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Click Here for Hours and Guidelines
PAC is a 40,000 square foot facility which includes:
- Gymnsium with 6 basketball goals, 2 volleyball courts, a running area around the courts (17.5 laps make a mile). Volleyballs and basketballs are available at the front desk.
- Women's Locker Room with a dry sauna, lockers, and showers is located on the first floor. Locks may be checked out at the front desk.
- Men's Locker Room with locker and shower facilities is located on the first floor. Locks may be checked out at the front desk.
- 2 Racquetball Courts: To reserve a court (sorry, only 1 hour at a time):
- call the PAC at 887-7295 at least 24 hours in advance
- please have your ID card # available
One court may be converted to play walleyball. Check with the front desk for equipment.
- Aerobic/Weight Room - This room contains aerobic equipment to include treadmills, elliptical trainers, recumbent cycles, and spinning cycles. The room also contains a weight station and free weights. To use the equipment you must receive instruction from a staff member on duty and fill out a waiver form. The room is also equipped with a television and music system.
- Dance and Fencing studio - Click Here for Usage Guidelines
- Mabel Fetterman-Held Fitness and Motor Performance Laboratory
- Classrooms with audio/visual equipment and computer access
The general public may use the track during the hours that MBU has not scheduled events on the playing field. The track is for walking/running only. No bikes, scooters, skateboards, or skates are allowed on the track. The track is closed during varsity athletic practices, scrimmages, games, and matches. It is also closed during VWIL parades. Dogs are not allowed on the playing field! As with indoor facilities, persons under 16 must be supervised by an adult.
Soccer is played on lower field. Softball has its own field located behind the PAC. Dogs are not allowed on the playing fields!
May be used by any faculty, staff and their families. Guests are permitted on a one-to-three basis for the use of one court. The tennis courts are available for your use any time there is not a class, intercollegiate activity, or outside contract use taking place. There are seven lighted courts next to Tullidge Residence Hall. The lights can be turned on at night by calling security or the switchboard. Lights are shut off at 10:00 pm. A key may be checked out by an ID holder to unlock the courts. The key must be returned to have ID returned. Keys will not be issued for faculty or staff's personal use.


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Volunteer Services & OpportunitiesThe mission of Valdosta State University's Volunteer Services is to cultivate civic responsibility as an essential part of a student's development as a global citizen in our increasingly diverse society. Volunteer Services promotes and facilitates this development by providing opportunities to build community partnerships through a variety of service opportunities, including community service and outreach.
We seek to operationalize this mission by offering the following programs and initiatives:
Volunteer Valdosta, a day of service where students across campus can go to different non-profit organizations on campus and spend their time engaging in community service. In recent years, we have had students provide service to Valdosta Early College Academy (VECA) through various projects around campus.
Blazer Pantry, a food pantry housed in our Student Union where students, who are in need of food. Check out the Blazer Pantry tab to get more information about how you can access this resource! Student Organizations can also host food drives for the Blazer Pantry. Last year, 296.21 lbs of food were donated to the Blazer Pantry!
Blood Drives, which are held at least once a month are a great way to do great service and save a life. Students who participate in donating blood are eligible for 3 service hours and we're always looking for students to volunteer their time working the blood drives. If your student organization is interested in hosting a blood drive, email Dean Turley at email@example.com
During the week of the West Georgia football game, VSU students compete with West Georgia to see who can donate the most units of blood. The school with the most units of donated blood will be recognized at the VSU-West Georgia game and receive an award. This is a great way to show your school spirit and help the American Red Cross!
Holiday Helper, held every November and December, gives VSU's students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to help community members by donating gifts to designated community agencies like the Children's Advocacy Center of Lowndes County and Project Light of BHSSG. We were fortunate to grant over 100 children their wishes for gifts this past holiday season!
Give and Go Program, a program sponsored by the Sociology Department and Housing and Residence Life, where students can donate usable items instead of throwing them away! The Give and GO Program is held every May during the last week of school. Students don't have to throw away their gently used residence hall items. We accept a wide range of items, from laundry detergent to sheet sets to canned goods and clothing. The only thing we don't accept are mattress pads!
For more information on any of these programs or general questions, email Dean Turley at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- 229.333.5674
- 229.245.6481
Campus Address
Student Union, 3rd Floor, suite 3118
Mailing Address
1500 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta, GA 31698

subset: commoncrawl


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Product Description
- A charming teapot-inspired series of faucets for the entire home.
- MagnaTite docking keeps the kitchen pull-down spray wand firmly in place with a powerful integrated magnet
- Choose between aerated and full spray
- ADA-compliant lever handle for precise temperature and volume control
- High-arc pull-down spout swivels 360 degree
- Lead Free AB 1953 compliant.
- Made in USA
Additional Information
Overall height: 15"
Spout Height: 8"
Spout Reach: 9"
|Finish / Color
|Chrome, Venetian Bronze, or Stainless Steel
|Single Hole
|Single Handle
|Solid brass construction; Universal Ceramic Disc Cartridge
|Kitchen Faucet, Mounting Parts, Installation Instruction
Shipping Info
Shipping: We usually ship within 2 business days after an order is placed. In the rare case that an order cannot be shipped within the proposed time frame, we will notify you via phone calls or emails. Depending on your location, please allow about 2-5 business days for delivery. We offer free ground shipping within 48 United States for orders over $100. Orders will be shipped via UPS, Fedex, USPS, or LTL freight depending on the size and quantity of orders. Click here for more information.
Backorders: If an item(s) is sold out in the meantime an order is placed, we will notify the customer immediately and choose whether to put the order in backorder status.
Returns Policy: You may return unused, not-installed, not-assembled products, and in perfect condition in its original, unmarked packaging within thirty (30) days of delivery. Click here for more information.


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|2013-04-21, 21:57
|Link #1241
Nishikino Maki (* ̄▽ ̄*)
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: I shall reveal it to you.
I like training episodes were nothing is given, but earned.
Eren's emotions are never lukewarm. He's either very resolute or very wimpy.
It's better to have both than the latter. We have too many of those in other shows.
In a weird way, Shingeki has this morbid humor. It gives out this funny blend of Hardcore Seinen action poses with some fail expressions that lead to laughs.
I found it hilarious when I saw that guy's doom face when Mikasa was obediently listening to Eren about cutting her hair. What made it worst was he was rubbing some dude's afterwards.
And Demon Sasha's bread grab. lol
On a related note, I need to know the name of that song playing at the very end of this episode.
I want that shot into my veins.
Can anybody confirm if that was Steve Conte of GiTS fame?
Last edited by playmaker2k; 2013-04-21 at 22:11.
|2013-04-21, 22:04
|Link #1242
ANEGO Worshiper
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: By the vending machine, drinking tea.
But hey, I'm a "purist" and that's how I feel...what can you do?
|2013-04-21, 22:18
|Link #1243
Feeling comfy
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 43
(And, for that matter, when has there ever been a "faithful" adaptation of Ghost in the Shell from manga to anime? Every anime director of the franchise, from the movies to the Stand Alone Complex TV series, took a different approach in interpreting the source material, and each succeeded in his own way.)
Of course, there's the question of whether they botched it or not (I don't feel it was the case here in Shingeki no Kyojin, and I'm not alone in feeling that way). But, again, that's subjective and not really worth arguing over.
|2013-04-21, 22:24
|Link #1245
~Official Slacker~
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Xanadu
Age: 24
I like how Armin and Mikasa can't tell what Eren was actually thinking. Misaka focusing more on how he's the family part to her, while Armin think he's showing off how awesome he pulled it off. While Eren was actually thinking that he doesn't need Mikasa to babysit him anymore, and that he can fight the Eoten without someone holding his hand.
|2013-04-21, 22:34
|Link #1246
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
I suddenly just had the thought that
Spoiler for speculation with reference to Claymore manga beyond its animeSorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?
|2013-04-22, 00:01
|Link #1249
Feeling comfy
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 43
Sasha must not die, or I'll vent my rage on potato-sellers the world over.
Someone should tell Xellos-_^ that he's got a new mascot for his potato-farming investment plans...
|2013-04-22, 00:30
|Link #1250
Strangely dependable...
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: some random place out there...
Mikasa is one of the best female leads I've encountered in anime. I just totally love her character...and she's grown up to be quite beautiful - but you can tell she's going to be a heartbreaker.
|2013-04-22, 00:38
|Link #1251
Idol Dead
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Monterrey, México
Age: 38
A Dim Light in the Darkness of Despair. Humanity Rises Again - Part 1
Listening to both Bertold and Reiners' account on the day their village got attack by the Titans it sent me that dreadful feeling of suspense and restlessness. I felt that I was in that same room like Bertold, and my stomach sunk low the moment he beheld the Titan peering through the window.
That's the type of reaction that reminded me the onslaught from the first two episodes. I give kudos to the staff for making use of the flashbacks to keep the visceral reactions still fresh, and the conversation amongst survivors establishes the boundaries between those who have experienced the horro live in the flesh, and those who don't and just still living in their comfort bubble before yet experiencing the ultimate gruesome trial to survive.
Eren has the guts, but he has too and too much a long way to go. Training for the Gear maneuver was no pushover to him on his first shot than what it sounded and looked at first glance.
Secondly, as long as they do not know more about their enemy, they'll be sent to the battlefield as livestock to be massacred.
Last edited by Guido; 2013-10-09 at 22:53.
|2013-04-22, 01:27
|Link #1252
SIBYL salesman
Join Date: Feb 2011
Wow, these first 3 episodes have been really good.
Truth be told, I dislike Yū Kobayashi's voice in general (it's grating at times), and I dislike Yūki Kaji's crying (bad flashbacks of Accel World with 'boo hoo hoo, I'm a loser but all the pretty girls love me, boo hoo hoo').
Anyway, with it being 3 episodes in, it sounds like the perfect opportunity to be disappointed with the rest of the show!
Without any spoilers, will this show actually follow through with what we've seen (survival/'Attack on Titan', etc) or will it be like SAO where the whole survival aspect ends up being secondary/trivialized, and it's really about the main character building a harem in a survival setting?
Flag 1: Eren has a sister.
Flag 2: She's actually not blood related!
Flag 3: Mikasa's violence on Eren.
Flag 4: Mikasa force feeding Eren.
I am expecting Sasha flags and the blonde girl flags to be raised soon, as well.
I'd be surprised if none of this happens!
|2013-04-22, 03:11
|Link #1256
Ha ha ha ha ha...
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Right behind you.
Age: 30
She's like the soldier in a war movie that smiles too much and talks about his girlfriend back home that he plans to marry after the war is over.
She has a massive bulls-eye painted on her forehead, you realize that right? If anyone dies, she'll probably be the first. And in the most gruesome way possible.
|2013-04-22, 03:13
|Link #1257
Feeling comfy
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 43
I'd pity the Titan that tramples a potato field when Sasha's around...
|2013-04-22, 03:17
|Link #1258
Me at work
Not that AoT doesn't like to play with those tropes,this episode was heading down a pretty conventional road with the hero having big ambitions but also lacking talent (he keeps falling down) and he'd have to work extra hard to be on the levels of the others, except he didn't lack talent,it was faulty equipment, that's a huge difference to me.
|2013-04-22, 03:38
|Link #1259
Feeling comfy
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 43
He's no doubt different from Naruto and I most certainly do not feel that every shounen hero is exactly the same. But Eren definitely descends from the broad template used for most protagonists in this genre.
He'll probably change as the story progresses. At least, I'd hope so. That should be the set-up, in any case: to present a flawed character who becomes stronger as the plot develops. If Eren were perfect to be begin with, there would be little room for progression, no?
|action, dystopian, fantasy, post-apocalyptic, shounen, terror, tragedy, violence
|Thread Tools


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Mismatched Bedding
Don't ask why but bedding stresses me out. However once you lose the instinct to make everything match it's not such a hurdle.
Try and stay within a color palette, choose a variety of patterns and textures, and when in doubt, go with your gut. After all, your eyes will be closed most of the time.
And if you're interested in the bedding in the first photo you can find them at Plover Organic.
Images: 1 Plover Organic; 2, 3 Country Living; 4 Bedding Envy; 5 Miss Eclectic


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In this section
Critical Care safety, quality and outcomes
Our safety and quality reports help families and partner providers make the most informed health care decisions for the benefit of their children and patients.
To provide feedback, or for more information on our quality data, email us or call (414) 266-6556.
Volumes and outcomes
We want our patients and families to have the best care experience possible. To continue to provide excellent care, we ask our guests to fill out a survey rating their care experience. The rating scale ranges from 0 to 10 where 0 is the worst experience and 10 is the best. We strive to achieve a 9 or 10 rating from every patient and family that chooses our care which is represented in the graph below.
More patients are seen in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin than other VPS PICUs.The data below shows the number of patients sent home or transferred from the PICU each quarter from Children's compared to the average number from the VPS reference group.
The standardized mortality ratio shows the number of deaths in a critical care unit relative to the degree of illness of the patients. A ratio greater than 1 says that there are more deaths than expected based on their degree of illness and a ratio less than 1 says that there are fewer deaths than expected. The calculation of standardized mortality ratio uses a validated tool (PIM 2) to predict mortality for a group of patients and is then compared to the actual number of deaths. The data show the standardized mortality rate for the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin PICU compared other children's hospitals around the country that are part of the VPS database reference group.
Central venous catheters or central lines are commonly used in the pediatric intensive care unit to administer medications and fluids. A central line bloodstream infection can occur when bacteria enters the blood stream causing a patient to become sick. The likelihood of acquiring a bloodstream infection is calculated by the number of infections that occur for every 1,000 days a central line is in place. This graph uses data from the Children's Hospital infection control database. Infections are identified and confirmed weekly. Confirmations are made based on National Healthcare Safety Network/CDC criteria. Line days are counted by audit using the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions' (NACHRI) BSI Collaborative instructions. The NACHRI comparison group includes 26 pediatric hospitals nationwide.


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Enrollment is counted on October 1 of each year. The October 1 count is used for a variety of purposes, from school staffing to student funding to classification alignment for high school activities.
In the past year, the Arizona Department of Education determined that they would no longer provide education for students from Utah. The Red Mesa Schools are near the Arizona - Utah state line and have been serving schools on both sides of the border.
As a result of the change in policy, scores of students who were attending school in Red Mesa are now attending schools in Montezuma Creek.
Enrollment has grown by more than 23 percent at Montezuma Creek Elementary School and by 11 percent at Whitehorse High School. An eight percent increase in enrollment at Bluff Elementary School may also be due, in part, to the Red Mesa students.
Growth over the past year was not restricted to the Montezuma Creek schools. In fact, the number of students grew at nine of the 12 schools operated by the district, including 40 students at Blanding Elementary School.
The only school to experience a large loss in student enrollment is Monticello High School, which saw enrollment fall by more than eight percent, from 286 students in 2011 to 262 students in 2012.
In total, 3,058 students are enrolled in the public schools. That figure was as high as 3,400 students in the 1990s and fell to 2,750 students in 2008. The figure has rebounded in recent years.


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The Fruit of Faith
Are you a trustworthy person? As believers have been predestined to be conformed to Christ's image (Rom. 8:29) and Christ is supremely trustworthy, then evidence of Christian growth comes as we become more trustworthy. As we live by faith, let ...Read More
Living According to Faith
Authentic faith does not trust God only when times are good. It also believes God and acts upon His Word when doing so guarantees great difficulties. Resolve now to trust God even when it is hard, and ask the Lord ...Read More
Faith and Death
It can be easy to see the injustice around us and believe that things will never be set right. However, God's Word proclaims that a day of perfect justice is coming. Those who live by faith do not lose sight ...Read More
Justification From the Just God
God is both just and the justifier. He shows mercy without compromising His character. Because He is always true to Himself, we know that we can trust Him. He does not tell us that He is one thing and then ...Read More
Faithful Through the Ages
God has revealed Himself throughout history and He has kept the promises that He has made in that revelation. Seeing how the Lord has revealed His plan and fulfilled it gives us confidence that He is a trustworthy God. If ...Read More
Our Faithful God
God has two "choices": He can keep His promise or He can die. But since God, in fact, cannot die because of His very nature, there is only one real option left to Him when He makes a covenant, and ...Read More
Faith and Sanctification
Even our progressive sanctification—our life of growing in holiness that is the necessary fruit of justification—depends on faith. By faith, we grow in Christ, trusting in the promises of God so completely that we actually end up following His commandments. ...Read More
Keeping Grace Gracious
All true Christians have a desire to obey God, but how do we separate that from our trusting in our own works? We know that we are trusting in our righteousness when we begin to think that our standing before ...Read More
Justification and Our Good Works
John Calvin also comments that the doctrine of justification by faith alone does not make good works superfluous, but it only takes "away from them the power of conferring righteousness, because they cannot stand before the tribunal of God." Our ...Read More
What is Saving Faith?
By placing ourselves in Christ's hands for salvation, we are not denying that saving faith is essentially something that one receives. That is because when we trust in Christ, we are not saying, "Here we are, and you are lucky ...Read More


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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Three miners were rescued Friday after spending more than two days trapped following a collapse at a small, wildcat gold mine in southern Honduras. Eight others remain missing.
Moises Alvarado, the head of the country's emergency commission, said the rescued miners are in "relatively good health, though they are exhausted and showing signs of severe dehydration." One of the three suffered severe contusions.
Alvarado identified the rescued miners as Byron Maradiaga, Bryan Escalante, 20, and Nehemias Mendez, 28.
A crowd of about 300 residents, volunteers and fellow miners cheered as the rescue workers brought the three miners out one by one in a rescue basket from the mouth of the mine.
Emergency personnel and fellow miners had spent hours supplying water and food to the three miners after hearing their shouts and tunneling small holes into the area where they were trapped.
Marco Tulio Artica, the head of the local fire department, said work to find the remaining miners is slow and hard. Workers have to use picks, shovels, and small pneumatic drills instead of heavy machinery because of the risk of further collapses.
"We still don't know anything about the other eight miners who are in other tunnels," Artica said.
More than 100 police, firefighters, rescue workers and miners were working during the third day of rescue efforts following Wednesday's cave-in.
The miners were trapped about 90 yards (80 meters) into the mine. It collapsed shortly after 22 miners entered, but half were able to get out on their own.


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Ever have that moment when you're excited to get into phase 3 of a fight so you can see what's going on and can work on refining a strategy for it the next pull and then you just kill the boss? Because that's what happened with this one. Really proud of everyone who came in with confidence after only having a few pulls on this boss so far and making quick work of her tonight. On to Gul'dan!
Grand Magistrix Elisande


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This smallish restaurant, with a capacity of around 40 covers indoors and another 20 outside (it's warm & humid in Penang!) serves some of the most authentic-tasting (if toned-down) traditional Penang-Nyonya cuisine.
What we had this evening:
- Kueh pie-tee: freshly-prepared stir-fried grated radish with shrimps/pork. Very tasty version here and definitely the best I'd had in Penang.
- Stir-fried "romi" fern-leaves with dried shrimp-sambal: spicy assertive dish, though I'd have preferred it spicier and more belachan" (fermented shrimp paste). I think Mama's toned the flavors down to suit Chinese diners.
- Penang fish achar - deep-fried whole mullet pickled in fresh turmeric, ginger, garlic, red chilis, vinegar and sugar. Quite a respectable version here.
- Fish-head gulai tumis - garoupa head used here. The flavors here were milder than I'd have preferred, though the "bunga kantan" (torch ginger), tamarind and chili content had been drastically toned down. Mama's seemed to have all the correct ingredients used in their cooking, but made the tastes blander than home-cooked versions one would get in Peranakan Baba-Nyonya households.
- Inche kabin: very freshly-prepared fried chicken, and deliciously moist. The spice-coconut mikl marinade taste did not come through, however. But still, the best I'd had in a Penang restaurant. The chicken pieces were served topped with crisp fish crackers.
- Lor bak: perfect taste and texture.
- Choon pneah (deep-fried spring rolls). Very fresjly-prepared and served a la minute. Could use more pork or shrimps in the filling though.
- Otak-otak: too mild for my taste. But it has very fresh fish fillets used and the silky-smooth custard was delicious.
Desserts were:
- "Bee koh moy" (Malay: "pulot hitam") - the best I'd had in a restaurant anywhere in Malaysia or Singapore! Real, home-cooked flavors came through.
- "Bubur cha-cha": not sweet enough. Could do with "gula Melaka" instead of just white sugar.
Overall, definitely the best Peranakan Nyonya cuisine I'd had in Penang for a while.
Address details
Mama's Nyonya Cuisine
31-D, Abu Siti Lane
10400 Penang
04-229 1318


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CRYSTAL LAKE – A wavy brown ponytail draping down the back of her long-sleeved purple T-shirt, the 12-year-old lined up, stepped forward and sent a red ball lumbering down the lane.
It was a sixth-frame gutter ball, but the day was far from a miss. Jada was having fun hanging out with her "big sister," Peggie Wells of Huntley. Sharing time with Wells is something Jada has done most Sundays since she was 7.
Jada's last name is withheld at the request of Big Brothers Big Sisters of McHenry County.
Along with Kelly Wessel of Crystal Lake, Wells and Jada participated on the Althoff Strikers team during Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids' Sake kickoff Sunday at Crystal Bowl in Crystal Lake. Matches like that of Wells and Jada are what the nonprofit organization is all about.
Jada recalled her first meeting with Wells.
"We went to Burger King," she said. "I brought my favorite doll, Tracy, with. I brought her with until she told me that she trusted Peggie."
Jada said she now looks forward to her get-togethers with Wells – and she hasn't brought Tracy along since about the second month of the match.
"We bake, watch movies, swim," said Jada, who lives with her mom and little brother in Woodstock.
"We always try to do fun things," Wells said. "We really like when [Big Brothers Big Sisters] has events."
Jada, a seventh-grader, said she is in the Challenge Corps at her school.
"I'm also in high math and high literature," she said, as Wells beamed.
Big Brothers Big Sisters matches children ages 6 through 18 with screened volunteer "bigs" of the same gender for one-on-one mentoring.
The program aims to help children most at risk of sliding into negative behaviors. Generally they are from single-parent households, often living in poverty and sometimes coping with parental incarceration, according to www.bbbs.org.
National research has shown that participating children are more confident in their school work, get along better with their families, are significantly less likely to begin using illegal drugs or skip school and also are far less likely to begin using alcohol.
Bowl for Kids' Sake is the McHenry County agency's biggest annual fundraising event, said Robyn Ostrem, executive director.
"Our goal is $100,000, and I think we are on pace," she said.
Haylee Hall is director of fund development for Big Brothers Big Sisters of McHenry County.
"The ability to give one-on-one role models, friendship, guidance, and to help steer children on a positive path, it can be really life-changing," Hall said. "This particular event is so amazing because it allows everyone to participate."
It's not too late to become involved. Ostrem said events are going on through March 10. Information and registration is available at www.bbbsmchenry.org/bowl.
"All of the money goes to help us change the lives of McHenry County kids for the better forever," Ostrem said, adding that the agency served 540 children in 2012.
To learn more, or to get involved, visit www.bbbsmchenry.org/bowl.


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Authorities said they had found the Mercedes-Benz of 20th Century Fox executive Gavin Smith at a storage facility, and the condition of the car along with witness statements has led them to believe Smith was killed, though his body has not been found.
The car, registered to Smith, 57, was found Feb. 21 at the facility in Simi Valley, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Dave Dolson said.
The storage facility was linked to John Creech, a man who has been in prison since June serving an eight-year sentence on an unrelated drug conviction for sales or transport of narcotics, Dolson said.
Dolson said the Fox executive had "some kind of relationship" with Creech's wife, Chandrika, after meeting her in rehab a few years ago, but he declined to provide details.
Dolson said investigators have focusing on Creech for a long time, but stopped short of calling him a suspect.
"He has been a person of interest for several months, and he's still that person of interest," Dolson said.
Smith, who was with Fox's movie distribution department for nearly 18 years, was last seen May 1 in Ventura County's Oak Park neighborhood after leaving a friend's home at about 9:35 p.m. wearing a gray shirt and dark athletic shorts, Dolson said.
Authorities believe Smith's car was in the Porter Ranch area of the San Fernando Valley about a week after he was last seen, and was eventually moved to the storage facility by two people. That storage facility is linked to a person "who has a very close association" to Creech, Dolson said.
Dolson said investigators have served 25 to 30 search warrants in the case, primarily in the San Fernando Valley area, including on Creech's home and his SUV.


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October 23, 2012
Product Watch
Product Watch
I've had countless computer bags over the years, varying in size and style from roller bags, messenger bags and backpacks to one called the "Sherpa." But it was always problematic finding a carrying bag that didn't feel too cumbersome or—literally—like a pain in the back. At last, someone has designed the ultimate bag for the road warrior.
BBP (www.bbpbags.com) designs bags with the modern traveler in mind. While the company's "urbanomic" (urban + ergonomic) backpacks look like messenger bags, you can actually switch back and forth between the two styles, depending on your carrying needs. You can do this quickly, with just a few easy steps, owing to BBP's "Bak2Pak" carrying system of convertible straps. How easy? Check out the instructional video on the company's home page.
BBP (which humorously stands for "bum back pack") offers its product in multiple colors and in three lines—the Hampton, Street Flow and Biz Collections. I've been using a Hampton model (in Abyss Blue Tango) for more than 14 months now and I'm still as happy with it as the day I bought it. These bags have a number of well-thought-out features that make a professional's life on the road easier.
The bags have a separate padded laptop compartment as well as a large main compartment for papers and a separate zippered section with pockets for computer accessories such as your power supply, mouse, USB hub and so forth. The interior includes additional zippered and mesh pockets for small items, and there are straps to hold an umbrella inside the main cover. The exterior has two water bottle pockets and a number of small zippered pockets for a cell phone, MP3 player and the like, as well as a luggage-handle pass-through system.
Plus, the main cover closes with plastic buckles attached to adjustable straps—an especially nice feature considering that other bags use hook-and-loop closures, which can make a lot of noise every time you need to open the bag in a meeting or elsewhere (like a courtroom) where "quiet" should be the rule.
One caveat: If you're looking for a really lightweight bag, then a BBP bag is probably not for you. Empty, the small bags weigh 3.5 pounds and the large bags top out at 5 pounds. All that weight, though, is due to good materials and great padding for your notebook and your body. Still, I do have a couple of nits to pick with the bag's design. One is that the carrying handle is made of nylon filled with padding and I would like to see it replaced with a rubber-grip that uses safety wire for more comfort and strength when toting the bag by the handle. Also, the bag lacks a convenient way to store the straps when you're not using them.
That's it when it comes to my nits—overall, the bag's design, quality and value are terrific for the price. However, I feel I should disclose that I'm on my second Hampton bag because a plastic swivel attached to one of the bag's shoulder straps broke. But I don't completely fault the bag—I'd given it seven months of very hard use and, in the bag's defense, I was carrying a lot of stuff, including my full-size Dell notebook and its accessories, a very large number of folders and my Fujitsu U810 UMPC and its power supply. In my defense, it all fit. In BBP's defense, they shipped me a new bag ASAP and only charged me $10 for the shipping.
About the Editor
Nerino J. Petro, Jr. , is a legal technologist and the Practice Management Advisor for the State Bar of Wisconsin. A former practicing attorney, he blogs on legal technology and practice management issues at www.compujurist.com.


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United States District Court, D. New Jersey
February 2, 2017
CURTIS E. FULLER, Plaintiff,v.CAMDEN COUNTY JAIL, Defendant.
E. Fuller, Plaintiff Pro Se
Curtis E. Fuller seeks to bring a civil rights complaint
pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the Camden County
Jail ("CCJ"). Complaint, Docket Entry 1.
At this
time, the Court must review the complaint, pursuant to 28
U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), to determine whether it should be
dismissed as frivolous or malicious, for failure to state a
claim upon which relief may be granted, or because it seeks
monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such
relief. For the reasons set forth below, the Court will
dismiss the complaint with prejudice for failure to state a
claim. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(b)(ii).
alleges that he was confined in the CCJ "about 15
time[s]" between 1985 and 2012. Complaint § III.
He further states: "I was forced to [lie], sit, sleep
and eat on the floor. I hit mul[t]iple times my head neck
back and legs on the underside of the desk chair and toilet.
An inmate came off the bunk [and] landed on me while I was
sitting while over crowded." Id.
1915(e)(2) requires a court to review complaints prior to
service in cases in which a plaintiff is proceeding in
forma pauperis. The Court must sua sponte
dismiss any claim that is frivolous, is malicious, fails to
state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or seeks
monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such
relief. This action is subject to sua sponte
screening for dismissal under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)
because Plaintiff is proceeding in forma pauperis.
survive sua sponte screening for failure to state a
claim, the complaint must allege "sufficient factual
matter" to show that the claim is facially plausible.
Fowler v. UPMS Shadyside, 578 F.3d 203, 210 (3d Cir.
2009) (citation omitted). "A claim has facial
plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that
allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the
defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged."
Fair Wind Sailing, Inc. v. Dempster, 764 F.3d 303,
308 n.3 (3d Cir. 2014). "[A] pleading that offers
'labels or conclusions' or 'a formulaic
recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not
do.'" Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678
(2009) (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550
seeks monetary damages from CCJ for allegedly
unconstitutional conditions of confinement. Primarily, the
complaint must be dismissed as CCJ is not a "state
actor" within the meaning of § 1983. See,
e.g., Grabow v. Southern State Corr. Facility, 726
F.Supp. 537, 538-39 (D.N.J. 1989) (correctional facility is
not a "person" under § 1983). Accordingly,
the claims against CCJ must be dismissed with prejudice.
"plaintiffs who file complaints subject to dismissal
under [§ 1915] should receive leave to amend unless
amendment would be inequitable or futile." Grayson
v. Mayview State Hosp., 293 F.3d 103, 114 (3d Cir.
2002). This Court denies leave to amend at this time as
Plaintiff's complaint is barred by the statute of
limitations, which is governed by New Jersey's two-year
limitations period for personal injury.[1] See Wilson v.
Garcia, 471 U.S. 261, 276 (1985); Dique v. N.J.
State Police, 603 F.3d 181, 185 (3d Cir. 2010). The
accrual date of a § 1983 action is determined by federal
law, however. Wallace v. Kato, 549 U.S. 384, 388
(2007); Montanez v. Sec'y Pa. Dep't of
Corr., 773 F.3d 472, 480 (3d Cir. 2014).
federal law, a cause of action accrues when the plaintiff
knew or should have known of the injury upon which the action
is based." Montanez, 773 F.3d at 480 (internal
quotation marks omitted). Plaintiff states he was detained at
CCJ on separate occasions between 1985 and 2012. The
allegedly unconstitutional conditions of confinement at CCJ
would have been immediately apparent to Plaintiff at the time
of his detention; therefore, the statute of limitations for
Plaintiff's claims expired, at the latest, in 2014. As
there are no grounds for equitable tolling of the statute of
limitations, [2] the complaint will be dismissed with
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Palma, Majorca, Spain Friday March 6th
In a frightening incident, a high winds ripped the MSC Fantasia from its moorings while docked in Palma, Majorca, Spain. Four passengers were on gangway when it tumbles into the ocean between the dock and the ship. The passengers were all able to escape the… [Continue Reading]
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Patricia Nell Warren's News You Didn't see on TV
Gosh, do these folks ever read the newspaper? Or a history book? Marriage has already been deeply de-sanctified by centuries of festering heterosexual pragmatism.
Admittedly my views are colored by experience. For 16 years I tried to be the perfect straight wife...gave it the old college try. But I never felt sacred -- just felt more and more stifled and dishonest. When my homophobic spouse finally found out, he told me I was "sick." My first and only visit to a shrink revealed that he shared my spouse's opinion. So I ran for my life -- divorce and coming out.
Apologists for "traditional values" seem to forget the real history of marriage. Christian civilization was built by royalty and nobility who saw marriage as dynastic. People wedded for titles, wealth, feudal estates, vassals, heirs -- to link empires and win wars. Lifelong compulsory monogamy and chastity belts were invented to ensure that a husband passed his power only to his genetic offspring. While these marriages were sprinkled in holy water by ministers of "heaven", many of them were made in hell -- as the tortured histories of blueblood families can tell us.
When the American Revolution separated church and state, it also separated marriage from church control. Marriage became basically a civil arrangement. Today, many American nuptials still start with church bells. But the "sanctity" of civil marriage is arguable, since it boils down to a list of heterosexual legalities that judges can rule on. These include inheritance rights, tax breaks, hospital visitation, pensions, joint custody -- all things that homosexuals want too, and are told they can't have, in the name of "sanctity." Since when do the arbiters of "holiness" include probate courts, hospital receptionists, company pension plans and the IRS?
Americans also rely on marriage for certain perks and conveniences. For minors, getting married is a way of evading parental custody. For embarrassed parents of a pregnant teen, shotgun marriage (hopefully) preserves the family honor. Marriage can get you free airline travel, a dental plan, diplomatic privileges, free housing on military bases, U.S. citizenship, the boss's daughter, and slave labor in the form of lots of kids. Marriage routinely enhances a celebrity career, even serves as cover for some CIA intelligence work. Repeated marriage-and-divorce allows some folks to cloak sexual adventure in legality. Years of living together in "common law" can equal marital status, or at least get you a nasty "palimony" lawsuit. To the man or woman who marries for nice things, marriage may equal prostitution.
Are these profane perks protected by state and federal law? Yes. Are they sacred? Hardly. It is amusing to think how many heterosexual Americans would scream bloody murder if they lost their "right" to this array of conveniences. Yet they would turn around and deny those same perks to gay people.
Closet marriages go beyond perk, into prevarication. "Closet" is how homosexuals historically conformed to the old feudal mandate. Nobody tries harder to make marriage work, than a fag or dyke or bi who is hell-bent to pass! We have even pumped out children to be cannon fodder for feudalism. Indeed, the gay community's love of drag and theater may be instilled in us by long centuries of performing with that sword held to our throat. But an Oscar-winning act is still an act, no matter how brilliantly sequinned in "sanctity" it might be.
Interestingly enough, homosexuals don't have monopolize the closet. Marriage is a good place for certain straights to hide too. Like the prostitute with heart of gold who hides her past by marrying Mr. Respectable with heart of gold. Or the "missing person" who hides in a marriage to start a new life, and cover the trail. Or the straight military man who grudgingly marries to advance his career, because the brass don't like to promote bachelors to admiral.
Marriage has no global agreement about what makes it "sacred." It's social silly-putty, squished into a thousand shapes by bias and blind belief. To the Israelites of the Ten Commandments, "sanctity" of marriage included polygamy, and a man's right to kill his wife and children if they got out of line. To feudal lords, the "sacredness" of a serf wedding required the bride to give her virginity to the lord. To the American colonists, a woman could work her way into marriage through contract labor or being an indentured servant. To Southern slaveowners, marriage was out of bounds for black people. To my Irish Catholic forebears, the marriage knot required a priest's "authority". To my Protestant forebears, Catholic sacraments were "evil popery," so only a preacher's words could authorize the knot. But to bride and groom on the high seas, a ship captain's authority is "sacred" enough.
Some of my native American forebears had more sensible views. A couple stood before Creation and married each other on their own authority as human beings. They had no concept of being married by the power of some other person's religion or authority. "Nobody tells a Cheyenne what to do," my cousins used to say. If things went bad, all the aggrieved person had to do was put the partner's moccasins outside the teepee door...with the toes pointing away.
Can today's American marriage overcome its sorry history as a list of perks? Can a person today make it sacred and wonderful?
Yes, I believe so. Real sacredness is infused into any relationship only by the two people themselves, be they straight or gay. They build a balance between their own self-respect and their respect for each other -- and for their children, if they have them. If this sacredness is not deeply felt on the personal level, no law or sermon or tax break can put it there! Not even God and Goddess!
Not every heterosexual wants wants this kind of relationship. Not every homosexual does either. But those who do deserve the best that marriage can offer.
So yes...marriage in the '90s is darkly tarnished. But denying marriage to gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people will not untarnish it!
Heterosexuals have to take responsibility for the mess they've made of marriage. They were the ones who wanted to have marriage. They have spent 3000 years making it a juggernaut of Judaeo-Christian empire, politics, patriarchy, property, including their "right" to control of wife, children and genetic heritage. Now, in the ultimate paradox, heterosexuals may actually need the help of us homosexuals, if they want to put some sacredness back in marriage.
Patricia Nell Warren is author of "The Front Runner" and other bestselling books, as well as a widely published commentator. Her publisher is Wildcat Press. Copyright (c) 1996 by Patricia Nell Warren. All Rights Reserved.
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As Home's senior decorating editor, I spend many hours looking at furnishings, thinking about what goes well together, and selecting the best of the best for the magazine. So it was a disturbing but moving experience for me to walk into the house of a stranger, whom I will call Melissa, and throw out all the things that made her dwelling a home.
This happened two months ago, when I was in New Orleans to assist with the post-Katrina cleanup. Even though it had been a year and a half since the hurricane had caused the city's levees to breach, much remained to be done. Our 50-person group of volunteers was there working with the national non-profit Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN); during our five-day stay we tackled a variety of projects. I chose to help gut houses that had been damaged by the flood.
Gutting houses doesn't provide the satisfaction that building them does, but it is a necessary first step for those who hope to return and rebuild; it also must be done in order to avoid having a home and property deemed abandoned by city officials. In the hardest-hit zones, such as Melissa's Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood, many of the former residents—having relocated to far-flung places—cannot afford to make the trip back to do the work themselves. And while water, electricity, and gas services have been restored to numerous areas, few stores and businesses have reopened, making it difficult for those without cars to access groceries and other staples.


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NEW YORK (AP) — Alicia Keys will make you cry. Cry hard.
That's what happened when a close friend listened to the song "Brand New Me," a personal piano-tune from Keys' new album that she calls her "autobiography." On it, she sings about being herself, even if others don't approve.
"When I looked up from playing it, she was crying and she was like, 'Why didn't you warn me?' It caught her off-guard," Keys recalled in an interview. "There's something about a time in your life that we all go through — if you haven't gone through it you will — that you find you're going to rise above something that's kind of held you back and you find this thing inside of you that really says, 'I'm new now.'"
Keys' life has changed tremendously since she recorded "The Element of Freedom" three years ago. She's now a mother and Broadway producer, and has dealt with her first major tabloid drama, involving her relationship with her husband, producer-rapper Swizz Beatz, and his ex-wife.
And the 31-year-old Keys, who rarely collaborates with other singers, is working with new players: "Girl on Fire," out this week, features Bruno Mars, Frank Ocean, Jamie xx, Nicki Minaj, Emeli Sande, Babyface, Dr. Dre, John Legend and Maxwell.
"I'm just way more open all around, and I really wanted to work with some different people this time that could really accentuate what I do," she said.
Keys talked about her fifth album, new haircut and 2-year-old son, Egypt, who accompanied her onstage during a performance of "No One" at an event for iHeartRadio honoring Superstorm Sandy first responders Tuesday in New York.
AP: What was it like writing "Brand New Me" since the lyrics are so direct?
Keys: I think the whole album is more lyrical than ever before and I definitely think it is on a deeper level. ... Maybe it's more accessible, or maybe I've given more access to myself. I think the real thing is I'm clearer about who I am, myself and what I feel. And I think probably when I was younger, maybe you have more of a sense of wanting to save a part of yourself or hide a part of yourself, or protect a part of yourself or something like that, and that's just natural.
AP: Has the songwriting process changed for you over the years?
Keys: It does change. The approach changes depending on different times. My last record, 'Element,' it was more like, I was so into sounds and sonics, I was so into how to create more sonic places to go to and experiment. I think the songwriting process came almost second to the sonics of it, which was interesting. But then this record, the songwriting process was king for me.
AP: You have a duet with Maxwell, which excited many people.
Keys: It's just so dope. And Gary Clark Jr. is on there playing ... the combination of all of it together is steamy! It's steamy!
AP: Your son is featured on "When It's All Over." How did that happen?
Keys: We were in the studio working on it, and he came in and he was kind of seeing us sing and writing it, and so he wanted to see the mic, so I passed it to him and he started talking on it. But this is when he was like a year and three months, so what first was on there was kind of just the first words he was saying, but as time progressed and we were about to wrap the album, I was like, 'I really gotta get Egypt on ... because he's 2 now, he has a lot to say, he has a personality.' And so I brought him back into the studio ... and you'll notice, I'll ask him what's his name and he says 'Showtime' (laughs). So for those that know my husband, you'll understand what that means.
AP: Has being a mother changed the way you create music?
Keys: It was definitely strange. What really happened is I was a lot more precise about what I wanted to accomplish. ... Whereas before, it was kind of like endless hours in the studio, just doing everything. I'd be eating there. I'd be talking on the phone. I'd be doing music there. I'd be like hanging out, chillin', watch a move there, like doing everything. It was less about that and more about 'Here's what I'm coming to do, the vision I had for today and then I'm going home.' So it was a lot more specific and actually that focus was really good for me.
AP: You cut your hair. How does it feel?
Keys: I love this hair. I love it chopped off. I love all the things I can do with it. In fact, I can do more things with my short hair than I could do with my long hair to be honest. It's just such a freeing, powerful feeling to have short hair and to let go of all the things in my past, you know, 'cause I feel like you start fresh. You start fresh and fly, and that's how I feel.
Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MusicMesfin


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LAS VEGAS – Here comes the rubber match.
No. 2-seeded UCLA tips off against seventh-seeded Oregon at 6 p.m. Thursday, the third meeting between the Pac-12 Conference's two most prolific offenses.
Entering the Pac-12 Tournament, the Bruins averaged 82.0 points per game. The Ducks? They topped the conference with 82.3.
That explosiveness was on full display in a first-round 88-74 win over Oregon State, one that punched their quarterfinal ticket. Oregon unleashed a 21-4 run in the first half, followed by a 17-2 run in the second. The Ducks (23-8) are now rolling on an eight-game win streak. Though they needed two overtimes to beat the short-handed Bruins last month, they now look like a completely different squad.
Dana Altman also kept his players fresh in a game that felt decided with about nine minutes to go. The Ducks coach used 14 different players, with no one topping 28 minutes. His bench lit up MGM Grand Arena for 46 points, including 17 from senior Jason Calliste and 10 from sophomore point guard Dominic Artis.
"I liked the fact that we didn't have to kill anybody tonight with extra minutes," he said.
That could negate any advantage UCLA gets with its first-round bye — especially with the Bruins coming off an 18-point loss to Washington State, their third stumble in five games. Head coach Steve Alford stressed the importance of familiarity with the gameday environment, something his team won't have much of following its Wednesday evening arrival in Las Vegas.
"That first game in these quarterfinals always benefits the team that had the chance to play the night before because they've been in that environment," Alford said. "Now, as you move forward, the bye helps you.
"But I don't think it's an advantage having a bye going in the quarterfinal round because that team you are playing played the night before in that environment."
The Bruins (23-8) will need a strong effort from shooting guard Jordan Adams, who made the All-Pac-12 first team as well as the USBWA All-District IX team this past week. The sophomore has been one of the league's most efficient scorers, but also disappears at times.
In each of UCLA's six conference losses, Adams — who leads the team with 17.5 points per game — failed to score more than 12. He sat out a double-overtime loss to Oregon due to a suspension, and only averaged 8.8 points through the other five. In those outings, he shot 3 of 20 from beyond the arc.
Trying to predict his off-nights has slowly become futile. Two nights after a career-high 31 points against Washington, Adams scored just seven points against Washington State.
"We've got to do a better job as a team and as coaches to make sure that we are screening and cutting and getting things set up for him to get some easy baskets," Alford said. "He's getting some tough assignments now. … We are obviously a much better and different team when Jordan has been clicking."


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Watch The ::God Is Imaginary Videos On YouTube ::
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' rating of the honesty and ethics of the clergy has fallen to 47%, the first time this rating has dropped below 50% since Gallup first asked about the clergy in 1977. Clergy have historically ranked near the top among professions on this measure, hitting a high rating of 67% in 1985.
The profession of shaman has many advantages. It offers high status with a safe livelihood free of work in the dreary, sweaty sense. In most societies it offers legal privileges and immunities not granted to other men. But it is hard to see how a man who has been given a mandate from on High to spread tidings of joy to all mankind can be seriously interested in taking up a collection to pay his salary; it causes one to suspect that the shaman is on the moral level of any other con man. But it is a lovely work if you can stomach it. - Robert Heinlein
Religions need books because they don't have gods.
In the UK, I would trust most clergy. I have had little to do with them but those I have, have fallen into 4 camps:1. Intelligent but naïve.2. Average or lower intelligence.3. Obsessed and short tempered.4. See religion as "bells and smells"; likes classics, steam engines and cricket. A bit vague on biblical detail.By and large, they are people who otherwise would not fit into society.
Practically everybody is selling snake-oil.
Quote from: magicmiles on December 19, 2013, 05:10:56 PMPractically everybody is selling snake-oil.what do you mean?
not at all.I think a great number of the Clergy do not believe, but still sell
I disagree, because, where the evidence? I run into low level clergy all the time.Now when you are talking about a good marketer, a TV preacher or the like yeah..... the selling is more important than the product is just a little indication


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Magazine: Issues
A Question of Empathy
How science is rehsaping the abortion debate READ MORE >
Magazine: Politics
Why I Love Obama
(...But I Won't Vote for Him.) READ MORE >
Reviews: Movies
Another 'Pro-Life" Movie?
"...after the movie ended I wondered what all the fuss was about... I wonder how much of the adulation of reviewers (and the judges at Cannes) stemmed from what they may have perceived as the 'message' of the movie: i.e., illegal abortions are bad, so legal ones must be good. For me, the movie was a litany of the horrors of any abortion, and as much a 'pro-life' movie as 'Juno,' which I had seen the day before. How can observing a lifeless fetus make one anything but pro-life?" READ MORE >
News: Politics
Evangelical Leader James Dobson Endorses Mike Huckabee
"His record on the institution of the family and other conservative issues makes his candidacy a matter of conscience and concern for me... His unwavering positions on the social issues, notably the institution of marriage, the importance of faith and the sanctity of human life, resonate deeply with me and with many others." READ MORE >
Opinion: Science/Tech
Sunny Anand and the Hidden Pain of the Unborn
Annie Murphy Paul's "The First Ache," which appeared in last Sunday's New York Times Magazine, is the perfect companion piece to Austen Ivereigh's "A Question of Empathy." Both articles show how science is changing the terms of the abortion debate by "personifying" the unborn. In Paul's fascinating article, she zeros in… READ MORE >
Opinion: Issues
Bill, the Times They are a Changin'...
I could hardly process the thoughts and images that flooded my mind as I watched Bill Clinton angrily chastise a group of pro-life student protesters from Franciscan University in Ohio this past weekend. After all, this was the same Bill Clinton whose political aspirations were forged during the antiwar protest years of the sixties, the same… READ MORE >
Opinion: Issues
Letting Bill Clinton Off Easy
When I saw the popular YouTube clip of pro-life protestors from Franciscan University of Steubenville interrupting Bill Clinton's speech at a campaign rally in their town this week, my first reaction wasn't the satisfaction that was registered all over the Catholic blogosphere—at either their audacity or Clinton's cherry-faced… READ MORE >
Opinion: Politics
Abortion in Britain: The Case for a New Approach
Britain's lawmakers have voted to extend scientific research on embryos to allow the mixing of human and animal egg and sperm, to allow lesbians to create children through IVF without the need for a father, and against lowering the 24-week legal limit for abortions The promises of brave-new-world cures for diseases swung Members of Parliament… READ MORE >
Opinion: Politics
Pro-Life vs. Family Values? Is Newsweek's Jacob Weisberg promoting eugenics?
The culture war is back, stronger than ever, with the liberal media completely flummoxed over how to handle Sarah Palin. But what's really thrown them is Bristol Palin's unwed teen pregnancy, and the Republican Party's surprisingly warm-hearted, non-judgemental response to it. How else to explain Jacob Weisberg's bizarre… READ MORE >
Opinion: Politics
The Democrats are Blowing the Election—and the Catholic Vote
The best thing about how the Democratic Party is kicking away what should be an easy victory in the November presidential election is that it might force them to finally reassess their support for abortion and gay marriage, positions that are unpopular with working class voters, their natural constituency. A subplot here is how the Dems were… READ MORE >
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A Bittersweet Release
The Director of "Enough Said," Nicole Holofcener, on James Gandolfini in One of His Final Roles
Writer and director Nicole Holofcener's fifth film, "Enough Said," casts James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as single parents who embark, with much trepidation, on a romance. Fresh off a Sunday screening of the movie—which co-stars Catherine Keener, Toni Collette and Ben Falcone and was released in New York on Wednesday by Fox Searchlight—Ms. Holofcener sat down with The Wall Street Journal to discuss her inspirations, family and casting Mr. Gandolfini in one of his final roles.
You just returned from the Toronto International Film Festival. What was the reaction to the movie?
The screening in Toronto was the first time I screened it in front of an actual, real audience so it was nerve-wracking but thrilling right away. They were such a responsive audience and I could feel the goodwill in the room. Huge laughs and tons of tears. It's downhill from there. It's got to be, because that was great.
A lot of the experiences in your films, particularly the family relationships, feel incredibly real to life. Are they at all inspired by your own life?
I'm sure they are. What's weird is, the relationship between Eva [Ms. Louis-Dreyfus] and Chloe, Ellen's [her daughter] best friend, I think, in retrospect, comes from me feeling jealous of my friends' relationships with my parents. I had cool parents and a couple of my friends were particularly needy and kind of lost and, I think, inappropriately attached themselves to my parents and I didn't know how to deal with that. But when I sat down to write it, I wasn't aware that I was dragging that all up.
What made you want to take a chance on James Gandolfini in what was a departure role for him?
It didn't feel like I was taking a chance. He's worked a lot more than I have and I felt really fortunate to get him. I felt like he could do it. He had a funny sense of humor in person, he's funny as Tony Soprano and shows so many layers of personality on that show...I had no reason to believe he couldn't do this. He was very charming and flirtatious in a sweet way in person and that's what I needed for the character. So there it was.
Maybe it's more surprising that he didn't have a role like this sooner.
Yes and same with Julia. I think that when you play a character well for so many years on television, you're kind of screwed. And I'm sure he felt screwed. I'm sure he was grateful for those years, but at the same time he probably wanted to play many different things.
Do you think that his death has changed the reception to the film? Did you experience that at Toronto?
I'll never really know. I think there's a lot of goodwill towards the movie because of his death and watching it is more sad, more bittersweet, than it would have been. But I'll never really know.
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Trump, Saudis Escalate Threats Over Disappearance of Saudi Journalist


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A few days ago, Cnet reported that Amazon.com was running a promotion for certain Xbox 360 games whereby a customer can trade up for the Xbox One version (which won't be out until December 31st).
How does it work? Customers who purchased one of select Xbox 360 games, including Call of Duty: Ghosts, Need for Speed Rivals, Madden NFL 25, and NBA 2K14, can return the game for a $25 credit and a $25 trade in value. Since Xbox One games will cost $60, that leaves a $10 difference for the purchase. Such a system will allow you to play the game for a few months on your Xbox 360 instead of having to wait for the Xbox One version.
Windows Phone Central has now learned exclusively that Microsoft Stores (both online and brick), will be participating in the offer as well. Customers who purchase the select titles (listed above) can trade up for the Xbox One version for just $10. Presumably this will be a lot easier if you live near a physical Microsoft Store as you can just to the one for one exchange in person instead of mailing.
The offer is only good for one game per customer and expires December 31st. Since the Xbox One can't play Xbox 360 games, this offer is critical for hardcore gamers who want to play the latest titles now instead of waiting.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.


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Internet Dating Conference (Cyprus) will be held July 21-22, 2016 at the Crowne Plaza Limassol:
The hotel which we recommend is the The Crowne Plaza Limassol. We have obtained a special single/double room rate of USD $ 190 for a limited number of rooms. *The rate is valid through June 22, 2016.* Please email to email@example.com. Just call +357 25851515, ask for "In-House Reservations."
Crowne Plaza Limassol
PROMACHON ELEFTHERIAS 2 AGIOS ATHANASIOS, 4103 Limassol
Telephone: +357 25851515
Fax: +357 25851515
Google Map
Driving Directions


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Capital One Cup: Arsene Wenger will mix up Arsenal team v Chelsea
Arsene Wenger will put his faith in a mix-and-match Arsenal side as he prepares to renew rivalry with Jose Mourinho.
Last Updated: 29/10/13 7:02pm
Wenger is yet to record a victory over Mourinho's sides in eight meetings and is "absolutely" focused on getting the better of Chelsea in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.
But neither that aim, nor any residual memory of an at-times bitter relationship with Mourinho, will prevent the Arsenal boss resting some big names at the Emirates.
"The team will be a mixture, with some players who are at the moment not getting the games they need and deserve, and also one or two young players," Wenger said.
"I have to get that mixture right and I will leave myself time to decide how I do that."
Mourinho famously branded Wenger a "voyeur" during his first spell at Stamford Bridge after taking exception to the Frenchman talking about his team.
And the bad blood spilled from the dugout to the pitch during a 2007 League Cup final which saw three red cards and both managers enter the field of play to break up a mass shoving match.
Mourinho, who comes into tonight's game bemoaning Chelsea's lack of recovery time following Sunday's victory over Manchester City, is adamant any animosity is in the past.
"We have no problems," said the Portuguese, before smiling when he added: "Unless you tell me that he had an influence on this (the scheduling). If you tell me that..."
Mourinho has indicated he will make wholesale changes, while Arsenal's line-up is likely to include Nicklas Bentdner, who is back in the ranks after loan spells at Sunderland and Juventus and a collapsed move to Crystal Palace.
"Nicklas has been away for a lot of time and he was half - when I say half I mean 80 per cent - out of the club," Wenger said. "In the end, he decided to stay and I stopped him from going.
"I must say, he responded in a positive way and that is what we want from him now. I believe he is physically ready, a very good player and if his concentration is 100 per cent to commit himself to the cause he will be a great asset for us. But that is what you want from him in this game."
Put down a marker
Wenger also believes the contest provides a chance for Arsenal to prove their Premier League title ambitions are serious.
The Gunners are searching to end their eight-year trophy drought and hold a two-point lead over second-placed Chelsea in the table.
He said: "This is a good opportunity for us to show we are ready. I'm not sure it will affect the Premier League at all, but you know people will look at you, how you behave and whether you can win the big games like that.
"What is for sure is you that you want to win these sort of games. That has a certain psychological influence on the team.
"What we want to do is to show that we want to be considered as a very strong team and that comes only with the way we play and with the results, so let's just focus on that. We will absolutely go for this game."
Arsenal v Chelsea is live from 7.30pm on Sky Sports 1.


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COUPON LOVERS: This will save you time and money
Clipping coupons to save money can be tedious and take tons of time.
But smartphones are now making the process easier and giving shoppers the same savings.
About 53 million Americans are expected to use couponing apps this year.
Consumer reports recommend an app called coupons.com to help cut down on costs.
You download the app — and in some cases connect it to your grocery store.
The app then shows which products are on sale or which coupons are available — no cutting or clipping, just saving.
Another recommended app its retailmenot.
This app can help you save on everything from clothing to craft supplies.
It's a big draw for shoppers.


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The Lattanze Center at Loyola University Maryland is nationally recognized as a center of excellence for academic and practitioner collaboration on issues related to information technology. The Lattanze Center sponsors research and programs to improve the practice and education of business in the Sellinger School of Business and Management and within the greater Baltimore/Washington, D.C. community.
The David D. Lattanze Center for Information Value was formed in 1987 as a joint venture designed to create a partnership between the information technology community and Loyola University's Sellinger School of Business and Management. As a nationally recognized center of excellence for management collaboration, the Lattanze Center at Loyola University Maryland aims to serve business professionals inside and outside of the Loyola University community on issues related to business excellence and information technology.
David D. Lattanze, MBA, '82, was an important advocate for technology and ahead of his time in the business world. He was employed by IBM Corporation for 25 years, and became an industry marketing specialist during that time. He played an integral role in implementing computer systems for all fields of business. In 1984, Lattanze retired from IBM and pursued a career in education. His dream was to establish a forum for communication to benefit members of the information technology community. After he passed away in 1986, his family and other contributors founded the Lattanze Center to carry on his dream for the business community. Learn more about David D. Lattanze.
The Lattanze Center seeks the advancement of relevance and rigor in the shared knowledge about information systems through synergies among academics, business professionals, and students. It supports funded research, symposia, and working papers to facilitate the sharing of new knowledge about information technology and systems. Each year, the Lattanze Center recognizes a CIO of the Year who personifies the values of Lattanze and the values of Loyola University Maryland.
The Lattanze Center values both rigor and relevance as the result of business and academic activities that embody curiosity, thoughtfulness, clarity, sharing, diversity, openness, independence, and discipline.
The Lattanze Center at Loyola University will be:
Our Information Technology Executive of the Year Award honors executives and organizations that have made outstanding contributions through the integration of information technology and systems in the business enterprise. The award was established in 1991. The award has recognized executives and organizations of national and international reputation and stature. Learn more about the Lattanze event.
Paul Tallon
Executive Director
Professor of Information Systems
Sellinger Hall 325
Loyola University Maryland
4501 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, Md. 21210


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Jamie Gorelick is the Clinton administration's agent on the 9/11 Commission. She was also a critical player in elaborating the constraints that handicapped cooperation between intelligence and law enforcement prior to the adoption of the PATRIOT Act. She would be an important witness to explain the evolution of "the wall."
Today's Washington Times reports the latest disclosures that show why her participation on the commission renders it a farce: "Memos show Gorelick involvement in 'wall.'" So long as Gorelick remains a commissioner rather than a witness, the 9/11 Commission cannot be taken seriously.
UPDATE: Michelle Malkin advises: "Forget Jamie Gorelick. The member of the 9/11 Commission who most deserves the boot
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"Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time." Winston Churchill
"Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof." Inscription on the Liberty Bell


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For three weeks, the Orlando Sentinel is going through the Orlando Magic alphabetically, evaluating players, as well as coach Stan Van Gundy and General Manager Otis Smith, and assigning them grades for 2010-11.
Point guard
Age: 28
For three weeks, the Orlando Sentinel is going through the Orlando Magic alphabetically, evaluating players, as well as coach Stan Van Gundy and General Manager Otis Smith, and assigning them grades for 2010-11.
Point guard
Age: 28
Years with Magic/NBA: 1/7.
2010-11 regular-season stats: 51 G, 15.2 mpg, .380 fg%, .250 3p%, .560 ft%, 2.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 2.3 apg
2010-11 advanced regular-season stats#: .446 ts%, .430 efg%, 3.9 trb%, 88 oftg, 106 drtg
2011 postseason stats: 1 G, 4.0 mpg, .500 fg%, .500 3p%, 1.000 ft%, 5.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg, 0.0 apg
2011 advanced postseason stats: .868 ts%, .750 efg%, 0.0 trb%, 183 oftg, 109 drtg
Contract status: Signed through 2013-14, but according to ShamSports.com, the final season is only partially guaranteed if he is waived on or before June 30, 2013.
Praise: Duhon almost certainly is the best defender among Magic point guards. That's not necessarily high praise, given that Orlando's two other point guards are Jameer Nelson and Gilbert Arenas. Still, Duhon is a capable defender who had some bright spots on that side of the ball during the season. Duhon committed 2.8 turnovers per 36 minutes, lower than Nelson (3.0) or Arenas (3.6). Duhon also is well-respected by his teammates. The Magic designated Duhon as their representative to the players' union. On Jan. 11, during a road trip to face the New Orleans Hornets, teammates Brandon Bass, Earl Clark, Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Jason Richardson and Quentin Richardson accompanied Duhon to a game featuring Duhon's high-school alma mater. When he's on the bench, Duhon is one of the Magic's most vocal and most supportive players.
You vote: Grade Chris Duhon's season with the Magic
Constructive criticism: Duhon was signed to a lucrative four-year deal in 2010 to be the Magic's second-string point guard behind Nelson, but he had more downs than ups during the season. Coach Stan Van Gundy wanted Duhon to trust his shot more and be more aggressive on offense, and when Duhon didn't deliver, Van Gundy occasionally played Jason Williams instead of Duhon. And, when Arenas was acquired in a mid-December trade, Duhon never regained his regular spot in the rotation unless there was an injury in the backcourt. Indeed, Duhon has to improve on his field-goal percentage and his 3-point percentage to receive more playing time.
2010-11 grade*: C-
The future: It would seem unlikely that the Magic will be able to trade Duhon this offseason. But he will turn only 29 years on Aug. 31, so could be able to engineer a turnaround in his game. As long as Nelson and Arenas are with the team to begin the 2011-12 season, as is expected, Duhon likely will begin the season as the team's third-string point guard.
# All advanced statistics come from Basketball-Reference.com. Here's what they mean:
ts%: True shooting percentage, a measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals and free throws.
efg%: Effective field-goal percentage, which adjusts for the fact that a 3-point field goal is worth one more point than a 2-point field goal.
trb%: Total rebound percentage, an estimate of available rebounds a player grabbed while he was on the floor.
oftg: Offensive rating, an estimate of points produced per 100 possessions.
drtg: Defensive rating, an estimate of points allowed per 100 possessions.
*grades evaluate how a person did in his expected role.
firstname.lastname@example.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.


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Shipyard silence: Let the workers speakEDITORIAL
July 18. 2013 9:03PM
There are 1,300 civilian employees at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard who are subject to furloughs under sequestration. Keeping the public ignorant of the impact the furloughs will have on these workers is the official policy of the U.S. Navy command under which they toil.
Foster's Daily Democrat reported on Saturday that it was trying to find out what was going on with these employees when the workers were warned against talking to the paper.
"At no time shall an employee contact or otherwise engage the media to voice opinions or relay facts on Navy or SUBMEPP matters without prior approval of the (public affairs officer) and the Executive Director," Submarine Maintenance, Engineering, Planning and Procurement Activity (SUBMEPP) public information officer Norm Lafleur wrote in an email to employees, which Foster's obtained. "This is particularly true during this period of furloughs and budget uncertainty."
Debbie Jennings, president of the local chapter of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, told Foster's, "We work for the Department of Defense to defend our freedom." Darned right. These people should not be barred from speaking to the media about their personal experiences with sequestration.


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Lest we forget, it seems like only yesterday that middle-class Americans were blessed with the peace and prosperity of the '90s. At the turn of the century, our good fortune changed dramatically. Two wars with a estimated price tag of $6 trillion, high unemployment, a financial collapse, the housing bubble, spiraling national debt, a growing wealth disparity, all contributing to a catastrophic Bush II presidency.
The 40 years before Ronald Reagan's presidency, the top tax rate never fell below 70 percent. It's how the bills were paid. Through incremental reductions starting in 1981, Reagan had reduced the top tax rate to a historic low of 28 percent by 1988. Today, low taxes for the rich is a Republican centerpiece.
If Medicare recipients don't know by now, their 2014 budget has just taken a big hit. In 2012, one could locate Medicare health insurance for an out-of-pocket limit of $3,400. Next year, the out-of-pocket norm in Pennsylvania doubles to $6,700. Medicare may now be referred to as "The Unaffordable Health Care Act."
In 2010, many middle-class Americans aided their adversaries by awarding the speaker's gavel to a Republican Congress. Their agenda is to instigate unprecedented political chaos to destroy a presidency. Their shutting down of the government harmed America.
The writing is on the wall: In the 2014 election, should middle-class Americans still not "get it," an unscrupulous tea party may well accomplish its evil mission.


text: are there any good treat ideas out there for jadan who is chicken, wheat and gluten intolerant? not to mention others. i had word from some of you that your little pooches had tummy troubles with chicken etc so what do you give as a treat that isnt there normal food. he likes the odd carrot and i have a list of other kitchen food that he can eat but would like some tried and tested ones from others with less tolerable tummies, so i dont keep putting him through trials. sometimes i want him to have a good chew on something that isnt a nylabone!


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Rihanna Graces Harper's Bazaar August Issue
Adorned in Calvin Klein and gold jewelry, Rihanna coves Harper's Bazzar August issue looking as stunning as ever.
In her cover story, Rih Rih opens up about her love life and reveals one thing her near-perfect figure is missing.
"I need a butt," she said. "I have an idea of one, but it's not living up to its full potential right now."
Check out more photos from the shoot on the following pages.


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and have has has hand selected gift cards to their favorite stores. Follow the instructions below to contribute a gift card, in any denomination, toward their total requested gift card amounts.
Step 1: Choose a gift card to purchase and click the "Buy a Gift Card" button. You will be redirected to a reliable third-party website to purchase the gift card. Gift cards are NOT purchased or delivered from CardAvenue.com.
Step 2: Purchase a gift card in a denomination of your choice. Be sure to decide if you want the gift card sent to your address or the address of the recipient. Cards will NOT be delivered to the recipient automatically.
Step 3: Return to the registry and enter the gift card dollar amount you purchased.
Step 4: Let and know you purchased a gift card by sending a message through the "Contact Registrants" link.


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- The Undertaker gets the Superstar Spotlight on WWE's website today, Halloween.
- According to new data from The New York Times, Linda McMahon has a 14% chance of winning a seat in the US Senate next Tuesday. They predict that Linda's opponent Chris Murphy will receive 51.7% of the vote while Linda will receive 46.2%.
- Most of the WWE RAW crew arrived in Germany early this morning and will be kicking off the European tour tonight with a show in Strasbourg, France.
Matches advertised include John Cena vs. CM Punk for the WWE Title and Zack Ryder vs. Antonio Cesaro for the United States Title. Other stars advertised include Ryback, Dolph Ziggler, Brodus Clay, Tensai, Kane, Daniel Bryan, Santino Marella, AJ Lee and Eve Torres.
Got a news tip or correction? Send it to us by clicking here.


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Family in the Spotlight
De Blasio's Wife, Children Provide Multiracial Backdrop to Likely Mayoral Bid
There are Bill de Blasio's children, Chiara and Dante, who often join him at public events and are featured in campaign literature. There is his wife, Chirlane McCray, a black writer who sits in on job-candidate interviews for her husband and weighs in on his speeches.
And then there is the prominent image on the public advocate's 2013 campaign website: a photo of the multiracial family, smiling. "Meet the de Blasios," it says.
As Mr. de Blasio, who is white, lays the groundwork to run for mayor, his family has been there with him in the public eye and appears set to play an important role in shaping his public persona.
The couple disputes the notion from some critics that the family is a strategic political prop. Both children follow public affairs, and Ms. McCray is a force in the campaign and has the potential to be one of the city's most vocal first ladies.
More From Metropolis
"It's, like, part of who we are—the personal is political," Ms. McCray said in a recent joint interview with her husband at Little Purity Diner near their home in Park Slope, Brooklyn. "I don't think it's like that for everyone, but for us it is."
Indeed, the families of other likely contenders for the Democratic nomination are largely staying out of the fray.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's wedding last year was high profile, but her spouse, Kim Catullo, a lawyer, is said to be private and hasn't taken a visible role in the campaign. Former city Comptroller Bill Thompson said his family would keep a relatively low profile, as they did in his unsuccessful 2009 mayoral bid. Comptroller John Liu's wife, Jenny, plans to meet with voters, but, according to the campaign, she is largely focused on their 12-year-old son and her own career.
The de Blasio marriage was thrust into the spotlight last month when it was revealed that Ms. McCray previously identified herself as a lesbian and wrote a 1979 Essence magazine cover story titled "I am a Lesbian," discussing the discovery of her preference for women at an early age before getting "locked into a traditional marriage."
The burst of attention added another dimension to the mystique around the de Blasio family, said Douglas Muzzio, a public-affairs professor at Baruch College in Manhattan. He said the family could be seen by voters as a "celebration of our diversity." "It's not only race, it's sexual preference," he said.
It is a narrative that could have political benefits for Mr. de Blasio, who many observers see as trying to position himself as a more liberal alternative to Ms. Quinn and an attractive candidate for black voters. Private polling in the 2009 public advocate race showed Mr. de Blasio's support among black women increased as the campaign sent direct mail with pictures of Ms. McCray, a person familiar with the polling data said.
Mr. de Blasio also featured the family in television ads and will likely again this year.
"The family symbolizes everything we are, everything we believe in," said Mr. de Blasio, 51 years old. "By showing it to the world, it's sort of, one, what you see is what you get, and, two, yeah, I think there are some positive messages."
Ms. McCray called it "a little annoying" that some think the campaign is using her image to attract black voters. "It kind of takes away from me having my own mind and opinion and thoughts about things," she said. "I'm my own person."
Ms. McCray has a deep history in city politics, working as a speechwriter for former Mayor David Dinkins, former state Comptroller Carl McCall and Mr. Thompson. She is a full-time volunteer on her husband's campaign, with plans to speak on his behalf, make phone calls and rally the troops. She has a vibrant online presence, sending out tweets and posting family photos, including a recent trip to Africa, on her Tumblr account. She has helped her husband with some of his speeches and plays a role in staffing.
"When I've been trying to choose people for my team, a lot of time Chirlane sits in on the interviews," Mr. de Blasio said. "There's a deep trust. But I also like the way she assesses people and what she sees."
If Mr. de Blasio were to succeed Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Ms. McCray said she wants to remain active, although her precise role is undetermined. "I would not be sitting on the porch swinging, or whatever the metaphor is," she said.
Mr. de Blasio and Ms. McCray met in 1991 at City Hall while they were both working for Mr. Dinkins, the city's first and only black mayor. It was a sensitive time for an interracial couple in New York City—just after tensions between blacks and Hasidic Jews in Crown Heights exploded into riots. It was also the year of the release of "Jungle Fever," the Spike Lee movie about a black man dating a white woman.
They recall being taunted by young people on the subway once. When they entered stores or restaurants, employees assumed they weren't together (something that still happens, though less often, they said). And their families were resistant, more so his than hers. His mother was "perplexed at times" and got "right up to the boundary of hostile," he said.
The prospect of an interracial marriage was "overwhelming" to her, he said.While the focus then was on their race, the couple joked that it was the least of their differences. Mr. de Blasio is 6-feet-5, Ms. McCray is 5-feet-3. She is more than six years older than Mr. de Blasio. "Everyone's talking about race," she said. "I'm worried because he is so young."
But the relationship moved fast. They were married in 1994.
"Just weeks into the relationship something very special was going on," Mr. de Blasio said.
After their daughter was born, Mr. de Blasio said his late mother "galloped" toward acceptance. "She started to like Chirlane as much as me....Then she started to like Chirlane more than me," he said, eliciting a bright smile from his wife.
Their daughter, Chiara, is now an 18-year-old college freshman, and their son, Dante, is a 15-year-old high-school sophomore.
And then there is Ms. McCray's sexual orientation. She said her sexual identity has "evolved" over the years and she eschews labels like straight, gay or bisexual. "We're in a committed relationship, have been for 21 years and so the only label I feel is appropriate, for me at this time, is married," she said.
She said she stood by the Essence article. "At the time, it was an important statement to make because black women, especially at that time, we were like invisible in the gay movement," she said. Asked if she believes sexual orientation is a choice, she said: "I view it as more complicated than that...I think for some people it may be a choice...Some people are more hard-wired. I think that there's a spectrum, that people can fall anywhere along the spectrum of human sexuality."
Mr. de Blasio said previous romantic relationships are unimportant. Ms. McCray said she doesn't plan to act as a liaison to the gay and lesbian community as part of the campaign, although she would be open to meeting with gay groups.
While Mr. de Blasio and his wife said they don't make choices about their family based on politics, his family informs his views on city policies. For instance, Mr. de Blasio and Ms. McCray said they have strong credentials on a contentious election issue, education, because their children have attended city public schools.
For now, the family is planning their role in the campaign. Chiara and Dante may help make phone calls and knock on doors and appear at public events. And Ms. McCray said, jokingly, their personal life has been so subsumed by the election that date nights are campaign events
Mr. de Blasio said he wants New Yorkers to know his wife and children. "My family life has affected my understanding of everything I do in public life," he said. "This is kind of the core of how I define myself."
Write to Michael Howard Saul at email@example.com