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The Cobra Den, located in the basement of Coker Residence Hall, offers students an exciting place to hang out and enjoy guest DJs. Registered Student Organizations often sponsor theme nights in the Den, like Flashback and Halloween parties.
The Cobra Pit is also located in the basement of Coker Residence Hall. The Cobra Pit offers students the luxury of playing pool or watching television without having to leave the residence halls.
All Cobra Den and Cobra Pit events can be viewed on the campus calendar.
Dunbar Porch
Dunbar Porch, located in between the Belk and Memorial residence halls on the second floor, is one of the favored recreational areas in the residence halls. It contains two ping pong tables, a big screen T.V., air hockey table, pool table, couches and chairs for lounging, and vending machines.
Spivey Porch
Spivey Porch, located in between the Belk and Memorial residence halls on the third floor, is our most popular study lounge in the residence halls. It contains two computers with Internet connection, study tables, chalkboard, and furniture for lounging.
RTC Lounges
RTC offers six lounges: two on each floor, beginning on the 2nd floor. The 2nd floor and 4th floor lounges offer flat screen TVs and lounge furniture for watching television or movies with your friends. The 3rd floor lounges offer a quiet place to study with study tables and furniture for lounging.
The North Rec Room
The North rec room is located on the ground level of the Richard and Tuck Coker residence hall. It offers a ping pong table, a couch and chairs for lounging, and a television.
Getting involved in activities is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to make the most of your time in the residence halls. The Resident Assistants and Commissioners (New Student Mentors) provide monthly programs designed to develop community, educate, and enrich your experience at Coker College. In planning programs, RA's and Mentors take into consideration the interests of their residents. Floor programs have included movie nights, floor decorating parties, campus clean up days, and special dinners with faculty members.


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Righthaven Desperately Wants Out Of Lawsuit It Filed, As It Fears Having To Pay EFF's Legal Fees
from the let-us-out... dept
The EFF, of course, is almost certainly pushing for legal fees to be paid by Righthaven, so a big part of the filing is about why the case should be dismissed as a total win for Democratic Underground in every way... except in that Righthaven doesn't want to pay legal fees. That, of course, would cut into its profits. Either way, for a company filing so many questionable lawsuits, it's pretty amusing to see some of its language choices, including the idea that it's doing this for the sake of "promoting judicial economy." Uh, yeah, right. You can see the entire filing after the jump, but it has all the appearances of a bunch of lawyers on the run, trying to get away from having to pay for a questionable lawsuit they filed.

subset: commoncrawl


text: What happened to the site? I went to the site this a.m. for my daily fix -- I mean to check in with folks and I found a banner proclaiming that I was banned for life or something to that effect -- figured I had finally overstepped the prim and proper boundaries with my tale of the two lovers . . . at least until I called Hollora and she said that she also was experiencing some issues . . . well, I mean to say, the website was down for her as well. ;):D


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If there is one benefit or silver lining to come out of the savage story of what happened to Malala Yousafzai, is that now you know who Malala Yousafzai is.
A brief summary: Malala is a 14 year-old Pakistani school girl, who spent her free time agitating for women's education in her country. About a week ago, the Pakistani Taliban, unhappy with her Godless quest to promote education for women, which that group of religious zealots views as heresy, stopped her school bus and shot her in the head.
Amazingly, she survived and is recuperating in a U.K. hospital.
Here's a hint: if a 14-year-old blogger is so threatening to your ideology that you deem it necessary to shoot her in the head, you probably don't have very good ideas. Yet in committing this absurd, vicious act of violence against a child and trying to justify it on religious grounds, this group that took over the Swat Valley plays into the hands of Malala's allies across the world, some of whom include such distinguished people as Angelina Jolie, myself, and anyone who is not a total misogynistic asshole. The world gains a prominent, undeniably powerful spokesperson for women's education, and the Taliban likely does more to marginalize itself than drone missiles ever have.
I'm a big believer in the "Half the Sky" thesis. I refer to the must-read book by New York Times writers Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, which has since become a PBS special and its own movement. Basically, the authors explain how far the world could go toward encouraging economic growth and social progress as well as alleviating poverty, terrorism, and general misery in the developing world by emphasizing gender equality and women's education. They make a compelling argument and back it up with an onslaught of statistics, research, and stories.
Part of the problem in the way we've approached the battle against terrorist groups like the Taliban is that under administrations both Bush and Obama, we assume we can blow up enough of these people without ever addressing the underlying issues that create their sense of injustice and lead them to extreme ideologies that are at once protests against imperialism and modernity. Female birth rates are so low in countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan and attitudes so grossly misogynist that most of the young men end up unmarried, uneducated, frustrated, and socially isolated. Extreme religious views offer an attractive range of villains on whom to blame their problems (although certainly it doesn't help when a missile comes zooming into your village and blows up your brother/cousin/father/etc.).
The promise of Malala then is not just for young women but for young men trapped in cultural paradigms that teach them there is something unnatural or sinful about women. And this isn't just in the Middle East. Western thought and many sects of Christianity remain shamefully hostile toward one of the single greatest tools of female empowerment in human civilization: family planning in the form of contraception.
The Republican Party has disgraced itself this election season with its stance on "religious freedom" that seeks to deny contraception to women. With its still vast global influence over the lives of individuals, the Catholic Church, as far as I'm concerned, is committing a crime against humanity with its medieval stance on the issue, particularly in the developing world.
Obviously, Pakistan won't turn into Studio 54 overnight, and there are likely more Malalas on the way. But she puts a face to an issue the way Rosa Parks did. She tells a story of defiance the way Ghandi did. She puts this issue in front of everyone's face, from the mountains of the Swat Valley to the halls of power in Washington D.C. Because the inevitable march of human progress has shown that when women become empowered—with education, with suffrage, with the ability to plan their families—they reshape the societies in which they live.


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RBS to Pay $612 Million Fine
CFTC Cites Conflicts of Interest in Latest Fallout From Rate-Rigging Scandal
In October 2006, Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC rearranged its trading floor in London to encourage employees to talk to one another. It worked.
Soon, some traders were telling RBS's "primary submitter" which numbers to hand over to groups that helped decide interest rates affecting trillions of dollars of mortgages and other financial contracts, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.


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House, Senate Committees Approve 'Doc Fix' Legislation
Panels Back Overhaul of How Medicare Doctors Are Paid
WASHINGTON—House and Senate panels approved legislation Thursday to overhaul how Medicare doctors are paid, although action by the full House and Senate on the bill won't happen until next year.
The House Ways and Means committee unanimously approved legislation that would end the way doctors are reimbursed by Medicare and replace it with a system that would reward doctors who meet quality standards. The Senate Finance Committee overwhelmingly approved similar legislation....


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Ben Affleck's new film Argo is earning some of the best reviews of any film this year, with promises that it's a thriller that will have you biting your nails and literally cheering in the theater (seriously, I saw it happen). All of that is true. But the thing nobody is emphasizing nearly as much as they should is that Argo is positively crammed full of actors you recognize, and not in the "galaxy of a thousand stars!" way of the Ocean's movies, but in the "Wait, where do I know him and him from?" way that will have you scratching your head throughout the movie. Argo is packed with familiar faces, but you might be too distracted by looking them up in your mental IMDB to properly enjoy the movie.
That's why we're here to help, with a Guide to the That Guys of Argo. We're skipping over director/star Ben Affleck and co-stars John Goodman and Alan Arkin, since all three are movie stars you're guaranteed to recognize anywhere (and in case you're still struggling with Goodman and Arkin, click here and here). But let's move on to the real "that guys" of the movie, faces you're bound to recognize but may not be able to place. No spoilers for Argo follow, just a full rundown of all the major characters and scratching that "where do I know him from?" itch that we know you'll have while watching the movie. Now you can enjoy the year's best thriller in peace.
Bryan Cranston
Who He Plays: Jack O'Donnell, a CIA operative who works closely with Tony Mendez.
Where You Know Him From: Lately, it's almost definitely as Walter White, the sociopathic lead character of Breaking Bad. He also spent years as the goofy dad on Malcolm in the Middle and pops up in tons of movies these days, most recently Total Recall, Rock of Ages, John Carter and Red Tails. Yeah, he's had a pretty good year.


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Hawks' Perreault earns All-America nod
Bishop Hendricken standout Alex Perreault is one of five Rhode Island Interscholastic League players to be named High School All-America by US Lacrosse.
Perreault, a recently graduated senior who plays both midfield and attack, scored 19 goals with six assists this past season, which was shortened do to a shoulder injury that kept him out for much of the second half of the year.
An All-American recipient last year as well, Perreault will play lacrosse next season for Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., one of the top programs in the nation.
Perreault's Hendricken team lost this year in the Division I semifinals 11-10 to Moses Brown.
Three La Salle players and one Moses Brown player earned recognition along with Perreault. For La Salle, senior attack Brady O'Donnell and senior defender Dan Wise were on the list, as was sophomore attack Joe Manown. For Moses Brown, senior midfielder Jamie McCahan earned the honor.
James Payette of East Greenwich and Alexander Graff of Wheeler were named US Lacrosse Academic All-America.


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India accuses Pakistan of killing 5 of its troops
NEW DELHI (AP) — India's defense minister directly accused Pakistan on Thursday of killing five Indian soldiers in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir and suggested it could hurt peace efforts by the two countries.
Defense Minister A.K. Antony told Parliament that those responsible for the attack Tuesday in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir must be punished.
India's military earlier said about 20 "heavily armed terrorists along with soldiers" from the Pakistani army crossed the cease-fire line, called the "Line of Control," dividing Kashmir and ambushed an Indian army patrol.
"It is now clear that the specialist troops of the Pakistan army were involved in this attack," Antony said. "Naturally, this incident will have consequences on our behavior on the Line of Control and for our relationship with Pakistan."
Pakistan has denied that its soldiers killed any Indian troops.
A Pakistani military official said Indian troops fired without provocation on Thursday across the cease-fire line in the Tatta Pani sector and severely wounded a civilian. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military policy.
Indian army spokesman S.N. Acharya denied the allegation, saying "There has been no firing in that sector at all."
The incidents came amid overtures by the two sides aimed at resuming peace talks.
On Thursday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed concern about the incidents and said both sides should make sure the situation doesn't escalate.
"It is incumbent upon the leadership of both sides not to allow the situation to drift and to take steps to improve the atmosphere by engaging constructively with a view to building trust and confidence," Sharif said, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.
Sharif said he was looking forward to meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York to discuss steps to further build trust between the two sides.
He "reiterated the resolve that Pakistan will persist in its efforts to improve relations with India through a constructive dialogue on all issues," the ministry said.
India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the control of Kashmir since gaining independence from Britain in 1947. Kashmir is divided between the countries and is claimed by both.
Associated Press writer Sebastian Abbot in Islamabad, Pakistan, contributed to this report.


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Daniel Sedin says he's fine after 'scary' hit in Canucks' final game
VANCOUVER — The first day of what figures to be a long off-season for the Vancouver Canucks produced some good news.
When the Vancouver Canucks gathered today for their exit meetings and final media interviews at Rogers Arena, Daniel Sedin was among them.
Sedin said he was fine after being checked out in hospital and released late Sunday night after being run into the end boards by Calgary centre Paul Byron in Vancouver's season-ending 5-1 win over the Flames.
"I was scared because I felt something wasn't right," Daniel said today. "I hit my head into the glass and fell down and when I tried to lift my head I couldn't get it off the ice. It was scary, but I went to the hospital and everything looked good. So it feels okay today."
Sedin lay motionless on the ice for several minutes before being hoisted onto a stretcher and taken to hospital.
"I tried to lift my head at first and couldn't get it off the ice so then the only thing I thought about was lay still," he said. "I moved my hands and everything and that felt good and then Bernie (trainer Mike Burnstein) came out and told me to stay down so it was more precautionary than anything."
Sedin said he should have no lasting effects from the hit.
"No everything should be fine," he said. "The CT scan showed up good so there should be no problem."
Byron sent a text to Daniel apologizing for the hit. Byron, who received a five-minute boarding major and game misconduct for the hit from behind, has not been contacted by the league regarding a supplemental discipline hearing.
Canucks winger Zack Kassian doesn't think that's right.
"If I make that hit, Calgary would have a bounty out for my head and I wouldn't be able to go to the city. Ever," Kassian said.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun


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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCIcxF1R-z8] [Pictures and full story on expanded page]
By Dave Allen
Photos courtesy of Jayme Dawson
I am proud to say that Tattooers for Japan has raised over $45,000 for the IRC [International Rescue Committee] and close to $15,000 for the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders! This international effort included approximately 40 tattoo shops from around the globe, including shops in the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Brazil, Canada and the United States.
Shops organized walk-in days, art auctions and tattoo raffles to raise funds for aid in Japan. It says a lot about our industry that we can unite globally to help others. I am beyond impressed with the tattooers that organized whole day events with food and entertainment at their own expense to create a positive event in their communities.
Not to mention a number of tattooers that worked 10-plus hours tattooing up to 16 people each in one day! It was awesome to visit these events and see people lined up in all sorts of weather, including dodging tornadoes in the Midwest!
It's safe to say that thousands of people came to these events and left with a life-long reminder of their act of compassion.
This has left me with a very different outlook on the power of compassion. I've learned that our time and efforts are worth more than simply donating. I am inspired to continue in this vain. In fact, I hope to carry Tattooers for Japan forward to continue helping those in Japan that have been affected. I have a couple fresh ideas that will hopefully benefit very particular causes inside Japan.
The need for aid will still be strong long after the world moves on to new things. I will keep you posted with these ideas when they get some traction! But first I gotta finish packing up my house so I can move back to the West Coast! Ha-ha!


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About Us
The company RAUCH SPEKTRUM s.r.o. developes, produces, installs, repairs and reconstructs the technological equipment for the food industry. With regard to long- time tradition and our experienced employees we have specialized in developing and producting devices for smoking, drying and ripening of meat products, meat, poultry, fish and cheese products.
We are Social
Our Partners


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Timothy Regler, an executive producer with "Judge Judy," has listed his house in Studio City at $4.495 million.
The Mediterranean-style home, built in 2006, sits on a knoll in the Fryman Estates area and backs up to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The 5,454-square-foot home, which has an Old World ambience, features five en suite bedrooms, two additional bathrooms, a wine cellar, four fireplaces, a den, a family room and an elevator. The third-acre lot includes a swimming pool and a patio fireplace.
Regler is selling because he's ready to downsize. He has also worked on "The People's Court."
Public records show he bought the property in 2007 for $3.409 million.
John Oddino of Rodeo Realty is the listing agent.


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It's been awhile since I've done the whole blog blog thing. As with everyone, so much is going down right now after the holidays. Crazy times before the holidays and now crazy time after the holidays... Fecal Face has a new office space in the Mission which is helpful. We got that all setup (almost). Working on getting some interns going. About to contact those who contacted us a few months ago (damn, time goes fast)... Went and saw the families for the Jesus thing. Got drunk on New Years and now own a sailboat (unrelated) with the lady friend which is pretty fucking weird but also super exciting. More on all this below.
Eric got his jaw busted from that indoor soccer league we all wanted to join this fall.
Mr. Jay Howell and Audrey
Jay Howell and his little work space
Groshong and Jesse
We went camping up in Marin
Ran into this little dude
So we learned after the fact that we shouldn't have picked him up. The greese on your hands can hurt him.
foggy mt tam
we started thinking of mountain lions.
Ashley and Andreas Trolf
Tim and Jay H. of Receiver
Ferris Plock and Kelly Tunstall
Ferris and Franklin
Jesse and Mariah
We had our little Umbrella Market holiday dinner and Jeremy came looking like a Robert Crumb character.
Irving and Jeremy
Rick and me
old time clock
the Umbrella staff infection
On our way to Toledo for Christmas we ran into my friend, Derek, who I grew up with in Toledo. He was on his way home too from Portland. Saw him in Pheonix. Weird.
Looks like a lovely place to live. Land-locked.
Chicago. Almost there.
Nephew AJ and Shadow
My brother Mike
Nephew Taylor all grown and shit with a mustache.
We slept here under Minny
I always check out the Toledo Museum of Art when I'm home. They have a good collection.
And they just opened the new Glass Pavilion.
It's really pretty and it's where they hold thier glass collection.
Maumee River
and the zoo
An American alagator
It's not SF but it's got it's own pretty pretty.
Rust belt
Back home
and run into Heide in Atlanta on her way back to SF too.
Up 16th st and check out Paul Urich's mural under Juice.
Hey, it's Ellery from The Mall
Foose ball FF HQ
Check the sweet mini bike.
Rich Hart bmx
This is the Fecal corner of the place.
More drinking at POPS
Groshong and Jesse
Jesse at the new Fecal HQ.
Jay Howell stopped through.
New year's fireworks.
Had to drop off some stuff at Ferris and Kelly's studio.
Our crab molted! He used to be that shell under him! So cool.
Nature bike ride and hike.
Me and the lady friend over the Pacific
This is a strange one... I've always wanted to boat on the Bay somehow. I thought I could like get a little Zodiac or something to drink on and cruise up the delta on hot days, but never really looked. And then last week I was looking and noticed that they all cost like over a thousand dollars... and then came across a posting for a sailboat for $1,000. Well shit, that would be sweet. I don't have $1,000 but the lady friend thought we should check it out anyway. Sure, why not. It's a good deal... We head out there and get all excited looking at this little sail boat. We're checking it out for like an hour when this guy who works at the marine walks up and asks us to come and check out his boat that he's selling for $1,000 too... allright... and to make a long story short he offers to sell us it for $850!... fuck, I guess we'll take it. We pooled our $$ and now own a boat. Weird? yes. Amazingly awesome? Yes too. This year's starting off pretty sweet.
I've never had more fun cleaning something in my life.
Ok, too many photos. I'll pick up from here some other time.
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The biggest mistake company do is to presume that search Marketing is easy and unlike all other marketing efforts search marketing can be done in-house. First of all in-house SEO/SEM returns around 38% return on investment. The same study indicates that by using professional services the ROI on you search marketing efforts is 110%.
I often get the excuse that it is to late to start any Internat marketing efforts and the competitors have take all the best spots. For me this is a little like advertising in a newspaper, the advertising spots might be sold out but there is another day to morrow and another version of the paper go for that then.
The main pont is that as long as you take it seriously, understand that it cost's money and is not a magic solution to all your marketing efforts you should be ok. Treat the Internet like any other marketing tool, don't let the tech guy's tell you what can be done and what can't and it's all possible. Finally, as I have often said if someone say's they can guarantee you a spot at the top, run out, as fast as you can.


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2014 Antarctic Ice Marathon & 100k Course
The 2014 UVU Antarctic Ice Marathon comprises a 21.1 km loop that will be repeated twice.
The 100 km competiors will complete 10 laps of a 10 km route.
The course can be generally described as quite flat. It is entirely covered in snow at an altitude of about 700 metres, or 2,300 feet approximately. The temperature can be expected to be -20C.
The marathon will start at the main camp and competitors will run in a clockwise direction (unless winds dictate an anti-clockwise run is desirable).
Checkpoint 1 is located at 6.9km and this first section of the course includes a slight downhill initially. There is a gentle uphill drag from Checkpoint 1 to Checkpoint 2, which is a total distance of 8.8km. The final section of the loop from Checkpoint 2 to Checkpint 3 (start / finish) is 5.4 km and includes a downhill segment for the first couple of kilometres. Marathon competitors will complete this loop twice.
The 100 km competiors will run a 10 km loop as indicated on the map. There is an unmanned emergency / food shelter located at the 5 km mark.


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Gospel Community Church
In the summer of 2009 we planted a church in Saang, and this year we will be celebrating our 7-year anniversary! Staff from our Khmer leadership team pastor the growing congregation, with the Hansons serving as apostolic advisors. In addition to weekly services, GCCS has women's and men's groups, youth discipleship, ecumenical events, children's ministry, Sunday School, nursery, counseling, benevolent programs, and more.
GCCS is founded on the belief that the Body of Christ is meant to be a living, active presence in the community, exemplifying the Kingdom of God through the lifestyle of his people. We are all growing and learning together as we seek his will for Saang!
Community Development & Relief
As the need arises, we offer emergency relief and supplies such as food, vitamins, clothing, beds, tarp roofs, water filters, hygiene supplies, and school supplies to those in need.
In collaboration with local government, we also provide seminars and events to raise awareness of community issues (health and hygiene, family management, anti-trafficking, family issues, domestic abuse, etc) and offer practical and Biblical solutions to the community.
Kairos Training Center
The Kairos Training Center is designed to expand the ongoing programs at our ministry campus. It provides a community-friendly space where discipleship, education, and fellowship can all take place, as well as an outdoor playground area for local children.
In addition to being the hub for all Gospel Community Church programs, the KTC offers English classes, computer classes, educational events, youth and children's programs, pastoral care, discipleship training, leadership development, cultural arts training, a children's reading room, an on-site nursery for children of Sak Saum women, a gathering space for community events, and more.
Sak Saum
Sak Saum, the Khmer word for "dignity", is a program designed to help at-risk and trafficked women through counseling, education, and job skills training. Women in our program receive counseling, are trained in income-generating skills, receive life-skills mentoring, and take part in daily devotional times. We also provide housing for those without a safe place to stay and childcare for women with young children.
In addition to the women in our full-time program, we also provide income and discipleship to impoverished and at-risk individuals (both men and women) outside of our regular program. This is accomplished by employing them at our fair-trade sewing facilities or purchasing supplies and materials they produce. By pouring into lives with the love of Christ, we are seeing many be restored and transformed in beautiful ways.
Father's House
Father's House, a facility for orphaned, at-risk, and trafficked children, is not simply an orphanage, but a home for children without a family. In the Cambodian orphanage system, children often become more segregated from and marginalized by the communities which already saw them as "broken". They grow up poorly equipped to face life outside this system, remaining highly vulnerable to trafficking and very likely to perpetuate the dysfunction and brokenness they have experienced with their own future families. Restoring the foundation of family is the core goal of Father's House. Though each child comes from different backgrounds, they all need the stability, provision, discipline and love that only a family can provide!
As FH kids receive nurturing, care, and education, old mindsets are being overturned and replaced with the knowledge that in God they have hope and a good future. Fear is being exchanged for confidence. Self-pity is being replaced with gratitude. Many are active in church ministries; leading worship, visiting the sick, and helping with Sunday School. Children who were labeled as outcasts, illiterates, and troublemakers are now proving themselves to be achievers and leaders!
Loaves & Fish
Our Loaves and Fish program provides food, vitamins, hygiene supplies, clothing, medical care, and education to orphans, widows, and the desperately poor. In Cambodian culture, these are three groups that are often ignored or ostracized. Our goal is to not only meet physical needs, but to integrate them into their communities as equal and valued individuals. This is accomplished by discipleship, education, and releasing each one in their giftings, involving them in church ministry and outreach to the areas they live.
Pastoral Care
An offshoot of GCCS in-house ministry is our pastoral care services. GCCS providespastoral training opportunities, Biblical counsel and more, with the goal of strengthening unity, increased efficacy of the Body of Christ in Kandal Province.
We also look for ways to provide ongoing help and resources for Poor and needy families in our Fellowship and community, including food donations, clothing, medical needs, educational needs and building supplies. as well as Spiritual counseling.
International Ministry
The Hanson's are licensed pastors and gifted in ministering to groups and individuals through discipleship training, teaching, and counseling. They often are invited to speak at churches, YWAM bases, retreats, and seminars throughout the USA and Asia. To contact the Hanson's for booking information, please email email@example.com | email@example.com.


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Co-Moderator Anxiety/Panic Disorders
Every little bit helps, please donate to HW if you can! http://www.healingwell.com/donate
I am not a medical professional, any advice give is purely from personal experience.
Always seek professional advice from your doctor.
Dx: Agoraphobia, Anxiety/Panic Disorders, Barrett's Esophagus, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Essential Tremors, Fibromyalgia, I.B.S., Mitral Valve Prolapse, Narcolepsy, PTSD, Restless Leg Syndrome, Acid Reflux, Sleep Apnea
Rx: Abilify, Flexeril, Lamictal, Neurontin, Nexium, Requip, Ritalin LA, Rozerem, Valium
"Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you into trouble." - Frank Tyger


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NY considering alternative to GED exam for adults
State reviewing bids
NY considering alternative to GED exam for adults
State reviewing bids
Since World War II, virtually all adults who've sought a high school equivalency diploma have taken the GED. Next year, students may have a choice of tests as states explore developing rival exams in response to plans to rewrite and computerize the GED and double the price.
New York state is reviewing bids from two testing companies.
Education officials have several concerns with the changes GED Testing Services will make on Jan. 1. Chief among them, they say New York doesn't have the technical infrastructure to give 50,000 tests via computer per year. They want to keep a paper-and-pencil version.
Further, the state picks up the testing tab for residents, so keeping the GED would either mean doubling the testing budget or giving fewer tests.


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Sat 26 May 2012
Devils Banish Rangers To Playoff HellPosted by Anthony Mastantuoni under 2012 Playoffs
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There will be no repeat of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. The fourth time proved to be the downfall of the New York Rangers after they staved off elimination games three previous times. The Rangers descent into playoff abyss was, once again, keyed by their inability to get off to a good start, never mind a great start.
What was the Rangers problem during the first periods of the last two games? Were they not ready for the Devils onslaught or was it a case of the Devils just executing their game plan better than the Rangers?
"No, we know they're coming. Give them some credit. T hey did it through the whole Playoffs. And they're a pretty good hockey club. They're a balanced team. And they were a pretty good team," Rangers coach John Tortorella explained.
"So we talk about it. We try to get our footing. We struggled a little bit there."
The easiest, and most simplistic, answer to the Devils big starts in the first period come down to New Jersey playing opportunistic hockey – and that is no knock against them. The Devils seemed to be able to make the Rangers pay for every mistake they made.
The beginning of the end of the Rangers season occurred midway through the first period as the Devils fourth line again proved to be a thorn in the side of the Blueshirts. New Jersey capitalized on Marc Staal's inability to keep the puck in at the left point.
Ryan Carter eventually converted on the Devils three-on-one rush as New Jersey's fourth struck for its ninth goal of the playoffs. The most disconcerting thing on the goal was not Staal getting caught flat-footed because he hustled back. The problem was the three Rangers forwards who did not bust it to try and cover/recover on the play.
The Rangers faced a steep uphill climb because the team that scored the first goal in the Rangers previous 13 games won the game. Carter's goal would eventually stretch that streak to 14 games.
Less than four minutes later that uphill climb got even steeper when Ilya Kovalchuk converted on just the third Devils power play goal of the series. The goal featured undisciplined play all around – from Ruslan Fedotenko taking a tripping penalty in the offensive zone to the Rangers penalty killers who got caught with poor ice balance and defensive zone coverage as they broke their penalty killing box while chasing the puck.
Just like Game 5, the Rangers opened the second period with a renewed purpose and a sense of urgency that was missing in the first period. If there is going to be one lingering question that needs to be answered during the summer it is that – why did the Rangers have to spot the Devils a couple of goals and about 20 minutes of play before playing their game?
Part of the answer might stem from the Rangers fatigue. I know that Tortorella and the players would not buy into the Rangers being a tired team. Physically, they were probably no more tired than the devils or any other team that has to slog their way through the marathon that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
However, there has to be a mental fatigue that comes into play – especially the way the Rangers playoff games have been going. Because of the Rangers inconsistent offense, every game becomes three periods of overtime hockey.
I don't care how much talent a team has, I don't care how many battle-tested players you have, and I don't care how physically fit a team is, playing each period as if it was sudden death is going to take a lot out of a team – and might explain the Rangers tentative starts.
Visions of 1994 started dancing in the minds of the Rangers faithful as they erased the two goal deficit in less than four minutes midway through the second period.
The Rangers first goal showed that the Blueshirts underutilized attacking plays from behind the net on Martin Brodeur as Ruslan Fedotenko converted on a pass from behind the net from Ryan McDonagh.
Ryan Callahan knotted the game as the Rangers used some old-fashioned hockey sense. The Blueshirts won a faceoff to the right of Brodeur, moved the puck quickly, and converted when Dan Girardi's shot deflected in off Callahan's leg.
For those keeping score, the 2012 Rangers (like the 1994 Rangers) erased a Devils 2-0 lead on goals from a Russian player (Fedotenko and Alexei Kovalev in 1994) and their captain (Callahan and Mark Messier in 1994). Sadly for the Rangers and their fans, that would be the last link to their 1994 comeback.
The most overlooked part of the Rangers comebacks in the last two games is one that is to overlook, but is a critical point that needs to be made. It was imperative that the Rangers not only tie the score, but they needed to get ahead. Teams expend so much energy trying to get back into the game they need a lead in order to combat the inevitable lull that comes after the comeback.
This idea is more prevalent in basketball where big lead swings happen with regularity, but is still valid when you look at the Rangers – especially in Game 5 when they did level out after drawing even.
The Rangers nearly did take that lead midway through the third period while on a power play that nearly became a five-on-three, but the officials ruled that they Devils did not shoot the puck directly into the crowd.
As it was, the Rangers had Game 6 on the stick of Brad Richards who was unable to elevate his rebound shot with 9:15 remaining in regulation.
The Rangers continued to press the action at the start of overtime and caused a scramble in front of Brodeur. Unfortunately, the ensuing scramble at the other end of the ice on the next rush would end the Rangers season as Adam Henrique etched his name next to that of Stephan Matteau.
In addition to scoring the goal that sends the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2003, it was Henrique who scored the double overtime goal in Game 7 against the Florida Panthers.
While it comes to no comfort to the Rangers or their fans, Devils coach Peter DeBoer recognized just how tough the Devils final step to the Stanley Cup was.
"First, credit to the New York Rangers. For me, from day one of the season through to the end of the Playoffs here, for them, the hardest working team I think in the NHL. And they gave us everything we could handle," DeBoer admitted. "It was the same story every night. We'd win the first period; they'd win the second. Whoever won the third or the overtime would win the game."


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The accused are suspected of:
Conducting Secret Diplomacy
Game number(s):
Game 11527997
6 players game, Noticed early on that green and yellow were slowly taking certain targets out. Harper would suicide and yellow would take out, a player. Red was second eliminated, Harper hammered Red player and then yellow took him down to 1 army. Green suicided alot on me early as soon as I came near yellow in Africa! Same with blue player, but before blue player was even close to eliminated, these comments made me suspicious.
2012-08-14 20:34:08 - Freebyrd1977: thnx for waste of time
012-08-14 20:34:10 - bornjust777: I got rid of your ass
2012-08-14 20:34:31 - bornjust777: and it felt good LOL
2012-08-14 20:46:31 - Harper1024: let you have that so we could take care of twiddle d and twiddle do
There were four players left in the game, and then after that comment, harper smashed blue for no reason and then yellow hit, and i was able to take the cards..however. Next turn green suicided all he had on my stack for no reason, I was not the big player I was even in troops with everyone else. then yellow states
bornjust777: oh oh pink ... you may have bit off too much ... what happened ... you had 50
VERY VERY suspicious, and he plays the *dumb* card. bornjust then cleans me up and takes my cards and the final comments i get are.
2012-08-14 21:06:06 - bornjust777: Good night pink
2012-08-14 21:06:27 - Harper1024: just had enough of your fart in the wind
I am sorry but there is no way this is not SD...


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Mt. Baden Powell is the mountain in Southern California which is dedicated to one of the founders of the Scout Movement, Baden Powell.
Once known as East Twin or North Baldy, it was dedicated to Baden Powell in 1931. At 9,399 feet, it is the second highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountain Range. It is the in Antelope-Fremont Valley Watershed, in Los Angeles County.
It is a favorite hiking location, approached either from Mt. Islip Saddle or the Vincent Gap Trail, a climb which can become strenuous. Along the Vincent Gap Trail are some of the most beautiful trees in California including pines, Ponderosas, Lodgeoles, Cedars, and the ancient Limber Pines, some of which are up to 2,000 years ago.
The mountain was dedicated to Baden-Powell by Major Frederick Russell Burnham, another strong influence on the Scout Movement. Below is a portion of the arresting language he used to describe this region in his speech dedicating Mt. Baden Powell:
"You are now standing on one of the sentinels of the mighty Sierras which holds back the frowning desert from all our homes. This mountain closed the Sierras leaving only a space of such dimensions that it made of it the Khyber Pass of the West and held back forever those demons of the desert—thirst, storms and the creeping dunes that have in various parts of the world, again and again, blotted out whole civilizations.
Way back in geological time this implacable desert drove strange monsters far down into the valleys below. You have all seen them in the La Brea pits or as skeletons mounted in our museums. Along the road you traveled today once padded softly in dead of night saber-toothed tigers, long-fanged wolves, and lions of enormous size. Down those winding canyons ponderous mastodons wound their way. High on these crags sat condors and eagles watching for some huge mammal that might be slain, or die of thirst. Herds of ancient camels, horses and many lesser animals passed between these walls of granite long ages before the first barefoot track of savage man left its imprint in the dust.
Then came the soft and silent tread of the moccasined Indian and, ere long, the clanking spur and shining armor of the Spaniard. Then, from desertward came the tall sinewy, blue-eyed and skin-clad trapper, and, just behind him, almost within signaling distance, rumbled the heavy wagons of the pioneers. These were soon followed by the iron horse and ribbons of steel. Today you roll on air, while overhead these gleaming Scouts of the Sky, driven by fire, are now circling this mountain to pay a tribute of honor to the Chief. All this thrilling pageantry of life down through the centuries could not have been, had this mountain rampart given away."
In true Scout spirit, Baden-Powell sent Burnham a letter shortly after the dedication. About Burnham's moving account of his friend, his friend wrote back,"…It makes feel I ought to buck up and nearly try to deserve the high status you have accorded me….." An adjoining mountain, Mt. Burnham, was dedicated to the Major in 1951.
The location of Mt. Baden Powell is one of the reasons our national headquarters is in Los Angeles. We get to experience the beautiful landscape Major Burnham describes above and our Scouts can come from all over to hike up Mt. Baden Powell, one of the activities and Challenges our Scouts take part in. Mt. Baden Powell is part of the history of the Scout Movement and the present of our Scout Programs today.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partners. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Hemophilia and Inherited Bleeding Disorders
Pregnancy with Von Willebrands
What are the risks of this condition? My grandaughter is 30 weeks pregnant and was just told she has this.
Risk for bleeding during pregnancy depends on how low the clotting factor levels of the mother are. Von Willebrand clotting factors tend to increase during pregnancy due to changes in hormone levels, so most women with vWD are able to deliver without any abnormal bleeding. However, clotting factor levels should be tested to be sure, and if levels remain low, clotting factor can be given at the time of delivery to prevent problems. There can also occasionally be delayed bleeding that starts when the pregnancy hormones go back to pre pregnancy levels. It is a good idea to see a hematologist with experience taking care of vWD during pregnancy so he can decide if clotting factor is needed.
There is a 50% chance for the baby to have vWD. If the baby has vWD, its clotting factor levels are usually similar to those of the mother.
Please see the general information topic on von Willebrand's Disease for more information.
Madeline Heffner, BSN, RN
Nurse Coord.
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati


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FBI seeking help identifying man seen in child porn videos
April 02. 2014 12:15PM
Authorities from the FBI are seeking the public's help in locating a perpetrator who has sexually assaulted children.
They aren't sure where the man lives or who he is, but they are hoping something - a picture on the wall, his wire-rimmed glasses, or a logo on a T-shirt - will spur somebody's memory and help identify the man.
The FBI is seeking him because he is pictured abusing children in images and videos first identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in November of 2012.
He is known simply as "John Doe 28."
Investigators have enhanced images of the man and believe they contain several clues which may assist with the identification. For example, the video depicts the subject and the victim inside a residence with what appears to be a blue sofa chair and a picture hanging on a wall in the background. Additionally, the subject is wearing wire-framed glasses and a burgundy T-shirt with what appears to be a shark logo on his left side.
There are no specific details linking the suspect to a particular state or region of the United States, and both his identity and whereabouts are currently unknown.
The suspect appears to be a Caucasian male, possibly in his 30s or 40s, with a receding hairline and wearing wire-framed glasses. Anyone with information to provide should submit a tip online at https://tips.fbi.gov/ , or call the FBI's toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
This individual is being sought as part of the FBI's Operation Rescue Me and Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) initiatives, both of which represent strategic partnerships between the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Operation Rescue Me focuses on utilizing clues obtained through in-depth image analysis to identify the child victims depicted in child exploitation material, while ECAP seeks national and international media exposure of unknown adults (referred to as John/Jane Doe) who visibly display their faces and/or other distinguishing characteristics in association with child pornography images.


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Expert Advisor 7.6 MOC Mobile Support
From DocWiki
Unified Expert Advisor Support of MOC on Mobile Phones.
|Problem Summary
|We need to deploy an Unified Expert Advisor solution where some of the clients will be running MOC on Mobile Phones. Is this type of deployment supported and if so will the Unified Expert Advisor reporting still work (i.e expert 's talk time etc)?
|Error Message
|Possible Cause
|Recommended Action
| MOC Mobile has been qualified with Unified Expert Advisor 7.6(1), but there is one caveat. Please see the updated Unified Expert Advisor 7.6(1) release notes here:
and look for CSCta13698 (MOC "on-the-phone" presence state not handled).
The workaround to resolve this issue is as follows... In Unified Expert Advisor OAMP > Daily Management > Presence Client State Map, create the following entry: IM Client Presence State: "on-the-phone" Unified Expert Advisor State: Inactive
|Release 7.6(1)
|Associated CDETS #


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U2 to give away song for charity
Rock giants U2 are to give away a new song - in a move which is expected to generate more than £1 million - to help the fight against Aids.
The band, who are expected to release a new album shortly, will unveil the track called Invisible on February 2 when it features in a US TV ad for fundraising partnership (RED) during the Super Bowl.
The track will then be made available on iTunes for 24 hours and for each download during that time, the Bank Of America will donate 60 pence to a maximum of £1.2 million to the Global Fund To Fight Aids,Tuberculosis And Malaria.
It will provide life-saving treatment to tens of millions of people in poor countries.
U2 singer Bono helped to found the organisation (RED) in 2006, which has gone on to generate more than £145 million for the Global Fund.
He said: "Bank of America coming on as a (RED) partner to help the Global Fund's efforts to eliminate Aids is great news.
"It's the kind of game-changing influence that will not just deliver millions of dollars but raise consciousness and keep public pressure on putting an end to this devastating pandemic which has already taken the lives of 35 million people."
The bank's commitment to (RED) is said to be worth £6 million.
U2's last album No Line In The Horizon was released in 2009, and their track Ordinary Love from the soundtrack to Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom was nominated for an Oscar last week.


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Satori Pharmaceuticals to Present Data Highlighting Promise of Gamma-Secretase Modulators in Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease
--Data to be presented at Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2012
--Study selected for oral presentation demonstrates efficacy of Satori's distinct class of gamma-secretase modulators in decreasing AB42 in rodents
--Two poster presentations will discuss new method of determining gamma-secretase selectivity, as well as pharmacokinetic properties of SPI-1865
Jul 10, 2012, 09:00 ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Satori™ Pharmaceuticals, a company dedicated to developing life-changing therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease (AD), today reported that three abstracts related to the use of gamma-secretase modulators (GSM) in the treatment of AD will be presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC), being held July 14-19, 2012 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
"These studies add to the growing body of evidence that suggests gamma-secretase modulators are unique compounds that have great potential to be promising new therapies for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease," said Jeff Ives, Ph.D., CEO and Board Member of Satori Pharmaceuticals. "We look forward to sharing our data at AAIC."
Details of Satori's presentations are as follows:
Oral Presentation
Title: Satori gamma-secretase modulators are efficacious in wild type rodents following either acute or steady-state dosing
Session Date and Time: Sunday, July 15, 2012, 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Presentation Number: O1-11-01
Poster Sessions
Title: An improved cell-based method for determining the gamma-secretase enzyme activity against both NOTCH and APP substrates
Session Date and Time: Monday, July 16, 2012, 1 to 3 p.m.
Presentation Number: P2-095
Title: Pharmacokinetic properties of a Satori gamma-secretase modulator, SPI-1865, in multiple animal model systems
Session Date and Time: Wednesday, July 18, 2012, 1 to 3 p.m.
Presentation Number: P4-199
Please note that, pursuant to AAIC's policy, the abstracts for these presentations cannot be disclosed until the officially scheduled date and time of presentation.
About Satori's Gamma-Secretase Modulators
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the formation of amyloid beta plaques in the brain. Plaques are primarily composed of two main forms of amyloid beta: AB40 and AB42. Satori's program aims to reduce the amount of AB42 in the brain by modulating gamma-secretase, thus lowering brain amyloid, plaque formation and associated damage to normal neuronal function. Studies have demonstrated Satori's proprietary class of gamma-secretase modulators (GSMs) achieve a reduction in AB42 levels without altering total amyloid beta levels in cell lines and animal models of the disease.
About Satori™ Pharmaceuticals
Satori Pharmaceuticals is developing life-changing therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease. Driven by a world-class team of drug development veterans and advisors, Satori is advancing best-in-industry medicines that aim to slow or stop disease progression. Our drug candidates selectively modulate gamma secretase, the enzyme generating the neurotoxic peptides that form amyloid beta plaques – the signature of this debilitating disease. For more information, visit www.satoripharma.com.
SOURCE Satori Pharmaceuticals


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Ryan McGrathSan Francisco Giants
Pitcher | Ht: | Wt:
|Giants | McGrath signed to minor league contract
Sun, 04 Jun 2006 13:28:30 -0700
The San Francisco Giants have signed SP Ryan McGrath to a minor league contract, according to Rich Draper of SanFrancisco.Giants.MLB.com. McGrath was a fifth-year senior who was eligible to sign pre-draft, and will report to rookie camp soon.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:


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Question: When looking for consolidated storage, why shouldn't I just build my own system instead of buying from one of the storage array venders?
Answer: Frankly there isn't any reason why you shouldn't build your own SAN if that's what you have the budget for. However if you build your own system using open filer or Windows Storage Server you'll have a lot of extra work that needs to be done to get the same level of enterprise level support that you would normally get from a storage array vender.
Storage array venders like EMC, IBM, NetApp, etc. spend billions of dollars designing and performance tuning their software and hardware. When you build your own platform you don't get this sort of performance tuning. You have to do all this work yourself to ensure that you get the best possible performance. Additionally when there is a performance or configuration problem you don't get access to the resources that a vendor would normally make available to you such as their support team and their performance support team which when using a vendor supplied array you get as part of the purchase.
For smaller systems and solutions platforms like Open Filer and Windows Storage Server can work just fine as native systems. When it comes to larger more complex solutions purchased solutions are usually better so that the sysadmin and storage teams can focus on managing and tuning the business systems and not focus on building the storage array from scratch.


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Ellington's is a student-run restaurant committed to providing exciting, fresh, three-course menus.
Ellington's opens for the fall 2018 semester on Oct. 2 thru Dec. 6.
Ellington's is open in the spring and fall semesters
Tuesdays and Thursdays opens at 11 a.m.
with seating between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
A full meal is $10 including beverages and tips.
Ellington's is located on the main floor of the Holmes Student Center.
A small wine list comprising of two white and two red wines will be available with meal service. Please consult your servers for their recommendations based on the menu served. Wine selections are $5 per glass. Anyone who appears to our servers as younger than 30 is likely to be carded.
© 2018 Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University.
All rights reserved. Web Site Privacy Policy
DeKalb, Illinois 60115 | Regional Sites | Contact Us
Emergency Information | Employment | Maps | Accessibility


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PurFlo Owl SleepSac 0-3m 1 tog
By PurFlo From United Kingdom
|Shipping Destination
|Single Item
|Additional Items
|United Kingdom
|+ £4.50
The estimated delivery time is (Mon-Fri) until the seller will dispatch the item. Actual delivery time will depend on your delivery location
"The beautifully soft & comfortable PurFlo® SleepSac™ is the most anti-allergenic,
anti-bacterial, sleeping bag on the market. 100% Bamboo Dream lining
Environmentally friendly Bamboo fabric is 60% more absorbent than cotton & has natural anti-bacterial properties
Anti-allergenic Amicor filling, prevents build up of bacteria and dispels dust mites that are linked to Asthma and Eczema
100% cotton outer
Detachable sleeves
Integrated scratch mit to keep hands warm and protect against scratching
Full zip open front for easy access night time nappy changing
Zip guard to prevent the zip scratching babies skin"
This item is yet to be reviewed.
United Kingdom
The PurFlo® Mattress is designed to provide your baby with the cleanest, safest, healthiest sleeping environment possible. The PurFlo Cot Mattress unique hollow core and fully breathable mesh SleepSurface comfortably supports your baby or child better than a conventional mattress.
The PurFlo story began in 1994 when new parents Gail and Paul Whale became concerned about news reports linking fire retardant chemicals in foam baby mattresses with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Like all parents they wanted only the best for their baby, so Gail and Paul Whale decided to take matters into their own hands and designed their own foam free, fully breathable, fully washable mattress.
Since its launch the PurFlo cot mattress has been the choice of thousands of parents in the UK and the PurFlo range now includes the PurFlo SleepSacs, PurFlo 100% organic fitted sheets, Air Bumpers for cots and the PurFlo Fix mattress underlay.
The PurFlo mattress comes with a two year manufacturers warranty. If any problems do arise during this period simply contact our Customer Care team at PurFlo.


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Theres a tsunami headed toward America. Its massive, its scary and if you look at it from the wrong angle, it appears unstoppable.
Kirk Dignum just retired from Mercy Regional Medical Center after 14 years as president and chief executive officer. Being out of the way of this tsunami has certainly made his life easier. But if youre wanting to hear doomsday talk from an insider who believes that time is nigh for workable health care in the United States, go visit someone else.
Its going to be an exciting decade of change, Dignum says, relaxed in sweatshirt and jeans in his Three Springs home. Hes texting with a friend, making plans to go mountain biking.
Well get back to why hes so stoked about health care. And well talk about the changes at Mercy during his tenure. But perhaps the biggest achievement simply was lasting 14 years way beyond average for a hospital CEO. It helped to have roots in the area and experience in several aspects of health care and human relations.
Dignum, now 61, is a Denver-area native and 1973 graduate of Fort Lewis College, where he packed Purgatorys slopes on foot for a free pass. He left town for a decade, to get a masters in Texas and a doctorate in medical anthropology and gerontology in California. But he was back in Durango by 1982, enjoying a laid-back, outdoor-oriented lifestyle.
He worked with a software company, and was a management consultant who specialized in doctors practices. After three years as Mercys vice president of ambulatory services, he was appointed to the hospitals head role on an interim basis in September 1998.
It wasnt a position he was yearning for, and at the time he was noncommittal on a permanent role: I have a wife and two kids, he told the Herald then. If the job takes 1,000 hours a week, then I dont know ...
His mother, dying of cancer, convinced him to go for it full time. Dont waste your God-given talent, she told him. Well, whats a boy to do?
After a national search, the Mercy board gave him a permanent job as president and chief executive officer in September 1999.
State Sen. Ellen Roberts, who served on the Mercy board of directors from 2000 to 2006, says many wont fully appreciate all the balls he had to juggle to keep the hospital solvent.
He put in so many hours, Roberts says. If stress counts for hours, he put in triple time.
Dignum says he can divide his Mercy CEO tenure into three careers.
His first task was to help the struggling hospital achieve financial stability. After his first couple of years, Mercy was back in the black.
Next was figuring out what to do with an old facility that was falling apart. After convincing Catholic Health Initiatives to make a $76 million loan, and in partnership with the Southern Ute Tribe, Mercy broke ground on a new facility in 2004 in Grandview.
After the hospitals completion in 2006, Dignum says he focused on the operational side, improving quality.
The top achievement was, of course, the new hospital, right?
Not even close, Dignum counters. The hospitals just bricks and mortar. The biggest challenge I had at Mercy was changing the culture to be one of high performance and high quality.
He and his management team set about making Mercy a top-notch facility where its nearly 1,000 employees are generally happy to work.
One of the things Im proudest of is I think we pulled that off, Dignum says.
Hes talking in the past tense, but the truth is he hasnt totally left the hospital business. Hes working for Centura Health, now Mercys parent company, as a part-time consultant. It entails travels to Denver, Centuras base. His official title: senior vice president of system initiatives.
OK, so Mercy is financially stable with a grand, still relatively new facility and happy workers. But that wont matter if only the rich can afford health insurance.
On paper, the situation is grim. About 16 percent of Americans dont have health insurance. In many places, including Durango, even if you are insured, its not easy to find a primary-care doctor. Then theres the specter of baby boomers reaching Medicare age 11,000 per day, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. On top of that, diseases such as childhood diabetes have reached near-epidemic proportions. Is that a towering tsunami, or what?
Kids cant afford what weve created, Dignum says, thinking of his and wife Ginnys two daughters, Megan, 25, and Kelsey, 23.
So the system needs to change. And he believes it will. Its beginning to happen already, he says, but slowly. The key is incentives. We need systems that monetarily reward health-care providers and insurance companies for keeping people healthy. Mercy, for instance, could save a lot of money by preventing the need for the uninsured to use its emergency room for nonemergencies.
Weve been very good dealing with sickness, but were terrible at dealing with health care, Dignum says. Health care must change its perspective from sickness to health, he says. It must intervene sooner to keep diseases such as childhood diabetes from occurring. And health-care providers and insurance companies must be at financial risk to keep clients healthy.
Thats a fundamental, paramount, wonderful change that is going to happen, Dignum says. Its going to be painful. Its going to be extremely painful for health-care execs and the nursing ranks and the physician ranks. But its the right thing to do, in my opinion, because it will hopefully lead to better health for our citizens, and thats what we all want. ...
I think youll see a transformation in health care in the country in the next decade which will be phenomenal.
From his modest home in Grandview, this modest man leaves his most difficult and rewarding task with one wish: The only thing I could ever ask is I hope I left (Mercy) a little bit better than when I found it.
firstname.lastname@example.com. John Peel writes a weekly human-interest column. His wife works in Mercys trauma services department. Coming soon: Tom Gessel, Mercys new chief executive, talks about his vision.


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Inside the world's greatest TV remote
Fun with microcontrollers
ETech The world's most desirable TV remote was a year and a half in the making.
Mitch Altman's TV-B-Gone is what you might call a single function remote. You point it at almost any television, and the TV turns off. It's a must for anyone who prefers the days when people actually spoke to each other when out for dinner.
Though the concept is wonderfully simple, actually building such a contraption is more labor-intensive than you might imagine. Altman spent eighteen months duplicating North America's TV off-codes.
The San Francisco-based inventor hacked his original TV-B-Gone prototype from another handheld novelty item known as the miniPOV. "Hacking a project that already exists makes things so much easier," Altman said this afternoon at the Emerging Technology Conference in San Jose, teaching the gathered geeks how to build "cool things" from microcontrollers.
"Getting started is much harder if you start from scratch. It's like a writer starring at a blank page. But if you start with a project that works, that's already been debugged, it isn't hard to make it do something different."
Mitch Altman and his microcontrollers
Developed by an MIT Media Laber who calls herself Lady Ada, miniPOV displays text messages in mid-air when you wave it to and fro, relying on the human eye's persistence of vision. The device contains a single row of eight LEDs, but when moved, different diodes turn on and off in nanoseconds, creating that mid-air message. Or so it seems.
In developing TV-B-Gone, Altman took out the miniPOV's eight LEDs and replaced them with a transistor that drives an infrared-emitting diode. Then he reprogrammed the firmware so it would set the timings for infrared signals, rather than turn those red lights on and off. "Otherwise, it was pretty much exactly the same as the miniPOV," Altman says.
So, all he had to do was teach the firmware to cycle through every TV off-code on the continent - which easier said than done. "It took me a year and half of my life to get the first prototype. There are thousands and thousands and thousands of TVs. And they use so many different codes and different ways of decoding codes." Even with the same TV company, Altman says, different divisions will adopt different codes for different televisions.
"The only way to do it is a lot of field testing. But fortunately, field testing is fun." If your idea of fun differs from Mitch Altman's idea of fun, you can buy your own TV-B-Gone for about $20 to $25. Or you could build your own without the field testing. Altman has open sourced his off-code database.
TV-B-Gone includes 140 off-codes, and according to Altman, that covers about 99 per cent all televisions in the States. It takes about 70 seconds to cycle through every one. The device comes in two versions: one for North American and Japanese TVs ($19.99) and one for European TVs ($24.99).
Famously, Gizmodo carried a TV-B-Gone to the Consumer Electronics Show early last year, wreaking more than a little havoc. According to Altman, the publicity put an extra $24,000 in his pocket. "I thanked them personally," he says. ®


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I congratulate The Record for the series of articles on Feb. 17 by Kevin Parrish regarding the housing crisis.
I congratulate The Record for the series of articles on Feb. 17 by Kevin Parrish regarding the housing crisis.
There's plenty of blame for what happened: mortgage brokers, bankers, real estate agents, appraisers, bond rating companies, all motivated by greed in neglecting their fiduciary responsibility.
While we are at it, we need also to look in the mirror. Is the person staring back the culprit who took on a bigger mortgage than he could afford? Did he buy a bigger house because the bank was more than willing to write a bigger loan? Did he refinance and take out a bigger loan to buy a new car or go on a cruise to the Mediterranean?
Until we look within ourselves we are not going to find the solution to our problem.
Bob Hong
Apparently my letter of Jan. 29, demeaning Fox News' Sean Hannity, House Speaker John Boehner and the Republican Party hurt another reader's sensitivities, prompting his rebuttal letter calling President Barack Obama as well as the majority of Americans fools.
I can only assure that letter writer that this nation as well as "we fools" will survive as long as "we fools" can keep his party's leadership of buffoons and idiots out of office.
In the meantime, keep living in your fantasy bubble wiping your tears over the election, while "we fools" are represented by an eloquent president digging us out of the pit the last Republican administration put us in.
Rod Barney
I offer my heartfelt thanks to the woman and her granddaughter who spotted me standing alone and confused in the parking lot at San Joaquin Delta College after the Three Tenors concert. They took me in their car and drove around until we found my car. My faith in the citizens of Stockton is stronger than ever.
Coralita Ratthaus
When you stop changing, you stop growing. Do what you can with what you have and where you are.
A faith that costs nothing and demands nothing is worth nothing. It is not what you do, but who you are that is most important.
Sometimes, to learn what you need to know, you need to forget what you think you know. If we take care of our character, our reputation will take care of itself.
Thinking that we can find lasting pleasure in people and things is ultimately an empty pursuit. The happiest people do not necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.
Happiness is the inner joy that is sought and caught but cannot be taught or bought. You will never lose doing what God tells you. God wants us to look our best, do our best and be our best.
George Yoshimi
A few days ago I called Stockton Police Department regarding a problem on north San Joaquin Street. While we were waiting for a code enforcement officer, a female police officer and I agreed what a great police chief we have.
Chief Eric Jones stands behind everything he says. Jones is a man of action, and from my past experience with him, I'm so confident that he will turn Stockton's crime around. I just know it!
Joe Ventura Jr.
� � �
The Record welcomes letters. We ask readers to submit no more than one every 30 days. Letters must include the writer's full name, a current address and telephone number, and be no longer than 250 words. We edit all material for clarity, length and taste.


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From Wikimedia ZA
Revision as of 22:18, 5 November 2013 by Bobbyshabangu (Talk | contribs)
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by Tom Utescher
In their first home match of the new year, the racquetwomen of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy notched their third straight squash victory, rising to a record of 4-3 with last Wednesday's 5-4 victory over the visiting Big Red of Lawrenceville School.
A day earlier, the Blue Devils gone on the road to launch the 2014 portion of their season, topping Girls Inter-Ac League rival Agnes Irwin, 8-1.
On Wednesday, host SCH was leading 4-3 when senior Caroline Canning clinched the team victory by winning in three straight games at the number two spot. She took the first two rounds, 11-5, 11-7, but Lawrenceville's Nat Tung, also a 12th-grader, got out to a 3-1 lead in game three. Canning came on to capture six points in a row, then finished out the game, 11-7, to put Springside Chestnut Hill over the top.
Lawrenceville had to bump up players in its line-up for the match, since its regular senior number one, Mary Jo Mahfood, had suffered an off-court injury to her ankle.
As the bout got underway, the Blue Devils picked up some quick wins from sophomore Samira Baird and junior Allison Day. Baird beat the visiting number four, junior Alexis Slattery, 11-8, 11-2, 11-3, and Day won in the eighth spot, 11-5, 11-9, 12-10, over Big Red senior Courtnie Baek.
Lawrenceville had a three-game victory at number five, where freshman Virginia Schnaus stopped SCH senior Courtney Hamilton, 11-9, 11-5, 13-11, and at number nine, where junior Sinclair Meggitt captured a four-game match against another SCH senior, Leah Beight, with scores of 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9.
In the seventh spot, Lawrenceville junior Caroline Dragonetti won the first and fourth games, 11-9, 11-6, while Blue Devils freshman Grace Torsella took the second and third segments, 11-9, 11-4. Dragonetti went ahead 4-2 in the fifth, but Torsella turned it around to win 11-8, chalking up a "W" for the home team.
Next up on the same court, Torsella's ninth-grade classmate Joia McGivern made short work of visiting senior Izzy Gotuaco at number six, winning in three games at 11-5, 11-5, 11-3.
A third SCH freshman, number three Taylor Ferry, was involved in a five-game match like Torsella, but here it was Lawrenceville junior Esther Baek who prevailed, 5-11, 11-7, 11-2, 8-11, 11-4.
After Canning's triumph at number two gave Springside Chestnut Hill the fifth win it needed for the team victory, there was still one last match on the court. It's junior Francesca Fabiani who has had to do the heavy lifting for SCH in the number one spot this season, facing the top players on the opposing teams and helping set the stage for her teammates to succeed father down the ladder.
Last Wednesday Lawrenceville senior Ashley Suan got the better of her in increasingly closer games, 11-7, 11-9, 12-10.


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Play-by-play: White Sox at Cubs
Amanda Kaschube
Welcome, disappointed Chicago baseball fans. Remember July? Yeah, that was fun. August? Not so much.
Remember the last time the White Sox and Cubs met? Carlos Zambrano almost got into a fight with Dewayne Wise. And all the drama surrounding Milton Bradley (well, I guess that still exists). And Mark Buehrle wasn't perfect.
Ah, those were the gold old days.
Both teams are far from first place in their divisions: Cubs are 10.5 out, White Sox are 7 back.
Baseball excitement, catch it!
Derrek Lee is a late scratch today, attending the birth of his child. Here's the rest of the lineup: Dye sits for the White Sox too.
Angel Guzman, Carlos Zambrano and Freddy Garcia chat. And Guzman thinks it's hilarious! (Tribune / Phil Velasquez)
Baseball soon. Wow, that was a national anthem.
No auto-refresh on this one, sorry kids. I'm rolling with Hawk and Stone Pony to start things off, I'll switch over to Len and Bob to hear their pearls of wisdom later. Ryan Dempster's first pitch is a ball to Scotty Pods. Lotsa empty seats behind the plate today. Next pitch is ripped to CF, it gets by Fukudome but then gets lost in the ivy. So it's a double for Pods, which sucks for him cuz it probably would have been a triple. Oh no, here goes Hawk. Beckham hits the first pitch he sees, but it's foul. Next one is knocked back to Dempster and Pods gets caught in a terrible rundown between second and third ... and then Beckham gets caught in a terrible rundown between first and second. What the? That was terrible. Or as Hawk said, 'unbelievable.' Quickly two outs for Dempster. I might have to switch over the Len and Bob sooner. AJ was a weak grounder to end the inning. Or the 'Comical farse,' per Hawk.
No score.
Carlos Torres was 10-4 with AAA, with 4 homer allowed. His first offering to Fukudome is a ball. And another ball. Torres went to Kansas State. I'll try not to hold that against him.The 2-2 is hit to Alexei at SS for the easy 6-3 putout. Theriot chops it to Torres, for the 1-3 out. Quickly 0-2 to Aramis Ramirez. He hits a chopper to Konerko to end the 1-2-3 inning.
Poll: More interest from you ... today's Crosstown Classic or tonight's 4th Bears preseason game? I'm thinking it's a push. At least the weather is nice today. Konkero hits the first pitch, flyout to CF. Maybe he was thrown off by the patented Ryan-Dempster-glove-flippy-thingy. It's very distracting. Quentin fouls of the second pitch he sees, an 89 mph fastball into Jake Fox's glove. Two outs. Recently called up Chris Getz lines one to RF, where Milton Bradley almost trips over his feet. Ball gets away from Fox on the pickoff attempt by Dempster, and Getz moves to second. Error on Fox, D-Lee's absence is felt. Strike one to Alexei. D-Lee had a son today, congrats! Maybe he'll name it Lou. 0-2 to Alexei ... long look-in by Dempster ... basehit that gets through SS and 3B and it's 1-0 White Sox. Dempster threw a spliter and that's RBI #60 to Alexei. Dewayne Wise now. He has a short AB as Alexei is caught stealing BY A MILE to end things. Cue the terrible baserunning music...
White Sox 1-0.
Paul Sullivan checks in with Bob Brenly's take on Milton Bradley: "The bottom line is, just get the job done. He can point fingers and assign blame wherever he wants and laugh in the face of critics that he can swing the bat from the left side and he can stay healthy, but do it all year long, don't just do it for a month of the season and proclaim yourself the guy we were looking for." Speaking of Bradley, he gets a single as the bat goes flying! Alexei fields it, but can't throw it. Fox pops up the first pitch to CF. One out. Soriano now, he takes ball one. 55 RBIs on the season. Couple pickoff attempts, nothing doing. 2-1 is also hit to CF where Pods makes the catch. Sunny day, sunglasses on. Jeff Baker now -- he's also wearing sunglasses to bat. 2-2 count ... and another silly pickoff attempt. Next pitch is a swing/miss to retired the side.
White Sox 1-0.
Sully: 'No brawls yet, got my binocs." Thanks for the updates, dude. Mark Gonzales also has a Peavy update -- he hopes to play catch before Friday's game. I say shut him down for the season, no need for him now and you don't want to further injure the boy. Wise gets to bat again, but he flies out to Bradley in RF on the third pitch for the first out. Torres makes his MLB batting debut. Oh no, Hawk and Stone Pony (@baseballstone) talking Twitter. I think Hawk just called it 'the Twitter.' Torres strikes out swinging -- eh, at least it was swinging. And speaking of Twitter, follow our baseball boys: @pwsullivan and @mdgonzales. And me, @amandakaschube. Shameless plugs make me tired. Or maybe it's just waking up before 2 p.m. Here's Pods. He's hot today, as he rips a single up the 3B-line. A 'can of corn' to RF by Beckham ends the inning and strands one.
White Sox 1-0.
Having fun yet? Remember when I said Bradley's bat went flying last inning? It hit the foot of a female White Sox fan, per Sully. Oh irony. Koyie Hill now, starting in the place of struggling Geovany Soto. 1-2 is grounded to 2B for the out. Torres at 32 pitches. Dempster now. Pitcher-vs.-pitcher. I think Dempster is wearing the new and HUGE batting helmet that can absorb some crazy-mph pitch. 2-2. 3-2 pitch is backhanded by Alexei at SS, close play but Dempster is out. I think the helmet weighed him down. Hawk says he's a fan of Dempster because of his candidness. Well that's not really surprising. Fukudome is aboard with a single to center. Torres makes a pickoff attempt to first, throws a ball, then fields Theriot's grounder to end the inning. Wow, he can do it all.White Sox 1-0.
See? Ozzie is growing: Said if given a choice, he'd blow up the Metrodome in Minneapolis before he'd want to knock down Wrigley Field. AJ leads things off this inning. He fakes bunt on the first pitch. Oh AJ, you so crazy. 1-1 is grounded to first and Fox for the first out. Here's Konerko. Three pitches = swinging strikeout. Quentin now. Dempster almost nails him in the head, but Quentin ducks just in time. I'm guessing that would have lead to a brawl. And many swear words. And a massive headache. Quentin singles the next pitch to left. Getz now with two outs. Chops the 2-1 to second for the 4-3 out. One stranded.
White Sox 1-0.
Stone Pony warns Torres to be careful because the Cubs are reading him better the second time through the lineup. First pitch to Aramis beans him on the hand. Crowd boos. Aramis stares and takes his base. Bradley flies out to right and again, the crowd boos. Fox with the single to CF, and Aramis is a good baserunner and advances to third. So runners on the corners and one out for Sorinao. Still some empty seats behind home. Soriano strikes out swinging and again, the crowd boos. 78 mph curveball that fooled him. Ball one to Baker. He grounds the second pitch to Getz, who flips to Alexei for the 4-6 FC to end the inning. I'm assuming the crowd booed, but CSN goes to commercial.
White Sox 1-0.
And with that, I flip to WGN. To Wildcat: I went to KU, hence the K-State dislike. But at least it's not Missouri ... Ah, the vocal stylings of Len and Bob. Alexei singles to left on the second pitch. He's 2-for-2 today. Dempster at 49 pitches. Here's DeWise. Shallow pop-out to left (or deep infield pop-out), Theriot gets on his horse and runs all the way over to the Cubs bullpen area for the out. Nice run and avoidance of his fellow Cubs. Torres shows bunt. Dempster throws high at him, but misses. We gonna have another plunking? Or a fight? Ozzie is yelling instructing and showing Torres how to bunt from the dugout. Doesn't work, as Torres strike out after a few missed attempts. AL pitcher batting is always not so good. Ball one to Podsednik. Alexei steals again, but this time he's safe as the ball gets away from Theriot. Short-hop throw from Hill. 3-1 to Pods ... before he takes ball four. Two on for Beckham. Len and Bob talk retaliation plunkings -- good move or not, especially with suspensions possible. The 1-2 pitch is a way high fastball. Two outs, two on, 2-2 count. Foul ball. Next pitch is a short grounder to third, Aramis fields and throws and the inning, it be over. Two stranded.
White Sox 1-0.
Koyie Hill is up first, Torres at 59 pitches. Hits a deep one to right, where DeWise makes the catch. Barely. 'Wasn't the prettiest catch we've ever seen, but it was effective," says Bob. Len tries to jinx Torres by saying he hasn't allowed a walk today. Dempster and his huge helmet run the count full ... then golfs one to center for the second out. Bob now very excited about ZZ Top's concert on Friday night. 0-2 hole for Fukudome. Swing and a miss for Torres' 4th K of the day.
White Sox 1-0.
Via Sully on Twitter: Sox fan injured by Milton's broken bat has an ice bag on her foot, but no puncture wounds. Looking for Milton to autograph the barrel. 73 degrees at Wrigley today with 10 mph wind out of the ENE. A fan favorite in every ballpark ... AJ singles to start off the inning. White Sox have put the lead-off man on three of the six innings. Konerko now. Dempster gets Konerko to chase a high one for the strikeout. That's Konerko's second K today. Dempster at 72 pitches. Quentin now. Bob says CQ can't run well because of his lingering foot injury. Very true Bob, but he's still dreamy. He quickly falls into an 0-2 hole. Swing and a miss strike three. Getz has scored the lone run for the White Sox ... and Dempster plunks him. Fastball in the back. 90 mph, per MLB.com. Um, ouch? Yes. Ouch. So two on, two outs for Alexei. The Cuban Missle flies out deep to Bradley in right. Two stranded.
White Sox 1-0.
Dempster drilling Getz? Kinda random timing, no? Hopefully we're done with all of that. Len is quite impressed with Torres' five shutout innings. Again, trying to jinx the poor Wildcat. Theriot is up TheFirst. Flies the 1-2 pitch to center for the first out. Bob suggests 'Bren' for D-Lee's son's name. Get it, Bren Lee. Those crazy WGN boys. Len suggests 'Brad.' Get it, Brad Lee. Aw, maybe that would make Milton feel welcome in the clubhouse. Aramis grounds out to his counterpart at third for the second out. And here's Milty! Big golf swing/miss makes it 1-2. Doesn't chase the next one, 2-2. He does on the next, and 83 mph silder. Poor. Milty.
White Sox 1-0.
Per Mark Gonzales on twitter: The mood at Wrigley feels like fans watching their jilted lovers. One pitch, one out for Dempster and Wise flies out. Heh, it interrupted WGN's music and fan cam ... so they re-start it after the out. Nice. Pitcher vs. Pitcher ... Dempster strikes out Torres for the second time. Quickly 0-2 to Podsednik, who is 2-for-2 today. Swing/miss for the K. Ron Santo will be singing your stretch today. He's got a nifty button-down on today, looks like paisley on the rolled cuffs. Fancy Ron!
White Sox 1-0.
Fox leads things off this inning. Torres at 81 pitches. Len/Bob say that if you're filling in for D-Lee, you gotta hit a HR. Fox hits the 2-1 to RCF for a double. How's that? Dotel (NO!) and Thorton (YES!) are warming up for the White Sox in the bullpen. Quickly 0-2 to Soriano. Angel Guzman warms up for the Cubs. Soriano swings at strike three, but it's a foul tip. AJ tries to pretend he caught said foul tip, but no. Another foul. Clean swing/miss leads to more boss from the crowd. One out. Baker lines it to right for a single, Quade sends Fox and Wise's throw nails him at home. Throw beat him, but Baker slid out wide so AJ had to stretch. Len/Bob like the call to send him, with it being the seventh inning and all. Here comes Ozzie to talk to Torres. He'll stay in there (92 pitches). Hill now. Dempster on deck (88 pitches) 0-1. 0-2. Oh, and Baker is on second. Hill takes ball one, close call. Crowd 'ooooohs.' Foul tip. Free ice cream at work makes everyone loud and makes it hard for me to hear the TV. Another foul. Ball two. Swing/miss on a 79 mph curveball. AJ does a fist-pump. One stranded. Sure, Carlos Torres. I knew he had it in him.
White Sox 1-0.
Tribune copy chief Mike Sansone in attendance at today's game, he emailed to say 'Crowd chanting 'Let's Go White Sox' in that last inning. Beckham with a lead-off single to start things, Dempster still in there. At the end of that last inning, Torres waited for Wise in the dugout to say thanks. Wise is the best assister in the game! First Buehrle, now Torres. AJ now. Runner goes on the 1-1, flies to Soriano for the out ... oh wait, Soriano slips and misses it. Beckham scores from first. White Sox 2-0. AJ to third. Error on Soriano. Bob: Nothing out there (in LF) surprises me anymore. Konerko with the single to left, to score AJ. White Sox 3-0. Soriano fields this one cleanly to hold the speedy (heh) Konerko at first. Konerko pulled for a pinch-runner, Dempster pulled for a new pitcher. Mark Kotsay replaces Konerko (is he any faster?) and Angel Guzman replaces Dempster (seen above laughing pregame). Ryan Dempster angry in the dugout -- kicks something, dude, watch the toe! Meanwhile, in the Sox dugout, a coach has bubble gum bubble on his hat. Quentin now with one aboard and no outs. 3-2 now ... swing/miss for the K ... throw to second gets the (speedy?) Kotsay. The fun strike 'em out/throw 'em out and there's 2 outs. Hill has thrown out 2 today. Getz now. Couple foul balls ... couple balls ... and Getz walks. Lou milling about in the dugout. Here's Alexei. Getz runs, Hills throws and Getz is safe. Throw beat Getz to second, but Baker fields it beyond the base and that doesn't work as well. 3-0 to Alexei, who then takes ball four. Back-to-back walks and Wise is in there now. Sean Marshall warms up for the Cubs. And John (?) Grabow. Jermaine Dye holds a bat in the Sox dugout -- Ozzie gets Lou's attention to show him Dye is ready and oh, Crosstown hilarity. I know, pinch-hit Jim Thome! Oh wait. Two straight balls from Guzman to Wise and Guzman can't find the strikezone. Ice cream people getting louder now at the Trib. Wise swings at the 2-0 count (Bob very surprised about that) then flies to right where Bradley is there for the catch and the out.
White Sox 3-0.
Kotsay stays in and will place first. And Torres is on the mound ... but here comes Ozzie after Mike Fontenot annoucned as the pinch-hitter for Guzman. Here comes Thornton, so will Lou make a switch too? I need headphones. Torres' line: 7.0 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 6 K, 0 walks. Aaron Miles will pinch-hit for pinch-hitter Fontenot. So it's Miles vs. Thornton to start things off. Grounds out on the third pitch to SS. Fukudome hits the first pitch to CF ... and the ball drifts, and drifts, and drifts to left, but Pods stays with it for the out. Theriot now. Swing/miss, but the ball gets away from AJ, who fields and throws for the compicated K.
White Sox 3-0.
Peter King of SI just tweeted: Michael Vick to marry longtime girlfriend next spring, Goodell says. Random. no? Sean Marshall in there for the Cubs. He'll face pinch-hitter Tyler Flowers (for Thornton), who is making his MLB debut. Ah, the catcher of the future. He takes ball one. Then ball two. Then a strike. Then a ball. Wow, Sean Marshall is tall. Then Flowers pops it up in foul ground to Fox in between first and home. One out. Pods now. Laces one down into the LF corner for a double. He's had quite the 2009 season. Big Bobby Jenks warms up in the bullpen. Beckham goes opposite field to Bradley in RF for a single, and Bradley's good throw keeps Pods to only advance to third. That made more sense in my head. Corners for AJ. AJ reaches on fielder's choice, but that will score Pods. Fox fielded it and looked home, but no play. And then AJ beat the throw to first. White Sox 4-0. One out. Kotsay grounds it to the pitcher Marshall, who makes a high throw to Theriot, who comes down on the bag right as AJ slides. AJ is out, Kotsay is safe at first (no throw) and Beckham advances to third. But AJ and Theriot are both a bit gimpy after that play. And we've got a pitching change. Replays show AJ may have clipped Theriot, but everyone stays in the game (except for AJ, who was called out). Nice going AJ, now Cubs fans will never like you! Justin Berg is the new Cubs pitcher and he'll get Quentin first. Corners, two outs for CQ. Foul, foul, ball, foul, ball, foul, grounder to Theriot, who smothers it and the throw to second is late (basically rolled the ball over). Beckham scores from third, White Sox 5-0. Ball one to Getz. Soft liner is caught by Theriot to end the inning. And we'll see DJ Carassco, not Jenks in the ninth.
White Sox 5-0.
Aramis, Bradley and Fox are due up. Alex Rios now playing center for Scotty Pods. Aramis takes strike one from Carassco. Lead-off single on the 0-2 count to left. Bradley strikes out swinging on a 80 mph silder, and here comes the booooooooos. One out for Fox. Grounds it to Alexei for the 6-3 ... not double-play as Fox beats out the throw just barely as Alexei trips after tagging the bag. Soriano steps in, and the crowd boooooooos. And Soriano strikes out swinging on three pitches. Guess what the crowd does?
White Sox 5-0.
Carlos Torres picks up his first big-league win. The White Sox crank out 13 hits and the Wrigley crowd boos a lot. But hey, only three more hours until the 4th Bears preseason game! Thanks for reading.


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BERLIN (AP) — The European Union said Wednesday that it plans to cap some credit and debit card fees in a move that would save retailers up to 6 billion euros ($7.9 billion) per year.
The European Commission, the 28-nation bloc's executive arm, said limiting the fees paid by retailers to banks every time a customer uses a card will ultimately lead to lower prices for all consumers.
The proposed legislation would cap the so-called interchange fees at 0.2 percent of a transaction's value for debit cards and 0.3 percent for credit cards. In some countries, fees are currently as high as 1.5 percent of a purchase's value.
Most consumers, however, are unaware of the behind-the-scenes charges.
"The interchange fees paid by retailers end up on consumers' bills," EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said at a news conference in Brussels. "This needs to change."
The proposal still needs approval by the European Parliament and a majority of EU member nations.
One credit card company, Mastercard Inc., warned against the planned cap, saying that the move could lead to higher card fees for consumers.
"We are concerned about the harm these proposals will cause to consumers and small merchants in the EU," the company said in a statement Wednesday.
But EU Commissioner Michel Barnier, who is in charge of financial services, insisted the legislation will lead to lower prices for consumers, dismissing Mastercard's lobbying efforts against it as an "unbearable campaign" of disinformation.
Competitor Visa, however, joined in the criticism Wednesday — warning "these proposals will be detrimental to the innovation that will support European economic growth."
The lobby group for Europe's retailers said the caps should be even harsher, but welcomed the proposals as a significant step to foster competition and transparency.
"They should allow retailers to pass savings on to consumers, bringing them real benefits in these times of hardship," said EuroCommerce chief Christian Verschueren.
The Commission's proposal also aims at axing another, more widely understood, credit card fee: The surcharges imposed by some merchants on card payments, notably on purchasing airline tickets.
Separately, the Commission, as the EU's competition watchdog, is also investigating whether some other fees charged by Mastercard and Visa violate antitrust rules. The two card companies combined have a market share of about 90 percent in the European Union, which forms the world's largest economy.


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Lazio striker Tommaso Rocchi will end his playing days at Inter having agreed a move during the transfer window, according to his agent Oscar Damiani.
The veteran forward, 35, has made just three appearances this season and Damiani confirmed that he will end his playing days with Andrea Stramaccioni's side.
"The call from Inter has arrived at the right moment for him to finish his playing days in the right manner," the attacker's representative told reporters.
"There are a few things still to sort out and hopefully they will be resolved during the day ahead. Then he'll have his medical and he'll put pen to paper on his contract.
"He'll put himself at the total disposal of Inter boss Andrea Stramaccioni."
The 35-year-old has been at Stadio Olimpico for a decade and scored over 100 goals for the Biancocelesti.
However, Rocchi has recently found himself fourth in the striking pecking order, behind Miroslav Klose, Libor Kozak and Sergio Floccari.


text: When you see a bunch of TV characters living in swank, unbelievably large city apartments, just palling around and being well, friends, doesn't it kinda make you wish you had a similar life filled with drinking endless cups of coffee and decorating with kitschy, bright colors? What you see on TV often influences your life, and in the case of women in rural parts of India, having cable TV could be contributing to keeping the birth rate down. [More]


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Nate Schierholtz's short stay in Philadelphia is likely over.
According to an ESPN.com report, the Phillies informed Schierholtz that he would not be offered a contract for 2013. All major league teams have until 11:59 p.m. on Friday to decide whether or not to tender a contract to arbitration-eligible players.
The only other Phillies player who is arbitration eligible is reliever Antonio Bastardo, who will be tendered a contract for 2013.
After coming over in the July 31 trade that sent Hunter Pence to San Francisco, the 28-year-old Schierholtz hit .273 with one home run in 37 games with the Phillies.
Overall, Schierholtz hit .257 with a .728 OPS and six home runs in 114 games between Philadelphia and San Francisco in 2012. His played was limited shortly after joining the Phillies after landing on the disabled list with a foot injury.
Schierholtz's salary likely played into the team's decision to non-tender him.
Schierholtz made $1.3 million in 2012. Since he would earn a raise through arbitration, Schierholtz would have been an expensive fourth or fifth outfielder.
While the Phils have been trying to upgrade their outfield this winter, let-handed hitters Domonic Brown and Laynce Nix and right-handers John Mayberry Jr. and Darin Ruf all figure to be back in 2013. Schierholtz will become a free agent at midnight.


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March 21, 2012-- One hundred fifteen students from around the state met at the Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery on March 5 and 7 to participate in the paddlefish spawn.
The middle school and high school students are involved with the Native Fish in the Classroom Projectwhich is coordinated by the LDWF Education Program. Students learned more about the steps in the fertilization process as they rotated through several informational stations. Bobby Reed, LDWF Inland Fisheries senior technical advisor, performed a paddlefish dissection, allowing students to investigate and compare paddlefish anatomy with largemouth bass anatomy.
The Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, along with LSU's Scope on a Rope Program, hosted a microscope lab which allowed students to view plankton, paddlefish and bass eggs, along with embryonic fish. Additional aquatic samples were provided so students could make their own slides to examine. Chase Chatelain and Brody Meche, LDWF fisheries biologists, explained how biologists use fish ear bones (otoliths) and paddlefish jawbones to age fish. Paul Whitehead, LDWF hatchery biologist supervisor, also provided tours of the hatchery.
Students and teachers received paddlefish eggs at the end of the day to bring back to their classroom's nursery fish tank. The program goal entails raising fingerling paddlefish for release into local waterways. As the fish grow, students will learn about water quality and biology as they maintain habitat for their nursery tank fish population. In May, the paddlefish fingerlings will be released at an LDWF-approved site that provides suitable habitat for this big river fish species.
There are currently 17 schools, representing 11 parishes, involved with this aquaculture stewardship project. The project's hands-on approach provides a learning experience that strives to teach students about aquatic ecosystems and develop an attitude of stewardship for the state's natural resources.
For more information about the NFC Project, visit the Louisiana Marine Education Resources (LAMER) website at: http://www.lamer.lsu.edu/nativefish/index.html [4]or contact Angela Capello at 318-748-6999 or email@example.com [5]or Dianne Lindstedt at 225-578-1558 or firstname.lastname@example.com [6].
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov [7]on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb [8]or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.


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BOGOTA, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Colombian authorities said a leading commander of the rebel group FARC has surrendered to the military while citing discord within the Marxist organization.
The rebel commander, identified by the alias of Efren Carracho, is third in command of FARC's 7th Front, Colombia Reports said.
He surrendered Tuesday to the army's Omega Task Force in the southeastern Guaviare department.
Carracho said FARC rebels who protect important leaders of the group lead a better life than the average rebel fighter, Colombia Reports said. He also complained about internal divisions in the organization.
"Each structure does what it wants to do," he said.
In a related development, land mines believed to be planted by FARC killed a young woman and injured eight others in the northwestern department of Antioquia. The group accidentally stepped into a minefield near a school, a government official said.