text:
Record-Breaking Thread
- Updated
So my day started out slightly horrible. Got a migraine yesterday afternoon, which was still there this morning. One of my cats needs medication but he was running away from me this morning, so I thought to myself "screw this - I'll do this after a nice shower".
So I got in the shower and closed the door and pumped the hot water so it was nice and steamy and relaxing. However, I guess the door didn't actually latch, and one of the cats wanted in. When he eventually pushed the door open, it swung open pretty wide as I was just finishing up in the shower washing my face.
There's a smoke detector just outside the bathroom, which went off because of the steam. This scared the crap out of me, which caused my to snort some soap suds. Now I was scrambling to rinse off in the shower while my nose and face burned from the soap and my ears throbbed with the smoke detector blaring.
I got out and quickly towelled off. I just wanted to get that damn alarm off, so I ran out into the hall naked swinging at my smoke detector with my towel and it eventually went out. Blinds were open so my neighbours got a show if they were looking.
Finished towelling off, got dressed, but now I had to medicate the cat, who had no hid under the bed because of the smoke detector. I ended up having to rip the bed apart to get to him, so I'll have to put that together when I get home. And I was 10 minutes late for work, with a worse migraine than when I woke up.6 Replies
Holy sh*t. That's awful. Sometimes you can tell right away it's just going to be one of those days.
And that post made my morning. Thank you, Al!
wow that is messed up, sorry to here you have troubles as well, but then now a days who doesn't ? al i don't think that's funny at all
I told your story around the supper table last night Craig, I kinda feel your pain, but everysingle person was laughing at the end of it. Hope today is going better.
I thought I would share these because I don't think I had before. I managed to save these magazines from the garbage a couple years ago - I was talking to some old guy about cars and he gave them to me because he was cleaning out his basement. They smell a bit musty, but I can't bring myself to chuck them myself.
1958 Sports Car Illustrated directory. Sports Car Illustrated was founded in 1955 - and became Car & Driver magazine. :)
Road & Track
Fans of Guess That Car may recognize this one...
Crappy iPhone pics - I'll try to take some better ones with the DSLR.5 Replies
Cool find!
The pic of the Golden Hawk in the dirt - it's there to show it's innovative new differential in that both rear wheels are spinning in low traction.
new car issue - 1954 models
Lol so long ago my dad was probably just an itch in his father's sack hahahahahaha
Terrific find, the ancestor of Car and Driver, old R&T, and especially the Car Life, no longer in print. Keep them.
crwpitman, the old mag pix were super cool, i had my problems too, the wife got the day off from work and drove about an hour away to try and find her this one style / maker of clogs, went ( no s**t ) to 20 different stores and absoltely no luck, now she is heart broken and is worked up beyond belief, went on the manufacturers website and sent them an email complaining that retailers they say have them are either out of business or only carry the boots, the wife wants to try them on versus shopping online because who wants to play tag trying to get a pair of shoes that fit and they keep messing up and sending the wrong thing, so i feel for you crwpitman, she's the cat i am dealing with, have a drink on the way home, you already have the headache, so will it hurt anymore ?2 Replies
I just ordered a 90" TV for the office. Makes my 55" at home look small. I want one!8 Replies
F1 is starting soon. Who are you cheering for this year? I've always cheered for Ferrari, but am finding it impossible to cheer for a team Alonso drives for. Think I'll cheer for Lotus (Grosjean cracks me up) while secretly cheer for Vettel to win a fourth championship.
Teamwise, I do like Ferrari and always hope they do well. Driverwise, I cheer for the Iceman, Kimi Raikkonen ...
a 90"' tv, man are you blind, why in god's name do you need such a large screen ? I mean a 55" is big but 90" who even makes one that big, not to mention how about how much electricity that is going to use
Correct. The reason Ferrari hired him is that they are convinced that Alonso is the only one that can drive the team to another World Championship.
"The reason Ferrari hired him is that they are convinced he was the only available driver that can drive the team to another WC".
now, I'm not sure how I can rationalize this....


text: Our e39 is a 2002 530 5 speed, sport (and premium and cold weather.) My only mods are a CDV-delete, 2point5 iPod dock, and an Infinity BassLink subwoofer. I'm sitting at about 57,000 miles and am plotting in planning some suspension work (shhh, wife doesn't know that yet.) (Click the thumbnail to see larger.)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ain't Misbehavin' and other Fats Waller Hits
QRS Cat #801290D
Ain't Misbehavin'
Squeeze Me
Honeysuckle Rose
Sweet & Slow
Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do
Java Jive
Nobody But My Baby
Sophisticated Swing
Mean To Me
Well All Right
Your Feets Too Big
Jitterbug Waltz
Fat Meat Is Good Meat
Don't Stop Now
Handful Of Keys
Stop Pretending
I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling
Swing Mr. Charlie
Fats Waller Performs Hits from Ain't Misbehavin' to Commemorate 30th Anniversary of Show
Played by Fats Waller and others
Pianomation just got better. With Version .80 and higher you can play the mp3 files on your piano either directly from your PC or by downloading the files to a flash card or MP3 player. The first 30 seconds of each song will play. If you like an album call us to purchase a release key or purchase online.
Try music from our Entire Music Digital Library Before You Buy.
Ain't Misbehavin' and other Fats Waller ...
QRS Cat #801290D


text: At Staybridge Suites Wilmington, we put the amenities where they really count - in your room. Our guests can cook meals in their fully equipped kitchen, relax in the relaxing living room while watching movies or your favorite TV show. Business travelers will work more efficiently utilizing the executive desk with speaker phone and free high-speed Internet. Staybridge Suites Wilmington is within walking distance of many local favorite restaurants. For those guests that prefer to "dine in", a fully stocked Bridge Mart provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, as well as sodas, snacks, and ice cream. Staybridge Suites Wilmington provides our guests a free fitness center and a comfortable place to do laundry in our guest laundry room. Much larger than the average hotel room and significantly more affordable than a corporate apartment, the Staybridge Suites is the perfect place for relocation, project, temporary assignment or training needs. Unlike a corporate apartment, the Staybridge Suites Wilmington does not require a lease or minimum length of stay. Whether traveling for business or leisure, for one night or several months, Staybridge Suites is the solution to your temporary housing needs.


text:
Holiday Inn Tuscaloosa hotels are provided below. Search for cheap and discount Holiday Inn hotel rooms in Tuscaloosa, AL for your group or personal travels. We list the best Holiday Inn Tuscaloosa hotels/lodging so you can review the Tuscaloosa Holiday Inn hotel list below to find the perfect place.
This service will also list Tuscaloosa, AL hotels & lodging that get similar quality scores of a Holiday Inn.Need 5+ Rooms? Lock in a group rate for Tuscaloosa AL
How should we direct your call?


text:
PARIS — There was a flood of major European designers at the Italian embassy here Wednesday — all to toast Franca Sozzani on her being named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.
"These pictures are for Franca," Suzy Menkes said as she positioned Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren against the fireplace and pulled out her disposable camera. The Dutch duo revealed they're hunting for real estate in Paris to open a Viktor & Rolf store in early 2013.
This story first appeared in the March 19, 2012 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
Roberto Cavalli recorded the event, too, snapping away on his smartphone as Karl Lagerfeld worked the room, greeting the likes of Anna Molinari, Haider Ackermann and Angela Missoni.
Cavalli said the photos were for his blog, whose most fervent followers are the Chinese. "You have to read it," he urged. "It's like a reality show about my life."
He called Sozzani his "best friend" and stressed, "When we're together, we don't speak about fashion."
Everyone in the room had a tale about the editor, at the helm of Italian Vogue since 1987 and considered a godmother to countless designers. Stefano Gabbana recalled the first cover Sozzani awarded to Dolce & Gabbana. "I think it was the fifth collection," he said, describing Linda Evangelista with a boyish haircut, photographed by Steven Meisel.
In a speech before the luncheon, Condé Nast International chairman Jonathan Newhouse anointed Sozzani the "pope of fashion," and marveled at the fearsome talent and star quality he encountered when he first met someone "who could not have weighed more than 50 kilos (100 pounds)." "Forty-five," Sozzani shot back to a round of laughter.
Later, even more designers — Raf Simons, Alber Elbaz and Azzedine Alaïa among them — converged at the Elysée Palace to watch French President Nicolas Sarkozy pin the medallion on Sozzani's black and gold Dolce & Gabbana dress.
Daphne Guinness scoped out a gilded column to lean on while she stretched out her legs, which ended in pink heel-less platforms. She parted a red curtain and beckoned Giambattista Valli. "I've got a view for you," she said, revealing clear sightlines to the stage where Sarkozy would speak.
French cinema bigwigs including Luc Besson, Dany Boon and Charlotte Rampling also turned out to applaud ten other honorees, which ranged from fashion designer Jean-Claude Jitrois and electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre to actress Michelle Yeoh.
Dior chief executive officer Sidney Toledano said Yeoh would be joining him later this week in Taipei for the opening of a Dior boutique there.


text:
No way, man! Why'd you get a tattoo of Waffle House?!"
Like anyone with a prominent tattoo, I've come up with a variety of explanations for my Waffle House tattoo depending on my mood. I lost a bet, I'll say. I made a dubious pact with some friends. I wanted to try to get free food. I love the songs on their jukebox. I'm on a one-man campaign to bring Waffle House west to California.
All of the above is true, but the real reason I got the tattoo is what anyone who's ever been on the road with a band already knows: the Waffle House is the perfect tour stop. If it's after a show and it's 3am and you've only got 20 bucks in the band fund, the entire group can eat like royalty inside one of the bright yellow Waffle Houses that dot freeway exits across the southern Midwest.
Most people recoil at the thought of regularly consuming what the Waffle House serves up as "food." But when I think about all the unsavory specimens I've eaten while on tour—tentacle cauldron stew in Spain, inedible vegan slop in Minneapolis, something I can't even explain in Indiana—Waffle House's food sounds downright glorious. And when I think of all the delectable home-cooked meals, the heaping plates at amazing hole-in-the-walls and the regional treasures one encounters between playing shows, it makes me wonder what I'm doing sitting at a desk writing this article.
So I turn things over to a handful of North Bay musicians to sing the praises—and curses—of their most memorable meal on the road.
Judah Nagler (The Velvet Teen) "When we were in Japan, we were treated to a meal called chankonabe. It's apparently the favorite food of the sumo wrestler, a concoction of all kinds of different meat from a variety of animals and seafood. It's served to you in a huge Crock-Pot, all mixed together in boiling liquids—really meaty, really tasty. But as a side dish, there was this sort of squid that they had, which looked really stringy and kind of gooey and gross-looking and dark, dark brown. It had the taste of sugar and chocolate and the sea and decay, all at once. It really tasted foul."
Charlie Musselwhite "One of my favorite restaurants is Alcenia's at 317 N. Main St. in Memphis. I love everything they have and I especially love their hot-water cornbread, as it's just like what my mom used to make. Usually cornbread is a cakelike thing that's too dry and crumbly for me. Hot-water cornbread is dense and moist. A typical rockin' meal at Alcenia's will be chicken-fried pork chop with turnip greens and black-eyed peas and mashed potatoes and fried green tomatoes. After you finish your greens, the juice left in the bowl is called 'pot liquor.' You dip your hot water cornbread in that pot liquor and, man, that's some mighty fine down-home Southern eating."
David T. Carter (Trailer Park Rangers) "In the town of Rio Vista, there's a pub called the Longhorn. The wall is adorned with hundreds of animal carcasses from all over the world, from years back. It's overwhelming—they're all watching while you eat, all of them. While biting into her burger, my woman said she felt guilty. All I could think was, 'Christ, the beef must have tasted so good back then.'"
Dan Kelly (Tegan and Sara) "Fazoli's. If you haven't heard of it, it's because you live in California and there's a Midwestern conspiracy to keep it away from us. It's best described as fast-food Italian. What better combination is there in the world than soggy spaghetti and paper plates, especially at the low price of $3.29? Once on a cross-country trip, I spotted a Fazoli's sign from the freeway. I immediately jerked the wheel of the 18-passenger Ford Econoline van—with double-axle trailer—and crossed no less than four lanes of traffic to just barely make the exit."
Eden Mazolla (A Pack of Wolves) "Our most memorable meal on tour is a place we hit every time in Spokane. It's called Neato Burrito—half burrito bar, half regular bar—and every Wednesday they have 50 cent PBRs. You start at one end of the burrito bar and choose everything you want from the type of tortilla, to the beans, to the meat. The best part is that they have a bunch of crazy shit like honey, barbecue sauce or veggies. Seriously, this is the best cure for an after-show hangover."
Ben Henning (Polar Bears) "My favorite road-food experience wasn't a full meal but rather an Italian shaved ice in Winter Park, Fla., in 2004. When I used to live there, I would always ride my bike to this little drive-through stand in the parking lot of a strip mall to cool off with passion fruit ice in moist 100-degree weather. When we were touring, we decided to check if it was still there; it had been seven years. Sure enough, intact all those years later with the same signed Rancid album cover inside the stand and the same fucking delicious, sweet and refreshing ice that had saved my life back in my early teenage punk rocker years. Chomping into it, the past rushed back to me like a tacky Florida version of Proust's madeleine."
Joni Davis "In Amsterdam, we [tried] a simple coffee shop, but they served open-faced sandwiches. There was fresh mint tea everywhere, so we got excited. I ordered a goat cheese sandwich with some mint tea, and out came a hunk of grainy bread with some sun-dried tomato pesto smeared on it. On top of that was a thick slab of goat cheese, the kind with a rind, and it had been toasted so it had a lovely light brown crust. On top of that was dressed rocket, and on top of that was half of a perfectly ripe avocado. Fuckin' incredible!"
Ephraim Nagler (soundman for Cursive) "Tim Kasher and I shared a hot plate in Tokyo, where you cook your own meats and dip them in some different sauces and drink your Sapporo. We were asked all at once if we preferred 'normal' or 'weird' food. We of course asked for the weird. You got your usual tongue and whatnot, but it started getting freaky when they brought us womb and raw liver."
Quick dining snapshots by Bohemian staffers.
Winery news and reviews.
Food-related comings and goings, openings and closings, and other essays for those who love the kitchen and what it produces.
Recipes for food that you can actually make.


text:
Back to search result Baeuerin
Buy picture
Confirm your picture purchase by clicking on "Buy now". You will be redirected to PayPal. After payment you can immediately download the picture and your receipt.
Yes, I confirm the picture purchase for the amount of {sum} EUR.
Picture no.
Editorial image: This image is usable for editorial purposes only!
Model Release Agreement
is NOT available Model Release Agreement is not available
For the above picture there is no Model Release Agreement available. Pictures on which persons can be clearly identified - unless for these pictures does exist a Model Release Agreement - are not allowed to be used for any promotional purposes as this might result in claims for compensation by any person or persons who are affected.
Property Release Agreement
unknown Property Release Agreement is not specified
The photographer did not specify if a Property Release Agreement exists for this pictures. Pictures of private buildings which are taken from a private property and indoor pictures of buildings of any kind are not allowed to be used for any promotional purposes if a Property Release Agreement does not exist for these pictures as this might result in claims for compensation.
Price category
rumaenische Baeuerin bei Wolfsberg
Zoonar/robert soellner
License inquiry


text:
Tap into pay-per-click advertising with Google Ads
Search engine marketing, or pay-per-click advertising, is an effective method for directing more traffic to your business's website. As the name suggests, you only pay for the clicks you get, so you can be sure your budget is being used efficiently.
We'll start by identifying a list of the top-performing keywords for your industry in Owensboro. We'll then place your ads on the search results pages for those keywords. That means your business will immediately show up in front of people searching for your products or services, bringing more traffic to your website and solidifying your long-term SEO strategy.
Talk to the digital marketing experts at Townsquare Owensboro to learn more.


text:
Police: 2 teens wounded in northeast KC shooting
Teens involved in confrontation with other group
Two teenage boys were wounded in a shooting Tuesday afternoon in northeast Kansas City, police said.
The shooting was reported just before 3 p.m. in the 100 block of Chelsea Avenue, which is in the vicinity of Budd Park.
Investigators said the victims were part of a group of three teenage boys were leaving the park when they encountered a group of five people.
"The suspects asked the victims if they had a problem," said Capt. Donna Greenwell of the Kansas City Police Department. "There didn't seem to be a beef or anything going on prior to that. One of the males pulled out a shotgun and shot two of the 16-year-olds."
Kansas City police said one victim suffered critical injuries and was undergoing surgery Tuesday afternoon at Children's Mercy Hospital. The second victim was also taken to the hospital with injuries police said where not life-threatening.
The names of the victims, have not yet been released.
Police said they're still looking into what may have prompted the shooting. They said they're investigating whether it may be gang-related.
"You know, it's not a comfortable feeling," said Jim Schorgl, who lives in the area. "We hear shots just about every night. Anywhere from 1:30 to 3:30 a.m. every night."
He said he grew up near the park and doesn't feel as safe there as he used to. He said he wasn't surprised to learn that a confrontation led to gunfire.
"The kids nowadays, they don't square off," he said. "They go to, whatever, for a weapon."
Police said they want to talk with the five people who confronted the boys. Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.


text:
The Matthews Appearance/Tree Advisory Committee makes a study of the visual characteristics and needs of the Town and promotes those activities and programs that enhance the Town character, preserving and beautifying the landscape, in order to make Matthews a cleaner, greener, and more aesthetically pleasing community.
The Appearance/Tree Committee is composed of seven members appointed by the Matthews Board of Commissioners. A staff member acts as liaison to the Committee. Where possible, appointments are made in such a manner as to maintain on the Committee at all times a majority of members who have had special training or experience in a design field, such as architecture, landscape architecture, horticulture, city planning or a closely-related field. It is also desirable to have members with special training or experience in forestry.
Meetings of the Appearance/Tree Advisory Committee are held on the third Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at the Matthews Community Center. All meetings are open to the public and conform to the North Carolina Open Meetings Law.
Members of the Appearance/Tree Advisory Committee serve two-year terms without a limit on the number of terms a member may serve.
Any member, who shall fail to attend at least 75% of the regular and special meetings during any one-year period, may be removed. The Chairperson shall notify the Matthews Town Board of Commissioners of any member who shall so fail to attend. The vacancy can be filled, upon recommendation of the Committee liaison and Chairperson, by the Matthews Town Board of Commissioners.Agendas and Minutes: View documents


text:
L: Wave AND Particle Duality: Coherences AND polarizations
That 2D spin carries polarization along two axes and each axis contributes √2 correlation to the CHSH form of BI. Hence this spin, I will show, accounts for all the correlation, 2√2, that violates BI. This definitely goes contrary to Bell's theorem, and as a result, non-locality is history.


text:
Jump to navigation
I am fundraising as part of "You've Got Kale!" fundraising team. There are 4 of us in the team all working towards improving the lives of the children Child.org help.
Whoever they are, wherever they're born, every child deserves an equal opportunity. Child.org are here to make that happen.
Child.org work in the most difficult places in the world to grow up. We remove whatever barriers stop children from getting the most out of life.
Sometimes we give them a nutritious meal so they can attend and get the most out of school. Sometimes we provide access to clean water or health services. Sometimes we'll deliver all, or a combination of those things.
We believe in collecting intelligence and creating solutions that can be tailored to a child's specific situation. We do what works.


text:
With the spirit of CES wafting in the air, companies are taking the opportunity to speak out about their strategies for business in the new year. One such company is HTC, which the Wall Street Journal reports has vowed to win customers back by developing "more innovative products."
2012 was one of the worst years for HTC, as the company fell far behind major players like Apple and Samsung—two companies that have claimed the smartphone throne with devices like iPhone and the Galaxy S III. HTC's earnings in the third quarter dipped down to its lowest level in six years, with its share price hovering in the red zone, down 80 percent from its highest point in 2010. To make things worse, HTC's global market share was only 2.2 percent last quarter according to Gartner.
HTC Chief Executive Officer Peter Chou said in an interview with the WSJ that the worst for the company has "probably passed" and that this year "will not be too bad." He went on to say that "our competitors were too strong and very resourceful, pouring lots of money into marketing."
Chou admitted that the company hadn't done much to market its products, though he didn't offer any explicit plans on how the company will proceed with its marketing strategy, either. He did go on to mention that "the most important thing is to have unique products that appeal to consumers."
As Ars reported back in November, HTC has no outstanding brand name, and the persona it once carried as the flagship Android phone with carriers like Verizon has been replaced by bigger players—like Samsung, for instance. To its detriment, HTC hasn't done much to advertise its new handsets. "They need to stand out. At the moment, they don't," Christina Milanesii, research VP of consumer devices at Gartner, had told Ars. "They need to put more muscle in advertising and really understand who they want to be."
According to Chou, this is just where the company wants to go. "We are being more flexible now," he says in the article. "We are constantly fine-tuning our sales plans and position in various markets."


text:
1987 BMW 5 Series Car Audio Upgrades
The 1987 BMW 5 Series is an executive/mid-size luxury car manufactured by German automaker BMW since 1972. BMW 5 Series now in its sixth generation, is sold in sedan and touring body styles. Here at HifiSoundConnection.com, we have a full size selection of 1987 BMW 5 Series Car Audio Upgrades and Packages that will suits your car audio needs. These products are made at its finest by the leading names in car audio products today. Feel free to browse at HifiSoundConnection.com and purchase your very own Car Audio Upgrades at its lowest prices ever!


text:
LeBron James' 33 power Heat in rout of Bucks
MIAMI -- The defensive effort was closer to Miami Heat standards.
LeBron James made it difficult to notice anything but offense.
James scored 33 points on 13 for 21 shooting -- with an array of post-up moves getting him going early, then a barrage of 3-pointers fueling a big third-quarter push -- and the Heat encountered little trouble on the way to a 118-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.
James scored 17 points in the third quarter, his best 12-minute stretch of the season so far and an indicator that a balky back that slowed him in the season's first couple weeks is improving.
"It's getting better," James said. "It feels a lot better. Still a little sore ... getting a lot of work put on it so I can get to 100 percent. But it's getting better every day and that's a good thing."
Michael Beasley scored 19 points and Mario Chalmers finished with 15 points and seven assists for the Heat, whose biggest victory margin before Tuesday was a 12-point triumph over Chicago on opening night. Chris Bosh scored 10 for Miami (5-3).
Miami played without Udonis Haslem (back) and Ray Allen (ill). Shane Battier started in Haslem's place.
"It wasn't perfect," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, whose team was coming off a final-second loss to Boston on Saturday. "There were still some areas we definitely need to improve on, in terms of the details and discipline. But at least the effort, the effort, the activity was better, the disposition right from the beginning and it carried through once we got into the rotation. Guys were much more focused and bringing that competitive spirit."
John Henson and Gary Neal each scored 18 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 11 for Milwaukee -- all three of them putting up those points off the Bucks' bench. Caron Butler was the only double-digit-scoring starter for the Bucks (2-4), finishing with 10.
"They shot almost 60 percent today so there's no way we can win a game like that," Henson said. "We just have to get better."
The Heat have scored at least 100 points in each of their eight games so far, extending the team's franchise-record for such a start, but what carried much more significance in the collective eyes of the two-time defending NBA champions were the defensive numbers.
Milwaukee shot only 35 percent in the first three quarters, before scoring 33 points against an array of what largely was Heat second- and third-teamers in the final 12 minutes.
"It's been a long 48 hours in this building, but at least we were able to respond with a better game," Spoelstra said. "And I think our guys felt better looking each other in the eye in the locker room tonight."
James gave the Heat a shot of adrenalin late in the half, when he and Chalmers teamed up for yet another entry on Miami's alley-oop highlight reel. Dwyane Wade grabbed a deflected ball and got it to Chalmers, who drove down the lane against Milwaukee's Khris Middleton -- then simply lofted the ball straight up, knowing James was trailing the play.
The result was predictable. James soared past Middleton for the dunk, the Heat took a 56-45 lead into the half, and the league's four-time MVP then took over in the third quarter.
"Best player in the world," the Bucks' O.J. Mayo said.
James 17, Bucks 17 -- that was the score in the third quarter, after the Heat star made 6 of 9 shots in the period, including four 3-pointers. He also drove for one particularly emphatic slam, and the 84-62 lead that Miami carried into the fourth ensured he would get the rest of the night off after logging only 30 minutes.
"There were moments were I was very disappointed particularly when people were driving to the basket and we're moving out of their way," Bucks coach Larry Drew said. "I will not tolerate that. That will not be accepted, I don't care who it is. If they're going to the basket, we've got to challenge, we've got to foul then and make them earn it from the free-throw line. We can't be moving out of people's way."
Game notes
Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather was courtside, and the Brazilian national soccer team was also in attendance. ... Beasley's fourth point was the 5,000th of his NBA career. ... Drew, on how his team is going to be short-handed without Ersan Ilyasova, Luke Ridnour and Larry Sanders: "There will be some guys who will probably play out of position, but this is what being short-handed is all about."
NBA News
LeBron celebrates the Dodgers' World Series title
LeBron James is excited as the Dodgers follow in the Lakers' footsteps and take home a 2020 championship.
Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy doesn't see set position for Zion Williamson
New Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy called Zion Williamson "multi-talented," saying he doesn't see him as being just a four or a five.
Would Hayward fit on the Pacers?
Matt Barnes and Zach Lowe react to the Pacers reportedly being interested in trading for Gordon Hayward and analyze whether he would fit on their roster.
Regular Season Series
2019-2020 Central Standings
2019-2020 Southeast Standings


text:
The Julian House Admin Office and Registered Office:
55 New King St, Bath, BA1 2BN Telephone: 01225 354650 Fax: 01225 407711
© 2019 Julian House
Julian House is a registered charity (No. 1183751) and a company limited by guarantee in England & Wales (No. 11791952). Registered provider of social housing (No. L4549).


text:
Does God send judgment now or is there only judgment in heaven? And can hurricane Katrina be considered a judgment? What is the OPC position on judgment and disasters, if any?
The OPC does not have an official position on such things. But I can give you what I believe is the view of the majority of ministers in the OPC, as we understand the Bible and what it says concerning such disasters.
Of course, the judgment does await the end. The day of judgment will come, and those who are outside of Christ will be eternally condemned and those in Christ will be saved forever.
Now, before that time, things happen in this life which are terrible disasters (like earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, etc.). These things occur because of the fall. The sin of Adam in the garden not only brought a curse upon him and his descendants, but upon all of creation itself (Gen. 3). Things are not the way they ought to be after the fall. Thus, things like hurricanes and other natural disasters occur in this life (although such will not always be the case; see Romans 8:19-21).
Of course, in all this God is sovereign. So God did ordain and even providentially superintended hurricane Katrina. He did not ordain it to "judge" a particular people (America in general or the people of Louisiana in particular). Or, at least, if he did, we do not know that. Why not? Consider the words of Jesus in the incident described in Luke 13:1-3 (English Standard Version):
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
In addition, there were many faithful Christians who were affected by the hurricane as well as evildoers. So, we can't just give a blanket explanation and say "it was God's judgment."
Now, to be sure, the hurricane was ordained by God for his purposes and for his glory. And that manifests itself in different ways in different people. The hurricane may be used by God in the life of the Christian to strengthen his faith in him. (For example, it may be to encourage the Christian by showing him how God cares for his people in the middle of crises.) Or, perhaps that Christian was becoming too comfortable with his material possessions and God did this to draw his child closer to himself and away from the transient things of this life. Or it may be to give the Christian an opportunity to show the love of Christ in a practical way by helping the victims of the hurricane.
For the unbeliever, God may have used the hurricane in his life to place him on a path of seeking God. Or, he may use the hurricane to harden the heart of the unbeliever. God's ways are multifaceted; who can comprehend them?
But whatever the case, it was for the good of his people (Rom. 8:28) and for his glory. And that is where we must rest.
"Questions and Answers" is a weekly feature of the OPC website. The answers come from individual ministers in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church expressing their own convictions and do not necessarily represent an "official" position of the Church, especially in areas where the Standards of the Church (the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms) are silent.
The questions come from individuals like yourself. If you have questions about biblical and theological matters, you are invited to send them by e-mail by using the "Pose a Question" link on the OPC home page or by clicking here.
At least one new question is posted each week, so there should always be something new here for you to read. (For those people who would like to look at previous questions and answers, they will continue to be available as well.)
The purpose of the OPC website's "Questions and Answers" is to respond to biblical and theological questions. Matters of church discipline, disputes, or debates go beyond the scope of our work. We recommend that you present your concerns in these areas to the appropriate judicatory. In most cases this will be to a local pastor, elder, or session. We do not want the website to replace personal involvement in, or commitment to, the local, visible church.
While we will respond to every serious questioner, we are not bound to give a substantive answer to every question, should we deem the question to be beyond the scope of our purpose or our own ability to answer.
You will receive an answer by e-mail. Please be patient as many of our respondents are busy pastors. The response to your question may take up to two (2) weeks. Some of the questions submitted will be chosen to be posted here, along with the corresponding answers.
Note that the "Questions and Answers" posted on the site have been editedall personal references are removed, Scripture references or from some source may be added, and sometimes portions are expandedto make the questions and answers more useful to a larger audience.
|© 2020 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Chaplains and Military Personnel


text:
We are pleased about your interest in the Schaeffler Group (Schaeffler AG and affiliated companies) and our products. The protection of your privacy when using our online offer is very important for us. If personal data is processed, we observe the applicable data protection laws.
I. General information about data processing
2. Legal basis for data processing
If you have given your consent to the processing of personal data for specific purposes, the legal basis for processing of personal data is Art. 6 (1)(a)GDPR. You can withdraw your consent at any time. Please remember that the withdrawal is only effective for the future. Processing based on consent before its withdrawal is not affected.
Processing of personal data in the context of the performance of a contract to which you are a party or in order to take steps prior to entering a contract at your request is based on Art. 6 (1)(b)GDPR. The purposes of data processing are governed by the respective contract documents and the subject matter of the contract.
If processing of personal data is necessary to comply with a legal obligation to which we are subject, Art. 6 (1)(c)GDPR serves as a legal basis.
If processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by Schaeffler or by a third party (e.g. to establish or defend legal claims; to ensure IT security; to prevent crimes; to conduct business and to further develop services and products) and if your interests, fundamental rights and freedoms as data subject do not override the aforementioned interest, Art. 6 (1)(f)GDPR serves as the legal basis for processing.
3. Data erasure and retention period
4. Access to personal data within the Schaeffler Group and by third parties
Under these conditions, recipients of personal data may be: competent internal specialist departments and external service providers, if necessary.
5. Transfer of personal data to a third country or to an international organisation
6. IT security and links to third party websites
Our websites may contain links to the websites of other providers. Our Privacy Policy does not apply to these websites.
7. Obligation to provide personal data
If we provide you with offers and services on this website that you can voluntarily use, there is no duty to provide your data to us, but without your personal data, you may not be able to use our offers and services.
8. "Profiling" and automated decision-making
9. Sources of your personal data
II. Data processing for the provision of the website and the creation of log files
The legal basis for the temporary storage of data is Art. 6 (1)(f)GDPR.
The temporary storage of the abbreviated IP address by our systems is technically necessary to display the website to your terminal device. Storage in log files is done to ensure the functionality of the website. Data is not being analysed for marketing purposes in this context. For these purposes, we have legitimate interest in processing of data according to Art. 6 (1)(f)GDPR.
The collection of data for the provision of the website and the storage of data in log files is essential for the operation of the website. Therefore, there is no possibility for you as a user to object to such processing.
III. Data processing in respect of services offered on the website
1. Ordering publications
PVS prints and sends the ordered publications directly to you by post. We and PVS use your personal data solely to handle your orders.
The legal basis for processing of personal data is Art. 6 (1)(a)GDPR.
We will erase your personal data and the additional data collected during the ordering process after six months. The erasure at PVS takes place after the ordering and shipping process has been completed and statutory retention periods have expired.
You have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing of personal data at any time by sending an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com. In this case, all personal data stored as part of the contact will be deleted with effect for the future. Depending on the time of your withdrawal, we may not be able to provide you with the ordered publications.
During the ordering process cookies are placed on your terminal device for storing your shopping cart. Further information on the cookies used can be found in our Cookie Policy.
2. Use of our contact and request forms
To use the contact forms, you must fill mandatory information in the respective input mask marked by an asterisk (e.g. your e-mail address). All other information is optional for you. This personal data will be sent to a department of our company that is responsible for processing and stored in our systems. At the time of sending your message, the date and time of the entry will be saved. We will obtain your consent for processing of the data during the inquiry process.
The data filled in the input mask will be used exclusively to process your inquiry.
The legal basis for the processing of your personal data is Art. 6 (1)(a)GDPR.
The data will be erased as soon as the communication process is completed.
You have the right withdraw your consent to the processing of personal data at any time to by sending an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com. In this case, all personal data stored as part of the contact will be deleted with effect for the future. Depending on the time of your withdrawal, we may not be able to answer your request.
3. Use of the Schaeffler info service offers
When you register for Schaeffler info service offers and give your corresponding consent, you will receive advertising and information (e.g. newsletter, invitations to trade fairs and events, information about products, services, offers and promotions including opinion polls and company news) of the Schaeffler Group, for example, by e-mail, telephone, SMS and/or instant messenger services, such as WhatsApp, to the contacts provided by you when registering for the info service offers via an input mask. In order to use the info services, you need to provide your e-mail address and other information marked as mandatory in the input mask, such as: name, company and telephone number. This data is being collected to send you the advertising and information. For this purpose, we may also engage third parties (service providers) with whom we have a data processing agreement, and transfer your data to any of these third parties. After submitting the registration form, you will receive from us a confirmation e-mail to the e-mail address you provided. The registration will only take effect if you confirm it by clicking on the link in the e-mail.
The legal basis for the processing of your personal data after registration is Art. 6 (1)(a)GDPR.
The data will be erased as soon as it is no longer necessary for the purposes of its collection. Therefore, the data will be stored as long as the registration for the info service is active. You have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing of the personal data at any time by sending an e-mail to email@example.com or by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in received messages, with effect for the future, thereby deregistering from the info service. In this case, all personal data stored for communication will be erased. The withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on this consent before its withdrawal.
4. Creation of a user profile for individualised advertising and information
In the user profile, we store the personal data you have provided us while registering for the "Schaeffler Info Service" together with data about your movement on this website and/or in the information and advertising communication we have sent to you. Movement data is information about your user behaviour, e.g. which columns, articles and content you access on this website or in our newsletter, and at which time, including receipt and read confirmations of e-mails and newsletters.
The legal basis for processing of your personal data after registration is Art. 6(1)(a)GDPR.
The data will be erased as soon as it is no longer necessary in relation to the purposes of its collection. Therefore, data is being stored as long as your consent to data tracking is active. You have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing of personal data at any time by sending an e-mail to email@example.com or by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in received messages, with effect for the future, thereby deregistering from data tracking. In this case, all personal data stored for communication will be deleted. Withdrawing the consent does not affect the lawfulness of the processing based on this consent before its withdrawal.
IV. Use of cookies
In the following, we provide you with general information about the use of cookies on our website and the associated processing of personal data. For further information on specifically used cookies, please refer to the Schaeffler Cookie Policy published on this website.
We use cookies to make our website more user-friendly. Some elements of our website require the requesting browser to be identified even after a page break.
In addition, we use cookies on our website to allow the analysis of the user's surfing behaviour.
When visiting our website the user is informed about the use of cookies and referred to this privacy policy.
The purpose of using technically necessary cookies is to simplify the use of our website for the users. Some features of our website cannot be offered without the use of cookies. It is necessary that the browser is recognised even after a page break. The user data collected through the technically necessary cookies will not be used to create user profiles. Further information can be found in the Schaeffler Cookie Policy.
The legal basis for the processing of personal data using cookies is Art. 6(1)(f)GDPR.
Cookies are stored on the terminal device of the user and transferred from it to our website. Therefore, as user, you have full control over the use of cookies. You can disable or restrict the transmission of cookies by changing the settings in your Internet browser. Already saved cookies can be deleted at any time. This can also be done automatically. If cookies are disabled for our website, it may not be possible to use all features on the website.
V. Your rights as data subject
1. Right of access (Art. 15 GDPR)
2. Right to rectification (Art. 16 GDPR)
3. Right to restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR)
4. Right to erasure (Art. 17 GDPR)
5. Right to notification
6. Right to data portability (Art. 20 GDPR)
7. Right to object (Art. 21 GDPR)
In addition, you have a right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority pursuant to Art. 77 GDPR in conjunction with Section 19 BDSG.
VI. Name and contact details of the controller
VII. Contact details of the data protection officer
Cookie Policy
Notice on the use of cookies
1. Types of cookies
Below you will find a list of all cookies that can be used on our websites as well as further information about their purpose, period of validity and type.
Technically necessary cookies
Optional cookies
In particular we inform you about the following services and cookies:
Google Analytics
The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data. We would like to point out that on this website Google Analytics has been extended to include the code "anonymizeIp;" in order to guarantee an anonymised collection of IP addresses (so-called IP masking).
You can prevent the collection by Google Analytics by clicking on the following link (Disable Google Analytics). An opt-out cookie will be set which will prevent the future collection of your data when visiting this website. Alternatively, you can also download and install the browser plug-in available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
More information about the Google Analytics Terms of Use and Privacy Policy is available at http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/gb.html or at https://policies.google.com.
2. Managing cookies
If you want to deactivate individual cookies or services on our website, you will find the necessary information about the respective services in section 1 of this Cookie Policy.
Below we have put together links that provide detailed information about disabling cookies in common browsers:
We would also like to draw your attention to the deactivation page of the Network Advertising Initiative (http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp) and the deactivation page of the Digital Advertising Alliance (http://www.aboutads.info/choices).
If you have any questions about the Cookie Policy, please contact email@example.com


text:
Present beautiful 2D and 3D Floor & Site Plans with our range of templates, colours and styles. You can select either metric or imperial measurements and we guarantee delivery within 12-24 hours.
Upload any template of your choice and our team will recreate your design, ready for use within 48 hours. Plus get unlimited customisations and added branding materials at no cost.
Our Post Production team captures photos from key areas within your Matterport Virtual Tour and creates the ideal highlight reel, saving you time and energy in the editing suite.
Our team polishes your Virtual Tour by removing unnecessary scan positions from the user navigation, creating a seamless and intuitive user experience.
We offer premium retouching services for all images from your Matterport Virtual Tour or uploaded photos. We optimise colour, white balance and also provide object removal, background enhancement and perspective correction. With a quick turnaround, your stunning suite of images will generate a buzz in no time.
Learn about the future of Virtual Tours with AR Digital Twins, powered by CAPTUR3D.
Unlock AR wayfinding, IoT sensor overlays and AR Mattertags.


text:
- List your car for FREE - Advertise your car in both Unique Cars magazine and online
- Manage unlimited online ads with TraderAds - Call us today to discuss how we can help you sell more stock
Despite its sublime driving and engineering reputation, the NSX struggled to sell when new, but does it make more sense as a classic buy today?+MORE
Over 80 lots on offer+MORE
Looking back through the Unique Cars classifieds...+MORE
Search car clubs here
View events in your state
Trade Safely. Use our anti-scam guide to protect yourself.
Sorry, map view is not available right now. Please search by seller location to enable map view.
XC FORD FAIRMONT WAGON 4.1 litre Tbar auto
The item you are attempting to add to compare is a different subtype to the items(s) in your list.
Only items of the same subtype may be compared.


text:
Hundreds of businesses in the Lewiston-Auburn area have recently sent mail to Make-A-Wish Foundation in care of Craig Shepard, a young cancer patient whose wish is to be named to the Guinness Book of World Records for amassing the greatest collection of business cards.
Hoaxers have also identified Shepard as Craig Shergold, Craig Sheldon, Craig Sheppard, Craig Shelton and Craig Shelford.
His request for business cards was first made in 1989, when he was 9 years old. According to Make-A-Wish Foundation, his wish was fulfilled in 1990 after he received more than 16 million cards.
Shepard is, according to Make-A-Wish, now a healthy college student who requests that the mail cease.
The cards and letters he has received since 1990 have all been forwarded to a recycling center.
Make-A-Wish, in its desire to distance itself from the Craig Shepard request and other chain letters, has set aside space on its Web site debunking hoax requests circling the world.
Might be worth checking before putting a stamp on a letter. The site is www.wish.org/home/chainletters.htm.
In the meantime, we can all disregard requests on behalf of Craig Shepard. He doesn't need our help any more.
– Judith Meyer
Speedy delivery'
Jason Tardy's favorite White House encounter has nothing to do with the president.
The Buckfield juggler, who performed with his brother April 17 at the annual Easter Egg Roll, said he glimpsed the first couple and had several good conversations with Secret Service agents.
Then someone surprised Tardy and his brother, Matthew, in the performer's tent, introducing him to Mr. McFeely of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood."
"He goes, Speedy delivery,' just for us," the awestruck juggler said this week. "We talked for 45 minutes. That was the coolest part of the whole thing. He even gave me his e-mail address."
The performance went well, too.
At security folks' request, they took only their uncontroversial props.
"We left all the knives and fire and everything at home," Tardy said. The duo, Two: High Energy Juggling, gave a complete show despite the spring weather.
"We learned that you can juggle in the rain," Jason Tardy said.
– Daniel Hartill
Cat tales
Maximus and Charlene don't have to pine for home anymore.
Days after they appeared in the Sun Journal in a story on cats at the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, Maximus, the attention-seeking gray cat, and Charlene, the sad young mother who lost her kittens, were adopted. The shelter has also seen a lot of other cat adoptions this week.
"It's been really good," said Allyson Collins, senior animal technician at the shelter.
But Minnow, the friendly, laid-back black tiger cat whose previous owner went into a nursing home, remains at the shelter. At 8, Minnow is older than most people want. He also doesn't get along well with children and some other animals.
"He likes to be the king of the house," Collins said.
Still, the shelter staff remain hopeful. He's been there since November. He'll be there until he finds a home.
– Lindsay Tice
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.
Auburn Middle School student tests positive for COVID-19
Nation / World
Why France incites such anger in Muslim world
Election 2020
Obama: Trump failed to take pandemic, presidency seriously
Nation / World
Halloween in the pandemic: Costumes and candy, at a distance
College football roundup: Without Lawrence, Clemson rallies past Boston College


text: Back Facts About Skin Cancer Facts about skin cancer Skin cancer is a malignant tumor that grows in the skin cells. According to the latest statistics available from the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: In the U.S. alone, more than 2 million Americans will be diagnosed in 2012 with non-melanoma skin cancer, and 76,250 will be diagnosed with melanoma. Although exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays is said to be the most important factor in the cause of skin cancers, the majority of American adults do not use sun-protection measures. Most skin cancers appear in older people, but skin damage from the sun begins at an early age. Therefore, protection should start in childhood to prevent skin cancer later in life. In addition, consider the following statistics from the American Cancer Society and the American Academy of Dermatology: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of cancer worldwide. Melanoma incidence rates are 10 times higher for Caucasians than for African-Americans. People with dark-pigmented skin can develop melanoma, particularly on the palms of the hands, on the soles of the feet, under the nails, and inside the mouth.


text:
Pumpkin Dip Recipe ♥
October 1, my hometown farmers market makes a magical transformation: the row of farmstands becomes a pumpkin patch playground, the perimeter lined with hay bales. Little ones play bumper tractors as the moms and grandparents look on, often recording the squeals of delight. Out front is a pile -- more of an engineering feat, really -- of many-sized pumpkins, minis to mammoths. When my Lady Dog was a puppy and teaching me to heel, the farmers market water spigot was a frequent destination. During that first October, as we approached, she would warily eye the pumpkin pile, the bulbous shapes, the alarming color, sensing I always figured, the frightening faces of the pumpkins' inner jack o' lanterns. Mustering bravery, she would bark -- furiously, wildly -- pulling at the leash to attack the vicious orange creatures. Isn't October grand?
I thought about Lady's fear of pumpkins while throwing the ingredients for this easy-easy pumpkin dip into the food processor -- wishing I'd taken the time to roast a whole pumpkin. But then, tasting the dip -- it's delicious! -- I was just as happy to use the oh-so-convenient canned pumpkin.
The recipe comes from Margie, one of my OCHER-Yaya friends, who suggests serving it with Granny Smith apples and ginger cookies. Me, I'd love it schmeared onto a bagel or a slice of my forever-favorite recipe for pumpkin bread. I even stirred a spoonful into my morning oatmeal: excellent! Unlike some pumpkin spreads I've tasted, this one really tastes like pumpkin, that's a good thing!
Time to table: 10 minutes
Makes 3 cups
16 ounces canned pumpkin
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Powdered sugar (or another sweetener, see NOTES) to taste
In a food processor, mix the pumpkin, cream cheese and pumpkin pie spice until smooth. Add sugar to taste until desired sweetness is reached.
ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
Be sure to get 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix which is already spiced and sugared.
For cream cheese, I nearly always choose the lower-fat neufchatel (how to pronounce neufchatel). It's a winner, there's no telling the difference. (To my taste, the no-fat cream cheese is gummy and vile and is to be avoided at all cost!)
Pumpkin pie spice is a common spice blend but it's so easy to mix your own, there's really no reason to shell out the money. For this recipe, I used 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ginger.
The original recipe called for 2 whole cups of sugar, which would have made this sweet-sweet-sweet and almost an icing; it also explains why the original recipe also called for thinning the dip a bit with orange juice. Margie recommended using less sugar so I started with just 1/4 cup of sugar. I'd have been happy to stop here but my taste testers asked for another 1/4 cup -- this makes it slightly sweet but lets the pumpkin flavor itself come through. 2010 Update: I used sorghum as the sweetener, maple syrup would work too.
~ Pumpkin Bars ~
~ Stuffed Pumpkin with Apple & Cranberry ~
~ Whole Pumpkin Baked with Custard ~
~ more pumpkin recipes ~
~ more recipes for dips & spreads ~
from A Veggie Venture
~ Autumn Pumpkin Bread ~
~ Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars ~
~ Pumpkin Bread Pudding ~
~ more pumpkin recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade
© Copyright 2008


text:
Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group Careers
About Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group
The Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group was founded by the Chairman of the Group, H.E. Easa Saleh Al Gurg CBE in 1960, with the acquisition of the Grundig franchise followed by the British American Tobacco agency.
Today, the Group is associated with a number of world renowned companies through joint ventures, franchises and other marketing arrangement. The Group's list of principals and joint venture partners includes Unilever, Siemens, Dunlop, Burmah Castrol, Grundig, Osram, British American Tobacco and ICI amongst others. The Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group business' extends to three main verticals namely:
• Trading – Mac Al Gurg, Scientechnic, Al Semsam, Technical & Trading LLC. Target Auto Services, Al
Gurg Tires (Dunlop), Batteries and Accessories.
• Retail – ID Design, United Colors of Benetton & Sisley, Al Gurg Stationery, OFIS, Interiors and Better life.
• Manufacturing – Al Gurg Building Services, Gulf Engineering Industry, Gulf Metal Foundry, Al Gurg Electronics and Al Mashrabia Furniture.
Additionally, the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group's portfolio includes the Al Gurg Real Estate Division that constitutes one of the largest private property based enterprise in the UAE.
The Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group started its journey more than 50 years ago and is now a large corporate enterprise comprising of 23 businesses with over 3,000 committed employees. The Group maintains a strong focus on employee development and has formed an in-house Training and Development Centre dedicated to enhancing employee skill sets.
At Easa Saleh Al Gurg (ESAG), we stand tall as an employer of choice for people who bring intense passion and innovative ideas to work every day. We believe there is only one way to win a leadership position: through dedication and hard work. We aim to be the best choice for most customers and the chosen place to work for the most talented people. Our philosophy is both simple and inclusive. We value people even as we protect our investments. Meritocracy drives our actions, decisions and employee advancements.


text:
The path to the Hawks was a long one, but one that never veered to far away from Chicago. Born and raised in Edison Park, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, John began his sporting career as a sales and marketing executive with the Chicago Sting of the North American Soccer League. But where he really created a reputation was during his 24 years with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1983 to 2007, McDonough revolutionized the ball club's marketing, and in 2007, as president of the Cubs, the squad captured the National League Central title.
John was hired as president of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007, and along with owner Rocky Wirtz, guided the franchise to what Forbes Magazine described as the greatest turn-around of a sports franchise in history. The season ticket base has more than tripled and the team has sold out more than 100 home games in succession. In fact, after dipping precariously close to extinction not long ago, the Blackhawks led the National Hockey League in average attendance in both 2008-09 and 2009-10. In addition, Chicago had all 82 regular season games broadcast on television for the first time in franchise history under McDonough's direction. And then, of course, there was the culmination of all their efforts, winning the Stanley Cup on June 9 for the first time since 1961.
John McDonough's day with the Stanley Cup came on June 19. The celebration began with John, wife Karen and children Colleen, Ryan and Michael having photographs taken at the family home. They then took the revered trophy over to visit Karen's parents. John then had a special moment, visiting his mother's gravesite to share his victory with one who instilled such great values in him. Then, it was over to his childhood home. The home is no longer in the family, but the current residents were more than pleased to swing open their doors to the Hawks' team president with the Stanley Cup. John had to chuckle when he noticed the Cubs logo still on the wall in his old bedroom where he had posted it all those years ago.
A police escort led the Stanley Cup to Brooks Park, where Edison Park celebrated John McDonough Day. In the park's gymnasium, McDonough was feted by fans for his accomplishment. Also present were Blackhawks' public address announcer Gene Honda and Jim Cornelison, the Hawks' anthem singer, who entertained at the Edison Park celebration. Several VIPs were also on hand, including Chicago alderman Brian Doherty and Cook County commissioner, Peter Silvestri. John very humbly greeted the assembled, and stated, "I'm so proud to be able to bring the Cup to Edison Park where I was born and grew up!"
At 1:30, with the playing of the Hawks' adopted theme, 'Chelsea Dagger' by The Fratellis, the reception concluded, and the Stanley Cup was spirited (pun intended) over to The Curragh Irish Pub for a late lunch. A huge crowd met McDonough and the Cup at the popular pub, but a private area had been reserved so that the party could enjoy lunch and a libation.
An attempt to sneak out the back door of Curragh's was greeted by another mob scene. "The Stanley Cup has been a rock star in every place we've gone in Chicago," laughed Mike Bolt, who was travelling with the historic trophy on behalf of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
By mid-afternoon, the Stanley Cup was on its way to nearby Elk Grove Village, where John has resided for better than two decades. A quick stop at a rehabilitation centre was followed by a reception at the Elk Grove Village Hall, hosted by Mayor Craig Johnson with more than 200 in attendance.
At 6:00PM, escorted by the police, the Elk Grove Village Hometown Parade proceeded along Elk Grove Boulevard from Tonne Road to Lions Drive. The town of 35,000 was out in force, with an estimated 10,000 along the parade route to celebrate with the team president and his trophy. McDonough was on a float with Mayor Johnson and the Stanley Cup. The mayor thanked the Hawks for their kindness. "We wish to thank the NHL and the entire Chicago Blackhawks organization, especially Chairman Rocky Wirtz and Blackhawks Team President John McDonough, a 25-year resident of Elk Grove Village, for allowing Elk Grove the prestigious honour of displaying the Lord Stanley Cup to the public," he said.
While carnival rides, music and fireworks continued as part of RotaryFest in Elk Grove, John slipped away in an SUV to Coach's Corner, a terrific sports bar in the town. The walls are lined with pictures and autographs from personalities from the sports world: George Halas, coach of the NFL Chicago Bears, Gale Sayers, Michael Jordan and Bobby Hull, to name a few. They'll now have a most impressive addition John McDonough and the Stanley Cup on the day they visited the bar!
John was most gracious in sharing the Stanley Cup with the fans that surrounded Coach's Corner, stopping so that well-wishers could touch the hallowed Cup or snap a quick photo.
The holiday is an occasion for fireworks and celebrating, but no one in Windsor, Ontario had any idea that their city would be thrust into the spotlight be hosting both the Stanley Cup and the Memorial Cup in a Canada Day parade.
The Stanley Cup left Chicago first thing on the morning of July 1, and landed in Detroit, where it was met by Windsor City Councillor, Alan Halberstadt. Time was tight, so in a limousine accompanied by six police motorcycles (three in front and three behind), the Stanley Cup was escorted across the Canada/U.S. border to a spot just east of Windsor's downtown core. There, it was met by Joel Quenneville, the coach of the Stanley Cup champions. Joel was with his wife Elizabeth, although she was not part of the parade.
The parade, as mentioned, boasted two hockey championship trophies tied to Windsor. Joel Quenneville and the Stanley Cup were joined by Adam Henrique, the high-scoring forward of the two-time Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfires. While the trophies have been in the company of the other many times before, it is believed to be the first time the two have travelled in a parade together.
The parade began at 11:00AM and travelled westward along Wyandotte Street, starting at Devonshire Road and concluding at Glengarry, a wrist shot from Windsor Arena, the former home of the hometown Spitfires (the team moved to the newly-created WFCU Centre during the 2008-09 season).
Thousands of fans lined the street, and Joel remarked that he was pleasantly surprised at the number of Blackhawks fans he encountered along the way. Windsor is notorious for being split between fans of the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, with neither side budging an inch in their fervour.
It was another terrific day, with the Stanley Cup gleaming in the holiday sun. Along the parade route, volunteers gathered non-perishable food items and cash donations to assist the Windsor-Essex Food Bank.
At the conclusion of the parade in Fred Thomas Park, Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis presented the key to the city to the proud yet humble Quenneville. "Every time, it's as good as it gets," said Quenneville, who was part of a Stanley Cup championship with the Colorado Avalanche as assistant coach in 1996. "It can't get any better. You win the Cup, so it's a great feeling."
But with schedules tight, while a gargantuan birthday cake was being cut and distributed, the Stanley Cup was spirited away in the limousine to head off to its next destination. Escorted by Windsor's finest, folks enjoying a root beer at a nearby A&W were pleasantly surprised to see a limousine carrying the Stanley Cup pull up to the drive-thru window.
The Stanley Cup Journal will flip pages and return on Friday when we join Jordan Hendry in Okomis, Saskatchewan and Kris Versteeg in Lethbridge, Alberta.
Kevin Shea is the Editor of Publications and Online Features for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Select A Topic
Site Map
Accessible Customer Service Plan
Admission Rates
Audio/Video Vault
Corporate Information
Did You Know?
Education Program
Election Procedures
Exhibits Tour
Face-Off Interplay
Fan Feedback
General Information
Group Sales
Honoured Members
Hours of Operation
Induction Showcase
Legend Spotlight
NHL Player Search
Olympic Hockey History
Outreach Program
Pro Classics
Promos & Events
Records & Rankings
Resource Centre
Silverware & Winners
Spirit of Hockey Retail Store
Stanley Cup Journal
Stanley Cup Tribute
This Day In Hockey History
Time Capsule
Venue Rentals
Visitor Information
Women's Hockey Tribute
World of Hockey Calendar


text:
With a controversial victory over Jorge Rivera at this past weekend's UFC 127 event, co-headliner Michael Bisping owns three consecutive wins and a 4-1 record over his past five fights.
Contenders such as Chael Sonnen, Yushin Okami and Alan Belcher seem logical next opponents for the Brit, but another notable has throw his hat into the ring.
And it's recent title challenger Vitor Belfort.
In a recent Twitter update, Belfort said he hopes for a May fight with "The Ultimate Fighter 3" winner.
"I need to fight soon," Belfort (19-9 MMA, 8-5 UFC) wrote. "I want to get busy."
After a heated buildup (due largely to a series of videos in which Rivera spoofed Bisping) ahead of their pay-per-view bout at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, Bisping (21-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) stopped Rivera (19-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) with a second-round TKO. The win was a dubious one, though; Bisping connected on an illegal to the head in the first round, and Rivera never was the same afterward.
After the fight, cameras caught Bisping yelling at Rivera's corner men – and then spitting at them. The irritated fighter then went after Rivera.
"Never talk about my family," Bisping yelled as officials separated the fighters. "Go home, loser."
Bisping ultimately apologized in his post-fight interview and said he's "a sensitive guy" who lost "my nerve a little bit there."
However, officials from Rivera's management team at Alchemist MMA immediately released a statement in which they condemned Bisping's actions, allege the illegal knee was intentional, and campaign for a fine and suspension due to his "spitting and taunting" at coach Matt Phinney.
It's "conduct of a schoolyard bully," the statement reads. "Like all bullies, Mr. Bisping needs to be punished. In this instance it would be appropriate if Bisping is fined and suspended by the athletic commission and/or the UFC."
In the aftermath of the show, UFC officials have hinted at no pending punishment. Additionally, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) couldn't reach UFC president Dana White for comment because of his travel back to the U.S.
Still, with the heavily publicized fight and fallout generating massive interest in Bisping, Belfort is looking to capitalize.
The Brazilian failed to take the middleweight title from champ Anderson Silva earlier this month at UFC 126, and a win over Bisping would keep Belfort's title hopes alive. Additionally, a fight against someone of Belfort's stature could help Bisping silence critics who say his contender status is the result of favorable matchmaking and a lack of top-10 opponents.
If booked, there are a host of suitable host sites (though May's UFC 130 main card already is full). Marshall Zelaznik, the UFC's managing director of international development, said the UFC is likely to return to the U.K. in June, which could serve as a homecoming for Bisping. A trip to Belfort's home country of Brazil also is slated for August in Rio De Janeiro.
For more on the UFC's upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Vitor Belfort)


text:
'Too little, too late' - Fish & Game says Dairy NZ must do more to protect the environment
Fish & Game is critical of Dairy NZ's strategic vision for the dairy sector, saying it is a decade late and the industry must act sooner to protect the environment and regain public support.
The just-unveiled strategy's number one pledge is to protect and nurture the environment for future generations and to lead efforts to improve the health and swimmability of rivers and streams.
Dairy NZ is also promising to develop a 50 year blueprint for sustainable land use by 2025.
But Fish & Game Chief Executive Martin Taylor says it doesn't go far enough.
"This is all too little, too late. The dairy industry has had a decade to come up with a blueprint for sustainable farming and land use and now the strategy is too wait another eight years to develop one," Mr Taylor says.
"The reality is the present dairying model is unsustainable. Kiwis need action now and aren't prepared to wait until 2025."
Mr Taylor says Dairy NZ's plan highlights the fact the dairy industry is now acutely aware it is losing public trust and its social licence to operate.
"Clean water was one of the election's defining issues as voters expressed their anger about declining water quality and the loss of traditional swimming spots because of pollution," Martin Taylor says.
"Public patience has finally run right out and the corporate dairy industry is now trying to catch up and rescue its credibility."
Martin Taylor says Dairy NZ needs to be much braver with its strategy and provide better leadership.
Mr Taylor says a good place to start is by accepting a future-based on fewer cows, less water use, less nutrient loading and producing less milk but with more added value.
"If they don't do that, dairy will continue to be unsustainable. The reality is cow numbers have grown astronomically over the last 20 years. Regions like Canterbury and Southland which weren't traditional dairy areas are now among the biggest, with a combined herd size of over two million animals.
"This explosion in intensive farming has had a huge impact on the environment. It takes a thousand litres of water to make one litre of milk and to meet that sort of demand, more and more water is being taken from our waterways and aquifers," Mr Taylor says.
"Canterbury is now using two thirds of all New Zealand's irrigation take. On its own, a single big corporate farm can use the same amount of water as a town does in a year."
Mr Taylor says the volume of sewage each cow produces also has an impact.
"Every day, New Zealand's more than six million dairy cattle produce the same amount of waste as 90 million people. Of course, it's untreated, so that is another body blow for the environment," he says.
Martin Taylor says if corporate dairying is to regain public support, it needs to admit its present operating model is unsustainable.
"The sector has to stop resisting the need to reduce environmental impacts and commit to hard, measurable targets in the next year," he says.
"Corporate dairying can only achieve this by working with environment groups, communities and the government to put these in place," Martin Taylor says.
Subscribe via RSS
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- December 2013
- March 2013
- September 2012
- July 2012


text:
Balmain: Spring 2012
Balmain Spring 2012
Balmain Spring 2012
From the looks of things, Olivier Rousteing knows exactly what Balmain is made of. For Spring 2012, the designer showed us what might happen if a Spanish dancer went west — a mix of long, duster-like leather skirts and denim button-ups paired with the label's signature embellishments on body-conscious minidresses, skirts, and slim pants and jackets. Gold embroidery and fringe on white pants, skirts, and boleros all hinted at beautifully ornate Spanish detailing; while leather pants, denim shirts and skirts, and laser-cut leather brought us back to the Old West. At the core, it's still what Balmain does best — standout, rich metallics, and beading on the slickest and sexiest silhouettes.
- Trends: leather, boleros, embellishment, fringe, embroidery, and high-waisted pants.
- Colors: black, white, gold, some florals and denim.
- Key Piece: the black embellished suit; the gold and white embellished mini and denim shirt.
- Accessories: embellished suede and cutout leather booties, gold cuffs, chain bracelets and belts, oversize gold belt buckles.
- Who Would Wear It: Cool-girl types with an eye for glam-rocker pieces; Zoe Saldana and Anna Dello Russo would rock the embellished minidresses.


text:
Jake Sorofman works at rPath. He can be contacted at [email protected]
The Amazon -- the river, that is -- is both impressive in scale and among the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. It's both fertile ground for innovation and a nexus back to which much of the earth's evolution can be traced. In the world of science, its significance is vast.
Similarly, its namesake in Seattle -- the erstwhile bookseller -- has remarkably and unexpectedly emerged as a veritable Amazon to the world of computing. Its public cloud offering -- Amazon EC2 -- is challenging a lot of thinking these days. In the world of IT, its significance is vast.
What's most remarkable about Amazon isn't that it appeared out of nowhere as an infrastructure vendor. What's most remarkable is that it has done so with impressive competence and grace.
EC2 is a juggernaut, and it seems to get better with each turn.
Witness a recent announcement. Amazon has added monitoring, dynamic scaling and elastic load balancing to its suite of offerings -- all elegantly delivered in the same pay-as-you-go model as its compute and storage services. Today, EC2 may well be the truest expression of cloud.
But don't get me wrong: this isn't meant to be a love letter to Amazon as the silver bullet for all compute requirements. Amazon is just a darn good example of what a cloud should be.
For cloud to mature into a mainstream and potentially transformative alternative to traditional computing, there must be many players -- each contributing their own unique value to the marketplace. Luckily, we've seen innovators like Rackspace, GoGrid, BlueLock and private cloud infrastructure like Eucalyptus deliver their own unique pieces to the cloud puzzle. We'll also see major platform vendors like IBM, EMC, and Oracle/Sun with their own cloud offerings.
Ultimately, enterprises will adopt multiple clouds as a blended fabric of compute resources where applications dynamically seek out the appropriate resource based on price, location, capabilities, service levels, etc. Each cloud will play a unique role as part of this connected fabric of providers. In this sense, you can think of EC2 as necessary as today's guiding example, but insufficient as the sole solution to all of our computing needs.
Amazon is doing an impressively good job of delivering compute, storage and management tools as a cloud-based service. But this is all about infrastructure, which is only half of the story. The other half of the story is about applications.
What folks are beginning to realize is that there is a hidden cost to virtualization and cloud. Removing the friction from application deployment yields an explosion in the number of systems that need to be managed and maintained. Cloud may remove the barriers to application delivery based on the swipe of a credit card, but it doesn't obviate the need to maintain these systems. Virtualized and cloud-based models simply shift the burden from a physical to a virtual medium -- while catalyzing the growth of units that need to be maintained.
As a result, the management burden compounds, actually adding cost and risk.
At the heart of this problem is the way many organizations think about the creation of system images for deployment into virtualized environments. Today, image provisioning tools typically create static system snapshots that are fundamentally unmanageable.
Like gremlins and bamboo, these images proliferate rapidly, forcing IT organizations into the uncomfortable tradeoff of ignoring the gremlins in their midst or throwing people at the problem.
In my experience, neither answer is particularly satisfying.
For instance, rPath (the company I work for) automates the creation and maintenance of complete, self-contained and manageable systems that run across traditional, virtual or cloud environments. rPath captures all of the dependencies within the stack and manages the system and all of its components under strong version control. This provides complete system transparency, control and allows updates and patches to be automatically delivered to the running system -- wherever it's running. This enables fully encapsulated systems that are self-healing, self-describing, free to run anywhere, but centrally controlled wherever they land. It's a scalable solution to an application delivery challenge that is poised to explode in the age of virtualization and cloud.
The reality is that -- as IT infrastructure becomes virtualized and organizations tap into the cloud -- it becomes even more critical to fully control deployed systems. The alternative is new cost and risk that may actually wash away the benefits of this new computing model itself.


text:
Twenty One Pilots, Jon Bellion showstopper show at the United Center
Alternative hip-hop/rock duo Twenty One Pilots have been on the road for their Emotional Roadshow World tour. Stopping in Chicago, Twenty One Pilots put on an unforgettable show from start to finish. Originating from Columbus, this self-starting band has exploded… Continue Reading


text:
We just wanted to take a moment to clarify a couple of erroneous reports yesterday in the mainstream media concerning the service time of Evan Longoria. Bill Chastain of MLB.com, Marty York of Canada Metro and John Romano of the St. Pete Times reported that the Tampa Bay Rays would be able to delay Longoria's free agency clock by one year if he remains in the minors until the end of April.
From MLB.com: From a business standpoint, if Longoria begins the season with the team, he'd likely be eligible for free agency following the 2013 season. Meanwhile, delaying his Major League debut until mid-April would delay his free agency until after the 2014 season.
From Metro Canada: If Longoria opens the season with Tampa, he will likely be eligible for free agency after 2013. If he is in the minor leagues until late April, however, he can't be a free agent until 2014.
From St. Pete Times: If Longoria is on the roster on March 31, he will probably be eligible for free agency after 2013. If he is in the minors until late April, he won't be a free agent until after 2014.
The problem with this assessment is that a promotion at the end of April does not delay the arbitration clock which is of more importance for a player that the Rays hope to have around for longer than six years.
Normally a player is eligible for arbitration after 3 years and free agency after 6 years of service time. In baseball's most recent collective bargaining agreement, a year of service time is defined as 172 days. However, of the players that fall shot of this mark, the top 17% with at least 2 years of service time are also granted arbitration eligibility. These players are called "Super 2s". The exact amount of service time varies from year-to-year, but has been as low as 128 days and as high as 140 days although the number is usually 130-135.
If we count backwards from the end of the regular season (Sept. 28), a player that is called up on May 24 and remains on the roster for the remainder of the regular season will accumulate 128 days of service time. A player that is called up on May 12 would accumulate 140 days of service time.
The Rays will eventually want to sign Longoria to a long-term deal and the parameters of that deal will be more immediately affected by when Longoria becomes eligible for arbitration as that will be the first year that he can expect a large increase in annual salary.
So if we assume that Longoria plays well in Durham and the team does indeed consider service time in their plans, we can make an educated guess that Longoria will be promoted to the Rays on or after May 26 (Memorial Day). Promotion on this day would give Longoria 126 service days this year and in all likelihood will delay his arbitration/free agency clock by one year. Last season the Brewers accomplished this with their top prospect Ryan Braun by waiting until May 24 to promote him to the majors.
On May 26, the Rays will be in midst of a 10-game home stand and will be starting a new series on that day against the Rangers. In addition, if the Rays do get off to a solid start, the holiday plus the debut of The Dirtbag could push the crowd to record levels for a non-opening day, non-Yankees contest. Not to mention, the buzz of Longoria's arrival could push attendance for all seven games remaining on that home stand.
It sure seems like Memorial Day works for both Longoria and the team. Mark your calendars. If Longoria is demoted to Durham, he will most likely make his major league debut on May 26…Not mid- or late-April as reported above.


text:
So I have a ton of religious friends, but it seems to me that the ones that get so upset that I'm atheist are my Christian friends. Lately, tons of people have been trying to cram their beliefs onto me, and trying to show me "God" and make me believe. I think it's such BULLSHIT! I've been atheist since i was around 16 and never once tried to make people change religions, or to believe in this or that. Since I've been under attack by so many friends, I usually post up on my Facebook Daily about all the new corrupt stuff I find about religion.
Recently, i found this article... "http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_nmolest26.1374b..."
talks about a Catholic Persist pleading guilty to child molestation. I posted it up, and said "YAY FOR CHURCH" and this is the message I got from one of my friends.
"Hey Bran all this stuff that your posting about the bible is pretty hurtful to Johnny and I. I mean we understand that you have your own personal opinion. but when you post it , It really cuts deep for us. Johnny and I both are christians."
This pisses me off, what they hell do they expect me to say or do about it?
Then they offer for me to go to church with them wednesday and sunday... FUCK THAT!
srry for the rant, but I'm sure a lot of you have dealt with the same type of thing.
Views: 357
What's really amusing is that your Christian (hmmm... not catholic) friends are upset about you posting the story, and not upset about clergy raping children? If they are 'good' Christians shouldn't they want to know when something like this happens, and exposes a wolf among the lambs? Maybe they should direct their ire towards the deserving party.
I agree Misty,
@Brandon- Try to keep a cool head about it. If you value their friendship then be the rational bigger man.
Yeah it does suck. I posted 'happy zombie jesus day' on Facebook and pissed off tons of my family. It was pretty funny, but irritating at the same time.
I think really all you can do is say look, religion, or lack thereof, is a PERSONAL decision, and if I want your opinion, I will ask for it. Otherwise, leave it alone.


text:
EA, Activision soar: Consoles aren't deadMarch 13, 2014: 12:56 PM ET
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul R. La Monica. Other than Time Warner, the parent of CNNMoney, Abbott Laboratories and AbbVie, La Monica does not own positions in any individual stocks.
Traders are salivating about the upcoming initial public offering of mobile game developer King Digital Entertainment, the company behind the insanely popular "Candy Crush Saga."
King disclosed Wednesday that it could be worth $7.6 billion following its IPO -- which could take place as soon as the end of this month. That revelation helped boost shares of already public smartphone game makers Zynga (ZNGA) and Glu Mobile (GLUU).
Related: Maker of Candy Crush files for IPO
But guess what? The old-school video game companies are getting their fair share of love from Wall Street too -- even though they are still more well-known for the supposedly dying business of producing software for consoles like Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox and Sony's (SNE) PlayStation.
Shares of Activision Blizzard (ATVI), the company behind the "Call of Duty" franchise, hit an all-time high Thursday after a BofA/Merrill analyst upgraded the stock to a "buy." And Activision rival Electronic Arts (EA), which actually was downgraded by BofA Thursday, is red hot too.
In fact, EA recently nudged ahead of Facebook (FB) and BlackBerry (BBRY) to become the best performer in CNNMoney's Tech 3o index this year. EA is up nearly 30% in 2014. (Activision is in our index too. It's the fifth-best stock of the Tech 30.)
Then there's Take-Two Interactive (TTWO). Shares of the company most famous for its controversial "Grand Theft Auto" games are up 22% this year.
What gives?
I'll admit that I'm surprised these companies are doing this well. I still associate Activision with Atari 2600games from my youth like "Kaboom!" and "Pitfall!" Watch out for those crocodiles!
And I haven't played a console game since college in the mid-1990s. Still, I will always have a soft place in my heart for EA's NHL '94, the hockey game that was immortalized in "Swingers." Jeremy Roenick was superhuman. Poor Wayne Gretzky.
(Warning. There's a LOT of profanity in the clip below. Don't watch if you aren't a fan of cuss words. Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau have potty mouths.)
Simply put, many people enjoy playing games on big screens as opposed to smartphones and tablets. They also like games that are more sophisticated than just moving brightly covered pieces of candy into different tiles.
Confession. I'm not one of them. I'm pretty retro when it comes to mobile games. I love the Pac-Man app. And the "Fix-it Felix, Jr." game that's a tie-in to the "Wreck It Ralph" movie from Disney (DIS) and is essentially a re-imagining of "Rampage" and "Donkey Kong."
But the console game developers are still making big bucks from the hardcore fans who buy games the day they are released.
The optimism for EA seems to be largely about a new combat game called "Titanfall" that will be released exclusively for Microsoft later this year. EA is also still raking in big bucks from its 25-year old Madden football franchise. That game is pretty much the technology equivalent of an annuity for EA.
Related: Madden has been a $4 billion franchise
And Activision is adored by investors mainly because of "Call of Duty" -- which Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter thinks could be a hit in China when the game launches there. Pachter also said in a recent research report that Activision's upcoming "Destiny" game could be a blockbuster that generates $500 million in sales.
So the top "old" game companies are doing well for a pretty simple reason. They continue to sell a lot of games. Earnings are growing. And the stocks are pretty reasonably valued.
Take-Two is the cheapest stock of the bunch, at just 5 times earnings forecasts. But its product portfolio isn't as diverse as its two big rivals. Its fortunes (and stock) tend to rise and fall along with the release of new GTA games.
Analysts expect EA to report annual earnings increases of 20% for the next few years, according to FactSet. Shares trade at 22.5 times earnings estimates for this year. Activision's earnings are forecast to rise at a 12.5% clip for the next few years. Shares trade at 16 times 2014 profit projections.
Sure, investors may go gaga for Candy Crush Saga (not to be confused with Sugar Rush from the aforementioned "Wreck-It Ralph") once King's stock starts trading.
But consoles aren't dead. People still like to shoot stuff and pretend they are professional athletes in their spare time on screens that are larger than ten inches.
Reader Comment of the Week! Before Herbalife (HLF) took a tumble on the news of the FTC's investigation of the nutritional supplements company, I joked on Twitter about how Bill Ackman may need to give up on his seemingly quixotic crusade to bring the company down ... and profit from his $1 billion short against it.
I cited an Oscar-winning song in my tweet. You may have heard it before. I think that someone named Adele Dazeem sang it? Anyway, a fellow member of the financial journalist club wins Reader Comment of the Week for twisting one of the lyrics in a very clever way.
Good one, Carl! Say hi to former CNNMoney managing editor Allen Wastler for me! And I'm very excited for the DVD release of "Frozen" next week. As is Buzz, Jr.
Hmm. It just dawned on me that there have been a lot of Disney references in this column. Sorry Time Warner (TWX) overlords! But Buzz. Jr and I did love "The LEGO® Movie." You go, Bros. of Warner! Everything is awesome!