text:
Linda Medley, Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Louisville Seminary, received the 2012 Frank W. Penick Founder's Award last week recognizing her leadership as a development professional in the Louisville area. The award, presented by the Greater Louisville Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), was created as a tribute to Mr. Penick, who once served as Vice President of Development at Louisville Seminary.
"I've known Linda for a long time," said Penick, 88, who served at the Seminary from 1980 until 1988. "She is someone who loves what she does. Now she will continue the work I left 25 years ago."
Medley, who officially joined the Louisville Seminary on November 19, has helped raise millions of dollars for various nonprofit organizations in the Louisville area. Prior to joining Louisville Seminary, she worked at Home of the Innocents, where she helped raise more than $30 million for a large capital expansion project and led successful annual giving and grants programs.
"I am very honored and quite excited to be joining the Louisville Seminary team at a pivotal point in the seminary's history," said Medley. "Securing support for a bold, visionary plan is motivational for me."
Louisville Seminary last year announced a new 10-year strategic plan, "Covenant for the Future," which will provide tuition-free education by 2015 and preparation of students for ministry in a diverse world. The plan also calls for updates to student housing and campus-wide information technology.
Prior to her work at Home of the Innocents, Medley was the chief development professional at various organizations including: St. Catharine College in Springfield, KY; Methodist Retirement Homes of Kentucky, Inc.; and Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville, IN. Medley also held the position of Senior District Executive of the Boy Scouts of America in Louisville, KY.
Medley became a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) in 2000. She has been active with the Greater Louisville Chapter of the AFP for 17 years and currently serves on its Board of Directors.
The Frank W. Penick Founder's Award was created in 2000 as a tribute to Penick, a founding member of the Greater Louisville Chapter of the AFP. The award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to the advancement of the development profession. All recipients are certified fundraising professionals with at least 10 years of experience. The award is now funded by an endowment established by Penick and provides a grant to support the recipient's continuing professional education.
Medley's award was announced during the Greater Louisville AFP's National Philanthropy Day, which recognizes and celebrates the contributions that philanthropy and those active in the philanthropic community make to individual lives and local, national and international communities.


text:
Perfect for a sunny border or large container. No pest or disease problems! Check out the photos and comments at Plant Lust. Wow.
South African Pineapple Lilies, Eucomis, do well in our zone 7 weather? Steve Owens at
Bustani Plant Farm said his are in the ground for 14 years and going strong.
|Bustani Plant Farm - Oakhurst Pineapple Lily
Steve says all 4 varieties he offers are hardy in his western Oklahoma gardens.
|Giant Eucomis - Bustani Plant Farm
Other growers in our zone agree. Plant Delights catalog says,
"Since we began growing eucomis (pineapple lilies) in the early 1980s, we have found them to be easy, reliable, and fun garden perennials. We continue to evaluate most of the 10 Eucomis species from South Africa along with new hybrids from breeders around the world for their uniqueness and garden worthiness. The first plant we introduced was a selection we named Eucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy'. We hope you enjoy our ever-increasing eucomis offerings, many of which were bred for the cut flower market. "
|Bustani Plant Farm - Eucomis
Don't miss out on planting this one in your garden or on your patio.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
PHOENIX (AP) — A federal appeals court on Saturday granted an Arizona death row inmate's request to postpone his pending execution, putting it on hold until prison officials reveal details on the two-drug combination that will be used to put him to death.
The preliminary injunction granted by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversing a lower federal court comes four days before the scheduled execution of Joseph Rudolph Wood.
Without weighing in on the "ultimate merits" of Wood's case, the court wrote: "Wood has presented serious questions going to the merits of his claim, and that the balance of hardships tips sharply in his favor."
Wood's lawyers argued prison officials violated their client's First Amendment rights by refusing to provide the detailed information, such as the makers of the drugs and how the state developed its method for lethal injections.
"Today the Court has made a well-reasoned ruling affirming the core First Amendment principles regarding the public's right to know, which aid all parts of our democratic government," Wood's lawyer Dale Baich said in a statement.
Attorneys for the state argued there was no First Amendment right to the information Wood is seeking.
Representatives from the attorney general's office said they had not yet seen the decision, but based on the severity of Wood's crime they intended to appeal. Spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said the state would decide Monday how to proceed.
The arguments by Wood's attorneys are an example of a new legal tactic in death penalty cases, which emerged as states face problems getting supplies of lethal-injection drugs.
In the past, states used the same three-drug combination and didn't have problems getting access to the drugs, until the maker of a sedative used in executions decided not to make it anymore. Then, states started to shield the identity of the drugmakers.
The legal dispute in Arizona is emerging as concerns over the death penalty mount after a botched April 29 execution of an Oklahoma inmate and an incident in January in which an Ohio inmate snorted and gasped during the 26 minutes it took him to die.
"There is a continuing and intensifying debate over lethal injection in the country," Baich said in a statement, "and the court said it's important that specific and detailed information be provided so the public can know about how safely and reliably the death penalty is administered."
Arizona prison officials intend to use the same drugs — the sedative midazolam and painkiller hydromorphone — used in the Ohio execution. A different drug combination was used in the Oklahoma case.
Wood, 55, had been scheduled to be executed Wednesday in the August 1989 shooting deaths of his estranged girlfriend, Debra Dietz, and her father, Eugene Dietz, at an automotive shop in Tucson.


text:
Constantine Frantzides MD, PhD, FACS, director of the Chicago Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery, staff surgeon, and director of the Laparoscopic Fellowship Program at Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, Ill., has pioneered a minimally invasive surgical technique for the treatment of Barrett's esophagus and high-grade esophageal dysplasia.
The technique, called Laparoscopic Transgastric Esophageal Mucosal Resection, or the Frantzides Technique, involves "stripping" esophageal mucosa that carries a precancerous lesion. This technique offers patients an alternative to traditional surgery, which removes the esophagus entirely, or to endoscopic procedures that examine and remove abnormal segments of the esophageal mucosa but may miss an underlying malignancy.
Dr. Frantzides and his colleagues reported the minimally-invasive technique and the outcomes in the
American Journal of Surgery (Am J Surg 2010 Aug;200[2]:305-7). Patients were followed for 4 to 7 years and did not experience a recurrence of dysplasia.
Patients who are candidates for this surgery include individuals who have precancerous Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia that results from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The Frantzides Technique can also be combined with an antireflux procedure to prevent GERD.


text:
For the Houston Chronicle, Handling Specialty custom engineered and manufactured a 20,000 lb. capacity lift for the unloading of 5,000 lb. paper rolls. The high demand for newsprint at the newspaper required the lift to endure heavy use. As well, Handling Specialty engineers had to incorporate into the lift support for a large side load that was created as a fork truck drove onto the lift from the side. In order to address this, cross-stabilizing scissors were employed to provide extra strength.
With a 20,000 lb. capacity, this mega-style lift has dual opposing sets of hydraulic cylinders, self aligning axle bearings and anti-friction wheel bearings. The lift is able to achieve high cycling performance due to these features and a quality manufactured build.


text:
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partners. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Abbas, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Thoracic Surgery
Department of Surgery
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University
Dr. Abbas E. Abbas, board certified in surgery, is a cardiothoracic surgeon specializing in non-cardiac thoracic surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at The Ohio State University Medical Center.
He is also an assistant professor, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Medical Center. Dr. Abbas has been involved in research projects studying virus-based gene therapy in thoracic oncology as well as an investigation involving an artificial heart and left ventricular assist device.
He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and Human Gene Therapy.
He has presented at professional meetings such as the 39th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons and the American Medical Association.
Dr. Abbas' international experience includes study and work in Egypt, where he was assistant lecturer of surgery and resident at Ain-Shams University Hospitals, and the United Kingdom, where he attended secondary school.
He has been practicing medicine for nearly 20 years and comes to OSU Medical Center from the Mayo Clinic where he was a cardiothoracic surgery fellow.


text:
GETTYSBURG — Forty-eight minutes of regulation wasn't enough to determine a winner of Friday night's varsity football game between Greencastle-Antrim and Gettysburg.
Turns out, neither was one overtime period.
Putting on a classic display of hard-nosed, Mid-Penn Colonial Division football, the Blue Devils and Warriors needed two overtimes to decide a victor, with Gettysburg ultimately making a pair of decisive plays en route to a 29-27 triumph.
Tied at 14 at the end of regulation, the teams matched each other with seven points on their respective possessions of the first extra period, forcing a second additional stanza still knotted at 21.
Beginning on offense, the Warriors needed just two plays to find the end zone on a 1-yard run by Lane Sherman, setting the stage for Gettysburg to force the hand of its opponent following a successful 2-point conversion on a designed run by quarterback Jesse Stouch.
Now down by eight, Ashtin Byers rumbled in for a 5-yard touchdown on the second snap of G-A's ensuing series, culminating into the necessary 2-point try to tie.
Looking for room along the right side, Byers was met by a host of Gettysburg defenders, losing control of the ball while falling short of the goal line, thus serving as a game-winning stand for the Warriors.
"These two teams played their butts off, and somebody had to lose," G-A head coach Chuck Tinninis said. "We had our chances, they just made one more play than us tonight. I'm not disappointed in the effort of our kids one bit, it was a heck of a high school football game."
Neither side managed to generate much offense through the first two quarters, as a Blue Devil fumble deep in their own end led to a 7-yard touchdown pass from Stouch to Kobe Wansel, accounting for the only points of the opening half.
After Matt Montedoro intercepted a Stouch pass on the first possession of the third quarter, G-A (1-3, 0-1 MPC-Colonial) began establishing its punishing ground attack, rushing 10 times for 52 yards capped by Montedoro scrambling in for a 5-yard score to draw the Blue Devils even at 7.
A turnover-on-downs by the Warriors (1-3, 1-0 MPC-Colonial) returned the ball to G-A at its own 38, with two carries by David Woody complemented by a nice gain from Nathaniel Monn abruptly flipping the field.
Montedoro connected with Monn for 15 yards on the next play, setting up a 1-yard surge up the middle by Woody to give the Blue Devils their first lead of the night at 14-7 following Justin Hovey's extra point.
With the momentum seemingly shifting to the visitors, Gettysburg immediately responded on the first play of its ensuing series, as Stouch broke loose on a keeper for a 47-yard trip to pay dirt, tying the game at 14 with 9:59 remaining in regulation.
A three-and-out by the Blue Devils followed, giving possession back to the Warriors, who found themselves with 4th-and-short at G-A's 47 moments later.
Attempting to find room around the right side, Sherman was wrapped up by Montedoro at the line of scrimmage, failing to pick up the necessary yardage while returning the ball to G-A on downs.
Taking over with 4:25 showing on the clock, the Blue Devils' methodically marched down the field, with Byers and Woody chewing up 38 yards and all but eight seconds of remaining time while moving the ball to the Gettysburg 12.
Called upon for the potential game-winner, Hovey's 29-yard field goal attempt missed wide left, thus sending the contest into overtime.
As per overtime rules, teams are given one series of downs from the 10-yard line, needing to match or better the opponent's score after each side has been given offensive possession.
Starting with the ball, an 8-yard pickup by Jackson Hall preceded a 2-yard touchdown by Woody, with Hovey's extra point putting G-A ahead 21-14.
In need of at least seven points to force a second overtime, Stouch found Lampe in the flat for a 7-yard score on second down, with the Warriors electing to go for two and the win instead of kicking the extra point.
The aggressive call appeared to pay off as Stouch connected with Sherman in the end zone, only to have an offensive pass interference penalty negate the effort.
The result was a 33-yard extra point attempt after the penalty was assessed, with Dakota Myers successfully converting the lengthy try to force the second, and ultimately, decisive extra period.
"We battled back, scored touchdowns in both overtimes and just came up a play or two short," Tinninis said regarding Stouch's 2-point conversion and Gettysburg's consequent defensive stand in the second overtime. "It's tough, but our kids played hard and we'll get back to work on Monday."
Woody finished with a game-high 114 yards on 21 carries followed by 59 from Byers in the loss.
Stouch rushed for 81 yards on 13 attempts, highlighted by his 47-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Sam Sprague joined Montedoro in recording an interception while Matt Oberholzer notched six tackles to lead the Blue Devil defense.
G-A will look to get back on track next Friday as the Blue Devils host Northern York (2-2) for Homecoming at Kaley Field.


text:
Deep South Defense believes everyone should exercise their right to own a firearm. We specialize in providing first class customer service to make sure you are satisfied with your firearm purchase. We pride ourselves in carrying a large assortment of firearms and accessories. Please feel free to stop by our store to see one of our expert associates. We'll be happy to help get you what you want for a price you'll like.
Mfg Item #: SOA20003


text:
A timeline of key events in the fall and revival of General Motors Co.
Nov. 18 — The CEOs of GM, Ford and Chrysler ask for aid from Congress, citing the weak economy, plummeting sales and the collapse of the U.S. banking system.
Dec. 19 — President Bush approves $17.4 billion in loans for GM and Chrysler, citing an imminent collapse of the industry. President Obama eventually approves another $44.6 billion in aid for the companies.
March 30 — GM CEO Rick Wagoner is forced to resign by the government.
April 30 — Chrysler files for bankruptcy protection.
June 1 — GM files for bankruptcy protection. Orion Assembly Plant is on a list of 12 plants it plans to close or idle.
June 11 — Chrysler leaves bankruptcy in a new partnership with Italian automaker Fiat SpA.
June 26 — GM says Orion will stay open and build a new small car that was originally scheduled to be built in China.
July 10 — GM emerges from bankruptcy protection. Becomes a private company with U.S. government as largest shareholder. Former AT&T head Ed Whitacre becomes board chairman.
Nov. 16 — GM reports a $1.2 billion loss from July bankruptcy exit through Sept. 30.
Dec. 1 — GM CEO Fritz Henderson is forced out after just eight months. Whitacre becomes CEO.
Dec. 31 — U.S. annual auto sales drop to 10.4 million, a 30-year low.
Jan. 28 — Ford reports a $2.7 billion profit for 2009, its first annual profit in four years. Ford didn't take government bailout money but funded restructuring with a $26 billion loan.
April 21 — GM repays $8.1 billion of loans to U.S. and Canadian governments.
May 17 — GM reports first-quarter earnings of $865 million, its first quarterly profit since 2007.
Aug. 12 — Whitacre steps down. Board member Daniel Akerson becomes CEO.
Aug. 18 — GM files initial paperwork to sell its stock to the public, its first step toward ending government ownership.
Nov. 10 — Reports a third-quarter profit of $2 billion.
Nov. 18 — GM sells shares for $33 in an initial public offering. The government recoups $13.5 billion of its $50 billion in loans but retains a 26.5 percent stake in the company.
Dec. 15 — GM buys $2.1 billion of its preferred stock from the government.
Dec. 31 — U.S. annual auto sales rise 11 percent to 11.6 million.
Feb. 24 — GM reports earnings of $4.7 billion for 2010, its first annual profit in six years.
May 2 — Chrysler earns $116 million in the first quarter, its first profitable quarter in five years.
Aug. 1 — Orion Assembly begins building the Chevrolet Sonic.
Oct. 14 — President Obama tours Orion Assembly with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.
Dec. 1 — Chevrolet Sonic overtakes the Hyundai Accent and Honda Fit as the best-selling subcompact in the U.S.
Dec. 31 — U.S. annual auto sales rise 10 percent to 12.8 million.
Feb. 16 — GM reports its highest annual profit ever — $7.6 billion — for 2011.
Oct. 31 — GM earns $1.48 billion in third quarter; 11th straight profitable quarter since bankruptcy. Total earnings since bankruptcy are $16 billion.
Dec. 3 — Industry reports strong Nov. U.S. sales; GM sales up only 3 percent. Industry grows 14 percent in first 11 months. GM up 3.5.
Dec. 19 — GM reaches deal to buy back 200 million shares from U.S. government for $5.5 billion. Government agrees to sell remaining 300 million shares by early 2014.
Jan. 3 — GM says it sold 81,247 Sonics in the U.S. in 2012, making it the best-selling subcompact in the country.


text:
New Delhi: An incident like the brutal gang-rape here could have been prevented had the Supreme Court's guidelines on removal of tinted glasses from all vehicles been followed, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Altamas Kabir said Wednesday.
Inaugurating a fast track court in Saket district courts, Chief Justice Kabir said: "It's good to know that after the Dec 16 tragic incident, people have started raising their voice on crime against women."
The CJI expressed hope that the fast track court at Saket courts for dealing with cases of sexual abuse would be operational immediately.
Chief Justice Kabir said that a blame game after such incidents should be avoided as "it would not serve anything".
"A blame game will not serve anything. We have to go to the root of the problem. This case, which is in the public eye, should be decided as early as possible," he said.
The Delhi High Court had a few days ago agreed to open five fast track courts after the city government suggested so, following the Dec 16 gang-rape in a moving bus.
Chief Justice Kabir said four other fast track courts would be made operational in different parts of Delhi to show "we mean business in tackling matters of such nature".
Delhi High Court Chief Justice D. Murugesan, who was also present, said that judicial officers have been identified for the fast track courts and wherever possible, cases will be taken up for daily hearing.


text:
University of Vermont
Vermont Water Resources & Lake Studies Center
UVM Researchers Head to Yellowstone Lake
Evaluating New Ways to Suppress Invasive Lake Trout
- 07-09-2014
- By Lee Gregory Simard
Graduate student Lee Simard and Professor Ellen Marsden recently returned from a research trip to Yellowstone National Park, where they are answering some basic questions about the feasibility of suppressing lake trout populations at their early life stages in Yellowstone Lake. Lake trout is an invasive species in Yellowstone Lake, and is outcompeting and threatening the survival of the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Cutthroat trout populations have shown a marked decline since the invasion by lake trout, leading to a negative, cascading effect across the Yellowstone ecosystem - many avian and mammalian species rely on the cutthroat trout as a key prey source.
Following their discovery in Yellowstone Lake in 1994, the lake trout population has grown exponentially, leading to a suppression program led by the National Park Service. Over 300,000 adult lake trout were removed with gillnets and trap nets in 2013 alone, but the population remains extremely high. Other control methods have been proposed to target lake trout eggs and newly-hatched fry before they leave spawning reefs; the hypothesis is that by targeting multiple life stages at once, suppression will occur faster. However, very little is known about lake trout reproduction in Yellowstone Lake. Simard's Master's research will evaluate if early life history suppression is likely to have an impact on the overall lake trout population in Yellowstone Lake.
Sampling last autumn showed that egg densities around Carrington Island, one of the only known spawning sites in the lake, were relatively low for such a large population of lake trout, indicating that additional spawning sites likely exist throughout the lake. During their most recent sampling in June, which began just five days after the ice went out on Yellowstone Lake, Simard and Marsden searched for additional sites that could targeted for early life stage suppression. Seven locations across the lake were sampled with two underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) built and adapted by colleagues Dylan Olson and Dr. John Janssen from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Both ROVs were equipped with a live feed video camera, electroshocker, and suction sampler. The shocker was used to draw out and stun any small fish hiding in the substrate, and the suction sampler captured the stunned fish and brought them to the surface. Three new locations were identified as potential spawning sites and lake trout fry were confirmed on a fourth site, providing additional locations where suppression efforts will take place.
Many of the lake trout questions on Yellowstone Lake are pertinent to current research on Lake Champlain. A strong lake trout population exists in Lake Champlain, but numbers are maintained entirely through stocking because their fry, although abundant after emerging from eggs, do not survive their first year of life. By comparing why early life stages are doing so well in Yellowstone Lake but so poorly in Lake Champlain, Simard and Marsden hope to elucidate the mechanisms preventing survival of young lake trout in Lake Champlain.


text:
Oh, how we love a 'bungling council workers and road signage' story! Misspelled signs for 'shcool', yellow lines painted right over badger corpses, they are guaranteed local newspaper filler.
Even the MSM picks them up from time to time:
Bungling council workers have ruined historic cobblestones in a picturesque market town for the second time with clumsily painted yellow lines.People living in Stamford, Lincolnshire – dubbed 'England's most attractive town' by poet John Betjeman – were horrified when they first discovered the messy lines smeared across the stones in St Mary's Place last November.
The paint had ran (sic) into the cracks of the stones – which were laid in the Georgian era – leaving them covered in unsightly, thick, yellow dollops.
Tee hee!
But it's unlikely to happen in the historic cobblestone streets of Beverley in the future.
Are their council workers perfect, then? Well, probably not. But they won't have cobblestones soon…
East Riding of Yorkshire Council wants to take up the stone sets as part of a £2.5 million programme at Beverley's Saturday Market, which will see pavements being widened and parking areas changed, as well as other work.But hundreds of opponents of the plans staged a protest march during the weekend before Christmas and have delivered a petition to the council. A contractor has already been appointed and work will start later this month. English Heritage has said the cobbles should remain and the Beverley Civic Society has also objected to the plans, but the council said reaction to the proposed changes had been positive.
Curious! If there's a huge protest against it, who are these 'positive reactions' from?
The 'Post' is very coy about the reasons for wanting to get rid of the cobblestones, and just who provided the 'positive reaction' that the council is determined to heed. The 'Mail' isn't so reticent:
However, town hall bosses said work will go ahead after they consulted community groups, including members of a disability advisory group, which were in favour of removing the stones.
So, a favoured identity group outweighs everyone else. Is anyone surprised?


text:
New Steak Place, New Breakfast Place & More
Carnivores are flocking to Burlingame with the recent opening of Medallion Steakhouse.
Chef Thomas Sazo, also of Medjool restaurant in San Francisco, features sustainably sourced beef and local products in such dishes as prime rib spring rolls ($10) with roasted onions, peppers, provolone and cayenne ketchup; fennel and sausage pizza ($11); American Kobe sliders (two for $14); and Maine lobster risotto ($26).
There are nine different steak offerings, from a 10-ounce corn-fed skirt steak ($25) to a 12-ounce corn-fed Chateaubriand ($46).
On the other side of the Bay, the Sunny Side Cafe has opened in downtown Berkeley, serving breakfast and lunch daily.
It's the sister restaurant to the original locale in Albany.
Chef Aaron French, who has a master's degree in ecology from San Francisco State University, primarily uses locally-sourced, sustainable, certified-humane ingredients. Specialties include seasonal pancakes, Croque Monsieur, "Not-Your-Ordinary Sesame Chicken Salad Sandwich," and a weekend tasting menu.
Through the end of November, embark on a "Gourmet Walks" tour and 50 percent of each ticket will be donated to Share Our Strength, the nation's leading organization dedicated to alleviating childhood hunger.
Gourmet Walks may be best known for its "Gourmet Chocolate Tour," Wednesdays and Fridays, which takes visitors on a trek around San Francisco's Embarcadero and Union Square areas to learn and taste artisan chocolates. The three-hour tour is $49 per person.
The newest tour is "Gourmet on Hayes," which explores one of San Francisco's hippest neighborhoods. Among the stops on this tour are at a sophisticated tea bar, a cafe that specializes in Belgian fries with 22 different dipping sauces, and the first dedicated sake store in the United States. This tour is $59 per person.
Specialty coffee buying just got a little easier with your one-stop GoCoffeeGo.com. Established by San Francisco entrepreneurs who are passionate about coffee, the Web site offers coffees sourced from all over the world that can be shipped anywhere in the United States.
Among the brands available are: Ritual, Barefoot, and Higher Ground.


text:
Who Saw Her Die? (UK - DVD R2)
The Wilson Bros examine Shameless' release of Aldo Lado's classic thriller...
It's a funny thing, but back in the heyday of Italian cinema, whenever there was a huge hit from another country, several Italian knock-offs would spring up in an effort to make money from a passing trend.
In 1972, this trend was bucked when Aldo Lado ( The Night Train Murders) unleashed his thriller Who Saw Her Die? onto the world, trumping the very similarly-themed Don't Look Now by Nicholas Roeg by about a year.
Credited to four writers (Francesco Barilli, Massimo D'Avak, Ruediger von Speiss and director Lado), and almost certainly based upon the same short story by Daphne DuMaurier, Who Saw Her Die?, or to give the movie its original Italian title, Chi L'ha Vista Morire?, sees sculptor Franco Serpieri (George Lazenby) arriving in Venice after picking up his young daughter, Roberta (Nicoletta Elmi), from estranged wife Elizabeth (Anita Strindberg).
Franco is unaware that a child murderer who killed a girl in France the previous year is now residing in Venice and has set his sights on Franco's daughter. After several unsuccessful attempts, Nicoletta's luck runs out and she is murdered by the mysterious figure. United by grief, Franco and Elizabeth mourn their only child, but this reunion is jeopardised by Franco's increasing obsession to identify and bring their daughter's killer to justice, regardless of who he upsets and what he could lose whilst doing so.
One cannot help but see the main drive of Who Saw Her Die? as being eerily prophetic to George Lazenby—in the 1990s, he had to endure the death of his son Robert and from a contemporary perspective, being armed with this knowledge adds more weight to Lazenby's performance and also makes the viewer seem more like an intrusive voyeur.
The cinematic technique for repeatedly building tension and then acting upon it is employed here—director Richard Donner once described the method as 'show them the banana, show them the banana and then have them slip on it'—there are three attempts to abduct Nicoletta and on the third attempt, it is successful. OK, it can be looked upon as a somewhat crass and manipulative, but it certainly works.
Also included in terms of cynical cinematic manipulation is the use of some kind of false hope for the protagonist at a time when things are at their most dire. Stuck in the middle of every parent's nightmare, Franco searches frantically around the neighbourhood for Nicolette; he returns to his house and hears what he thinks is his daughter in the front room—this momentary glimmer of hope is dashed when he enters the room and discovers that the voice he heard is coming from the television set.
Who Saw Her Die? is not a giallo in the traditional sense, but there are certainly many of the trappings on display—an amusing little visual clue that Lado's movie is not a straightforward giallo comes when the killer's gloved hands can be seen—they aren't the standard fetishistic black leather gloves, seen in so many other gialli, but they are the glove equivalent of a string-vest, almost as though Lado was daring to defy the conventions dictated by the sub-genre. There are some point-of-view shots of the killer approaching children—this is seen through the black veil the character is wearing, almost as though these shots are filmed in some sort of Grief-O-Vision. Another staple of the giallo is the eccentric character; in Lado's movie, this requirement comes in the form of a table-tennis-playing, pigeon pot-shot-taking caretaker, who appears, like such characters often to in gialli, long enough to provide some clue or expository information to the lead.
There is a shot of Franco entering a building that is a none-too-subtle visual nod to Dario Argento's Bird with the Crystal Plumage—it has a small illuminated section of the frame and Franco makes his way through the illuminated area and then the rest of the frame is suddenly flood with light. It's not quite as effective as Argento's, but it's still very nice and another little reference to other gialli.
Venice looks simply stunning— Who Saw Her Die? is almost a love-letter to the city, with numerous sumptuous shots of canals and the kind of architecture that can only be found on the continent. The emphasis in Who Saw Her Die? is on atmosphere; Aldo Lado successfully extracts a gloomy mood that looms like an ominous shadow over the backdrop of Venice . The funeral scene utilises the local environment wonderfully—Roberta's estranged parents board a boat as her coffin is loaded for her final journey; the performances from Lazenby and Stindberg, along with the score from Ennio Morricone really sell the scene.
Unfortunately, the dubbing leaves a lot to be desired—the biggest blow comes is George Lazenby not having his own voice. The actor's distinctive gravelly Australasian tones are replaced by one of the voices most commonly heard on dubs for Bud Spencer and seriously distracts from the movie. Lazenby walked away from the Bond series through a mixture of bad advice and his own arrogance—it is generally reckoned that if he hadn't sent back the cheque for Diamonds Are Forever, then Lazenby would have grown nicely into the part and more importantly, grown as an actor. On Her Majesty's Secret Service is our favourite Bond movie and considering that he had had no previous dramatic experience, The Big Fry acquitted himself admirably in the role. It's a crying shame that Lazenby's own voice is not heard here, as visually there is a maturity to his performance that really impresses; you actually see a sense of fatherly love and pride in the eyes of Lazenby; grief when the apple of his eye is murdered and see the grief turn to anger and then to an obsessive desire to track down the person responsible for the foul deed. You have to hand it to Lazenby; he didn't want to get typecast in the role of Bond—even after OHMSS wrapped, he was determined to leave the part behind and turned up at the premiere with long hair and a thick beard. Lazenby reportedly lost thirty-five pounds for this role, if this is indeed the case, you have to admire the man for his sense of dedication, as it pays off when you see an almost haggard-looking man burning with fury, anger and despair on the screen—even through the inappropriate dubbing, there is still something to admire in his performance.
Speaking of dubbing, the voice used for Franco's daughter, Nicolette is provided by the same voiceover artiste who infamously (and irritatingly) voiced Bob aka Giovanni Frezza in Lucio Fulci's House by the Cemetery, only the end result here is not as annoyingly unconvincing as in Fulci's opus. Speaking of dubbing, we're pretty sure that we heard the distinctive tones of Annie Ross replacing the performance of one member of the cast…
The supporting cast are fine, with Anita Stindberg being particularly good as Franco's estranged wife. There is a degree of believability in the chemistry between her and Lazenby—certainly they seem like a couple with little in common at the start of the movie, but are brought together again by an act of supreme wickedness. Nicoletta Elmi puts in a convincing performance as Franco and Elizabeth's daughter—Elmi would go on to appear in several landmark Italian horror movies, including Dario Argento's Profondo Rosso, Mario Bava's Bay of Blood and Lamberto Bava's Demons. Former Bond villain Adolfo Celi pops up as Franco's agent, Serafian, who seems to be in the frame for the killings, whilst Dominique Boschero is simply stunning (whether clothed or unclothed) as Serafian's scheming personal assistant/bit-of-fluff, Ginevra. Jose Quaglio is suitably creepy as a wealthy lawyer who has an unhealthy attraction to children and might just know more than he's letting on about the murders.
A nice touch is having the dialogue during the opening sequence of the first murder, which takes place in Megeve, France, actually in French. Usually when a movie is dubbed, most little touches such as this are removed, but it's very cool to hear the dialogue spoken in French, with burnt-in subtitles on the screen—it all adds to the European flavour of the movie.
There is a lovely title sequence that really builds a sense of suspense and also gives a nice feeling of the passage of time, taking you from the moment of the opening murder and the inability of the local French police to catch the killer, through to (what was then) the present day and into Italy.
Ennio Morricone has always been one to come up with scores that are unconventional and here, he presents one of his most mind-bendingly experimental. Morricone composed to distinct themes into the score of Who Saw Her Die? and there are many times where the two merge in a surreal manner that will have you scratching your head for days afterwards, wondering if the blending actually worked or not. One of the themes is very reminiscent of his later work in Exorcist II: The Heretic; the use of children chanting might have provided a source of early inspiration for Danny Elfman, who uses a lot of this sort of thing in his collaborations with Tim Burton. The sequence where Roberta's impending demise is imminent is really enhanced by Morricone's score, which starts out with children chanting the nursery rhyme on-screen, but is then joined by the more sinister score as the murder approaches (the intercutting between the children playing and Franco in the sack with his bit-on-the-side is a nice juxtaposition (the theme of engaging in carnality whilst a child dies would form the basis of Friday the 13th a number of years later). The mixing of the angelic voices and the creeping bass-line, coupled with the dizzying circular camera movements combine to produces a truly disorientating effect.
Without wishing to give away the twist ending of Who Saw Her Die?, there are certain similarities between the twist ending in this and Lucio Fulci's wonderful Don't Torture a Duckling—a certain type of person who at the time these movies were made was considered beyond reproach is the key to the murders in both films. Viewing both of them from a contemporary perspective, it seems blatantly obvious as to the identities of the perpetrators, but at the time, it was considered a shocking and outrageous thing to do. A while back, one of us was watching Fulci's Duckling with a lady-friend and he had to put things in historical context, as the perpetrator of the evil deeds entered her top-three list of suspects almost immediately. It must be pointed out that Who Saw Her Die? has a ludicrous coda tacked on to the ending in order to soften the blow—needless to say that the Fulci movie had no such last-minute addendum.
Shameless have managed to get their mitts on a lovely looking print of Who Saw Her Die? The anamorphically-enhanced 2.35:1 looks surprisingly fresh and is pretty clean. Shameless have gone that extra mile over the R1 Anchor Bay copy by including some subtitles where necessary and also restoring a little extra violence to the movie. Those of you who are familiar with Who Saw Her Die? through nth generation VHS bootlegs are going to have their expectations shattered when they see this copy.
Only the English language dub has been provided, but it's serviceable enough—it would have been nice to have been presented with the Italian dub, as Lazenby's performance would have been easier to accept if he was dubbed into another language entirely.
Shameless present a trailer for your edification, along with X other trailers from their catalogue; The Designated Victim, Strip Nude for Your Killer, Oasis of Fear, The Night-Train Murders, What Have They Done to Your Daughters? and The Black Cat—always good fun to put on in front of a group of drunken mates. Oh, there is also Shameless' own trailer for Who Saw Her Die? included for good measure.
Who Saw Her Die? deserves more than being just a cinematic footnote as the precursor to Don't Look Now—it's a damn entertaining and shocking movie in its own right and it also allows (barring the horrible dubbing) to show that Lazenby had potential to become a serious dramatic actor if he hadn't have flushed his golden opportunity down the crapper.
Who Saw Her Die? is a movie that could only really have been made on the continent. In Britain and the US there is a certain squeamishness inherent in the cultures that shy away from depicting child murders in such a stark and painful manner. There is something refreshing about the European sensibility that allows such stories to be told in a way that isn't coy or pulls any punches (save for the ridiculous state/distributor-imposed addendum) and Who Saw Her Die? is a riveting, classy movie which cleanses the palate and sharpens the appetite like a refreshing sorbet after a large meal. Shameless have come up trumps once again by delivering such a classic in a more complete form that it's R1 counterpart.
Review by Wilson Bros
David Blackwell Senior Member Join Date: February 2004 Location: United States Posts: 2,826
Sounds interesting to watch. never heard of the film. thanks for the review.
Wilson Bros Reviewer Join Date: August 2004 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,182
Our pleasure - we hope you seek it out
The Wilson Bros
The Wilson Bros
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,719
Another on the long list of Giallo's I've yet to see. I skid it up the list a twinge.
Wilson Bros Reviewer Join Date: August 2004 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,182
You surprise us, Gabe!
This one really IS a cracker - if you can forgive the last few seconds of the movie, it's a really rewarding experience.
It's also great to see that George Lazenby was actually growing as an actor - sadly, he didn't see this through and was pretty much reduced to duff parts or cameos after this movie.
The Wilson Bros
This one really IS a cracker - if you can forgive the last few seconds of the movie, it's a really rewarding experience.
It's also great to see that George Lazenby was actually growing as an actor - sadly, he didn't see this through and was pretty much reduced to duff parts or cameos after this movie.
The Wilson Bros
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,719
I almost bought the R1 set last year, but I ran outta money.
Suitable only for persons of 18 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date: 25th August 2008
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
RCE: No
Video: PAL
Aspect: 2.35:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: Ennio Morricone
Subtitles: None
Extras: Coming attractions
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Aldo Lado
Cast: George Lazenby, Adolfo Celi, Anita Strindberg
Genre: Thriller
Length: 90 minutes
8Review Guide
Follow our updates
Award Winning
Spider-Man 2: Superbit Edition US - DVD R1 Big Hero 6 US - BD RA Monsters, Inc. US - BD Bad Teacher UK - BD Midnight Express UK - BD RB
Hot News
Peppermint US - DVD R1 | BD RA Criterion January Announcements US - DVD R1 | BD RA Die Hard: 30th Anniversary 4K UHD US - BD RA The Equalizer 2 US - DVD R1 | BD RA Ace Ventura Jr: Pet Detective US - DVD R1
Latest Reviews
House on Haunted Hill (1999) US - BD RA Ant-Man and The Wasp US - BD RA [REC] Collection, The US - BD RA Prince of Darkness UK - BD RB Sicaro: Day of the Soldado US - BD RA
Most Talked About
Solo: A Star Wars Story US - BD RA The Meg US - DVD R1 | BD RA Exorcist II: The Heretic Collector's Edition US - BD RA Mandy US - DVD R1 | BD RA Mission: Impossible – Fallout US - DVD R1 | BD RA


text:
An it couple are a super cool couple who are generally hot. People want to be this couple as they are amazing to look at.
Jack the super cool, gorgeous quater back of the football team is going out with Jenna the lead chearleader. There the new it couple!
by Katriana! November 06, 2007
buy the domain for your travel blog


text:
NH reps still seek to skirt the 'fiscal cliff'By TIM BUCKLAND
New Hampshire Union Leader
December 29. 2012 10:35PM
With just a few days left in their terms in Congress, outgoing U.S. Reps. Charles F. Bass and Frank Guinta said they will be in Washington to take part in potential votes aimed to keep the country from going over the so-called fiscal cliff.
"I will be there for the final vote, whatever that is," Bass said Saturday. "I have a responsibility to the voters to represent them until Thursday at noon. If that requires me being in Washington, I'm going to do it."
Bass will hand the reins of the 2nd Congressional District to U.S. Rep.-elect Ann McLane Kuster this week, while Guinta will be replaced by Carol Shea-Porter, the former 1st District representative whom he defeated in 2010 but lost to in 2012.
Both said their lame-duck status doesn't mean they can shirk the job of trying to ward off the automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that would take effect on New Year's Day.
The Senate has taken over the lead in coming up with a bill to avert the fiscal cliff.
"With taxes set to rise on every American - and many small-business owners - at the beginning of the year, the time to act is now, and I will continue to work toward a bipartisan solution that prevents us from going off the fiscal cliff," U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said in a statement.
Attempts to reach U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., were unsuccessful.
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, after months of negotiations with President Barack Obama failed to yield legislation, said he would introduce to the House whatever the Senate passes.
"I know they're trying to negotiate now," Guinta said. "I'm certainly keeping an open mind. I would like to avoid going over the fiscal cliff."
But don't hold your breath that something will happen before the New Year's holiday, Bass said.
"I think it's unlikely that the vote will occur on a federal holiday, and I think it's unlikely that the Senate will have a product by Monday," he said. "This was totally predictable and totally avoidable."
"The problem is staring us right in the face," Guinta said. "I don't understand why there is such a challenge."
Discussions indicate that Congress and Obama may pass only a stopgap measure in the next week to prevent tax hikes on the middle class, while allowing tax rates on wealthier Americans to increase, and to extend unemployment benefits.
Bass and Guinta each said such moves would do little to move the country forward and solve the country's deficit and debt problems.
"It's yet another baling wire- and-duct tape solution to a bigger problem," Bass said. "It's a panic situation where the least amount will be done."
Guinta said that, while he is "willing to look at" whatever the Senate produces, he believes raising tax rates on anyone is not the solution.
He said the potential of $70 billion in new revenue from increased tax rates on higher income thresholds would barely make a dent in annual deficits that top $1 trillion and that Obama and Democrats have yet to propose any significant spending reductions, particularly in entitlements.
"What the President wants is very short-sighted, very ideological and very political," Guinta said. "It doesn't even begin to solve the problem. When the President wants to come to the table with something serious to solve the problems, I'll listen. And I hope he does."
Guinta said he would prefer extending all existing tax rates, enacting "real" spending reductions and tax reform, and passing legislation to stave off another looming debt ceiling crisis.
Bass said Republicans may have to dangle the carrot of increased taxes to win the spending cuts and reform they want in non-discretionary entitlement programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. He said he would like to see a ratio of $4 in spending cuts for every $1 of new revenue enacted.
"That's the simplest formula for deficit reduction," he said. "But you have to put the nation ahead of partisan politics."
Bass said the failure of Congress and Obama to fix the fiscal cliff crisis is symptomatic of partisan entrenchment - Republicans not willing to budge on new revenues and Democrats not willing to budge on entitlement spending.
"There are fewer and fewer members of Congress who are willing to listen to different viewpoints," he said. "It isn't likely that it will change" in the coming session of Congress.
Bass said he and other moderates from both parties are being replaced by liberal Democrats and more conservative Republicans.
"It's not going to get better," he said. "I'm not frustrated. I'm disappointed."
- - - - - - - -
Tim Buckland may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Is your backyard spelled b-o-r-i-n-g?
Maybe you're just intimidated, says Ottawa landscape architect Welwyn Wong.
"Most people want to line up common functions along the back wall of the house: patio furniture, the barbecue. Then they put the gardens along the perimeter. I think they're scared if they go into the middle they'll make a mistake, but you can actually enjoy different views by moving the patio or other elements.
"As landscape architects, we try to create interesting spaces within an area. If you have a tiny backyard, try putting the patio in front of the house. Think outside the box."
A conversation with Wong at an east-end coffee shop quickly makes clear that outside the box is where her design brain customarily resides.
The award-winning owner of Ottawa-based Welwyn Wong Landscape Design (welwynwong.com) has arrived late for our interview. But then she strides in with such a bright smile, competent air and clear eagerness to get to work that the clock hardly matters.
Landscape architects like Wong (she's a graduate of the University of Guelph's landscape architecture program) generally design parks, plazas and other large spaces, often public.
But, she says, after working in design offices following graduation, she decided to specialize in the residential market and set up her own business in 2000.
"I thought we needed more thought put into the places where we spend most of our time."
Wong defines her signature designs as uncluttered, restful, relaxing, with a balance between form and function the goal.
She especially relishes working with grades because they afford unique design opportunities. "It's much more interesting when the grades are crazy," she says, her eyes lighting up like twin patio lanterns.
One of her projects, a home in Stittsville, uses the natural slope of the land for a hot tub, waterfall, pool and cabana that seem to cascade away from the patio at the rear of the home toward a ravine outside the property line.
Backyard pools are often installed too high, she says. That robs them of the visual delight of looking down into the water while sitting in the backyard.
Another project, completed last summer in Kanata Lakes, used three levels of large interlocking stone and plants to transform Victoria Adams' sloped backyard from a dispiriting spot with a fine swimming pool but what Adams calls a "sad-looking deck and grass that kept dying."
Now, says Adams, when she looks out there, "I feel like I'm looking at a resort, which is what my dream was when we started this."
The project, a major makeover that included the front yard, cost six figures, the vast bulk of that for materials, contractors and the like, says Adams.
"We've probably saved money in the long run by having Welwyn do this for us instead of trying something ourselves and then not liking it. People don't realize the value of a good plan."
When it comes to landscape architecture, Wong is, appropriately, a committed environmentalist. She prefers to reuse existing soil rather than truck it in new, has a flair for finding fresh spots for old plantings and mentions having recycled flagstone on a recent project by donating it to a neighbour.
PAGEBREAK"Maybe it's my Scottish and Chinese heritage," she says with a laugh. "I hate seeing things going into the landfill when they can be reused.
"If we're more informed about (the environment), we'll make better choices. It's a matter of how people use the environment for the benefit of the environment."
Wong discovered landscape architecture while studying physics in university. Her sister handed her a brochure about landscape architecture, suggesting she check it out. She did and that was it for science.
There is in landscape design an orderliness, logic and engagement with the physical world that's akin to physics. There's also the artistic element, which Wong says she inherited from her father, a watercolour artist.
She paints, too, but achieving a life/work balance has long been a challenge. "I'm not finding the time (to paint). I'll get around to covering my walls with my own art one day."
Same goes for her own property. "It's a typical shoemaker's children scenario: they always have the worst shoes. My own home is probably the last thing that is going to get done."
She does have a thriving tulip bed in the front yard and, true to her advice about thinking outside the box, a small patio beside it.
Still, she wonders what would be accomplished by taking more time for herself. "When your work is play, are you really working?"
For now, it's all about her clients. They often come to her with a wish list of what they want: a pool or less grass to cut and more low-maintenance land to enjoy. Her job is to place those elements so they flow as a visually pleasing whole.
Her services include a layout plan, especially useful for avid gardeners who just need some guidance on design; a planting plan to maximize gardens based on soil conditions, light and other factors; and a lighting plan.
Clients can opt for one or more services or go the whole hog, letting Wong and her team, including a full-time designer, create and implement a complete plan. It normally takes two to four weeks for that complete service and costs depend on complexity and materials. At this time of year, it takes a month or two to arrange an appointment with Wong.
Not surprisingly, she likes to push boundaries with materials.
Liking the look of backlit signs on stores, for example, she framed acrylic with wood for residential privacy screens at one client's home. Backlit by the sun or lights, the screens offer surprisingly beautiful patterns, she says.
"That's what I like about what I do. You don't do the same thing over and over again. Every project is different."
The explosion of infill housing and the gentrification of existing housing stock in Ottawa exhilarates her.
Traditional gardens aren't appropriate for these more contemporary homes with their smaller outdoor spaces, so "it's a matter of boiling down the design to the simplest shapes and forms. You can still have the shrubs your neighbour has in his traditional English garden, but yours is modern just by how you work with the plants and the lines you use in design."


text:
Grabbing the Rail
Arthur Bohlmann 4/16/2012 7:06:56 AMVery nice work Dennis. You are the master photographer! #1456848
Dennis Gay 4/16/2012 7:31:45 AMCheers ARTHUR!
Good to see you enjoying the skateboard action.
Loads of thanks mate for your most flattering and very encouraging comment and feedback.
Master? No! Serious amateur with still more to learn? Yes! 8-)
Dennis #10093239
Beth OMeara 4/16/2012 9:31:23 PMLike the action stopping image, Dennis.
Dennis Gay 4/16/2012 9:57:44 PMBlessèd be BETH!
Lovely to see you at the skateboard park.
Oodles of Aussie thanks for your most encouraging feedback.
Dennis #10094616
David Resnikoff 4/17/2012 5:37:36 AMDennis
Another Stunning action photo.
As Arthur Stated a Master
Amateur (ah, ah).
You´ve cracket it amigo
David R #10095136
Dennis Gay 4/17/2012 6:44:30 AMG'donya DAVID!
Muchos gracias for stopping by the skateboard ramp to watch this young bloke in action and for leaving your very supportive and encouraging feedback amigo.
Dennis #10095226
Wendy M. Hansen-Penman 4/17/2012 8:21:13 PMI love the light and the frozen action! #10096382
Dennis Gay 4/17/2012 9:53:53 PMBlesséd be WENDY!
Good to see you made it to the skateboard ramp in time to catch this action.
Massive thanks for your very appreciative and encouraging feedback.
Afternoons are very good for skateboard or boadyboard action due to that wonderful light and I feel frozen action is the best way to display this sort of manoeuvre.
Dennis #10096471
Dennis Gay 4/18/2012 1:10:26 AMYoiks Mr EDITOR!
Mega thanks for awarding this young skateboarder a PICK!
Paul R. Nelson 4/18/2012 8:02:00 PMNice capture, Dennis. Good job on the framing, and perfect timing. As usual, a very good conversion, as well. #10098309
Dennis Gay 4/19/2012 12:30:50 AMHowzit PAUL!
Thank you very much indeed Sir for your visit and your inspiring feedback for this kid and his stunt.
Dennis #10098466
Rita K. Connell 4/22/2012 1:09:47 PMI alway love to see your street photography and this is no exception of the master you are. great action! #10104328
Dennis Gay 4/22/2012 4:49:10 PMRight on RITA!
Glad you made it to the skateboard ramp in time to catch this young trickster.
My warmest and sincerest thanks for your most flattering and inspiring feedback.
Master? No! Dedicated amateur with still much to learn? Yes! 8-)
Dennis #10104597
The thrill of successfully grabbing the rail before landing can be seen on the face of this young skateboarder.
Photographed at the breakwater skateboard facility in Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia.
Canon EOS 40D with Canon 100-300mm IS USM lens: RAW, f/7.1 @ 1/1000sec, 220mm, ISO 100, -2EV, Continuous focus, Highspeed motor drive.
Lightroom2.2 & PhotoshopCS3.
Exif: F Number: 7.1, Exposure Bias Value: -2.00, ExposureTime: 1/1000 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 100, White balance: Manual white balance, FocalLength: 220.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS 40D
Uploaded on 4/16/2012 6:59:07 AM
Camera: Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Dennis Gay. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Log in to follow or message this photographer or report this photo.


text:
Here are some random thoughts for a Tuesday:
Here are some random thoughts for a Tuesday:
� Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo Sports didn't hold back in a piece published last week: "The current Sacramento Kings owners have proven time and time again that they do not care about the squad's fans, the community that surrounds the team, and the product on the court. The Sacramento Kings owners are sniveling, conniving front-runners that do not understand the game of basketball, much less the ideals that help buttress attempts at tact, poise and reason. Also, they just traded a rookie lottery pick in order to save a few hundred thousand bucks as their final miserable season as Kings owners nears its end." That about wraps it up.
� Area girls wrestlers showed well last week at the state meet. Lincoln's Jessica Rodriguez led a contingent of 18 area competitors with a first-place finish at 146 pounds. Ten girls from area high schools medaled at the state meet. The boys state tournament is Friday and Saturday in Bakersfield.
� Chelsea Gray was having a terrific junior season at Duke, scoring 13 points per game and ranking in the top 10 nationally in assists and steals, before she suffered a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 17. The Manteca resident and St. Mary's graduate remains among seven finalists for the 14th Nancy Lieberman Award presented to the top collegiate point guard in women's basketball. The criteria for the award are floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills. The winner will be announced during Final Four weekend April 7-9.
� The Sac-Joaquin Section boys and girls basketball playoffs continue with semifinals and finals in all 12 divisions this week. Section director of communications Will DeBoard released some interesting facts about this year's tournament, including: two (Valley Oak League) teams in opposite brackets - Weston Ranch and Sierra - hope to make it a same-league affair in the Division III finals. But Modesto Christian (14 titles in 16 years and a 63-12 playoff record) stands in Weston Ranch's way, and Casa Roble is hoping to stop Sierra's bid for a second consecutive finals appearance. Also, Brookside Christian junior Tiara Tucker is 10th in career playoff scoring with 242 points in eight games (30.3 per game). DeBoard writes, "(Tucker) could easily reach the No. 3 spot before these playoffs are over."
� Reports indicate come March 12 or soon thereafter, the 49ers will trade quarterback Alex Smith to another team. Might that team be the Chiefs, where Steve DeBerg, Steve Bono, Joe Montana and Elvis Grbac played post-49ers?
� Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said Taiwan Jones will be moved from running back to defensive back, a position he played in high school. Jones was the fourth-string running back last season and saw time when Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson were injured. It will extend or end his career in Oakland.
Contact sports editor Bob Highfill at (209) 546-8282 or email@example.com.


text:
Contact details
The Ferris Wheel B&B is a luxurious family-run bungalow in the stunning County Kerry countryside. Enjoy a singsong with the family, an extensive breakfast menu, and exploring the Gap of Dunloe and Killarney National Park nearby.
Read more
Want to know more? Ask a question in our Community, they're the people who know Ireland best.
For more information on travel and accommodation, attractions have a look at our brochures and maps.
If you're a visitor from the island of Ireland you may want to visit one of these sites… Otherwise proceed to Ireland.com
Share this link
Ireland.com uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies from Ireland.com.


text:
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Santa Claus arrived early at the United Nations and delivered two gifts for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The U.N. chief moved back into his newly renovated office on the 38th floor of the Secretariat building after three years in temporary quarters on Monday morning, and in the afternoon he was presented with a new armored car wrapped in a red ribbon with a big bow.
Ban marveled at his new "beautifully renovated office" and "brand new beautiful armored vehicle."
"This looks like a very big holiday gift for me," he said at the presentation of the Hyundai car.
The United Nations began renovating its now 60-year-old iconic steel and glass headquarters overlooking New York's East River in May 2008. The project is expected to be finished in 2013.


text:
Click the link(s) below for information on USAA Investment products:
Investment products of USAA Investment are marketed using the following approaches:
If available, CCC has linked the vendor's educational resources below:
This Vendor is an 'Exchange Only Vendor' in this District's 403(b) Plan.
When contacting USAA Investment to open an account, please reference Plan Number: To Be Determined
The list below includes the most recent information available about the company's main avenue of contact as well as any local contacts, when available.
USAA Investment offers the following type(s) of investment option:
When possible, CCC lists links to vendor forms links below. In the event the form you require is not linked below, please contact USAA Investment to request your form.


text:
DailyDirt: Looking Through Better Windows
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
- Imagine a window that stops sound but lets in a breeze -- you need to make that window out of material with a negative bulk modulus. It's been done with panes of acrylic drilled with holes that creates a resonance chamber that attenuates a range of sound frequencies. [url]
- Solar panels are usually installed on rooftops, but Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) cells could turn windows into energy-generating fixtures. Unfortunately, only opaque solar cells can maximize the amount of light energy converted into electricity.... [url]
- Smarter windows can be touchscreens or contain embedded wireless antennas. Yay! Can't wait until windows can display a translucent blue screen of death. [url]


text:
Looking to continue their fine start to the 2012 Major League Soccer season, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2W-0L-1D) head to Chester, Pennsylvania, for their lone regular season meeting with Eastern Conference side Philadelphia Union (0W-3L-0D) on Saturday afternoon.
Despite being held to a draw by D.C. United last weekend, the Blue and White occupy top spot in the Western Conference standings after going unbeaten to start their second season in the league. They visit a Philadelphia side that have had a slow start to 2012, with the Union still searching for their first points of the new campaign following defeats in their opening three league matches.
Saturday's match between Whitecaps FC and Philadelphia Union from PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, kicks off at 1 p.m. PT and is live on Sportsnet Pacific, as well as Bell mobile devices. 'Caps fans can also listen to Saturday's contest live on TEAM 1410 radio and teamradio.ca, starting with the pre-game show at 11 a.m. PT. TEAM 1410 will also have a two-hour post-game show.
While the position of Whitecaps FC after three league games makes for some pleasant viewing, there was a feeling among Martin Rennie's squad that much more is still to come from the Blue and White. The home draw with D.C. United left an unfulfilled feeling among the players and coaching staff, with a desire to make the most of the opportunity that the trip to Philadelphia provides.
And yet, Vancouver's start to the season has resulted in many positives for the club, including a three-match undefeated streak and no goals conceded in 270 minutes of league action. At this stage last season, Whitecaps FC had a 1W-1L-1D record for four points, having conceded six goals in the process. A focus for improvement this week has been further cohesion of Vancouver's attack play. Rennie's attacking options have been boosted by the return to training of midfielder John Thorrington, as well as versatile attacker Atiba Harris.
Saturday's match will be a special one for three Whitecaps FC players. For striker Sebastien Le Toux, the return to PPL Park will rekindle memories of two fine seasons as a Union player for the Frenchman. It will be a similar experience for defender/midfielder Jordan Harvey, who was traded to Vancouver from Philadelphia last season. The former Colorado Rapids player looks set to earn the start on the left side, as Alain Rochat is sidelined with a knee sprain. It will also be a homecoming of sorts for 'Caps goalkeeper Brad Knighton, who played for the Union in their MLS expansion season in 2010.
Whitecaps FC will be without strikers Eric Hassli (ankle), Etienne Barbara (groin), and Darren Mattocks (shoulder and arm burns), as well as midfielder Michael Nanchoff (heel), for Saturday's match. Goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre (knee) is listed as questionable, while striker Camilo Sanvezzo (quad) is listed as probable. The 'Caps are also without youngsters Bryce Alderson and Russell Teibert, who are away with Canada's U-23 Olympic team at the 2012 CONCACAF men's Olympic qualifying tournament in the United States. On Saturday night at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas (6 p.m. PT on Sportsnet), Canada take on Mexico in the semifinals, with a berth in the London Olympics on the line for these North American foes.
Following season-opening defeats to Portland Timbers, Colorado Rapids, and Chicago Fire, the talk around Philadelphia has been about 'getting back to basics'. Peter Nowak's side will be motivated to face Vancouver, as the Pennsylvania outfit are keen to avoid falling further behind their rivals in the Eastern Conference. The Union will look to their passionate fanbase - led by the 'Sons of Ben' supporters group at the River End of PPL Park - to back them for a first result of the season.
There was considerable turnover in Philadelphia during the off-season. The trade of Le Toux to Vancouver prompted Nowak to bolster his attack with the signings of Colombian striker Lionard Pajoy and Home Grown product Cristhian Hernandez. Two other key additions came from Central America - Costa Rican defender Porfirio López and Panamanian midfielder Gabriel Gómez.
Nowak's squad options for Saturday were boosted by the return of Freddy Adu, Amobi Akugo, and Sheanon Williams. The trio returned to the Union after the United States' surprise exit at the group stage of Olympic qualifying earlier this week. Captain Danny Califf is hoping to be available to face Vancouver after sitting out Philadelphia's last two matches, as the centre back has been recovering from offseason knee surgery. The Union will be without MLS Supplemental Draft pick Krystian Witkowski (concussion), while defender Chris Albright (groin) is listed as probable.
Saturday's match is the third meeting between Whitecaps FC and Philadelphia, with both clubs first facing each other in MLS last year. Their first encounter was Vancouver's first away match as an MLS club on March 26, 2011. The Union claimed a 1-0 victory at PPL Park, with Carlos Ruiz scoring in the late stages of a match that Whitecaps FC finished with ten men after Hassli was sent off for two bookable offences in the second half. The 'Caps avenged that result with a 1-0 home win over the Union at Empire Field on June 18. An early goal from Rochat snapped Vancouver's winless run in MLS at 14 matches. Ironically, it was the March 26 meeting between Whitecaps FC and Philadelphia that started last year's 14-game winless streak in the league. The June 18 victory was also Tom Soehn's first as Whitecaps FC interim head coach.
Prior to 2011, Whitecaps FC played two other teams from 'The City of Brotherly Love', winning four games during the North American Soccer League (NASL) years. In the 1974 and 1975 NASL seasons, Vancouver twice won over Philadelphia Atoms before claiming two wins over Philadelphia Fury in the 1979 and 1980 NASL campaigns. More recently, Vancouver played Pennsylvania-based opposition in the form of Hershey Wildcats during the 2001 United Soccer Leagues First Division playoff semifinals, with Hershey defeating Whitecaps FC 4-1 on aggregate.
Among the many connections between Vancouver and Philadelphia, Whitecaps FC director of soccer Soehn is a former teammate, coach, and coaching colleague of Union head coach Nowak. Together, Soehn and Nowak led then expansion club Chicago Fire to both the MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt US Open Cup titles in 1998, and a second US Open Cup title in 2000. From 2004 to 2006, Soehn served as assistant coach to Nowak at D.C. United. During that time, United won both the 2004 MLS Cup title and the 2006 MLS Supporters' Shield as regular season champions.
Following Saturday's trip to Chester, Pennsylvania, Whitecaps FC will remain on the road for their next match in MLS. On Saturday, April 7, the 'Caps visit Northern California for the first of three league meetings with Western Conference rivals San Jose Earthquakes. Kickoff from Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University is set for 4 p.m. PT and is live on Sportsnet Pacific, as well as Bell mobile devices. 'Caps fans can also listen to the April 7 contest live on TEAM 1410 radio and teamradio.ca, starting with the pre-game show at 2 p.m. PT. TEAM 1410 will also have a two-hour post-game show.
Whitecaps FC 2012 Major League Soccer season tickets start at $295, plus applicable tax and a $10 processing fee per order. To secure a seat and for additional information about Whitecaps FC MLS season tickets, including loge seats and suites, call 604.669.9283 or visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.


text:
And Other Stories
T. C. Boyle
Viking: 320 pp., $25.95
In "Thirteen Hundred Rats," one of the 14 stories in the latest collection from the seemingly inexhaustible T.C. Boyle, a recent widower finds himself the owner of a python. He's allergic to cats and dogs, those more cuddly and condoned companions of the grief-stricken. But then something really unexpected happens. The white rat he's purchased for his new pet's sustenance proves unusually adept at eluding its fangs. The rodent's improbable athletic performance elicits astonishment, sympathy and, eventually, love. The widower spares the rat -- supple as suede, a tiny creature quivering with hope and optimism -- and decides to give the soulless python the heave-ho. "The situation was novel," Boyle's narrator declares, "to say the least."
Throughout this dazzling collection -- which veers from California to France, from the present to the past -- Boyle's stories have a habit of gazing back upon themselves with eyebrows cocked in wonder. And with good reason. Boyle is a master who has earned the right to be giddy about his bravura creations, which often turn on such pungent moments. Take for instance the mother of a Venezuelan relief pitcher in "The Unlucky Mother of Aquiles Maldonado." When she's spirited off by a band of grubby guerrillas and secreted in a jungle compound (her son's lucrative career in the States and his Hummer make their family a conspicuous target for kidnapping), she merely goes about doing what she does best: making arepas and taking care of boys. In the end, Aquiles' multimillion-dollar arm comes in handy during an explosive rescue attempt that, like so much of Boyle's work, good-naturedly toys with the limits of credulity.
The profane, Glock 9-toting courier in "La Conchita" also finds himself in a particularly sticky situation: caught in a mudslide on Pacific Coast Highway while shuttling a human liver (packed in ice inside a Bud Lite Fun-in-the-Sun cooler) to a would-be transplant recipient and being forced to confront his inner Good Samaritan when mudslide victims beg him to pick up a shovel.
Such potent, indelible glimpses of California -- loaded to the gills with dark humor, natural disasters and brushes with Botox -- abound throughout "Wild Child." The 13-year-old brat at the heart of "Ash Monday" is perpetually at war with his Japanese American neighbor in a classic struggle of white trash intransigence versus immigrant striving, one that involves some potentially deadly elements: a backyard grill, flammable liquids and a strong Santa Ana wind. As in much of the Boyle oeuvre (his much-anticipated next novel is purportedly about species eradication), Armageddon is never far off, and the angry threats of the natural world have a way of becoming palpably, alarmingly real, as they do here: "The first premonitory crackle in the leaves gathered like a skirt at the ankles of the bamboo."
Other California apocalypses are quieter, emotional affairs that build up and up, only to send the fault lines in relationships buckling wide open. Angelle, the beset tweener girl of "Balto" -- one of the most sure-handed stories here -- has been given the creepy assignment of telling one of those "little fibs that don't really hurt anybody" in a courtroom to exonerate her feckless father, who allowed her to take the wheel of the family car when he was too tipsy to drive. You watch Angelle, page after page, waiting for the moment when she will explode.
In "Admiral," a rich, childless couple reeking of entitlement hires back Nisha, their former housekeeper, so she may care for the clone of their late, beloved Afghan hound, just as she did the original pet. It's an astonishing meditation on that peculiarly American habit of all-out war against mortality, a puckish take on nature and nurture gone haywire. That story's bookend is "Bulletproof," which tells of a community riled up over the disclaimer sticker that a local band of creationist zealots have forced onto a ninth-grade biology textbook. Cal, a divorced guy enraged by the creationists' "hope masquerading as certainty, desperation plucking at your sleeve, plucking, always plucking and pushing," nevertheless becomes curiously attracted to the hot divorcée behind the effort and amazed at her pious daughter's insights into the natural world.
Like so many of these stories, "Bulletproof" has intricacies of plot and character that suggest a full-on Boyle novel in miniature, all zooming story lines and eye-saturating color. Of course, there will be some who find Boyle's palette garish, his characters cartoonish, his narrative fireworks mere antics of a strutting virtuoso. But Boyle is the closest thing we have to a modern-day Washington Irving, that American storyteller par excellence who found a perfect balance between art and pop, and who lived and worked not far from Boyle's own boyhood home along the Hudson River.
"Wild Child's" finest entry is perhaps the title story, a novella, really, originally published in McSweeney's in 2004. Here, Boyle's runaway-train imagination is tethered to facts every bit as out-there as his own fiction: It's an examination of the life of the famed feral child Victor of Aveyron, one of the Enlightenment's oddest celebrities and the subject of François Truffaut's 1970 film, "L'Enfant Sauvage." As we watch Victor -- part boy, part animal, part pet -- unself-consciously munch on rodents, reluctantly take to the idea of clothes and hot baths, and struggle to get a handle on the word "lait," Boyle toys with some of his favorite themes: the shadowy recesses of history, humans and their mysterious drives, the delicate point where self-delusion (here in the form of Victor's devoted teacher, Itard) teeters between good and ill. In the end, Victor's wildness will not be expunged: "[T]he orphanage could hardly be expected to contain him."
The same could be said of Boyle, that literary wild child whose flights of narrative fancy refuse to be domesticated.
Rozzo is a critic in Brooklyn, N.Y.


text:
Reviewed by Claire K (age 8)
I think this is a fun-filled book. I think it tells very funny things about elephants, and even some true facts! My favorite part of this book was when it said not to tie your elephant to the bike rack because he'll ride all the bikes and break the tires.
I would recommend this book because it is a very good book for any people; adults and kids - even as a bedtime story!


text:
AAPT Council Minutes
February 14, 2009
Guests: Mary Beth Monroe, Larry Kirkpatrick, Roxanne Muller, Cerena Cantrell, Jim Nelson, representatives from the Mexico Section, representatives from the St. Louis and Southern Nevada Section
Section Representatives Substitutes: Ray Polomo (NJ), Joss Ives (BC), John Hubisz (NC)
There were no Section Representatives present from: Alaska, Montana, Nebraska, Northern California, Western Pennsylvania, or Puerto Rico
Call To Order
President Adair called the meeting to order at 4:00 PM.
The agenda was approved: P. Keefe made the moved, T. O'Kuma offered a second, the motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Approval of Minutes
Several members present offered small corrections to the minutes. The amended minutes from the Baltimore Council Meeting, January 2008 were approved. S. Harople made the motion, J. Zwart offered a second, the motion passed with a unanimous vote
President's Report
Lila Adair reported on the work of COGS (Committee on Governance Structure). COGS was established to follow up on the discussions that took place during a retreat involving Section Reps and Area Chairs in May 2007. One focus of COGS was to develop ways to strengthen the relationships between the National Office and the Sections and the Section Representatives. During 2009, COGS will address interactions between the National Office and the Area Chairs/Committees. She also expressed her thanks to Mary Beth Monroe and the Governance Review Committee (GRC). This group has reviewed the governing documents and policies of AAPT to assure consistency. This review is part of the Board's intention to clarify critical issues for AAPT to address during the next few years. Finally, Adair indicated that AAPT is working to establish more relationships with the National Societies of Black and Hispanic Physicists including a statement on Diversity.
Treasurer's Report
Paul Zitzewitz, the Treasurer, reported that in 2008, AAPT reserves we about $3.4 million including both long and short-term reserves. This represented a loss of all investment gains during the past six years. The loss was due to some withdrawals to cover special projects and a loss of $1.4 million due to market conditions.
The 2009 budget was approved with a $373k deficit. The hope is that the deficit will actually be less based on some staff attrition in National Office and by careful control of expenses. The 2009 Budget includes a projection of an 18% increase in membership.
The 2007 audit was delayed primarily due to having three different CFOs during the year. Fortunately, the 2008 audit is well underway and should be completed in a timely manner and is expected to be a "clean" audit.
Questions from the audience included costs associated with grants. Responses included that grants often do not cover all types of expenses, so some expenses must be covered within the operating budget. The 18% increase in membership assumption was questioned based on the past history in the Association. The follow-up question wondered when the Association would need to implement a retrenchment policy? Zitzewitz expressed his overall optimism for the budget indicating that the National Office is working to keep expenses as low as possible, as well as looking for ways to increase revenue.
Section Representatives Report
Alan Gibson, Section Representative Chair, reported on the Section Representatives elections.
Executive Officer Report
Warren Hein, Executive Officer, reminded the group that AAPT is a membership organization and that it offers programs initiated by its members; therefore, we all need to share the enthusiasm for the Association and the benefits it provides.
Specifically, Hein reported on AAPT grants including the following:
Active grants
New Grants
Grants Being Developed
Hein highlighted AAPT's ongoing successful programs including the following:
Hein also acknowledged that the finances indicate the need for increases in income and reductions in expenses. He challenged the group to collaboratively work toward helping increase membership income from $60k in 2007 to $230k in 2009. He stated that this membership challenge could be met considering that roughly two-thirds of Section memberships are not currently AAPT national members. So there are many Section members who are not national AAPT members. By utilizing resources such as those found on the membership recruitment web page at aapt.org including brochures, Power Point presentations, pod casts, the Section "Box," and by requesting (e)mailing lists, this goal can be realized. The incentive grants offered for recruiting new Associate Members and new Full Members can also be used to support the membership goals of increasing membership by 18%.
Questions/comments included the need for additional sponsorships for meetings since the meetings typically loose money.
Meetings Committee Report
Richard Peterson, Chair of the Meetings Committee, described the general purpose of the Meetings Committee. The Committee is to help the National Office Meetings and Conferences Department to select and evaluate potential meeting sites. They also help establish contacts with the local the physics departments. Recently, they have coordinated the assessment of the meetings.
[Pres-elect, Debbie Rice (07-08), Dickison, others]
Peterson continued by highlighting several ongoing questions that the Committee is wrestling with:
The Committee is seeking a meeting site in the New England area for summer 2012.
Site possibilities for future meetings include: Houston, New Orleans, San Antonio, and Glendale, AZ.
Petitions for New Sections:
Steve Iona, Secretary, highlighted the Constitutional requirements for Section formation including a request made by at least ten AAPT members, a Section Constitution, and a new geographic area or a release by an existing Section.
Four requests were received that met these requirements. The motions were combined and seconded by J. Fitz-Gibbons.
The Council approves the formation of the Mexico Section of AAPT.
The motion(s) passed with one nay.
D. Cameron (CO-WY) asked a question about how the budget allocation for the Section Representative travel and subsistence total is established. Hein indicated that it was based on the number of Sections: using an average cost for travel, housing, and subsistence. Cameron made a motion regarding linking Section formation with the travel reimbursement process. The motion was not seconded.
Cameron encouraged the Council to enact fiscal restraint and to strongly participate in recruitment efforts. He also reminded the group that AAPT lost $2.2 million during 2008, and that we needed to be mindful of income versus expenses during 2009.
Adair recognized Dwain Desbien and Harvey Leff for their service on the Executive Board.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:30 PM.


text:
3/5 (60 %), 1 vote
Store located in Shopping mall/center : Edmonton City Centre
Store brand name : Coles
Address & Location : 10025 102A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2Z2
State : Alberta
City : Edmonton
Phone (Edmonton City Centre) : (780) 426-8444
Your satisfaction : Write a review
Coles in Edmonton, Alberta - Save money and don't miss sales, events, news, coupons. Coles is located in Edmonton City Centre, Edmonton, Alberta - T5J 2Z2 Canada, address: 10025 102A Avenue.
Have you ever visited store: Coles in Edmonton City Centre? Your shopping experience is important. Help other customers and visitors and rate your satisfaction with the Coles in Edmonton City Centre (Edmonton, Alberta) - just insert your user review.
Holiday & Black Friday hours: detailed special hours here
Store hours may vary.
, , , , , , .
Coles (Edmonton City Centre) - Edmonton Area, Alberta Canada T5J 2Z2. Click on the button and get directions to Coles. Store is also displayed on the map with gps for your navigation.
Shoppers Drug Mart - East2. most popular
Shoppers Drug Mart - West3. most popular
Shoppers Drug Mart4. most popular
Subway5. most popular
Dollarama6. most popular
Tim Hortons7. most popular
Ardene8. most popular
Starbucks Coffee9. most popular
Booster Juice10. most popular
The Source11. most popular
EB Games12. most popular
Telus Mobility
No reviews yet
Be the first and write a review for Coles in Edmonton City Centre
Give us your experience with Coles in Edmonton City Centre by writing a short review.


text:
Have you noticed the tried-and-true forms of marketing are rapidly losing their luster? People aren't responding. Prospects are harder to find. Customers are tuning out.
As a marketer or business owner, what in the world can you do to grow to your business? I've struggled with these very issues.
I've got good news and bad news for you. The good news: You really can rapidly grow a loyal following. The bad news: You may need to rethink the way you market your business. If you're ready for change, keep reading.
In this article I'll reveal a new (yet proven) method of achieving rapid growth in the social age. It's the very model I employed to grow Social Media Examiner into one of the world's top business blogs.


text:
Renewed defensive effort pushes USM women to win; Saint Mary men's streak hits 14
Defensive swagger has always been the crux of Lady Spires basketball.
It's the heart of the program. The foundation upon which head coach Mike Basler has built his teams year after year, season after season.
And so, after giving up 72 points to Kansas Wesleyan Saturday in a 72-50 loss, the team needed to get back to its roots.
On Monday, the squad did just that.
In a contest where USM allowed visiting Hillsdale Baptist College to shoot just 29 percent from the floor, the Lady Spires recaptured some of its confidence in a 63-50 victory.
"I thought our defensive pressure was real good," Basler said. "Erin Marx had four steals, Tyla Warren played really well for us. The one bad thing in the first half was that we were in position to get rebounds, but then we gave up too many offensive boards. I think that allowed them to stay in the game."
The game started well for USM, who accumulated a 20-11 advantage midway through. But Hillsdale clawed its way back, thanks in large part to several second-chance scoring opportunities, and closed the half out on a 20-8 run to be up 31-28.
It was in the second half that the USM defensive pressure started to pay dividends. While that slowed down Hillsdale, offensively the Lady Spires found solace inside.
"We were taking 3-pointers way too early," Basler said. "I told them at half and I think we started the second half good at being patient. Jordan VanNess did a good job and we got the ball inside, got them into foul trouble and from there we just capitalized and executed."
After retaking the advantage early in the second half, USM never relinquished the lead over the remaining 15 minutes of play.
Jolynn Glorioso and Shelby Watson led all players in scoring with 12 points each, while Kendra Mattox added 11.
USM, 8-16 overall, will play at Sterling College Thursday at 6 p.m.
Spires extend streak by two
Add two more notches to that ever-growing win column for the Saint Mary men's basketball team.
Following a close 83-79 conference victory against Kansas Wesleyan Saturday, the Spires put together a 80-66 win Monday over visiting Hillsdale Free Will Baptist.
The result was the 14th straight in Saint Mary's favor, making Nov. 27 the last time the squad suffered a loss.
Versus Hillsdale, a slow start had head coach Jon Bishop subbing out his entire starting lineup four minutes in. The move woke up the Spires, who then charged on to a 42-27 half time advantage.
The visitors chipped away at the deficit in the second half though, cutting it to 11 at 13:49 and then to six at 9:49.
But that was as close as Hillsdale would get. Saint Mary put together a 20-11 run over the next six minutes to squash any chances of a rally.
USM, 18-5 overall, 10-2 in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and currently ranked No. 23 nationally, will travel to Sterling College Thursday for an 8 p.m. game.


text:
Wainwright, Cardinals face Kennedy, Diamondbacks
PHOENIX -- Adam Wainwright begins earning his newfound wealth on Monday.
The right-hander will be on the mound in his third opening-day start when the St. Louis Cardinals face the remodeled Arizona Diamondbacks, who for the second year in a row will open with Ian Kennedy.
Wainwright's start comes four days after he agreed to contract that guarantees him $109.5 million over the next six seasons. Last year, Wainwright was 14-13 with a 3.94 ERA after missing all of the team's 2011 championship season because of elbow surgery.
" He's the full package of the guy you look for in your ace," St. Louis right-hander Jake Westbrook said. "He has all those qualities. We are going to feed off of him and go from there."
Wainwright leads a St. Louis team that, as always, begins with high expectations. The Cardinals fully expect to supply Wainwright and the rest of their pitching staff with plenty of run support.
"I think we've been very good over the past two years," said first baseman Allen Craig, who also has a new contract, "and I don't see any reason why we can't be one of the best offenses in the National League this year."
The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, have traded right fielder Justin Upton and added Martin Prado at third base. Three projected regulars -- outfielders Adam Eaton and Cody Ross, and shortstop Willie Bloomquist -- open on the disabled list.
"We don't need any more injuries," manager Kirk Gibson said.
Neither do the Cardinals, who start with third baseman David Freese and closer Jason Motte on the DL.
Eaton, the speedy rookie center fielder, is out for six-to-eight weeks with an arm injury. He was to be the leadoff batter in a lineup that wants to rely more on contact hitting than on home runs.
Kennedy, a 21-game winner in Arizona's NL West championship season of 2011, started slowly last year but finished strong, going 15-12 with a 4.02 ERA overall.
Arizona catcher Miguel Montero raved about the rebuilt roster, especially in terms of team chemistry.
"We've got a good solid lineup and bench players," he said. "More than that we've got good solid players with good personalities and great attitudes. That's great -- veteran guys that have been around winning ball clubs and can bring a lot to the team."
The most significant addition is Prado, who came to Arizona in the deal that sent Upton to Atlanta. Prado will bat in his customary No. 2 spot, with Aaron Hill dropping to third in the batting order. Both Prado and Hill batted over .300 last season.
Montero moves into the cleanup spot, at least for now. Gibson has a history of juggling his batting order.
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who just got a new contract after just one full season in the majors, bats fifth, followed by Jason Kubel, the only returnee from the Arizona openting-day outfield a year ago.
Gibson, entering his third full season as Diamondbacks manager, calls this "a very close" group.
"They've had a good time, they work together, they talk about the game, they're engaged in the things that we've worked on," he said. "They've been open to it. They haven't been bored with it. They've executed in the games. They've been open to looking at themselves when things didn't go the way we wanted, understanding why mistakes are made. You can tell right now they're ready for the season to start. ... There's a lot of good conversation going on about where we're headed and how we're going to get there."
Mike Matheny opens his second season as Cardinals manager.
Centerfielder Jon Jay will bat leadoff for St. Louis.
"If you are hitting at the top of the order you definitely want to score runs and we've got the guys who are capable of doing it," Jay said. "My job is simple: get on base and hope we score a lot of runs."
Third baseman Matt Carpenter bats second ahead of left fielder Matt Holliday, Craig, right fielder Carlos Beltran and catcher Yadier Molina.
" Our lineup has a lot of depth in it and there's a lot of interchangeable parts," Jay said. "We have a good lineup. Guys are going to be coming off the bench who could play every day."
Arizona will start slimmed-down right-hander Trevor Cahill on Tuesday, and St. Louis goes with left-hander Jaime Garcia. On Wednesday night, right-hander Brandon McCarthy makes his Arizona debut in his first big league start since he sustained a horrific head injury when he was struck by a line drive while pitching for Oakland last September. Right-hander Lance Lynn starts the series finale for the Cardinals.
The rotation for the Cardinals is perhaps the team's biggest uncertainty.
Asked whether he was comfortable with his rotation, Matheny said, "Comfortable is a word I don't like because I don't want anybody feeling comfortable.
"I want everybody on the edge normally," he said. "Go out and do their job, they can always do better, They can consistently improve. That's been a pretty common theme for us and I want them to continue."
AP Sports Writer R.B. Fallstrom in St. Louis contributed to this report.
Follow Bob Baum at www.twitter.com/Thebaumerphx
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press
This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index
Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.
- The Age Of Mike Trout
- The BBTN 100 counts down the top 25 players in baseball for 2015.
Rankings »
- MLB Confidential
- MLB players weigh in on baseball's best player, PEDs and what they really think about A-Rod's return.
MLB Confidential »
- Baseball's Top 50 Prospects
- Where does the recently-signed Yoan Moncada land on Keith Law's prospect rankings?
Top 50 update