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Editors note: This is the first story in an occasional series about the people who make things happen at the state Capitol.
By Joe Hanel
Herald Denver Bureau
DENVER For some reason, Rhonda Fields was having trouble sleeping early in the morning of July 20 last year.
So the state representative answered the phone when it rang at 1:30 a.m.
It was a constituent working the night shift at a call center. The business was locked down something bad was happening nearby. The caller told Fields to turn on the TV.
The Aurora Democrat saw the first scenes of one of the worst mass shootings in American history. About 70 people were injured, including 12 who died, when a shooter sprayed a movie theater with rapid-fire rounds from his semiautomatic rifle.
It wasnt the first time Fields got world-shattering news.
It took me back to my own time when I was first notified that my son was murdered, Fields said.
Since that day in 2005, Fields has had multiple transformations: from working mom to crime victim to activist to rank-and-file lawmaker to the public face of the gun-control movement at the state Capitol.
But the same personal experience that makes Fields a leading voice for gun control also makes her a formidable foe for other Democrats efforts to repeal the death penalty.
Two of the three killers on Colorados death row are there for murdering her son, Javad Marshall-Fields, and his fiancée, Vivian Wolfe. Both were 22 years old.
I was just a mom
Marshall-Fields was ambushed and killed just days before he was to be a witness in a murder trial. He knew he was targeted by gang members, but he was not offered witness protection.
While mourning her son and future daughter-in-law, Rhonda Fields became an activist. Working with her state representatives, she convinced the Legislature to pass a witness-protection law named after Marshall-Fields and Wolfe.
Then, in 2010, she got another call. This one was from Rep. Karen Middleton, who was leaving the Legislature and encouraged Fields to run for her seat.
Of course, I had lots of doubts and lots of hesitation about that because I never saw myself as someone who was political. I was just a mom who experienced a tragedy, and I was trying to correct an injustice that was in our public policy, Fields said.
But she ran and won.
In her first term, Fields was a quiet presence on the Democratic side of the aisle.
Shes not quiet anymore.
On Jan. 28, she stood on the steps of the Capitol, leading a crowd of 200 in passionate chants against gun violence.
Enough! Military-style assault weapons are not needed in our communities or in our neighborhoods. Theyre intended to be on the battlefield. Enoughs enough! Fields said.
She is sponsoring two of the Democrats eight controversial gun bills (House Bills 1224 and 1229). Her bills would ban the sale of new ammunition magazines of more than 10 rounds and require background checks for all gun sales, even from private sellers.
Fields said shes ready for the storm thats coming her way.
I think if youre ready or youre not ready, its coming. Im ready to have this kind of debate because I am sick and tired of the bloodshed. Im sick and tired of us pretending that gun violence doesnt exist, she said.
Fields wont be treated with kid gloves in the coming debate.
Dudley Brown of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners said he always tries to be respectful to victims of violence. But hes not shy about calling out people who he thinks are trying to rip away his constitutional right to bear arms.
When Im looking at the freedoms my family and future generations are either going to enjoy or reminisce about, at some point I dont care about their feelings, Brown said.
Why Im here
While the battle over guns is happening, Fields also will be in the middle of a debate about the death penalty.
Rep. Claire Levy, D-Boulder, is almost ready to introduce a bill to repeal the death penalty, she said in an interview Thursday.
Fields will fight the bill.
I think that some crimes are so heinous, that they deserve the ultimate punishment that society can render, she said.
That includes the Aurora theater shooting, she said.
Both Fields and Levy said they respect each other personally and wont have hard feelings after the debate is over.
Still, Levy knows the character of the debate will be different with Fields in the chamber.
For me, it is more of an abstract principle of justice, Levy said. We all know that for a very important, valuable member of our chamber, it is not abstract at all. It is really personal, Levy said.
Fields is aware that Colorados death row has a population of three.
And two are on death row for my son. And here I am at the state Capitol. How did that happen? I think its for a time like this, she said.
When I think about my own personal journey and the scars I have, it reminds me of why Im here. I think Im here to have the debate on guns, safety and reform. Im here to have a discussion about why maintaining the death penalty in our state has merit, Fields said.
When the legislative session ends in the spring, Fields will go back to work at United Airlines, where she has spent her career and now manages training and development at Denver International Airport. But her views about politics are changed forever.
I always thought that this was something for an elite group, that you cant come from the grass-roots like me. I felt like I came from the margins of society, and now Im on this journey. A common citizen can do this.


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subset: commoncrawl


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|MLB Career Stats
|April 2, 2014
|Chicago Cubs released LF Darnell McDonald.
|November 22, 2013
|Chicago Cubs signed free agent LF Darnell McDonald to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
|October 15, 2013
|LF Darnell McDonald elected free agency.
|October 9, 2013
|Chicago Cubs sent LF Darnell McDonald outright to Iowa Cubs.
|August 10, 2013
|Chicago Cubs selected the contract of RF Darnell McDonald from Iowa Cubs.
|May 7, 2013
|Darnell McDonald roster status changed by Iowa Cubs.
|April 30, 2013
|Iowa Cubs placed LF Darnell McDonald on the 7-day disabled list. Sprained left thumb.
|January 10, 2013
|Chicago Cubs signed free agent LF Darnell McDonald to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
|October 5, 2012
|LF Darnell McDonald elected free agency.
|July 20, 2012
|New York Yankees sent Darnell McDonald outright to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
|July 17, 2012
|New York Yankees optioned LF Darnell McDonald to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
|July 4, 2012
|New York Yankees claimed Darnell McDonald off waivers from Boston Red Sox.
|June 30, 2012
|Boston Red Sox designated Darnell McDonald for assignment.
|June 5, 2012
|Boston Red Sox activated LF Darnell McDonald from the 15-day disabled list.
|May 25, 2012
|sent OF Darnell McDonald on a rehab assignment to Pawtucket Red Sox.
|May 13, 2012
|Darnell McDonald roster status changed by Boston Red Sox.
|June 14, 2011
|Boston Red Sox activated LF Darnell McDonald from the 15-day disabled list.
|May 31, 2011
|sent OF Darnell McDonald on a rehab assignment to Pawtucket Red Sox.
|May 26, 2011
|Boston Red Sox placed CF Darnell McDonald on the 15-day disabled list. Strained left quad.
|April 20, 2010
|Boston Red Sox selected the contract of CF Darnell McDonald from Pawtucket Red Sox.
|April 7, 2010
|Darnell McDonald assigned to Pawtucket Red Sox from Boston Red Sox.
|November 24, 2009
|Boston Red Sox signed free agent RF Darnell McDonald to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
|November 5, 2009
|Cincinnati Reds sent Darnell McDonald outright to Louisville Bats.
|August 25, 2009
|Cincinnati Reds selected the contract of Darnell McDonald from Louisville Bats.
|May 26, 2009
|Cincinnati Reds sent Darnell McDonald outright to Louisville Bats.
|May 22, 2009
|Cincinnati Reds designated LF Darnell McDonald for assignment.
|March 12, 2008
|Minnesota Twins released CF Darnell McDonald.
|October 2, 2007
|Minnesota Twins activated CF Darnell McDonald.
Darnell begins his first season with Chicago after signing a minor league deal with an invite to major league Spring Training ... owns a .246 batting average (175-for-711) with 38 doubles, five triples, 19 home runs and 78 RBI in 306 major league contests with Baltimore (2004), Minnesota (2007), Cincinnati (2009), Boston (2010-12) and the New York Yankees (2012). ...Owns a .271 batting average (1,433-for-5,294) with 744 runs, 299 doubles, 48 triples, 102 home runs, 625 RBI and 227 stolen bases in 1,384 minor league games over 15 seasons. ...Recorded double-digit stolen bases in his first five minor league campaigns (37 in 1998, 26 in 1999, 11 in 2000, 16 in 2001 and 20 in 2002). ...Received the 2010 Jackie Jensen Award for Spirit and Determination from the Boston Chapter of the BBWAA. ...Selected to play in the 2006 and 2008 Triple-A All Star Games ... earned International League All-Star honors in 2006. ...Named the 2002 Orioles Minor League Player of the Year. ...Is a 1997 graduate of Cherry Creek (Colo.) High School ... selected by Baltimore in the first round (26th overall) of the 1997 Draft. ...Rated by Baseball America as the best high school position player in the 1997 First-Year Player Draft.2013
Darnell signed a minor league deal with Chicago in January ... after starting the season with Triple-A Iowa, in which he appeared in 92 games, he was promoted to the Cubs, August 10 ... played in 25 games for Chicago ... With Chicago, played eight games (six starts) in right field, seven games (five starts) in left field and two games (one start) in center field ... Batted .429 (12-for-28) against lefties ... hit .160 (4-for-25) against right-handed pitchers ... Hit .379 (11-for-29) with four doubles, one homer and five RBI in 12 September contests ... was 9-for-29 (.310) when hitting with two strikes ... Made his Cubs debut as a pinch-hitter, August 11 in St. Louis, and had his first start (left field), August 14 vs. Cincinnati (1-for-4) ... Was the hero, September 25 vs. Pittsburgh, as his three-run homer in the sixth inning snapped a 1-1 tie and led the Cubs to a 4-2 win ... Was his first home run since April 30, 2012 vs. Oakland with Boston ... Hit .236 (62-for-263) with 13 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 26 RBI in his 92 contests with Iowa ... Posted a .333 batting average (18-for-54) in 16 games from the Triple-A All-Star break until his promotion to Chicago ... Homered in consecutive games twice with Iowa, July 12-13 vs. Albuquerque and August 5-6 at Tacoma ... Outrighted to Iowa, October 8 ... elected free agency, October 15, and signed a one-year minor league contract with the Cubs, November 22.2012 Darnell began the year with Boston before being designated for assignment, June 30 ... claimed off waivers by the Yankees four days later, and finished with a .205 batting average (18-for-88) with seven doubles, two home runs and nine RBI in 42 games between the two teams. ...Went 2-for-4 with a home run and a career-best four RBI in Boston's 10-3 victory at the White Sox, April 27. ...Recorded a career-high tying three hits, April 30 vs. Oakland ... clubbed a two-run home run, as well. ...Logged a .214 batting average (18-for-84) in 38 games with the Red Sox. ...Made his second career pitching appearance, May 6 vs. Baltimore ... took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits and two walks in 1.0 inning of work. ...Placed on Boston's 15-day D.L., May 15 (retroactive to May 12), with a strained right oblique ... activated on June 5. ...Appeared in six games as a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket, batting .190 (4-for-21) with three doubles and two RBI. ...Designated for assignment by the Yankees, July 17 ... outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, July 20. ...Played in 31 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to close out the season ... hit .194 (18-for-108) with three home runs and seven RBI. 2011 Appeared in 79 games overall with the Red Sox, including 40 starts...Played all 3 outfield positions, including 37 games in right (21 starts), 23 in left (13 GS) and 13 in center field (6 GS). Pinch-ran 13 times, 5th-most in the AL...Scored 3 times as a pinch-runner. 5 of 6 homers were off left-handed pitchers, with only roundtripper off a right-hander coming off Jeremy Guthrie in Game 1 of a doubleheader on 9/19, his 1st homer off a righty since 9/7/10 vs. TB (Jeremy Hellickson)... Hit 2 homers off Rays lefty David Price (4/12 and 7/15). Tallied a .260 AVG (27-for-104) vs. LHP compared to .189 (10-for-53) vs. RHP. Hit for a .346 clip (9-for-26) in 16 games against AL Central opponents and .318 (21-for-66) with 3 of his 6 homers and 14 of his 24 RBI against AL East rivals. Batted at a .382 clip (13-for-34) in 18 games in September after combining to hit .195 (24-for-123) in 61 tilts over the 1st 5 months of the season. Placed on the 15-day disabled list on 5/26 with a left quadriceps strain...Appeared in 9 rehab games with Triple-A Pawtucket, hitting .345 (10-for-29) with 2 homers and 11 RBI, before being activated from the DL on 6/14. Reached in a career-high 9 straight games with a plate appearance from 7/5-31, batting .318 (7-for-22) with 3 doubles, a homer, 7 RBI, 8 runs and 6 walks in that span...Hit at a .309 clip (30-for-97) in 45 games from the beginning of that stretch through the end of the season. Threw out Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion at home from left field in the bottom of the 9th to end the game on 7/5, preserving a 3-2 win...Was his 1st OF assist of 2011 and only time getting a runner at the plate. Scored the game-winning run in consecutive contests after entering as a pinch-runner...Ran for David Ortiz and plated the winning run on Josh Reddick's single in the bottom of the 10th inning on 8/7 vs. NYY, as the Red Sox walked off with a 3-2 victory...Scored the go-ahead run on an Ortiz single in the top of the 9th inning of an 8-6 win at MIN on 8/8 while pinch-running for Adrian Gonzalez. Tied a career high with 3 hits on 8/21 at KC, his 4th 3-hit game and 1st since 9/5/10 vs. CWS...Hit a solo homer and 2 singles, and scored twice in the Sox 6-1 victory. Made 1st career pitching appearance on 8/26 vs. OAK (1.0 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 2 BB)...Was 1st Red Sox position player to pitch since Bill Hall on 5/28/10 vs. KC. Finished the season with a 7-game hit streak from 9/14-27, tying a career-long stretch (also 9/12-27/09)... Went 9-for-19 (.474) with 2 doubles, a homer, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored in that time. 2010 Played a career-high 117 games for the Red Sox, finishing 2nd on the team with 114 games and 80 starts in the outfield. Selected from Triple-A Pawtucket on 4/20 and remained with Boston for the remainder of the season, playing in a career-high 117 of the club's 149 games in that time. Appeared in 69 games in center field (50 starts), 34 in right (20 GS) and 30 in left (10 GS) and combined for a .990 fielding percentage (2 errors/198 total chances)...Since 2000, the only other qualifying Red Sox to appear in at least 1 game at each outfield position and post a better fielding mark was Jacoby Ellsbury in 2008 (1.000). Was the only AL player to appear in at least 30 games and start at least 10 games at all 3 outfield positions...The only other Major Leaguers to accomplish the feat were San Francisco's Andres Torres and Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez. Led the team with 9 outfield assists, tied for 8th most in the AL. Started for Boston in 52 of the club's 54 games against left-handed starters after his 4/20 selection, including Boston's 1st 30 such tilts from 4/20-7/22...Hit .294 (45-for-153) with 4 homers against left-handers compared to .247 (41-for-166) with 5 long balls vs. right-handed pitching. On 4/20 vs. TEX, homered in his 1st Red Sox plate appearance, a game-tying, pinch-hit shot in the 8th inning off Darren Oliver...Also connected for a 2-out, walk-off single in the 9th, his 1st career walk-off hit...Became the 1st player to homer in his 1st plate appearance with the Red Sox since Orlando Cabrera on 8/1/04 at MIN (also accomplished by Daniel Nava in 2010 on 6/12 vs. PHI) and the 1st to do it as a pinch-hitter since Curtis Pride on 9/19/97 vs. CWS...Is the only player with a walk-off RBI in his Sox debut since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920 (Elias). Also homered in his 2nd game with the Sox, 4/21 vs. TEX, becoming just the 4th Red Sox player since 1920 to go deep in each of his 1st 2 games with Boston, the 1st since Sam Horn, 7/25-26/87. Led the AL with a .429 clip (6-for-14) in the pinch (min. 12 AB)...His 6 pinch-hits tied for 4th in the AL and were the most by a Red Sox since Dave McCarty in 2004 (7). Tied for 4th in the AL with 12 sacrifice hits, the most by a Red Sox since Darren Lewis in 1999 (14). Laid down multiple sacrifice hits on 3 occasions (2 each on 6/6 at BAL, 7/17 vs. TEX and 9/27 at CWS), the most in any season by a ML position player since Colorado's Cory Sullivan in 2006 (3) and the most by an AL position player since New York's Alvaro Espinosa and Cleveland's Felix Fermin in 1989 (both 3)...He became the 1st Red Sox position player to do it since Bill Regan in 1928 (3). Collected 9 homers and 9 stolen bases (10 attempts), 1 of 22 AL players to reach those totals in 2010... Became the 1st Red Sox player with at least 9 homers and 9 sacrifice hits in a season since John Valentin in 1993 (11 HR, 16 SH)...Was the only Major Leaguer with at least 9 homers and 9 stolen bases and more than 9 sacrifice hits on the year. Of his 9 outfield assists, 7 came as a center fielder, the most by a Red Sox at that position since Coco Crisp in 2007 (7)...Recorded career-high 2 assists on 5/8 vs. NYY, both from center. Became the only Red Sox player ever with at least 9 homers, 9 stolen bases, 9 outfield assists and more than 9 sacrifice hits in a single season. Matched his career high for the 2nd and 3rd times with 3 hits on 7/7 at TB and 9/5 vs. CWS...Established career marks with 3 RBI on 4/20 vs. TEX, 3 walks on 4/30 at BAL and 2 stolen bases on 6/17 vs. ARI...Notched his 100th career hit with a double in the 2nd inning on 8/18 vs. LAA. Homered in consecutive games and back-to-back plate appearances, in the 8th inning on 8/15 at TEX and in the 3rd on 8/17 vs. LAA. Led the AL with 3 triples in August...Tripled in back-to-back games on 8/11 and 8/12, the 1st Sox player to do so since Coco Crisp, 7/17-18/07. Underwent surgery on 10/13 to repair a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb, performed by Dr. Donald Sheridan in Phoenix, AZ. 2009 Made the Reds Opening Day roster in his 12th professional season...Appeared in 24 tilts, including 7 starts for the Reds before he was designated for assignment on 5/22, when Jonny Gomes was promoted...Cleared waivers on 5/26 and accepted outright assignment to Triple-A Louisville...Promoted to the Reds again on 8/25 and spent the rest of the year in the Majors...In 23 games after that promotion hit .323 (21-for-65) with 2 homers and 9 RBI...Made 22 starts overall with the Big League club, including 12 in left field, 8 in right and 2 in center...Tied for 4th in the International League with 7 triples for Louisville. 2008 Appeared in 93 games for Twins Triple-A Rochester club despite 3 stints on the DL...Released by the Twins on 3/14 but re-signed a minor league contract the next day...Was the Red Wings lone representative at the Triple-A All-Star Game in Louisville, KY...Named International League Batter of the Week for 4/28-5/5 when he hit .469 (15-for-32) with 3 homers and 18 RBI in 8 games...Became a free agent following the season and on 12/2 was signed by the Reds to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training camp. 2007 Started the season in the Washington organization with Triple-A Columbus...appeared in 73 games for the Clippers, all in the outfield...hit .388 (47-for-121) in May (30 games)...hit .422 (27-for-64) during a 16-game hitting streak from May 1-15...recorded his first four-hit game of the season May 11...had eight games with three-or-more hits...posted a .355 (27-for-76) average with a .416 on-base percentage vs. lefties...hit .351 with runners in scoring position for the Clippers...was acquired by the Twins on June 24 and assigned to Triple-A Rochester...made his Red Wings debut June 26 and went 1-for-3 with a double while playing right field...hit safely in 12 of his first 19 games at Rochester and recorded six multi-hit games...contract selected, July 20...appeared in four games for the Twins before being optioned to Rochester, July 25...hit safely in 10 of 11 games, going 14-for-44 (.318), August 6-16. 2006 Was named the CF on the Triple-A International League's post-season All-Star squad after batting .292 with 33 doubles, 14 homers and 30 steals in 136 games with Durham...30 stolen bags were most since swiping 37 in pro debut in 1998...led IL batters with 157 hits, and ranked 5th in steals and 4th in both doubles and runs (80)...also ranked among TBR minor leaguers in hits (4th) and stolen bases (5th)...hit safely in Durham-record 27 straight games, June 23-July 24 (.390, 41-for-105)...the streak was the 2nd-longest in organization history, behind only Aubrey Huff's 28-game tear with Orlando of the Double-A Southern League in 1999...also endured a 9-game 0-for-35 drought, August 1-10...hit a walk-off solo homer August 23 vs. Norfolk in Durham's 7-6 victory...played for Navegantes del Magallanes of the Venezuelan Winter League following the season, hitting .292 with 6 doubles and 3 steals in 23 games. 2005 Hit .270 in 26 games with Buffalo of the Triple-A International League being released June 4...signed with TBR, June 10...hit 6 homers in his first 15 games with Durham...posted back-to-back 2-homer games, June 28-29 vs. Syracuse...the 2-game homer barrage included a walk-off 2-run blast on June 28...added a 3rd 2-homer game, July 16 vs. Rochester. 2004 Played in nine games for the Orioles after being called up from Double-A Bowie...Suffered a torn glenoid labrum during the season and is not expected back into game action until May 2005...Was named the organization's Player of the Year after hitting .307 with 15 home runs for Bowie...Considered one of the organization's top prospects. 2003 Was headed to breakthrough season in first full year at AAA Ottawa before going on the disabled list on May 19 with right shoulder tendinitis...Had arthroscopic surgery for a labral repair on the shoulder on June 12, ending his season...Played 23 games in center field, 17 games in right field and 3 games as DH...Had 2 hits on opening day at Scranton-Wilkes Barre, then went hitless in 4 of his next 5 games, going 2-for-18 as his average fell to .182...Hit safely in 4 straight games, April 13-15, including a season-best 4-for-4 outing vs. Pawtucket on April 14, to raise his average to .342...Finished April batting .307 with 14 RBI in 23 games and was hitting .281 in May when he was injured. 2002 Earned Orioles Minor League Player of the Year honors. Combined to hit .290 (138-for-476) with 10 homers and 50 RBI in 128 games overall...Successful on 20 of 26 (77%) stolen base attempts. 2001 Made Triple-A debut with 104 games for Rochester...Began year with Double-A Bowie. Combined to hit .248 (126-for-508) with 5 homers and 56 RBI in 134 games overall. 2000 Spent entire year at Double-A Bowie, his 1st professional season at that level. Hit safely in 30 of 35 games from 4/14-5/20, batting .290 (46-for-155). 1999 Led Single-A Frederick in walks (61), triples (5) and runs scored (81). Combined to hit .318 (70-for-220) in the months of June and July. Had 41 multi-hit games...From 5/28-7/3, reached base via hit or walk in 33 consecutive games, including a 13-game hitting streak (5/28-6/8). 1998 In 1st professional season led Single-A Delmarva in runs scored (87) and ranked 2nd in stolen bases (35). Was an honorable mention selection on Howe Sportsdata's All-Teen Team...Rated by Baseball America as the Orioles 4th-best prospect.


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The payment engine is where Click & Pledge's platform started. It's the foundation of our entire system. And it's designed to be easy to deploy for light users, yet powerful and customizable enough for even the most demanding applications. With Click & Pledge online services, accepting online charitable donations, selling merchandise or memberships, promoting events, or even setting up recurring transactions is a snap.
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Recurring Transactions
Click & Pledge services for processing payments in Euro, Canadian dollars, U.S. dollars and British pounds means you can accept donations from over 39 countries around the world. Learn more.
Real Time Receipts
Upon confirmation of all transactions a receipt will be emailed to the contributor as well as the organization in "real-time". Organization may set up various lists and various conditions where different people should get copies. Learn more.
Click & Pledge's ability to process payments in Euro, Canadian dollars, U.S. dollars and British pounds means you can accept donations from over 39 countries around the world.
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Data is available 24x7 for download. All data is in "real-time" and may be downloaded in CSV format. System reports offer a detailed view of all patron information except the credit card and CV2 numbers. Custom reports may also be created and saved with the desired columns. Learn more.
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Christopher Dean "Badness" Binse was 24 when a Victorian judge told him to stop robbing banks and stay out of jail.
But 21 years later, the career criminal is back behind bars after stealing $235,000 from a Melbourne hotel and shooting at police in a 44-hour siege.
His most recent convictions are the latest chapter in a criminal history that has led to Binse spending more than half his 45 years in jail.
Victorian Supreme Court Justice Terry Forrest said on Friday that Binse's prospects for rehabilitation were poor.
"Your prior record and the gravity of your current offending necessarily leads me to conclude that the community needs to be protected from you," he said.
"There is obviously a powerful need to deter you from reoffending."
He sentenced the Keilor East man to 18 years and two months in jail, with a non-parole period of 14 years and two months.
Justice Forrest quoted former Victorian County Court judge Leo Lazarus, who in sentencing Binse in 1993 said his offending was "about as bad as bank robberies can be".
Binse threatened two armed guards with a sawn-off shotgun during the armed robbery in March 2012.
He also pulled a gun on plainclothes police officers he thought were assassins sent to kill him, before escaping through a La Porchetta restaurant.
When police tracked him to his home in May 2012, he fired at them sporadically over 44 hours before teargas ended the siege.
Justice Forrest said Binse's armed robbery and police siege had put lives in danger.
"When such crimes are committed, they cause terror to those immediately involved and apprehension in the wider community," Justice Forrest said.
"You fired at or near police officers who were simply doing their job."
The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to charges including armed robbery and possessing guns.
He had also been charged with making a threat to kill police who confronted him in the restaurant, but was acquitted in a February trial.
When police searched his storage unit after he was arrested in May 2012, they found an arsenal of weapons, including a 1928 "Tommy gun" sub-machinegun.
Binse told police he had the guns because he feared for his life after a prisoner, who cannot be named, threatened to kill him.


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<~>~Niall FanFiction~><~>
Her Daddy
- by Amazaynarry
- Rating:
- Published: 22 Feb 2014
- Updated: 2 Mar 2014
- Status: In Progress
Carly Sanders was Niall's girlfriend. She got pregnant and didn't tell her boyfriend. He left for X-Factor. Her daughter is now 3 years old. What will happen when he shows up against?
Join MovellasFind out what all the buzz is about. Join now to start sharing your creativity and passion
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We were fortunate enough to meet Peter King once. We introduced ourselves, and he looked us up and down, not malevolently, and said, "How did you end up doing this?" We think he was referring to life as a professional blogger, rather than the fact that we were juggling octopi at the time.
As we've mentioned, Peter King has been an outstanding NFL reporter for a long time, but it wasn't until he started writing regularly for the Web that he became such a big star. We have to respect him for losing weight for the occasion.
And look: We almost made it through a whole Peter King post without mentioning Brett Favre. So close.
So: Do you like the Peter King? Do you not like the Peter King? Let us know.


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Primary dealers, the select group of banks and brokers that have held a seat at the center of the U.S. government debt market since 1960, are losing influence.
More than 20% of the $538 billion of Treasury notes auctioned this year have been awarded to bidders who bypassed the dealers by using a website to place their orders, according to U.S. Treasury Department data compiled by Bloomberg. That's almost double the 2011 level and up from 5.6% in 2009.
In the same way technology eroded the middleman role once played by travel agents and stock-market specialists, increased use of the direct-bidding system threatens government-bond traders at firms ranging from Bank of America Corp. to UBS AG. It also has eaten into profits from a business that's among the least affected by the regulatory changes and new capital requirements reshaping the industry.
"You'll see clients do a lot more things in a self-sufficient manner than they used to do before," said Richard Prager, global head of trading at BlackRock Inc., the world's largest asset manager with $3.8 trillion. "It's just the realities of today."
Traders at primary dealers have complained to the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York about direct bidding, which they say is reducing their profitability, according to seven government-bond traders who requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to comment publicly. Their job is becoming more frustrating, and sometimes money-losing, now that they're competing in auctions against anonymous investors who can show up at any time and at any price, the traders said.
Investor Shelter
"A lot of the value of being a dealer is being at the nexus of the information flow," said Jason Evans, a former Treasuries trader at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Deutsche Bank AG who started his own fund, Ninealpha Capital LP, in 2009. "That is being eroded through electronic trading and direct access to exchanges, and it's also being eroded in the primary market through Treasury direct access. It's just an erosion of their competitive advantage."
As the deepest and most-liquid bond market in the world, U.S. Treasuries have served for decades as a shelter for investors fleeing risks such as the 1987 stock-market crash, the Russian government's 1998 debt default, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism attacks and the 2008 financial crisis. The default investment of governments such as China and Japan, Treasuries serve as a benchmark for everything from corporate borrowing costs to home loans.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Republican governor candidate Kirk Dillard criticized Chicago Democrats' control of state government Sunday and said geographic and partisan balance is needed to make sure all parts of Illinois are treated equally.
Dillard, a state senator from Hinsdale, defended his critique that the city's control of state government has led to Chicago Public Schools siphoning nearly $1 billion in general state aid payments from rural and suburban schools, including changes in funding formulas for students living in poverty.
"I'm not proposing we take a penny out of the Chicago Public Schools. But my point is, when you have control of the entire state by one city, things happen," Dillard said in an interview on WGN-AM (720).
"I'm not saying at all that you ought to reduce the funding to the Chicago Public Schools," he said. "What I'm saying is that when we have these formulas, you need geographic balance in Illinois and I will be a governor for all of Illinois--not just the suburbs, not just Chicago, not just downstate Illinois or southern Illinois."
As of now, Dillard said, "The city of Chicago controls everything, everything in state government."
Dillard acknowledged, however, the increased general state aid education payments to Chicago are largely a "wash" with income tax payments made by Chicago taxpayers to help fund teacher pensions outside Chicago.
Leading city Democrats, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel and House Speaker Michael Madigan, have called for shifting the costs of teacher retirement benefits onto local school property taxpayers as part of an effort to deal with the state's massive unfunded pension liability. The call by Emanuel and Madigan prompted a study by Senate Republicans, upon which Dillard based his figures. It said Chicago has benefited by $772 million through changes in poverty funding and other formulas.
Dillard, who lost the 2010 GOP nomination for governor to state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington by 193 votes, said he would lead an effort to "re-prioritize" state government spending. He said it was unfair that Chicago schools get more per-student poverty funding than schools outside the city.
"A poor child is a poor child," Dillard said. "But Chicago gets a factor of multi times more per poverty child than (schools for) a poor kid in Aurora."
Dillard, however, said it was "sad" for some Illinois residents to want to wall off the rest of the state from Chicago.
"Chicago is an integral (part), just crucial. I don't want Chicago to not be a part of Illinois," Dillard said. "It's an economic engine, it's the financial cultural capital of the Midwest."
Dillard is in a four-way race for the GOP nomination against Brady, state Treasurer Dan Rutherford of Pontiac and equity investor Bruce Rauner.


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Wednesday, June 29, 2011
More Birds Eye View
Dodger Stadium, LA
Not content with pushing out the biggest update to Street View Google Maps has today also received a lot more aerial view (or Bird's Eye view) imagery.
The full list of the new additions to Google Maps' aerial view is; Anaheim, CA. Jacksonville, FL. Tampa, FL. North Las Vegas, NV. Los Angeles, CA. Downey, CA. La Chaux de Fonds, CH. Visalia, CA. Corona, CA. Meadowlake, NM. Continental Ranch, AZ .Picture Rocks, AZ. Greater Sun Center, FL, Bastrop, TX. Martinez, CA. Paradise Valley, AZ. West New Orleans, LA. Fentress, VA.
Aerial View Map
This Aerial View map includes some of the amazing aerial views that can be found on Google Maps. The map includes some pretty stunning imagery from Venice, Rome, the USA and South Africa.
Via: Google LatLong
Posted by Keir Clarke at 7:54 PM
Labels: aerial view
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University of Vermont
Current Projects
Schedule: Completed Fall 2013
Project Manager: Todd Merchant
Architect: H. Keith Wagner Partnership
General Contractor: ECI Engineers Construction
The main campus sign at the University of Vermont will fit into a recognizable University standard of materials and form. The campus sign elements will take the form of low walls that are freestanding and integrated into the surrounding topography defining the main campus entry.
The sign elements will be brushed aluminum letters affixed with pegs drilled into the granite. The letters will project in relief from the surface of the granite. The University Seal will also be included etched or cast in aluminum, also raised from the granite surface and the sign will be lit behind the UVM seal and the lettering.
Last modified July 02 2013 07:04 AM


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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico City lawmakers have approved prison terms for animal cruelty, previously considered a civil offense sanctioned with fines and detentions.
The capital's legislative assembly unanimously agreed that people who intentionally abuse and cause animals harm will face up to two years in prison and pay up to $500. If the animal is killed, they can face up to four years in prison and a $2,000 fine.
Antonio Padierna, president of the assembly's law enforcement and justice committee, said late Friday that if animals are killed for food, the death must be quick and not cause pain.
The lawmakers agreed current administrative laws weren't doing enough to end animal cruelty. In Mexico City, animals are sometimes killed by being burned, beaten or shot.


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If we're lucky enough to catch a few fish when we're out on the water, most of us like to snap a few photos to share with family and friends. Many photos I see on Facebook, Pinterest and other social media sites are excellent. But, honestly, most could be better.
For those who'd like to take better photos to share, the following tips can help.
Shoot on the water, not indoors
If possible, shoot photos of fellow anglers on the water, or with a lake or stream in the background. Avoid taking pictures indoors or in a carport, where the setting looks unnatural. And be sure you have a camera (or cellphone with a camera) on every trip so this is possible. A note taped to the top of your tackle box will help you remember.
Ready to go
When you get to the lake or river, keep your camera preset and nearby so you can shoot when fishing action is best. Try to capture your companions fighting or landing fish. Photos of fish jumping as anglers battle them are difficult to get but worth the effort when they work. Be sure to set your camera to a fast shutter speed.
Replay the scene
If you've missed the original action, consider re-enacting the scene. Have your fishing companion place his or her hand (or a landing net) and the whole fish under water and bring it up sharply to create splashing water. Again, shoot with a fast shutter speed to stop the action.
Fill the frame
When photographing your friends holding their catch, zoom in close so the angler and the fish fill the frame without a lot of distracting objects on the sides, top and/or bottom of the photo. Have your subject hold the fish with its side clearly visible, slightly in front of him or her or to one side. Shoot some photos with the angler holding the fish vertically, and some with the fish cradled in the hands and held horizontally. Turn the camera, too, so you get some vertical photos and some horizontal.
Hold it right
Be sure the fish is properly turned to display it best — not belly-up or turned at a funny angle. You also may want to shoot some close-ups of the fish while your subject holds it.
Shoot fresh
For the best images, stop fishing and shoot several photos as soon as you've landed a fish. Sure, it's tough to stop fishing and take pictures when there's a good bite going on. But a fish's colors fade quickly if it's kept too long. And if you intend to release the fish in a healthy state, you need to do so within seconds. Have a fishing companion hold the fish in the water while you grab your camera, which you've kept handy in a dry location.
Release shots
After you've taken some hold-up shots, don't forget to photograph the fisherman releasing the fish unharmed back into the water. If you're careful, you may be able to lean out of the boat to do this. (Be sure to keep your camera strap around your neck!) A better way, however, is to shoot from one boat to another, or to shoot from shore (or while wading in safe shallows) toward the boat. Photographs of friends releasing fish show that your fellow anglers take their conservation responsibilities seriously and make dramatic pictures everyone will love.
Colorful clothes make better photos
Encourage the angler being photographed to wear solid, brightly colored clothing. Shirts, jackets and hats that are some shade of red, yellow or purple stand out best in most fishing scenes. White, black and camouflage clothing rarely look good in fishing photos. And shirts with artwork or designs on front can distract from the overall fishing image.
The eyes have it
When you want the angler to be the primary focal point of your photograph, focus on his or her eyes. If you have an autofocus camera, make sure the camera doesn't inadvertently focus on the background or something else in the frame, or the subject in your picture will be out of focus.
When you want the fish to be the photograph's focal point, again focus on the eye. Most fish have rounded bodies. That means different portions of the fish lie in different planes of focus. If you focus on the fish's side, the eyes might be out of focus, making the fish look lifeless and dull. So when snapping your shot, focus on the eye instead. This will help assure that you get vibrant photos of a healthy-looking fish.
Pay attention to avoid distractions
Make sure your photos don't show a fishing rod or fishing line across the angler's face. Watch, too, for the tip of a rod or a landing net behind an angler that may appear to be growing from his or her head or shoulders.
Light right
When shooting in bright sunlight, get in a position where the fish is well lit, but keep the sun off one shoulder, not directly behind you, so no shadows appear in your photo. It may be simpler, and the results are often more dramatic, if you move in close and use fill flash to light up your subject and bring out details in the photograph.
Filter it
Use a polarizing filter on your camera lens when possible. This eliminates glare off the water and deepens the blue in the sky and water.
Better safe than sorry
It's easy to drop a camera into the water. Water spray and drops of moisture from your fishing tackle can also create a disaster. Always use the neck strap or wrist strap of your camera, just in case you lose your grip. And carry a waterproof camera bag or large plastic trash bag to protect your equipment from water, including rain.
Prepare your partner
If you're the only person with a camera, instruct a companion in the use of your camera before the action starts. Use automatic settings, if possible, to simplify the process of getting a good shot. Then position the camera where it's easily accessible to both you and your friend. After all, you're an important part of this story, too.


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PLEASANTON — One of the biggest names in yoga clothing will open a store at Stoneridge Shopping Center this winter.
Lululemon Athletica will open at the mall in early December, the first location in the Tri-Valley area. The company, from British Columbia, sells athletic clothes for yoga, running, dancing and other sports.
More stores slated to open this year at Stoneridge include Ann Taylor Loft, which opens in July, and Spencer's Gifts and Kids Foot Locker will open in the fall.
Contact Heather Somerville at 510-208-6413. Follow her at Twitter.com/heathersomervil.


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This post brought to you by iBulb. All opinions are 100% mine.
This post brought to you by iBulb. All opinions are 100% mine.
While I absolutely love fresh flowers, I have to admit I've never been a big fan of roses. They're over priced (and even more so for holidays), and frankly, I think they're kind of boring. I'd far prefer a dramatic bouquet of cut tulips any day -- like this fun, Spring-like arrangement that I made yesterday!
It was really easy to put together -- all you need are tulips, a lemon, and a mason jar. I think Le Parfait jars are so pretty, but they can get a little spendy. You can often find just the bottoms at thrift stores when the lids get broken, which is perfect for flower arrangements.
The first thing you'll want to do is trim about an inch off the bottom of each flower to allow them to take in more water so they last longer. Fill your jar with water and arrange the flowers. Then slice up your lemon into 1/4" rounds and tuck them into the jar around the flower stems.
The lemons will have the tendency to float to the top, but the stems should help anchor them into place. I'd just recommend adding them where you plan to display your arrangement so you don't have to move it after you get them placed exactly where you want them.
And that's it -- a beautiful arrangement that takes only minutes to put together.
Two lucky Deal Seeking Mom readers will win a $25 gift card to the craft store of their choice -- Hobby Lobby, Michael's or Joanne Fabrics -- to put together their own tulip arrangement!
To Win:
Just leave a comment on this post sharing which store you would choose and what kind of arrangement you'd like to do!
This giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on April 30, 2012 and is open to all U.S. residents 18 years or older. At the end of the Contest Period one entrant will be selected by the Sponsor from the eligible pool of entries. Read the complete official rules. Good luck!


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We are sorry, this product is currently not available.
Brooklinen's original line woven in a perfect cotton percale. These soft, cool and crisp sheets will make your whole bed feel like the cool side of the pillow. Made from a single ply, single pick construction with 60 count yarns, Brooklinen's 270 thread count Classic collection provides the optimal balance of softness and breathability.
Includes a Flat Sheet, Fitted Sheet and 2 pillowcases.


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Mazuma Mobile wins Best Recycling Provider 2014
Eco-friendly Mazuma Mobile has once again been recognised for its top class service and contribution towards green recycling of waste.
The mobile phone recycler beat off the competition to be voted as Best Recycling Provider at the Mobile News Awards. This marks the first time that the accolades have included such a category and means that Mazuma Mobile has been awarded every smartphone recycling award out there.
In the past few years, we have beaten the competition for the What Mobile Best Recycling Service in both 2012 and 2013, meaning that Mazuma Mobile has been awarded the accolade as long as this category has been implemented.
We have also come out top at the Mobile Choice Best Recycling Service in 2013, which was also the first time that the board introduced an award for mobile phone recycling.
This latest award, and our good streak, shows that Mazuma Mobile is the expert when it comes to giving customers value for money to recycle their mobile phones.
Posted by Simon Thomas


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Translator's Footnotes:
Eliahu was orphaned from his father when he was still a young boy. After some time, his mother remarried. Shortly thereafter, his mother also died, and the young orphans remained in the home. There was no orphanage in the town, and Eliahu remained in the house of his stepfather. He worked at various jobs while he as still young in order to assist with the sustenance of the family. He did not reject any job opportunity, for the choice of jobs was not great for children of his age.
The difficult living conditions placed a great burden upon him, and he matured before his time. He learned to differentiate between good and bad, and was diligent in maintaining his spiritual character. Eliahu was mature in his outlook and ideas, of which he spoke with youthful enthusiasm, insight and levelheadedness. He was able to serve as an example to anyone who had a difficult childhood. He grew up out of his difficult childhood well-forged, spiritually strong, and possessing a fine and sensitive soul.
Eliahu joined the Young Chalutz organization, and later Hechalutz, from where he went to hachsharah. Upon his return to town he could not find his place. He knew that he could only build his future in the Land. The difficulties in aliya did not pass over him. Lacking means, he waited like many Hechalutz members for the redeeming certificate. He was anxious to embark upon the path of aliya, and he did not know from where his help would come.
Eliahu frequented our home. I knew of the difficulties of his life and was concerned that everything must be done so that he would not be left alone to his fate. One evening, I met with some of the leaders of the town and I discussed his situation with them and I was answered. One day, I traveled with Eliahu to Warsaw the capital city. I came to the Hechalutz headquarters and requested an urgent meeting with one of the members. I described Eliahu's circumstances to him, and requested that his aliya be expedited. At first my words fell upon sealed ears, but I did not move from my place nor abandon my request until the desired certificate was given. When he arrived in the land, he joined up with a founding group (garin) of a kibbutz, which did their hachsharah in Raanana [1] . However, Eliahu did not find peace of mind since his young sister was not with him. Since he could not find the means for her aliya to the kibbutz, he left the garin and accepted a job at one of the orchards of Raanana. He very quickly endeared himself to the owner of the orchard, Mr. Leviathan; and with his assistance, and with his taking responsibility before the Mandatory government for the sustenance of his young sister, he succeeded in bringing her to the Land. She was accepted to the Chana Chizik women's pioneering group.
Eliahu married a woman by the name of Shulamit, may she live long, and they had a daughter. He lived an exemplary family life. Many good people would pass through his home and become good friends. However, he did not escape a bitter fate, for he became afflicted with a severe illness. He survived a difficult operation, and we hoped that his health would improve. He became ill again one year later, and there was no hope for recovery.
My last conversation with him was on the telephone on the night of a memorial ceremony for the martyrs of our town. I asked about his health and he broke out in bitter weeping. He wanted very badly to attend the memorial ceremony, for he felt that this would be his last chance to meet with the natives of our town. I dissuaded him from this, for I knew that his strength would not hold out, for his condition was serious.
The pleasant and refined Eli, faithful to his family and upright with his friends and acquaintances went to his eternal rest before his time.
{Photo page 378 Herzl Cheslok}
Mourners have gathered together, your friends who are natives of Stawiski, to join together with your memory, oh our dear Herzl, who was taken from us suddenly.
Herzke, only you survived from your large family who died in the great holocaust to tell of the tragedies and unimaginable hellish suffering that occurred to all the Jews of our town, of who only very few (less than ten) survived. You were in Auschwitz when it was liberated, and you were like a sack of bones. You stood on your feet with difficulty. You regained your strength after being taken care of for a long period, but you never returned to your original strength.
You began a new life. Your fortune brightened, and you merited the good and dedicated idea to make aliya to the Land. You hoped to live a life of happiness, but your lot was bitter for your beloved wife was cut off in her prime, and you were again left alone and forlorn.
You began to seek out friends from among the natives of your town in order to relieve your loneliness. You were close to all of them, you visited them often. You rejoiced in their joy and you were suffered in their sadness.
I remember well my first meeting with you in the Land, in the home of Chana Wiener of blessed memory. You both had great merit in arranging the first memorial of the martyrs of Stawiski. Already at that time, you had in your heart the dream of publishing a book on Stawiski to perpetuate the Jewish life and martyrs of our hometown.
The picture of our final meeting, dedicated to the publishing of the Stawiski Yizkor Book, still stands before my eye. You extended your hand with your photo from Auschwitz to be included in the book. And behold, only a few days passed, and you were no longer alive.
Hertzke is no longer with us. Hertzke who attended the Yeshiva of Lomza, Hertzke the melancholy youth who peered out of the window of his home on Shul Gasse, Hertzke the only one of the natives of our town who was saved from the fires of Auschwitz.
In the eyes of my spirit I see your entire family: your mother Elke may peace be upon her, who was always concerned about your wellbeing; your young sister, my childhood friend in whose company I spent much time her home was my home. They all perished, nobody remains of them, and now you have gone also. Our brethren, Stawiski natives, remain enveloped in agony, weeping over your untimely death.
Translator's Footnotes :
Coordinator's Note: This is the original chapter included in English entitled "On The Occasion of Publication", as it appears in the Stawiski Yizkor Book. Since this chapter was published in English, the spellings have been kept as in the original, even though it is noted that there are some spelling discrepancies. The current name of the shtetl is Stawiski and it will be spelled that way in all translations, even though this chapter had it spelled the Yiddish way Stavisk. This is the only place in the Yizkor Book translation that it will be spelled the Yiddish way, as that is how the editorial committee wrote it.
{page I-V}
The goal we set before us was difficult to achieve, the labour [sic] involved was plentiful, and time, as always, short. Most of our townspeople, both in Israel and abroad, had left Stavisk [sic] tens of years previously, and even though all of them treasured, and still carry with them, the memories of their families and friends, of the town and community as they saw it, the passage of time had done its best to erode and weaken many of the impressions, and many items of import had been completely erased from memory with time. Thus we knew that time was not operating in our favour [sic], knowing, as we did, that we were the remnants of the last generation which had lived {sic} at least a part of its early life childhood, youth, young adulthood in our town. Haste was of the utmost importance, if we were to succeed in rescuing from oblivion all that was still to be remembered by the few who could still do so and contribute their share to our project. So our call was "Let whoever is capable of expressing his feelings and memories do so, everyone in his own manner should pour out the contents of the depth of his innermost heart, so as to perpetuate the memory of our dear ones, lost forever in the terrible Holocaust which had befallen European Jewry in our times".
Like all the beginnings, ours had its difficulties as well. We introduced the idea and explained it at our annual memorial meetings in Israel, and in letters circulated amongst our townspeople in Israel and throughout the world. We asked everyone to write about the subject or persons closest to his heart. Years passed and the response was negligible, but we did to give up hope. Great thrust was given to the whole project and its final realization by our reverend [sic] and honored teacher and dearest friend, the late Moshe Goelman, who took the task upon himself, and put all the heart and energy at his command to fulfilling the goal. Moshe Goelman was one of the oldest among us, but his memory had not faded, and he was also the first to put into writing a number of the memories which had remained with him of the way of life in our community. In these sketches he described very faithfully some of the outstanding personalities and figures of the town of his time.
We approached the whole idea rather hesitantly. We certainly had no pretensions about publishing the memorial volume of its kind. We realized that there were practically no limitations to the possibilities hidden within this terrible and painful subject matter. However, realizing our limitations we tried to do whatever we could, utilizing our limited abilities and our even more limited material resources in order to erect a memorial to Jews of Stavisk [sic], their unique, communal way of life, their hopes and their aspirations, their failures and disappointments, their joys and their sorrows. We wished to describe, however modestly, the Jews of our town, their various social strata, how they clung to their faith in God, performing all His commandments willingly and with awe, who drew from their deep faith the hope and expectations of the eventual coming of the Messiah, and the strength to resist all the troubles of their existence. We desired to raise from the depth of our memories the hopes and dreams of the young people, who rebelled against the conventions of town life, who saw in the evils of Jewish life in the Diaspora the inescapable results of life dispersed among the nations, and who fervently desired to go back to the land of their forefathers and to take part in the building of a normal nation and the establishment of a new society based upon solid and normal foundations in the soil of the Homeland.
Thus they hoped and prayed, and thus they went up in flames they and their hopes!!
The little that we have done in giving this book its shape, in organizing its contents, we owe to many, some of whom are no longer among the living,
First and foremost, to our teacher and guide, the late Moshe Goelman, one of the originators of the idea of publishing the memorial volume, and the first to give reality to the idea in writing. He contributed much of his time and energy to collecting the material from people near and far, spent days and nights writing, urging, activating his many friends and former pupils abroad, getting them to do their part in getting the book together. He also translated several of the contributions from one language to another, and typed them all up in order to reduce expenses. To his last days he worked to help further progress of the book, but his dream of seeing it published was not to be fulfilled in his lifetime.
The late Herzl (Herzke) Cheshluk was a "brand plucked from the flames", one of the nine survivors of the Holocaust from Stavisk. He arrived in Israel broken in flesh and spirit after the war. When he had finally begun to return slowly to normal existence, he found his way to our townspeople here. He was the one who originated the idea of holding our annual memorial meetings, devoted to the memory of our martyred townspeople, on the 17th of Tammuz, and it is to his efforts that the holding of these meeting for the many years must be credited. At a meeting of our Committee which was hold [sic] before the Shavouot festival in 1972 to discuss the memorial volume and its problems, Herzl announced his own personal donation to the book fund, and took upon himself the task of raising more funds from some of our townspeople living in the north of Israel. But Fate, having spared him from the death camps in Europe, turned upon him after he had finally managed to recover from all he had gone through during the Holocaust and afterwards, and broke his heart finally on the evening of the first day of Shavouot, as he was sitting with some friends in Haifa.
We also wish to remember the late Chana Weiner, who was a devoted mother to everyone of our townspeople who was ever in need of help, who aided everyone so quietly and devotedly in her own special manner. Until the last months of her life, she was devoted heart and soul to everything connected with memorial projects for our townspeople, and especially to this memorial volume.
We mourn all of these dear friends, the good, honest, devoted people, who did not attain their dream of seeing the day our volume would be published,
Of those with us, our heartfelt thanks go our to our "landsman", the lawyer Chaim Villamovsky [sic], who gave much of his time to gathering material for this book, especially much documentary evidence related to the destruction of the town of Stavisk [sic] and its Jews.
We wish to commend heartily our townspeople in the United States who aided us, each in his own way, in publishing this volume:
Jack Elfenbaum, of New York, who transferred to us, through Moshe Goelman, the funds remaining in the Landsmannshaft treasury in New York;
Charles Zweiback, who took the memorial volume to his heart, and who contributed a considerable sum of his own, as well as passing on some of his contagious enthusiasm to one of his friends, Nathan Caron, whose fine contribution was divided between the memorial volume and the Mutual Loan Fund managed by Rabbi HI. L. Bernstein. Charles Zweiback also placed advertisements in some of the Yiddish newspapers in the U. S. a "Call to Arms" to our townspeople in the U.S. to join the effort of publishing the volume;
Mr. Herman Levine (Levinovich) of Miami, Mrs. Channa Bramson of Chicago, and her brother Louis Bramson of New York, Mr. Zaritzki of New York, and Chaim Solel of Mexico City all were active and activated others, contributed themselves and raised contributions from many others in aid of this volume.
We are thankful to all our townspeople, friends and acquaintances, in Israel and abroad, who answered our appeals for help and contributed in gathering the material, writing it up, and helped in every other way to get the book published. We are very grateful to them all may they be blessed for their fruitful efforts.
We are adding this book of mourning to the long list of books already written, and those which will probably be written in the future so that we and all who come after us may remember what the Nazi beast, in close collaboration with the antisemetic [sic] Poles, did to our community and town in the dark days when the Holocaust engulfed the House of Israel in the European Diaspora. Let us remember that in every era and in every generation our enemies have risen and do still arise trying to exterminate us. Let us remember that all Jews are mutually responsible for each other "kol Yisrael a'reivin zeh bazeh" and that the survival of our people depends upon the unity and strength of all its parts. Let us remember and let us never rest until the nation of Israel is rebuilt in our Homeland forever and ever. Amen.
Editorial Committee:
Hemda Levinovich-Kantor
El'azar Goelman
Zalman Hirshfield
Rabbi Shimon Katz
JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of
the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material
for verification.
JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions.
Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.
Stawiski, Poland Yizkor Book Project JewishGen Home Page
Copyright © 1999-2018 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 15 Apr 2002 by LA


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Today we are excited to offer a fantastic giveaway from Paula's Bread, our longtime sponsor and supplier of wonderful kitchen equipment. Paula would like to offer a NutriMill Grain Grinder to one special reader! This grain mill is valued at $269.99 and is a wonderful tool for your natural kitchen.
Paula's Bread is a sweet family operated business offering a wealth of natural kitchen supplies to equip you for making your own homemade goodies. They have been a longterm distributor of the Bosch Universal Mixer and NutriMill grain grinders which are powerful reliable tools for any whole foods kitchen.
Paula shares, "It has been my passion to help the harried cook feed their family nutritionally while not overtaxing the cook. The kitchen products I carry are kitchen tools I personally use to help/enhance getting the finished food product done. I love helping others make great bread, saving the cook time and saving family's money with all the wonderful things they can do to stretch their budget with a simple batch of bread."
I have owned a NutriMill for nearly 6 years now and it has served me faithfully in grinding all my grains into fresh whole grain flours to make our own baked goods.
It has a very trim design and is not huge and awkward making it easy to store on my kitchen counter tucked in the corner for easy access. It produces fresh flour very quickly providing me with a nice batch of flour in a matter of minutes. It actually stays relatively clean while grinding flour and does not have a huge off spray, thus providing easy clean up. Its works very well for grinding fresh flours for all your baking needs. It has a twenty cup bowl capacity, so you can prepare a lot of flour at once or any smaller amounts as well. The Nutrimill keeps your flour at temperatures (typically around 118 degrees) that protect the nutrients in your grains. Its new airflow design makes it the world's coolest-running impact mill. It has a lifetime warranty including the stainless steel blades.
For my complete review of the NutriMill, visit here.
1. Visit Paula's Bread and check out their line of products. In the comments below, share your favorite product that they offer and how you would use the NutriMill if you were to win this product.
2. For an optional second entry, sign up for the Paula's Bread newsletter (located on the lower right hand portion of the side bar) and let us know in a second comment below.
Giveaway Closed.
AND THE WINNER IS…Therese – Artistta!!! Congrats!
Check out Paula's Bread on facebook to stay informed on future sales and updates!
Paula's Bread is offering a special discount of $5 off any order of $25 or more with a stainless steel purchase. Enter "Stainless Steel" at checkout. Expires 1/31/12.
Giveaway limited to US participants only.
Winner will be randomly selected and contacted on the Wednesday following the completion of the giveaway. The end of this post will be updated to announce the winners.
Email subscribers: You must click through to the original post on Passionate Homemaking to be entered into this giveaway.
No purchase necessary.


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Virtualization can make your IT Infrastructure more efficient and flexible. One of the most common uses for virtualization is in the area of server consolidation. Virtualization lets you run multiple server instances on a single hardware platform, making more efficient use of your existing servers. This results in higher hardware resource utilization, lower power requirements, and fewer operational requirements. However, virtualization has other benefits beyond server consolidation—it can also improve the availability of your servers. In this article you'll learn about some of the ways that virtualization can be used to improve the availability of the SQL Server systems in the areas of disaster recovery, planned downtime, and dynamic resource management. I'll focus on the options that are available through the Microsoft technology stack, but similar options are available from VMware.
Backing Up Virtual Machines for Disaster Recovery
One of the most basic ways that virtualization can improve SQL Server availability is in the area of disaster recovery. Virtualization abstracts the server OS from the underlying hardware. This separation provides a lot of flexibility in how you can back up and restore a server in the event of a hardware failure or site outage.
There are two basic options for backing up Hyper-V virtual machines (VMs). You can perform the backup at the Hyper-V virtualization host level or the Windows Server guest OS level. (It's important to remember that these system backup aren't any kind of substitute for your regular database backups.) Backing up a VM at the guest level is essentially the same as performing a normal backup of a physical server. Windows Server backup is able to use Volume Shadow Copy Services to take live backups of SQL Server. You select to restore either at the volume level or at the individual file level.
You can back up at the guest level, but virtualization also lets you perform VM backups at the host level. Windows Server's VSS enables you to back up running VMs with no downtime. One of the big advantages of backing up at the virtualization host level is the fact that the saved VMs can be quickly restored to another Hyper-V host. There's no need for bare metal restores or reinstalls of the OS or SQL Server or its databases—the VM backup contains all of these. SQL Server and its databases can be available as quickly as the VM restore can be completed and attached to another Hyper-V host.
To take advantage of online host backups, the VM host OS needs to be VSS aware and the Hyper-V Integration Services must be installed in the VM. Windows Server 2008 R2, Server 2008, Server 2003 R2, and Server 2003 all support VSS backups. VMs running guest OSs that don't have support for VSS Backups, such as Windows 2000 Server or VMs without Integration Services installed, will save their state when the VSS snapshot is taken. The state will be restored after the snapshot is complete.
Hyper-V is VSS aware, but VSS compatibility for Hyper-V isn't enabled by default. For Windows Server Backup to be able to back up a Hyper-V VM using VSS, you need to add the registry key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WindowsServerBackup\Application Support\\\{66841CD4-6DED-4F4B-8F17-FD23F8DDC3DE\\}.
After adding the key, you need to create the following string value under it.
Name: Application Identifier Type: REG_SZ Value: Hyper-V
For more information about enabling Hyper-V and Windows Server Backup integration, refer to the Microsoft article "How to Back Up Hyper-V Virtual Machines from the Parent Partition on a Windows Server 2008-Based Computer by Using Windows Server Backup."
For disaster recovery purposes, you'd typically set up a process to move the VM backup to a disaster recovery site. You can do this manually or by using File Replication Services, Distributed File Services Replication, or even scripted FTP transfers. For more information about using DFS for disaster recovery, refer to "Disaster Recovery with DFS."
To restore a VM, simply run Windows Server Backup and select the Recover option from the Actions Pane. When performing the restore, select Application Restore then choose Hyper-V. This will display the VMs that can be restored.
As an alternative to building a homegrown solution for disaster recovery, there are also several add-on products that facilitate disaster recovery for Hyper-V VMs. Examples include Microsoft's Data Protection Manager 2010, AppAssure Replay Replication, CA ArcServe Replication, Double-Take, EMC Symmetrix Remote Data Facility, R1Soft's Continuous Data Protection, and SteelEye DataKeeper for Hyper-V.
Using Live Migration to Reduce Planned Downtime
Live Migration, the equivalent of VMware's VMotion, fills an important hole in Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualization platform. It lets you move VMs between Hyper-V hosts with no downtime. Live Migration lets you perform planned maintenance on Hyper-V hosts without incurring any end user downtime from the applications that use the database servers on those VMs. Using Live Migration, you can move all the VMs from the physical Hyper-V host that needs maintenance to another Hyper-V host. You can perform whatever hardware or software maintenance that the host requires, then migrate the database server VMs back to the original server when you're done.
Live Migration can work with any version of SQL Server, but it requires Windows Server 2008 R2 or Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 as the virtualization host. In addition, the Hyper-V servers must be nodes in a Windows Failover Cluster. Clusters can have up to 16 nodes and Live Migration can take place between any of the nodes in the cluster. You can see an overview of how Live Migration works in Figure 1.
Figure 1: An Overview of Live Migration
Live Migration takes place between two Hyper-V hosts. Essentially, the VM configuration and memory of the source VM is copied to a target Hyper-V host. After the memory is copied to the target Hyper-V host, the VM on the new host can access its VHD files, which are stored in a Cluster Shared Volume (CSV), and the VM can continue to run without interruption. Server 2008 R2's new CSV storage lets both Hyper-V hosts simultaneously access the storage where the VM's Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) files are located.
When you initiate a Live Migration, the following steps occur:
1. A new VM configuration file is created on the target server.
2. The source VM's initial memory state is copied to the target.
3. Changed memory pages on the source VM are tagged and copied to the target.
4. Step 3 continues until the number of changed pages is small.
5. The VM is paused on the source node.
6. The final memory state is copied from the source VM to the target.
7. The VM is resumed on the target.
8. An ARP is issued to update the network routing tables.
Live Migration works exactly as advertised. You can be running multiple queries on a SQL Server system that's being live migrated to another Hyper-V host and there'll be no interruption of service—the queries will run to completion with no problems. Hyper-V Live Migration can effectively reduce planned downtime for SQL Server database server hardware and software maintenance. For more detailed step-by-step information about setting up Live Migration, refer to "Hyper-V Live Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide."
Dynamic Resource Management for Enhanced Application Availability
Availability isn't limited to server uptime. True availability must be measured by the end user's ability to access computing resources. If server's responsive time is affected, availability is also affected, because the users can't get the information they need to do their jobs. This can happen even when the database server is up and fully available but demands for system resources overload the server, making it unresponsive. Unacceptable response time is definitely a form of downtime.
Virtualization and Live Migration can work together to provide the foundation for establishing dynamic management of IT resources. Virtualization lets you encapsulate a workload that can be moved between different Hyper-V hosts in the VM. Live Migration is the transport mechanism that can move the VMs between Hyper-V hosts with no downtime. System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2008 R2 and System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) 2007 are the key components that are required to automate the process of moving database server VMs between Hyper-V servers. SCOM can monitor system resource levels, such as the CPU and memory utilization, of both Hyper-V hosts and the VMs running on those hosts. VMM 2008 R2's Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO) feature ties SCOM's monitoring capabilities to VMM's management capabilities. SCOM can detect when either Hyper-V hosts or VM guest exceed predetermined operational levels, such as when CPU utilization exceeds 60 percent, and then trigger a VMM PRO Tip. VMM's PRO Tips can automatically initiate a Live Migration, moving one or more VMs to other Hyper-V hosts. Automated VMM PRO Tips let your IT infrastructure dynamically respond to periods of high resource utilization by automatically moving VMs to hosts with greater capacities or lower workloads.
VMM PRO Tips can be generated for a variety of reasons, including the lack of resources on a Hyper-V host or VM, hardware problems such as temperature overages, power supply failure, network congestion, fan failure, or application performance falling below an acceptable threshold. PRO Tips can be responded to either manually or automatically. A PRO Tip can be informational or it can define actions required to correct a given operational condition. Remediation of PRO Tips can include migrating VMs to other hosts and starting VMs. For example, if the load on a web farm rises above a certain level, a PRO Tip can start additional Web server VMs to handle the load.
You can see an example of dynamic resource management using Hyper-V, System Center Operations Manager, and System Center Virtual Machine Manger in Figures 2 and 3. In Figure 3, the warning icons indicate where a PRO Tip has detected that the SQL Server workloads running in a given VM have exceeded the predefined operational limit. Automated implementation of the PRO Tip let VMM live migrate the VM to the next node in the cluster, which had a lower workload—dynamically adjusting to the situation that caused the operational problem and correcting it. Dynamically moving the SQL Server database VM to a Hyper-V host that can deliver better performance provides end users with improved application responsiveness and availability by matching the VM's workload to the Hyper-V host with the available resources.
Figure 2: VMM PRO and Dynamic Resource Management before a PRO Tip is detected
Virtually Better Availability
Virtualization can add a lot of value to an organization, but one of its most important assets is the ability to enhance the availability of workloads like SQL Server that run in the VMs. SQL Server was once considered to be one of those applications that couldn't be virtualized, but today many businesses have successfully virtualized SQL Server, gaining benefits in a number of areas including better resource utilization, easier manageability, and improved availability.


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26 March 2013
Black People DID Own Slaves? Yes ....
People like to think that only "white" plantation owners owned and used enslaved labor. People like to think that it was only "white males" who fathered children with enslaved female negroes. The list could go on.
The article, Did Black People Own Slaves? by Henry Louis Gates Jr (at The Root) reminds us that they did. This challenges us to be open-minded when looking into the records of who owned slaves and why – both in terms of who, where, when, why, etc. The history is complex and the repercussions have been long-lasting.
Some other articles on the same topic are:
- Dixie's Censored Subject – Black Slaveowners
- The Black Slave Owners
- First Slave owner in the US was black and more history they don't want you to know
Were your ancestors enslaved by a black owner?
Have you been challenged to determine the "race" of who owned your ancestors?
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Posted by Diane L Richard at Tuesday, March 26, 2013
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Cisco says its controller will support both the OpenFlow protocol and a set of proprietary APIs, a package it calls the One Platform Kit (onePK), which contains hundreds of APIs to expose existing features and capabilities within Cisco's switches and routers. Cisco says the new controller will ship in the first half of 2013.
Cisco has been slower to market with an SDN controller than traditional competitors such as IBM and NEC, both of which have released controller products. HP and Juniper have also announced, but not shipped, their own controllers.
There are several reasons for Cisco's slow pace. The simple fact is that while the SDN movement has generated a significant amount of discussion, it has yet to generate any significant customer demand. For another, Cisco has dominated the market for decade with autonomous networking, so it's easy to assume the company is assuring current profits by resisting change.
Cisco also announced three applications for the controller. If you have been following the OpenFlow/SDN discussion, you won't be surprised by the applications that Cisco offers, which are similar to those offered or announced by other vendors such as HP and Big Switch Networks.
1. Network Slicing: This application uses dynamic network provisioning to "carve" new pathways out of existing networks; it's most commonly associated with multitenant networks.
2. Network Tapping: This application uses flow-based network matching to duplicate traffic for external monitoring, and is similar to Big Switch's Big Tap product.
3. Custom Forwarding: As with Network Slicing, Custom Forwarding applies specific modifications to selected traffic, such as setting dynamic QoS policies or manual path selections.
Cisco says these applications are in use today by customers building proof-of-concept networks, suggesting that Cisco wants us to know these are real applications, not just announcements.
Controller support within the Cisco hardware product range is very limited. Only the ASR 1000 and ISR G2 routers and the Nexus 3000 will get onePK support in the first half of this year. OpenFlow support will be limited to the Catalyst 3000 (that is, not Cisco silicon). However, software devices such as the CSR1000V and Nexus 1000V get early support.
Northbound APIs
Much of the value in a centralized controller-based SDN architecture comes from a controller's northbound APIs, which allow applications to communicate with the controller and request network services. Cisco has announced REST and Java-based northbound APIs for its controller.
Previously, Cisco stated its intention to "meet developers wherever they are" and offer APIs once standards and market consensus had been reached. However, developers are also looking to Cisco to commit to a platform before the developers put resources to development projects. The announcement of northbound APIs from Cisco may be the commitment developers need. Cisco claims that its ONE Controller is the "industry's most extensible controller architecture," indicating APIs will certainly change and Cisco plans to be ready for those changes.
Today there are no standards for northbound APIs, though there has been talk of efforts. Recently, I received a tip that HP, IBM and Cisco may be setting up a consortium to build consensus and direction for northbound APIs. That the Open Networking Foundation, which oversees OpenFlow standards, hasn't been able to get organized is disappointing. That said, standards can be built in many ways, and a joint effort among vendors with transparent and open processes could work equally well for customers.
Next Page: Controller Commitment Issues


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Old No. 7 band back on track 28 years later
After nearly 30 years apart, The Old No. 7 Band reunited about a year ago, and will take the stage at Rocky Point Pub tomorrow night for three sets beginning at 9 p.m., playing until the bar closes. There is no entry fee.
"We just want to get out there and have everybody enjoy the music," says bassist Russ Rea, who founded the group in 1977 with Peter Sousa, one of the bands two guitarists.
They started as a three-piece bluegrass band, then evolved to a rock quartet, and then added a fifth member before splitting up in 1984. Rea also plays keyboards on some songs.
Rea, Sousa and the other original members got together for a reunion show in February 2011 at the Knights of Columbus. More than 250 people attended.
But the original singer and drummer decided to go their own ways, as they wanted to pursue other interests. That's when Rea and Souza recruited guitarist Paul Gizelt and drummer Jack Matthews.
In the last year, they've played about a dozen shows, and have been practicing and honing a new style, classifying themselves as an Americana act. Americana is the culmination of several genres, such as folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other styles, including bluegrass.
They mostly perform covers, with a few originals sprinkled in.
"We kept the same name, but we're doing different material than we did 30 years ago," Rea said, noting that they've played about a dozen shows in the last year.
They cover well-known artists such as The Beatles, Hootie and the Blowfish, Van Morrison, The Grateful Dead, Gordon Lightfoot, and more.
"It's eclectic, which is why I like it," said Gizelt. "If you're in a blues band or a country band, you're playing the same songs. It keeps it interesting. And it's a relaxed attitude. I spent my 20s trying to get famous, my 30s trying to get good, and my 40s trying to get work, and now I'm having fun."
Matthews agrees. Also, he enjoys the fact that they get to add their own twists to certain songs.
"I come from a heavy R&B and folk background, and I like playing in this band for the simple reason that we can pick and choose and do anything that we want," he said. "We don't have to stick to one format. It allows us diversity, and the ability to be ourselves."
Sousa feels the same, noting that they don't pressure one another. They all leave their egos at the door.
"If somebody suggests a song and everyone else doesn't like it, it doesn't matter – no one's feelings get hurt," said Sousa. "There are 5 million songs out there – we'll find one that we all like. That's not always the case with other bands."
Rea said they get along very well and are like brothers. They all think similarly and compliment each other.
"I like the sound that we have, and I like the versatility of the members," he said. "Peter's a great acoustic guitar player and finger picker, and Paul has a more bluesy or jazz style, so it fits. Everything clicks."
Gizelt added, "If we were too similar, it wouldn't work."
As noted, they are pleased with this incarnation of the band. In the past, they played with acts like Herman's Hermits, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, and The Blushing Brides. They frequently played at the old Lupo's in the late '70s and early '80s.
Before joining The Old No. 7 Band, Matthews played in numerous bands, including Stovall Brown. Through that band, he met Rea and Sousa, and played their last gig in 1984. He also previously worked the sound system for them.
In terms of his background, Matthews began playing guitar as a youngster but quickly switched to drums.
"My father was a drummer and he said, 'Don't you want to play all these drums?'" said Matthews, who cited Buddy Rich, Jack McDuff, Richard "Groove" Holmes, and others as some of his biggest musical influences. "I was 9 years old. I played rock and roll up until I was 14, and started playing rhythm and blues. My favorite at that time was B.B King."
Rea started playing piano when he was 4. At 10, he switched to drums before taking up guitar and bass when he was 13.
Through the years, he also learned how to play the clarinet, saxophone and harmonica.
Gizelt started playing the violin at age 7. He didn't like it, so he got an acoustic guitar.
"Then, I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show and said, 'I've got to get an electric guitar," he said. "I started playing in bands and gigging at dances and church functions at about 13."
As he got older and more established, he played with the band The Naturals.
For Sousa, he started playing guitar when he was 10. His brother had a guitar but couldn't play it well.
"I just picked it up and started playing it," he said.
Some of his favorite artists include Tom Rush, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane and The Rolling Stones, a band they cover often.
They are also in the process of working on an EP of a few originals and a few covers to be released in the future. For now, they are looking forward to tomorrow night.
"The last time we played at the Rocky Point Pub, I asked the bartender how the night went and she said, 'There were all different kinds of people here,'" said Matthews. "I said, 'What do you mean?' and she said, 'Well, there were some really young kids here, bikers here, older people, business people. It was a beautiful night.'"
Be sure to visit theoldno7band.com and "Like" them on Facebook for their latest news.


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Window shopping is an imaginative and immersive experience at Koi boutique in South Pasadena. Mannequins dressed in fantastical costumes made of ordinary objects like tea bags, Slinkies and surgical gloves pop up every August and January to dazzle the eyes of passers-by and draw attention to the shop's twice-a-year sales. The items Koi sells inside are just as distinctive.
"People plan their vacations around our sales," inhouse jewelry designer Brenda Henriques maintains.
So for the past eight years, Koi has been transforming its 1926 building with these colorful presentations — tassels become slippers, planters become sleeves, plastic forks become feathers in a dress and hanging fish swim through an air-conditioned current.
"We want the displays to be fanciful but something that someone can almost imagine wearing," Henriques says.
Koi boutique: In the Aug. 26 Image section, photographs that accompanied an article about Koi boutique in South Pasadena were credited to Brenda Henriques. The photographer was Shannon Cosgrove. —
In just over three weeks, she and the Koi staff create circus-like displays from materials found in the street and the back room. Henriques is inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli's shocking pink motifs and Madame Grès' 1920s column dresses, as well as by Frida Kahlo's body cast and Salvador Dali's surreal world. The current display is scheduled to be up through Aug. 31.
"Koi is more of a community experience than just buying a dress at Macy's," customer Sally Trim says. "It's always been a zany place to stop by in South Pasadena." Trim recallls that when she was going through chemotherapy, Koi's owner Linda Davis gave her a sweater as a gift. The variety of headgear the shop carries also helped Trim during this period.
Koi is known for that kind of personal attention, sending customers postcard reminders about sales, taking special requests, offering free gift-wrapping and having Henriques on hand to tell the stories behind her jewelry.
"We're like hairdressers; they [customers] talk to us about everything. We've been with people through health and marriage issues," says Davis, who is known for wearing vintage pajamas and her hair twisted into two buns fastened by chop sticks.
"Because we're a little goofy, people can try on anything and feel comfortable," Davis says. "The ones that get out of their box are the ones that come back and say 'everybody loved it!' "
With vintage furniture and more than 100 lines of clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories, the shop — run by and for women — offers something for all shapes and ages, from $8 socks to $800 coats.
"We've been called the grown-ups' Anthropologie," Henriques says.
Koi carries local designers including Corina Haywood Modern Millinery and the aptly named Comfy clothing line. Having worked with designers since she was a teenager, sole buyer Davis has an eye for distinctive yet cohesive styles.
"Because I've seen the originals, I know how to approach the new stuff," Davis says. "And I buy with my customers in mind."
This personal touch — and perhaps the good luck symbology in its name — has brought growth to Koi, which now has a second location in Toluca Lake. Davis and Henriques are even thinking about creating a designer line — all they need is a name.
Koi, 1007 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena. (626) 441-3254. Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The second store is at 4004 Riverside Dr., Toluca Lake. (818) 846-0702. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sunday.
FOR THE RECORD:

Koi boutique: In the Aug. 26 Image section, photographs that accompanied an article about Koi boutique in South Pasadena were credited to Brenda Henriques. The photographer was Shannon Cosgrove. —


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Handling Specialty engineered and manufactured six (6) two-post lifts for a brewing company in Canada to assist in a stacking and destacking operation.
The lifts are mechanically-actuated and required high rise and low platform features. For the purposes of cleanliness, each system is non-hydraulic which guarantees precise and repeatable positioning as well as zero creep at any height.


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Tuesday June 17, 2008 12:12 pm
d.light Lamps are Inexpensive Alternatives
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Household, Misc. Tech, Science
A new start up company from Stanford Business School, d.light, is working to help those who don't have access to electricity to light up their lives. Based in New Delhi, India, they have designed lamps for those who live on only about $1.00 a day. The Nova comes in both solar and AC chargeable models, and is 30 to 50% more efficient than fluorescent light for up to 40 hours. The company is hoping that the high-powered LED displays will replace dangerous and costly kerosene lanterns. They come at a price of $15.00 to $30.00, if the buyer wants both chargers.
Read More | d.light Design
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- d.light nova, energy, green, india, light, solar lamp, stanford
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The emerging markets 'innovation du jour' post comes from our friends at the World Resources Institute. To be frank, the post in question on their nextbillion.net blog is a year old. However, it is still attracting requests for franchise information and entrepreneurs from as diverse a range of places as Mozambique, India, and California.
The post may be dated but it says a lot about the lead taken by some emerging markets as sources of innovation and incubators of environmentally-friendly enterprises. Just as importantly for our purposes, it says even more about the global market for innovation and clean technologies. It's alive and well and taking full advantage of the consumer-led blogosphere's promise.