 Hours Under Fire this Sunday at 8:00 pm ET, reairing at 11:00 pm and 2:00 am ET.
It's the highest honor in the Catholic Church, but what does it take to become a saint? The mysterious saint-making tradition that started in the Middle Ages is still alive and well today. But these days, you not only need a couple of miracles—you need power, influence, and lots of money.
Drew Griffin examines the business of making saints, one of three in-depth stories in one riveting hour hosted by CNN's Randi Kaye and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Don't miss CNN Presents this Saturday at 8pm ET, re-airing at 11pm and 2am ET.
On October 3, 1996, Richard DiGuglielmo stopped by his family's deli in Dobb's Ferry to help his father, who was recovering from a heart attack, with the pre-dinner rush. Due to tenants' complaints about the lack of parking, Richard Sr., was protective of the small lot in front. So when Charles Campbell pulled into a spot reserved for "patrons only," DiGuglielmo Sr. asked him to move to a nearby lot. Campbell refused. A fight ensued. DiGuglielmo says he tried to save his father's life, but what happened next changed his life forever.
Deborah Feyerick examines the case against a former NYC transit officer who is sitting in prison - maybe for life - even after the trial that put him there was found by a judge to be full of holes. It is a story of anger, and a death that started over a parking space.
Was it murder or a miscarriage of justice?
Twisted Justice is one of two revealing investigations you won't want to miss on CNN Presents this Saturday at 8:00 pm ET, reairing at 11:00 pm and 2:00 am.
The moment 18-year-old Army Private Tim Josephs arrived at Edgewood Arsenal in 1968, he knew there was something different about the place.
"It just did not look like a military base, more like a hospital," recalled Josephs, a Pittsburgh native. Josephs had volunteered for a two-month assignment at Edgewood, in Maryland, lured by three-day weekends closer to home.
"It was like a plum assignment," Josephs said. "The idea was they would test new Army field jackets, clothing, weapons and things of that nature, but no mention of drugs or chemicals."
But from 1955 to 1975, military researchers at Edgewood were using Army volunteers to test chemicals ranging from potentially lethal nerve gases like VX and sarin to incapacitating agents like BZ. The military also tested tear gas, barbiturates, tranquilizers, narcotics and hallucinogens like LSD.
This top secret Cold War research program initially looked for ways to defend against a chemical or biological attack by the Soviet Union, thought to be far ahead of the United States in "psycho-chemical" warfare. But the research expanded into offensive chemical weapons including one that could, according to one Army film obtained by CNN, deliver a "veritable chemical ambush" against an enemy.
Join CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta for more from his investigative report on U.S. soldiers used as drug test subjects. CNN Presents premieres Sunday at 8pm ET, re-airing at 11pm and 2am ET.FULL STORY
The growing strength of the cartels in Mexico has given drug traffickers increasing control over police, prosecutors, and judges… even entire towns. Powerful cartels have reached into nearly every sector of society, including the press. For journalists covering the raging drug war, it has become a deadly beat. Many have been silenced through murder, threats and intimidation. Reporters feel they can't do their jobs. Since 2000, more than 60 journalists have been killed in Mexico. What's worse is most of those murders go uninvestigated and unpunished.
Kaj Larsen follows two brave journalists, who despite threats, continue to report on drug traffickers and government corruption. Don't miss Deadly Beat, one of three in-depth stories in one riveting hour hosted by CNN's Randi Kaye and Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
CNN Presents premieres Sunday at 8pm ET, re-airing at 11pm and 2am ET.