text:
by Barbara Sherf
Cafette, the BYOB at 8136 Ardleigh St., and the only restaurant in Chestnut Hill on a resident street that otherwise has only single family homes, quietly celebrated its 20th anniversary in June. However, owner Jan Wilson is currently expressing her gratitude to loyal customers by offering a special $20 three-course dinner to all diners through the end of October.
Wilson, 54, who recently earned a Master's in Acupuncture Therapy from the Won Institute in Glenside, is presently spending five weeks in China, but she was interviewed about the two-decade milestone before leaving for Asia.
"I've grown to appreciate the concept of food as medicine," she said. "I understand how all aspects of the meal are important to our health and well-being; the setting, the company and the presence we bring to the act of eating enhances the whole experience."
Jan and her crew decided to celebrate by offering the fixed-price dinner featuring two of Cafette's original and most popular dishes over the two decades — vegetarian lasagna and fried chicken.
The three-course meal starts with a classic Caesar salad and is followed by either Cafette's classic vegetarian lasagna or Southern fried chicken with mashed potatoes and collard greens. Both entrees finish with homemade chocolate mocha mousse cake. Diners should note that the fried chicken is only available on Friday nights, and reservations are strongly recommended.
Wilson's sister, Ginger Wilson-Williams, who serves as manager and hostess, is overseeing the promotion. "We toyed with several ways to celebrate, and this felt right — giving back to our customers," said Ginger, who added that her primary concern is running out of chocolate cake. Her two daughters, Heidi Williams and Bonnie Wilson-Williams also work at Cafette.
Chef Béla Durst, who has been on board for the past four months, served the first round of specials despite a power outage. "The lasagna was already in the oven when the lights went out, so we added additional candles to the table and served them," said Durst, 51, a Philadelphia native who worked his way up through a variety of Philadelphia kitchens before moving to California.
While there, he studied under chef Jeremiah Tower, a partner in Chez Panisse with Alice Waters, a leader in the early Farm-to-Table movement. More recently, Durst worked for former Chestnut Hiller Steve Poses at Frog Commissary Catering. Taking a break on the outdoor patio, he reminisced about teaching his son's soccer team for four years at the Water Tower Recreation Area.
"This is like coming home. My son lives in Mt. Airy, and I have great memories of this whole area," said Durst, 51. "Philadelphia has a rich food history. I like to shop the Reading Terminal Market and the Italian Market in South Philadelphia, buying ingredients for the season. Younger chefs tend to have wild dream dishes, but I'm more into the classics and healthier eating. I used to think fat meant flavor, but I know that fresh herbs, acids, salts, anchovies, oils and vinegars can go a long way toward creating a flavorful dish."
Now age 32, Bonnie remembers walking to Cafette after classes ended for the day at nearby Jenks Elementary School. "My mom was working here, so we would come and help measure out cookie dough. After the cookies were baked, we enjoyed them with fresh lemonade," she said, noting that her 3-year-old son, Elijah, is a regular now too. "This place is all about family."
While working at Cafette, Bonnie continued her education and recently received a degree from Chestnut Hill College in criminal justice. "While I love this place, I really want to work in that field. Working here at Cafette has allowed me to pursue my dream."
Heidi Williams' three children, all under 6, "know how to set a table," Wilson joked while noting that many local college kids have worked there over the years.
"Everyone here is either from Mt. Airy or Chestnut Hill, and it's always been that way. The college kids who come back to work during the summer are all from this area, and neighbors stop by to catch up with them."
On a recent Wednesday evening, Samantha Tramontina, who lives across the street, walked by with her little dog and ducked her head in. Now a registered nurse, Samantha worked at Cafette for seven years while attending school. She was thrilled to hear about the 20th anniversary specials. "There will be a whole bunch of people who want to come back for those classics," she said, adding that Ginger had introduced Tramontina's parents to each other.
Longtime Hill resident Susan Rodriguez had just met a new friend for lunch on a weekday afternoon, and the two spent a leisurely four hours at Cafette getting to know one another. "The food is terrific here, and there is a European feel. They didn't rush us or interrupt us. It is truly a little treasure, and we are lucky to have Cafette," said Rodriguez, a writer who "likes being around other creative people."
Ellin Kassow, a first time Cafette diner, added, "I feel like were sitting here in Paris, drinking coffee and not being rushed. While it is homey, there is also a certain level of sophistication about this place."
Jan Wilson grew up in Chestnut Hill, as did her children, and her mother still lives nearby and whose children were raised in Chestnut Hill. Asked if she ever longed to have more than one eatery or to relocate to Germantown Avenue, Wilson replied, "I don't know if bigger is better. I think you make do with what you have, although paving the side yard and turning it into an outdoor patio with twinkling lights and market umbrellas has more than doubled our capacity in nice weather. It was my mom's idea to pave the patio, and for once in my life I listened to her."
Over the years, Jan said she has learned to put aside any ego and let her team run the operation. "I believe when people are creative, you should allow them to create. The food has evolved as different talent has come through, but it's not all about me; it's about them. They have to have a good time and work things out among themselves."
Cafette is open for lunch Monday through Friday, brunch Saturday and Sunday and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. For more information or reservations: 215-242-4220 or www.cafette.com


text:
Contact Information
If you have a question for the mayor's office, please email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Questions or Concerns regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act should be directed to the City's ADA Coordinator (228) 868-5740.
If you need to contact the Gulfport Police Department, call (228) 868-5959.
You may also want to look at our City Directory for a full list of department phone numbers.
If you have a question about our website, please email the webmaster.
Mailing Address:
City of Gulfport
P.O. Box 1780
Gulfport, MS 39502
Home | Government | Business | Visitors | Residents | Online Services | Contacts

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Houston Woman Threatens Utility Company Employee With Gun, Runs Him Off Her Property
In today's America! news, Houston resident Thelma Taormina chased off her local electric maintenance guy with a gun because he was attempting to install a fancy new electric meter called a Smart Meter. This new meter thing supposedly keeps track of power usage digitally and then wirelessly transmits the information to the electric company instead of them having to send someone out to read the meter. What an amazing, time saving device, right? What will they think of next?
Well, Mrs. Taormina isn't about to find out. When she saw the CenterPoint Energy employee, she grabbed her gun.
"He just kept pushing me away," the 55-year-old Taormina, who is licensed to carry a weapon, said. "He saw (the gun), and went back the other way."
I bet he did. Naturally, Taormina sees the whole incident as just one more way people are trying to tread on her constitutional rights.
"Our constitution allows us not to have that kind of intrusion on our personal privacy," she said. "They'll be able to tell if you are running your computer, air conditioner, whatever it is."
Whatever it is? What are you trying to hide, lady? I'm not saying it's a refrigerated sex dungeon, but I'm not not saying that either. You never know. Also, how would they know which appliance you were using?
Anyway, Taormina is so mad about these new energy meters that she started a cute little neighborhood club hilariously called, "We the People," which is asking for hearings about the placement of the new meters. "We the People" joins a long list of other seemingly crazy anti-Smart Meter campaigns. (Glenn Beck's The Blaze says they lead to "DNA breakdown," which tells us all we need to know, really).
As for CenterPoint Energy, they're not too happy either:
"We are deeply troubled by anyone who would pull a gun on another person performing their job," a CenterPoint spokesperson said. "CenterPoint will be taking additional steps – including court actions – because what happened is dangerous, illegal and unwarranted."
But what about Taormina's probably long suffering husband? How does he feel about this whole incident? Well, someone finally got around to asking him.
"I am very upset with it," her husband said.
My sympathies, brother.


text:
Polly Klaas: the murder of America's child
Pinnacle Books, Jun 19, 1995 - Fiction - 264 pages
On October 1, 1993, Polly Klaas, 13, was kidnapped from a slumber party in her own home in Petaluma, California. After two months of an intensive blitz and manhunt, the police caught Richard Allen Davis, who led them to her murdered body. The trial of Davis is set to begin on June 1, 1995. Includes 16 pages of photos.
From inside the book
18 pages matching television in this book
Where's the rest of this book?
Results 1-3 of 18
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abduction America's Most Wanted AP/Wide World arrest asked Attorney burglary California called child cloth Cloverdale cops court crime criminal Dale Darlene Schwarm daughter Davis's death deputies Dick Schwarm Eve Nichol FBI agents Fourth Street friends Greg Jacobs Honda inside investigation Jacobs Jaffe jail Joe Klaas kidnapping kids Klaas family Klaas told knew looked Marc Klaas McManus Meese Mendocino County Mershon Mike Mike Reynolds murder Napa never night officers Parks parole Petaluma Police Pinto Polly Klaas Foundation Polly's body Polly's face Polly's house prison probation Pythian Road Rankin Redwood City reporters Reynolds Richard Allen Davis Rick Rick Davis Rosa Press Democrat San Mateo San Mateo County Santa Rosa Press sentence Sheriffs Sonoma County story stranger suspect talk television thing three strikes told the Press told the Santa took town twelve-year-old Ukiah volunteers walked wanted


text:
The rise in gold prices during the third quarter of last year did not motivate widespread hedging by mining companies, even though they had the opportunity to do so at higher prices, according to a quarterly hedge book report released Tuesday.
Hedging locks in the value of a company\'s gold so the producer can sell it at the price it has set, even if the price falls later on. Typically, if miners suspect prices are about to rise, they will de-hedge their gold positions to allow themselves to take advantage of the potential increase in value.
"Net de-hedging continued during the third quarter of 2013, with a [188,000-ounce] decrease in the outstanding volume of gold delta-hedged against producers' hedge contracts," said a report compiled by Societe Generale and Thomson Reuters GFMS. Delta hedging is defined as a hedging scheme designed to make the value of a derivatives portfolio insensitive to small changes in the price of the underlying asset.
That essentially means that the number of ounces of gold hedged across all miners who report these items decreased by 188,000 ounces, or six metric tons, of gold during the third quarter, said Jeffrey Wright, managing director of H.C. Wainwright.
The fact that not many miners hedged in the third quarter of last year "has little to no impact on gold prices right now," he said. "Hedging is a lagging indicator of the market, and not a good predictor."
But if — and that's a big if — "gold had a solid run of $200 to $300 in 2014, then you would see some producers learning from the past couple years and hedging," Wright said.
The global hedge book analysis report said additions to producer hedge books were "quite modest" in the third quarter, with Evolution Mining , Regis Resources and Dundee Precious Metals "increasing their forward contract positions and small increases in forwards or delta-adjusted options positions from a handful of other producers."
The modest additions to producer hedge books came even as gold prices scored their first quarterly gain in a year. Gold futures jumped 8.4% in the third quarter. So far in 2014, they're up 4%.
The Market Vectors Gold Miners exchange-traded fund climbed 2.2% in the third quarter, after dropping 35% in the prior quarter. It's up roughly 9% this year to date.
"Rather than hedge output, an industry-wide cost containment effort has begun," the hedge book analysis report said. De-hedging of about 1.6 million ounces is expected for the full year 2013.
–Myra Saefong
Follow Myra @MktwSaefong
Follow The Tell on Twitter @thetellblog


text:
During the summer of 1970, Austin's first successful psychedelic music club, the Vulcan Gas Company, closed. In August 1970, the Armadillo World Headquarters opened. Both venues made dramatic changes to Austin's culture.
- Home
- News
- Events/Exhibitions
- Media
- Armadillo Art SquadThe South Austin Popular Culture Center features the artwork of the infamous "Armadillo Art Squad" dating from the 1960s to today. These artists have garnered international acclaim for their influence upon rock art in the 1970s and the contemporary Austin culture. They continue to producer art in a variety of mediums, including the quintessential Austin art form, the poster. Old and new works by these celebrities will be displayed on a permanent basis along with periodic displays, including the numerous notable contemporary Austin artists. Click on the images and names below to learn more about the artist. Danny Garrett Nels Jacobson Guy Juke G.L. McElhaney
- Support
- Memorial Wall
- StoreComing Soon!


text:
Opinion: Will the Sequester Survive?
Wonder Land columnist Dan Henninger on how the GOP's mishandling of the shutdown puts its biggest achievement at risk: mandatory budget cuts.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... now moving in January in these next negotiations believe it or not ... are the federal budget cuts known as the sequester arguably one of the biggest achievements that the Republicans have gotten ... out of the Obama administration ... is a sequester now in play ... because of the shutdown fiasco ... Wendell and Columnist and Henninger is staying with me in town and ... federal spending down two years in a row the first time since the Korean War ... are these budget cuts now in danger ... well I don't think they're in danger I think is that going to be an issue the sequester will be an issue in the budget negotiations which supposedly are spoilt to take place now between ... House budget chairman of Paul Ryan and Patty Murray the budget chairman in the Senate will see ... they've also said that they're going to ... talk about these things ... the Republicans would like of the other issue they would like to race is the future of entitlements entitlement reform and perhaps tax for for reform ... the sequester's a basically been holding down discretionary spending ... the biggie is only about eight hundred pound role in the room is in the bitumen outweighs the mandatory going forward ... in the question is whether they can use some relief for the Democrats on the sequester ... to get long term permanent relief on entitlements now ... and ... I think that the Democratic and Republican leadership in both houses is Palm probably capable of coming to some sort of compromise ... this is what they come to Washington to do their politicians the two deals ... I think that eventually led to their own devices they can do it ... the big question is once they get an agreement ... will do so in the White House go along with it or will be below and let's be specific about the bipartisanship that Ari happen on Capitol Hill ... because you've had ... since symbols in twenty ten and on a budget deal he had Ryan Wyden on Medicare or twenty eleven ... and you have ... it cannot Baucus on tax reform ... a number of issues whatever you learned ... watching those efforts ... about the White House in its propensity to ... participate on the line ... well ... Lou the president then White House have been one of the least in terms of the contacts were discussing they have one goal ... may want to increase the federal revenue is much a sleek and so they can spend ... Brock Obama just bullies of every fiber of his being ... that if the government's Ben is a lot of money on different things but in general that the economy benefits in the American people benefit the only way he can do that is is the chance of very high level of public spending ... and therefore it makes a really difficult ... to negotiate over the de tails of entitlement reform or depression discretionary spending ... if the president is demanding that is the price you have ... higher levels of taxation included in the package ... that's a show stopper for the Republicans became a tax increase about a year ago ... so ... it's going to be very difficult you know it's like the immigration bill when they were negotiating that even the Democrats said the president's stay out of it until the audacity of it don't mess this up ... and we're going to be at the same position with him on the budget because analyzes thirty seconds left the next a quest around its defence ... that the Democrats use that to convince Republicans to increase the budget ... levels ... well I think that the Democrat mean the Republicans are actually determined to try to ... hold the line on with the sequester dose of defense ... I think they can have negotiations with in the current budget to do something about that the sequester of the twenty fifteen ... is a little more gentle on defense I think if the defense Hawks can see that there is light at the end of the tunnel ... on defense spending and sequester they might be willing to some adjustments in the current ocean while we're going to see his committee interesting Dan Henninger Wonderland Columnist thank so much thank you Mary ...


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
We're looking at interviewing Hiroaki Yura about Project Phoenix. If we do, does anyone have any questions they'd like us to ask? Can't promise they'll make it in, but we'll definitely try.
How many monies must I give him for them to have an option toggle between real-time and Shining Force style turn based?
Quote from: zMKnightz on August 25, 2013, 12:23:09 PMHow many monies must I give him for them to have an option toggle between real-time and Shining Force style turn based?I'm not so sure that'd be a good idea, they should just stick to one rather than trying to make two combat systems. The only time I've seen such an approach attempted (Arcanum) ended up with both being compromised, with neither working particularly well.
Wow, lots of talented people working on this title, definitely looks like something worth keeping an eye on. Did anyone see if this was exclusive to PC? Maybe I overlooked it, but it would be nice if this were coming out on my PS3 or 360 as well...
...(Am I the only one who kind of feels like the majority of updates about this project have been completely lacking in content?)...
So they actually did add a limited edition of that figure as a Kickstarter reward...if you pledge $950 or more. Jeebus.


text:
The governor vetoed a sweeping alimony reform bill that would have allowed retroactive changes to long-settled alimony deals.
If the anguish of divorced Floridians desperate to snip financial ties to their exes propelled a sweeping alimony reform bill through this year's Legislature, the fears of ex-wives and warnings from family lawyers helped to stop it.
Emails and petitions imploring Gov. Rick Scott to veto the bill included a plea from Valerie Dillingham of Sarasota: "This will pull us down even further, putting more and more women 'on the streets,' many of which are much older."
Scott said this week that he shared that concern, citing the bill's provision allowing retroactive changes to long-settled alimony deals as a primary reason for his veto.
Dillingham, a 50-year-old divorced mother of four, echoed a growing alarm that the national trend to reconfigure alimony laws — gender-neutral on its face — could be deeply unsettling for older women.
Lifelong alimony payments may seem like an antiquated concept in many two-income households. And more high-earning women are now paying economic support to ex-husbands than ever before. But in the bill's swift progress through the Legislature, a generational divide emerged: Some women who may have never fully joined the workforce — and would find entry at this point extremely difficult — could have seen their cases re-opened by ex-husbands eager to "move on" from the obligations of another era.
If Scott had signed the bill, Florida would have become the fifth state to abolish permanent alimony. Massachusetts led the way in 2011, and states such as Florida have modeled their legislation on that first success, in an effort to make the divorce process more consistent and predictable. This national trend has emerged as the economy made retirement more difficult for ex-spouses hamstrung by alimony agreements forged in sunnier financial times — one of the problems that Florida's bill sought to address.
The issue is likely to continue to simmer in the Sunshine State. This was the second consecutive year that state lawmakers debated alimony changes.
Neither Florida Alimony Reform, the organization backing the bill, nor a subgroup called the Second Wives Club, has yet commented on plans to revise it for 2014.
But Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, who sponsored the alimony bill in the Senate, says changes are needed.
"The problem that we were trying to fix still exists, obviously," Stargel said. "We definitely need to work out a system. Everyone says what we have is broken. Maybe we'll be able to address it next year without those provisions. I don't know if people are going to be up for the fight again."
The Family Law Section of the Florida Bar, which led the scramble to petition Scott, wants the governor to form a task force that would craft a less drastic approach. The lawyers, who painted this year's bill as "anti-women," were accused of clinging to the status quo for fear of losing business. Those attorneys countered that the reform measures would have led to more litigation, as divorced Floridians unhappy with their settlements sought relief in court.
"Unfortunately," said Stargel, "the message was that this was possibly bad for women. There are women and men who are hurt every day by not having this bill. The ones who won are the attorneys."
The gender gap
Permanent alimony — lifelong regular payments to an ex-spouse — is extremely rare today, when women outearn men in an estimated one-third of all relationships, and the average marriage in Florida lasts a little over 10 years.
"I'm amazed to hear that alimony still exists," one reader commented in a post to the Herald-Tribune's political website, htpolitics.com.
But while the culture is changing, critics of alimony reform say it has not changed fast enough to make these new laws equitable. Women's weekly median earnings in 2012 were $691, less than 81 percent of the $894 that men made. This is true even in fields dominated by women — including retail sales, where women earn $436 per week to men's $678.
Nearly half of women today work in low-paying jobs without pension plans or 401(k)s. That is one factor that has pushed 20 percent of divorced women 65 and older to living in poverty, compared with 15 percent of widows in that age category.
While stay-at-home fathers are no longer an exotic phenomenon — especially since the recession cut more men's jobs than women's — women are still far more likely to give up careers for child care. Among divorced couples, women still have primary custody 60 percent of the time, compared with 15 percent for men. This societal presumption that women will more likely place their careers second to family obligations, policy experts say, keeps them in occupations where salaries and benefits are less lavish.
Alimony is uncommon today not because women have caught up with men economically, but because most divorcing couples have too few assets for one party to support the other, says Nancy E. Dowd, director of the Center on Children and Families at the University of Florida's law school.
"For a huge number of people, alimony would not be feasible because there are not enough resources for someone to pay it," Dowd said.
She said that while "the perception of people who get alimony as gold-diggers is widespread," typical divorces rarely mirror the headline-grabbing splits of multimillionaires.
"In the normal case, alimony is infrequently awarded, and it's usually short-term, to help a spouse who has been out of the labor force get back in," Dowd said. "But the person who has not been working can almost never recoup the effect of those lost years."
The mommy track
Some seven years after her divorce, Valerie Dillingham has a real estate sales license and also works as a personal trainer.
But she says she would not be able to cover her expenses — and help her grandchildren — without the permanent alimony she was awarded instead of half the business she co-owned with her ex-husband. She was married for 17 years, which would no longer have qualified as a "long-term marriage" under the alimony reform bill Scott vetoed. The proposed threshold was 20 years, with alimony generally capped at half the duration of the union.
She married in her third year of college on a pre-medical track, and says, "I gave that up to move down here."
"Neither one of us believed in day care and we wanted to make sure the kids were home with me," she says. "I did usually have some kind of small business on the side that I ran, but he was the primary breadwinner."
Dillingham says she accepted the alimony award instead of assets because "the judge said I had to. I was allowed 33 percent alimony" — a third of her ex-husband's income — "and I gave him the business. I didn't have a car, no savings account, no health insurance, and a house with full mortgage. You talk about having to reinvent yourself; I did."
Dillingham says she wrote to Scott about the bill because many of her fitness clients are over 60, and depend on alimony to raise their grandchildren.
"What's going to happen to them" if their alimony payments are reduced? she asks. "They're not going to reinvent themselves at 68 and 70 years old. I'm 50 years old and I work like a dog. I know these older women can't do that."
Even younger women find it a challenge.
Ann Drummond, 40, landed a job as an office manager for a Sarasota software firm after getting help from the Women's Resource Center Returnship program, which helps clients re-enter the workplace. Before her divorce less than a year ago, she stayed home with her two children, now 9 and 12.
"I do believe that I am a smart woman and I'll figure things out, and it's great that I have a college degree," Drummond said. "But I did give up my career, and when you haven't worked for almost 10 years, it's very hard to expect to go back into the workforce right away and make a salary that's going to pay the bills — especially in Sarasota, which is an expensive place to live."
Drummond was awarded alimony for four years, following a 12-year marriage. The potential that the reform legislation would have left her worse off, she says, was presented as an incentive to take the deal she was offered.
"The new laws played a role in what he was willing to settle for," she said, referring to her ex-husband. "They will make it very risky for a woman to give up her career and her learning abilities to allow her spouse to take advantage of that career-building potential while the wife stays home and raises the kids."
The later years
Just as every divorce story is intensely personal and unique, alimony reform will affect women differently depending on their age and circumstances, said Janice Zarro, director of the Women's Resource Center.
Before Scott's veto, Zarro said, the center was receiving calls from women concerned about their alimony.
"I could clearly see that there are more contemporary women who may have been on the other end in a divorce, and maybe had to give him their 401(k)," Zarro said. "But my first instinct is for that older woman who was more of a homemaker. The kids are gone, and the child support's over. Maybe the ex-husband is ill and that alimony is a difficult payment. I can see where she gets stranded" under the new laws.
Zarro also worries about the mental health toll that revisiting old divorce settlements could take — an issue likely to arise as the debate over alimony continues in Florida.
"Divorce is emotional, it's difficult, it's layered, it's complicated," she said. "Think of any traumatic thing we've all had; after 10 or 20 years it still hurts, but it doesn't hurt in the same way. Now we're coming back and putting a spotlight on something that was not just a factual situation. The woman can get caught up in those old emotions and it may not work in her favor."
Alimony reform efforts around the country will compound a retirement crisis that is already hitting women disproportionately, added Cindy Hounsell, president of the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement. Not only do women live an average three years longer than men, according to the institute, but the typical working woman with a college degree will make about $500,000 less in wages over her lifetime than an equivalent male — the difference between a comfortable retirement nest egg and none at all.
Too often, Hounsell says, women are so grateful to get an alimony award that they don't think about their later years.
"They say, 'I'm going to need this money to live today; I can't wait for the pension.' So they make these short-sighted choices," she says. Before her own divorce, Hounsell says, "I remember my husband saying, 'Quit that job, quit that job.' But women need to have a plan all during their marriage; anything can happen."
While older women have the most to fear from the possibility of retroactive payment reductions, other aspects of alimony reform could also drastically alter the marriage contract — and society overall — says Sarasota attorney Liz Alpert. Among these are a bias toward equally shared custody that would eliminate child-support payments, and caps on alimony that look only at income and not all assets that the couple had relied on.
"Women who are coming up will have to make sure they do not go on the mommy track, sacrificing their career to help the spouse get ahead," Alpert says. "Under current law you're entitled to something for that sacrifice, because you're not building up Social Security, a pension, or a career for yourself."
Like other members of the Florida Bar's Family Law Section, Alpert opposed this year's bill and hopes for a more thoughtful approach to a shift she sees as inevitable. She says Florida's bill "went way too far in trying to correct anything that might be wrong with the system."
If nothing else changes in a bill expected to emerge in next year's legislative session, Alpert said at least the ability to re-open a settled alimony deal should be not be part of it.
"This is just going to add to the litigation and overburden the court system," she says. "The language was that even if somebody entered into an alimony agreement, they can petition for a change if it was signed under duress. Well, everybody thinks they're signing a marital settlement under duress."
Herald-Tribune Capital Bureau reporter Lloyd Dunkelberger contributed to this report.


text:
Description:IBM XEON (2.0GHz/Single-core/400MHz/58W)L2 512MB UPG ProcessorPart Number(s)IBM Part# 33P2931
HP Processor Kits:
Manufacturer Part# 33P2931
This is the full processor option kit. It includes the
Processor(s), Heat-Sink(s), Fan(s), Thermal paste
Overview:Solve your mission-critical IT challenges of managing and keeping secure the capabilities and data crucial to your business with a powerful and reliable Intel Xeon processor server. These top-of-the-line processors deliver performance that is ideal for your most data-demanding workloads with improved scalability and increased memory and I/O capacity allowing you to handily adapt to changes in short-term business demands and address requirements for longer-term business growth. These advanced reliability and security features work to maintain data integrity accelerate encrypted transactions and maximize the availability of mission-critical applications. The powerful and reliable Intel Xeon processor servers provide flexibility for your business critical solutions.


text:
Condition: Standard
DustJacket: Standard
All Product Details
Researcher and thought leader Dr. Brené Brown offers a powerful new vision that encourages us to dare greatly: to embrace vulnerability and imperfection, to live wholeheartedly, and to courageously engage in our lives.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly." —Theodore Roosevelt
Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable, or to dare greatly. Whether the arena is a new relationship, an important meeting, our creative process, or a difficult family conversation, we must find the courage to walk into vulnerability and engage with our whole hearts.
In Daring Greatly, Dr. Brown challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability. Based on twelve years of research, she argues that vulnerability is not weakness, but rather our clearest path to courage, engagement, and meaningful connection. The book that Dr. Brown's many fans have been waiting for, Daring Greatly will spark a new spirit of truth—and trust—in our organizations, families, schools, and communities.
"Brené Brown courageously tackles the dark emotions that get in the way of leading a fuller life; read this book and let some of that courage rub off on you."
—Daniel Pink
"A wonderful book: urgent, essential and fun to read. I couldn't put it down, and it continues to resonate with me."—Seth Godin, author of Linchpin
"In an age of constant pressure to conform and pretend, Daring Greatly offers a compelling alternative: transform your life by being who you really are. Embrace the courage to be vulnerable. Dare to read this book!"
—Chris Guillebeau, author of The $100 Startup
"Here's the essence of this book: Vulnerability is courage in you but inadequacy in me. Brené's book, weaving together research and Texan anecdote, shows you some paths forward. And don't for a moment think this is just for women. Men carry the burden of Being Strong And Never Weak, and we pay a heavy price for it. Daring Greatly can help us all."
—Michael Bungay Stanier, author of Do More Great Work
"I deeply trust Brené Brown--her research, her intelligence, her integrity, and her personhood. So when she definitively lands on the one most important value we can cultivate for professional success, relationship health, parental joy, and courageous, passionate living...well, I sit up and take notice . . . even when that one most critical value turns out to be the risky act of being vulnerable. She dared greatly to write this book, and you will benefit greatly to read it and to put its razor-sharp wisdom into action in your own life and work."
—Elizabeth Lesser, Cofounder, Omega Institute, author of Broken Open
"The brilliantly insightful Brené Brown draws upon extensive research and personal experience to explore the paradoxes of courage: we become strong by embracing vulnerability, we dare more greatly when we acknowledge our fear. I can't stop thinking about this book."
—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project
"What I find remarkable about this book is the unique combination of solid research and kitchen table story-telling. Brené becomes such a real person in the book that you can actually hear her voice asking, "Have you dared greatly today?" The invitation in this book is clear: We must be larger than anxiety, fear, and shame if we want to speak, act, and show up. The world needs this book and Brené's unique blend of warmth, humor and ass-kicking makes her the perfect person to inspire us to dare greatly."
—Harriet Lerner, Ph.D.
"In Daring Greatly, Brené Brown refers to herself as both a mapmaker and a traveler. In my book, that makes her a guide. And I believe the world needs more guides like her who are showing us a wiser way to our inner world. If you'd like to set your course on being more courageous and connected, engaged and resilient, leave the GPS at home. Daring Greatly is all the navigation you'll need."
—Maria Shriver
"Daring Greatly is an important book -- a timely warning about the danger of pursuing certainty and control above all. Brené Brown offers all of us a valuable guide to the real reward of vulnerability: Greater courage."
"One of the tragic ironies of modern life is that so many people feel isolated from each other by the very feelings they have in common: including a fear of failure and a sense of not being enough. Brené Brown shines a bright light into these dark recesses of human emotion and reveals how these feelings can gnaw at fulfillment in education, at work and in the home. She shows too how they can be transformed to help us live more wholehearted lives of courage, engagement and purpose. Brené Brown writes as she speaks, with wisdom, wit, candor and a deep sense of humanity. If you're a student, teacher, parent, employer, employee or just alive and wanting to live more fully, you should read this book. I double dare you."
—Sir Ken Robinson
"A straightforward approach to revamping one's life from an expert on vulnerability."
"Will draw readers in and have them considering what steps they would dare to take if shame and fear were not present."
--Publishers Weekly


text:
Although it may not be listed on everyone's calendar, June is National Iced Tea Month and we can hardly contain our excitement (and our use of exclamation points!). We may have circled it on every calendar we have in the office with highlights and arrows because we're crazy into June. Let the good times roll as we revel in the joy of iced tea!
To celebrate, our friends at Obviously-Marvelous.com are giving away one case (12 bottles) of Honest Tea to ten lucky winners (Winners get to choose their favorite Honest Tea)! Enter the giveaway here and good luck—10 Honest super fans are about to be extra-refreshed this month!


text:
This is the thread for VBoxVmService related discussion and support requests.
Any announcements and infos will be made public here: http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=8595
A detailed step-by-step walkthrough that explains the installation and setup process can be found here:
http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=4762&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=56 (DEPRECATED!)
[Update 2010-08-27]
The latest instructions for setup/install/uninstall can be found here:
(Always regarding the current release of VBoxVmService!)
Hello everyone!
Since I first encountered VirtualBox, I tried to figure out a way to make my virtual machines start at boot-time *without* a user having to log on to the host-system and - furthermore - to *safely* shut them down again, in the event of a system-shutdown or a reboot.
Browsing the forums for quite a while, I found that many other users were asking for a solution to do the exact same thing.
So here it is now. It's still dirty. It's heavily patched. But it does the trick! Introducing:
VBoxVmService (Release: 20080223, initial)
This is the current list of features:
* start your virtual machines from a native windows service at boot time
* safely shut down your serviced VMs when the host system is shut down or rebooted
* no need for a user to be logged on to the host system at any time
* configuration through a simple ".INI" file
* control up to 127 virtual machines with a single service instance
* parallel installation of multiple service instances makes it possible to run one VM per service or to group VMs within service instances
* register additional VMs with a service instance even during runtime
* supporting console tools to control (startup / shutdown) single VMs that have been (bulk-) started or stopped by the service
VBoxVmService can be downloaded from rapidshare (until I get a project page online).
DOWNLOAD (5.7 MB): http://rapidshare.com/files/94156546/vms_rel20080223.zip
[UPDATE] Rapidshare downloading has been taken down.
Please check this posting for current download details:
It is written in C++ and supplies a set of supporting tools and scripts. It comes bundled with installation and operation instructions and a sample configuration file.
Any help on its improvement by C++ Developers, Batch-File-Gurus, or just about anyone would be deeply appreciated.
Cheers, Matt
[Edit] Since there is no project page (yet), I will frequently check this thread for any questions, problems, suggestions or other support issues. So this thread could be considered the project's homepage until further notice.[/url][/b]


text:
ABSplus offers the widest range of colors available with FDM Technology (ivory, white, black, dark gray, red, blue, olive green, nectarine and fluorescent yellow).
Parts 3D printed in this material are mechanically strong and stable over time. Because ABSplus works with soluble support materials, support removal is hands-free, and complex shapes and deep cavities require no extra effort.
Download the ABS P430 Spec Sheet Here [PDF]


text:
During the Q&A session following Secretary Clinton's speech on the Internet and freedom (previously discussed here), she said something that warmed my young heart: "We need the guidance of technology experts. In my experience, most of them are younger than 40, but not all are younger than 40."
I was reminded of this recently when a colleague from a competitor firm bragged to USAID that his entire team was under 30. His theory, which was greeted by sage nodding from the USAID delegation, is that most people who operate technology in South Sudan are under 30 and that their cultural deference to older people would make it difficult to create the peer relationships necessary to understand – and solve – IT challenges. His approach was to take smart, young people who are interested in working in Africa and release them into the provinces of South Sudan with a laptop, a Sudanese colleague, and a boda-boda driver. Good intentions, quick thinking, and the ability to quickly build rapport would win the day.
Deloitte's approach (and the USAID approval process) prefers more experience. For example, we are in the process of deploying a Financial Management Information System in South Sudan and our entire team has worked on similar problems for decades. They have the grey hair to prove it. There are manifest advantages to having a team that knows what it is doing: they remember what has worked (and failed) before, they understand the range of applicable solutions, and they don't have to reinvent the wheel. In this model, subject matter expertise, the ability to anticipate future challenges, and gravitas carry the day.
These options are not mutually exclusive. Successfully deploying a new system requires teams that include both members with significant experience and younger members for whom it will be easier to connect with local IT staff. (This is also a great way to get analysts and consultants out of the home office and into the field.) While every project requires a different mix of capabilities, I think that the right team can be formed based on the following principles:
Understand the Audience. I am uncomfortable arguing that age alone determines the ability to forge successful relationships, but I think that it is a factor. The guy in the server room, the computer operator, and the analysts (i.e. the people who use the technology) are young. The managers and the political leadership (i.e. the people who make decisions about the technology) tend to be older. Understanding this dynamic and structuring project teams to effectively work with this range of technical capability and leadership experience, is important.
Furthermore, as part of our efforts to build capacity, it would be incredibly valuable to match junior-level IT personnel with junior-level advisors, just as we match senior policy makers with experienced practitioners. The IT environment – its security, reliability, and accessibility – has a huge impact on our ability to deliver effective solutions. Mentoring the guys in the server rooms and working with them to provide a better infrastructure could be multiple the impact of the project.
Understand the Technology. The public sector in emerging markets tends to have limited infrastructure and technical capacity. While deploying a client-server (or even a cloud-based) architecture may be the preferable long-term solution, this approach requires whole-scale modifications to the operating environment. These modifications are costly, complicated, and chancy. For example, a 2006 survey on eGovernment in developing countries found that only 15% of implementations were fully successful. Today in South Sudan, the government relies on a primarily paper-based process for recruitment, appointments, and payroll. Admittedly, this process is inefficient, inaccurate, and inflexible, but it still exists 60 years after it was implemented by the colonial government.
While I disagree with solutions that reduce everything to an Excel spreadsheet (much less paper), simple prototypes that can be designed, developed and deployed quickly can be more effective. Designing these prototypes requires a deep understanding of the problem, but doesn't require extensive technical skills. Deploying staff that gravitates to the simpler, less disruptive and (potentially) longer-lasting solutions can help implement technology that is more sustainable over time.
Understand your Goal. eGovernment systems achieve multiple goals: they streamline (and sometimes create) processes, they improve data quality, and they allow governments to perform new services. They require inter-disciplinary teams that are able to understand the regulatory environment, improve the existing business processes, develop systems, and provide training on the solution. If you think about these projects as purely technology – or, worse, structure your team with only technologists – you will be less likely to succeed.
I have no clue whether this broad scope means that teams should be younger or older, but I think it is a powerful argument for diversity. Technology projects demand teams with varied competencies and (some) of these skills can be best provided by younger staff.


text:
Digitimes is claiming that the Foxconn Electronics plant in Shenzhen will start shipping iPad 2 in 100 days. They claim initial shipments should reach 400,000 - 600,000 units. The rumor comes from Taiwan based component makers but has not been confirmed in any way by Foxconn.
The sources claim that the iPad 2 will ship by the end of February 2011. Apple had planned to start mass manufacturing of the iPad 2 in January however the device's firmware is still in the testing stage and this has now been delayed by Apple.
Apple tend to keep device releases to a set yearly schedule. We know the iPhone tends to be released in June, new iPod devices in September and if last year is a basis, iPad 2 would be released in April. This would give Apple plenty of time to build up a substantial inventory to satisfy what will surely be a huge demand.
This time we will see current iPad users upgrading to more advanced hardware as well as others potential users who have held off buying the first generation iPad, finally taking the plunge.
We've already begun to imagine what new features iPad 2 will boast. I'm expecting an announcement in January, I can't wait, what about you?


text:
Indian police have arrested a key suspect accused of co-ordinating the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 166 people were killed and more than 300 wounded, media reports said Monday.
The Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency quoted unnamed police sources as confirming the arrest of Abu Hamza, also known as Sayed Zabiuddin, an Indian-born member of the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Hamza was allegedly one of the handlers based in Karachi, Pakistan who issued instructions by telephone to the 10 Islamist gunmen as they stormed two luxury hotels, a Jewish centre, a restaurant and a train station in Mumbai.
Hamza, who has used a string of aliases, was arrested at Delhi international airport on June 21 when he arrived from the Middle East and he has since been remanded in custody, PTI reported.
Pakistani national Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only gunman caught alive during the 60-hour assault on Mumbai in November 2008, was handed down a death sentence by the Bombay High Court last year.
PTI described Hamza as the 30-year-old "Hindi tutor" to the gunmen and said that he came from the western state of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital.
Delhi police spokesmen told AFP they were unable to immediately comment on reports about the arrest.
India blames the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant outfit, which is banned in Pakistan, for training, equipping and financing the Mumbai gunmen with support from "elements" in the Pakistan military.
Pakistan has indicted seven alleged perpetrators over the attacks but their trial, which began in 2009, has been beset by numerous delays triggering Indian accusations that the process is a sham.
The United States in April offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the conviction of Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba who lives openly in Pakistan and is accused of masterminding the Mumbai attacks.
AFP, photo by UK in India


text:
Have some extra bananas that are ripe and waiting to be used? Then this is a good way to make use of the ripe bananas. This is a typical GSB (Gowd Saraswath Brahmin) dish, commonly made in the Konkani households. I do have to mention that many people refer to the deep fried version as Podi, however we refer to the pan fried version as Podi and the deep fried version as Bhajji.?
Crispy on the outside and soft in the inside it is a total delight. The recipe could not be simpler. You cut the bananas, coat them in spicy rava/sooji mix and shallow fry them on a pan. In fact, you can substitute bananas with any other vegetable like potato, brinjal, raw banana, bitter gourd etc.?
This is eaten as side dish along with rice, daal and any upkari/stir fried sabji.
- 2-3 ripe bananas (not very ripe, it should be able to hold its shape)
- 2 Tbsp fine sooji/rava/semolina
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ? tsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
- Oil (for shallow frying)?
- Peel the banana and chop into little less than ? inch discs. I chopped them in the shape of rectangle. Keep aside.
- In a small dry plate mix the sooji/rava, red chilli powder, turmeric and salt.
- Now heat a tava or pan, when it is warm enough drizzle about 1 Tbsp of oil all around.
- Take each piece, coat them in the spicy sooji mix on both sides thoroughly (making sure no part is left open) and place them on the pan.
- Continue this process with some discs. Make sure not to over crowd the pan.
- Add about ? tsp of oil around each of the discs. This cooks very fast and the edges brown.
- Using a good spatula, turn each of the pieces around and cook on the other side. Transfer to a plate.
- Serve this as a side dish along with rice, daal or as a snack or?appetizer?along with tea.?


text:
Max is that oh-so-cute kid from Liar, Liar, and Fletcher is his ne'er-do-right father as played by Jim Carrey. Paul Guay is the not-necessarily-as-cute screenwriter whose films has grossed over half a billion dollars -- from Liar, Liar to Heartbreakers to The Little Rascals. At a recent screenwriters' conference at which Guay was part of a panel, SLAM! Wrestling had an opportunity to learn about the lost wrestling scene from Liar, Liar before the conversation turned towards all things wrestling.
In the film, one of the crucial transitional films for Jim Carrey from hyper-reality films like Ace Ventura to more thoughtful comedy and eventually pure drama, Carrey's character is a lawyer skilled in the art of lying who is forced to tell the truth for 24 hours, as wished for by his son. In the original script, one of the last straws leading to his son making the wish has Carrey taking his son to a wrestling match, only to be so wrapped up in his work that he barely seems to be present.
"The scene was shot at the Olympic Auditorium and they had thousands of extras there," Guay describes. "Gene LeBell played the ref for that match, and he also was the booker, so he was going through it with Sting and Big Show who was still The Giant at that time." This wasn't to be a scene that happened to have some wrestling in the background; this had the match front and center. "The Giant throws Sting out of the ring, right next to Carrey who barely looks up because he's so preoccupied with his work," explains Guay. "There's a shot at his son looking mournfully at his dad, and of course the point is that even when you take me along you don't have time for me."
Don't rent the movie looking for the scene thinking that you must have stepped out for popcorn at the time. It was cut from the film and, given the Hollywood tradition of keeping things on a need to know basis, the writers weren't told why. Guay can only offer his opinion as to why.
"It works fine," he begins, dismissing the idea that the scene didn't mesh thematically or that it wasn't funny enough. "We wrote it as one paragraph of action, because we just wanted to make the point, but once they had rented the auditorium and had the extras, the scene as filmed took much, much longer than we had envisioned. I guess they figured since we're here, why not take advantage of the opportunity. My guess is that when they saw the footage they felt it was longer than necessary for the point we wanted to make."
Instead, we have a scene in Fletcher's office whereupon he receives a new case and a slew of paperwork to go with it, and his son just knows that wrestling has gone by the wayside. Guay admits that the story works without that scene, but he would have gone in a different route had he known it wasn't going to be included.
Still, Guay can't help but lament the fact that wrestling is usually not welcome within Hollywood as serious subject matter. "It seems to me that most of the people why portray wrestling (in Hollywood films) have no affection for it and no knowledge of it," he laments. In referencing ... All the Marbles as a typical example, Guay doesn't condemn the quality of the film itself as much as the approach most films take to showing the wrestling world on the screen. "The conceit of the movie is that wrestling is real," he points out. "I guess in 1981 you could get away with it more, but given that the truth is certainly out there and is at least arguably more interesting, why not make a good wrestling film that goes behind the scenes and doesn't lie to us or treat us like idiots?"
Deciding to portray the wrestling world as legitimate sport is one part of the problem, as Guay sees it. The other part is that wrestling almost always ends up being treated as comedy ... and bad comedy at that. Guay chooses another entry from our Wrestling Movie Database to make an example: "I thought Nacho Libre was an embarrassment," he says matter-of-factly. "Everything about it was exactly what I don't want to see. When I see a wrestling scene in a film it's almost always like a bad Saturday Night Live sketch. I don't want to just see some steroidal idiot yelling into the mic and cutting a promo -- to me that's not what professional wrestling is. It's suspension of disbelief through athletic moves and grace and psychology. The people who short-change it are just doing the stereotype, and I have a negative interest in the stereotype."
It isn't even just the wrestlers that suffer from a stereotype, according to Guay: it's the fans. "I remember Ready to Rumble treated the wrestling fans in the movie as idiots," he says. "I thought: let me get this straight: this is your target audience, so your idea of how to market to them is to treat them like fools? I just didn't get it."
From Guay's perspective, it's clear why wrestling, and wrestling fans, exist only in stereotype in Hollywood. "I really think it's as simple as the fact that it's fake," he begins. "Because it's fake people look down on it, which doesn't make any more sense than saying: who likes Hamlet, that's fake." He goes on to point out that the "real versus fake" debate simplifies the complexities of good storytelling in wrestling and gives people an easy way to label the sport-entertainment conglomerate and its fans. "Yeah, it is fake, but is it well done? Do you get involved with the characters and their personalities? I think people stop at, 'Oh it's fake, therefore it's for children and idiots.' Well, there are children and idiots who like wrestling, but there are also intelligent people who like wrestling. Why not make a film that appeals to every semi-intelligent person out there? Those of us who fell in love with wrestling fell in love with it for a reason. Why not show the excitement of it, the ability to engage people? The experience of seeing a great wrestling match live hasn't been portrayed anything like it could be on screen."
Well, that makes for a good question: why not make a film like that? And who better to ask than a lauded screenwriter who has the connections and clout to pitch something like that film?
"I've actually pitched a wrestling film," he replies. "I've pitched a movie that goes behind the scenes of wrestling. The reaction is: who goes to wrestling movies? Who are these people that watch wrestling? I don't understand -- get out of my office!" Guay is quick to make jokes and poke fun at himself, but there's a palpable frustration behind that last remark.
French author Jules Renard noted that writing is an occupation in which you have to keep proving your talent to those that have none. Guay's brick-walled attempts to pitch a serious wrestling film may not be a result of a dearth of talent in those he's pitching to, but Guay does make it clear that he has been frustrated by pitching his passion to deaf ears. "I'm a nerd so I brought my 20-30 hardcover wrestling books to the pitch, because I wanted to establish myself as a bona fide expert," he continues. "I love this stuff, and there's a great story here. These are fascinating, larger-than-life people. What is it that drives these people to do what they do? There's only a few hundred people in the United States who are doing this and it's one of the last vestiges of the carny lifestyle of the circus. They are conmen who are simultaneously open about the fact that they are conning you."
After disparaging the films already mentioned, Guay acknowledges that there may be more hope for the upcoming Darren Aronofsky film The Wrestler, possibly because of the pedigree of the filmmaker who has delivered thoughtful films such as The Fountain and Requiem for a Dream. Still, Guay points out that no matter the tone or story in upcoming drama, it still won't fully realize the potential of the story floating in Guay's own head. "If you're dealing with Mickey Rourke, he's gotta be 50-plus years old," he points out. "I assume it's about a retired wrestler who gets back in, so you're already sort of doing Rocky V or VI instead of Rocky. That doesn't mean I won't see it but if I wanted to do the classic wrestling movie I would start with a guy who's going in at the right age, with the right look, and 'X' happens to him."
It would make for a straightforward wrestling story, one that Guay concedes would demand the loss of "nudge-nudge, wink-wink" trappings that exist today to appease knowledgeable wrestling fans who want in on the secrets. "When I started watching wrestling, it wasn't ironic," Guay recalls. "One of the things that Vince McMahon did is to put quotation marks around it. ... When I started watching, people were trying for the suspension of disbelief. Bad guys were really trying to make you actually hate them. They weren't tweeners, they weren't winking at the camera. You actually believed that if you go to the Cow Palace, Dutch Savage is going to try and break the fat neck of Pat Patterson. Now that's a promo that I remember from 1973. Thirty-five years later I remember that promo, because Dutch Savage convinced me that he meant it. In contrast, I probably couldn't tell you what I saw on Raw on Monday night. There's a reason for that: not only because we imprint more easily when we're young but also because there was a sense of conviction and lack of irony."
Admittedly, this sounds like a codger alert. It would be easy to presume that Guay is yet another in the long line of older fans who simply fail to see anything redeeming in the modern world of wrestling. As the discussion continues, though, Guay explains how pitching his film led to a spot at the WWE writing table, and it becomes clear that he has plenty of enthusiasm for many of today's performers -- just not for the majority of stories in which they are asked to perform.
"I pitched my wrestling movie to WWE Films and the then head of the film division said they're not doing wrestling films" Guay offers, at once understanding of the mandate for WWE Films to establish itself in the non-wrestling arena, but obviously frustrated to have hit another dead end. "But, he said Stephanie McMahon was looking for writers for the TV show because at that point the ratings were not doing well (this took place in the latter part of 2002). She called and we talked briefly on the phone, then I flew out to Connecticut and interviewed with her. I told her what I would do with the WWE booking if I were God, and then she brought me the next day to meet with Vince, Paul Heyman, Brian Gewirtz, Michael Hayes, Triple H, and all the writers around the table. I sat down and Vince said 'shoot.'" So I pitched them my approach and Vince hired me."
There existed, therefore, a clear conflict between the management's desire to bring in storytellers from the mainstream realm, and the old school mentality of the wrestling storytellers and wrestlers themselves. "Vince wanted to hire somebody and Stephanie wanted to hire somebody, but I think there's always resistance some people at any company to the new guy coming in," Guay explains. "Is he going to upset the apple cart? Is he trouble? Will he be here two weeks from now? I remember one of the first things I was asked by one of the gentlemen was how many bumps have you taken (done in Guay's best gravel-laden voice), which I thought was so sweet and endearing and pertinent. I thought of offering to go in the ring and letting him stretch me, because if making me scream like a woman was going to make him feel more like a man, then let's get it out of the way and we can move on to writing some good television."
Guay was also on-hand to witness the tumultuous relationship between Vince and Heyman. "They're both very strong personalities that were, when I was there, pulling in different directions, and it was clear that there were personal issues that were affecting what was going on," Guay theorizes. During his time, though, and even after his short tenure had come to an end, Guay developed enormous respect for Heyman's abilities behind-the-scenes. "When I talked to Paul privately, I was more impressed by what he said than by anyone else I've ever met in the wrestling industry," he explains. "His ways to pitch stars, to make stars out of guys … I've never encountered anything like it."
Guay quickly points out that his admiration for Heyman does not necessarily preclude admiration for McMahon, and he doesn't feel the need to enter into an "either-or" appreciation of the pair. In fact, he suggests, he can understand why, on the surface, some may find it hard to appreciate Heyman for his talents. "You've got Vince, whose company is worth a billion dollars," Guay begins. "You could say 'What has Paul Heyman done?' He joins a tiny company and runs it into the ground. That's true, that's part of Paul's story. But the other part is that he kept creating stars who were big enough that WWE and WCW were poaching them from this guy who they don't even admit exists, although apparently Vince is helping to fund the company under the table. What is it about this guy who hires unknowns but is showcasing them in a way that makes you want to poach them and bring them onto the main stage? This is an interesting guy. I remember when I was there and we were talking about an upcoming pay-per-view, and Paul and I were out in the parking lot. He was pitching me on how to make Tommy Dreamer challenge for the title. Before he said anything I thought 'Why do I want to see Tommy Dreamer challenge for the title?' Ten minutes later I was thinking I want to buy that pay-per-view, that's a story I want to see told. Heyman is just great at creating a scenario that you'd want to invest your money to see, which is a remarkable talent."
As for his own talents and how he influenced decision-making with the WWE creative team, Guay is matter-of-fact about his visible legacy with the WWE. There is nothing that I contributed that made its way onto television," he states, though he did have one idea coming in that, as it turned out, the story team was already developing. "When I was there they were just making the decision to have Kurt [Angle] fight Brock [Lesnar] at Wrestlemania and, before I joined, I was going to pitch them Kurt and Brock at Wrestlemania. They actually did it to their enormous credit."
It was the type of match that had the old-school fan in Guay understandably excited. "It was so exciting because of the legitimacy that those two had. Kurt, I think, is one of the best workers of all time, and Brock was such a massive piece of meat; he had the physique and he had the quickness, and he had titles in the amateur level that made him a completely credible contender. I remember, though, being unhappy when they were going to flip him to babyface because there weren't enough babyfaces to fight him. Heyman was his mouthpiece at the time, and the combination of what Brock, as a heel, had in the ring and what Heyman brought on the mic was just wonderful."
Guay also pushed for legitimacy and credibility in the oft-maligned women's division. "I remember a couple of matches between Victoria and Trish [Stratus] on TV that were really hard-fought and really exciting, and much better than what the guys were doing at the time," he explains. "When I was in the writer's room they were looking for a backstory about a beauty pageant or something and I remember wondering, 'Why would you want a backstory for something so exciting?' Let's not make it worse with some wrong-headed story about why they're angry at each other -- how about they're angry at each other because they want to win a wrestling contest? How about it really matters to them? Let's save the backstories for others who need it -- these were legitimately exciting matches."
It is this same belief in legitimacy and credibility that Guay feels elevates wrestling to its purest artistic level, and he tried to push that agenda while in the writer's room. "My point of view was that titles matter, wins and losses matter," he says. "You don't have to sell twenty-one storylines in the course of two hours. You're trying to sell a pay-per-view. You're going to make me want to buy it with a credible main event and maybe one key supporting match." What weighs a card down, in Guay's view, is that it is stacked with matches, all embedded with their own detailed storylines, to the point that it de-emphasizes the main event. As to how that style of booking has come to be, Guay offers this estimation: "My guess is that on the writing staff everyone wants to keep busy and everyone wants to contribute, and that makes total sense. But if you have a title match, the importance of the title is such that you don't also need a personal story line. These should be the best wrestlers in the world competing. The audience should be thinking 'That wrestler is holding the belt for a reason. If he's a heel he may have cheated his way into it but he's incredibly smart and sneaky, or if it's a babyface it's because no matter what the heel does he can find his way to win. The title should matter and it should actually matter who holds it."
Ultimately, Guay is a fan. He'll continue to follow WWE and there is always the chance to work with the world's biggest wrestling company down the road. And if his wrestling movie ever comes to the theatres, don't worry, he doesn't plan on treating you like an idiot.
When Paul Guay isn't threatening to break people's "darn, fat necks" down at the Cow Palace, he's running his script consultant service. You can read testimonials and see a list of his services http://www.LetsSchmooze.com/PaulGuay.html.


text:
ORLANDO, FL -- There is nothing like sitting beneath the bright lights of Studio 21 at
Universal Studios Florida, watching a live professional wrestling pay per view.
There is an
electricity surging from the crowd, with blaring music and the
six-sided ring, where mythological like athletes will do battle, live before untold numbers watching on television at home. Such a
spectacle has become the proverbial holy grail of countless professional
wrestlers world wide, to rise from anonymity and declare their grandeur to the
It is
without a doubt a far cry from the humble setting of the Polish Hall in Niagara
Falls, Ontario. Although wrestling events are not longer held at that cramped
structure, where there never seems to be enough toilet paper in the stalls, it will
be forever known as the place where Eric Young truly made himself into the
modern star that he is today.
"I miss
those shows," admitted Young to SLAM! Wrestling, just hours before he would
step into the steel cage at Total Nonstop Action's Lockdown PPV held in April.
"I always had a lot of fun there, but obviously, I wanted to make it to this
level. Now that I'm here, I couldn't be happier."
He was born
Jeremy Fritz, a native of Florence, Ontario. A fan of professional wrestling
since the age of six, he set out to pursue his dream of becoming a modern day
gladiator in tights eight years ago. It was in nearby Cambridge that Young
received his initial indoctrination from Carl Leduc, son of famed Quebec
grappler, Paul
"I got
trained mostly by him. I did some with Scott D'amore,
I did a month and a half with Chris Kanyon
when he was in Toronto filming the Jesse Ventura movie -- it was a handful of
It was a
unique manner in which Young received his crucial first lessons for becoming an
active professional wrestling. In hindsight though, it would seem to be the
right formula for him. For like many in his trade, he would soon set out to pay
his dues on the Ontario independent circuit, tagged with the moniker of
"Showtime" Eric Young.
"Ontario is
a hotbed for talent," he said. "Ontario is a very competitive place, there's a
lot of good wrestlers. On any give night, you could work any 20 guys and gain
good experience because everybody wanted to work hard. It was like a competition
almost, everyone wanted to have the best match of the night. I loved it, it was
That kind
of environment proved fertile ground in the development of Young into an indy
star in his native province at the dawn of the new millennium. While having no
shortage of entertaining matches with the varied talent available at that time,
there is one name who standouts, blending with Young in ring like no other,
delivering mind boggling battles of mythical proportions.
His name is
Derek Wylde.
is one of my good friends. We've had some really great matches over the years, a lot of
good memories with him there's no doubt. We held each other's lives in our
hands on several occasions. He's still alive and so am I, so it all it worked
out for the best."
But as
Wylde reflected with SLAM! Wrestling, their first ever engagement in the ring
was quite forgettable.
"The first
time we ever met each other, everyone had big expectations for a really good
match up," reflected Wylde (real name Dennis Stewart). Their first match would
in fact take place at the Barrie Molson Centre, before some 2,000 plus fans
according to Wylde.
"We had the
worst match in wrestling history, it sucked," said Wylde bluntly. "No one knew
what went wrong, it just didn't happen that day. Couple of months down the
road, somebody gave us another shot and it was the exact opposite. We had the
most fantastic match that had everyone in Ontario talking. That match
singlehandedly made my career, because that match got me booked everywhere. It
was a blessing and a curse, because in one hand it got me booked everywhere,
but in the other hand, they would only let me work Eric."
The two
wrestling standouts would go on to deliver a series of unforgettable
confrontations, most notably with the Neo Spirit
Pro (NSP) promotion based in Niagara Falls. There, they would raise the bar
for in-ring, daredevil antics, earning adulation from fans fortunate to see one
of their live matches.
"We kept
pushing each other. I was always coming up with crazy ideas about what I wanted
to do in our next match," Wylde recalled. "He would always give me a frown and
say 'Okay, we'll do that.' We really did some crazy stuff, stuff that as a
wrestler right now I wouldn't even imagine doing. We did the craziest shit that
you could ever think of. I let Eric give me a pile driver off the top of a
ladder to the outside of the ring through a table, which was legitimately 12
to15 feet in the air. I was totally safe and I knew I would be, never came
close to getting hurt. When Eric was around, he just made you feel different,
like you were invincible."
contests would immortalize both athletes, with Wylde giving full credit to
Young for helping him to elevate his career. "Showtime Eric young made me a
fantastic wrestler and I'm giving him 100% of the credit because without him, I
wouldn't be anywhere, not even close to where I am today."
Despite the
heights of achievement made in his native country, the stark reality that Young
faced, along with the vast majority of wrestlers in Canada, was the inability
to make a full-time living from his chosen vocation. While he did have some
dark matches with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), it would never evolve
into a development deal or wrestling contract.
At this
crucial crossroad, Young made the only decision he could and moved south in
March of 2004.
"It's sad
that it's hard to get over here (United States) to work. Being a Canadian makes
things very difficult with the visas and crossing the border. I know I had my
share problems as a lot do. From the
very first time I started wrestling I obviously wanted to make it some place
where I could do it for a living."
But with
perseverance, Young would eventually set up shop in Nashville, Tennessee and it
was not by coincidence that he moved to that particular locale. For Music City
USA was also the home of a new upstart promotion called Total Nonstop Action
Young would get his chance to show what he could do in the ring.
His efforts
would pay off when he was eventually recruited into TNA's Team Canada faction,
holding court along side fellow Canadians Bobby Roode,
Devine and Petey
Williams. Helping him to achieve this post was none other than Coach Scott
D'amore, promoter of Border City Wrestling in Windsor, Ontario where Young had
worked in the past.
He would
soon find himself in a world wind of activity as the despised Team Canada
competed against three other teams in the World X Cup tournament, live on PPV
television in the spring of 2004.
"It was
super exciting, it was a dream come true. You dream about doing it and then
you're here. I don't get nervous, I do get pumped up. I feel like this is what
I'm supposed to do.
There are a lot of guys who are as good as me or who deserve a shot here, but
there's only limited spaces and I'm glad that I have one of them."
Young would
go on to help ignite the tag team wrestling division for the promotion,
eventually gaining the TNA tag team championship titles in December of 2004
alongside Roode.
"I'm having
a blast doing tag matches. Up until I got here, in Ontario, maybe I'd done 20,
maybe 30 tag matches ever. It was like learning to wrestle all over again. Now
I'm wrestling as a heel (bad guy) and because I'm Canadian they hate my guts.
It was a good role for me to step into."
His team
would eventually lose the titles to their tag team rivals America's Most Wanted
in January of 2005. But that hasn't stopped Young from continuing to prove his
worth to the promotion, with his wrestling abilities only continuing to grow,
matched with his over the top facial antics, something he has made a point of
studying from many former greats of the business.
"I steal
from the guys that are legends: Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Terry Funk. These
are guys I grew up watching and idolizing. Anytime anybody can say 'Oh you
reminded me of him when you did this' that's flattering to me. I think that
part of wrestling, there's not enough of it. I think my strong point is being
able to get people involved in the emotion of what I'm doing through theatrics
like facials or that five seconds I take to sneer at the crowd."
No matter
how far he goes from here, be assured, Eric Young has left his impression on
the wrestling business. Nowhere else can that be seen than with the next
generation of Ontario wrestling greats like "Completely"
Cody Steele, who once tutored at the Wrestleplex school that Young used to
run in Cambridge.
"I would go
to the Wrestleplex to make sure I didn't develop any ring rust and try new
things, but I also went and absorbed everything that Eric Young had to say in
terms of wrestling basics, psychology, performance," said Steele (real name
Chris Gray). "Almost any indy wrestler from Ontario and surrounding territories
will tell you that Eric Young was the man in Ontario when he was still doing
indies here. He inspired me and a lot of other guys on the indy circuit to pick
it up and strive to be better wrestlers. Eric Young really is the total package
in wrestling. He has the look, skill and the attitude to make lots of money in
this business and I knew when I was working the indy circuit with him that it
was only a matter of time before he got picked up by a major company. He
deserves every amount of success he achieves in this business."
Despite all
that he has achieved, sometimes the reality of it all can be a little
overwhelming for Eric Young.
almost surreal. Not a lot of people can say from the time they were six years
old that this is what they wanted to do and they're actually doing it," Young
said. "Sometimes I don't even realize it. I'll be sitting at home and I'll
think 'I wrestle for a living.'"
Young will
go for tag team gold once again, as he and his partner Petey Williams take on
The Naturals at TNA's
Slamminversary PPV on June 19th. Check your local cable and satellite
providers for details.


text:
Journey to the Past: Touring Columbus, Ohio
On Saturday, my dear aunt drove me to the various houses she knew about in Columbus, Ohio. We drove past the house on Gates Street. I fondly remember this house from the times I visited my Grannie. The house isn't as pink as I remember it being on the outside; however, the home is in good shape. The neighborhood around it, not so much. We drove by what should have been Long's Pharmacy, it is no longer. We drove past what was once Sherman Lewis Brown's auto shop at 1888 Parson's Avenue. It is no longer. We drove past the house on Reeb Avenue. The area of Reeb, is in terrible condition. So sad. When my family lived there in the 1920s, I believe it was a small suburb of Columbus but that people cared about these houses. Since that time, the area has gone into great decline and the houses look awful. My aunt looked up Medill Street, but it no longer exists.
We drove past the house on Stewart Avenue in German Village. What a nice surprise. The entire neighborhood is so well kept. What I didn't realize was just how close my Grandmother lived to Schiller Park growing up. Now the stories made sense.
My aunt concluded that a man walking to his car lived in the Stewart house and asked him about it. He said he did. My aunt said it was the home of her mother and she was so happy to see it so well cared for. The man was deeply touched and shared that they'd lived there since 1983 and loved the house. Aww... such a touching story.
About this time, I wasn't feeling good and mentioned this to my aunt. She told me I had the motion sickness stomach of my Grannie. Seriously? It's cool to know that we have that connection, but there are so many other things I'd prefer to have in common with someone. Not my car sickness.
In any case, we finished the driving tour by going to Ohio State University. I had hoped to go past the hospital where my mother used to work, but the hospital complex looks like a small city. We opted to go to the Ohio State University stadium. Ohio State football is a huge thing to my father. Apparently, living in Texas he couldn't get the games. So, he'd have my aunt record the games and send copies to him. How funny. Plus, my Great-Grandfather R. Victor Zumstein was a professor at Ohio. He was a professor at Michigan before going to Ohio. The story goes that he had a hard time knowing which side of the football stadium to sit on during the Michigan-Ohio State games. So he concluded that he'd sit on the Michigan side until he taught at Ohio as long as he had at Michigan. He hadn't been at Michigan long, so that was concluded quickly and he was a fan of the school he taught at. It seemed fitting to stand there as my journey had finally come full circle.
This is another installment in a lengthy multi-series post about the fantastic research trip I took to Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. If you're just joining the this series, you'll be able to see every post under the label Research Trip.


text:
- This event has passed.
English Conversation Level 1
June 30, 2016 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm UTC+7
English Conversation Level 1
Our English Conversation Level 1 Course is designed to help you learn essential language skills that will help boost your confidence in Conversation from day one.
What you will learn:
- Introduce and talk about yourself
- Talk about needs, wants, and reasons
- Talk about an interest
- Have an interview
- Plan a meal
- Tell stories about memorable meetings
- Give advice to a visitor
- Talk about present habits, make comparisons and express preferences
- Make guesses and predictions, give direction
Why choose our English Conversation Course?
- An easy to follow, structured course for people who want to become better in Conversation
- Learn essential speaking & listening skills
- Get a good understanding of basic grammar and vocabulary
- Start using practical English examples from day one.
- Progress with personal learning plans and individual attention of your Teacher.
Key facts of our English Conversation Level 1 Course
- 30 hours of quality English Conversation Training divided over 15 days.
- Course duration: 3 to 5 weeks
- Class size: maximum 7 students
- Lesson duration: 120 minutes
- Lessons per week: 3 to 5
- Easy to understand Learning materials are included
- Start: Check our Schedule
- Minimum age: There is no Minimum age
- Extra materials are provided according to your individual needs
Course Structure
- Conversation is held in our modern classrooms at Education Gateway School.
- A structured English Conversation course with enough time for personal attention and time to practice with your fellow students.
- A Native English Teacher leads the course.
Your start and progress
- Before you start we encourage you to do our Free English Online Test.
- Come and visit us, to see what it is like to be in our classrooms.
- Stay focused with personal learning plans.
- During the classroom sessions you will work on your vocabulary and pronunciation.
Resources and materials
- An easy to use English Conversation workbook is used to improve your speaking and listening skills.
- Wi-Fi enabled classrooms equipped with modern computers and materials to teach you real world English Conversation.
- We have free water, tea and coffee for you together with little snacks makes learning comfortable.
At the end of the course, receive an Education Gateway Certificate documenting your language level.


text:
Click on a name below to go to the biography.
Click on a place on the map to see the mathematician(s) born there.
The marker on the left indicates Tonbridge.
Its latitude and longitude are 51°12'N 0°17'E
and its coordinates on the map are: 434, 507.
Click THIS LINK for more information about Tonbridge.
Click THIS LINK to see a map.
Click THIS LINK to see an Ordnance Survey map.
Click THIS LINK to see an extract from
The Mathematical Gazetteer of the British Isles
JOC/EFR October 2018
The URL of this page is:
School of Mathematics and Statistics
University of St Andrews, Scotland


text:
We have such a wonderful batch of guests this week we are just beside ourselves. Come be beside us too!
David Gborie comes to party. He's been telling jokes all over the country for a couple of years now and he is, in his words, "Pretty legit at it". He currently lives in San Francisco where he is a member of Sylvan Productions and can be seen around town lurking at one of their many shows or at Crissy fields with his trusty crab pot. As a perfomer he's appeared at The Bridgetown Comedy Festival, SF Indie Fest, and Denver's Too Much Funstival, as well as the SF Punchline, The Denver Comedy Works, and other impressive venues.
Also, up from LA we have Amber Kenny, a founding member of the sketch teams Little Kevin Buttersmith and Dumb Babies and Grant Pardee, a literally perfect boy.
And watch out for Aaron Weaver! All the way out from Chicago, he "sneaks up on you with an unorthodox style, then snaps your neck with a comedic Kung Fu chop to the spine. "
Plus all your regulars will be there as well. Sean Keane, Bucky Sinister, Nato Green and Caitlin Gill, all reporting for doody.
All this for JUST $5!!! Get there early, we sell out.
BYOBurrito full of magical fruit.


text:
The Dodge B150 is built on the Chrysler AB platform. The number 150 indicates the vehicle's weight—one half ton. The Dodge B-series models are sold as a Dodge Ram Van or a Dodge Ram Wagon.
The B-series vehicles make up a popular line for Dodge. The B-series includes both pickup trucks and vans. B-series vans started production in the early 1970s and lasted until 2003. Early on, the vans were numbered B100, B200, and B300. In the 1980s, the model numbers were raised by 50.
The Dodge B150 is best known for its massive size. The van gained recognition for its physical shape and attributes; over its 30-year life span and three generations, the body style underwent small changes, but the main aesthetic remained.
The larger B150 is used for transportation and shuttle services, and it has been modified for use as an ambulance and military vehicle. Popular modifications to the van include conversion to camper vehicles and ""lifestyle"" wagons that owners can live and travel in (much like the VW van).
Dodge discontinued the B150 in 1993, in favor of the Dodge Sprinter, which also goes by the Freightliner Sprinter or the Mercedes-Benz Transporter.
The B150 is the small guy in the B line, measuring 178.9 inches from front to tail. The resized 1991 to 1993 models of the B150 wagon measure 187.2 inches.
At its introduction, the B150 contained the small 3.7-liter, inline six-cylinder engine. This produces a paltry 110 horsepower, which did not change until the engine was finally upgraded in 1988.
The introduction of computer-selected front springs serves as the first big change for the B150. These new and improved springs increases the quality of the van's suspension system. Dodge also refined the alternator and made it bigger, replacing the old 40 amp alternator with the new 60 amp and improving the vehicle's power.
The B150 wagon offers more space for passengers as well as a bevy of new trim. It includes extra chrome throughout the vehicle and tinted windows. The B-model wagon is the first van to have a single back door installed. Vinyl, low bucket seats also come standard on the B150.
In later years, Dodge neglected the B150 when it began focusing on other vehicles in its fleet. A modest facelift occurred in 1986, when the bumper was replaced and the front grille redesigned, but beyond this, the B150 stayed the same.
1988 brought about some changes. The poor 3.7-liter engine could no longer compete in the market, so Dodge finally changed it. A 3.9-liter V-6, an engine created for the Dodge Dakota, replaced the 3.7-liter engine in the B150. It has comparable power to a V-8, as it is essentially a V-8 with two cylinders sawed off. This new engine gives the B150 a boost in horsepower, producing 125 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque.
New safety features in the car include airbags. The passenger side airbag comes with an off switch.
The model shows some mechanical improvements as well. The van has a larger design and hood, which permits a forward engine. Tires and brakes boast upgrades, as does the vehicle's suspension. This greatly improves the lackluster handling performance on the vehicle, especially in comparison to other vans on the market.
In 1990, anti-lock brakes were offered on the vehicle, but not as a standard feature. If you're looking for an early 1990s model, try to find one with the anti-lock brakes installed.
Increases in engine performance were made in in early 1990s, but the B150 generally ran on the same mechanics from its introductory year. If you are in the market for a used van, you might want to steer clear of the B150, no matter how attractive the design. There are many other vans out there with better performance than the neglected B150. If you decide to go with a Dodge Ram van, consider buying one of the third generation B1500 vans. These have greatly improved engines and mechanics.
1996 Dodge B150
The 2996 Dodge B150 is available with a shorter 109.


text:
German-speaking cinema markets are failing to thrive. Arguably the main reason for this is the weakness of the film production industry in Germany in particular. Film-makers have failed to take any advantage of Western Europe's largest linguistic market. Looking at trends in the cinema industry and key players within it, data tracking admissions, box office and screen numbers since 2000 in the report highlights the potential of these markets if only audiences lost since the start of the century could be won back.
Click here for a full contents listing of this report. Published March 2018, £995.
You can download research directly from product information pages. We accept the cards below. Or if you prefer you can contact us by phone or email to place your order, when your reseach will be deliverd by email. There are no delivery charges. All transactions are in GB£.
As well as published work we undertake specific projects and build custom databases for clients. We act in an advisory capacity in relation to matters such as financings, strategy and public policy. We offer support in representations to competition authorities, and in litigation. We help both developers and city planning authorities understand the cinema market in relation to new developments. We execute projects focused on technological and cultural issues. We work with suppliers of equipment and services to forecast demand.


text:
Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Lampard injury worry
Frank Lampard gave England an injury scare on Saturday afternoon after being forced off in Chelsea's Barclays Premier League win against Norwich.
Lampard was withdrawn midway through the second half at Stamford Bridge after starting and scoring in a 4-1 victory.
The 34-year-old was in line to captain England in their World Cup qualifying double-header against San Marino and Poland, but Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo said after the game: "We'll have to assess him tomorrow and then see. He felt a little bit of a problem behind his knee, so for precaution, we took him off."


text:
LYONS, Colo. — Heavy rains sent walls of water crashing down mountainsides Thursday in Colorado, cutting off remote towns, forcing the state"s largest university to close and leaving at least three people dead across a rugged landscape that included areas blackened by recent wildfires.
A warm, moist storm system has been dropping rain on the region for much of the week. Up to 8 inches fell in an area spanning from the Wyoming border south to the foothills west of Denver. Flooding extended all along the Front Range mountains, including the cities of Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins, Greeley, Aurora and Boulder.
Rain into Friday
Numerous roads have been washed out or made impassable by floods, and water has poured into homes. Some buildings have collapsed in the torrent. Parts of several interstate highways in the Denver area were temporarily closed because of standing water.
Boulder County appeared to be hardest hit. Sheriff Joe Pelle said the town of Lyons was completely cut off because of flooded roads, and residents were huddling together on higher ground. Although everyone was believed to be safe, the deluge was expected to continue into Friday.
Search vehicles and rescue helicopters were standing by, but many were unable to get to mountain communities because of flooding and fog. Residents were asked to drink bottled or boiled water because of possible contamination to water supplies.
"It is not an ordinary disaster," Pelle said. "All the preparation in the world… it can"t put people up those canyons while these walls of water are coming down."
In a neighborhood northwest of Boulder, Dave Finn said he had to knock down a fence to release water that had backed up behind it. He said he destroyed his fence to save his house.
Wildfire "burn scars"
"I"ve never seen it like this," he said. "You know, we sort of roll our eyes when they say you have to be prepared for the 100-year flood, so here we are."
Firefighters performed a daring rescue of two men trapped in vehicles in Rock Creek, east of Boulder. After rushing water collapsed a section of road, rescuers used a raft to reach the men, broke the car windows and lifted them to safety.
Some of the flooding was exacerbated by wildfire "burn scars" that have spawned flash floods all summer in the mountains. That was particularly true near Jamestown in an area scarred by fire in 2010 and another near Colorado Springs" Waldo Canyon that was hit in 2012.
The National Weather Service warned of an "extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation" throughout the region as flooding forced people from their homes and caused mud and rockslides.
At the University of Colorado, about 400 students in a dorm were evacuated, and administrators canceled classes at least through Friday. About a quarter of the school"s buildings have some kind of water damage.
One person was killed when a structure collapsed in the tiny town of Jamestown northwest of Boulder. Another person drowned in northern Boulder, authorities said.
To the south, Colorado Springs police conducting flood patrols found a body in Fountain Creek on the west side of the city.
Weather service meteorologist Bob Kleyla said a 20-foot wall of water was reported in Left Hand Canyon north of Boulder, and a firefighter radioed he was trapped in a tree. He said rescuers were trying to get through, but were blocked by debris.
The creek is usually "just a trickle," said nearby resident Carm Say. "You can walk across it and have fun. Now, as you can see, it"s hitting houses."
In Broomfield, U.S. Highway 287 collapsed when a culvert washed out, dumping three vehicles into the rushing water. Three people with minor injuries were rescued.
At least one earthen dam gave way southeast of Estes Park, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, and water levels could rise downstream as authorities release more water to keep more dams from giving way.
Flash flood warnings were issued for multiple counties. Downstream farming areas including Fort Lupton, Dacono and Plateville were also at risk as debris piled up near bridges.
In rural Morgan County, authorities urged ranchers to move cattle to higher ground as the mountain rains emptied onto the plains.
Rain showers and thunderstorms were expected through the night, with some storms capable of dumping an inch of water in 30 minutes, the weather service warned.


text:
You can't take a spin on Mars without getting dirty.
The photo mosaic above shows three of the six wheels on NASA's Curiosity rover, already dusted with Mars dirt after just a month on the Red Planet. Curiosity snapped the shots of its wheels and underbelly using the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on the end of the rover's 2.1-meter robotic arm. MAHLI took the mosaic photos September 9, during a weeklong checkout of the robotic arm's functions.
The cutouts visible in Curiosity's wheels are used to estimate distance traveled by a process called visual odometry. (The cutouts also spell out "JPL" in Morse code in honor of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., which manages the rover mission for NASA.)
Having worked out its robotic arm, Curiosity will soon proceed toward its first destination, a region about 400 meters distant called Glenelg, where multiple terrain types meet. The rover's ultimate destination, the much more distant Mount Sharp, rises in the background on the right side of this MAHLI mosaic.