text:
In an elaborately decorated parlor in Gracie Mansion, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former President Bill Clinton last week each ticked off how he had personally become green.
Clinton bought a hybrid.
Bloomberg painted the roof of his Upper East Side townhouse white.
They both pushed for sustainable building.
"I'm devoting more time to the environment," said Bloomberg.
Bloomberg plans to encourage all New Yorkers to adopt those personal practices. And he's doing it through his environmental agenda: PlaNYC 2030. In December 2006, PlaNYC set out more than 120 initiatives, programs and goals to reduce carbon emissions by more than 30 percent over the next two decades and prepare the city for a population influx of 1 million people. It proposed regional parks, bike lanes, stormwater infrastructure, affordable housing and a green building code. According to Bloomberg's estimate, the city has already kicked off 97 percent of these initiatives.
"The vast bulk of these things we actually are doing, and they are making a difference," said Bloomberg.
Many advocates say the vast majority of the plan has been successful, but not all of it.
Since the plan's launch, the administration has been hit with several major defeats (most notably, congestion pricing), while some adopted proposals (ahem, bike lanes) currently face renewed opposition.
This week, Bloomberg is expected to release a retooled plan, announce new initiatives and incorporate the city's solid waste management strategy into his sustainability agenda. As the city plans for PlaNYC 2.0, officials and advocates question whether Bloomberg can accomplish all of the goals of the original plan in the face of a staggering economy and third termitis.
The Disappointments
First came congestion pricing -- the mayor's plan to charge drivers to enter Manhattan during the workweek.
The linchpin of the entire environmental agenda, the pricing plan failed to gain traction in Albany thanks to fierce opposition from legislators in the outer boroughs.
That defeat was followed by a series of court decisions striking down another PlaNYC proposal: the creation of an all hybrid-taxi fleet.
Then came the Great Recession and 10 rounds of budget cuts. Now, thanks to the economy, some programs have been abandoned altogether.
"We had our wins and our losses," said Rohit Aggarwala, the former head of the mayor's Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability, who left the Bloomberg administration last year. "The biggest achievement that I'm most proud of is the green buildings package," Aggarwala said referring to legislation to reduce carbon emissions from buildings.
But, he added, "Congestion pricing was obviously a tragic loss. The hybrid taxis is kind of a mixed bag."
Some would call "mixed" generous.
The administration is set to select a new taxi model this month -- none of the cars under consideration are hybrids.
Beyond taxis, the city planned to open 43 sports fields across the city to their communities. That proposal has been abandoned, according to the latest PlaNYC status report.
By 2015, according to PlaNYC, the city would redevelop at least one underutilized major park in every borough. Construction was supposed to start on all eight by the end of 2010. Half -- Fort Washington Park, Highland Park, High Bridge and Soundview Park -- have yet to see a shovel in the ground.
The plan promised every New Yorker would live within walking distance of a park. Some advocates question whether that will ever happen.
"We thought we were going to get a waterfront park with an environmental education center and children's playground," said Elizabeth Yeampierre, the executive director of UPROSE, an environmental group in Sunset Park. "We thought we were going to get a greenway."
They have none of that, she said.
The city was supposed to complete 640 greenstreets, or thoroughfares with small islands with green space, by 2015. That number has been halved, according to a PlaNYC progress report. The administration originally committed to installing nighttime lights on 25 fields. That has been decreased to 19.
The plan called for encouraging home ownership and affordable housing. But the administration's preliminary budget has eliminated city funding for the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, which provides counseling for those at risk of foreclosure.
For its part, administration officials are quick to deflect blame and point fingers -- sometimes at Wall Street and the economy, other times at Washington or Albany.
"For those things that are within the city government's unilateral control, the transportation initiatives have been successful," said David Bragdon, the new head of the city's sustainability office. "Where the transportation objectives haven't been met, it's largely a function of state and or federal inaction."
Bragdon, who took over the mayor's sustainability office last year, said the administration is committed to seeing the plan through. Park construction is not eliminated, only delayed. As part of the city's budget cutting measures, the administration is stretching out projects over several more years.
In light of billion-dollar deficits, some advocates sympathized with Bloomberg, who has to weigh spending city funds on the creation of open space with keeping cops on the street.
"They've accomplished a lot already, and while it's frustrating that the progress has had to slow, it's still underway," said Alyson Beha, director of research, planning and programs at New Yorkers for Parks. "They are doing a fantastic job given the financial climate."
The Successes
Despite the setbacks, Bloomberg administration officials easily list the plan's accomplishments.
Just last week, the mayor lauded the 2-year old pedestrian plaza in Times Square for bringing down nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen oxide levels in the area (PlaNYC called for 10 to 15 public plazas across the city).
While major park construction has been delayed, the administration has been successful at opening school playgrounds to the public. As of April, 177 have been opened and 34 are currently under construction, according to a Bloomberg spokesperson.
Last month, Bloomberg and Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced the launch of East River ferry service between Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens -- after much delay -- and committed $3.3. billion to the city's waterfronts.
Back on land, the administration has successfully launched the nation's first ever Office of Environmental Remediation -- the only city run brownfield cleanup program. The office aims to attract developers by providing start-up capital to clean up contaminated land, which does not qualify for state or federal programs. So far, said Daniel Walsh, the head of the office, eight developers have signed on and the city has approved $800,000 in grants.
"For us, it's a very good story," Walsh told the Gotham Gazette. "The economy has not stopped us from building programs and getting them in place."
Despite earlier criticism, most advocates champion new laws approved in 2009 to require buildings get energy audits. In an original version, the proposal would have forced building owners to complete the audit's recommendations. In a compromise with the real estate industry, that provision was scratched.
Nonetheless, advocates say the legislation would still be extremely effective at reducing pollution from buildings -- which are responsible for 80 percent of all the city's carbon emissions.
"From our members' perspective, brownfields, the green infrastructure, stormwater management plan, the greater greener buildings plans ... every one of those have had a disproportionately positive effect for environmental justice communities," said Eddie Bautista, a former member of the Bloomberg administration who now heads the Environmental Justice Alliance. "Had PlaNYC not prioritized these type of programs cumulatively, we would be talking about dirtier air, more un-remediated soil, more CO2 discharges."
But Bautista added: "The jury is out on moving forward in a budget challenged, in a deficit era."
Moving to 2.0
The next version of PlaNYC, which will be unveiled Thursday, is already getting mixed reviews.
"While on its face it looks like this great effort to address climate, it doesn't really address the environmental health needs of communities that really deserve it," said Yeampierre of UPROSE, who says projects in Manhattan are higher priorities than those in outer borough, poorer neighborhoods. "The more we learn about what's being proposed, the more we're concerned."
Some of the criticism from advocates like Yeampierre stems from the administration's renewed exploration of waste-to-energy -- otherwise known as the process of burning trash to create electricity. Solid waste management will be included in the plan for the first time, and some advocates fear communities already inundated with the city's garbage burden will face the prospect of new facilities.
Other environmentalists, like those at the New York League of Conservation Voters, are encouraging the administration to consider waste-to-energy facilities. Too much of the city's trash is taken to out of state landfills, said Marcia Bystryn, the group's executive director, at an extremely high financial and environmental cost.
Stakeholders do not anticipate a sea change this week considering the city's budget crunch. Advocates say it's a good sign the administration is willing to revisit the plan and consider new technologies that have emerged over the last five years. But they are far from claiming victory.
"The hard part of conveying this story is you can acknowledge the progress that has been made and still worry about the serious challenges yet to be addressed," said Eric Goldstein of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Celebrating now would be premature."


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subset: commoncrawl


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Up to [gforth] / gforth
Request diff between arbitrary revisions
Keyword substitution: kv
Default branch: MAIN
Current tag: MAIN
updated copyright year after changing license notice
updated copyright notices for GPL v3
updated the copyright year on many files added FSF copyright header to complex.fs fft.fs regexp-test.fs regexp.fs added fsl-util.fs to update-copyright-blacklist
documented 2 bugs minor bugfixes and cleanups
Threw out some unused code recorded a bug
activated gforth-native again some gforth-native bugfixes and changes
updated copyright years
added copyright messages to a lot of files removed some obsolete or non-source files
updated ChangeLog and BUGS now gforth-itc is installed and uninstalled documentation changes
added some function key names and sequences (from Linux console) renamed NAME into PARSE-WORD
New bug reports. added slurp-fid; documented slurp-fid and slurp-file. bugfix in f. (thanks to Doug Bagley).
more combined word changes
type conversion macros instead of casts for fetch/store-single (prims2x.fs)
added EDIT-LINE; ACCEPT now gives an error on negative input fixed ACCEPT documentation
added bug report
fixed bug ("2 set-precision 333e0 fe." gave "33e0") added test for restore-input with crlf newlines
fixed bug about directory in prim.TAGS (untested)
updated BUGS file
updated BUGS
fixed a bug updated BUGS file factored out .strings from .included
updated BUGS
checked tutorial examples
worked around non-bug, removed bug-report
changes to make snapshot work
renamed .modules to .included
added a Tutorial to gforth.ds minor cleanups in gforth.ds
Gforth can now use mmap to read the image small changes to reduce the warnings
added growable.fs (but not to Makefile)
took exception handling out of the kernel into exceptions.fs added inline exception handling (TRY...RECOVER...ENDTRY) added exception handling without affecting sp or fp (PROTECT...ENDPROTECT)
fixed HEAD? alignment bug
bugfix: the system's THROW handler now resets the stack correctly. documentation changes
base<2 is now treated correctly documentation changes
updated dates in copyright messages inserted copyright messages in most files that did not have them removed outdated files engine/32bit.h engine/strsig.c
Fixed DOES> see bug
updated NEWS file added doc/gforth.txt to distributed files.
Several fixes and typos I forgot to check in until recently Documentation additions (not completed)
Default path now has "." in front Worked a bit on the documentation fixed handling of "." in open-path-file (now also works with "." from the path)
reorganized NEWS. added note about QUERY and TIB in BUGS.
' and ['] now deliver an error for compile-only words. renamed special- words into interpret/compile- words. refactored some of the recent changes. adapted see to the changes added way to make a word that defines words with differring interpretation and compilation code.
added config.h support (acconfig.h, changes in Makefile.in) check for sys_siglist declaration fixed bug in engine.c:cstr() prims2x.fs now outputs synclines only in C code
added code.fs (for real)
Removed BUGS, tried to clean up.
replaced Bernds solution for the path searching problem with mine. Use different register declarations for Intel depending on compiler version Updated bug list added GNU-convention make target check
Added more ANS system documentation (now complete) Minor changes
added "system documentation requirements" section to gforth.ds. added answers for environmental queries for wordsets. changed W/O file access mode from "w+" to "w". S" now uses a buffer BIN is now idempotent added FILE-STATUS some other minor changes and bug fixes.
fixed blocks.fb creation bug by making result of create-file readable.
The bodies of words are now maxaligned
fixed a few bugs and documented others added required and require added [ENDIF]
Configure now only generates the antidependences for the actual machines Bug fixes and Bug reports
worked a bit on m68k.h and power.h moved hyperbolic functions and falog to primitives
fixed a few bugs in gforth.el more documentation
* added configure mode for DOS-Makefile: configure -target=i386-<anythinh>-msdos<anyversion> creates Makefile for DOS. * checked in some mminor changes which never were checked in. * added special startup file for DOS
Added proper option processing to main.c image and source files are now searched in $GFORTHPATH
added etags.fs; that made a new defer level for HEADER in necessary small changes to gforth.texi added etags.fs to main.fs and startup.fs
Added filling to gforth.el and defined some keys Minor changes in gforth.texi renamed ?DUP-NOT-IF to ?DUP-0=-IF increased default sizes for kernal renamed ansforth to gforth
added blocks.fs improved indentation in gforth.el
Minor changes: adapted locals to the changed wordlists, some deletions and additions to struct.fs and gforth.el
signals are now translated into THROWs A number of bug fixes (make a diff of BUGS for details) added assert.fs and debugging.fs made .s nicer keep names of included files (in loadfilename) and print them upon error
local variables rewrote primitives2c.el in Forth (prims2x.el) various small changes Added Files: from-cut-here gforth.el gforth.texi glocals.fs gray.fs locals-test.fs prims2x.fs
Initial revision


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The men of France invoked the ancient Merovingian Salic Law to bar women from inheriting the throne of France but this hasn't stopped women from ruling the kingdom. There is a prominent tradition of women acting as Regents. Louise of Savoy was a formidable women well versed in politics. Her son King François I trusted her completely and relied on her to oversee the government of his realm while he was in France and when he was on campaign fighting wars.
Louise was born on September 11, 1476. Her father was Philip, Count of Bresse who was a younger brother of the Duke of Savoy. Her mother was Marguerite of Bourbon. She grew up in the family home of the castle of Pont d'Ain, just a few miles from Bourg-en-Bresse and was described as lively, unusually tall with light brown hair, blue grey eyes and a rosy complexion. The count was away from home for extended periods of time and Louise's mother died of tuberculosis when Louise was seven and her brother Philibert was four. Their father realized the castle of Pont d'Ain was no place for young children and sent them to be educated and brought up by Anne de Beaujeu, the formidable daughter of King Louis XI. Anne herself had a successful career as Regent for her young brother King Charles VIII when Louis XI died in August of 1483.
While in the care of Anne, Louise was never more than a poor relation. A sum of eighty livres was allotted from the treasury to clothe Louise. She received an elementary education at the château of Amboise with Margaret of Austria, Charles VIII's betrothed and other girls in the household. Louise was an avid reader and learned the essential skills needed by ladies of high degree such as feminine deportment and manners, dress and decorum, how to manage a household or even an estate, hierarchy and kinship, how to play the lute and embroidery and Christian morality. Louise also learned many political lessons from Anne de Beaujeu, the virtual ruler of France.
All of this was to prepare Louise and the other girls to marry well which Anne de Beaujeu did when she arranged for Louise to marry at the age of eleven. Her chosen husband was Charles d'Orléans, Count of Angoulême and governor of Guyenne. Charles was the great-grandson of King Charles V so he was a Prince of the Blood and in line to inherit the throne if the current king of France died with no male heirs.
Louise's father traveled to Paris to see to the financial and practical preparations of her marriage and to meet with her. Anne de Beaujeu arranged for her to receive the domains of Romorantin and Châteauneuf-sur-Charente along with a dower of three thousand livres. They were married on February 16, 1488 and that spring, Louise said farewell to her father and left with her twenty-eight year old husband for Cognac. Consummation of the marriage was deferred until Louise was about fourteen or fifteen.
Charles had a mistress Antoinette de Polignac by whom he had two daughters, Jeanne and Madeleine. He had another illegitimate daughter named Souveraine by his mistress Jeanne Le Conte. When Louise arrived at Cognac, Antoinette was for all intents and purposes the châtelaine. She embraced Louise and the two women became allies. Charles did not have a lot of income so the household was not affluent and it was a struggle to keep up appearances.
Louise only learned a small amount of Latin in the course of her education but she greatly desired to read and learn. Her husband had a remarkable library that included many medieval classics like "Lancelot" and "The Roman de la Rose" along with works by Dante, Petrarch, Christine de Pizan and Boccaccio. Charles and Louise shared a love of books and their marriage was relatively happy. For the most part they lived a quiet life in Cognac. The couple visited the court of King Charles VIII in 1490/91.
Louise gave birth to a daughter Marguerite on April 11, 1492. Her son François was born at Cognac on September 12, 1494. This was a turning point in Louise's life. Louise realized her son could one day be King of France and from that point forward, she poured her heart and soul into the life of her "Caesar".
In December of 1495, Louise and her husband left Cognac to head for Lyon where they intended to greet King Charles VIII who was returning from the wars in Italy. They got no further than Châteauneuf-sur-Charente. Charles caught a chill and after being ill for a month and diligently nursed by Louise, he died on January 1, 1496. Charles had made Louise the guardian of their children and also gave her a life interest in his assets. Along with others, she was executor of his will.
Charles cousin, Louis d'Orléans contested the will and managed to gain veto power over Louise regarding financial matters. She couldn't make any changes in her household without his consent. Even though there was little money, she still managed to add books to her husband's library. After her husband's death, Louise continued to take care of her own children as well as her husband's illegitimate daughters, marrying them off as they grew older.
Louise devoted her time in her small provincial court to educating François intellectually, religiously and martially. This also benefited Marguerite. Both children wrote poetry. The family grew together and had a great deal of intimacy between them. Louise was considered as a bride for several men but nothing ever materialized. She seemed determined to remain free to pursue her hopes and dreams for her son.
Charles VIII was king when her husband died and he had no male heirs. Next in line for the throne was her husband's cousin Louis d'Orléans. King Charles was married to Anne, Duchess of Brittany. With each passing pregnancy of Anne's, Louise followed anxiously. When Charles died in 1498, Louis became king and married Anne. Louise watched every pregnancy of the queen closely as a lot was at stake for her. Anne only had two surviving daughters Claude and Renée.
Two months after Charles VIII died, Louise was summoned to the court of King Louis XII in Paris to attend his coronation. The family moved from Cognac to Chinon in December. By Christmas they had moved on to Amboise. In theory Louise was mistress of her household but the King was in charge of where she lived and he put Marshal de Gié in place to watch over her. This caused a great deal of conflict. Louise resented Gié's power over her and the Queen had an irrational dislike of him. Gié had a hard time pleasing both women.
King Louis was ill off and on for many years. A match between King Louis' eldest daughter Claude was considered early on. Louis wanted her to marry Louise's son François but the Queen wanted her to marry Charles of Ghent the future Habsburg emperor Charles V. After Louis suffered a near fatal attack of illness in 1505, he used the opportunity to make a definitive decision on the marriage of his daughter. François was his choice. On January 9, 1514, Anne of Brittany died and entrusted Louise as guardian of her daughters.
Claude was deeply distressed at losing her mother. Even so, conclusion of her marriage came to the forefront and plans quickly went ahead. The wedding took place on May 18, 1514 at Saint-Germain-en-Laye where her father happened to be hunting.
Much to Louise's dismay, King Louis married Mary Tudor, the young sister of King Henry VIII of England. François was enchanted with the new queen when she arrived in France and Louise watched his behavior intently. But all the excitement of the marriage was too much for Louis and he died on January 1, 1515. Louise's beloved son was now King of France. On January 25, he was crowned in Reims Cathedral. François gave Louise many powers in his realm and elevated her to the title of Duchess of Angoulême. He also gave her the duchy of Anjou, the counties of Maine, Beaufort-en-Vallée and the barony of Amboise. The king started his reign engaging in courtly pleasures, leaving the governance of his kingdom in her hands.
Louise was a skillful negotiator and expert at choosing experienced advisors. She was always with Françoise and Claude but was careful to never take precedence over the Queen and was very strict in following court etiquette. But she was treated as if she was a crowned queen by ambassadors and other notables.
Later in 1515, François left France with his army to press his claim to Italian territory. Louise was named Regent in his absence. The French routed the combined forces of the Papal States and the Old Swiss Confederacy at Marignano in September and captured the Italian city-state of Milan. Although Louise's time as Regent was short, she appointed men to offices who were devoted to her and her policies. Even after the king returned in 1516, she continued to have great influence over his government. He preferred to hunt and chase women and let his mother do all the heavy lifting of ruling.
During the Field of the Cloth of Gold meeting in June of 1520 with King Henry VIII of England, Louise arrived for the festivities riding in a black velvet litter with a considerable number of ladies dressed in crimson velvet with sleeves slashed with gold. In July of 1524, Queen Claude died.
François went to war in Italy again in 1523 and again named his mother Regent. This period of regency lasted much longer because in February of 1525, the French suffered a disastrous defeat at Pavia. François was captured by the Holy Roman Emperor and imprisoned in Spain. Louise was distraught. It took every bit of diplomacy from Louise and her daughter Marguerite to work for his release. In the meantime she had to defend France from the threat of foreign invasion while the king was gone.
During this time she negotiated the Treaty of Moore in 1525 with King Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey, basically paying England to drop hostilities toward France. She also negotiated the League of Cognac with Pope Clement VIII and the Venetians, and worked with the Ottoman Empire persuading all of them not to hamper François' invasion of Italy and to keep Charles V engaged while she sought the release of the king. She ultimately secured the release of François with the Treaty of Madrid in 1526. In return for the restoration of the valuable territory of Burgundy to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, François would be released. François had to marry the Emperor's sister Eleanor of Austria and his two eldest sons François and Henri were to be taken hostage by the Emperor to enforce the terms of the treaty. She traveled south to Bayonne to exchange her grandsons for her son.
From this point on Louise worked tirelessly to get her grandsons released. Perhaps her greatest moment of triumph was the Ladies Peace of Cambrai of August 1529. She negotiated with her sister-in-law, Margaret of Austria who represented her nephew, Charles V. With this treaty, Louise worked out a cash ransom for the return of her grandsons and the marriage of her son to Eleanor of Austria. She collected the enormous ransom and in July of 1530, the two boys were escorted back to France by Eleanor.
On March 5, 1531, Louise attended the coronation of Queen Eleanor at St. Denis in Paris. She had long been suffering from gout and other physical ailments. She soon became very ill and was closely attended by her daughter Marguerite. She requested to see her son but he made excuses, saying he was trying to avoid pestilence. Louise was heartbroken. She died on September 22, 1531. On October 17, she was interred in the Basilica of St. Denis.
Louise was a great admirer of Italian art. She learned to love it from the works that were brought back from Italy by Charles VIII and Louis XII and installed in the castles of Blois and Amboise. Louise has been criticized for her choice of some of the men she employed in the government and for appropriating money from the royal treasury. France was perpetually in debt during François' reign but his had more to do with collecting revenues in addition to malfeasance and the crippling ransom for the two princes.
Louise was partly responsible for the disgrace of Charles, Duke of Bourbon. There were rumors she wanted to marry Charles to regain what she believed were family assets in the duchy. When his wife Suzanne, Duchess of Bourbon died, there was a dispute over her holdings of Bourbon which Louise won thereby alienating Bourbon. Bourbon would eventually betray his king and began to fight for Charles V.
With the help of Louise, François was able to assert his authority against the Parlement and the Church. She was instrumental in his foreign diplomacy. After her death, François lost a valuable champion for his government and for the French. He would replace her with successive mistresses. She was an industrious and able ruler. With her help, her children guided France into the Renaissance.
Further reading: "Queen's Mate: Three women of power in France on the eve of the Renaissance" by Pauline Matarasso, "The Great Regent: Louise of Savoy, 1476-1531" by Dorothy Moulton Mayer, "Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France" by Kathleen Wellman, "Encyclopedia of Women in the Renaissance: Italy, France and England" edited by Diana Robin, Anne R. Larsen and Carole Levin, "Renaissance Warrior and Patron: The Reign of Francis I" by R.J. Knecht, "Golden Age Ladies" by Sylvia Barbara Soberton


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Despite Social Media – Don't Be Afraid To Eat Out
There's a story I first saw on Facebook a few days back about certain fast foods you're never suppose to order. In fact, the story has even been picked up by a few of the "legit" news organizations.
It all started when Reddit posed a question on its website asking fast food workers what items we should never order while at their restaurants and why not?
Needless to say, they got quite a few interesting responses.
I'll be honest with you, being the germ-a-fob that I am, it kind of weirded me a little when I read the list. But then, thankfully, common sense set in.
So, I decided to check with the city and see if I could get the most recent health code scores on the various restaurants in Sioux Falls.
After carefully looking over the list, all I've got to say is - I'm dang glad I live where I do!
The first thing you'll notice when looking at the report is the majority of our restaurants have scores in the 90s, that's based on a scale where a perfect score is 100.
The lowest score I could find here in Sioux Falls was an 81. But after digging a little deeper, I discovered that an 81 in other parts of the country is actually considered a very high score.
So, what did I learn from this little assignment? Two things: Don't believe everything you read on social media, and don't automatically assume that just because something is happening in another part of the country it's also happening here.
I have to say, reading the report actually put my fears to rest. If anything, it reinforced the fact that our dining establishments are among the cleanest and the best in the country!
So, go ahead and eat out. You have nothing to worry about.
By the way, here's a link if you're interested in checking it out the Sioux Falls scores for yourself.


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Will Middlebrooks | Neutralized Batting Finder
NEW: Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. • Data runs from 1871 to present. Stats relying on play-by-play data are complete back to 1973, mostly complete back to 1950, and somewhat complete back to 1914. Postseason data for AL/NL runs from 1903 to present.
Sorting only sorts the values in the table shown.


text:
Top Items:
Hailey Branson / L.A. NOW:
Protesters show support for Christopher Dorner — Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters downtown Saturday afternoon, holding signs of support for Christopher Dorner, the fired police officer suspected of killing four people.
Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Scared Monkeys
Associated Press:
Dozens of pro-Dorner protesters rally at LAPD HQ — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dozens of protesters rallied outside Los Angeles police headquarters Saturday in support of Christopher Dorner, the former LAPD officer and suspected killer of four who died after a shootout and fire this week …
Discussion: The PJ Tatler, americanthinker.com, Weasel Zippers, L.A. NOW and The Gateway Pundit
Nickarama / Weasel Zippers: Protesters Gathered Today Outside LAPD Headquarters Supporting Christopher Dorner
Alex Williams / New York Times:
Creating Hipsturbia — A yoga studio opened on Main Street that offers lunch-hour vinyasa classes. Nearby is a bicycle store that sells Dutch-style bikes, and a farm-to-table restaurant that sources its edible nasturtiums from its backyard garden. — Across the street is the home-décor shop …
Discussion: Althouse
Alan Gomez / USA Today:
White House immigration bill offers path to residency — The legislation is being developed as members in both chambers of Congress are drafting their own immigration bills. — WASHINGTON — A draft of a White House immigration proposal obtained by USA TODAY would allow illegal immigrants …
William Teach / Right Wing News: Obama Drafts Path To Citizenship Bill
Rick Moran / americanthinker.com: White House draft immigration bill would give residency to illegals after 8 years
Arturo Garcia / The Raw Story: Report: White House immigration plan contains 8-year path to residency
Michael D. Shear / New York Times: The White House Continues Working on Immigration Legislation of Its Own
Nickarama / Weasel Zippers: Obama Immigration Proposal Proposes Path To Legal Residency In Eight Years For Illegal Immigrants
Erik Wasson / The Hill: Obama immigration bill draft said to emerge
Janet Shan / The Moderate Voice: White House Immigration Proposal Includes Pathway for Illegal Immigrants to Get Legal Permanent Status in 8 Years
David Daley / Salon:
Emory president holds up "three-fifths" compromise as noble, honorable — Atlanta university president calls the deal which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person a classic compromise — In a shockingly horrible column, the president of Emory University held up the "Three-Fifths Compromise" …
Discussion: Sky Dancing, Gawker, Concurring Opinions, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Raw Story
JJ Lopez Minkoff / Sky Dancing: Sunday Reads: Anticipation of Stop and Frisk for Cotton Candy
Max Rivlin-Nadler / Gawker: Emory University President Praises Three-Fifths Compromise As Great 'Pragmatic' Solution
Kaimipono D. Wenger / Concurring Opinions: Emory's slave history: One step forward, three-fifths of a step back?
Erik Loomis / Lawyers, Guns & Money: Almost Verbatim Emory University President James Wagner: "The 3/5 Compromise is a Model to Which We Should Aspire.
Emily Schultheis / Politico:
Bobby Jindal is governing like it's 2016 — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is laying the groundwork for a likely presidential run — and using his state as a testing ground for policies that play well with national conservatives. — He's passed a sweeping school voucher plan …
Paul Krugman:
Gratifying Signs of Desperation — On both sides of the Atlantic, the austerians seem to be freaking out. And that has to be good news, an indication that they realize, at some level, that they're losing the debate. — First up, the sad story of Joe Scarborough, whose response …
Discussion: Sky Dancing, notthetreasuryview …, Booman Tribune, p m carpenter's commentary and Economist's View
Dakinikat / Sky Dancing: The Agony and the Idiocy — Some one needs to take the shovel away from Joe Scarborough.
Jonathan Portes / notthetreasuryview.blogspot.co.uk: No debate please, we're Europeans
P.M. Carpenter / p m carpenter's commentary: Oh dear, Scarborough is asking for it again
Joe Scarborough / Politico:
Paul Krugman is wrong - but don't take my word for it
Paul Krugman is wrong - but don't take my word for it
Discussion: Hot Air and Washington Monthly
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Scarborough on Krugman: "self-consumed professor" with a "daily ... ideological Vaudeville act"
Joseph Stiglitz / Opinionator:
Equal Opportunity, Our National Myth — President Obama's second Inaugural Address used soaring language to reaffirm America's commitment to the dream of equality of opportunity: "We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance …
Discussion: Daily Kos
James Quinn / Telegraph:
Horse meat scandal: Shoppers who buy 'cheapest food' at risk — British consumers face paying the price for the horse meat scandal, one of the country's leading retailers warns today. — Preliminary results found that 29 out of 2,501 products sold through retailers or catering companies were contaminated with horse meat
Discussion: Daily Mail
Byron Tau / Politico:
Data mining is new lobbying gold — A congressman gets an earful from his neighbor after church about a tax bill. A senator suddenly finds old high school classmates calling her about an upcoming vote on a small business bill. — Those meetings may not be coincidences.
Jeremy Slevin / Congressman Keith Ellison:
Majority Of House Democrats Call On President Obama To Reject Benefit Cuts To Medicare, Medicaid, And Social Security Benefits — Sabrina Singh (Schakoswky), 202-225-2111 — Andrew Schreiber (Conyers), 202-225-6906 — Dan Weber and Benjamin Gerdes (Edwards), 202-225-8699
Discussion: The Huffington Post, Hullabaloo, Crooks and Liars and Taylor Marsh
Nicole Flatow / ThinkProgress:
Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul Join Bipartisan Bill To Legalize Hemp — While most Republican members of Congress have been lukewarm at best to the prospect of legalizing marijuana, senators introduced a bipartisan measure this week to legalize industrial hemp.
Discussion: msnbc.com
Evan Puschak / msnbc.com: Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul team up on hemp legalization


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Thanks, it had been a long time and all I remembered was that they were wearing black.Spimer wrote:I guess you mean Scarlet Showdown, although Akai didn't fend off the BO but the PSB (which Amuro belongs to).
After that begins the RUM arc, which is still ongoing.
The Detective Conan World wiki has a list of anime episodes and they signal which are plot-relevant and which not so you can use it as reference.
They're really milking this story. It has been over 2 years since that episode aired and I only had to watch a handful to catch up


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Average US 30-year mortgage rate rises to 4.15 pct
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages edged up slightly this week, remaining near historically low levels.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the nationwide average rate for a 30-year loan rose to 4.15 percent from 4.12 percent last week. The average for the 15-year mortgage increased to 3.24 percent from 3.22 percent.
Mortgage rates are slightly lower than they were at the same time last year, having fallen recently after climbing last summer. That's when the Federal Reserve began talking about reducing the monthly bond purchases it has been using to keep long-term interest rates low.
Rates have fallen modestly this year as Fed officials have signaled strongly that while they are trimming the bond purchases, they are in no rush to start boosting a key short-term rate the Fed controls.
To calculate average mortgage rate, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country between Monday and Wednesday each week. The average doesn't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount.
The average fee for a 30-year mortgage rose to 0.7 point this week from 0.5 point last week. The fee for a 15-year loan, popular in refinancing, increased to 0.6 point from 0.5 point last week.
The average rate on a one-year adjustable-rate mortgage rose to 2.40 percent from 2.38 percent. The average fee was unchanged at 0.4 point.
The average rate on a five-year adjustable-rate mortgage ticked up to 2.99 percent from 2.98 percent. The fee remained at 0.4 point.


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Babies born to women who are obese at the start of pregnancy tend to have one-third less vitamin D than the infants of lean women, according to a new study led by a Northwestern Medicine professor.
Vitamin D is important for children because it helps to build strong bones, doctors say.
Dr. Jami L. Josefson and her team measured the vitamin D levels of 61 pregnant women two to four weeks before giving birth at Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago. Before pregnancy, the women's body-mass indexes ranged from obese to normal.
Just after birth, the umbilical cord blood was collected from the babies. For those with mothers who were obese, the blood contained lower levels of the vitamin.
The difference in babies' vitamin D levels occurred despite the fact that the mothers had similar levels of the vitamin in their bodies before giving birth, said Josefson, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern and an attending physician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
"We were surprised that obese and lean women had similar levels of vitamin D. It made the analysis and the results more scientifically interesting to look at because the moms' levels were similar," she said.
The different levels in the infants could be attributed to the way that the body treats vitamin D, Josefson said.
"It's a very accepted finding in the literature that obese people sequester vitamin D in fat tissue, which (means) it is not as available for the body. Vitamin D is carried in fat cells," Josefson said.
The study, titled "Maternal Obesity and Vitamin D Sufficiency Are Associated with Cord Blood Vitamin D Insufficiency," was published last month in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The research is part of a larger project investigating whether body fat in later childhood and adulthood can be predicted somewhat by body fat at birth.
"The outcome is that babies born to obese moms had significantly lower levels of vitamin D, compared to lean moms. The results tell us that obese women may need more vitamin D supplementation than lean women," Dr. Josefson said.
But she advised that women follow their doctors' advice.
"I think these are still preliminary results, and that women should use their doctor's recommendations, in terms of what vitamins and supplements they should take," Josefson said. "I don't want people to change their behavior based on these findings."
Lisa M. Bodnar, associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, called the research promising, but she said the small scale of the study makes it "difficult to know if these results are generalizable to other populations."
"Understanding modifiable factors that predict infant fat mass and obesity is important for public health. Maternal vitamin D status is a promising avenue of research because maternal vitamin D deficiency is widespread, and evidence in adults suggests a link between vitamin D with obesity," Bodnar said.


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All the initial enjoyment of getting a established maternity is over. It's time for you to commence preparing. There are plenty of stuff you have got to preplan. To begin with, you have got to decide on your maternity medical facility cautiously. This can be probably the most essential decisions you will be making, because it will ensure the fitness of your baby through each of the stages of childbearing until final delivery service. You could start either by deciding on an obstetrician then finalize upon the maternity medical facility that may be suggested, or select the best maternity medical facility and work with the obstetrician that procedures at this hospital.
It's just a little hard to evaluate an area that you have never been to prior to. That's exactly why you should do your research prior to deciding which healthcare facility is the best for you.
Here are several factors to consider:
Healthcare facility reputation
Keep in mind that the standing of every healthcare facility is dependent upon the trustworthiness of the medical professionals, assistance employees and the quality of professional services. Here is where your homework will begin. Make sure that you check out their official website and examine their providers. Social media can be another position to look at. See what their current sufferers are saying on them. Check out hospital position websites also. They are an excellent destination to get general testimonials. In the event you know someone who has already possessed their delivery at that healthcare facility, it's a great idea to talk to them regarding the professional services they gotten.
Look at the medical center yourself
It's a great idea to tour the hospital yourself and find out what their maternity model is a lot like. It's a smart idea to make a pair of questions to ask the health care worker who goes close to. Make certain you request the correct questions. Some beneficial questions involve
1. Exist 24 / 7 providers for medical?
2. Will there become a physician available whenever essential?
3. Advance reserving insurance policies.
4. Can household stick with you when you are in the hospital?
5. Does a medical facility supply you with all that is needed with the hospital after arrival?
6. What sort of followup treatment is supplied?
Check out the health-related employees
As mentioned earlier, a medical facility is merely as effective as it's health care employees. Discover more about the physicians who practice there. The net is an excellent place to begin. Study testimonials and responses from various people.
Just how far will be the medical facility from home?
This component is vital. That's because shipping and delivery day and time can never be accurately predicted. Choose a medical facility which is nearer to your residence, especially if you have a high chance maternity. Untimely births may then be better maintained.
To amount of money it up, the full delivery service expertise will probably be influenced by a healthcare facility you end up picking. Feel of the alternatives and prepare a list of things which you would probably would like your healthcare facility to provide. Make sure that you study well and therefore are satisfied with the services they provide. Take time to select the right area for your delivery.
Inspired by: ezinearticles


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"Roman, tomorrow is your birthday. We can do anything you want. We can go get ice cream? I can make you a special dinner? Anything." Roman sat there thinking while I bombarded him with questions marveling that I was about to watch my number two turn 5.
"I want a chocolate cake and I want it to say, 'Baron, Roman love Mama' and have the Lone Ranger with a gun, kicking his leg like this." He proceeded to show me exactly what he wanted the Lone Ranger to be doing by shaping his lego Lone Ranger into the perfect position.
Chocolate cake it is. I'll worry about the details later.
In the morning, Roman chose Fruity Pebbles from the store as it's tradition in our house that the birthday child gets to choose any kind of cereal, even the sugary, unnaturally bright colored types that we never keep in the house unless it's someone's birthday. This tradition continues from my husband's childhood and it's one we all love and benefit from. Because yes, I totally indulged in a bowl of crackly, sort of fruit flavored pebbles that morning and also, I stole a few bits of the shells mac & cheese that the birthday boy requested for dinner. You know, the boxed kind with the fluorescent cheese powder. That box exists in our house too. And each time I rip into that box I feel a little guilty. The same guilt that I feel when I walk out the front door and my daughter says, "I want you to stay and snuggle with me." It's the "am I reading too little to them? Should they be taking more vitamins? I should have scratched their backs longer last night. Why did I say that and in THAT tone?" It's that sort of guilt that piles on my shoulders weighing me down and whispering thoughts of inadequacy all throughout the day. This guilt that builds my defense before I need to defend a thing. This shame that makes me feel unworthy, unloved and constantly attacked even by my sweet children.
Lately I've become fed up with those feelings. What am I so afraid of that I'd burden myself with all this guilt? That my children won't feel loved enough? Impossible. If it were attainable and if it'd prove anything to them I'd run to the moon and back for my kids. I have no question of my love for them so why then do I assume they will question it? If I'm operating out of that never ending source of love for them then they will feel loved by me, even if they want me to read another book, or scratch their backs longer or wish that I could stay home and snuggle all day.
That's now where I'm trying to parent from – knowing full well that I love them completely. When they aren't completely satisfied I remind them of my love, remind them that I'm human, apologize when I've been selfish, and walk confidently in my love for them. Because when I'm confident in that love then they are too.
And if I they ever need a reminder of my love for them I'll tell them about their 7th and 5th birthday parties when we played games for hours under neon lights, surrounded by dozens of candy-crazed kids running around and ate fabricated pizza at Chuck E. Cheese. That's right. We partied with Chuck E. and I got to say it was so nice walking away and not having to worry about clean up. Initially I felt guilty for going along with this plan. I'm the mom who throws epic lego/pirate parties and THEY want Chuck E. Cheese. But I love them and they loved the party.
I did, however, bring in my own cake because I draw the line somewhere. It was the same one that Roman requested on his actual birthday. The same one that I had made four times in three weeks during "the great birthday season of 2013" which brings about one cake after the other. It's this simple chocolate cake with a tangy and bittersweet chocolate frosting, in particular, and it is always in the mood to celebrate.
This cake has been on the blog before but I really do think it's worth mentioning again. For one thing it's made all in one bowl, for another all the ingredients are pantry staples and finally, and most importantly, the flavor is richly chocolate, the texture is soft and springy and strong enough to hold the frosting which is loaded with bittersweet chocolate and sour cream. Although the texture and flavor of the cake really improves after a day's rest, it can, if need be, be made and frosted in a matter of a couple hours when the birthday boy wants chocolate cake even though the to do list doesn't allow for much room in the day, you make it happen. Not because you feel obligated too or would feel guilty if you didn't but because you love him and that's enough.
Chocolate Cake with Bittersweet Sour Cream Frosting
This cake has been called "magic cake" and "dump and stir cake" which is how Regan Daley in "In the Sweet Kitchen" refers to it. Since discovering this recipe it's been my go-to chocolate cake. I used it often when I made wedding cakes for a living. I only deviate to another recipe on occasion when I'm lured in by the addition sour cream or buttermilk in the batter but this simple recipe never fails. It's a wonderful tasting cake that just so happens to be vegan and doesn't have you messing with melting chocolate. It also makes fantastic cupcakes.
makes 3 8" inch layers or 24 cupcakes
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar (I've used white or brown or a combination of the two and all work well)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil (or other, nearly flavorless oil)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup coffee (you can use instant espresso granules instead, 1 tablespoon mixed with 1 cup water)
1 cup water
Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with butter and parchment on the bottom.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl until everything is well blended.
Add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Evenly divide the batter between the three pans and bake until the top springs back gently when pushed, 20-25 minutes.
After 5 minutes out of the oven, cool the cakes on a wire rack before frosting.
Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
Essentially we're making a ganache frosting but instead of cream we're using sour cream so we'll get a thick, creamy and tangy frosting which quite beautifully pairs with bittersweet chocolate.
4 cups /1 lb 6 ounces chopped, bittersweet chocolate
2 1/2 cups / 1 lb 6 ounces sour cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a large pot of simmering water. Once completely melted turn off the heat but keep the bowl over the pot of water. Stir in the sour cream until well combined. If some of the chocolate firms up, turn the heat back on to melt through. Stir until everything is well mixed and no little clumps remain.
Carefully stir in the powdered sugar and salt. Taste and adjust to your preference. It is a very tangy frosting but if you'd prefer less tang you can add a bit more sugar.
Let the frosting sit off the heat until you can easily spread it on the cake layers, for an hour or so.
Assembling the cake
Sometimes if I'm feeling up to it I'll put a layer of jam on the cakes or a flavored simple syrup (whiskey is nice here). Simply brush the layers with the syrup or jam just to moisten and then proceed to frost.
To keep clean up easier, I put down layers of parchment to cover the cake plate, then I slide them out when I've finished frosting to reveal a clean plate. Because this cake is so moist, sometimes the bottom layer sticks to the parchment so I'd recommend buttering or spraying the parchment to prevent sticking.
Due to the frantic state in which I was baking the cake the layers turned out very uneven. I didn't want to bother with trimming the layers (I get very lazy in my cake baking) so I used the frosting to help even out the layers.
Start with one layer of cake and put about 1 cup of frosting in the middle. Spread around the first layer and push any excess frosting to the sides of the cake.
Top with an additional layer and repeat the process. Take a step back to see how straight the cake is and adjust if need be.
Finish with the final cake layer. Put a large amount of frosting on the top and push the excess over the sides and frost the sides.
In leu of a crumb coat I just usually put a thick amount of frosting on to hide any crumbs. But if you'd like you could cover the cake in a light layer of frosting, which glues the crumbs to the cake, then refrigerate and frost with an additional layer of frosting once the first layer has set.
Don't forget to top the cake with the Lone Ranger as I did.


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Federal finance minister says Ontario needs to tackle large deficit
by Julian Beltrame, The Canadian Press
Joe Oliver said he hopes provincial Liberals will trim deficit, follow Ottawa's lead toward balanced budget
OTTAWA—Finance Minister Joe Oliver says Ontario is facing a difficult economy, but is urging Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne to aggressively take on the province's growing deficit in next month's post-election budget.
The Liberals, who won a majority in last week's provincial election, are expected to re-introduce essentially the same budget they were defeated on when the legislature returns July 2—including adding more than $1 billion to the deficit to take it to $12.5 billion.
Without going into specifics, Oliver told reporters he would prefer if the budget was more aggressive in tackling the deficit.
"The premier will have to confront some tough fiscal decisions and we hope her government would follow our lead toward a balanced budget in Ontario," he said.
Oliver made the comment after a closed-door meeting with more than a dozen private sector economists called to update Ottawa on the economy.
The meeting was billed as a get-acquainted session for the minister, who took over the portfolio in March and will be charged with tabling his first budget next spring.
As expected, the most recent forecasts are little changed from what the late Jim Flaherty incorporated in his February budget.
Real growth in 2014 is projected to be a tick lower at 2.2 per cent—largely because of the poor, weather-influenced first quarter of the year—but nominal growth, which is more directly tied to tax revenues, is expected to be slightly higher thanks to strong oil prices.
Economists speaking to reporters after the meeting said despite some significant developments since February, the overall forecast of moderate growth for the Canadian economy remains largely intact.
"Even though we've had a very bad winter, we had a weak first quarter, there's some global risks that have increased attention, there's some additional geo-political risks, nevertheless the assumptions haven't fundamentally changed," explained TD Bank chief economist Craig Alexander.
One of the new key risks, said chief economist Doug Porter of BMO Capital Markets, is that the Iraq crisis worsens and triggers a spike in oil prices, which could impact global growth.
The net result, said Oliver, is that barring an unforeseen shock Ottawa will almost certainly balance the budget next year for the first time since 2007.
Porter said Ottawa may actually get there sometime during the current fiscal year.
The timing is significant because the Conservatives are banking on a surplus in 2015-16 to enable them to introduce some form of income splitting in time for the fall 2015 election, thereby fulfilling a campaign promise of four years ago.
Oliver has been critical of Ontario's handling of its fiscal books before, most recently last week when he scolded the country's most populous province, along with Quebec, about their high deficits and debt.
"Canada cannot arrive at its potential if the biggest province remains in difficulty," he told a conference in Montreal.
For his part, the minister said he intends to continue pursuing a "low tax" plan while keeping his eye on the fiscal balance, which he said was a key to long-term prosperity in Canada.
Since assuming his role as the government's point man on the economy, Oliver has mostly followed the script laid down by his predecessor in his strict focus on eliminating the deficit.
He will have an opportunity to again stress the point this week during a video teleconference with provincial finance ministers.
Oliver has differed, however, with Flaherty's hands-on approach to Canada's real estate market, and particularly mortgage rates.
He re-stated that he will not intervene on home lending rates, although he intends to diminish further Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.'s (CMHC) share of the mortgage insurance sector.
The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recommended last week that Ottawa reduce the percentage of a mortgage loan CMHC insures from the current 100 per cent, and Oliver said that is one avenue the government could pursue to achieve the goal.
Still, he stressed that he did not believe Canada had a "housing bubble," but rather that it was heading toward a soft landing from record highs.
Alexander noted that while sales have picked up this spring, particularly after the poor winter months, Canada is "not seeing booming sales," as would be expected in a bubble.
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Ordinance shielding convicted lawmakers: Rahul calls it 'nonsense'
Rahul Gandhi jolted the UPA government and left Prime Minister Manmohan Singh out on a limb on Friday by trashing a controversial ordinance protecting convicted lawmakers from disqualification. Who stands to lose?
Rahul Gandhi jolted the UPA government and left Prime Minister Manmohan Singh out on a limb on Friday by trashing a controversial ordinance designed to protect convicted lawmakers from disqualification.
"My opinion of the ordinance is that it is complete nonsense and should be torn up and thrown away," the normally reticent Congress vice-president said of a piece of legislation steered by the PM and widely thought to have the backing of top Congress leaders.
Rahul's condemnation of the ordinance, which now looks dead in the water, exposed divisions between ruling party and government and undermined the position of PM Singh at the worst possible time -- two days before talks with Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif and hours before a meeting with Barack Obama in New York.
The 43-year-old Gandhi scion strode into a media interaction by chief party spokesperson Ajay Maken at the Press Club of India and proceeded to demolish the controversial legislation before stunned partymen and journalists.
"What the government has done is wrong,", he said, adding that it was high time that political parties stopped taking decisions based on political considerations. The ordinance overturns a Supreme Court ruling mandating disqualification of convicted lawmakers facing at least a two-year jail sentence.
The Congress was trying to push it through despite a bill pending in Parliament, possibly to protect party Rajya Sabha MP Rasheed Masood and ally Lalu Prasad. But President Pranab Mukherjee, who has to sign the ordinance, is understood to have demurred, and sought clarifications. Who stands to lose?
Calls for the PM's head grew, with many observers seeing his position as untenable in light of Rahul's outburst and the likely stillbirth of the ordinance. But he appeared determined to soldier on, saying in New York that he would take up the matter on his return. But the government looked set to withdraw the ordinance.
Later, a letter Rahul wrote to the PM was made available to the media, which said, "I realize that what I feel about the ordinance is not in harmony with the cabinet decision and the core group's view… You know I have the highest respect for you… I hope you will understand the strength of my own conviction about this very controversial issue."
Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP's Arun Jaitley, was scathing in his criticism. "This is the highly belated realisation of what constitutes nonsense.....well the government makes mistakes, rest of the world makes mistakes, but the first family of the Congress doesn't make mistakes," he said.
Congress politicians, who had either been silent about their opposition to the ordinance or actively justified it to the media, quickly fell in line with Rahul, who many see as a possible successor to the PM if the UPA were to return to power in 2014.
"Today was the most appropriate day. He chose to speak at the decisive moment before the President was to take a decision," said a senior party leader.
Party leaders declined to confirm whether the issue of bringing an ordinance was discussed by the top Congress leadership during its core committee meeting last week.
Maken, who had started the interaction by explaining the need for the ordinance, said when asked whether it would be withdrawn: "Rahul ji's opinion is the opinion and the line of Congress... Now Congress party is opposed to this ordinance. The views of Congress party should always be supreme."
Some Congress leaders including Digvijaya Singh, Milind Deora and Sandeep Dikshit had expressed their reservations against the move.
Video: Rahul opposes ordinance on convicted lawmakers


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Disclaimers: These characters do not belong to me and I won't make a dinar from writing it. I believe Rob Tapert has first dibs on these folks.
"What are you thinking about?" Gabrielle asked. "You haven't said two words in the last three candle marks."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I was just thinking about Eve. It's nearly the Winter Solstice. I realized I've never had the chance to celebrate with her. I was wondering where we might stop so I could find a gift for her. Something she'd like that she needs."
"How about clothes. She could use some warm clothes." Gabrielle suggested.
"That's a great idea. Let's stop in the next town and you can find just the right out fit for her."
"Me? Why me? You're her mother." Gabrielle complained.
"I know that. But, you're much better at those kinds of things. I don't know anything about what she'd like to where or even what size she is."
"Xena, I'm sure whatever you got for her she'd appreciate. She's crazy about you."
"Gabrielle, the fact that my daughter loves me won't keep her warm at night. Come on, please."
Gabrielle rolled her eyes. She could never deny her partner anything. "Ok.... Um, Xena, do we have any dinars?"
"Oh.... Good point. No, we don't. Maybe they have a tavern or an Inn where you can do the bard thing. That should raise us enough dinars to buy Eve's Solstice gift and give us a nice warm bed and hot meal. Wouldn't you like that?..... Besides, it's been a long time since.....well, you know, since we've been .....together and all....."
"Xena, I need to ask you something." Gabrielle pulled back on the reins and stopped the progress of her huge white steed. "I need to know something before we go any further."
Xena's face turned dark and worry etched the corners of her mouth. "What is it Gabrielle? You know you can ask me anything."
Gabrielle took in a deep breath and let it out, trying to slow the heavy pounding of her heart. "Were you with him?"
"What?" Xena looked confused.
"Rothgar. Were you...intimate...with him? Did you let him touch you?" Gabrielle snapped unable to control her fury at the thought of someone else pleasuring her partner.
"NO! No, Gabrielle, I swear I never let him.....you know." Xena felt suddenly self-conscious.
Gabrielle looked into the warrior's eyes for a moment. "I believe you, Xena.... I just had to know. Let's get going. I want to get those dinars and then get you in a soft warm bed." She wiggled her eyebrows and gave her lover her best lascivious grin.
Xena felt her sex tingle and smiled back. "Let's hurry."
The Inn keeper was grateful to have a bard who knew stories of Xena to bring in the lagging crowd. The bitter cold of the season kept some of his regular patrons seeking warmth at their own hearth instead of making merry at his. Word traveled fast as neighbors he hadn't seen in a quarter moon came to hear this young woman's stories, which she told with such passion. Yes, she was worth the free room, meal and the hot bath.
After three candle marks, Gabrielle begged off and collected her tips. Xena watched her from the shadows ready to come throttle any man who was stupid enough to assault her partner in any way. Then, she followed her up to their room, where a hot meal of venison stew and fresh bread awaited them.
"Mmmm, that really hit the spot. One thing you can say about these Norse people, they sure know how to fix a hearty meal." Gabrielle said.
"I wish they'd hurry up with that hot water." Xena groused as she went to the hearth to feed the flames. Just on cue, there was a knock at the door and two young blonde haired boys entered with buckets of steaming hot water, which they poured into the tub hiding behind a curtain in the corner of the room. Gabrielle thanked them and threw the bolt on the door as she bade them good night.
Gabrielle heard a deep sigh and knew Xena had already stripped and slipped her long form into the inviting water. She grinned at the thought of admiring her lover's body again. It had been such a long time. Hurriedly she stripped off her own clothes and joined her.
The women sat opposite each other, each thoroughly admiring every luscious inch of the other's charms. "I've missed you, Xena. I dreamt of you, only you." Gabrielle said, softly.
"I've missed you too, Gabrielle. I lost my memories of you, of us, but somehow I sensed you should be there at my side. I never felt whole until I freed you from the flames. You were like a constant hand on my shoulder, a presence. I guess I'm not explaining that very well." Xena looked down at her long hands.
"You're doing fine, my love." Gabrielle slid across the tub into Xena's lap and wrapped her legs around curvaceous hips. "Enough talk." With that she kissed her lover deeply, passionately, which Xena returned in kind. Hands explored soft flesh and moans were elicited with each intimate touch. Xena spread her legs to allow Gabrielle's sex to slide down and touch her own. She moved her hands down to cup firm buttocks and pull Gabrielle hard against her need. Xena's head fell back as she relished the feeling of their intimacy. "By the gods, Gabrielle, I love you." She recaptured bruised lips and allowed her partner to suckle upon her tongue as she continued to rhythmically glide the smaller woman's sex against her own, feeling her engorged clit rubbing directly over her partner's. The little bard relished the sensation of their erect nipples rubbing together as they soared toward ecstacy. Xena began to tremble as she road the waves of her arousal toward release. Gabrielle released her lover's tongue and threw her head back as her climax struck her with such force, she feared biting it off. Xena pumped into her lover over and over again until her ardor was satisfied. Unable to form words, the sated warrior tenderly kissed her partner's eyes, nose, forehead and cheeks to show her love and gratitude. Gabrielle was in a drowsy, happy, haze and began to fall asleep.
"Oh, no you don't. I am not freezing to death tonight. Come on. Up you go." Xena helped her partner to her feet then lifted her over the side of the tub and toweled her dry. "Time for all good bards to go night night." Xena lay her lover upon the soft pallet and climbed down beside her. She reached for the down filled comforter and tucked them both in snugly. "Good night, my love." Gabrielle wiggled into her favorite spot on Xena's shoulder and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Xena groaned deeply in her throat. The sky was just beginning to turn pink with the approach of a new day's sun. Her belly was feeling full with warmth and her sex throbbed. She opened her eyes and looked down to see a blonde head resting on her mons and felt small fingers twirling her dark curls around them, peppered with light kisses. She spread her legs to allow her lover easier access to her need and moaned loudly when her clit was gently pinched and rubbed in return. Gabrielle shifted her weight and crawled up between Xena's long luscious legs. She sniffed and savored the scent of her lover's arousal, then gently lathed her labia, enjoying the taste of her, before kissing and suckling upon her clit.
Xena reached down with long arms and grasped her lover's hair, which she was surprised she could do, forgetting how much longer it was now, and pulled her harder against her sex. "Oh, Gabrielle!" She came in her lover's warm mouth so hard that her sight dimmed and blackness threatened to consume her. Letting go of her partner's blonde locks, she fell back on the pallet, panting for breath.
Gabrielle smiled at the power she had over her lover, then decided she needed relief "Now". She crawled up Xena's long form and straddled her partners dark head. Xena needed no encouragement she grasped her lover's rear and directed the bard's sex over her tongue and drank of her nectar. Gabrielle's release was swift and sweet. The lovers lay in each other's arms, relishing their connection. They had come home.
"Let's get dressed and eat. I really want to get that gift and go find Eve. She must be frantic, thinking I've died or something. It's been over a year now." Xena said.
"I hope she's alright. Do you think she's still traveling with Virgil?" Gabrielle asked.
"I don't know. I just want her to be safe wherever she is." Xena put on her armor and turned to tie the back of Gabrielle's top. "We should buy gloves and scarves for ourselves if we have enough dinars. I think we'll be camping out in the cold for a while."
"Good idea. Let's get going." The sooner we get back to Greece and some warmth, the better.
The couple walked through the market place searching for just the right color and textured fabric to give to Eve for Solstice. Xena kept an eye out for something special for Gabrielle. She had picked up a few dinars from the floor and tucked them away. Finally, her partner found a booth she proclaimed was perfect for what she sought. Xena told Gabrielle to take her time deciding and she'd go pack up Argo and be ready to head out when Gabrielle was done. Gabrielle agreed, glad to be on her own for a while for she saw just the solstice gift for her partner. It was a leather bound parchment, small enough for her to carry with her all the time. She wanted to write a story for her lover that would express how she felt about their reunion and their lives together. She knew better than to buy Xena jewelry for she never wore any, or weapons because she was very adamant about having them made in Athens. But her sentimental partner always treasured her stories, so that's what she would get. A story just for her eyes to see.
"Ready to go?" Gabrielle asked of Xena when she walked into the barn.
"Yep. We're all set. Did you get the outfit for Eve you wanted?"
"Sure did. She'll love it. And, so will her mother. It covers a lot more skin than those rags she's been wearing."
Xena smiled. "Good."
A full moon passed and the couple made several stops in the small towns on their way home to Greece. Gabrielle would tell her stories for their room, meals and tips. They were comfortable except for the nights they had to camp out in the cold. However, the weather became more tolerable the further south they traveled.
"Where do you think she is, Xena?" Gabrielle wondered how they would track down Eve.
"Let's try Joxer's first. I think, if they are traveling together, that Virgil would want to go fix up the place for his mother and sisters."
"Mm....I think you're right. We should get there early tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a hot bath and some good Greek food." Gabrielle said.
"Me too. But, not nearly so much as I'm looking forward to holding my daughter in my arms again. She must feel we deserted her."
"We have an awful lot of explaining to do." Gabrielle piped in. "Boy, do we have some explaining to do."
"Yeah." Xena let out a deep sigh.
The couple finally stopped to make camp when the darkening sky made managing the rocky road too dangerous for their horses. Xena sat upon a fallen limb, sharpening her sword and worrying about what she would find at Joxer's in the morning.
Gabrielle sat across the fire, writing a short story for Xena, when she sensed her partner's pensiveness. She finished her story and put her things away. Quietly, she got up and walked around the fire to her partner and sat beside her. She knew just what was worrying her love and merely wrapped her arm around strong shoulders. "I love you, Xena."
Xena stopped her repetitive motions and placed her sword into its sheath. She stood up and reached out for her soul mate, who stood to slip into her strong arms. "Let's make love." Xena whispered into Gabrielle's ear.
"Mmm...Yeah." The little bard responded, then tilted her head to accept a soft, tender kiss."
"Xena, there's no sign of the damage the fire did. Not even the roof is black. They must have worked for months to repair this." Gabrielle exclaimed.
"Yeah. I'm impressed. Well, I think they're here. Let's go wish our daughter a Happy Solstice." Xena grinned from ear to ear and galloped up to the now renovated home and tavern.
Just as Xena dismounted, a frantic Virgil came storming out of the door, a look of shock and panic on his handsome face. "Xena!...Gabrielle! I was just going to fetch the healer!" Virgil yelled, turned on his heel, and ran back through the door. "Eve, your Mother, she's alive. She's here..... Thank the gods!"
Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other then quickly followed Virgil. "Oh, Hera...., Evie!" Xena exclaimed at the site before her. Eve lay upon a pallet, her belly huge with child.
"Mother!" Eve yelled and shot up to her swollen feet, shocked to see the woman she thought was dead before her at the very time she needed her most.
"VIRGIL!!!" Xena instantly had Virgil by the throat, his feet dangling in mid air. "You bastard! I'll kill you."
"Xena, NO!" Gabrielle grabbed her partner's arm, trying to get her to release the terrified young man. "Let him go. You'll kill him."
"Mother, please..... We're married." Eve placed her hands upon her belly as a contraction caused her to flinch and groan.
Xena looked between her daughter and Virgil then slowly lowered him back on to his feet. She straightened out his clothes and looked to her partner for guidance.
"When? When did you two wed?" Gabrielle inquired as she pet her lover's arm to calm her.
Virgil hurried to Eve's side. "It was about three months after you two disappeared. We searched for you. I heard that you'd been seen far north and then we met a Norseman that had shared a meal with a Beowolf. He told us you were dead. Eve had a hard time with that and I was there for her. We fell in love and decided to make a life together here. We repaired the damage and reopened the tavern." Virgil looked at his adoring wife. "We've done well. Now, we have a little one on the way."
"I'd say, any time now." Xena piped in. "Look, I'm sorry. I over reacted a bit." The warrior looked sheepishly at her family.
"I understand. Look, why don't I leave you two alone while I go fetch the healer." Virgil said.
"Not necessary, Virgil. Xena's the finest healer I know. I don't think she'd want anyone else delivering her first grandchild." Gabrielle piped in.
"That's if Virgil and Eve agree." Xena said.
"Thank you, Mother. I'd want it no other way." Eve slowly walked up to Xena and ran a slightly trembling hand down her handsome face. "You're real. You're really here."
Xena couldn't help the tears that escaped from her ice blue eyes. She took her daughter's hands in hers and kissed the palms and held them against her cheek.
Eve began to cry too. "I thought you were dead. Oh, Mother." She fell into her mother's arms and both women cried for joy. Eve stepped back, once she could somewhat compose herself, and reached out to Gabrielle, who joined Xena in her arms.
"Evie, Gabrielle and I got you a solstice gift." Xena said, her eyes twinkling.
"Yeah, unfortunately, it's not gonna fit you for a quarter moon or so." Gabrielle said as she went to their saddle bags and pulled out a soft blue tunic, the color of Eve's eyes, with an embroidered sash.
"Oh, Mother and Gabrielle, it's beautiful. The material is so soft and I just love the color." Eve said.
"I'm glad you like it. I have to admit, Gabrielle picked out the fabric." Xena said with pride.
"But, I have no gift for you." Eve pouted.
Xena placed a hand on either side of her daughter's belly. "This is the second best Solstice gift I have ever received." Xena smiled, lovingly.
Eve was slightly taken aback. "The second best? If your grandchild is the second best Solstice gift you've ever received, what could be the best."
Xena pat her daughter's cheek. "You."
"Oh, Mother. I've missed you so much." She said as she fell back into her Mother's arms. "And, you too, Gabrielle. Now, I feel that my happiness is complete. OW!" Eve yelped as her contractions strengthened.
"Here. Lie down so I can feel the baby's location." Xena said and Eve did as her mother bade. "Yep. It won't be long now. It's in the birth canal. How long have you been having pains?"
"It's been about six candle marks. But the last two were the only really hard ones."
"You'll deliver quickly like I did with you. We'd better get prepared. Virgil boil a bucket of water on the hearth. Here, Gabrielle, take my breast dagger and put the blade in the flame. I'll need lots of clean linen too and some twine."
Virgil and Gabrielle went about their business, glad to feel useful.
"Now, don't push until I say so. Ok?"
Eve nodded. Fearful of the pain, but relieved her mother would be there to bring her child into the world.
The contractions continued for two more candle marks, becoming longer and deeper. Virgil wiped his wife's sweaty brow and held her hand, which she squeezed unmercifully during each pain.
"Evie, I need you to pull your knees up and spread as wide as you can for me." Xena instructed.
Eve blushed furiously.
"Come on, sweetheart, I've diapered your bottom more times than I can count." Xena encouraged.
"But, the terrain has changed considerably since then." Eve groaned and did as she was told.
"You are over three fingers dilated. It won't be long now. Virgil, I want you to crawl behind Eve and help her to push with her next contraction." Xena felt her daughter's belly and when the contraction began, instructed Eve and Virgil to push.
"Gabrielle, grab that oil lamp. I need more light."
Gabrielle held the lamp so Xena could see what she was doing.
"I see the head!... Push!" Xena pushed against her daughters skin between her vagina and rectum to lesson the tearing as the dark head passed through the birth canal and into its grandmother's heart. "I've got it. Keep pushing, Eve. Keep pushing. A little more....that's it. She's out. It's a girl!" Xena yelled and laughed at the same time. Her entire being filled with love for this new life she held in her strong arms. "Welcome to the world, little one. I'm your Gram." Xena kissed each part of her granddaughter as she wiped the protective covering away and lay her on her mother's belly to cut and tie the umbilical cord. She handed the baby to Eve and kissed her forehead. "Congratulations, sweetheart, you have a daughter." Then she returned to deliver the after birth.
"I'll clean her up, Xena. Go see your granddaughter." Gabrielle offered as she went to collect water for the task.
"She's beautiful, Evie." Xena said as she played with the thick black hair upon the baby's head. Virgil simply held his wife and let tears of joy slip down his cheeks. "What are you going to name her?"
"Cyrene, after grandmother." Eve replied.
Xena smiled, her tears now drenching her beautiful face. "..... Thank you.""
The baby nuzzled at her mother's breast and whimpered. "I think she's hungry."
"I don't know how to feed her." Eve said in distress.
"Let me help." Xena instructed her daughter on how to breast feed her new baby.
"You're good at this." Eve remarked.
"I had a lot of practice with you." Xena smiled, wanly.
"I'm sorry you missed out on my childhood, Mom. You'd have been a wonderful mother."
Xena just nodded and kissed her daughter's sweaty brow once more. "You guys need some rest. Gabrielle and I will make ourselves at home..... We'll tell you all about what happened with Beowolf when you're stronger. Call me if you need anything, sweetheart. Congratulations to you both."
"Thanks." Virgil said without taking his eyes off his new daughter.
"Wow, Xena, I ...um... you're a grandmother. Wow." Gabrielle sat, stunned, upon their pallet.
"Yeah, amazing isn't it? We have a granddaughter." Xena let out a goofy giggle.
"I wish Mom was here to see her namesake. She's so beautiful." Xena said as she washed up at the basin provided in their room.
"Xena, do you think we could take a nap. I feel like I was run over by a Minotaur."
"Me too. We'll take a nap then have a nice hot bath before checking on the new family downstairs." Xena replied as she slipped out of her leathers and into the pallet beside her partner. Gabrielle snuggled up on Xena's shoulder and both women fell into deep, restful sleep.
"Mmmm, what smells so good?" Xena asked, groggily.
"Welcome back. I made us some hot tea with cinnamon and sliced apple."
"Mmmm, my favorite." The warrior smiled broadly at her treat.
"Happy Solstice, Xena." Gabrielle smiled as she handed the hot brew to her partner.
"Happy Solstice, Gabrielle. I've got something for you. Hand me my bag, will you." Xena searched in her saddle bag and pulled out a small leather pouch, tied with a bright red ribbon. "For you."
Gabrielle took the pouch and opened it to find two tortoise shell berets, inlaid with mother-of-pearl. "Oh, Xena, they're beautiful."
"I thought, since your hair has gotten longer, you might need something to keep it out of your face."
"I do and I love them. Thank you." Gabrielle gushed.
"You're welcome." Xena blushed.
"And, I have something for you, too." Gabrielle jumped up and retrieved the leather bound parchment from her saddle bag. "It's a short story I wrote just for you. It's about the eternal travels of two soul mates and how they overcome incredible odds to stay together.....I love you, Xena...." Gabrielle kissed her partner.
"I love you, too, Gabrielle. I will treasure it always. Now, let's go join our family and celebrate the greatest Solstice gift of all." Xena's heart was full of joy and gratitude for her life seemed whole again.
"Right behind you."
The End
December 25, 2000


text:
It's easy to gauge the success of a movie: You look at the box office gross.
But gauging its cultural impact and its popularity among children can be more difficult. Then again, maybe not.
Consider the newest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Endgame (PG-13). And then visit your nearest McDonald's and order a Happy Meal.
McDonald's not only emblazoned the toy and box with images from the film — which is common for tie-ins — but it also placed the Endgames logo on the yogurt tube, the milk and the apple bag (which is not common).
More significantly, though, the company released 24 different Endgame character toys, meaning you'll have to spend a lot of cash (and compile a lot of calories) to complete your child's set. By comparison, 2018's Incredibles 2 Happy Meal series included only 10.
There there are the Endgame tie-ins with Coca-Cola, General Mills cereals, and nine other corporate partners in a record-breaking corporate deal that will ensure your child knows all about the movie and is begging to see it — even though she may be 4 years old and can't even spell "PG-13."
The movie — it's easy to see — is a cultural phenomenon.
Yet is Endgame OK for children?
I can't answer that for your family. I can, though, give you the information needed to make an informed decision. Even better, I'll list the content in a generic spoiler-free format, thus assuring you won't learn anything about the plot.
Ready? Here we go.
The violence and disturbing content in Endgame is slightly less than that in its predecessor, Infinity War, but is still quite violent compared to a PG-rated animated film. We see a character get an arm and then his head cut off (mostly off-screen). We watch a sword fight that results in a character's throat getting slashed (we do see blood). We see a machine gun fight. We watch missiles destroy a building. We see a character tortured (it's not bloody). Of course, we see tons of punching and kicking, although it's largely bloodless.
Endgame includes more strong language than Infinity War. We hear h-ll (6), s–t (5), a– (5), OMG (3), stand-alone misuse of "God" (3), GD (2), d–n (2), p-ssed (1), SOB (1), and misuse of "Jesus" (1). An alien spouts a word that sounds like the f-bomb.
The film contains no sexuality.
The worldview of Endgame is far from Christian, yet — like Infinity War — it can spark a Bible-centric discussion. For example, how is Thanos' desire for God-like characteristics similar to the stories of Satan and even Adam and Eve — all of whom wanted to be God or be like God? More specifically, though, how is Thanos just like you and me when we rebel each day and refuse to follow his will? Perhaps we are sometimes Thanos.
Endgame is three hours long. Go easy on the soda.


text:
Goldschmidt homers twice, lifts D'backs in extras
Phoenix, AZ – Paul Goldschmidt was once again the hero Tuesday in yet another win for the Arizona Diamondbacks in their final at-bat.
One day after Adam Eaton hit a walk-off homer in the ninth inning, the D'backs stole a 4-3 victory away from the Baltimore Orioles after Goldschmidt homered in the ninth and again in the 11th.
Goldschmidt, who hit a walk-off homer against the Mets four days earlier, sent the game to extra innings with a solo blast off Jim Johnson, then took T.J. McFarland (1-1) over the right-field wall to cap another dramatic win, Arizona's 25th in its last at-bat and ninth of the walk-off variety.
Gerardo Parra went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the win, which was credited to Heath Bell (3-1) for working a flawless 11th.
Chris Davis' two-run blast and J.J. Hardy's solo shot backed a solid start from Miguel Gonzalez, who allowed just two runs on five hits over seven innings but wound up with a no-decision.
Gonzalez was denied a win when Johnson, who had not allow a home run since May 20, served up a leadoff blast to left from Goldschmidt in the ninth.
"It's frustrating," said Johnson. "Looking at what the guys have been putting into the games and just the way the game unfolded, obviously it's heartbreaking."
The D'backs looked poised to end things later in the frame with runners on second and third and one out, but Johnson struck out Wil Nieves and retired Didi Gregorius on a groundout to send the game to extras.
Nevertheless, Baltimore fell for the third time in four games courtesy of another leadoff shot from Goldschmidt two innings later.
"It's very special what (Goldschmidt) can do. It's good to have him on your side," D'backs manager Kirk Gibson said.
Randall Delgado surrendered both Baltimore home runs, but otherwise gave up just three singles with one walk in his seven-inning start.
The walk came in the fourth to Nick Markakis, and Davis made the free pass sting when he sent an opposite-field shot over the right-field wall for his league-leading 44th round-tripper of the year. The slugger did not homer in 10 straight games after the All-Star break but has gone deep in seven of the 13 games since, including both contests in this interleague series.
Hardy has been hitting plenty out of the park recently as well, as he connected on his fourth in six games leading off the fifth.
Gonzalez cruised through the first six innings, setting down the first 11 hitters he saw while only facing one batter with a runner in scoring position.
That changed in the seventh when Aaron Hill legged out a triple with one out and scored on Martin Prado's groundout to short. Parra followed with a home run into the right-field seats to cut Arizona's deficit to 3-2.
Game Notes
Goldschmidt recorded his fourth career multi-home run games ... Davis has 112 RBI on the season ... Hardy is riding a 10-game hitting streak ... Baltimore fell to 14-20 in one-run games after recording an unprecedented 29-9 mark in such contests last year ... Johnson has blown two straight save chances and eight on the year ... The Orioles have never won a series against Arizona in five tries ... Arizona has won 11 of its last 12 interleague home games.