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Do you 'like' Matt and Andre?
There's just about one day left for you to help propel Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier into the starting lineup for the National League All-Star team and you can vote up to 25 times at dodgers.com and take part in the "Meet Matt" sweepstakes for a chance to meet the Dodger center fielder.
Even Matt and Andre are getting into the fun of voting…
67 Comments
Well, I know who I DON'T like…
Matty and Andre to the allstar!!
Pathetic…Bankrupt Dodgers in last place….Thanks Frank and Ned…Scumbags
Unfortunately for both, there's not a ghost's chance either of them will make it on the fans' votes. Frank has created so much turnoff that most fans won't bother to vote anything Dodger. Might as well learn, Andre and Matt that you don't want to stay near anything named Dodger either. Good luck to you both with free agency as soon as you qualify. Thanks for the good years.
Selig is responsible for McCourt running amok
NorthStateBlues has been saying this all along, for how many years?
I have been saying this as well. While I am still upset at Peter O'Malley from selling in the first place, I hold Bud Selig and MLB responsible for letting the McCourt's buy the Dodgers. I will concede Bud may not have known how greedy these two people would be but he had to know or should have known more about their character. He needs to go as well.
Me and a lot more posters, for sure.
He's still a joke, but I stopped laughing long ago.
If only the Dodgers "fan" who relieved himself on the Willie Mays statue had the option to do so on Selig's instead…
Love Dre and Matty. I can't see them making the starting roster with the severe ballot stuffing in other ballparks and, the lack of fans attending Dodger games. And, with Bochy as the NL manager, he probably won't pick them either!
If I were Bochy, I would definitely add Kemp to the team. It's in his own self-interest, especially the G'nats having a chance of actually being in the World Series again this year. For us, though, because of Frank McCourt, our World Series drought has been extended at least another twelve years – seven years during his ownership plus at least five more years to rebuild.
I really don't think Bochy have a choice wirth Kemp but at least is not Manuel.
Kemp should definately be a starter in the AS game. However, that's up to the fans. He will definately be selected by Bochy. I also look for Kersh to be selected especially if he has at least one more really good start before the break. I think he will get two more starts before the break. Ethier is on the bubble. He's pretty high in the fan voting so Bochy might select him. Depends on who he has to pick from other teams to get at least one player from each team. Also injuries. April Ethier deserves to be there. May/June Ethier does not. Overall, he's as deserving as any of the other bubble outfielders in the pack. Negative Dodger publicity and overall poor team play is probably not helping him.
I think Lilly should throw fir the Home-Run Derby….with his 70 mph fastball, they will crush! 😉
LOL!! Perfect!!!
If you are bankrupt, you are disqualified from having anybody on the All-Star team. Just ask Ken Lay from Enron. Oh. Yeah.
Riddle me this, why is Oeltjen not a good enough option to start over Thames against a right handed starter, but is good enough to pinch hit for Thames against a right handed reliever?
• Some are amazed that Frank McCourt continues to try to hold on to the Dodgers in the face of severe financial troubles. One lawyer familiar with the case said, "The guy's desperation and arrogance is going to kill him. Financially, he's desperate. And emotionally, he's desperate." Another person, pointing out McCourt is several hundred million dollars in debt, said that even if McCourt agreed to sell the Dodgers, he might not leave with any money. McCourt bought the franchise for only $431 million, so he has a substantial IRS bill for capital gains when he does sell.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/jon_heyman/06/29/padres.trades/index.html#ixzz1QhyUEU3M
The Dodgers problems (and that of the NFL in Los Angeles) can actually be traced back pre-O'Malley selling the team to former L.A. City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas who led the charge to destroy any NFL facility outside of the Coliseum, a venue which the NFL had made clear would never be accepted. Part of this was the withdrawal of the O'Malleys from building a football stadium at Chavez Ravine. If that had happened, the O'Malley family would have continued the classy ownership of the baseball Dodgers and brought a football team to the city.
In short, the culprits:
1) Mark Ridley-Thomas
2) Fox/Rupert Murdoch
3) Bud Selig (THE worst figure in baseball history)
4) McCourts (The worst figures in Dodgers history)
MLK, good to hear from you again. I might also add Fox to your list as well since Fox and MLB are pretty much tied at the hip and it was Fox (or more accurately News Corp.) that pushed for McCourt.
Oops, you did have Fox on your list.
Hi'Ya MLK. Good to see/read you. Well said.
Here here!
If you wanna go even further, if only Al Campanis had something better to do on April 15, 1987…
No need to fret about Matt Kemp being on the All-Star Game; it's a no-brainer. Whether he'll be voted on may be a question, as many Dodgers fans simply do not have the interest in the team to bother to vote for him online, and of course few are at the stadium to fill in hardcopy votes.
Dodger draftee David Wingo College World Series MOP
I really hope that they sign this guy soon. He was our 14th rounds picks.
Cardinals just released Franklin.
Not easy to cut a former AS like that lol.
At least the Cards have the guts to cut players that aren't getting it done, no matter what their salary or past performance. The Dodgers certainly don't. They just continue to ride the old nags straight to last place and then make lame excuses about why they aren't performing.
if we cut the players who were useless, we couldn't field a team! 😉
Where is the King and His Court when you need them? For those who might not know, this was a group comprised of 4 softball players: a lights out pitcher, a catcher, a first basemen and one fielder. This group would go against all comers, including major leaguers and dare them to as much as hit a foul ball. I saw them once at Dodger Stadium and as I recall, the pitcher, Eddie Feigner, threw bullet strikes from second base blindfolded and they still could not hit him.
I remember them! Fun to watch.
I saw them at Dodger Stadium in 1966. Great memories!!!
I remember an episodes of King of the Hill called "You Gotta Believe (In Moderation)"
Very tru,trublu. In spite of my forced optimism, I'm starting to get the feeling this is not going to be a successful season. Just how in the hell did it come to this? I know, it's all out there to see, but I'm just f*****g astounded by this. These are the Dodgers?
( ^ _ ^ )
Cough cough.
I found a typo Ran Runzler and I guess he mean Dan Runzler.
Juan Uribe for Buster Posey, straight across.
I'm a fan of both players and it's so hard to chose one.. Now for those who are saying that either one of them will make it because of the current situtation..It shouldn't be based on the problems with money and ownership of the Dodgers, It should be based on the players sats and performance. I'm a TRUE BLUE Dodger fan til the day I die! It sucks that the Mccourt's stupidity has a reflection on the team, but true Dodger fans will always have love for them!
R. Dempster 8.0 2 0 0 0 6 0 1.40 4.91
Pitches-strikes – T Lincecum 114-69; R Dempster 78-57
Oh my look at that PC for Dempster.
Gosh damn it Cubs why did you pulled Dempster? Lincecum always seem to get freaking lucky and this Giants luck is freaking dumb.
N/M Dempster was in and gave up the double.
I always love that Ramirez.
LAST PLACE. Just where we belong. What a pathetic team. 25 hits one day and then the nect day we can't hit crap. What's Ethier's problem? Never saw him swing at such bad pitches as he has lately. He's lost his swing.
I hope they both make it. Im sure its in matts bucket list ( matt should remember the bucket list from spring training) Go dodgers and hope to see u two in pheonix..
Best of luck to both Matt & Andre! So if they make it to All-Stars do they get a pay check????
Speaking of Dodger paychecks…
Here's a non-descript few paragraphs hidden-in-plain-sight in a Dylan Hernandez article about Rubby de la Rosa ( http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/la-sp-0630-dodgers-fyi-20110630,0,6666202.story?track=rss ) :
Some security guards and ushers who work at Dodger Stadium were told this week by their banks that their latest paychecks had bounced.
The reason: The Dodgers had filed for bankruptcy Monday.
A team spokesman said in a written statement that the Dodgers' bank accounts were frozen for 48 hours upon the bankruptcy filing. The affected part-time employees were issued new paychecks Wednesday and the team assured them that it would reimburse them the check-bouncing fee charged by their banks.
Players and full-time front-office employees were unaffected.
Thanks to VinScullyismyHomeboy for the heads up.
Please God let Frank open his eyes and Sale the team….ASAP!
Save The Dodgers L.A!
Time Saturday, July 9 · 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Location Sunset Blvd and Elysian Park Ave – Dodger Stadium Entrance
July 9, 2011 We Take Our Team Back!
We are calling for a day of Rally / Protest / Boycott. This is the scheduled MLB game of the week on Fox. We want to gather in front of Dodger Stadium at Sunset Blvd and Elysian Park Ave. We need to voice our displeasure with Frank McCourt, MLB, and Bud Selig for allowing the collapse of this once proud franchise. We the Fans need to speak up and show that we will not allow this to happen to our Beloved team. Please come out with banners, posters, and most importantly your voice. We will be heard and many news media outlets will cover it. Please remember this is a peaceful protest to get our voices heard by MLB. Thank you for your support!
If Frank wants to win back the community, he should attend the rally…protesting his own crooked ownership!
You mean you haven't already filed suit? I guess you have been a bit busy.
Let's keep this protest civilized….THINK SMART…and together we can claim our DODGERS back, send FRANK back to BOSTON with no $$ and most important with NO DODGERS and also let's proof to all the other fans that we are not all like the Dumb ASS that beat up Brian Stow. I'm getting a bit tired that when I'm wearing Dodger Gear I get asked not to beat them up!
I'm starting to get a bit worried that Frank will somehow come out of this with the Dodgers. If so, I think the Dodgers as we once knew and loved them will be gone permanently. As this thing has unfolded over the past couple of years, I have found myself becoming more and more detached and apathetic about the Dodgers. Perhaps a defense mechanism. If Frank somehow manages to keep the team, I hate to say it, but, my days as a die hard Dodger fan are over. It saddens me but, it will be time to move on with Kemp, Kersh, and Ethier.
I share your feelings, jhall. This thing is getting so convoluted with no end in sight before the 2013 season at best. By then how many players of interest will be lost.
Can't help but lay a lot of fault on MLB and Bud as well. Baseball may never be the same again.
Me too, Jhall. I have been a fan for more years han I care to mention but, if Frankrupt keeps this team….I'M OUT! Like you, I will enjoy baseball as a game, nothing more, nothing less…I will keep my eye on my favorite players but, will no longer support a team.
I'm with you on Bud shouldering a big share of the blame in this debacle.
Hey guys……confidentially……..
………promise not to tell anyone…….
……I couldn't care less about you people who call yourselves "True Dodger Fans". All I have to do is hang on until that Selig boob quits. I'll make some TV appearances and whip up a few tears. I'll get most of the sheep back. You might never come back, but who needs you? I have banks and loan sharks lined up around the block who will loan me anything I need to keep this ship afloat. Who cares about terms? Who cares about interest rates? I'll never live long enough to worry about paying this Monopoly money back to my moron creditors anyway. I've given my kids enough money that is making serious bank as we speak that they'll flee the country and all those idiots will be left holding the bag.
All I need is the sheep to keep coming in. I'm still drawing more than 2/3rds of the teams. WITH THIS TEAM! HA! I don't think PT Barnum ever knew exactly how right he was.
Fifty-One Reasons to Hate Frank and Jamie McCourt
He forgot about how I unceremoniously dumped Ross Porter on his statistical butt. I guess he didn't like him either.
While I don't think I could ever abandon the Dodgers, I do find myself not caring much these days about wins and losses. I am so disgusted with how far this organization has fallen and even more disgusted that Bud Selig's poor judgement and MLB's lax oversight may have led us to where we are today. I am saddened that the egos, greed and arrogance of Frank and Jamie McCourt could bring down this once proud organization and even more saddened that Frank believes he can still milk this thing even further. I am preturbed although not surprised that Frank can afford lawyers who will defend him even though they have to know that the best interests of the organization going forward cannot possibly be with Frank McCourt. I am somewhat surprised that we all thought Frank and Jamie were concerned about their image and now find neither one seems much to care about that at all. As a parent, I would never want to drag my children into the limelight but obviously Frank and Jamie don't much care about that either. And clearly Frank does not care at all about the integrity or history of the game or the fact that no matter what happens, his legacy as the worst and most despised owner in Dodger history is pretty much sealed.
I still have tickets for games this season and I will still use them. I will try to enjoy a day at the ballpark and I will cherish every chance to listen to Vinny describe the game on the field as if nothing were wrong. I will cheer for the players even though I know deep down they probably don't much care for whom they play as long as the paycheck doesn't bounce. I will collect my bobbleheads and put them away as I have always done and file away the ticket stub with the score written on the back as I have always done. I will continue to hear my wife ask, "So this is how Cub fans have felt all these years?" I will hope as I have since 1988 that somehow the Dodgers will be restored to the highly respected and competitive organization it once was and that whoever is in charge will respect the fans and history of the Dodgers.
This Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!!!
Anaheim Stadium… uh… AngelAStadium is the place to be, where you can watch your Los Angeles Angels take on the Brooklyn Dodgers.
I'm serious, too.
Should be a fun game to watch.
Northstateblues – I had so much fun watching them play at Target Field. I didn't care whether they won or lost. Going to the visiting ballparks is a great alternative if you are having the urge to support the players.
As for the home games, I just hope the players understand this boycott of going to the games is really to support them. It's standing up for the desire for them to have the best that they so deserve. We (the players, employees and fans) deserve better than Frank McCourt. PLEASE!!! Somebody listen to us, the fans!!! WE WANT NEW OWNERSHIP!!!
I'm hoping the players understand the protest too. I really think they know how we feel about them and how much we want Frankrupt gone! I'll bet, if you asked them, they want him gone too!
I'm also beginning to feel this is going to drag on forever….with no light at the end of the tunnel.
Ethierholics: Andre's going to make an appearance on Conan tonight at 11pm (though his little scene is between 11:30 and 11:45, when Conan and Tom Hanks do some creative sightseeing).


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Just came across the GEN Dempsey article from last week's Army Times. This article really hasn't sat well with me over the last couple days. Some thoughts...
Many leaders have significant issues spanning multiple spectrum's of conflict, sometimes on multiple blocks, or in short amounts of time. The reality is that many formations and their leaders simply are not capable of spanning the full spectrum of conflict. This is my biggest issue with this article; the notion that we as leaders must narrow our focus to master only a few key constructs; the "military pentathlete" (or as I call it, Renaissance Ranger) is on his way out the door. In the early days of Iraq, we had formations trained for linear combat against uniformed enemy formations. Major Combat Ops were what they (we) did. As the situation worsened and gained complexity by the day, it quickly became apparent that our SOPs were not working. But many (most) units continued to hammer away. If we only work on and master a couple concepts, people will have a tendency to see through the prism of knowledge and experience; in essence, everything becomes a nail if all we're carrying is a hammer. We learned the hard way that not everything is a nail, and that we needed to carry more than a hammer. I have already seen this regression to only carrying a hammer again firsthand over my most recent Reset phase of the training cycle.
2. Combined arms warfare is not lost, as many advocate. I would argue at the Battalion-and-below level it is (and has been) alive and well. At the tactical level, most Platoon Leaders and NCOs can effectively maneuver ground elements, provide task/purpose/EEI to FW and RW CAS as well as ISR platforms, while also coordinating with higher and adjacent units. These situations have been (and are) happening on a daily basis. Things get fuzzy at the Brigade level, and downright messy at echelons above Brigade. There's nothing like being in the heat of a situation and receiving a flurry of mIRC messages or phone calls from someone at Division because the old man is watching and wants to know exactly what we're up to 200+ miles from his current location. Apparently the myriad storyboards produced after an event just don't provide quite the same level of satisfaction as watching a Squad Leader maneuver his fire teams near-real time (while also often providing near-real time feedback). So, perhaps the capacity to conduct combined arms warfare at the Division or Corps –level is a more accurate statement.
If we're going to refocus our future doctrine and training plans to only a couple tasks, it seems imperative that we find a way to broaden leader's skill sets so we don't pigeon hole ourselves as an organization. Further, if a jack-of-all-trades doesn't make a leader, why do we as Officers switch jobs as often as we do? I was always told it was because as a future Commander it would help me understand everything I would need to in order to effectively command. Parallels?

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to the City of Waterbury website. We are constantly striving to keep the website fresh and technologically advanced in order to provide solid two-way communications between our city government and our citizens. Within this site you will find information on events, services, available commercial properties plus efficient ways to interact with government, all in an easy-to-navigate format. Please feel free to leave your comments and questions here at any time. You can expect a response. Thank you for visiting our city website.
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Dear Friend,
I know your time is precious and I don't want to waste it so I'm going to just cut right to the chase and let you know exactly how I can help improve your search engine marketing plan. Here's the truth… if you want better organic search engine rankings and more "no cost" visitors to your website, then you need to focus on generating more incoming links to your website.
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After asking these students to send me in their link building questions and concerns, it was plain as day that many people just had it totally wrong.
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The Ultimate Link Building Dossier…
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Even if it's what you really wanted to hear, I'm NOT going to tell you that you can generate 10,000 unique visitors per day at no cost from the search engines – by the end of this week – if you follow the link building tactics I'm about to reveal to you.
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I mean, heck, I've been in this game for more than 10 years now and not every website we create is a flying success right out the gate. So rather than mesmerizing you with outrageous results & claims that are far the norm (results that might even be out of reach for many advanced online marketers) I want you to take a quick look at the two worst performing niche websites we currently have in our portfolio.
I call these our "beer fridge" websites because they do a really nice job of keeping the beer fridge stocked up – and I like beer ;-0
And when we launch any new website, and implement the link building techniques that I'll show YOU how to easily introduce into your own search engine marketing plan, this is generally the worst we can expect to happen.
(After setting up our initial link building campaigns and focusing on them for a few months we haven't done any active link building on these sites for almost 2 years now, and yet, notice how stable that free traffic is every single day…)
This first site is in the "chicken keeping" niche. All it's traffic arrives from free organic search engine rankings (there is no paid advertising) and the only thing we've done is use the exact same proven link building advice I'm going to give you to achieve similar (or more than likely much better) search engine rankings & traffic.
It averages 384 visitors per day (or 140k visitors per year)…
…(comparatively if we were to use Google Adwords for the same traffic volumes and keyword terms) that works out to be around $78 PER DAY in advertising that we're receiving day in, day out, at NO COST – or around $28,000 per year in FREE ADVERTISING.
And as mentioned, this is one of the worst performing sites we have and what I would consider to be below average results because we haven't done any further focused link building on it for years!
Here's worst performing website #2.
If you'd believe it, this site is in the "worm farming" niche. Yes, you did read that correctly – worm farming.
Again all it's traffic arrives from free organic search engine rankings and the only thing we've done is use the exact same proven link building advice I'm going to give you to achieve similar (or more likely much better) search engine rankings & traffic volumes.
This site averages 363 visitors per day (or 132k visitors per year)…
…again that works out to be around $21,000 per year in FREE ADVERTISING. I don't know what's funnier, the niche of this website or the amount of visitors she receives every day. Do notice how stable that traffic is. Sure there are a few peaks and troughs but those are the exceptions.
If you setup a solid link building campaign to support your website like I'll show YOU how to do, then you too can also see extremely stable traffic like this coming to your website every single day.
We spend a total of 15 minutes per week on the above two websites doing customer service stuff and we're able to do that simply because we setup a focused, well structured link building campaign. Those links helped position these websites as leaders in their respective niches within the search engines.
It's nice to have the choice to pay for additional advertising and traffic if we want to!
Cool. So Now That You Know I'm A Total Realist…
(No Pictures Of Ferraris Here) – Here's Exactly What's Contained Within The Dossier and What I'm Going To Teach You Today…
Yes, there's a lot of information here, but it's not going to overwhelm you. It's all laid out in a very straight forward and easy to understand manner that you'll be able to follow and retain no problem.
Not to mention that you by no means have to employ all of these link building techniques in your search engine marketing plan. You'll be able to pick and choose depending on what best suits your needs, goals and marketing budget…
- Why submitting your website to web directories is more powerful than 95% of online marketers give them credit for BUT ONLY if you use this strategic SEO approach to do it correctly. We lay down a solid foundation for all your future link building efforts.
- Where to get free semi-automated software that will submit your website to 350 web directories, and if you want to go on and invest just $76, how to unlock a further 1,900 web directories that will gladly link back to your website at no cost.
- If you can't be bothered doing it yourself, I'll give you access to the team that I personally outsource directory submissions to, as the first link building task we roll out for every new website we create. These guys will hand submit any website you like to around 2,000 website directories in about 7 days for just $350 and they follow the specific techniques I've trained them in to the letter.
- Why you might be better off ignoring a directory submission to Yahoo! and investing that $299 annual fee into one of the more effective link building techniques discussed throughout the book.
- You'll read about how (in addition to the SEO benefits), a link left on a single blog comment has pulled in over 1,200 free visitors to one of our niche websites every year for the past 2 years and shows no sign of slowing down.
- If you follow this blog commenting advice, within the next 12 months you'll have at least 1,300 high quality blog comments out there helping to drive more targeted traffic to your website, and dramatically boosting your search engine rankings in the process. Best of all it only takes 10 minutes per day.
- How to find the most powerful blogs to comment on to generate incoming links AND how to setup an efficient process to achieve this in just a few minutes per day.
- How to leave a valuable blog comment and 3 different methods of leaving links back to your website that isn't going to upset any blog owner.
- Where to get one of the better blog commenting tools available on the market and the best way to use it. You'll be able to harvest thousands of high quality "blog commenting targets" for just $67 and no, this has nothing to do with becoming a blog comment spammer or "auto commenting" on mass.
- How to use "Q&A" marketing to generate powerful incoming links and specifically where you need to focus for maximum exposure & impact. If you spend just a few minutes per week following this advice you can generate extremely valuable incoming links to really strengthen your organic search engine rankings.
- Why I have a love hate relationship with discussion forums but if you participate then you might as well follow this key link building advice and take advantage of an easy source of incoming links.
- Even if you're a bit anti-forums like me then here's a little 'out of the box' thinking that could help you add 6,000-12,000+ new incoming links to your website in the next few weeks by spending just a little bit of time helping a few people in need.
- A secret underground link building company that will hook you up with 30,000 new incoming links from discussion forums every single month on total autopilot. And they'll do this for just $97 per month. Use these links to prop up your micro blogs, feeder websites, or any other content (videos, articles etc) that you've distributed out to third party websites to develop your link net.
- Where to distribute your RSS feeds to create a search engine spider frenzy on your website. This will drag the search engine spiders deep within your website just minutes after publishing any new content.
- How to maximize the impact & syndication of your content via this advanced RSS trick – including sites and software to help you automate the technique.
- Why press releases can be a very powerful means of generating hundreds (or thousands) or incoming links to your website within a matter of days & what to do if you don't think you've got anything newsworthy to say.
- Where to submit your press releases using paid premium sources for maximum distribution and SEO impact. One of the recommended services will send your release out to Google, Yahoo! News, Bing, and 30,000+ additional websites & blogs.
- If you're not ready to go 'press release pro' just yet, and simply want to try press release submission on the cheap, here's 13 different websites that will publish your press releases at no cost.
- Here's how to automatically generate 30-40 new incoming "deep links" to every single blog post you make using the major social bookmarking websites AND why you're totally wasting your time social bookmarking for SEO if you're NOT automating this.
- Where to go to get access to a powerful underground link building tool that will enable you to generate links from thousands of social bookmarking websites that actually want to link back to your website and content. For a one time investment of just $397 you'll be able to add several thousand incoming links to your website anytime you like, literally at the click of a button.
- How to automatically generate an incoming link from Twitter.com AND FaceBook.com for every new blog post you make using these two free tools that you can setup and install in around about 10 minutes. This is true "set it and forget it" link building on two of the most powerful social networking websites out there.
- How to put your social media link building into interstellar overdrive. I'll take you underground and show you where you can get a tool that will enable you to generate as many as 10,000 incoming links to any website you like, any time you like, virtually at the click of a button. Use this tool in the "white hat, ethical" way explained in this chapter to strengthen your primary website & any micro blogs or feeder websites you've created.
- 6 months ago I was having a discussion with the owner of one of the most popular "trackback" link generation services out there. He gave "trackbacks" as an effective link building method two more years at the most. Here's why you shouldn't worry too much about generating incoming links via "trackbacks" UNLESS you use this nifty little tool to create more high quality content pages and add more entry points to your website.
- How we gain incoming links via article marketing – one of the best sources of incoming links to improve search engine rankings – how to structure these links correctly, and where to link them to for maximum SEO impact.
- The goal you'll need to set if you want to generate 1.3 million views of the articles you distribute in your article marketing campaigns every single year – not to mention the 10's of thousands of new incoming links you'll pick up at the same time.
- The key differences between the "high quality low volume" and the "lower quality higher volume" approaches to article marketing and why you should focus on both if you want to really dominate the search engines.
- Where to find people to ghost write high quality content on your behalf for $50-$100 and how to make sure you get the biggest and fastest return on investment from that new content so you can reinvest and repeat this process over and over.
- 4 little search commands you can tap into Google to help you find hundreds of different, highly targeted websites that will publish that content for you tomorrow and give you extremely powerful incoming links in the process.
- Where to get "EzineArticles.com styled" articles & content written by writers specifically trained in advanced search engine optimization techniques for as little as $8 a pop.
- Where to distribute those articles to for maximum SEO impact and how to turn every single one of those articles into 200+ additional incoming links to your website at the click of a button using this excellent piece of software.
- Why video marketing is one of the few ways that we can literally double our organic search engine traffic potential without breaking any of the rules and how we generate incoming links by distributing videos to strategic websites. This is why you just can't ignore video distribution as a primary web marketing technique any longer.
- How to turn ANY written content you have into a video within minutes and how to turn every video into 30+ additional high quality links.
- How and where to setup "micro blogs" and "feeder websites" to increase the "theme relevancy" and ranking ability of your primary website and how to structure the internal linking for maximum effect.
- Here's how you can add hundreds of incoming links to your micro blogs, mini nets, and links wheels with a few clicks of a mouse.
- How to take advantage of "Authority Site Profiles" to generate hundreds of incoming links to your website. How to link correctly and how to automate this process so you're not wasting time that would be better spent on more productive tasks within your business.
- How to setup a "Pay Per Post" blog review campaign to generate extremely powerful incoming links, large volumes of direct traffic and make a fast ROI so you can scale up and repeat this process over and over again.
- The two most popular "Pay Per Post" networks, how they differ and the best approach to use on each one to eliminate disappointment and wasted expenditure.
- If you think people AREN'T buying their way to the top of the search engines with paid text link advertising then you're dead wrong. It's happening every single day. It's been happening for years. Here's exactly how you can explore text link advertising safely without having to worry about suffering any sort of search engine penalty.
- I'll share the story of how one $40 per month paid text link helped drive a niche website to the top of the search engines for our most competitive keyword term. I'll show you how we found the website we're advertising on. How we contacted the website owner. How we secured the deal. How that link sends us more highly targeted visitors every single month for a vastly lower cost than we could ever get using Google Adwords (meaning it pays for itself month in month out).
- You'll learn exactly which paid link advertising sources are going to give you the most positive search engine ranking improvements and it has nothing to do with Google Page rank, or finding link deals in the advertising marketplaces or discussion forums.
- I'll explain exactly why you're going to waste a lot of money if you focus your text link buying efforts exclusively on the Page Rank values of the pages you're advertising on. And yes, as mentioned earlier here you'll read about the PR8 website we built using nothing but text link advertising at a cost of US$10,000 per month. In fact we built multiple sites like this.
- You'll learn the two key metrics you should focus on when it comes to any paid link advertising deal you explore. These are the most important metrics full stop. They will ensure you see the most positive search engine ranking improvement and help you make a decent ROI from your advertising costs.
- I'll explain why you need to be extremely cautious of anyone offering "permanent" or "lifetime" link deals or advertising arrangements. You know the ones – where you only have to pay once and that link supposedly remains on the website for the rest of its lifetime. You've got to be extremely careful when it comes to such offers as they're not as good as they might first appear to be.
- If you've never looked into Private Blog Networks before then you're really missing out on a great source of hands free automated link building. Seriously, this is true "plug and plug", "set it and forget it" link building. I'll teach you what you need to look out for, the best way to use these for maximum impact, and point you in the direction of the only two I actually trust and know to produce results.
- If you're interested in setting up an easy long term link building system – a system that after the initial project planning will generate as many as 86,900+ incoming links to your website every single year – largely hands free, then you're really going to like what I share with you here.
And of course there is a lot more. The above are just a few key notes contained within the "Link Building Techniques" section of The Ultimate Link Building Dossier…
In addition to the link building techniques (and exactly how to implement them), you're also going to learn the specific theories behind what we do.
This will help you to prioritize your focus, ensure you're not wasting any investment or time in techniques that just aren't going to perform, and help you to realize fast, measureable, ever improving search engine results…
For example you'll learn the #1 hands down most important concept in building incoming links to improve search engine rankings. Most people think this relates to Google Page Rank but they're dead wrong.
Once this clicks & resonates with you, you're going to be 100 times further ahead than any competitors you have out there, trying to out link and out rank you. If you focus on this key concept and approach you can literally dominate search engine rankings for even extremely competitive keyword terms if that's your goal.
You see…
I Really Hate The Micromanagement Style Of SEO With A Friggen Passion…
Most people tend to really over complicate things when it comes to search engine optimization. And that's not surprising. It's been said there are around 200 individual ranking factors that Google (and that's just Google) takes into consideration when determining where they rank any given website.
Things like having the right "Meta Tags", using "Heading Tags" in your content, giving images "Alternative Text", getting the ideal "Keyword Densities" inside your pages right and so on and so forth.
The TRUTH is, that whilst all of those things are good standard SEO practice IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. You can have the WORST website in the world and still achieve EXCELLENT search engine rankings through the power of a well focused, good structured, and correctly implemented link building campaign.
Whilst there might very well be 200 different ranking factors – one of those is related to the incoming links pointing to your website – and that one factor alone will produce 95% of the positive ranking improvements you will see.
That's just the way it is.
So rather than worrying too much about the 199 other factors that are only going to produce 5% of the results (and potentially overwhelming yourself to the point of being non-productive), we like to stay laser focused on the single factor that will produce 95% of the results.
It just makes sense right? Sure it does!
So if you're like me and you don't want to have to spend hours upon hours tweaking every single page on your website until the cows come home – to see bugger all improvement in your search engine rankings for the effort – then "The Ultimate Link Building Dossier" is exactly what you've been looking for.
If you follow and implement at least some of the advice contained within "The Ultimate Link Building Dossier" then it's not unrealistic to have at least an additional 30,000 incoming links pointing to your website – working to drive it up the organic search engine rankings – over the next couple of months.
In fact, most people could easily double or treble that with a bit of focus.
What's more understand that just about every link building technique we use will get your links in front of "eyeballs".
That means as you're link building campaigns expand, you're going to see an ever increasing amount of direct traffic arriving to your website from those links, as well as the high quality traffic that top organic search engine rankings provide.
It's win win!
Here's how to secure your copy right now and start getting the search engine results that you really want to see…
One Time $147 Investment & Immediate Download…
The Ultimate Link Building Dossier is just a one time $147 business investment & is available for download immediately after ordering. In addition it comes with a full 60 day 100% money back guarantee if you're not completely satisfied that this is the most thorough & eye opening book on link building for SEO that you've ever read…
Simply click on the "Add To Cart" button to order now through our secure payment processor. After successful payment has been made you'll be immediately redirected to a private download page where you'll be able to download "The Ultimate Link Building Dossier" as a PDF document.
If you have any questions before you order, please feel free to contact us, otherwise you'll also receive our priority customer only contact details once you've ordered where you can ask any questions you like.
Here's to your link building success…
Duncan Carver
The Link Building "Go To Guy".
P.S. Search engine optimization and link building is only as hard as you want to make it. Sometimes you just need to cut out all of the confusing crap, stay focused on what is known to work, and get stuck in and take action. That's what "The Ultimate Link Building Dossier" is going to help you to do.
You can get lost in discussion forums for years asking SEO questions, getting conflicting advice from people not qualified to be offering it in the first place, and end up pulling your hair out in the process. Or you can order "The Ultimate Link Building Dossier" today and learn everything I've learned over the past 10 years as a professional link builder. Worst case you're fully protected by the guarantee.
(Disclaimer – This site and the products and services offered on this site are not associated, affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Twitter, Facebook, Google, or Yahoo, nor have they been reviewed tested or certified by Twitter, Facebook, Google, or Yahoo.)
"I'll STAKE MY REPUTATION ON THIS ONE. THERE IS NOTHING ELSE EVEN CLOSE TO WHAT DUNCAN HAS DELIVERED…"
"As someone who launched one of the first SEO companies back in the mid 90's, I can state without hesitation that I've seen almost every SEO book, document, video, and everything else that has come along related to SEO in the past 15 years. I want to tell you about a new SEO guide from Duncan Carver that I consider to be the definitive SEO guide of the modern SEO Era.
It's called The Ultimate Link Building Dossier, and it's simply one of the best SEO guides I have ever seen. Period. If SEO or getting ranked in the search engines play any part in your business, and you ignore Duncan's two hundred page gem, well, let's just say you're making the biggest mistake of your online marketing career.
I've shown the dossier to a couple of my SEO friends and each has had the same response. And that response is "wow"! I don't care if you've been in the SEO game since day one, or just getting started, this is the one guide you absolutely MUST have. I'll stake my reputation on this one. There is nothing else even close to what Duncan has delivered."
Dave Kelly - www.Articlez.com
"Hi Duncan, There are few people I turn to online for proven advice on link building and SEO. And you're always at the top of my list of experts. When you released "The Ultimate Link Building Dossier" I couldn't believe my good fortune...
After I begun going through everything it soon became clear to me that you weren't holding back. There is no doubt in my mind that the training you're giving away would normally only be found in a $700 home study course. I've already started implementing some of your superb strategies. My favorite being "XXX XXXXX XXXXXXXXX". It's the best and for me the easiest linking idea I've discovered in a very long time.
My next step is to build a team of outsourced workers to put even more of what you teach into action. There's so much you reveal in The Ultimate Link Building Dossier I could never do it all myself. After reading through your work there's one thing I'm absolutely certain of... anyone who gets their hands on this will never be short of traffic ever again. I give "The Ultimate Link Building Dossier" my highest possible commendation. All the best!"
Brian Terry - www.bigsellingoptins.com
"Duncan, I've been a professional writer for decades and for the last few years have been using my writing to get clients up on the top of Google. So when I picked up your manual, the last thing I expected was to learn anything new about article marketing.
Well, it was quickly obvious that I have overlooked some powerful writing strategies. I'm starting right away to work them into my own link building routine. Specifically, I'm going to change how I write around my keywords, because I had one of those 'light bulb moments' when I saw how you link your keywords to a writing program. Excellent stuff, Duncan.
And thanks also for that Action Plan in the final section of the Dossier. I've been employing writers in Asia for the last year, and I am now going to use that Plan to widen out the type of work they do for me. A great resource, brim full of practical, audacious link building strategies and tactics. Thoroughly recommended"
Len McGrane, www.OnTheTopOfGoogle.com
"The information in the first part of the book was astonishing as far as I'm concerned. You were talking about XXX XXXXX XXXXXXXXXX being the key to a link's value, which is a new idea to me, and how this can be taken advantage of deliberately in a number of ways... including, astonishingly directory links. To be honest, to me that alone is worth the price of the book.
This changes my understanding of SEO, which hasn't happened in a long time. I've *seen* this concept in action but never understood what was happening: things like an inner page of a client's site being picked to rank over the home page I'm actually linking to (using the inner page's keyword in anchor text pointing to the home page). Multiple pages of the same site being picked to rank top 3... I've used it in my link building to a limited extent with good success.
I'll have to re-read it several times to embed and grasp the implications. The book is well written and clear. You give lots of examples which is how I understand information practically. I'm a happy buyer."
Luke I, London UK
"Duncan, I have been doing SEO for 7 years and have got some great results, for myself and my clients. Sometimes we can get set in our ways and not "see the forest for the trees" - In the first chapter, some lights went on... i checked one of my sites (which is at number 1 for its main keyword), and the factors you specified were exactly right.
As for the rest, its no BS, no fluff, stuff you can really use right now, rather than over hyped sales material. Thank you for saving me $100s in looking at other products, which I don't need!"
Paul Easton, Auckland, New Zealand
PS: One of the products you recommended I have been using for 2 months, and its resulted in increased ranking in amounts from 100 - 500 places in Google!
"Duncan, your Ultimate Link Building Dossier is awesome! I've been working online for several years so I am aware of the many different backlink creation strategies. The problem is that I had all the information jumbled up in my mind. I would jump from one approach to another without having any kind of overall strategy.
While reading your ebook it began to fall into place. I now have a plan with a solid understanding of precisely what actions I need to take and which ones are more important than others. Thank you!"
Lori Pirog, M.S.
"The wide variety of link building techniques in the book is literally mind boggling…"
"I'm a relative newbie, particularly in the minefield that is link building and I wasn't sure whether I should buy this book or not. Well, the answer is I'm glad I did because it has really opened my eyes to the possibilities and rewards that are available if you go down the right path. And this book does just that.
The wide variety of link building techniques in the book is literally mind boggling and I can guarantee that there are some you haven't used before or, if you have, probably not to the their full extent.
Not only does it lay out lots of link building options for consideration but it is written in a very easy conversational manner which was a pleasant surprise.
Finally, I can honestly say that this is the first time I have really understood the ins and outs of link building and the way to go about it to get the highest rewards – which you will if you read it. It's now printed out into a binder and will be my link building reference from now on." ~ Joe Watson
"the clearest picture so far of how to do link building…"
"Duncan, I am 50 pages into your book and it has given me the clearest picture so far of how to do link building. Last year my site was pulling in about 21 people per day. Now I am averaging 91 in the last month of Google Analytics data.
So far, the clarity of the issue as you have presented is the best of all of the books so far. I may have a few questions as I go. Thanks again for the follow-up. Regards,"
Paul Dean, You Learn Forex Orlando, FL - www.youlearnforex.com
"the best SEO system that I have read…"
"I didn't create this, but I really wish that
I had done. No hype. No fancy shmancy marketing buzzwords. This is hands down the best SEO system that I have read and manages to do it without boring you to death..."
Ben Shaffer - www.shmoozewithben.com


text: Zoom Laguiole Salad Servers ~ Ivory gift box Gift wrap available Availability: In stock $82.50 Qty: Add to Cart French, top-quality, Elegant and durable. Also available in horn or black. Laguiole cutlery is handcrafted making their finish unique and rustic. Laguiole cutlery is manufactured by more than 30 different companies in France; quality and style vary. Sabato only stock Laguiole from Coutellerie Neron, considered one of the best knife manufacturers in France. Each item includes an authenticity certificate and is dishwasher safe (top drawer). Please note: This is the authentic Jean Neron laguiole cutlery from the Averyron region in France. Beware of mass-produced, cheaply made imitations. < previous item next item > Return to product list Add to Favourites | Add to Compare Additional Information Additional Information Additional Information Alcohol No Unit Size (orig) gift box Shipping Group Standard CMS tab


text:
Satellite anatomy
Each approximately 700-kg Galileo satellite contains all the equipment needed to perform its assigned navigation and timing tasks over the course of its 12-year design life.
Powered by solar arrays, with its internal components carefully shielded against the radiation prevailing in medium-Earth orbit, each satellite carries the following:
- L-band antenna – Transmits the navigation signals in the L-band
- Search and Rescue antenna – Picks up distress signals from beacons on Earth and transmits them to a ground station for forward to local rescue services.
- C-band antenna – Receives signals containing mission data from uplink stations. These include data to synchronise the onboard clocks with a ground-based reference clock and integrity data that contain information about how well each satellite is functioning. This integrity information is incorporated into the navigation signal for transmission to users.
- Two S-band antennas – Part of the telemetry, tracking and command subsystem. These transmit housekeeping data about the satellite platform and payload to Galileo's Ground Control Segment and, in turn, receive commands to control the satellite and operate the payload. The S-band antennas also receive, process and transmit ranging signals that measure the satellite's altitude to a few metres accuracy. They can also be used to uplink mission data for the navigation signal if the C-band antenna is out of action.
- Infrared Earth sensors and visible light Sun sensors – These keep the satellite pointed at Earth. The infrared Earth sensors detect the contrast between the cold of deep space and the heat of Earth's atmosphere. The Sun sensors are visible light detectors that measure their angle to the Sun.
- Laser retroreflector – Allows the measurement of the satellite's altitude to within a few centimetres by reflecting a laser beam shone from a ground station. The reflector will be used only about once a year, because altitude measurements via S-band antenna are otherwise accurate enough.
- Space radiators – Expel waste heat to deep space to maintain onboard electronics within their operational temperature range.
- Passive hydrogen maser clock – The master clock on the satellite. Two are flown for redundancy. This atomic clock uses the ultra-stable oscillations of a hydrogen atom to measure time to within 0.45 nanoseconds over 12 hours.
- Rubidium clock – A smaller atomic clock based on a different technology, ensuring redundancy to the masers. Two are flown, accurate to withing 1.8 nanoseconds over 12 hours.
- Clock monitoring and control unit – Provides the interface between the four clocks and the navigation signal generator unit. It also ensures that the frequencies produced by the master clock and active spare are in phase, so that the spare can take over instantly should the master clock fail.
- Navigation signal generator unit – Generates the navigation signals using the input from the clock monitoring and control unit and the uplinked navigation and integrity data from the C-band antenna. The navigation signals are converted to L-band for broadcast to users.
- Gyroscopes – Measure the rotation of the satellite
- Reaction wheels – Control the rotation of the satellite. When they spin, so does the satellite – in the opposing direction. The satellite rotates twice per orbit to allow the solar wings to face the Sun's rays.
- Magnetotorquers – Modifies the speed of rotation of the reaction wheels by introducing a magnetism-based torque (turning force) in the opposite direction.
- Power conditioning and distribution unit – Regulates and controls power from the solar array and batteries for distribution to all the satellite's subsystems and payload.
- Onboard computer – Controls the satellite platform and payload.


text: Jamie Marchi will be signing autographs (free to all attendees). Bring your own items to get signed or purchase items at his booth. Limit 1 free item signed per person, per day. There will be a fee for additional items. This autograph session will be held at her table, Booth #


text:
For Immediate Release
Patricia Kiernan Johnson;
New York, NY —
OPERA America
, the national service organization for opera, honored the four recipients of its 2009 National Opera Trustee Recognition award at a dinner and reception in New York City on Saturday, February 21. In its second year, the award honors trustees of U.S. opera companies for exemplary leadership, generosity and audience building efforts on behalf of their respective companies.
The 2009 National Opera Trustee Recognition honorees are Mr. John T. Cody, Jr. of The Dallas Opera, Mr. Richard Holland of Opera Omaha, Mrs. Beth Ingram of Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Mr. C. Guy Rudisill, III of Piedmont Opera.
In welcoming the evening's honorees and guests, OPERA America Board of Directors Vice-Chairman Dr. Frayda B. Lindemann said, "We initiated this program two years ago based on our first-hand knowledge that healthy opera companies are built on the foundations of strong boards. What we didn't know was that this year, in light of the economic turmoil, strong boards and dedicated trustees would be more important than ever. The winners of this year's awards demonstrate the highest standard of leadership, dedication and generosity."
"The guidance and generous support provided by dedicated board members are more valuable than ever, given the current economic conditions," stated Marc A. Scorca, president & CEO of OPERA America. "We are pleased to recognize the long-standing achievements of these trustees as they continue to help ensure the cultural and economic vitality of our communities."
Joining Dr. Lindemann and Mr. Scorca in honoring these exceptional trustees were the honorees' respective general directors, family and friends, the OPERA America Board of Directors, OPERA America Ambassador Circle donors and trustees, and staff representing OPERA America member companies.
In addition to the award presentations, the Trustee Recognition dinner and reception featured excerpts from Stephen Schwartz's
Séance on a Wet Afternoon
, performed by baritone Michael Zegarski, and Lee Hoiby's
Lady of the Harbor
, performed by soprano Adrienne Danrich. Pianist Kelly Horsted accompanied the singers.
OPERA America is committed to recognizing strong trustee leaders and to understanding the pivotal role they play in the success of their opera companies and the communities they serve. In acknowledging and celebrating the dedication of board members at the national level, the National Opera Trustee Recognition Program seeks to strengthen the relationships between opera companies and their trustees and to inspire exemplary service to opera companies across the United States.
OPERA America's dedication to recognizing excellence in governance is shared by its sister organization Opera.ca, the Canadian national association for opera. During Saturday's reception, the Canadian Opera Company's Mr. J. Rob Collins was honored as the first recipient of Opera.ca's National Opera Directors Recognition Program.
J. Rob Collins, Canadian Opera Company; Dr. Frayda B. Lindemann, OPERA America; Beth Ingram, Lyric Opera of Kansas City; C. Guy Rudisill, III, Piedmont Opera; and John T. Cody, Jr., The Dallas Opera. Photo by Jon Simon, courtesy OPERA America.
OPERA America leads and serves the entire opera community, supporting the creation, presentation and enjoyment of opera.
Artistic services help opera companies and creative and performing artists to improve the quality of productions and increase the creation and presentation of North American works.
Information, technical, and administrative services to opera companies reflect the need for strengthened leadership among staff, trustees and volunteers.
Education, audience development and community services are designed to enhance all forms of opera appreciation.
Founded in 1970, OPERA America's worldwide membership network includes nearly 200 Company Members, 300 Associate and Business Members, 2,000 Individual Members and more than 16,000 subscribers to the association's electronic news service. In 2005, OPERA America relocated from Washington, D.C. to New York as the first step in creating the first-ever National Opera Center. With a wide range of artistic and administrative services in a purpose-built facility, the Opera Center is dedicated to increasing the level of excellence, creativity and effectiveness across the field.
OPERA America's long tradition of supporting and nurturing the creation and development of new works led to the formation of
The Opera Fund
, a growing endowment which allows OPERA America to make a direct impact on the ongoing creation and presentation of new opera and music-theater works. Since its inception, OPERA America has made grants of nearly $11 million to assist companies with the expenses associated with the creation and development of new works.


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As promised here is an open book to all the how-to's and details of how I put together my room makeover.
I tackled a lot of projects in this room DIY style and searched high and low for great deals so I could keep costs low.
For each different area I'll do a breakdown of DIY projects and then a shopping list of where I found all my goodies.
DIY project list
(1) Distressed Plank Headboard: I created this oversized headboard from a few planks of wood that I distressed by hand and mounted directly to the wall. Visit the tutorial here.
(2) Goodwill Nightstand Redo's: One of the hardest tasks was to find nightstands that were suitable height for our extra tall bed. Nightstands are made to match the popular low platform beds now a days, and I couldn't fit any that were suitable in size compared to our bed until I found some old ones at Goodwill. Each one had a price tag of about $20, and after some paint and distressing they were the perfect size for our bedroom.
(3) Wedding Song Lyric Art: One of my favorite projects I've completed this is our wedding song, "The Story" by Brandi Carlile. See my reveal here, and my tutorial how I did it here.
(4) DIY Throw Pillows: Unfortunately I didn't write a tutorial for these but I made them using a basic pattern for an envelope style throw pillow, and then added buttons on one, and a long line of ruffles on another.
Shopping List
Nightstands – Goodwill
Aqua lamp – TJMaxx Home Goods
Puckering Duvet Set - Target (purchased when on Clearance)
Throw Pillows – DIY, fabric from JoAnn Fabric
Globe – Goodwill
DIY Project List
(1) Stenciled and Painted Curtains: I purchased $8 curtains from KMart and used a stencil from Cutting Edge Stencil, some acrylic paint & fabric medium to create this beautiful West-Elm knock off's. Find this tutorial here.
(2) Towel Bar for Curtain Rod: Instead of buying an extra long curtain rod for our large picture window (which are typical spendy) I used two towel rods! I knew I wasn't going to be closing these curtains across the window ever so it was the perfect, and inexpensive, option!
Shopping List
Desk – Ikea, Top is Vika Amon {currently marked down from $39.99 to $25.99!} and two sets of the Vika Lerberg legs {only $10 each}
Becca Linen in Beige Dining Chair – HouseAccents.com {See below for exclusive discount available to PB&Jstories readers!!!}
Let It Be sign – PB&Jcreations
Curtains – DIY using Cutting Edge Stencil Moroccan Dream
DIY Project List
(1) Filing Cabinet from old trunk: Using an old trunk I did a makeover to make it a useful piece of office space to hold our important papers. Find the tutorial here.
(2) Hide-Away Printer: Converting one of my Hemnes dresser drawers into a fold down drawer I made a convenient spot for my printer. Tutorial is here.
Shopping List
Trunk – Old trunk of my husbands
Dresser – Hemnes from Ikea
Rug - Yellow Trellis from HouseAccents.com {this has been one of the most popular asked about item in my room and I'm so sorry to say that this specific rug has been discontinued, however be sure to read the bottom of this post for an exclusive discount available to PB&Jstories readers}
DIY Project List
Yellow Vase: What a coat of spray paint can do to a vase found in the clearance section, the tutorial is here for how to spray paint glass.
Frame surrounding TV: I actually was given this frame by my best friend and simply just mounted it to the wall to sit evenly around the TV.
Shopping List
Yellow Vase - DIY'd, vase from clearance section of HomeGoods
Books: Goodwill to help blend in the DVR and DVD player
Frame: Gifted from best friend
Large "S": I love love love this oversized S and I bought it from this super cute Etsy shop! Be sure to visit and say you are visiting it from me!
Wall Color – Dovetail by Sherwin Williams
That's about it! Feel free to email me at PBJstories{at}gmail.com if you have any other questions about our Master Bedroom!
Now for the exciting news!
The wonderful people of HouseAccents.com have offered my readers a discount of 20% off their purchase! Coupon code "GG20" when checking out.
I was very fortunate to purchase my rug when it was on clearance as it was about to be discontinued. The listed price for this size is now $550 {I bought it for $85!} but I did call and speak with Customer Service to double check if they were getting it back in stock and unfortunately it will not be.
I have found these BEAUTIFUL rugs that are similar to the trellis design, and use the discount code for an additional 20% off!!! "GG20"


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October 24, 2013
By Ashley N. Johnson
Special to the NNPA from the New Pittsburgh Courier
A judge has decided to delay his ruling and give the defense more time to present their case at yesterday's requested hearing to dismiss criminal charges against a then teen, who was shot by Pittsburgh police and left paralyzed.
Judge Donald Machen gave the defense attorneys for Leon Ford, 20, thirty days to submit a brief explaining their claim of how officers created a zone of danger in this case. "It's a first step and equivalent to fighting with your hands behind your back and winning the case," Fred Rabner, Ford's attorney, said in a statement after the hearing. "Our story is yet to come out and when it does, it will be devastating to the prosecution's case."
Ford was shot four times by police last November during what many are saying should have been a "routine" traffic stop on Stanton Avenue in the Highland Park area. Ford, who is accused of dragging a police officer, is charged with reckless endangerment, aggravated assault, and escape, which was added just before the morning's proceedings.
Attorney Benjamin Crump, the attorney for the family of Trayvon Martin and was present at the hearing, claims that this was an incident of racial profiling, and is asking the district attorney to look at the statements and affidavits made by police for false statements, along with why there have been no charges against the officers who committed crimes against Ford.
"Judge Machen was fair and unbiased. I'm hopeful that (he) will dismiss the charges, providing (Ford's) attorney gives an argument to sway the judge's decision," said Brandi Fisher, of the Alliance for Police Accountability, who was also present and helped to organize a rally and press conference held outside of the city-county building prior to the proceedings.
Latonya Green, Ford's mother said, "We are standing up for Leon because the Pittsburgh police paralyzed my son and now he cannot stand up for himself and will never walk again.
A federal lawsuit was filed in September against the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, officers David Derbish, Andrew Miller and former Pittsburgh police officer Michael Kosko, former police chief Nate Harper and acting police chief Regina McDonald accusing them of using excessive force, unlawful search and seizure and violation of due process.
The judge's ruling is expected to be made in two months.


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St Joseph's School, was established in 1967, and is managed by the Apostolic Vicariate of the Roman Catholic Church of Arabia.
After its installation, the school was managed by H. E. Giovanni Bernardo Gremoli, O.F.M. Cap., Vicar Apostolic Emeritus, and the former Bishop (retired Mar 2005) of the Vicariate of Arabia, afterwards succeeded by H. E. Paul Hinder, O.F.M. Cap., the current Bishop. The school always associated with the Roman Catholic Church, was located initially with the church building on the Corniche strip. Following the decision of the local government that the site be altered, the present foundation was laid for church and school buildings on the 19th of March, 1981, and dedicated to St. Joseph, the foster father of Christ, whose feast-day is celebrated on the same day. The day-to-day working of the school is managed by the Carmelite Sisters of St. Theresa, led by the present Principal, Sister Carmen.
In our increasingly competitive world, university education gives students a wider choice and better career prospects. St Joseph's School prepare students for university and a future of continuous learning. Through the St Joseph's School Educational System, students develop a solid foundation of knowledge. They are motivated to strive for academic and personal excellence, and thereby become better geared to meet the challenges of a changing world.
The School Building is situated in a campus area of 400 x 400 sq.mt. The main building consists of 48 class rooms, 3 well equipped Science Laboratories, optional rooms, 1 Computer Lab, 2 well equipped Libraries and 1 Medical Clinic.
The aim of the school is to promote a cosmopolitan atmosphere.
The objectives of St. Joseph's School are:
- To instill a positive attitude towards learning as an immediate enrichment of life and as a preparation for further education.
- To orient each child individually through the educational process so that he can realize his maximum potential.
- To provide instruction in the core academic areas such as Languages, Arts, Mathematics, Sciences and Social Sciences.
- To provide each child with opportunities to discover and foster interests and talents in the arts and other non-academic areas.
- To impart character traits, trust, dependability, honesty and refinement through precept and example.
- To guide each child in the development of interpersonal relationships in the school, at home, and in the society.
- To foster a realistic understanding and appreciation of the culture of India, of the host country (U. A. E.) and of all foreign countries and to inculcate in the children a sense of mutual respect, love, friendship and universal brotherhood.
Our Goal
"No child can learn to love unless he or she has first been loved"
"It is better to build strong children than repair adults"
The St Joseph's School as an institution has always encouraged and motivated its students to discover their forte and provided them with a platform to showcase it through their annual events such as talent's day, sport's day, elocution, drama, science quizzes, etc.
To inculcate a sense of loyalty, team spirit and healthy competition, students are divided into four houses. The house colours are blue, red, green and yellow. They are represented by flowers that are chosen to match with their colours and for their singular and individual characteristics. Each house is governed by a motto; the values one has to adhere to and follow, to make life a momentous one.
1) Blue Bell: 'Through co-operation to success'-states clearly that hard work and co-operation are the key words to achieving dreams and goals.
2) Rose: 'To serve and not to be served'- proves their zeal and passion for service to others and love that brings forth willingness to care and to serve.
3) Shamrock: 'Forward we go and never backward'- They believe that success comes through courage
and determination.
4) Sunflower: 'Live for others and never for yourself'- speaks of selflessness and concern for one another, an excellent virtue to live by!
Our purpose is to enable the students to be what god wants them to be and to achieve what god wants them to achieve.


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NEW YORK - Traditional Chinese acupuncture seems little better than a "sham" version of the procedure when it comes to preventing migraines, a study published Monday suggests.
The findings, reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, add to a pattern commonly seen in studies on acupuncture and migraines.
Many have found that people with migraines can get relief from acupuncture. But often, "true" acupuncture has worked no better than "sham" acupuncture -- where the needles are inserted only to a superficial depth in the skin, or into sites that are not considered acupuncture points in traditional medicine.
That raises the question of whether acupuncture works by "non-specific" effects, according to the researchers on the new study, led by Dr. Ying Li of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China.
That is, some people might feel better because they expect to, or because of the personal attention from the acupuncturist.
But other experts said that the findings do not mean that acupuncture offers nothing more than a "placebo effect" for migraine sufferers.
For the study, Li's team recruited 480 adults who had migraines at least twice a month.
They randomly assigned people to one of four groups: In three, patients were given one of three different types of acupuncture that focused on traditional points, with electrical stimulation added to the needling; the fourth group received a sham version.
In the sham group, needles were inserted in the skin at non-traditional sites, with electrical stimulation. But the needles were not manipulated to create a so-called "de qi" sensation.
Patients in all four groups were offered 20 acupuncture sessions over four weeks.
In the month after treatment ended, migraine sufferers in all four groups were reporting fewer headache days, Li's team found.
On average, they had migraine pain on about three days out of the month -- down from around six days at the study's start.
In the third month after treatment, the "real" acupuncture groups were doing slightly better, while the sham group held steady at around three headache days. But the advantage was "clinically minor," according to Li's team, who did not respond to requests for comment.
'Sham' may have real effects
So does that mean acupuncture's benefits are all in your head?
No, according to Dr. Albrecht Molsberger, of Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, who wrote an editorial published with the study.
The problem, he told Reuters Health by email, is that sham acupuncture is not a true placebo -- and may have real physiological effects.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture eases pain by stimulating certain points on the skin believed to affect the flow of energy, or "qi" (pronounced "chee"), through the body.
But some modern research suggests that the needle stimulation triggers the release of pain- and inflammation-fighting chemicals in the body, even if it doesn't strictly follow traditional principles.
"The sham acupuncture effect is so strong and long lasting, that this suggests that other factors, like the stimulation of cytokines or endorphins, are important too," Molsberger said.
And even though real acupuncture has not clearly beaten the sham version, it has outperformed standard migraine treatments in some studies.
A recent research review looked at four clinical trials that tested acupuncture against medications proven to prevent migraine attacks. Overall, acupuncture patients reported somewhat fewer migraines in the couple months after treatment, with fewer side effects.
Dr. Jongbae J. Park, who directs Asian Medicine & Acupuncture Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, agreed that the sham in this study was not a true placebo.
"In my mind, it's far from being a true 'control,'" Park said in an interview.
In fact, Park said, the issue with acupuncture research in general is that sham procedures vary from study to study.
Researchers need to settle on a form of true placebo that is used consistently, according to Park -- who acknowledged that questions about acupuncture's effectiveness remain, and further studies are needed.
But based on research overall, acupuncture "should be an option" for treating migraines, said Molsberger, who is also president of Forschungsgruppe Akupunktur, which profits by offering acupuncture training.
Acupuncture is considered a generally low-risk procedure, with side effects like bruising at the needle site. The cost can vary widely -- and may or may not be covered by insurance -- but a session would typically start around US$100 (S$129).
At his center, Park said a typical migraine patient might start with six weekly sessions, and then come monthly, tapering down to once every six months. But the acupuncture sessions would also involve "whole-person" care, with advice on diet, sleep and other lifestyle habits.
There are, of course, other ways to tackle migraines. Several types of medications can prevent attacks, including a group of drugs known as triptans, certain antidepressants, high blood pressure drugs and anti-seizure medications.
Another non-drug option is biofeedback, in which people learn to control the physical responses to stress, like muscle tension -- which may help head off or ease migraine pain.


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Longo's big double helps Rays down Twins
Tampa Bay gets clutch hit from third baseman as Cobb earns win
MINNEAPOLIS -- Evan Longoria came through in the clutch, Alex Cobb looked like his old self and Ben Zobrist found his power stroke -- not a bad way to start the second half.
It all added up to a 6-2 Rays win over the Twins Friday night at Target Field.
"I was really impressed with our guys today, the game that we played after that many days off," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We pretty much picked up where we left off going into the All-Star break. It was a good game. I thought we played well."
The Rays have won three in a row while moving to 12-4 in their last 16 games. They are 21-11 since June 11. Prior to June 11, they had lost 14 of 15.
After two scoreless innings, the Rays loaded the bases with one out in the third. Matt Joyce popped out into foul territory on the first pitch he saw from Kyle Gibson, bringing Longoria to the plate. The Rays' slugger worked the count to 2-0 before driving a fastball deep to right-center field.
All of the runners scored and Longoria ended up on second base with a stand-up double after giving the Rays a 3-0 lead.
"I've really wanted to be presented with those opportunities and have success with them, because that's what, really, what can start to breed confidence and all the emotions you want to feel when you're in those and not the opposite," Longoria said.
The Rays might have scored again, but Longoria tried to score on James Loney's single through the middle that Brian Dozier managed to knock down. The Twins' second baseman quickly got to his feet and threw a strike to catcher Kurt Suzuki, who tagged out Longoria for the third out.
Trevor Plouffe answered for the Twins with two outs in the third when he hit a two-run homer off Cobb that traveled 378 feet before landing in the left-field stands, cutting the Rays' lead to 3-2.
Kevin Kiermaier led off the fifth inning by hitting a dribbler in front of home that Suzuki grabbed before quickly throwing to first. Kiermaier, who ran hard all the way, heard the verdict, turned to face the Rays' dugout and pointed up for a review. The call was overturned and the Rays took advantage. After Desmond Jennings sacrificed Kiermaier to second, Zobrist unloaded his seventh homer of the season, a 371-foot shot into the right-field stands for a 5-2 lead.
Zobrist is hitting .447 with three home runs and 16 RBIs in 11 career games at Target Field.
Cobb got into trouble in the sixth when the Twins put runners on first and second with two outs. Maddon decided to bring in Brad Boxberger to pitch to Sam Fuld at that point.
"Sam's got this flair for the dramatic, I know him way too well," Maddon said. "And I didn't like the idea of a tired Cobb pitching to him."
True to form, Fuld worked a 10-pitch walk to load the bases. Boxberger then quieted the storm by retiring Danny Santana on a groundout to end the inning.
"I owe Box a lot," Cobb said. "He's gotten me out of -- the whole starting staff owes Box a lot -- he's gotten us out of some really big jams. He's got some amazing stuff with the fastball going 95-plus and a devastating changeup."
Boxberger returned to pitch a scoreless seventh, striking out the side while doing so.
Cobb allowed two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings to pick up his fifth win of the season. Throughout the first half, Cobb battled with his mechanics. He now feels like he's more in tune with his mechanics, but he didn't feel like he had his best stuff Friday night.
"The changeup was pretty much non-existent, the fastball had a little bit more life on it than normal, curveball was here and there," Cobb said. "I was able to get it over for some first pitch strikes. ... All in all just kind of a battling kind of night, just trying to get through it."
Joyce added an RBI single off Matt Guerrier in the seventh to push the Rays' lead to 6-2.
Grant Balfour retired the Twins in order in the eighth and Jake McGee followed suit in the ninth to nail down the win.
"[Cobb] threw the ball well against us," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "... Their bullpen came in, and you saw some of their arms in the bullpen, too. Pretty impressive."
And perhaps a new beginning for the surging Rays.
"It was a good start," Longoria said. "The point is that we won the game, and if we can continue to do the things that we've been doing, it's going to be a fun second half."


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For some reason, Montréal has never been one of my favorite city.
Right after arriving in Canada for the first time in 2002, Feng and I took a road trip. We had landed in Toronto, went through Ottawa, and then Montréal, Québéc city and the surroundings. It was February and it was cold, brutally cold, especially considering that we were coming from Brazil, had no winter clothes and that I had never seen snow before.
I had been very excited to go to Montréal for two main reasons: first, I had heard about it a lot since French seemed to love that city. Second, I would finally have the chance to speak French again.
I wasn't terribly disappointed but I found the city odd. First, it wasn't very pretty with its long straight endless streets, exposed tp wind drafts. I had expected something more… European. Second, like many French, I was under the impression that Quebecers were like long lost cousins, basically French people lost in North America. And oh boy I was wrong… As I soon discovered, the relationship between French and Quebec French wasn't that easy and except for the language, we didn't have much in common.
I had loved Québec city back then, though. It was pretty, especially under the snow, and it matched the mental picture of French Canada that I had in my head.
I went back to Montréal several times after that, still not in love with it. I find the city confusing, especially the mix of "old Europe" and "North America".
This time was better though. We had gorgeous weather and explored the old part of the city. It actually looked good, in the late summer light…


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NC teachers group seeks new fight over law changes
RALEIGH – Public school teachers are going to court to fight a new North Carolina law that eliminates job protections in favor of employment contracts.
The North Carolina Association of Educators filed a lawsuit Tuesday saying the law passed by the General Assembly this summer takes away existing teacher tenure rights. The law starts a five-year process after which teachers will work under contracts.
The state's top two lawmakers said they remain focused on children succeeding in class.
North Carolina law for more than 40 years has said veteran teachers cannot be fired or demoted except for a series of listed reasons that include poor performance, immorality, and insubordination.
Career teachers also have the right to a hearing where they can challenge the reasons offered for their firing or demotion.


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You might be surprised that after all these years I had never been to a sumo tournament. I don't know why really. I guess I just didn't find the time to go. But right now I'm getting my culture on and checking it out!
I watched a Youtube video of a recent match and found myself laughing. Near naked fat dudes pushing their weight onto each other to either knock the other out of the circle, or on the ground.
The place to see sumo is at Ryōgoku Kokugi-kan in Tokyo. (Sobu line, Ryōgoku station) Seeing it live was pretty cool. In my haste to get there, I forgot to load my charging battery in my camera, but she was using my old camera so not all bad.
I never realised how short each match is. There's quite a build up as the wrestlers psyche themselves up with some salt throwing, false starts, and butt and stomach slapping. Once the fists touch the ground the fight is often over within seconds.
The sumo hall isn't that large. I think every seat in the house will get you a good view of the action. The cheapest seats are less than 4,000 yen. I paid the second "worst" seat price of around 5,000 yen but I was happy where I was. Sure, closer is always better, unless a sumo wrestler falls on you of course.
This is my video of the final fight of the day. They go a bit longer than usual, so it was a good match. Stay watching for the pillow throwing!