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America's Got Talent accidentally aired an ad for porn, all because some dumbass forgot to clear his or her (but probably his) browser history.
The promo aired during last Wednesday's episode -- and if you freeze the video just right, you can see YouPorn.com show up as the person types in YouTube.com.
According to our computer experts, the only way YouPorn would have shown up was if someone using the computer had visited the site in the past.
Looks like AGT is a fun place to work.
Watch the video here:
(Credit: TMZ)
Update: According to a rep for YouPorn, this kind of things happens more often then you'd think, considering the website gets over 12 million hits per day. The site is actually more popular than MySpace. YouPorn is on AlexaRank 81, while MySpace is on AlexaRank 86.
The rep says, "We'd like to thank our friend at NBC for visiting us, and we hope he comes again..."
Monday, June 13, 2011
America's Got Talent... and something else.
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First and foremost, let me just say it's great to be back. I look forward to once again writing a weekly column which generally featured my thoughts on the Denver Broncos. This week, however, I have something different I'm going to discuss.
During the Easter weekend, I ventured out of town to watch a movie, The Case For Christ. This movie tells the story of Lee Strobel's journey to disprove Christianity. After a near death experience with Lee and his wife's daughter, Lee's wife, Leslie, started a new life journey as she became a Christian. Lee was a devout atheist. In fact, he proudly touted Charles Darwin and Friedrich Nietzsche as his heroes. Lee Strobel was an award-winning journalist and reporter for the Chicago Tribune and this all takes place during the late 1970's into the early 1980's.
Strobel went on a journey to prove to his wife that her newly found faith was a scam. During this venture, Leslie invited Lee to church and reluctantly agreed to attend with her. He even took his reporter's notebook with him so if needed, he could write down the necessary notes to prove that Christianity is a hoax. He was already ready for breaking news.
The film is based on Lee Strobel's best -selling book with the same name, The Case For Christ. If you are interested in watching this movie and have not read the book, I will refrain from saying anything more about the film's plot.
If you are a Christian, I strongly encourage you to see this movie and invite someone that may not be of the Christian faith along with you. If you are not a Christian, I encourage you to see this film and to keep an open mind.
This film stars Mike Vogel and Erika Christensen, playing Lee Strobel and Leslie Strobel. I've seen a number of faith based films that failed on a number levels with production. This was not like that, as it had the look and feel of a Hollywood film. In my opinion, The Case For Christ is one of the best movies I've seen.
The Case For Christ is currently in theatres across the nation and hopefully will be coming to Lamar.
I would love to hear from you about whether you have watched it, plan on watching or have read the book.
Mike Bowen is the Editor for The Lamar Ledger
He can be contacted at email@example.com or by calling 719-336-2266.

subset: commoncrawl


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• It's only mid-November, but already we're starting to see lists of the Best Crime/Mystery/Thriller Novels of 2012. The editors at bookseller Amazon this week posted their top 10 picks:
1. Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn
2. Sweet Tooth, by Ian McEwan
3. Live by Night, by Dennis Lehane
4. Phantom, by Jo Nesbø
5. Defending Jacob, by William Landay
6. Broken Harbor, by Tana French
7. Creole Belle, by James Lee Burke
8. May We Be Forgiven, by A.M. Homes
9. Afterwards, by Rosamund Lupton
10. The Thief, by Fuminori Nakamura
(Hat tip to Crime Watch.)
I can't say that I agree with all of those choices, but that's my prerogative as a critic and enthusiastic reader in the genre. I evidently have different tastes than the folks at Amazon. I'm currently preparing my own catalogues of "favorites," one set to appear in my Kirkus Reviews column of November 27, with additional titles to be featured in January Magazine not long after that.
• With just a week left before Thanksgiving, you might want to give some thought to finding a holiday-appropriate crime-fiction read. Here's Janet Rudolph's list of Thanksgiving mysteries from 2011. And click here to see some additional selections from B.V. Lawson of the blog In Reference to Murder.
• I heard some time ago that Netflix was planning to launch a new adaptation of Michael Dobbs' 1989 political thriller, House of Cards. But I'd forgotten just how soon it was set to appear on TV screens. As Omnimystery News reports, this Americanized version--starring Kevin Spacey as Congressman Francis Underwood and Robin Wright as his wife, Claire--will be available "only for Netflix streaming subscribers on February 1st, 2013." (The trailer is embedded on the left.) With Spacey acting as one of the project's developers and executive producers (together with David Fincher, who brought us both the U.S. version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and 2007's Zodiac), the results are likely to be worth watching. But I have to say, I don't want this second adaptation--set on Capitol Hill, rather than in the Houses of Parliament--to supplant my memories of the original, 1990 BBC-TV version, with starred Ian Richardson as Francis Urquhart, the British Conservative Party's ambitious, calculating, and thoroughly amoral chief whip. Richardson, a Tony Award-winning founding member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, brought the ideal balance of arrogance and odiousness to the part of Francis Urquhart (brilliantly nicknamed "F.U."). In fact, so popular was his House of Cards on both sides of the Atlantic, that it spawned two sequels. If you have not already watched Richardson's mini-series, you ought to do so before tuning in Spacey's remake. You'll find the original show's distinctive opening here.
• The blog Tipping My Fedora has reviewed one of my favorites among Ross Macdonald's 18 private-eye Lew Archer novels, The Zebra-Striped Hearse, first published in 1962.
• Following his previous collection of paperback spy-novel fronts (check them out here), Andrew Nette of Pulp Curry today features a second set of covers, these from stories set in Asia.
• The four-part Sky Atlantic TV drama Falcón, based
on the first two of Robert Wilson's exceptional novels about Seville-based
Inspector Jefe Javier Falcón and starring Marton Csokas, began showing tonight in Britain. I hope that it will eventually become available to American television watchers like me. But in the meantime, I'm left to appreciate this minute-long trailer for the series.
• I've long been a fan of this movie opening.
• Congratulations to Terence Towles Canote on his 2,000th
post in A Shroud of Thoughts. He has been working on that movie- and TV-oriented
blog ever since 2004.
• Jeremy Lynch of Crimespree Magazine writes that the U.S. TV network The CW "is looking to develop Thomas Perry's Jane Whitefield for a series. Jane, who has appeared in seven novels, is a Native American guide who helps people in danger disappear." Perry's most recent Whitefield adventure is Poison Flower, which saw print earlier this year, but he has a new, non-series suspenser, The Boyfriend, due out from The Mysterious Press in March 2013.
• Law & Order fans, take note: Overthinkingit.com
has put together a database of 20 years worth of L&O episodes, including the legal outcomes of each show. What a daunting project that must have been ... Also worth checking out, by the way, is Chris Zimmer's blog, All Things Law and Order.
• NoirCon 2012 took place last week in Philadelphia, but Cullen Gallagher is still posting about it in Pulp Serenade. You'll find a video excerpt from Robert Olen Butler's keynote address here. And you can watch Lawrence Block accept the David Loeb Goodis Award here.
• Meanwhile, blogger Jen Forbus offers a nice wrap-up of Muskego, Wisconsin's Murder and Mayhem convention, which took place on Saturday, November 10. She's also posted an almost-complete video of the interview she did there with Robert Crais.
• Jim Napier reviews Lehrter Station, the latest installment in David Downing's World War II espionage series, for January Magazine.
• Well, that's frustrating. In a list of the "Top
10 Most-Read Books in the World," there's only one crime or thriller work ... and it's Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.
• In an interview that appeared originally in The Browser, Keith Jeffery, author of The Secret History of MI6: 1909-1949, talks about the
origins of Ian Fleming's renowned Agent 007 and five books that influenced his
own writing.
• And here's something that every James Bond lover will love.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Fishing All the Ponds
Posted by J. Kingston Pierce at 7:45 PM
Labels: Best Books 2012, House of Cards, Jim Napier, Law and Order, Videos
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On a lazy Saturday, I did something that I haven't done in a while: watch an original movie on the Hallmark Channel. For many reasons in the past year, I haven't given myself time to relax and enjoy one of their many inspirational films. Today, that changed with a sweet, heartfelt and funny Hallmark Channel Original Movie called "A Novel Romance":
Starring Amy Acker (Person of Interest) and Dylan Bruce (As the World Turns and Orphan Black), the film centers on bestselling romance author Liam Bradley who uses the pen name Gabriel August and whose true persona is mysterious to his fans and readers; and honest and wary of new love book reviewer Sophie Atkinson. The main protagonists meet on a flight to Portland, OR where Liam goes for inspiration for his next book and Sophie returning to her hometown. Throughout the film, Sophie wrestles with her prior hurt from an ex and budding feelings for Liam while he contends with the inevitable reality of having to reveal the man behind Gabriel August and completing his next book to please his publisher.
I write this post a few hours after watching the film, flipping through various crime shows and parents watching NFL playoffs (the Patriots v. Texans game just starting). The film stuck with me, one being because books were a part of the story and the other because I guess the originality made me feel good…it was something I've missed lately. When I entered my third year of college, I didn't have a lot of time to read books or watch films because of the amount of schoolwork that I had. When I came home for break, it was a nice change to relax on the couch and watch a Hallmark movie, particularly the Christmas ones. Some of my favorite Hallmark Movies include "The Nanny Express", "Catch a Christmas Star", "A Country Wedding", "I Married Who?", to name a couple.
The debate over book verses film adaptations is a topic of discussion for another post, especially because some become films that are shown on Hallmark as well.
My love for books waned a lot during and after college and as I struggle to get more work out there and build my publication credits. I admit, there is nothing wrong with analyzing a book so you can learn and better understand how your favorite authors work. But, even writers need to have some fun and relax too!
"A Novel Romance" served as that reminder for me. As a writer, the work is critical and you should try to work as best you can. Yet at the same time, a writer needs to read for fun and pleasure! You should read, or reread, a book and fall in love with it!! Maybe I took the romance thing too literally (haha!), but hey even the best writers need to enjoy things and be merry!
It will take time, but I hope to find my love for books again. I hope you will too.
Happy reading for pleasure and content!


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- fulminologyllcAsked on April 22, 2015 at 03:29 PM
1. Will downloading our data as a CSV and clearing out the user database set us back to "0" or is the ceiling a fixed monthly figure, period?
2. Once we've hit the submission ceiling what happens to form data submitted in the interim before we're back to "0" ?
Thanks again for all your help!
- fulminologyllcAnswered on April 23, 2015 at 08:31 AM
It appears I'm receiving conflicting information. It is critical that we have the correct info regarding the submission limit for our timecard forms as we have to ensure that our clients are able to submit their timesheets at all times.
If I understand your statement from April 22 at 4:50PM - If [we] delete the existing submission data of form/s, it will decreased [our] current accumulated account submission count for the month.
We understand your statement to mean that if we reach our submission limit for our account during a given month, by downloading our submitted data as a CSV and deleting all submitted data we will once again be able to receive submissions during the remainder of that month.
However, I received the opposite information this morning from Shadae of your support team. She indicates -
The submission limit on your account is fixed monthly. Downloading or deleting your submissions will not zero the limit on your account. Your submission limit is reset to zero on the first of each month.
Once you have reached any limit associated with your account, your forms will be disabled. The data already received on your account will not be affected and will be stored within your submissions page.
Shadae - JotForm Support Team
Which of these then is the actual case with Jotform? Please let us know ASAP so that we can move forward. Thank you.
- raulAnswered on April 23, 2015 at 11:23 AM
We apologize for this confusion.
As mentioned by my colleague Shadae, the limit submissions counter doesn't get reduced by deleting submissions, it's automatically reset to zero every first day of each month. What you could gain if you delete a submission is upload space if you're allowing your users to send you files using your forms.
What you could gain if you delete a submission is upload space, this would be applicable if you're allowing your users to send you files using your forms.
You can see more information about your account limits by clicking on the man looking icon on the right side of your screen.


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So you anticipate you're abundant because you had animal action and didn't use protection. It's accessible you may be abundant or, unfortunately, accept an STI. It's important to use a condom or yield a contraceptive bolus if you wish to anticipate either.
If you're not accessible for a babyish don't accomplish any adventurous decisions and allege to your partner. Should there be no man on the arena admit in mum? But, if this abundance is not to be about accepted allege to a doctor. No adventurous decisions remember.
Pregnancy affection beneath to advice you apperceive if you've conceived as able-bodied as things to avoid if you don't wish to abatement abundant or bolt a sexually transmitted infection.
If you're not adequate accomplishing a specific affair abnormally area sex is concerned, don't do it. Don't acquiesce your accomplice to emotionally bribery you into giving into his animal demands. If you're not accessible for sex or don't wish sex at a authentic time, bethink this is your physique so own it. Don't abatement for his spiel. Archetypal words a man ability use to animate you into bed and accept his abandoned way with you.
1. If you absolutely wish to absorb the blow of your activity with me again at atomic let me accept sex as it is traveling to appear eventually than later.
2. If he mentions your accompany from academy are accomplishing it, he may use this as a adroit way to attract you into bed.
3. Let me accomplish adulation to you because no one abroad affairs as abundant as you do to me.
4. I will be affable I promise.
5. I'll be quick so you don't get pregnant.
Telltale signs of pregnancy. Below archetypal physique changes that prove pregnancy, however, they hotlink to added altitude too.
- Missed Period
- Fatigue
- Loss of energy
- Morning sickness
- Food cravings
- Frequent charge to urinate
- Tender breasts
If you haven`t apparent a doctor or midwife and wish to apperceive has abundance happened, do a home abundance test? They are actual authentic and accord an afire yes or no.
So, you're not abundant and relieved, but still afraid because you accept alien affection which weren't there afore the animal intercourse. This is a acceptable acumen to doubtable an STI.
Sexually transmitted infections explained
Gonorrhoea affection are affliction during urinating and burning, as able-bodied as an access in vaginal discharge, and, bleeding if not expected. Added infections can action in women with the disease. An adulterated rectum causes affection such as discharge, affliction if aperture the belly to canyon stools, anal itching, amore and bleeding. Be alert about Gonorrhea because affection are abundant like float and added vaginal infections. This is why it's basic a doctor identifies what infection is present so the medication accustomed to amusement the botheration is the appropriate one.
Genital warts
If you atom pinkish or white tiny bumps about the genitals you may accept animal warts. Again something a doctor needs to attending at. It's accepted for warts to anatomy in clusters that resemble cauliflower florets.
Warts about appear at the vulva, central the vagina and cervix. If growing on the cervix it may accompany a bleed. Prepare for an odd discharge, as it has been accomplished in some women. Not a accepted evidence is a pain, but the crawling is.
Genital Herpes Symptoms
- Itchiness
- Animal tingling
- Tingling about the anus
- Tiny fluid-filled blisters that if they access will could cause ache abnormally if urinating
- Head pain
- A backache in the lower region
- High Temperature
- Swollen glands
Back to abundance and sexually transmitted infection. Not acceptable in pregnancy, as the aforementioned goes for added infections also. Complications can and do appear with infection. Cervical cancer, abiding hepatitis, pelvic anarchic disease, infertility are accessible complications. An adulterated woman can canyon the infection on to the approaching babyish before, during, or afterwards delivery. Untreated infections as a aftereffect of accepting caught sex can accept austere consequences.


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Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has been on a share buyback spree this year. Throughout the first six months of the year, the technology giant has repurchased nearly $3.7 billion in shares, nearly 5.2 million shares of Class C stock. This is a relatively new phenomenon for the Mountain View, Calif., company, considering it didn't repurchase any shares in fiscal 2014 and 2013.
Last year, Alphabet's board of directors had a change of heart in regard to its capital return policies and authorized nearly $5.1 billion in repurchases. In January, Alphabet doubled down and authorized an additional 514,000 shares to be added to the company's existing buyback program. It appears the company has quickly plowed through the initial authorized dollar figure by repurchasing approximately $5.5 billion in the last 1.5 fiscal years.
|Repurchase (billions)
|Shares repurchased (millions)
When Alphabet announced its planned buyback, I wrote a bearish argument against the move. My aversion was mostly for historical reasons and not a reflection on Alphabet's management. On average, companies are about as irrational as the average investor when it comes to share repurchases, buying shares at the top of the market and eschewing buybacks during recessions, when valuations were historically low. In many cases, including Alphabet's, share counts continue to increase even with buybacks because of the dilutive effect of share-based compensation.
Lucky for investors, Alphabet didn't take my advice into consideration, because C shares have rallied nearly 8% over the weighted average buyback price. At this point, investors should be happy Alphabet repurchased their shares.
|Weighted Average Share Price
|Current Price*
|Premium Over Buyback Price
Alphabet should continue to push higher
For investors, company buybacks come down to one simple question: Did the company overpay for its own shares? So far, it seems like Alphabet did not. There are a few reasons I think Alphabet has further room to run.
First, the company's core business -- Google's search, display advertising, and member websites -- are doing well. Over the first six months of 2016 Alphabet, grew Google-related revenue 19% on a year-on-year basis. Google stands to benefit from the rapid shift to digital advertising because of the growth in mobile ads. Last year, eMarketer reported that Google took in 16% of all digital display revenue. Continued ad spend away from television to digital outlets should provide tailwinds to the company's top and bottom lines.
The second reason is the company's new fiscal prudence. Recent articles have described Alphabet's loss-producing other bets segments as a "mess." It seems the majority of these complaints are related to falling headcounts and a more tight-fisted approach in regard to expenses.
Alphabet, after CFO Ruth Porat took the reins, has installed fiscal discipline and "tight governance" in regard to these other bets. And that makes sense for investors. Throughout the first six months of 2016, other bets reported operating income losses of $1.6 billion, versus $13.2 billion in operating income for the Google segment. Alphabet would have had 10% higher operating profit if the company simply didn't have these other bets.
This could quickly change, of course, in the event one of these bets becomes the next must-have device or technology, but it seems the company is being more prudent with these companies until a path to profitability is assured. A strong core business and increased fiscal prudence should allow Alphabet to continue to grow earnings, and its share price should follow.
Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Jamal Carnette owns shares of Alphabet (C shares). The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares) and Alphabet (C shares). Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Michelle Perkett Challenge #56 - Make Your Own Background Paper!
This is one of the "Snow Family" images that Michelle just released this month, and it's called "Snow Family Wishing". I made my background paper with a dark blue card stock, and then stamped it with snowflakes, in a light blue ink and then again with white ink. I used Martha Stewart glitter on the scarfs, hats, ear-muffs, and the stars. The stars on the string were cut out with my Cricut cartridge, and then pop-dotted on the cardstock, and image. The string is attached to the card base with silver brads.
Other Challenges:
Totally PaperCrafts - Untraditional Christmas, no red or green.
Fussy and Fancy Friday - Challenge #24 Christmas with no red or green.
The Creative Cottage - Challenge #28 Untraditional Christmas, no red, green or gold.
Die Cut Dreams - Challenge #45 - use a Die Cut no Punches. I used Cricut to cut the stars.
I hope to see your projects/cards this week at MPS challenge blog, and good luck ladies! Have a great week, thanks for stopping by.
10 comments:
Very beautiful. I love the star banner at the top.ReplyDelete
What a stunning card you made! I love your background!!!ReplyDelete
Wow nice card - love the stars....Thanks for joining in at TPC this week - Good LuckReplyDelete
Sarah x Stressed Stamper
Gorgeous card Marilyn! I love the colors and the stars!!ReplyDelete
Hugs, Tammy x
Great card, I love the image and what you've done with the stars, thanks for joniing us at DCD Christmas Club.ReplyDelete
Beautiful card I love the fact you have taken the trouble to make your own background paper it looks fab thanks for joining us at DCD Christmas clubReplyDelete
hugs Sara x
fabulous card love the stars and cute image. Thanks for joining us at The Creative Cottage, Tracy xReplyDelete
Love how you've done the stars, thanks for joining us at the DCD Christmas Club this week, we're happy to have you!ReplyDelete
Just beautiful Marilyn, love the background and the glitter is fab :-)ReplyDelete
Marilyn, this is such a gorgeous card and your background is so beautiful! I love the colors and the pretty stars! Thanks for joining us for our Make your Own Background Paper Challenge this week!:)ReplyDelete


text: First I couldn't get connection and get any bars now most of the time I have bars but it still won't connect. Safari times out and I get messages playing apps saying not connected to the Internet. Sometimes if I lift the iPad in the air I can get the website to load. I tried a bunch of things, I finially got bard by changing the router to channel 11. So got thar far, but doesn't make a difference if it still doesn't connect. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.


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Northumberland looks set to become the first place in England offering a topical and cutting-edge form of cancer treatment.
As we reported last year, the proton beam therapy treatment centre, the second to be built by Proton Partners International in the UK, will be situated on the Earth Balance wellness site in Bomarsund and should be operational by 2017.
The application for the state-of-the-art facility was unanimously approved on Tuesday by Northumberland County Council's strategic planning committee.
Proton beam therapy (PBT) is a type of radiotherapy used in cancer treatment, delivering heavily-charged protons in a more targeted manner to reduce damage to other tissue and organs.
The treatment hit the national headlines early last year when the parents of five-year-old Ashya King took him from a British hospital and fled abroad to seek the treatment.
PBT was back in the news at the weekend after a US study found the technique caused fewer side effects than conventional radiotherapy.
The Government has also committed £250million to developing high-energy PBT services in the UK, with two facilities being planned in London and Manchester, which are expected to offer services from 2018.
Planning officer Neil Armstrong had recommended the scheme for approval and described it as a 'unique opportunity' for healthcare provision in the county.
Coun Andrew Tebbutt said: "It's the last application of the day and there's not many people left, but what we are about to consider is a ground-breaking, fantastic development.
"Anyone who saw the news over the weekend will know that proton beam therapy is the way forward for children with cancer."
Coun Jeff Gobin said: "What an opportunity we have here." Coun Dougie Watkin added: "Everyone here would wish it every success."
At the launch event last summer, Mike Moran, CEO of Proton Partners International, whose first facility is in Wales where work has now started, explained that his firm's vision is to develop world expertise in PBT treatment – 'a world-class centre in a world-class county'.
Following the planning permission being granted, he said: "We are committed to bring proton beam therapy to the UK and this planning permission is the next piece of the jigsaw.
"The socio-economic impact will see the area evolve and develop into a state-of-the-art cancer treatment facility, leading the way in the latest developments in science and technology. The facility will also provide skilled employment opportunities within Northumberland.
"By placing our centre in Northumberland, close to transport links, it can cater to a wider group of people in the north of England and Scotland who would benefit from proton beam therapy.
"Our centres will provide an all-encompassing cancer service for patients, offering proton beam therapy, as well as chemotherapy, traditional radiotherapy and imaging. We hope that in addition to providing top-quality cancer care, our centres will become hubs of excellence for advanced cancer treatment."


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May 25, 1982
Phantom F-4M 92sq XV422 O flown by Roy Lawrence with navigator Alistair Inverarity
shot down
Jaguar 14sq XX963 AL flown by Steve Griggs
by Sidewinder AIM-9G
Where? – 35 miles north-east of Bruggen, Germany
Pilot ejected safely.
Phantom was named 'JAG KILLER' and a Kill marking of a Jaguar was on the port intake.
Phantom photos Jag Killer photos taken by Todd Pomerleau
Phantom 92sqn XV422 T
Date: ?
AirDOC 48-07 decals
Phantom 19sqn XV422 J "Jaguar Killer" Decimommanu Sardinia, 1987


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- Series hub: Spurs-Heat
SAN ANTONIO — As he bombarded the Miami Heat with one 3-pointer after another, goose bumps surfaced some 1,600 miles away just as they had that February night in 2000 when the entire town of tiny Aberdeen, Md., roared as one for the amazing Gary Neal.
"On my way to work today I checked my Facebook and saw that he [Neal] had just updated his page and so I sent him a post," said Neal's Aberdeen High School basketball coach Richard Hart, who still coaches there today. "I wrote, 'Gary Neal comes through when the spotlight is on. Anyone surprised? Not me.'
"Obviously, that was a reference to the championship game."
A sophomore guard for the Aberdeen Eagles, Neal led the school to its first boys basketball state championship since 1976 in dramatic fashion. He's been a legend there ever since.
"It came down to a timeout and a tie game with less than a minute to play," Hart said, replaying the moment as if it happened last night rather than Neal's playoff-high 24-point Game 3 of the NBA Finals gave the San Antonio Spurs to a 2-1 series lead. "It got tense with 10 seconds to go and Gary, you saw a look in his eye. He had the ball at halfcourt and he decided to take charge. He couldn't finish at the rim so he threw up a four-or-five foot jump hook over [the defender's] hand, and the whole town of Aberdeen exploded."
Aberdeen is a town of some 15,000 close-knit residents — "kind of like Mayberry," said Aberdeen High administrative assistant Diana Jackson — and located about 30 miles northeast of Baltimore.
Jackson's four sons grew up playing basketball with Neal in the neighborhood and her television, her sons' televisions and many, many others in the town were tuned in to Tuesday night's Game 3 as the unheralded Neal poured in six 3-pointers, and a crucial one that beat the halftime buzzer and carried the momentum into a devastating second half.
While Twitter exploded during and after the game with "Who's Gary Neal?" tweets — some sent tongue-in-cheek while others were dead serious — Aberdeen, Md., is both full-fledged Gary Neal territory and Spurs country.
"Our principal had on [Neal's] jersey yesterday during announcements," Jackson said, "so I would say so."
Neal averaged better than 20 ppg during that 26-1 title season. On his NBA bio Neal still calls that Class A championship his most memorable experience to date. Perhaps that's about to change if the Spurs can get two more victories and claim the franchise's fifth title in the Tim Duncan–Gregg Popovich era, the fourth of the Big Three era and the first since 2007 when Neal became the all-time leading scorer in just two seasons at Towson University near Baltimore.
From there, Neal's professional basketball journey has been one of perseverance. The 6-foot-4 gunner went undrafted and without opportunity on home soil he headed overseas. One year, he led the Turkish League in scoring. Another year he did it in the Italian League. In the summer of 2010, the judicious San Antonio Spurs called. They brought Neal in for mini-camp workouts. Impressed, they invited him to play on the Summer League team in Las Vegas.
Just married, Neal said he had to re-arrange his honeymoon to take his shot at the NBA.
"I had to kind of smooth it over with my wife," Neal said. "We were going to go to Atlantis for a week for our honeymoon. She decided it would be a good thing if we went to Vegas instead so I could make an NBA push."
Good decision.
Days after Summer League ended, Neal signed a three-year contract to become a 26-year-old rookie with the Spurs. He's earning a basement-level $854,389 this season, the final year of his deal. Performances such as Game 3 will assure he becomes an NBA millionaire next season just when the direction of his career was becoming a bit clouded. This season, and especially the postseason, has been full of ups and downs. Until the start of The Finals, Neal was losing backup time to young guard Cory Joseph.
Neal's minutes dropped abruptly, from 19.3 mpg in the first round to 15.3 in the second and 12.8 in the conference finals. He's counted on to drop 3-pointers and if he's not doing that, then he's not going to play. And that's what was happening. He shot 25 percent from beyond the arc in the first three rounds.
But Popovich saw something in the Heat matchup that favored Neal.
He played him 22 minutes in Game 1, Neal's high since Game 1 of the semifinals against Golden State. Neal was just 3-for-9 from the floor and 1-for-5 beyond the arc but still, Popovich stuck with him for 22 more minutes in Game 2. Neal went 2-for-3 on 3s, a precursor to his breakout with six 3s in 25 minutes in Game 3. His 24 points were just five shy of his career best.
He and teammate Danny Green (27 points in Game 3 as part of a series-high 56), another success story plucked out of obscurity by the Spurs, have emerged as significant story lines in a series that was supposed to revolve around the star power of both clubs. They combined to make 13 of the Spurs' NBA Finals-record 16 3-pointers Tuesday night.
"I told him if [Miami] keeps trapping me you are going to get the ball and you are going to be able to get shots," Spurs point guard Tony Parker said. "I said, 'We need a big game from you,' and I was saying that for like a week. I was very happy for him."
Until Game 2 of The Finals, Neal had not made made at least two 3-pointers since Game 1 against the Warriors and Game 4 against the Lakers in the first round. Suddenly, he's splashed eight in the last two games and is averaging 23.0 mpg in The Finals.
"As a professional, it's your job to stay ready," Neal said. "You never know when your number is going to be called. You don't know anything. So you have to come up and continue to prepare yourself for whatever assignment the coach decides to play you in. The last three games in the Finals I've been a steady rotation guy. I'm just thankful that I was able to stay mentally and physically ready for this opportunity, that I could take advantage of it."
And back in Aberdeen, they were thankful for the goose bumps.
"That was my second year (as coach at Aberdeen) and I thought I'd get back there (winning another championship) soon, but I haven't been back since," said Hart, whose Eagles lost in the 2005 championship game. "To be able to relive that moment, I always thank Gary for that."


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JLC is an upperclassman residence hall that houses 38 students in an apartment-style capacity with four to five students per unit. Bedroom sizes are typically 12' x 9'. This is the most popular residence area on campus due to its "real-life atmosphere."
- Who lives here: Upperclassman
- Style: Apartment-style with four or five students per unit
- Furniture provided: Bed, mattress, desk, chair, dresser, wardrobe, round table and four chairs
- Laundry: Two residential floors with a laundry facility on second floor
- Also in JLC: Has a study/conference room.
What students say about JLC: "JLC has been my favorite place to live on campus. The individual rooms are large, the living room has plenty of space to have people over, and it's very convenient having two bathrooms in the room. While the kitchen does not come with a stove, it is still nice to have a large kitchen and full-size refrigerator. JLC is one of the newest residence halls at Coker, and it's close to everything on campus. The community feel in JLC is also a perk to living here. It is mostly upperclassmen, so everyone that lives here knows each other." – Halee Polson, junior living in JLC


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Dr. A. Heather Eliassen said, The overall findings on the link between breast cancer risk and walking were really very encouraging.
Lace up those Nikes, ladiesits never too late to get on the right track in the quest to deter a major killer.
Findings from a long-term National Cancer Institute-supported study of middle-aged women
strongly suggest that brisk walking for nearly
an hour most days of the week appreciably reduces the risk of breast cancer.
Prevention and early detection of breast cancer are paramount in the fight against the disease, which will afflict one in 8 women during their lifetime. Around 200,000 cases of breast cancer
were diagnosed in 2010 and of these, nearly 40,000 women will succumb to the malady, NCI estimates. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in women.
While factors such as proper nutrition, exercise
and a healthy lifestyle are thought to possibly
minimize the risk of developing breast cancer, little is known about how much exercise
or what types of activity have the greatest effect. Also, since most cases of breast cancer
occur in middle to later life, it is critical to know how exercise affects breast cancer for postmenopausal women. Little data existed prior to this analysis.
Walking has long been considered both beneficial
and safe for almost all men and women. The risks are minimal and, when performed regularly,
physical activity is thought to confer multiple
health benefits including lowering risk of heart disease and stroke, maintenance of blood pressure, weight control, bone strengthening, improved insulin sensitivity, reduction of anxiety/
stress, heightened mood and perhaps even a reduced risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
But what about its role in preventing or lessening risk of breast cancer? The findings from this longitudinal protocol, where walking was the primary activity, are noteworthy.
Dr. A. Heather Eliassen and her colleagues from Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School analyzed two decades of self-reported data from questionnaires filled out by more than 95,000 postmenopausal women participating
in the Nurses Health Study, a long-running protocol that began in 1976. Women were between ages 30 and 55 when the study began. Of that number, nearly 4,800 developed breast cancer.
The overall findings on the link between breast cancer risk and walking were really very encouraging,
Eliassen said. What we found was that women who walked briskly for about an hour on most days of the week were able to reduce their risk of breast cancer by some 15 percent. And even women who were less active until menopause,
but began walking around mid-life, lessened their risk by about 10 percent.
This is a very notable finding.
She explained that her team was fortunate in that many participants in the trial were walkers. Meanwhile, women who ran, played tennis or engaged in other types of physical activity also saw some decreases in breast cancer risk, but the reduced risk was not as robust as that experienced by fervent walkers,
according to the analysis.
Eliassen pointed out that while many or most risk factors for breast cancer (e.g., family history)
are not modifiable, physical activity is certainly
something we can all do, even in mid-life if youve never been active before.
With walking, she added, theres no need to join a gym or buy special equipment. In this day and age when breast cancer is on the minds of so many women, we find that physical activity
can have an impact on risk, Eliassen said, and I find that quite heartening.
Although the underlying mechanism for the reduced breast cancer risk from walking is not fully understood, one leading theory is that walking and exercise in general reduce the amount of circulating blood estrogen, which in turn may discourage tumor formation. In addition, activity helps with weight control; less body fat may also inhibit tumor growth. The role of insulin sensitivityhow the body responds to the rise and fall of blood glucosemay be another factor. Exercise has been shown to improve this metabolic feature and could affect the etiology of breast cancer, experts believe.
Eliassen noted that the most active, regular walkers analyzed in the Nurses Health Study were strolling at a rate of about 3 miles per hour.
The findings were reported in the Oct. 25, 2010, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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PRTODAY - Newswire & PRZOOM/ -
Saltash, Cornwall, United Kingdom, 06/01/2010 - Delecto Marketing Services, a new business-to-business marketing company, is already proving a success after securing several short-term and long-term contracts.
A new B2B marketing company, which has been operational for only two months, is starting to make its mark in the business world.
Delecto Marketing Services, jointly-owned by Christian and Julie McKee, have already secured a number of short-term and long-term contracts.
Among the industries to have benefited from the skills and experience they have to offer are IT, construction, manufacturing, newspapers and conference organisers.
And with several companies having signed up to work with us throughout the remainder of the year, the future really does look bright for Delecto Marketing Services.
"Delecto Marketing Services pride themselves on offering a professional, yet affordable product," said Julie.
"We are a flexible company, who can become a seamless virtual extension of your team.
"We have no fear of making cold calls, can manage a sales pipeline, maintain customer and prospect data, produce case studies, and write press releases and marketing content in a professional and knowledgeable manner.
"We recognise that in today's tough economic climate, sales and marketing professionals seek a quality and cost effective solution for their lead generation and marketing functions.
"That is why we are the first choice for many small to medium sized businesses."
Julie added: "Charging only for the hours worked, Delecto Marketing Services, with our low overheads, provide solutions at a rate that is extremely competitive when compared to true employee costs.
"So, whether you require support on a regular or ad-hoc basis, Delecto Marketing Services can provide a tailor-made package to help you reach your sales targets and support your business growth."
If you are looking to outsource some of your B2B marketing disciplines, so you can focus on running your company and closing business, then Delecto Marketing Services can help.
To find out more about how they can help your company, email info[.]delectomarketingservices.co.uk
Agency / Source: Delecto Marketing Services
Availability: All Regions (Including Int'l)
Traffic Booster: [/] Quick PRTODAY - Newswire Distribution Service Visibility Checker
Distribution / Indexing: [+]


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Ormsby Guitars is very proud of the high-end, quality work performed by us and we stand behind our workmanship. Your CustomShop guitar or bass has a limited lifetime non-transferable warranty to the original owner. Standard Series, SemiCustom and Licensed instruments are covered by a one year warranty.
CustomShop instruments include any guitars made to order in our Australian workshop, including, but not limited to: Hypemachines, SX, DC, SC, Sharks, SS, etc. Standard Series and SemiCustom instruments include any instruments build to spec order, and will be clearly marked as such. Licensed instruments include GTR models only and are manufactured by our partners.
This warrants that the guitar will be free from defects in materials and workmanship, subject to the limitations contained herein.
The warranty is extended to the original purchaser only and may not be transferred or assigned to and following owners or purchasers. Used instruments sold through Ormsby Guitars are covered by a limited 3 month warranty.
The warranty does not cover:
* Any instrument worked on by the customer.
* Unauthorized repair services done by any repairman/luthier
* Any instrument that has been altered in any way by the customer or a repairman/luthier.
* Any instrument where the serial number has been removed or modified.
* Any instrument not directly purchased from Ormsby Guitars or an authorised dealer.
* Any damage due to accident, negligence or misuse
* Shipping damage of ANY kind. #1
* Normal "wear and tear," including but not limited to color fading, discoloration or damage to the original finish, worn frets, worn nut, strings, tuners, hardware and plating including but not limited to gold hardware.
* Any instrument that has be subjected to extremes of humidity and heat or temperature.
* Any instrument that has be subjected to moisture.
* Any adjustments required for personal preference (string height, intonation, tuning, truss rod adjustments, pickup heights, etc)
* Any factory installed electronics or hardware (electronics and hardware are covered by the respective manufacturers, but we increase your warranty to one year if the respective manufacturer's warranty period is less than 12 months).
*Cases, gig bags and/or any merchandise including but not limited to clothing, media, certificates, accessories and tools.
Ormsby Guitars makes no express warranty of any kind whatsoever. All implied warranties are hereby disclaimed and excluded from this warranty.
Ormsby Guitars shall not be liable for any special, indirect consequential, incidental or other similar damage suffered by the purchaser or any third party, including without limitation, damages for loss or profits or business or damage resulting from use or performance of the instrument, whether in contract or in tort, even if we have been advised of such damages. Ormsby Guitars shall not be liable for any expenses, claims or suits, arising out of or relating to any of the forgoing.
If the guitar malfunctions due to faulty materials and workmanship, at the sole discretion of Ormsby Guitars, we may repair the guitar without charge.
All shipping and insurance charges, including any perceived "collector" value, are the sole responsibility or the original owner/purchaser.
Once the guitar arrives at the factory we will determine whether the defect is covered under the terms of this warranty. If it is found to be covered under the warranty, the repair will be done at no cost to the purchaser/original owner. If the repair is not covered under the warranty, you will be given an estimated cost to repair the issue (to the original owner/purchaser).
This warranty applies to all states and territories of Australia. This warranty also includes all international sales.
Circumstances that void this warranty offer:
* An instrument is given to an unauthorised technician for inspection prior to contacting us.
* Attempting to fix an issue yourself, causing more problems.
#1 All instruments that require domestic or international shipping will always be covered for the full value of the shipment. Any damage that occurs during shipping will be covered by the relevant insurance policy. Obviously we are unable to control how your guitar is treated whilst in transit, but we will do our best to ensure it arrives safely. Touch wood, there has been only one minor incident in ten years.
#2 We take great pride in our workmanship and products. It's unfair to discover social media posts regarding a product prior to you contacting us. Thankfully this has never happened, and we hope this continues to allow us to provide the absolute best service possible.


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Lea Michele Visits Dentist After Date Night with Cory Monteith
Lea Michele is all smiles while heading to her dentist appointment on Thursday (May 30) in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The 26-year-old Glee actress was spotted out to dinner with her boyfriend Cory Monteith the night before at Cliff's Edge restaurant in Los Angeles.
Lea wore the same sweater on both outings but changed up her jeans and shoes.
Earlier in the week, Lea had a photo shoot for her upcoming book "Brunette Ambition."
"That's a wrap! Had the best time at today's shoot! Can't wait for you guys to read this book! #BRUNETTEAMBITION," Lea tweeted.
20+ pictures inside of Lea Michele on a date night and at the dentist…


text:
Get a free comparative market analysis of your home's worth sent to you with no obligations.
Phone: Georgia 678-898-5807
Mobile: Buddy 678-409-4941
Fax: 770-985-0602
Buyers Resources
Eight steps to buying your home
Deciding how much house you can afford
Opting for new home construction
How can a real estate agent help me?
Eight important questions to ask your agent
Keller Williams Realty takes a different approach built on personal touches, a professional approach and positive results. Georgia and Buddy utilize the latest technologies, market research and business strategies to meet your expectations. They have over 30 years combined experience in the Metro Atlanta market and are an accredited, top ranked team both locally and nationally.
Georgia and Buddy are Gwinnett County and Brookwood School District specialists - one of the top rated counties and school districts in the state of Georgia.
|Brookwood High
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Our website about Gwinnett County, Gwinnett County Schools and local areas of interest. Click on the Resource Center page and go to the Links page or give us a call directly, we live and work right in the heart of Gwinnett County.
Team Edwards
Georgia & Buddy Edwards
Buddy: 678-409-4941
Fax: 770-985-0602
email: Team Edwards
| Copyright
© 2000-2019 Keller Williams ® Realty. - a real estate franchise company.
All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified.
Properties subject to prior sale or rental. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated.


text:
Dr. Amy Olson is a chiropractor serving Novi and Farmington Hills, MI. Dr. Olson and the rest of the welcoming team at SWC are commited to providing chiropractic solutions to address your unique needs. Whether you are experiencing spinal pain, struggling with emotional stress/anxiety, or looking for wellness care for your entire family- we are here for you. Perhaps you are searching for a doctor highly experienced in pre-natal, infant, and toddler chiropractic care, considering training for a marathon, or looking to get off of multiple prescription medications. We will help you achieve your health and wellness goals. Here at SWC, we do not focus on pain, we focus on YOU. We strive to create a healthy spine and nervous system, which comes with the amazing "side effect" of pain elimination and the re-discovery of the pure joy in life.
During your first visit to SWC, Dr. Olson will explain how chiropractic care works, and perform a full evaluation to determine which of our chiropractic solutions will best address your specific health challenges. She will then create a customized care plan designed to get you back (and better than ever) to what you love.
Visit our testimonials page to find out what our patients are saying about Dr. Olson and the SWC team.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with our Novi chiropractor, call 248-513-3100 today!
Discover Wellness for Life
Dr. Amy Olson
Novi Chiropractor | StayWell Chiropractic | 248-513-3100
26200 Town Center Drive Suite 165
Novi, MI 48375


text:
Can't you see behind the big "black curtain"? It's not the Wizard of Oz...it's a small group of people led by Eddie Briesen, the PM of Tourism, that is pimping out his island to save his political ass.
Please write to Deal or no Deal, or even Howie himself and tell him or NBC how you feel about them allowing to take free trips from Aruba as prizes/"favors". I wonder how the show would recover if something scandlous happened to one of their "winners". Then what? I wonder what Steve Cohen, Mr. Hollywood is doing these days for his Aruba tourism efforts?
Check out Howie Mandel's LAME interview and his loser bio..
What has happened to Hollywood standards?
Contact NBC


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I hope everyone's Christmas was what they wanted it to be! We had a nice day at my Mom's, once I got done working and took another shower. I know we've all probably been pretty busy lately, what with all the buying, wrapping, baking, cooking, etc......I haven't had much time to craft or sit at the computer this month, as in the evenings before Christmas, we try to watch some of our Christmas movies as a family. Here's hoping we all are looking forward to the New Year with enthusiasm and optimism. :) I hope to get back to crafting/blogging soon...hubby has something planned for me that may put a dent in it for a bit, but it's a great thing!
Take care until we meet again!
Marie :)


text:
While engineers and designers feverishly worked overtime on the advancement of a four-passenger sports car they code-named the F-car, the Chevy public relations, marketing and advertising team prepared the world for the intro of an automobile they called the Panther.
All through the summer season of 1965 virtually every aspect of the vehicle's design and advancement, from initial design sketches to clay models, was photographed and carefully documented. Chevy utilized the assets to create a 30 -minute film The Camaro for sale in Millbury OH , which was later on revealed on TV and in movie theaters. They likewise introduced females's clothing called the Camaro Collection and even a Camaro roadway race video game.
Buy Classic Chevrolet Camaros
In November, Chevy sales executives and creative people previewed prototype designs at the GM Tech Center. Campbell-Ewald, Chevy's venerable advertising agency, immediately began deal with catalogs, direct mail and sales promotion materials, together with print, outdoor and TV/radio advertising. In April 1966, at the New York Auto Show Interview, Chevrolet sales executives confessed no name had been selected for the brand-new vehicle, but did reveal that pricing of 1967 Chevy Camaro for sale in Millbury OH design will remain in the Corvair-Chevy II range.
Throughout early 1966 Chevy struggled over a name for its Mustang-killer. GM's upper management was nervous about the aggressive undertones of the Panther name. A similar bout of cold feet would later cause the Pontiac version, code word the Banshee, to be relabelled Firebird. Over its short lifetime, the F-car had been called by lots of names including Wildcat, Chaparral, Leader and Nova. It's also rumored that Chevy considered using the letters "GM" in the name, and created G-Mini, which progressed into GeMini and finally Gemini. However, GM's upper management banned the idea, fearing the car might be a failure.
Automotive legend has it that somebody at Chevrolet lastly proposed the name Camaro and upper management quickly agreed. Although the name has no real significance, GM scientists supposedly found the word in a French dictionary as a slang term for "good friend" or "companion." It's reported that Ford Motor Company researchers likewise found other definitions, including "a shrimp-like animal" and an arcane term for "loose bowels."
Since a number or pre-launch products had actually currently been launched utilizing the Panther name, Chevy's many pushing difficulty was to now relabel their new Mustang killer, the Camaro. Camaros are found in Millbury OH by looking for classic car dealers.
The price tag of $2,466 for a Camaro base coupe and $2,704 for a base convertible was completely competitive with Ford's prices of their 1967 Mustang models which was $2,461 for the conventional coupe, $2,692 for a basic fastback and $2,898 for a conventional convertible.Taking a page from Mustang's success in earning extra benefit from choices and accessories, the Camaro could be bought with nearly 80 factory options and 40 dealership devices.
Purchasers might also option up to a larger 250-inch variation of the standard straight six engine, a choice of 327-cubic-inch small-block V8s fed by either a two-barrel or a four-barrel carburetor and two variations of the 396-cubic-inch big-block V8. In order to keep the brand-new Camaro from taking sales away from the Corvette, a business order forbade equipping it with engines larger than 400 cid. Transmission options consisted of a four-speed handbook, a two-speed "Powerglide" and in late 1967 the new three-speed "Turbo Hydra-Matic 350".


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I've been seeing the term "food rut" thrown around A LOT recently. People find a breakfast/lunch/snack that they particularly enjoy, eat it on the regular, and then decide (or are told) that their fond attachment is unhealthy. Google it and approximately 7.5 MILLION results show up.
Yep, I'm so sick of vegetables I want to cry. NOT.
While I'm all for variety, and don't believe that needing to eat the EXACT. SAME. THING. every morning is particularly healthy, I also don't believe in the term "food rut".
I happen to love my breakfast. It's plain greek yogurt with an apple and almond butter and a 1% latte. I've had that every day for about a week and a half. Before that, after I got my wisdom teeth out, it was banana. Before that, muesli. Keep going back to the summer and it was granola and berries. A year ago, it was two pieces of rye toast, one with peanut butter, one with jam, an apple and a latte.
Now, granted, I have been obsessed with yogurt bowls for a good several months, and maaaaybe I should switch to something else. But then again, why? Greek yogurt is an excellent source of protein, calcium, and a lot of other things that I, a seventeen year old non-science student is unaware of. I eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, which is where the majority of micronutrients and minerals come from. And honestly, if you enjoy something, I see no reason to force yourself to change!
This clearly does NOT apply to ED situations where one feels that they absolutely CANNOT consume anything not "acceptable". Nor am I referring to binge habits or sugar addictions. I'm just talking about the general old folks who happen to look forward to their morning ritual of oatmeal and coffee or what have you.
Because, let's be honest. Sometimes breakfast is all that keeps me from hitting this guy one too many times.
So, what I'm trying to say, is that if you have a particular food that you love, enjoy eating, and is relatively good for you, what is the problem with eating it often? There is so much room in our diets for variety that I think sometimes it's okay to surrender a little bit. I, for example, rarely eat the same lunch. I have some snack favourites, and obviously breakfast preferences, but lunch is almost always different and so is dinner!
And "different" doesn't have to mean "imported from Guatemala and costs $867 and can only be located at one organic store 30km away." For me, today, that means I'm having an egg and hummus sandwich, a combination I haven't tried before.
Now, if you are participated/have done Meg's breakfast challenge, or something of the like, I am NOT trying to incriminate you! At all! I think that it is an extremely cool idea and promoting variety in our diets absolutely promotes health. I also think that it is not 110% vital every moment of every day.
What's your opinion on "food ruts"?


text: By The Associated Press National TV in parentheses Nov. 2 At Chevrolet Centre, Youngstown, Ohio (VERSUS), Kelly Pavlik, Youngstown, Ohio, vs. Lenord Pierre, Catskill, N.Y., 12, for the WBO, NABO and IBA super middleweight titles. Nov. 3 At Roseland Ballroom, New York, David Tua, New Zealand, vs. Abraham Okine, Pittsburgh, 10, heavyweights. At Bally's Casino, Atlantic City, N.J. (SHO) Kendall Holt, Paterson, N.J., vs. Isaac Hlatshwayo, South Africa, 12, for Holt's WBO welterweight title. At Palo Duro Golf Club, Nogales, Ariz., Giovanni Segura, Los Angeles, vs. Carlos Tamara, Colombia, 12, for the interim NABF light flyweight title.


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Hi eveyone it is time for another wonderful challenge over at
The challenge is a photo inspiration
I used the wonderful stamp Spring Zebra
I colored my stamp with colored pencils. I used patterned papers and plain cardstock to fix my card. The punch is a Martha Stewart punch.
I have entered the following challenges
http://www.craftdoormagazine.com/ Anything Goes


text:
MyFloridaCensus.gov could also become a testing ground for a future online platform for redistricting.
Looking to better engage the public in Florida's upcoming redistricting process, a recently launched website is aiming to tally those not counted by the U.S. Census and could give officials a road map to create an online redistricting platform.
The site, www.myfloridacensus.gov, went live April 12 and incorporates Microsoft's Azure cloud storage, Silverlight and Bing maps, to create a comprehensive, interactive platform for Floridians to communicate whether they were counted by the Census.
"The biggest result of the website will be more people counted in Florida, and because of that, maybe a congressional seat and more electoral votes for Florida as well as additional federal funding," J. Alex Kelly, chief analyst of the Florida House of Representatives Select Policy Council on Strategic and Economic Planning wrote in an e-mail to Government Technology. "This program is the base for a future Web-based redistricting program."
During the last redistricting process -- which is done every 10 years and after states receive official Census results -- the Florida Legislature used desktop software to open the process to citizens, allowing them to submit suggested district maps for the State House, State Senate and Congressional maps, Kelly said. But because citizens who wanted to participate in the redistricting process had to pay $20 a pop for the software, it wasn't quite accessible to everyone because of the cost.
"Practically speaking, we think an online tool will be more likely to increase meaningful and diverse citizen participation than did the desktop software," Kelly wrote. "For the redistricting effort, the Silverlight, Bing maps [and] Azure cloud mash-up gives a unique platform to allow everyone in Florida that is interested in the redistricting process to take part in that process in real time."
The idea came from Florida Rep. Dean Cannon, who wanted a redistricting tool that would open up the process for every Floridian, Kelly said. "He felt a tool was needed to facilitate the viewing of the maps and to solicit real-time public comment," he wrote. In planning such a tool, state officials wanted to test the technology early in the development process, Kelly said.
"At the same time, we became aware that the Census may not count areas where there were new subdivisions, apartments, condos and dorms," he said. "The myfloridacensus.gov website was the perfect opportunity to test the technology and to help with the effort to make sure every Floridian was counted."
The site's basic question -- did the Census count you? -- garnered more than 1,800 individual responses in eight days, Kelly said, of which 287 noted they weren't counted. But there are an estimated 98,000 Floridians in danger of being missed by the Census, Cannon told the Sunshine State News.
That said, the experience using such technologies will better prep the state to host data in the cloud and run the website on any browser. "We gain the experience of hosting 15 GB of data on the Azure cloud website," Kelly wrote. "We will work to build into our system the automatic increase and decrease of resources to handle the different user loads."
And by using Silverlight, the state has secure storage capabilities that will allow it to develop the redistricting solution and have the website run on any browser, Kelly said.
"We plan to use this secure private storage to keep the definition of the user's district plans. This way the user will be the only one with access to their plan until they choose to make their plans public," Kelly wrote.
The Bing maps program also gives the state a "rich environment of maps, aerials, geo-coding and geographic information that we do not have to develop ourselves," he wrote.
"We were able to overlay the Census information on the number of addresses the Census had per Census block with the parcel map and the Bing aerials to allow anyone to compare the Census number with the actual count of houses," Kelly wrote. "With a glance, as we receive more data, we can see the patterns of the Census effort."
While the response rates are off to a slow start, the overall goal of the site's creation is being realized.
"The most valuable result of the www.myfloridacensus.gov website was that it proved that the combination of Silverlight, Bing Maps and the Azure Cloud storage is a viable option to build a redistricting website on, that will be available to the public and meet Florida House leadership goal of making the next redistricting process the most open in Florida's history," Kelly wrote.


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Beginning in 1994, we began to see the general technique of delegitimization and contempt as a polictical tactic by the "Contract With America" Republican Conservatives led by Newt Gingrich. It was a deliberate attempt with directives given to use specific language to deny Bill Clinton the right to his office as President.
Instructions went out in memorandums as to which words to use and they were sent to conservative talk radio hosts. They cooly decided which words to use and to characterize the Clintons and their policies as "sick".
This story was documented in the disillusioned Conservative insider, David Brock's book, Blinded By The Right.
The delegitimization of Clinton led to the fruitless Whitewater investigation, the Paula Jones case, the interrogation of Monica Lewinsky and the attempt to impeach him.
What ever the Clintons felt at this time is hard to imagine and they have taken great pains to avoid this period during Hillary's present campaign.
We have already seen a predictable return to the politics of delegitamacy by the extreme Republican Right. The most surprising development, though, is the use of the technique by Hillary Clinton. We knew race was going to be an unavoidable theme of this campaign, but to hear Bill Clinton compare the victory of Barack Obama in South Carolina to Jesse Jackson's marginal candidacy was shocking.
Then, after Hillary's victory in Ohio, she made the comments about the "Commander-In-Chief" Test, which she said both John McCain and herself had mysteriously "passed", but Obama had mysteriously failed to "pass". This was a second attempt to deligitimatize Barack Obama. There was no criteria to her comment, it's success could opnly be shown by its success or failure.
Now we are dealing with the aftermath of her assassination rational as to why she is staying in the race. This is a tactic as wierd as anything the Clintons had pitched against them during the impeachment attempt.
The most disturbing element of her remark was this: that it chose to treat assassination as just one more political possibility, one of the things that happen in our politics, like hecklers, lobbyists, and forced resignations. The slovenly morale and callousness of such a released fantasy is catching. So when, a few days later, the Fox News contributor Liz Trotta was asked her opinion of Senator Clinton's statement, Trotta said: "some are reading [it] as a suggestion that somebody knock off Osama...Obama. Well...both if we could!" Liz Trotta laughed as she said that. Later, she apologized, as Senator Clinton also has apologized.
Let's face it, race is never too far from the surface in discussions about Barack Obama.
There is a still fresh, still glowing ember of race fear and bigotry ready to be ignited...
If you listen, you will hear, "I am afraid of him" or "He could never win the white vote, the white working class just aren't ready for him."
William Jones wrote on the hope of democracy after the Civil War:
"The deadliest enemies of nations are not their foreign foes; they always dwell within their borders. And from these internal enemies civilization is always in need of being saved. The nation blest above all nations is she in whom the civic genius of the people does the saving day by day, by acts without external picturesqueness; by speaking, writing, voting reasonably; by smiting corruption swiftly; by good temper between parties; by the people knowing true men when they see them, and preferring them as leaders to rabid partisans or empty quacks. Such nations have no need of wars to save them."
"We shall overcome" doesn't mean: We will win equal rights for all people. It means:
We will overcome our savage impulses to settle our disputes with violence.
The acceptance of political violence, apparent in the recent casual chatter of assasination, shows a despair of overcoming that is monstrous as violence itself.


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On the web gaming has evolved by leaps and bounds in recent years. Units, PC application and mobile programs are only a several popular way people play online. On the web shooting activities, RPGs, puzzles and technique are a number of the fascinating on line games that await. There are many of options on the market, and many won't set you back anything!
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So here we have another top product from Lotte, their 'Chik Chok Original' chocolate chip cookies (칙촉).
Honestly, these were, although delicious, a great deal similar to Orion's cookies I posted a while back, albeit not quite as intense in terms of taste. That doesn't however mean they were inferior (on the contrary, I enjoyed these I dare say a little more); but that the flavour wasn't as rich, and consequently, not as sickly-sweet.
Call me childish, though I was impressed with the little folding hatch on the box, a la a box of Maltesers. It calls to mind those absurd pictures of 1960s Spiderman… and that has to count for something, right?
The packaging is also highly similar to those by Orion, which prompts me to think that one is the counterfeit, or rip-off of the other. Given the above-mentioned hatch, I'm siding with Lotte on this. Sorry folks. The similarities continue: you get precisely the same amount of cookies. The cookies are the same size, thickness, and packaged very similarly. Even the design on the little foil wrappers is very similar. I assure you, I didn't just buy a different flavour box!
As for my personal preference, I prefer these. Then again, I've never been a fan of incredibly rich snacks and dessert foods – at least not in anything other than small quantities. For those of you with an intense sweet tooth, you might just as well opt for the Orion product.
Regretfully, this one may have to be cut short. There simply isn't enough I can say about these without repeating myself by way of the Orion review. I did however enjoy two of these this morning with a glass of soy milk (a method of eating I'd highly recommend), something I didn't try out on the other cookies.


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Untreated sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure or stroke, according to WebMD. The condition, which disrupts the breathing during sleep, affects more men, people over age 40 and overweight individuals.
Indicators of sleep apnea problems include loud snoring and feeling tired even after a full night's sleep, according to Mayo Clinic. The primary types of this condition include primary sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. Primary sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to signal the muscles that control breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea is the more common form and occurs when the muscles of the throat relax, allowing the airway to collapse and block breathing.
Sleep apnea causes the oxygen levels in the blood to drop, reports Mayo Clinic. The more severe one's obstructive sleep apnea the greater his chances of developing high blood pressure. However, even if the person does not have sleep apnea-related hypertension, the condition increases his chance of stroke. Obstructive sleep apnea also increases the risk of atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure. Primary sleep apnea is often the result of heart disease and not the cause of it.
Sleep apnea also causes complications during surgery, indicates Mayo Clinic. It affects liver function. Because of the loud snoring of sleep apnea, the condition often causes the partner of the sleep apnea patient to suffer sleep deprivation.


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Progress Mysterious
Here it is!
The second write up is up. If this link works, you can follow it, and use it as a template for future write-ups.
Check out the write up here
Mental note: Frogs are the meanest creatures ever. Use them some more!
The party was called together by the high priestess of Elistrae, on behalf of the Oasis council, to investigate smoke pouring from the tallest mountain in the range. They traveled up the mountain, finding a set of cleverly camouflaged stone doors. Inside, they found a stone-worked compound, very old and ancient.
The first foray into the compound ended in an almost completely lethal encounter with Killer Frogs! Large pointy teeth! Buggy eyes! On the bright side, they squished quite satisfactorily against the stone…
It had been a long, hard trip. Brahma looked at the wagons and dray-beasts that drew them and snorted. Difficult indeed- fully half of the caravan had never left the hellish desert waste that now lie between them and home. He snorted again, this time with some interest in his new surroundings. The human city of Oasis, where he was to propose trade and regular caravans with the humans. Perhaps madness, perhaps wealth undreamed of.
As the war slaves dealt with the wagons under the eyes of the overseers, Brahma made his way to the nearest place that resembled an inn. Fortunately, it WAS such a place, and arrangements were made for the needs of himself and the remains of the caravan. Not surprisingly, most if not all of the clientele on the premises left quickly at the sight of the massive forms coming in out of the midday heat.
After most of the caravaners were within and food ordered, Brahma called the Herald over. "I need you to find the leader of this place. We must have time with them for negotiations, to make this trip worth the sacrifice."
"Yes, my lord. At once." With that, he turned on a hoof and was out the door.
Brahma watched the door for a short time, then turned his attentions to the food which had just been brought out. Not particularly thinking, he took a bite… And froze.
Beef. If was beef, and cooked. Ignoring the roiling disgust and rising rage, he rose with his plate, silencing his fellows with a glance as he approached the taverner behind the bar.
The man looked up. "Yes lord?"
Brahma spoke slowly, not yet a master of the human's tongue. "This… Is BEEF."
"Yeah, so… Oh. Oh gods. I…"
"We are NOT pleased with this."
"I… I didn't think. I'm so sorry. Let me… Wait. Um. I'm fumbling. What must I do to fix this?"
Brahma watched the human as he panicked, then leaned in. "Not beef. Meat. Do NOT cook. Kill, but do not cook."
"Yessir!" The man rushed off to the pens behind the tavern, and soon many chickens are losing their lives. Disturbed, Brahma watched the room as the tavern's employees moved as quickly to remove the offensive flesh from their sight. How they could have thought serving beef to Minotaurs was beyond him.
Ravenae hurried across the floor of the temple. Being a young servant of the divine, she was dutied with generally minor, if not menial tasks daily. Today this duty was working the floor, acting as a traffic control on the people coming to the temple for aid, and providing that aid whenever possible.
Thusly occupied, she was on the spot when the minotaur walked in. The creature glanced around, finally focusing its gaze on her, likely do to her priestess' garb. With a quiet snort the creature came towards her quickly, Ravenae only barely resisting the urge to backpedal away just as rapidly as it arrived. It once again looked her over, then spoke.
"You… Priestess?"
"Yes. What do you need?"
"Seek… Audience for my lord. For… Trade."
Ravenae blinked. This was well out of her range of authority. "I must speak to my superiors. Wait here?" The creature nods. She realizes that the creature IS clothed, wearing a rich, decorated tabard and an intricately patterned waistpiece. And though not allowed, it also bears a massive war axe upon its back!
As quickly as she can, she makes her way to her immediate superior. In quick phrases, she explains what the creature wants, namely an audience for its leader with the High Priestess.
"I do not believe that such can be quickly arranged. She IS quite busy. It will be some time, likely a week before she will see his master. I believe that you are suitable to this duty- find out what the creature and its master are, and what they desire." Concealing her unhappiness with this turn of events, she accepts the duty and returns to the Herald.
"My superiors have sent me to speak with your lord." The creature tilts its head, its… No, his imperfect ability with the language causing it difficulty in understanding.
"You… Come to lord?"
"… Yes."
"Ah. You… Herald?"
"Good. Come." With that, the creature turns on its hooves and heads for the door. Irrevelently, Ravenae finds herself focused on the almost-delicate clicking of the creatures hooves upon the tiled floor. The journey through town to the inn is uneventful, and she is relieved to see that they are staying at an inn, and a decent one at that. Her escort leads her inside, and she finds herself amidst… A LOT of Minotaurs. Their quiet, inhuman conversation stops at the sight of her, then slowly returns. She looks to the Herald who brought her here. "Your leader…"
"Brahma." The name is spoken from the far side of the room, where another of the massive creatures waits. "I am Ambassador Brahma. You… Are priestess?"
Of course, this is when the plucked, raw, very dead chickens are brought out. To his people, Brahma says in his own language, "Dig in, boys." Which they do. Ravenae swallows at the sight, but makes no comment.
"We… Come to this place… For trade. We speak to… Leader of this place to talk of this."
"You wish trade? I can take that to my superiors. But there are three leaders here; you know this?"
"You wish to mate with Our Lady?"
Brahma blinks. "… Mate?"
Ravenae hesitates, then realizes her mistake and BLUSHES furiously. "No… NO! I meant MEET!"
The Ambassador grins, watching the half-elf's skin change color in her embarrassment. "Yes, meet. No, mate."
Finally composing herself once again, she says, "I will bear your word to my superiors and return with news, Ambassador." Brahma grunts in the afirmative, and she leaves, returning to the temple.
Out in the hills between the mountains and the city known as Oasis, a lone figure made its way toward the walls of the human enclave. Not at all human, the creature looked across its surroundings, marking where motion of any kind might represent a danger to it.
Nerash knew his place, and it was nowhere. He was Tok'h, outcast, marked with the scars of the scourge and the knowledge of his death if his tribe ever got firm hold on him again. Seeing nothing dangerous, he continued his easy lope to the city gates, standing open after a caravan passed within. With studied nonchalance and perhaps some foolishness, he shifted his pack, leaving blades sheathed and walked within, shocked stares following his audacious action.
It didn't take him long to realize that he'd made a mistake- one that might cost his life. He heard the mutterings, but forbore to draw blade… At least until the first rock struck him. This was followed by a knife that grazed his arm, and he knew he had to fight. Pulling the massive war axe, he turned to face his new foes, a mob of peasantry and guardsmen…
Ravenae reenters the temple after the meeting with the Ambassador. She'd learned a great deal, not the least of which was their intentions and what they were- Minotaurs in the Common tongue. Ready to pass on her report and the responsibility of the entire matter, her relief ad the end of the days troubles was short-lived.
"Way! Make way! We have injured!" The call goes out loud across the foyer, bringing Ravenae up short. She looks, and she sees a powerfully-built Gnoll, one of the warrior raiders of the hills being carried in by several guardsmen. The creature has a massive double-bitted war axe still clenched in its hand, and its hide is wet with the blood of many wounds.
Several voices ask what happened, and before any kind of coherent answer can be given five townsfolk are ALSO carried in, followed by several mobile wounded. Initially, Ravenae's instinct is to go make her report, but another of the priests stops her. "Where are you going? All hands on deck; we have wounded here!"
Seeing that the humans are being cared for and most everyone else is busy, she goes to care for the gnoll. She doesn't like the creature; his kind have raided the caravans and made limited strikes against the town for as long as she can recall. However, the duty of her order is healing, so she does what she can. First binding wounds, then healing with divine power.
"Get bindings for him; I'll not have him loose. I've done what's needed to keep him alive."
However, the recuperative power of the creature seem strong. Before they can chain him, indeed just as the chains are brought in, he wakes and carefully sits up.
Ravenae sees this, and once again directs that he be bound. The creature simply looks at the men bearing the chains, and they hesitate. "Uh… Usually they're not awake for this, ma'am…"
"Do it anyway."
"I will not be bound. I'll not cause harm here."
The creature speaking, while expected, is not the kind of speech that was expected. Rather than violent action or threats, the gnoll seems reasonable… Which worries the young priestess.
"You are you be bound and held for trial. Submit to the bindings."
"I will not be bound. Why should I be? What harm have I done?"
"You attacked these people!"
"No, I was attacked BY these people. I simply walked through the open gateway and into the town."
This gives Ravenae a moment of pause; the creature doesn't seem to be lying, and hist being attacked is a reasonable possibility. "Why did you come into out city?"
"Because, for some reason, I believed that I would be safe here. Obviously I was wrong."
In the midst of the conversation, during which the gnoll has neither gotten up nor made any hostile motion other than refusing to be bound, one of the elder priests arrives.
"What is the matter here? Why is he not bound?"
"He refuses."
The elder raises an eyebrow and looks at the creature. "What is your purpose here?"
"I came here to be safe."
"You seek sanctuary?"
"I sought safety, but if I must ask sanctuary then yes."
"Why did you attack those people?"
"I attacked no one. They attacked me. I refrained from killing any of them, as you see."
The man watches the creature for a short time, during which it takes a cloth to sponge some of the blood from its hide. "Why are you here?"
The creature gives a resigned sigh. "I am Tok'h. Outcast."
"Oh gods." The priest shakes his head, then starts a casting. The gnoll offers no resistance, and the spell, one of truth, settles upon him. Some questions are asked once more, and with his truthful answers the tension in the room lessens. It lessens even more when the creature takes out a symbol of Vaeldur, a divinity of good aspect.
It is decided that he truly doesn't mean harm, and it is accepted that he was attacked rather than his attacking the citizenry. "You… Are welcome here. You may stay within the temple for the time being, but you will do as she (he indicates Ravenae) tells you." This is more an admonishment not to kill anyone unless she tells him its acceptable.
"May I have my possessions returned to me? I understand I may not have my weapons here."
"Your things shall be returned to you."
With this, Ravenae and the priest fall into conversation concerning her mission to speak with the Minotaur Ambassador; she relates what she learned, and she is once again assigned to the newcomers, to assist them in acclimating to their situation and to provide them with reasonable hospitality. While they talk, the gnoll, named Nerash, proves his own priestly status by healing his remaining wounds by divine power. He ends up being her bodyguard for the time being- a situation that seems to amuse him.
"May I clean up?"
"Of course. After you have done that we'll return to the Minotaur delegation."
"… Minotaurs? Small fish, or what?"
"Not small. Huge. Like… Cows."
Nerash snorts in amusement.
He gets cleaned of the blood and filth, then dresses. The unusual pair make their way to the inn occupied by Brahma's delegation; people are staring as they walk, Nerash biting down on an amused grin the entire way.
Finally they arrive and enter; Ravenae didn't see any guards outside, but the moment they pass the threshold two guards appear next to them with disturbing rapidity. They shortly are before Brahma once again. Like his comapanion, Nerash had before this day had never seen a Minotaur before, and is intrigued; wisely, he says nothing on the matter.
The discussion between the Ambassador and the priestess begins once again, Brahma now getting a firm time for his meeting with the high priestess of the temple; from there the discussion turns to actual matters of trade.
"We are interested, Ambassador, in your trade, but what do you offer?"
Brahma nods, then calls to one of his people. Bring in some of the trade goods!" There is a short delay as the things are gathered, but soon the offerings are within- gold and silver trade bars, leatherworking, and other material unique to the Minotaurs are offered. Ravenae nods, knowing that these will only be the start. She describes some of what Oasis has to offer including the steam tech that the tech mages produce. This gets the solid interest of the Ambassador.
"Steam tech?"
"Yes… I can't properly describe it. Taverner, do you have anything that we could show the Ambassador?"
The man sets the glass he's been polishing down and thinks. "I dunno, ma'am, lemme… Wait. Yeah. Yes I do!" He gomes out from the bar and starts rummaging in what looks to be a storage room. He comes out with a fairly hefty device, looking like some kind of pressure vessel with gears and rods protruding from its surface. He sets the thing up on the bar, and activates it.
There is a sound like pressure building, then the gears and rods go into motion. They pump, spin and whirl for a bit, then there is a 'ding' sound and the taverner opens the front of the device, removing what looks to be a cup of tea!
In Elvish Nerash comments, "Damn lot of work to boil water…"
The tea is offered to Brahma, but the taste of boiled leaves is decidedly not to his taste. He sets it down, then growls at one of his men. That worthy goes out to the caravan wagons, returning with a cask. This Brahma opens, pouring a cup for Ravenae to try- she does, finding it to be VERY potent wine, almost a brandy in its heat. She coughs a bit at the fiery drink and sets it down; Nerash raises an eyebrow to her, and she indicates back that he can try it. Its strong to him too, but more to his taste than hers. Still, he doesn't just guzzle the beverage. With interest now found on both sides, more details will have to wait for Brahma's meeting with the city council. Ravenae also explains a bit more of how the city leadership works, with the three councilmembers representing the military, religious orders and Tech Mages. With the Ambassadors interest in this, she asks a question in turn.
"May I ask where you are from?"
Brahma snaps his fingers, and a roll of maps is brought out. The table is cleared and these are rolled out, revealing that the caravan apparently crossed the desert, something few if any would ever consider- generally, such attempts are fatal. However, with a known distance and an identifiable destination, the task becomes a great deal more possible. Nerash scans the map as the other two talk, but sees nothing by way of landmarks that he recognizes other than the city itself.
Brahma snorts softly as the maps are removed. "Can you… Show me… City?"
"Of course. I can show you the city, and when it gets darker you'll see the steam lights."
"I would like that."
The three prepare to leave, Nerash barely containing his amusement; he knows what kind of spectacle this is going to create. Brahma garbs himself in the tabard of his office, strapping on his massive axe; he then starts to put on a terrifying steel helmet- It covers much if his head, encasing his massive horns with serrated-edged sheaths- running down its center is more deadly metal, and Ravenae pales at the thought of people's reaction to the sight.
"Um… Perhaps not wearing the helmet would be best."
Brahma considers, and being that he IS an Ambassador understands why and acquiesces to the request. "I will bring my axe."
"That will be fine."
The trio leave the tavern, and start a grand tour of Oasis. As they go, all three note that guardsmen stare at them, when they pass one stop and approach the next, the numbers of guards increases. Nerash is having trouble not laughing, and can't get the Gnoll equivalent of a grin from his face. They visit the two towers in the city, starting with the Temple Spire wherein Ravenae makes her home.
"This is where I live."
"This is your home?" Brahma looks around the tower, obviously impressed at the architecture; he seems doubly impressed by the finely-carven stonework covering the walls.
"Yes, I live here. The carving was done by Elves."
"It is very.. Fine. My people… Could not do this. Not done by humans?"
"No. Elves. I'm Half-Elven myself."
Brahma nods, still looking at the carvings. Nerash asides to Ravenae in Elvish, "Such carving is something valuable as trade between your peoples; perhaps you could suggest this."
She nods. "We could talk to the Elves."
"Arranging it through the city would be best. Kill two birds with one stone, more of a meal."
From the temple, they make their way to the Mage's Tower, wherein the Tech Mages reside. It is in this quarter of the city that the so-called steam lights are most prominent. As the mountains are to the west, the sun sets behind them and causes an early twilight; shortly some of the lights start to come on, even Nerash being interested; his people have faced the dreaded steam-powered weapons of the Tech Mages. As they continue, there is a sudden rumbling, followed by a nightmarish shreik that rips through the air! Brahma instantly draws his axe and prepares for a fight, Nerash stopping himself from doing the same, knowing that if they were under attack from something that loud, the fight isn't going to last long.
Ravenae, knowing what the noise is and being used to it, quickly calms the warriors. "Its the Mage Tower. It sounds to indicate that it is dark."
Nerash tries to not look at her like she's mad. "If it is dark, you can SEE that it is dark. Why is noise needed?"
Brahma comments as well. "My people make sounds like that with horns when we are about to enter battle."
By now there are large knots of guardsmen watching the trio nervously. Nerash can't resist grinning and waving to them as they make their way back to the inn. Brahma thanks Ravenae for the tour and her assistance, then takes his leave. She and Nerash, with an unplanned escort as by now it is past the curfew return to the Temple Spire for the night,
And there we end for now, in two weeks we continue!
Our story briefly began tonight. Most of the time was spent in character creation.
The Party makeup is:
Brahma – Minotaur Fighter, Emissary from his people
Nerash – Gnoll Fighter/Wilder, outcast for his heathen ways (worshipping Vaeldur)
Ravenae – Half-Elven Moondancer, Initiate in the Order of Elistrae, unwitting herald to the Minotaur envoy.
mumble – Human Rogue, ...
Notes on the story so far to come later.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOUL MOUTH EARNS RAVE REVIEWS | Bay Area Rockers Syrym Receive Eight Awards, Song Selected Track Of The Day On Garageband.com
Oakland, California—May 16, 2008—Bay Area rock band Syrym, winners of eight awards on Garageband.com, have had their song, "Foul Mouth Blues," selected as the indie music website's Hard Rock Track of the Day for May 17, 2008. Track of the Day winners are selected based on reviews by musicians and music fans, with the best-reviewed song on a particular day receiving the nod. The band and song are then featured on a subsequent day.
The band also received honors in the Hard Rock category for Best Male Vocals, Best Guitars, Best Drums, Best Bass, Best Production, Best Lyrics, Best Beat, and Most Rocking Track.
"Foul Mouth Blues" is a slithering, angst-ridden, defiant declaration of the end of an abusive relationship. Musically, the song is a throwback to the sound of the heavy melodic rock groups of the late 1980s and early 1990s—bands like Lynch Mob, Ratt, Mötley Crüe, and fellow Bay Area rock stalwarts Babylon A.D.
Formed at the end of 2007 by vocalist Jeffrey Winslow and Babylon A.D. founding member/guitarist Ron Freschi, Syrym combines elements of the modern hard rock sound with the melody and bombast of hard rock's heyday.
Growing up in Hayward, California, Freschi's jazz guitar training soon gave way to the influence of guitar heroes such as Michael Schenker, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Dave Meniketti, Neil Schon, Warren DiMartini, Nuno Bettencourt, and George Lynch. Freschi was recruited by the Persuaders, who went on to release local rock radio hits such as "I'm No Good For You" and "Don't Ask Questions." The Persuaders eventually caught the ear of Arista Records president Clive Davis, who made them one of the label's few hard rock acts, and the band proceeded to change their name to Babylon A.D. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1989, featured several MTV and Headbanger's Ball hits, including "Bang Go The Bells," "Hammer Swings Down," and "The Kid Goes Wild," which was featured in the film Robocop 2. The band's sophomore effort, Nothing Sacred, was released in 1992. They went on to release several more albums on Perris Records.
Winslow got his start in the Bay Area's rock music scene, performing with bands such as Killer Instinct and Scattergun, but really came into his own as a multi-dimensional vocalist in Santa Barbara, fronting funk-rock quintet Psycho Graffiti, as well as two gospel choirs. Since returning to the Bay Area, Winslow has repeatedly been called upon to provide vocals for studio sessions, has written and performed music for television and radio commercials and, most recently, held down lead vocal duties for East Bay hard rockers Vertigo and 3rd & King.
Syrym's debut album is scheduled for release in Summer 2008.
For more information, or to listen to songs that will be featured on the upcoming Syrym album, visit www.syrym.com.
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