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Gerard Butler Visits The Village Idiot
Gerard Butler is all smiles as he exits The Village Idiot restaurant in Hollywood on Wednesday (May 20).
The 39-year-old actor was apparently so caught up in smiling for the cameras that he got into his car and attempted to leave without his keys that the valet tried to give him.
Last week, Gerard was charged with misdemeanor battery after allegedly getting into a scuffle with a paparazzo. Los Angeles City Attorney spokesman said he faces up to six months in jail if convicted. Gerard's manager, Alan Siegel, said that the actor was forced to have his driver stop the car after a paparazzo repeatedly sped through red lights and almost hit two pedestrians.

subset: commoncrawl


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What's New
- Added 180 Wallpapers and Quotes
- App now saves your current position
- Bug fixes
App Description
Wallpaper Quotes Free is a collection of 200 inspirational quotes displayed with beautiful breath-taking photos in cool wallpapers for your iPhone. The quotes are from famous people past and present who have inspired us to think, do, and be better people.
* 200 Stunning Quotes and Wallpapers
* Easy navigation - Just swipe left or right to move between wallpapers
* Slider control allows you to instantly move to any wallpaper quickly
* Menu button toggles the menu on/off so that the menu only appears when you need it
To get even more Quotes and Wallpapers unlock the ability to share and save wallpapers by upgrading to Wallpaper Quotes Full Version.
App Changes
- June 14, 2014 Initial release


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I was actually thinking about it (although the blue one is pretty good looking too). Anyone have one? Would you recommend it?
im not a current law student but i play one on tv.as for laptops, from what i hear from most 1Ls is that portability is key. battery life is important too, but as long as the battery lasts longer than an hour, you should be fine because most of the areas where you will need the laptop will have plugs. i cant emphasize enough what ive been saying all along on laptops.IBMthats all you need to know. theyre the best. they last the longest. they dont have overheating problems. support is awesome. top notch parts. go with the x40 or the x42. light, thin, and portable. plus, if you have to carry around extra batteries or a charger, then you will want something as light as possible. i would not go with anything under 12" screen though...it makes it pretty tough to see if youre under that threshold.


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Welcome to Xssentials
Your Technology Services Company.
For more than 30 years we have enhanced the lives and lifestyles of homeowners and businesses by providing high-quality, reliable and industry-leading customer experiences with home automation technology.
Come in and experience how a world-class organization can bring comfort, light, communications, entertainment, safety and networks into your life… at home, at work, and beyond.


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If you try to find the lightning-rod "opinion piece" "Should Fatties Get a Room (Even On TV)" a funny thing happens: nothing. It seems that, without a word, the magazine has taken the offensive post down.
At first we thought maybe it was a technical glitch. After all, It's an odd thing: the magazine claims to stand by Maura Kelly's piece — which they defended as "provocative." And they ran a series of counterpoint pieces as a means of responding. And yet, now they've removed it — giving the lie to these earlier actions? We don't know exactly what the magazine's rationale was; a PR rep from Hearst hadn't responded to our query at time of publication.
Are they hoping it'll be a case of out of sight, out of mind? That they can run a couple of "counterpoints," that Kelly can go back to writing about sexy Halloween costumes, and the whole unfortunate incident will be forgiven and forgotten? Maybe they're right: but only time will tell.
(The article is cached here.)
What Was Marie Claire Thinking With This "Fatties" Piece?
Marie Claire Responds To "Fatties" Controversy
Marie Claire's Controversy Counterpoint
Watch the TV Clip of Two People Kissing That Has Marie Claire So Grossed Out
Protest At Marie Claire's Offices
If You're Fat-Phobic, You're Also An Ignorant, Bigoted Idiot
Here's A Question: Who The Hell Is The "Fatties" Editor?


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Site Search
Q & A Forum
Experienced coaches are ready to answer your basketball questions! Visit our forum
Social Links
2-Day Shooting, Ball handling & Finishing Camp in
San Angelo, Texas October 6-7, 2018
Elite Skills Coach Charlie Miller!
This is a hybrid of our popular "Shooting" and "Ball handling & Finishing" Camps.
With this 2 day camp in San Angelo, Texas...
We will work on the foundation of shooting, developing a quick release, and shooting off the catch.
We will work on ball handling drills to beat your defender off the dribble, and finishing moves to become crafty around the rim.
In additional to all of this, we will focus on confidence, mental toughness, hard work, smart work, and other intangibles to develop great shooters & ball handlers. .
Here are a few things that you will learn at the camp:
Foundation of Shooting
This is the first step in becoming a great shooter. Some players will progress through this stage quickly, while others will need to spend a bit more time to correct some bad habits. You will also learn:
How your stance could actually be causing your shot to go left and right and how to fix it.
Why the parallel stance may not be the right fit for you.
How your legs and not just your follow through can actually cause a flat shot.
The proper release point and follow through.
How inflexibility in your legs can affect your shot in a negative way.
Learn the Steve Nash adjustment that allows players to shoot accurately from further distances.
Shooting Off of the Catch
After we have built a great shooting foundation, we will progress to shooting off of the catch. You will learn:
How to make your shot quicker.
The mentality to making your shot quicker.
The proper body position for every shot off of the catch.
The proper footwork for different situations during the game.
The proper hand position to create consistency and accuracy.
How to pull up out of the fast break.
Learn Advanced Shooting Techniques Used by the Pros
You will learn the keys to a quick release used by the pros such as Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. You will learn the Michael Jordan 1-2 step used to create space and hit the open jumper.
You will learn the details required to be successful with these advanced moves. If you're not ready for the advanced moves yet, we have a system set up that will progress players at the proper rates.
An elite player needs to be crafty around the rim especially against bigger defenders. Learn how to attack their weakness and put them in foul trouble and get to the foul line
You will be taught a move that will take away the defender�s momentum in transition to create space to finish at the rim
Develop body control while attacking the basket, stopping on a dime and finishing through contact
Improve Your Ball handling
During the camp you'll receive both instruction and intense training to develop exceptional ball handling skills and dribbling moves.
Proper progressions for the dribble moves.
We will break down how to effectively progress through dribble moves. Learn these vital progressions that most trainers skip that result in poorly executed dribble moves.
6 things you need to know to be a great ball handler.
You can be an extremely effective ball handler by knowing and practicing six things. Most players and coaches make things too complicated. But dribbling effectively is simple. You don't need lots of moves. You just need EFFECTIVE moves.
How to be more effective with your dribble.
In today's game, so many players misuse the dribble. They use it and lose their advantage against the defense. We will teach them how to effectively use the dribble and cover more space with fewer dribbles at faster pace.
Develop an explosive first step to create space and transitioning into your shot
Players usually don't work on this, but this is one of the most deadly weapons in the game of basketball. Due to our background in athletic development, we will incorporate speed drills that will make them faster and quicker with and without the ball.
Learn how to properly pick up the basketball and how doing it the wrong way could be causing your shot to miss to the left and the right.
Learn how the pace of the dribble can make your shot quicker.
Learn how to properly execute the sweep and step through to create space from your defender.
Learn the mentality needed to have a successful pull up jump shot and how the wrong mentality can be easily defended.
Who Can Participate?
This camp is for boys & girls 5th-12th grades, ages/skill levels will be separated.
Who is Charlie Miller?
Camp Details
Saturday October 6, 2018 -- 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Sunday October 7, 2018 -- 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Limited Availability
Each session is limited to 48 players to ensure a high number of repetitions and improvement
The camp is COMPLETE!
San Angelo YMCA
353 S Randolph St
San Angelo, TX 76903
Travel and Accommodation Options
Camp attendees can get a 10-15% discount by using this link and booking any hotel owned by the Wyndham Hotel Group (Days Inn, Ramada, Baymont, Microtel, Super 8, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Knights Inn and Wingate). Find a nearby Wyndham hotel and get the Breakthrough Basketball discount.


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DIXON – Residents could be looking at a 3 percent savings in their electricity bill thanks to municipal aggregation.
The Dixon City Council placed on file Monday for public review a recommendation to make Verde Energy its electricity supplier for 2 years. It will vote to finalize the supplier and the terms of the deal May 20.
Also, the majority of city commissioners spoke against the Riverfront Commission's recommendation to pay Riverfront Executive Director Kay Miller a $600 a month salary.
Verde would supply electricity at 5.2979 cents per kilowatt hour in year one, 5.8472 cents in year two, and 6.0839 cents in year three if Dixon opts for a 3-year contract. Verde's rates were the lowest in each year of six bidders.
Marni Henert, of Rock River Energy Services, said those rates are lower than the maximum rate the city's current supplier ComEd can charge, which is 6.011 cents per kilowatt hour.
Henert said the new rates could start around July or August.
Not only did Verde supply electricity at the lowest rate, but also it provides a rate guarantee and no early termination fee, Henert said.
A rate guarantee stipulates that if ComEd's rate is lower than Verde's agreed-upon rate, Verde will adjust its rate to at least match ComEd's. Residents also can opt out of the municipal agreement at any time at no cost.
Residents will be given the option to opt out before the new supplier's rates kick in. Also, residents who have signed with an alternative supplier will be able to opt in, however, they may face a termination fee with those suppliers.
Verde is the supplier for Franklin Grove, Paw Paw and Lanark, Henert said.
Commissioners were divided Monday on whether to enter into a 2-year, or 3-year agreement. Commissioners Colleen Brechon and Dennis Considine preferred a 3-year deal.
"I felt like three years would be a win-win," said Brechon, noting the rate was guaranteed to at least match ComEd's in the event that ComEd's rate was less expensive. "Also, that would move any new negotiations into the second year of a newly elected council, rather than having something come up right after they come in."
Brechon said she will continue to review the terms until a vote is taken.
As for Miller's contract, commissioners David Blackburn, Considine and Brechon said they are not in favor of increasing Miller's pay to $600 a month. The City Council expects to vote on it May 20.
Miller has been working without a contract under the former agreement for $200 per month. In November, the City Council voted 4-1 against a raise that would have given her $800 a month.
Brechon said she would like for Miller to set working hours and make them public, before she votes on the agreement. Blackburn said, from the information the Riverfront has provided, Miller has not raised enough money to warrant giving her $600 a month.
Considine voted against placing the item on file Monday.
Mayor Jim Burke said it's time to vote up or down, one way or the other, on the matter. The city's attorney said commissioners can make adjustments to the recommendation placed on file.
In other items, commissioners elected to place on file a bid from Max Corp. to paint the water tower on the city's north side for $305,200, as well as purchase a 2011 bucket truck still under warranty at about $72,000.


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Celebrate! Five Sets of Colorful Fiesta Flags & Banners
Tomorrow Mexico celebrates 200 years of independence, and so we were inspired to round up five favorite sets of fiesta garlands. These are great for an independence day bash, a birthday party, or just everyday kitchen brightness and cheer!
• 1. Pink/Purple Fiesta Flags, $38 for 14 feet at LAMA Designs - These handprinted, 100% cotton pennants are made by artist Pablo Ferraro. They are less traditional, perhaps, but so modern and fun.
• 2. Multicolor Mexican Party Banner, $6.95 for 18 feet at Luna Bazaar - These are much more traditional, with patterns cut painstakingly out of tissue paper with a chisel. Decorative paper art like this has been adorning Mexican celebrations for centuries.
• 3. Fringe Garland by Ashley Meaders - This fringe garland was designed by Ashley Meaders, and it would be easy to recreate at home. Simply fold tissue paper over a string or ribbon, glue it together, then cut the edges into a fine fringe with scissors.
• 4. Fiesta Flag Banner, $25 for 6 feet from Ashley Addair - Another twist on a traditional Mexican fiesta banner.
• 5. DE COLORES Custom Color Papel Picado Banners, $42 for three 18-foot banners at Ay Mujer! - This shop is a wonderful resource for colorful and custom hand-cut banners. We especially love her wedding banners and this one featuring an Airstream.
Have you ever decorated a party with paper fiesta flags like these? Got any pictures to show us?
Related: Inexpensive Party Accessories: SaveOnCrafts Online Store
(Images: LAMA Designs; Luna Bazaar; Our Labor of Love; Ashley Addair; Ay Mujer!)


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I have ties to the University of Connecticut and the Connecticut State University System. I've lectured at both, have a cartoon collection at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at UConn, have taught a class in editorial cartooning at Eastern Connecticut State University, delivered the commencement address at Central Connecticut State University and was awarded the President's Medal at Southern Connecticut State University. In other words. I have a warm spot in my heart for all.
But an observer would conclude that the University of Connecticut does indeed get the lion's share of money and attention. The consolidation of the state university system with the community college system under one board of regents certainly doesn't help CSU's cause.
I have met so many successful people who have graduated from both schools it's hard to determine which one is superior, or deserving, if either could be called that. Read the whole story at: http://www.courant.com/news/education/hc-state-universities-rally-0311-20130308,0,5435921.story
I suppose if the Connecticut State University schools had nationally-known, ESPN-televised winning Division 1 basketball and football teams, we wouldn't be having this discussion.


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LOS ANGELES – This might turn into the Paradox Bowl for USC. If receiver Marqise Lee has a big game against Fresno State next week in Las Vegas, the Trojans could both win and lose.
It has long been presumed that Lee will skip his senior season and enter May's NFL draft, but as he nears the end of a low-octane, injury-filled year, Lee remains publicly adamant that he is undecided about 2014.
Lee said he, his parents and new USC coach Steve Sarkisian will meet in the days following Saturday's Las Vegas Bowl, and Lee said he expects to announce his decision sometime around Dec. 28.
Asked Sunday what might influence his decision, Lee said, "I have no clue, actually. I really don't have a clue. I really don't know what would make me stay or what would make me go, to tell you the truth."
This hasn't been a dream season for Lee, who has dealt (at different times) with shoulder, knee and shin injuries since the start of fall camp. Lee has caught only 50 pass for 673 yards and two touchdowns. Last year, Lee had 118 catches for 1,721 yards and won the Biletnikoff Award as the top college receiver.
It's not too late for Lee to reopen NFL eyes, though. The Las Vegas Bowl is a mid-afternoon game on national television, in a time slot when no NFL games or other college games will be broadcast.
Lee is thought to be the healthiest he has been all season, and interim coach Clay Helton – also USC's play-caller – said the Trojans will be aggressive on offense and that Lee could get as many as 50 reps. If Lee puts up 150 receiving yards, as he did six times last season, his NFL stock will rise significantly.
Helton said Lee's practices on Saturday and Sunday might have been his best of the season, and Helton said Lee is "practicing like a pro,'' perhaps not the word choice that USC fans would like to hear right now.
Lee said he hasn't yet pondered his draft status, or the possible final week of his USC career.
"Right now, there's still a game, so me thinking about that could really affect the way I play," Lee said.
Lee said he has yet to have an in-depth discussion with Sarkisian, who was hired on Dec. 2, but said USC's new coach will be invited to his family meeting next week in order to "lay out the options."
"It's very important, my parents talking to him," Lee said of Sarkisian.
The proximity of the Las Vegas Bowl hasn't yet attracted fans of either team in overwhelming numbers.
Each team received an allotment of 11,000 tickets. USC has sold approximately 5,000 while Fresno State has sold approximately 7,000, according to Las Vegas Bowl marketing representative John Saccenti.
Sam Boyd Stadium will seat 38,000 for the Las Vegas Bowl, and Saccenti said all but approximately 800 of the public tickets have been sold. That means roughly 11,000 tickets for the game remain unsold.
Two Las Vegas showgirls visited practice Sunday, in skimpy outfits and feathery headdresses, to promote the game, and USC players received some of their bowl gifts, including a computer tablet.
This is the 22nd Las Vegas Bowl, and USC's second appearance. In 2001, the Trojans played in the lowest-scoring game in Las Vegas Bowl history, as they lost to Utah 10-6 and totaled only 151 yards.
"Shockingly enough, that game ended up being one of the most boring games we've ever had," Saccenti said. "We don't expect that to be the case this year."
Contact the writer: email@example.com


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Reading about the Superorganism
As I wrote before, we are trying to get our heads around a few things related to bees and social insects in general. One of them is the concept of the Superorganism (which somehow seems to be much more readily embraced in popular culture than among biologists).
Two prominent proponents of the superorganism-concept are Bert Hölldobler and E.O. Wilson and their book "The Superorganism" is a phantastic source of examples from the natural history of social insects. Although "ant-people" by profession and inclination, they have plenty of stories to tell for "bee-pople" as well.
"[O]ur intention here is to present the rich and diverse natural history facts that illustrate superorganismic traits in insect societies and to trace the evolutionary pathways to the most advanced stages of eusociality.
Our intent in doing so is to revive the superorganism concept, with emphasis on colony-level adaptive traits, such as division of labor and communication. Finally, in presenting the subject this way, we visualize the colony as a self-organized entity and a target of natural selection.
In this book, we view the insect colony as the equivalent of an organism, the unit that must be examined in order to understand the biology of colonial species."
Hölldobler and Wilson strongly argue that natural selection works on several levels, not just on individuals and their genes, but on groups as well.
"Life is a self-replicating hierarchy of levels. Biology is the study of the levels that compose the hierarchy. No phenomenom at any level can be wholly characterized without incorporating other phenomena that arise at all levels. (…) Natural selection that targets a trait at any of these levels ripples in effect across all the others." (pp 7f)
So, while the "selfish gene" does play an important role, they see other mechanims at work as well.
More on the history of the different evolutionary concepts you can find in this interview with Bert Hölldobler on Wired.
Aside from the debate about underlying evolutionary principles, I do like the focus of the superorganism concept on self-organization and decentralized, bottom-up processes. There is no "brain-caste" in insect societies. "Order" and "intelligence" are achieved by cooperation alone. Cooperation according to some very strict and unrelenting rules, though (or behavioral patterns, if that's a better term).
Also, by the way, Ed Yong reports some compelling Mathematical Support for Insect Colonies as Superorganisms.
Und: "Der Superorganismus" ist inzwischen auch in deutscher Ãœbersetzung verfügbar.


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Miranda Kerr: Victoria's Secret Photo Shoot Sneak Peek Pic!
Miranda Kerr shows off her legs for days as she heads out to dinner on Saturday night (December 8) in New York City.
The 29-year-old model recently tweeted a new picture from an upcoming Victoria's Secret fashion campaign shoot, where she is modeling a pair of bra and underwear!
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Miranda Kerr
"Good afternoon world. Shooting @victoriassecret with @frankiefoye and @rmsbeauty. Sending love and light �'�" Miranda tweeted, along with the pic earlier in the week. Check it out below!


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Check out our RoadRazer Streetcar photo gallery
with HQ pics.
Last update in Streetcar gallery: 2007-02-02
The board of Renault directors decided not to dismiss Carlos Ghosn from the concern head post.
Cadillac goes to road tests of the new generation Escalade SUV.
Volkswagen released the first design drawings of the new generation Passat sedan for the USA.
Tesla Motors will present the concept of an electric pick-up before the end of next year.
The eighth generation Sonata sedan will see the world next year, and the wagon is expected for 2020.
Audi has taken up the tests of an updated A4 Avant Wagon.
We select only big size roadrazer streetcar photos
for our photogallery.


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- Advertised Projects
- Bid Item Contract Search
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- Map of advertised projects
- Planholder Search
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- Bid Summaries
- Bids Opened & Awarded Contracts
- New! Contract award status
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General Information
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Viewing inquiries for 05-1A4304Submit new inquiry for this project
The information provided in the responses to bidder inquiries is not a waiver of Section 2-1.03, Examination of Plans, Specifications, Contract, and Site of Work, of the Standard Specifications or any other provision of the contract, nor to excuse the contractor from full compliance with the contract. Bidders are cautioned that subsequent responses or contract addenda may change a previous response.


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Good Day Wishes My Dear Friends!!!
Hope you are doing Excellent.
Its time for getting ready for Weekend SHG meeting in Hyderabad.
Every single minute we spend here is going to be productive and helps you face boldly.
Here We Stammer with Ease :)
It is proved that if we stammer with easiness then stammering can be dissolved from speech.
We use many techniques which help us in clearing blocks in speech.
Drop in with Hope and Leave with Confidence.
1. Meditation
2. Breathing exercises and Techniques practicing.
3. Formal Intro by closing eyes and slow narration.
4. Slow Reading practice
5. Member's choice activity (anyone can do anything with their speech in this round, You can sing as well )
6. Fun Activities like Jokes Narration, Extempore, Crazy Questions, Loud speaking, Group Discussion and many more rounds :)
10am to 1pm (Please be on time)
Jalagam Vengala Rao Park
Road No-1, Banjara Hills, (road taking from Punjagutta junction to GVK Shopping Mall)
***Keep looking right side on Banjarahills road for the park's Main Gate
Click Here for Park's location on GoogleMaps with Bus Numbers
Vehicle parking is available at backside gate of the park, so members with vehicle take right turn at GVK shopping mall circle and come down the road looking left side along the road for the JVR Park's Vehicle Parking Board.
Feel free to call me/mail me for any assistance on directions to Venue on below number.
Together We Step Up :) Together We Succeed :)
With Regards,
Rajesh V.
96 76 82 0007
email ids: rajesh.jaca"at"gmail.com and wanted2talk2u"at"yahoo.co.in


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DWTS12 Finale Week Search Engine Round-Up
Ok kids, here's some fun stuff for you to get you prepped for the holiday weekend 🙂 Looks like you guys have got body parts, romance, and casting rumors on the brain again! Gonna be interesting to see what else crops up in the search engine, now that the show is over…I have a feeling it's gonna be pretty random…can't wait! 😀
Who is Chelsie dating?
Beats me. She's been linked by the tabloids to just about everyone, from Louis Vito, to Mark, and now to Romeo. With her, it's hard telling, since she does an exceptionally good job of keeping her emotions and personal life out of the public eye. For all we know, she could be dating some good little Mormon boy back home, and all of the above liasons are just red herrings. But hey – food for thought 🙂
DWTS12 Winner
Hines Ward & Kym Johnson. In case you've been living under a rock 🙂
Maks tattoo
Yep, he has one on his upper left ribcage – I can't tell exactly what it is, but it appears to be some sort of red, blue…swirly…thing. It was done by tattoo artist Peter Koskela, and from what I'm gleaning from the Maks boards (which I don't frequent, so I can't vouch for their authenticity), it was done during his stint on Bachelor Ukraine. But that's all I've got…maybe one of the Maksettes can help out?
Jodi Sweetin
She played Stephanie Tanner on Full House, and she was a cast rumor for season 12…which means she could still be a cast rumor for season 13, since it can take a few seasons for these rumors to materialize into something legit. I've heard that she wants Derek as her partner if she does the show, but I'm wondering if they would actually give him to her – seems like the past few seasons, he's been a bit of a bargaining tool for TPTB to lure big names (Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Grey) to the show. If they're holding out for another BIG name (that is also demanding Derek as their partner), sorry Jodi – you may get stuck with Louis or Tony.
Kym Johnson abs
Though not quite as awe-inspiring as the Awesome Boobage(TM), they, along with Kym's legs, are one of the 7 Wonders of the World. I wish I could say that there was some magical trick Kym has for getting a taut tummy that I could share with the rest of us normal folk, but according to iFit & Healthy, it sounds like Kym's hot bod is just the result of a lot of exercise with a personal trainer. However, I do know that a lot of the pros on the show (Karina in particular) are pretty fond of the It Cosmetics Abs in a Box Kit – so if you'd rather fake it than put in the time at the gym, I say go for it 😉
Chelsea Kane-Mark Ballas romance
*sigh* REALLY, guys? Officially, Chelsea is dating Stephen Colletti. Mark is officially/unofficially/who knows/etc. dating Pia Toscano (or is he…?). Yes, Chelsea & Mark got smoochy in some of their routines. Yes, Chelsea is the featured girl in Mark's "Hotwire" video. But they're both denying any hanky-panky. Let's put this one to bed, PUH-LEASE.
Mike Catherwood naked/nude/shirtless
You little horndogs 😉 Not that I blame you…Mike's bod is indeed a hot one. However, shirtless pix of Psycho Mike are a rareity (for whatever reason, dude doesn't like to show off his goods – lord knows why), let alone nude ones. But I did manage to dig up a pretty good shirtless one snapped by TMZ as Mike was running on the beach in LA. Mmmm mmmm mmm…I dunno about you guys, but god I love a well-muscled guy with a sprinkling of tats!


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Popular Bike Shops
Wiggle UK
Join the Cycling Forums on Strava
Australian Cycling Forums on Strava
Latest Reviews and Articles
Will your next bike be Intelligent? ABS and Smart Bike Tech
Vitus Vitesse EVO Disc Review – Speed Machine indeed!
New bike fitting, Perth
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 11:50 pm
New bike fitting, Perth
Postby anse_soleil » Thu Jan 03, 2013 3:43 pm
My son (9) has just bought his first road bike, a lovely little Fuji that he's over the moon with.
Now I'm keen to get into a routine of riding with him every weekend but I'm going to need something a little better than my MTB.
I've window shopped around some local stores but the kind of reception I get is always the same; ask me about budget, point to a couple of options and suggest I take them for a spin. This is okay, I guess, but it doesn't fill me with a great deal of satisfaction, it never feels like a place I'd enjoy going back to and certainly not a place I am going to get some great advice. There's no conversation about the kind of riding I want to do and no-one has ever said anything about 'fitting' a bike to me. I'm pretty short at 168, I have short legs but really long arms. When I ride I tend to suffer with pins and needles in the balls of my feet and toes and in my hands. If I'm to really get into this I need not only to enjoy the view and the experience but not feel discomfort 5k from home.
So, am I asking too much in finding a store where the staff actually want to know about me, rather than how much cash I've got and what's on the floor in my price range? I'm never going to race but I'm happy to spend a few grand if it gets me something I'll enjoy riding and last well.
Any recommendations? Any help greatly appreciated.
- MarkG
- Posts: 2147
- Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 2:02 pm
- Location: Perth, Australia
Re: New bike fitting, Perth
Postby MarkG » Thu Jan 03, 2013 4:06 pm
- Posts: 1418
- Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:00 pm
- Location: W.A
Re: New bike fitting, Perth
Postby Marty Moose » Thu Jan 03, 2013 4:10 pm
Sent from my MB526 using Tapatalk 2
- Posts: 2613
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2011 8:06 pm
- Location: Rivervale WA
Re: New bike fitting, Perth
Postby moosterbounce » Thu Jan 03, 2013 4:35 pm
MarkG wrote:Elite Cycles mate.
Chat to Steve.
- Posts: 657
- Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:17 pm
- Location: Perth
Re: New bike fitting, Perth
Postby bianchi928 » Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:45 pm
moosterbounce wrote:MarkG wrote:Elite Cycles mate.
Chat to Steve.
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 11:50 pm
Re: New bike fitting, Perth
Postby anse_soleil » Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:53 pm
- Posts: 177
- Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2009 1:11 am
- Location: Perth
Re: New bike fitting, Perth
Postby AlMac » Fri Jan 04, 2013 1:14 am
Sounds like your body shape may be outside of the "normal" range, so you do need to get the fit right. However, that might be a bit tricky as bikes are made for "normal".
Shop owners will always need to know your budget, otherwise they won't know what to suggest.
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- Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2012 8:23 pm
Re: New bike fitting, Perth
Postby Kaffine » Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:03 am
Just bought my Defy from there and couldn't be happier, No Pressure to buy, Fitting included, They stick with the budget I gave them not trying to sell me a $4K bike, Acknowledged my presence even when they were busy
See Wayne, Aaron or Luke.
Luke spent about 2 hours fitting the bike with me and helpfully answered all my newby questions on technique, components, and upgrades enthusiastically. I'm not sure if this was because they new that I'm a Sales coach but they ticked all the service boxes that I train staff on.
Currently have store wide 20% discount and when/ if you buy from them you get 15% off if you by anything from them in the future free service at 6 weeks
These guys must be good as it was the only store that was busy every time I went there.
Yes you are going to have to tell them what you're going to use it for, saves them playing 20 questions, Basically walked in there told them my budget, what I currently have and that I wanted a comfortable road bike (endurance) Wayne must have spent about 2 hours explaining things, options and advantages of each bike in a layman's language I understood.
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Re: New bike fitting, Perth
Postby moosterbounce » Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:53 pm
Everyone will get different service at every store. I'm not a fan of cycle mania but that was to do with me knowing more about the bikes I was looking at than they did. Which I don't mind if the sales guy is honest about not knowing much about a new model, but not when they fluff through with things that sound good but aren't right. It wouldn't stop me from going there again though, but I felt I was lucky to know the specs prior.
- MarkG
- Posts: 2147
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- Location: Perth, Australia
Re: New bike fitting, Perth
Postby MarkG » Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:14 pm
This morning, 730, heading past left bank. I'm heading away from Freo, they are heading in. Decided 2 abreast wasn't enough for them, so a few of them decide to ride on the other side of the ride.
Good representation of the shop, morons.
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Joined: 03 Aug 2002
Posts: 10
Location: S.W. Central Iowa
Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2002 4:59 pm
Post subject:
Can anyone provide me with their own experiences or tips on measuring out developers/fixers/..etc for small amounts.
Rather than mixing the gallon worth and storing solutions? I'm only processing a couple of 4X5's @ a time and only use about 200 to 300ml of water. Is a tablespoon worth of agent too much? Not enough?
Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!!
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Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 1556
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2002 8:22 pm
Post subject:
Kodak discourages the practice of mixing small quantities as you are suggesting. I've found a good way to preserve developer in solution. First, use a glass jug (if you can still find them anywhere in today's plastic world)---I don't trust plastic because of permeability issues. Next, and this is the crucial step, every time you remove your 200 or 300ml from the jug, take a soda straw and exhale through it into the jug about 5-10 times. This will put a layer of carbon dioxide in contact with the liquid surface and retard or prevent oxidation of the developer. I've kept D76 alive for several months using this technique, which was widely printed years ago in the photo mags.
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Joined: 30 Nov 2001
Posts: 26
Location: Loma Linda, CA
Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2002 9:50 pm
Post subject:
I think you could get better results with another technique. The problem is that exhaled air still has a fair amount of oxygen in it (thats why mouth-to-mouth works...). One technique would be to get a can of nitrogen (they sell them at some of the more classy wine shops to - you guessed it - stop an opened bottle of wine from oxidizing). The other technique is a little trickier, but works really well. Put the chemical in a bottle with a large (several inches) airgap. Put a deflated balloon in the neck of the bottle and then blow it up. As it fills, it will displace the air in the bottle, forming a tight seal.
You can also get little cylinders of CO2 for making soda water, or inflating bicycle tires, or blowing the dust off your keyboard, but I worry that the CO2 will dissolve into the solution (as carbonic acid) and lower the pH. Depending on the chemical, that might have an effect on its properties. With small amounts of chemicals, that pH change would be more rapid (less buffering effect).
As for the original question about how much solution to use, look online for some small graduated cylinders or pipettes. They will allow you to measure small amounts accurately. Then all you have to do is divide the original concentrations down to get the smaller amount. (10cc in 850ml = 1cc in 85ml etc.)
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Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI
Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2002 10:53 pm
Post subject:
When my B&W business was going great guns, I would buy ektaflo developer (but this would work with D76) and put the concentrate in indiviual bottles. I was able to by the brown glass pharmacy bottles---the ones with the funny 3 followed by roman numberals-- through my local pharmacy. a place called American Science and Surplus may have them cheaper.
this way I had a 'one shot' amount for my 8x10 trays. It worked well.
Now a word of caution about D76. As it ages, the pH changes and that effects the contrast. My "film Developer's Cookbook" isn't at hand at the moment, but Grant Hutchings suggests leaving out the Metol. The new formula is called D76H and can be purchased through Photographer's Formulary.
Another option is to change to Rodinal. this can be used as a one shot developer, the dilution is great, and therefore economical and Rodinal in concentrate lasts a long time too.
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Joined: 24 May 2001
Posts: 115
Location: Mississippi
Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2002 12:30 pm
Post subject:
I'm about to commit sacrilege...
When my B&W processing slows down a lot, I use Kodak TMAX concentrate. I just mix it 1:4 with water, as recommended. The concentrate doesn't last forever, but it's better than having a whole gallon of D76 go stale.
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Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI
Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2002 1:20 pm
Post subject:
Dear Leland Ray.
I've used Tmax dev with great results for their roll film, but I tried it with sheet film and got a tremendous amount of dichroic fog. How did you keep from getting it.?
Now that they are reformulating Tmax films, I don't know if that will continue.
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison
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Joined: 03 Aug 2002
Posts: 10
Location: S.W. Central Iowa
Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2002 1:45 pm
Post subject:
Thank you for all the replies!! This is the feedback I was looking for and will help greatly!!!!!!!!
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Joined: 24 May 2001
Posts: 115
Location: Mississippi
Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2002 8:07 pm
Post subject:
Ooooops, Les.
I actually haven't tried TMax developer with sheet film; since a single run is going to take half a gallon of chemistry anyway, I don't worry much about waste. Two runs to the gallon, so the developer doesn't have time to go stale. I was assuming (you know what they say about assumptions) that the results would be the same for sheet film as for roll film, which is 90% of my shooting / processing.
Guess I better start reading and writing a bit more carefully.
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Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI
Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2002 10:09 pm
Post subject:
Nooo Problem.
I can remember when this first came out they said that with a 120 single roll tank, you could do two runs at the normal time then add a minute and do two more runs.
Four rolls out of 16 oz of developer!
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison
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Joined: 26 Mar 2002
Posts: 616
Location: Western Kentucky Lakes Area
Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2002 12:51 am
Post subject:
For what its worth...I remember when I was a kid visiting a local photog's darkroom. He mixed his developer in large brown jugs...placed a syphon hose with a clip on the end into each one...and poured an oil of some sort, probably mineral oil, onto the liquid surface. The oil stayed on top, of course, and kept the solution insulated from oxidation. He could add replenisher, and was careful never to let the level get low enough to syphon out the oil. Fred.
[ This Message was edited by: clnfrd on 2002-09-20 17:53 ]
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Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 853
Location: Alabama
Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2002 1:52 am
Post subject:
I use HC-110 and find it easy to measure out small amts for processing a few sheets. I don't like holding dev. over - I use mine one-time. Its still cheap enough, used that way, to justify the effort. Cheaper than other devs too.
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Joined: 20 Jan 2002
Posts: 63
Location: British Columbia
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2002 5:11 pm
Post subject:
Using DEKTOL as a fast developer for film. I used this at a newspaper when speed was essential in developing and printing.
Try undiluted/straight Dektol at 70 degrees F. for ONE MIN in a tray. Constant agitation by moving tray slightly.
OR- Dektol 1-1 at 3Min.@ 68deg. F.
Results were pretty good.
Discard after use.
I can't recall for sure, but I imagine one could use the same developer for a print from the 'wet' negative.
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Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2002 6:49 pm
Post subject:
I just hope you like lots of grain! Back when it was fashionable, we used to shoot recording film (asa 1000) one stop under and then develop in Dektol 1:3 for 5 min I think. Had an interesting look, which is not the same as D-76!
Now we just lay the "19th Century Auto chrome" plug-in filter over the image and FTP it to the magazine.
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison
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Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 494
Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2002 11:50 am
Post subject:
This is exactly one reason some people make up developer from basic chemicals. You make what you need when you need. It's a little more effort but not alot more. Well IMHO not a lot more.
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Joined: 29 May 2001
Posts: 164
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:53 pm
Post subject:
Another problem with your suggested use of "spooning" out the powder for individual uses are the weight variances of different ingredients. This can cause one or more ingredients to settle, resulting in an uneven mixture. I remember trying this back in my early days of darkroom practice (when I was a young lad in 1972) and getting very strange results.
Best regards,
JP Mose
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Skip to comments.DAILY DOOM ANTIDOTE: Who out there is really voting for Obama? October 1st, 2012
Posted on 10/01/2012 5:54:12 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
To counter the gloom and doom spread by the corrupt, vintage media (which has definitely become a Ministry of Truth pumping out nonstop Democrat propaganda) lets today examine who out there is really voting for Barack Obama in 2012. From where I sit, things shake out like this:
Those Voting for Obama No Matter What:
* Blacks who will vote out of race-pride like they did in 2008. Black voters are the most racist in the country, supporting Obama with 95% of their numbers. Once again, blacks will prove that the job a person does in office is not as important as his skin color. However, many blacks who feel they never got anything personally from Obama will stay home on election day. Black preachers are encouraging their congregations not to vote because of both Obamas support for gay marriage and his closeted gay lifestyle (and history in bathhouses like Mans Country in Chicago). Obama cant beat his black turnout in 2008 and will instead get a much lower number of black voters than he needs to win. If he loses Pennsylvania, it will be because blacks in Philly didnt mobilize like they did in 2008.
* Gays the gay community pumps out a constant propaganda campaign declaring all Republicans evil. The majority of gays who will vote this year will believe this garbage and vote for Obama just because he is a Democrat and gay people are taught when they come out that if they are gay they must always vote Democrat. But a lot of gay guys in particular are very flaky and might not bother showing up on election day. A great many lesbians are small business owners so perhaps they will defect and vote Romney (FYI: lesbians are not as impacted by the anti-Republican propaganda because they do not spend as much time in bars and in gay culture as guys do).
* Muslims Barack Obama has overseen the toppling of Egypt and Libya where radical Islamofascists have now taken over. This is a wild success as far as Muslims are concerned so hes got this vote locked up.
* Jews like the adage goes: Jews are lefties first, Democrats second, and Jews last. Perhaps a good number of them will sit home because of the damage Obama continues to do to the economy. The fact that Obama has put Israel in grave danger because of his encouragement of the Islamic takeover of secular Middle Eastern governments regrettably means nothing to a great many Jews.
Groups Who Will Vote for Obama in Reduced Numbers in 2012:
* Youth vote college kids will vote for Obama because their professors tell them too but theres no cool factor to doing so in 2012. All the hopeychange hype is SO FOUR YEARS AGO. Obama is like the New Kids on the Block or the Cabbage Patch Kids to a lot of these people in that he was something their older brother or sister was really into a while ago that they dont really relate to. Former Obama voters might be smarting from a lack of jobs and the nonfulfillment of all they were promised under Hope and Change banners. Expect the youth vote to drop down to 2004 levels. Kids will find something better to do with their time.
* Hispanics I think all the screaming about abortion at the Democrat Convention may have damaged Obama with a lot of Hispanics. Remember that Hispanics have no loyalty to either party. They are unique in this. I think Democrats underestimate the negative impact of giant vaginas walking around screaming about wanting to kill their babies on TV during the coverage of Charlotte last month. I also think they underestimate the number of Hispanics who dont want to reward law-breakers with amnesty. No way this group improves upon Obamas 2008 numbers. But, honestly, thats true for ALL the groups of his voters. There is just not a single group in his coalition that will give him HIGHER numbers this year than in 2008 meaning the last election is Obamas ceiling. Well know his floor when November 6th rolls around, but its looking to be lower than Kerrys was in 2004 which means Romney wins as his ceiling will be much higher than McCains in 2008 or Bushs in 2004.
* Women who are turned off by nonstop abortion advocacy this is something else Democrats are underestimating: women who abhor abortion and are insulted by being treated like giant, sex-crazed fiends who delight in killing their unborn babies. The Democrats convention was appalling. There are many moms out there who want nothing to do with the party after that abortion-fest.
* Occupy Wall Street Sympathizers I have a hunch a lot of these people will either sit out the election to teach Democrats an election or will vote for the Green Party or something. These people are frustrated and broken hearted that OWS didnt return in full force this spring like it was supposed to. To them, the movement fizzled and was flushed away and they resent that Obama did not support it more strenuously. There are a lot of far-left lunatics who are greatly disappointed in Obama for not doing more damage to the country. Will they go to the polls to reelect him? I think a lot of them will stay home. It will be similar to Republicans sitting home in 2008 in protest of McCain.
* White People Who Waited Their Whole Lives For A Black President I have to actually admit that I do think its cool there is a black First Family. I just wish that it was Allen West and his wife living in the White House. A lot of people voted for Obama in 2008 because they thought it was time that America had a black president and they were proud of electing him, despite knowing nothing about this guy. They gave him the benefit of the doubt because they wanted to make history. A good portion of these people will vote for him again despite him being such a disappointment and failure. They just wont vote against a black man who is president. That means a lot of them could stay home, however.
* People Who Belong to a Union the unions are Democrat controlled and unions control Democrats. If you are not in a labor union, you should never vote Democrat and if you are in a union you probably do vote Democrat because you want to protect your job-for-life-regardless-of-performance special status. But even amongst union members, people are dissatisfied with Obamas lack of job creation and his Keystone Pipeline refusal to make America energy independent (while creating thousands of new union jobs). I doubt union guys will vote Romney, but they might sit their butts at home.
People Who Will NOT Vote For Obama No Matter What:
* McCain Voters because I just cant see anyone who voted McCain in 2008 liking anything about the Obama presidency enough to vote for him over Romney this year. It was really hard voting for McCain because that guy is just so creepy and infuriating. His pasty face, shock of white hair, and weasel-like habit of selling out whatever principles he claimed to have whenever he wanted media love and attention never sat well with me. I voted for Sarah Palin to become Vice President and tried to ignore the McCain part of that vote. This time around, whether you love Romney or not you have to admit he is much more palatable than McCain. And thought Ryan is not as exciting a pick as Palin was four years ago, hes still super-awesome. Together I feel they are a ticket that is much more appealing than voting for McCain and so no one who cast Republican votes last time around will be switching sides. Obamas done nothing to pull these people away from the GOP.
* People Who Sat Home in 2008 to Teach Republicans A Lesson these guys are voting this time and wont play games. If they do play games again and hand Obama a second term, these people arent serious voters or Republicans anyway but are just attention-seeking lunatics. McCain lost Ohio because something like 300,000 of these people sat home on election day four years ago. Thats not going to happen again.
* Tea Party Americans You think they were out and proud in 2010? Just wait until November, baby. This has been building for four years now and its lunacy to think that between 2010 and 2012 these people either became unenthused or decided that Obama wasnt so bad after all. These people are going to give Democrats a shellacking that makes 2010 look like a warm-up. The thing is: the media spent all its energy and exhausted its credibility pretending the Tea Party didnt exist from 2009 to 2010 and it then spent 2010 to the present claiming the Tea Party is dead. You dont see any reporting on the Tea Party but yet the Tea Party Americans are still fired up and active. The media is ignoring this because they are wish casting at the Ministry of Truth: they dont want the Tea Party to be real or exist so they just ignore it. This will lead to heart attacks and brain aneurysms at MSNBC on election night. I cant wait to do the live-blog-transcript of that.
* People Who One or Work for Small Businesses why on Earth would these people vote for Obama if their jobs and livelihoods depended on it?
* People Who Work in the Medical Field again why on Earth would you vote for Obama if you knew Obamacare would create havoc in your field of employment?
* People Who Work in the Coal Industry ditto on the not supporting a man who seeks to destroy you.
* Those Who Believed Obama Was A Magical Black Man these are the sort of fools who appear in Stephen K. Bannons The Hope and the Change and who claim they were duped and deceived into believing Barack Obama could work miracles four years ago. I have to say that I think these people are morons who acted more out of white guilt than anything and that their votes were race-based as they liked being the nobel and enlightened white people who deigned to support a magical black man who they assumed would solve all their problems like he was Will Smith in a golf movie. Idiots. But not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice.
* People Afraid of Being Called Racist for Not Supporting Obama I dont have a guess on how many of these people existed in 2008 but I do believe some people cast ballots for Obama because they believed someone would know if they didnt and would then call them racists. Other people might have wanted to see a black man become president just to shut people like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Henry Gates up already. Obamas election satisfied all these people but there is no similar emotional push to reelect the first black president. Minus that emotion, either these people vote Romney or they stay home but they are not voting for Obama again.
* Seniors they dont believe the Mediscare stuff. They like Paul Ryan and understand that Obamacare will destroy Medicare as they know it. They also know they dont have many elections left in them and they want to leave the country in better hands for their grandkids. No way they vote Obama again this year.
* People Who Are Watching the Middle East Burn and Know Obama is Responsible not sure how many of these people exist, but Americans who follow foreign policy know Obama is either in over his head or is deliberately trying to set the world on fire. Either way, I cant see anyone who really follows foreign policy giving Obama their votes. Either they stay home or they vote Romney.
* The Unemployed if you have been looking for work for months or years then you are not going to be voting for Obama. Once again, you will either sit home or you will vote for Romney hoping that he will improve your situation. The class warfare tactics are not working and people think giving the country over to a businessman and a guy who loves math is probably a great idea.
* People Who Are Turned Off By Celebrity and Lavish Spending the Obamas have run up quite a tab on taxpayers dime. The bill comes due on November 6th. Those who dont want the US to have a spendthrift royal family will not be casting votes for Barack Obama. A lot of people are VERY angry hearing about the $35 million oceanfront Hawaiian estate that Penny Pritzker and other wealthy Chicagoans are purchasing for the Obamas to move into come 2013 as their Ferdinand-and-Imelda-Marcos-esque escape plan.
Who am I missing up there?
What groups do YOU think will vote for Obama no matter what and which ones will not vote for him for any reason this year? Who is going to sit the election out this time?
This is an open thread, so please tell us whatever else is on your mind.
Tell us what is happening on the ground NEAR YOU, too. Anecdotal evidence from wherever you live is the best reporting around right now.
PS: More Doom Antidote can be found collected HERE
I hate to even think this but maybe the skewed polls and media propaganda are only forecasting what the vote will be when counted.
Between fighting every voter ID law in the country, outsourcing the actual vote count, and using their media and polls, I think they're pretty certain they'll get the numbers they're forecasting.
My big question is,where the hell is Congress? How did they let the outsourcing of the vote count pass? Where are they when the WH is telling private companies not to hand out the pink slips until after the election.
Is anyone on the people's side?
By the time Scytl is done counting the votes we all will have voted for him.
All of Harvard, Columbia, Yale,Ithica, UCal, almost all college student bodies and profs. All school teachers. The Black community. All illegals, excons just released. Uhm that's just off the top of my head.
Don't forget that Obozo has been endorsed by Hugo Chavez and Vladimir Putin. I am sure they will find a way for those two to vote in the United States.
OK.. You forgot to mention folks that love Nat King Cole music.. SO..I'm voting for Obama.. :)
I just saw an interesting article from the Guardian UK site called: "Latino voter eligibility at all-time high
in US but turnout likely to remain low."
There are 4 million more eligible Hispanic voters this year than 2008, reaching an all-time high of 23.7 million, 17% of the electorate. However Pew found only 50% voted in 2008 snd LESS are expected to vote this year. There seems to be a voting disinterest after 2008, maybe due to the economy, this could affect turnout in FL, CO and NV.
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Want to take that top-shelf developer, crack project manager, or exceptional analyst and turn them into a horribly ineffective resource who is on the chopping block at the next layoff cycle? One of the easiest ways to do so is a technique routinely practiced in many IT organizations: promote them.
Technology is generally a skills-driven field. We seek professionals with proven experience with a particular development environment or enterprise software package, and often provide painstaking training to fill any gaps in their knowledge, or accommodate changes in an internal technical landscape. Some IT workers will even avoid touching an unfamiliar technology, quickly claiming that "I haven't been trained in that" before even making an attempt to learn something new and different. Despite such seeming rigor placed on building technical skills, we'll routinely promote individuals to leadership positions or foist broad organizational change on swaths of IT workers, and expect them to learn the nuances of leadership or how to operate in a dramatically new environment, through some sort of organizational osmosis.
Leadership is learned
While some individuals are surely predisposed to a certain skill or talent, even the most natural athlete must still train and refine their skills, just as history's great leaders perfected their techniques over decades. Oddly, in many IT shops that strongly emphasize technical training and demonstrated competency, we'll promote someone to a leadership position without providing them with any tools to become an effective leader. Leadership and management are distinct skillsets that must be learned and perfected, and just as a great talent for golf won't make you a baseball sensation, the best developer might not be an appropriate leader.
Killing two birds with one stone
Unfortunately, promoting an unprepared employee to a leadership position without training effectively kills two resources for the price of one. That exceptional business analyst who is promoted to team lead can no longer perform their analyst role, and if they wallow and fail as a low-level leader you'll also soon be in the market for a replacement, trading one position with a high-performer for two failures. To mitigate the risk of turning a technical star into a failed manager, I suggest the following.
Avoid "up or out"
Many in IT are otherwise happy and effective in technical roles, and see a management role merely as a way to garner more recognition, rewards, or advancement. If your IT roles plateau at a certain level, you risk either burning out your high performers or forcing them into a management track they are uncomfortable with or would rather avoid. Try to create positions within IT that offer your best technical people opportunities to explore the newest technologies, perform R&D activities, or mentor newer workers, providing a way for them to increase their leadership and management competency without leaving technology fully behind.
Provide the skills
While some leaders are able to grow into the role through diligent self-study and on-the-job learning, everyone should have some basic leadership and management training. When you consider promoting someone on your IT staff to a management or leadership role, clearly explain the expectations of the role, and work with the employee to evaluate gaps in their skills and develop a plan for formal training, mentorship, or external consulting to help round out their skills. Done in a constructive and collaborative manner, you'll set that employee up for success rather than failure.
Let the door go both ways
Just as technical staff need development and coaching to grow into leadership roles, an otherwise excellent leader should be provided technical briefings and skill development if they're transitioning into an IT management role from another business function. IT has a unique vocabulary, set of standard practices, and subtle nuances that can be taught far more quickly and effectively than spending years picking up bits and pieces.
While you may feel that you're rewarding a high-performing employee by offering a promotion to a management or leadership role, if you don't equip them with the skills to success you're doing the employee and your organization a grave disservice.
Full Bio
Patrick Gray works for a global Fortune 500 consulting and IT services company and is the author of Breakthrough IT: Supercharging Organizational Value through Technology as well as the companion e-book The Breakthrough CIO's Companion. He has spent over a decade providing strategy consulting services to Fortune 500 and 1000 companies. Patrick can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com, and you can follow his blog at www.itbswatch.com. All opinions are his and may not represent those of his employer.


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Send Results to This Email:
Street Address:
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The Commercial Appeal is planning another round of layoffs, the Memphis Newspaper Guild announced Tuesday, Dec. 6.
In an email to members, guild president Wayne Risher said The Commercial Appeal informed the guild Tuesday morning the news that nine guild-covered employees will lose their jobs by Dec. 20 as part of a "reduction in force."
"The company, confirming rumors that had been swirling for the last few months, said job reductions would be made to cut expenses and achieve efficiencies in the business," Risher said.
Risher is also a 28-year reporter at The Commercial Appeal, Cincinnati-based The E.W. Scripps Co.'s largest circulation newspaper.
The breakdown of job cuts provided is as follows: two in accounting, one in editorial, two in online, one in advertising and three in operations.
The Memphis Newspaper Guild is a 75-year-old labor union that represents journalists, as well as employees in departments ranging from advertising to accounting and maintenance.
The nine jobs only count employees covered by the Memphis Newspaper Guild. The Commercial Appeal did not provide information on cuts of non-guild-covered employees, although Risher's note said it's the guild's "understanding the reduction is building-wide."
"This notification begins dialogue between the guild and the company designed to avoid unnecessary hardships, as provided in our collective bargaining agreement," Risher said. "We stand ready to advocate on the affected employees' behalf to make sure they receive proper credit for unused vacation/holiday time and other benefits."
A separate email sent by guild spokeswoman Amy Olmstead said The Commercial Appeal informed the guild that it plans to deny those nine employees the help in finding another job that has been routine in past layoffs.
Former employees who have been laid off in past rounds of cuts have gone through "outplacement training" through Nashville-based Russell Montgomery and Associates, Olmstead said. This type of training typically educates people on job search basics from putting together a resume to networking to learn about new job posts that haven't been advertised yet.
"Several former employees who lost jobs in past rounds of cuts have told us that this training is extremely valuable and helps put them in the right mindset to look for work," Olmstead said. "It's especially helpful to workers who haven't been on the job market for years."
In a letter delivered to The Commercial Appeal Wednesday, Dec. 7, the guild "demanded that the newspaper provide professional outplacement assistance to those employees affected," Olmstead said.
The guild will host an informal get together for the affected employees from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the Trolley Stop Market, 704 Madison Ave. It's also looking to hold a meeting Saturday, Dec. 17, at Emerge Memphis, 516 Tennessee St., with a professional to assist in the job searching techniques.
In related news, The KNS Media group – which is also owned by The E.W. Scripps Co. and includes the Knoxville News Sentinel – announced Tuesday the elimination of the positions of 33 employees, "a reduction in force reflecting the economic challenges the newspaper industry has been facing."
The layoffs represented about 7.5 percent of the organization's workforce and included four newsroom employees.
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


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A DIY Freestanding Vertical Garden
If you ever thought you didn't have enough space for plants, or enough money for a vertical garden, think again. Lifestyle blog, A Kate Offering, recently built their very own freestanding vegetable vertical garden — and for just 4-inches of depth and a few feet of length, they now have a 'wall' that grows plants, transforms their deck into a room and provides privacy from their neighbor.
A Kate Offering is now helping a few friends build their own garden walls, which is seemingly a very easy process that requires only a few materials commonly found at your local building supply store: wood posts, wood boards (length of your choice), insect screen, nails and tools to cut and construct the structure.
They are now in the second year of planting and have been very successful with lettuce, basil, chives and citronella geraniums. They do note that larger herbs such as parsley and sage have not done so well, and the top planter will dry out the quickest due to the greater sun exposure, so plant accordingly.
Find the full instructions at A Kate Offering: How Does Your Garden Grow Up?
(Images: Kate Djupe)


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Historical financial information is provided by MorningStar, Inc. VCA Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to the information contained herein and takes no responsibility for supplementing, updating, or correcting any such information.
Mil = Millions RTMA = Rolling Three Month Average
TTM = Trailing Twelve Months MRQ = Most Recent Quarter
Pricing and volume data as of 12/12/18.


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We are celebrating Pi Day by honoring Srinivasa Ramanujan, one of the all-time great mathematicians. Born in 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu, Ramanujan was self-taught and with almost no formal training in he made substantial contributions to pure mathematics.
Among his many discoveries was a remarkable formula for calculating approximate values of π. His approach is now incorporated in computer algorithms yielding millions of digits of π.
Below is a selection of articles closely related to the Ramanujan's formula for calculating π. You can access these freely until 30th May.
Happy Pi day!
Ramanujan type 1/π approximation formulas
N.D. Bagis, M.L. Glasser
Journal of Number Theory, Volume 133, Issue 10, October 2013, Pages 3453–3469,
A summation formula and Ramanujan type series
Z-G. Liu
Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications, Volume 389, Issue 2, 15 May 2012, Pages 1059–1065
Extensions of Ramanujan's two formulas for 1/π
C. Wei, D. Gong
Journal of Number Theory, Volume 133, Issue 7, July 2013, Pages 2206–2216
Conjectures on the evaluation of alternative modular bases and formulas approximating 1/π
N.D. Bagis, M.L. Glasser
Journal of Number Theory, Volume 132, Issue 10, October 2012, Pages 2353–2370


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Skip to comments.50 Shocking Questions That You Should Ask To Anyone That Is Not A Prepper Yet
Posted on 01/16/2013 8:32:36 PM PST by blam
50 Shocking Questions That You Should Ask To Anyone That Is Not A Prepper Yet
By Michael Snyder
January 16th, 2013
Share this list of shocking questions with everyone you know that needs to wake up. Sometimes asking good questions is the best way to get someone that you care about to understand something. When I attended law school, I became very familiar with something called "the Socratic method". It is a method that has been traditionally used in law schools all over the United States. Law professors will bombard their students with questions, and the goal is to stimulate critical thinking and allow students to discover the answers for themselves. Many times those of us that can see what is happening to this country get frustrated when we try to get others to see what is so apparent to us. But instead of preaching to them, perhaps asking questions would be more helpful. When you ask someone a question, they are almost forced to think about what you just said and come up with a response.
And without a doubt, the fact that America is in decline is undeniable. Those that would choose to blindly have faith in the system are foolish, because it is glaringly obvious that the system is failing. Our economy is heading for collapse and the world around us is becoming more unstable with each passing day. So it shouldn't be a surprise that the number of preppers in the United States is absolutely exploding. Some estimates put the number of preppers in the U.S. as high as 3 million, and the movement continues to explode.
So exactly what is a "prepper"? Well, the truth is that there is a tremendous amount of diversity among the people that fall under that label.
To me, you don't have to move to Montana and store 500 cases of MREs in a nuclear fallout shelter to be considered a prepper. I believe that anyone that can see a very serious crisis coming and that is taking steps to prepare for that crisis would be considered a prepper. You might be living next to one and never even know it. Many families have converted spare rooms into food pantries or are taking survival training on the weekends. Others have renewed their interest in gardening or have started to invest in precious metals. As far as I am concerned, anything that you can do to become more self-sufficient and more independent of the system is a good thing, because the system is rapidly failing.
Perhaps you are reading this and you are thinking that people who are "preparing for disaster" are being rather foolish. Well, I encourage you to read the list of questions that I have compiled below and come to your own conclusions.
The following are 50 shocking questions that you should ask to anyone that is not a prepper yet...
#1 Why are sales of physical silver coins breaking all sorts of all-time records? The U.S. Mint is on pace to sell more silver eagles during the first month of 2013 than it did during the entire year of 2007.
#2 Why has Germany announced that it will be moving gold from New York and Paris to its own vaults back home? Is this a sign of a breakdown in trust among global central banks?
#3 Why is China systematically hoarding gold?
#4 Why have billionaires such as George Soros and John Paulson been hoarding massive amounts of gold?
#5 Why are billionaires buying up so much ranch land up in Montana?
#6 Why is Russia warning that we are rapidly approaching a global "currency war"?
#7 Why has Barack Obama chosen this moment to launch an all-out attack on the Second Amendment?
#8 Why does Barack Obama want doctors to ask their patients questions about firearms?
#9 Why is there an incredibly severe nationwide ammunition shortage all of a sudden?
#10 Why has a bill been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that "would ban Internet or mail order ammunition purchases"?
#11 Why are gun control advocates such as Piers Morgan pushing for us to become more like the UK when the UK actually has a much higher violent crime rate than we do?
#12 Why was a Forbes article that made a connection between the use of psychiatric drugs and the mass shootings that we have seen in recent years almost immediately taken down from the Internet?
#13 Why does the federal government want to start putting "black boxes" in all new motor vehicles?
#14 Why are some U.S. states now using computers to predict "future crimes"?
#15 Why are "black-clad federal SWAT teams" raiding farms and ranches all over the United States?
#16 Why are we all being trained to spy on one another?
#17 Why are highly advanced facial recognition cameras being put up all over the United States?
#18 Why have police departments all over America begun to deploy unmanned surveillance drones in the skies over our cities?
#19 Why are schools all over America beginning to require students to carry IDs with RFID microchips in them wherever they go?
#20 Why are more Americans not outraged that nearly 400 TSA employees have been fired for stealing from travelers since 2003?
#21 Why are Americans not more outraged that TSA goons are manhandling the private areas of our women and our children in the name of "national security"?
#22 Why is an elderly survivor of the Nazi occupation of Austria, Kitty Werthmann, warning that America is heading down the exact same path that she experienced?
#23 If the economy is in good shape, then why are more than one out of every four U.S. workers with a 401(k) raiding those funds in order to pay current expenses?
#24 Why does the Federal Reserve continue to insist that the economy is "improving" when it obviously is not?
#25 Why can so few Americans explain how money is created in the United States?
#26 Why has the U.S. dollar declined in value by well over 95 percent since the Federal Reserve was created?
#27 Why is the U.S. national debt more than 5000 times larger than it was when the Federal Reserve was created?
#28 Why isn't the mainstream media in the U.S. discussing the fact that the U.S. dollar is in danger of losing its status as the primary reserve currency of the world?
#29 Why don't more Americans know about the quadrillion dollar derivatives bubble?
#30 Why did the U.S. national debt grow during the first four years of the Obama administration by about as much as it did from the time that George Washington took office to the time that George W. Bush took office?
#31 Why is the middle class in America bringing home a smaller share of the overall income pie than has ever been recorded before?
#32 If the U.S. economy is producing a healthy number of good jobs, then why are we spending nearly a trillion dollars a year on welfare?
#33 If the U.S. economy is not collapsing, then why has the number of Americans on food stamps grown from 17 million in the year 2000 to more than 47 million today?
#34 If America is still an economic powerhouse, then why have we lost more than 56,000 manufacturing facilities since 2001?
#35 Why are we losing half a million jobs to China every single year?
#36 Why were one out of every ten homes sold in the state of California last year purchased by Chinese citizens?
#37 Why has the percentage of men with jobs in the United States fallen so dramatically? Back in 1950, more than 80 percent of all men in the United States had jobs. Today, less than 65 percent of all men in the United States have jobs.
#38 Why are so many Americans poor today? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 146 million Americans are either "poor" or "low income". Why is this happening?
#39 Why does the U.S. government have a website that teaches immigrants how to sign up for welfare programs once they arrive in the United States?
#40 Why has the number of gang members living in the United States risen by an astounding 40 percent just since 2009?
#41 Why does approximately one out of every three children in the United States live in a home without a father? Can such a society prosper in the long run?
#42 Why are our supermarkets being flooded with genetically-modified foods when a whole host of studies have shown that they are potentially dangerous to human health?
#43 If the economy has "improved" during the Obama years, then why are hunger and poverty still absolutely skyrocketing in the United States?
#44 Why are more than a million public school students in the United States homeless?
#45 Why are more than 50 percent of all children in Detroit living in poverty? Detroit used to be one of the greatest cities in the entire world. How did such prosperity turn into such desolation?
#46 Why did a violent riot break out at an event where government-subsidized section 8 housing vouchers were being handed out in a suburb of Detroit earlier this month? Is this the kind of unrest that we can expect to see all over the country when things get really bad?
#47 Why are cities all over the United States making it illegal to feed the homeless?
#48 Why is the UN trying to take control of the Internet?
#49 Why have global food supplies sunk to their lowest level in nearly 40 years?
#50 Why is global power concentrated in so few hands? According to the Swiss Federal Institute, a network of 147 mega-corporations control 40 percent of all the wealth in the world, and in a previous article I described how just six obscenely powerful corporations completely dominate the media industry in the United States. Is it good for such incredible power to be concentrated in the hands of so few people?
Ding! Ding! Ding!
"What will you do when toilet paper becomes scarce?"
and the answer is..............what precisely?
#51 Why aren't you laughing at us preppers?
"#2 Why has Germany announced that it will be moving gold from New York and Paris to its own vaults back home?
Ding! Ding! Ding! "
I wonder if Germany's gold is still actually there, or if there is a piece of paper with "IOU" laying on the floor where the gold used to be.
#52 Why did U.S. government agencies rush to buy BILLIONS OF ROUNDS OF AMMO just prior to the election just prior to Sandy Hook just prior to HUGE PUBLIC DEMAND FOR AMMO just prior to 0bama's anti-2nd Amendment kiddie parade just prior to the beginning of 0bama's second term?
"#51 Why arent you laughing at us preppers?"
I have watched a number of the "Prepper" series on Natl. Geo.
While I commend their efforts, I find some a bit foolish when they prep for a very limited number of possible events, when the disaster may require rapid flight or a totally different form of prepping.
The best form of prepping is to be ready for rapid flight.
I have already fled the USSA, haha.
I'm shocked it took 7 posts.
One should learn how to discern whether a plant's leaves are poison oak (among other things).
" - - - Is it good for such incredible power to be concentrated in the hands of so few people? - - - "
Duh, only 3 people are needed to spend Amerika into bankruptcy: Hussein O., Sobber-of-the-House Boehner, and Do-Nothing Reid.
#53 Can you say six times fast: "Preposterous Prepper Perps"?
Instead of concentrating on a bunch of pointed statistical questions... I think it would be more effective to ask how long it takes for all of the grociery stores to run out of food after any kind of disaster. And how long does it take for all of the gas stations to run out of fuel? If the authorities are overwhelmed how long does it takes before thugs start victimizing everyone else?
If you haven't got and fuel and food stored you will be hungry, cold and probably stranded. If you haven't got firearms to protect yourself and your family you will either be relying on family and friends who do, or you will be at the mercy of thugs who are always ready to take advantage of the helpless.
When I was growing up all the boys took wood shop, metal shop, and auto shop. The girls took home economics and learned to cook and sew. We had a gun club and a shooting team. None of those courses are even offered where my brother's kids are going to school. They are all learning to use computers and modern technology. I don't know if there is a school in the country with a shooting team these days.
I grew up on acreage with farm animals and we had a big garden. Every summer I baled hay and worked in the fields. I learned how to use and fix a tractor. I didn't appreciate this part of my "education" much then, but I wonder if this knowledge might still come in handy one day.
I don't know the answers to many of the questions that started this thread, but I am sure that we are headed for trouble. Most teenagers now don't know how to change a tire... when I was a young man I could rebuild an engine. A lot of our population is going to get a sink or swim kind of education when everything does go to hell... It is going to be very ugly.
The questions I have are: Do Americans still have the can-do kind of spirit that our forefathers had? Can we still figure out how to accomplish what we need to during a crisis? Or are we a nation of people who mostly have no clue how to survive in a bad situation? How many could live through a "Grapes of Wrath" type of situation? Not many I fear.
#52: Did you see what J-Lo was wearing on Idol last night?
Because THAT is more important to the sheep than the first 51 questions....
"Why are "black-clad federal SWAT teams" raiding farms and ranches all over the United States? "
This is the first reference I've seen to this. I know this isn't your list, but have you seen it before? Know of a source?
Because liberals are Satan-worshipping communist fags, that's why.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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SharonSteel creates $1 million Trustee Scholarship at Penn State Shenango
SharonSteel creates $1 million Trustee Scholarship at Penn State Shenango
SHARON, Pa. -- The SharonSteel Foundation has committed to give $1 million to Penn State Shenango to create the SharonSteel Foundation Trustee Scholarship. Students with financial need who attend Penn State Shenango will be given first preference to receive the scholarship.
"The SharonSteel Foundation has been a longtime donor and partner with Penn State Shenango, and we are thrilled to see this relationship culminate in one of the largest gifts in our campus history," said Jo Anne Carrick, campus director at Penn State Shenango. "Nearly 40 percent of Penn State Shenango students come from low-income families, and this scholarship will ensure many of these students will have access to a world-class Penn State education in perpetuity. On behalf of Penn State Shenango and the generations of students who will benefit, we are extremely grateful for this tremendous philanthropy."
The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program maximizes the impact of private giving while directing funds to students as quickly as possible, meeting the urgent need for scholarship support. For Trustee Scholarships created through the end of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students on June 30, 2014, Penn State will provide an annual 10 percent match of the total pledge or gift. This level is an increase from the program's original match of 5 percent, and it is available only for new endowments of $50,000 or more. The University match, which is approximately double the endowment's annual spendable income, continues in perpetuity, multiplying the support available for students with financial need.
"The SharonSteel Foundation was created to benefit the families of the Shenango Valley, and this scholarship was the best way to carry on the legacy and intent of the first trustees," said Malvin Sander, trustee of the SharonSteel Foundation. "Education is the path to a better future for everyone in our society, and we hope the SharonSteel Foundation Trustee Scholarship will provide that future for students at Penn State Shenango for years to come."
The SharonSteel Foundation was created in 1953 by the pioneers of the Sharon Steel Corporation in Shenango Valley, Pennsylvania, to benefit the families in its community. In addition to its recent scholarship commitment, the foundation has given more than $1 million to Penn State Shenango since 1996 primarily to fund annual full-tuition scholarships to students at the campus from Shenango Valley with financial need. They also have supported building renovations, visiting lectures, and College for Kids programs at the campus
The SharonSteel Foundation Trustee Scholarship will help Penn State Shenango reach its goals in For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, which is directed toward a shared vision of Penn State as the most comprehensive, student-centered research university in America. The University is engaging Penn State's alumni and friends as partners in achieving six key objectives: ensuring student access and opportunity, enhancing honors education, enriching the student experience, building faculty strength and capacity, fostering discovery and creativity, and sustaining the University's tradition of quality. The campaign's top priority is keeping a Penn State degree affordable for students and families. The For the Future campaign has exceeded its goal of securing $2 billion by 2014.


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Nachos Grande
Nachos are a favorite appetizer. The chorizo topping on these nachos has just the right amount of heat. Plenty of melted cheese makes them fun to eat.
2 oz. crumbled chorizo
2 scallions, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
10 oz. tortilla chips
4 oz. manchego or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup cooked black beans, well drained
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1. In medium skillet, sauté chorizo with scallions and jalapeño until chorizo is cooked through.
2. Arrange chips in one layer in shallow, ovenproof dish. Spoon half the chorizo mixture over chips; sprinkle cheeses on top. Run under broiler to melt cheese.
3. Spoon remaining chorizo mixture, black beans, and tomato on top of melted cheese. Serve immediately.


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Clattenburg is set to return to frontline refereeing for Wednesday's Barclays Premier League game between Southampton and Norwich, a month to the day since his world was turned upside down. The 37-year-old has attempted to draw a line under the allegation that rocked the game when a joint statement was issued following a meeting that saw him shake hands with Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck.
The statement included an admission from the European champions that they should have "given more consideration" before making public allegations Clattenburg racially abused midfielder John Obi Mikel during their explosive defeat to Manchester United on October 28.
Clattenburg was last week cleared of any wrongdoing after the Football Association decided he had no case to answer over Chelsea's complaint he called John Obi Mikel a "monkey", with police having already shelved a probe into the matter.
The Blues' handling of the allegation and their refusal to apologise prompted a furious backlash against a club already tainted by the John Terry racism scandal.
Referees' union Prospect had demanded an apology and compensation for Clattenburg but said in a statement on Tuesday: "Prospect had called for Chelsea to pay compensation to Mark but has now dropped that demand on the basis that Mark has received the response that he sought."
Monday saw Buck meet with Clattenburg, the remaining 15 Select Group referees, their boss - Professional Game Match Officials general manager Mike Riley - and Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore.
The joint statement read: "The Select Group appreciated the opportunity to speak to Bruce Buck personally. His willingness to engage and answer all the questions put to him was welcomed. There was a constructive and open discussion.
"The club regrets not having given more consideration before issuing a statement on the evening of Sunday 28th October. The club also regrets the subsequent impact the intense media scrutiny had on Mark Clattenburg and his family. The referees accept that, given Chelsea FC had received a good-faith claim from one of their employees, the club had an obligation under FA rules to report the allegation."
Chelsea made their complaint against Clattenburg after midfielder Ramires claimed the official had racially abused Mikel during the Barclays Premier League game against United. The Blues went public with their allegation hours after the final whistle, the timing of which particularly angered the referee and his fellow officials.
Source: PA
Source: PA