text:
Essendon is confident its supplements program enforced before consent forms were introduced will not impact on the players' push to clear their names, with the Bombers adamant only legal vitamins and the failed anti-obesity drug AOD-9604 were used during this stage.
Fairfax Media has seen a leaked email sent from the AFL Players Association to player agents last week, plotting the events that led to the consent forms being introduced and sparking questions by agents as to whether the players' bid to avoid sanctions under the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority's no-fault clause could be weakened.
As the players had not yet raised concerns during the initial injecting period, lasting at least several weeks, and there were no consent forms, lawyers believe players could find it difficult to argue they had been duped into taking a banned substance, the point at the centre of their defence.
The email claims "players demanded greater information be provided by the club and information about what substances the club was giving them", having "expressed concerns...given the lack of clarity about precisely what they were being given" and taking "these concerns to the club, resulting in a meeting at the club". It says this meeting had coach James Hird and several members of the administration, including the club psychologist, on hand.
"As a result of this meeting, players were provided by the club with patient information/consent forms outlining full details of approved substances and assurance the substances were compliant with the WADA code," the email said.
"It was agreed no supplement would be given to any players unless it had been approved by the medical department at the Essendon Football Club, headed by Dr Bruce Reid."
It's understood the leadership group began to raise concerns after it emerged a couple of players had allegedly been administered AOD-9604 under the program run by sports scientist Stephen Dank and possibly fitness chief Dean Robinson. Dank joined the club in late 2011. He and Robinson deny any wrongdoing.
It's understood AOD-9604 had been administered without the knowledge of club doctor Bruce Reid. There is no case to be answered for AOD-9604 because players could not have known it was banned before WADA's clarification in April last year. As it was such a grey area, ASADA chief Ben McDevitt says it would be "unsuccessful and unfair" to argue a case against its use by Essendon players. However, the long-term health impact of AOD-9604 remains an issue.
Once the players had raised their concerns, the Bombers then called an immediate halt to the program for a month before meeting with the playing group in January 2012. It was around this time that Reid wrote his letter to the club board outlining his concerns about what had been going on.
It's understood the Bombers are adamant Thymosin beta 4, the drug mentioned on all show-cause notices issued to 34 players, was not used before or after the introduction of the consent forms. Instead, they believe Thymomodulin, an immunity booster found in some infant formula, was used after the consent forms were done, having discovered a spreadsheet of its use in Dank's computer.
The AFLPA is still awaiting a response from ASADA in terms of what evidence it has that the players were administered something illegal. It has indicated to the anti-doping body it will launch legal action to compel it to hand over relevant information if it denies the request.
The 34 players, of which there are about 20 still at the club, have until July 11 to respond to their show-cause notices in a bid to avoid being placed on the Register of Findings, which then leads to infraction notices being issued.
However, the AFLPA has sought a stay of proceedings until after the case brought against ASADA by the club and Hird is heard in the Federal Court. The directions hearing will be held on Friday, where a date for the start of the trial will be set. Both parties argue the joint investigation conducted by the AFL and ASADA, the latter an independent body, was unlawful, as ASADA acted both outside of its powers - ultra vires - and in breach of the act by handing information to an unauthorised body, in this case the AFL. ASADA maintains it is on "safe legal ground".
In an unprecedented move, the Federal Court has allowed the directions hearing to be broadcast live on ABC television.
Robinson, who is seeking a $2 million payout from the Bombers, will have his third directions hearing on September 9. He has until July 18 to distribute subpoenas.
Dank has been issued with a show-cause notice but Robinson, coaches and other football department staff at the time have so far avoided notification.
Jon Pierik is cricket writer for The Age. He also covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.


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websurface brauchte ein neues Website Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 35 Designs von 9 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
We are a nation-wide American non-profit community organization that does family events across several American cities.
The event is mainly geared towards Muslim kids and their families. It is a very thrilling and fun event at a famous amusement park celebrating a religious festival.
Similarly the website design needs to very thrilling and attractive to kids and families while keeping in mind the Muslim cultural sensitivities. But please do not design for any flash usage.
Please see current web site here: http://www.muslimfamilyday.com and the attached wire frame document for enhancements.
This existing website will be replaced with a new one based on the attached document. You will simply submit PSD files for the four different page layouts of the website as shown in the attached document on pages 4-7. Don't worry about the CMS / platform being used.
Refer to current website for the event type and attached document for the new requirements. The more closely you study these two resources the better your chances of winning this fun project.
Also check attachment for pictures.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Please tell us …
Are you a student? If you are a young adult carer studying in Newcastle and the person you look after lives in a different area, you can still access information and support from Newcastle Carers. For more information, please contact us
For more information about how Newcastle Carers can support you as an unpaid carer, please tell us your:
Thank You
Your request has been submitted successfully.


text:
The Daily Word in Sandy reactions, Route 66 housing project, zombie training
Be careful with those fake contact lenses this Halloween.
Hurricane Sandy conjures up fake pictures, technology delays, conspiracy theories and celebrity tweets.
Former Route 66 motel to undergo renovations for conversion into AIDS housing project.
CNN did a series of blog posts on the faiths of the presidential candidates.
Is that your real name?
Prescribed burn in SF National Forest may cause smoke over Albuquerque and Rio Rancho.
Ginormous fishing Gollum statue makes me want to fly to New Zealand real bad.
Police in Tulsa say a man being booked into a county jail had a woman's ear in his pocket.
Military zombie training is no joke.


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MicroBite With 500 new features, Mango's a juicy release for Microsoft's Windows Mobile team: third-party application multi tasking, HTML5-compliant browser and video voice mail.
But with the iPhone 5 looming, technology alone won't help Microsoft close the gap on Apple or on Google's Android.
In this MicroBite The Register's software editor Gavin Clarke and All-about-Microsoft blogger Mary-Jo Foley look at how Mango's fate now rests with carriers and handset providers and how Microsoft's really betting on Tango to bring Windows Mobile to a mass market of smart-phone hold outs.
The biggest question of 2011 so far for Microsoft watchers had to be whether Windows 8 on ARM would run existing x86 applications. Well, the company released a Windows 8 preview in September and after months of speculation and having fallen out in spectacular fashion with Intel on the subject, it's still not clear.
Meanwhile, Microsoft's done nothing to address the growing concern that the Windows 8 security system will stop PCs running the operating system from also booting Linux. Will this be the black swan that overshadows Windows chief Steven Sinofsky's perfect career at Microsoft?
Join Clarke and Foley as they filter fact from fiction and attempt to get to the bottom of Windows 8.
As ever listen via The Reg's player below, or by downloading the MP3 here or Ogg Vorbis here. ®
Sponsored: How to simplify data protection on Amazon Web Services


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Andrew Glover necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 138 diseños de 31 diseñadores freelance.
Elastiqa is an on-demand service that allows companies to scale up and wind down quality assurance personnel in lockstep with the needs of their software development life-cycle. Rather than having to hire in house quality assurance talent, who will most likely be idle for up to 40% of the time, Elastiqa allows companies to save money by paying for active, expert labor during needed cycles and not for downtime; what's more, Elastiqa allows companies to strategically select talent across the globe, allowing for a more continuous 24x7 testing effort.
software companies, software vendors -- small, medium, and large sized companies. tech savvy business people like CIOs (Chief Information Offers), CTOs (Chief Technology officers), directors of development & QA (Quality Assurance) & quality control. These companies will most likely be located in the US market but the global aspect of the service is important for cost savings.
Key aspects are cost savings, elasticity, global options, quality assurance.
Feelings to convey: trust, speed, flexibility, quality, cost savings, agility.
We're looking for a clean, simple, sleek, and unique logo. We don't want any of the typical or standard symbols. No big cartoon-like graphics (clip art). The logo will be used on our website, letterhead, and business cards. Shiny or glossy surfaces and reflections welcome.
Feel free to change caps -- the "qa" aspect of the word can be made to stand out as the word is a take off on "elastic" -- that is, the service is Elastic QA or elastiqa.
The target market will most likely be companies located in the US -- but the global aspect of the service is important for cost savings as this is an outsourced QA effort.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
What if I meet the woman of my dreams in there? Then I want her, not the money!
Or, people who use words out of context or just the wrong word all together. I have a hard time not correcting those people.
House Guest Andrew Monaghan sings http://www.youtube.com/v/7ht-jhmFqTA
Page created in 0.033 seconds with 32 queries.


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Everyone loves to focus on the "social" part of Twitter. But what about the anti-social part? You know, the part where someone decides they're sick of your avatar or your mundane updates about hunger and weather, and they unfollow you as if you're worthless. You don't get a friendly e-mail from Twitter that notifies you that your "friend" now thinks you're lame
What does it do?
Sayonara is pretty simple: Hook up your Twitter accounts and it'll keep an eye on your follow count and let you know who unfollows you. Within the app, it'll give you a day-by-day breakdown of who unfollowed you.
Why do we like it?
Beyond allowing you to exact unfollow reciprocity, Sayonara actually gives you a crucial piece of feedback about your Twitter habits. When you get all drunk on election night and tweet ridiculous things, do people think you're funny or annoying? Regular Twitter notifications only inform you about what you're doing right—what about when you're doing it wrong? Sayonara tells you when you're doing it wrong.
Download this app for:
- iOS $2
The Best:
Crucial social info
The Worst:
Too darn pricey


text:
The product was added to your cart.
Free Shipping on U.S. Orders $65+
$11.95 per yard
Be the first to review this product
27 yards in stock.
Colors may vary slightly due to differences in computer display
settings.Pricing, promotions, and availability vary online
and in our retail store.
-Beautiful tonal woven zebra or wood grain patterned damask-Reversible fabric-Weight: Medium/Heavy-Transparency: Opaque-Hand: Soft-Stretch: No Stretch-Drape: Full Body Drape-Luster: Matte-End Uses: couches, window dressings, pillows, and more-Compare to $24.00/yd
Need a Sample? Order 1/8yd.
Manufacturer: STH
Fabric Width: 55"
Material Content: 100% Cotton
Manufacturer Care Instructions: Dry Clean Only
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text:
imagineinternet had een nieuw webpagina ontwerp nodig en lanceerde daarom een wedstrijd op 99designs.
Een winnaar werd gekozen uit11 ontwerpen ingezonden door5 freelance designers.
Real estate office is based in Telluride, Colorado
Scott Brown Realty
Accepted File Formats:
Original PSD with fonts used included
Company Name: Scott Brown Realty
URL: tellurealty.com
Logo: There is none, so please use the company name in the design
The focus on this site is to be extremely attractive to visitors and to promote the MLS search, so MLS searching should be very predominate on the front page with a "simple" search form on the front page and an advanced, more detailed search on the MLS Search page.
This design must be REALLY locally focused on Telluride. This family is very well known there and has deep ties to the area.
IMPORTANT: Front page needs to be designed to accomodate a FLASH animation with rotating images of Telluride. Please be creative here and use the images provided.
Home Page
About Us
Our Team
MLS Seach
About Telluride
Pretty open. Take a look at the pics we have provided and stick with complimentary colors.
Pictures to use in your design (13 photos, 1.77 MB Zipped):
*************Important Notes****************
- Other payment methods will be considered if fees come out of prize money
- We provide quick feedback, but not on weekends
- Please do not PM us with offers or submissions outside the contest


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Join in the fight against hereditary breast and ovarian cancer by donating to FORCE. Your gift will help change and save lives.
Donate securely through our online processing system.
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) #39229
FORCE Tax ID: 65-0927702
Many companies will match donations made by their employees. Please ask your employer if they have a matching gifts policy.
If you'd prefer to donate by check, please send your donation to:
FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
16057 Tampa Palms Blvd. W, PMB #373
Tampa, FL 33647
If by supporting FORCE I can help ensure my children and future generations will live a full life without cancer, then I will continue to make FORCE a priority for our family.
Annual gifts of unrestricted support enable FORCE to provide support, education and awareness to help those facing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer know their health care options and make informed decisions.
An unrestricted annual gift provides FORCE with resources that have a significant impact on our ability to reach those who may not be aware of their risk. Here are some examples of the impact your support will have on the fight against hereditary cancer:
Become a HBOC Crusader and your monthly gifts will provide ongoing revenue to help FORCE support the needs of those affected by hereditary cancer for generations to come.
HBOC Crusaders are a new group of FORCE's most committed and passionate donors. Your automatic monthly gift will enable FORCE to provide lifesaving information, education, and peer support to individuals and families facing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
Monthly Giving is simple:
Most importantly, as a HBOC Crusader, you will maximize the impact of your support for the HBOC community and ensure that no one has to face this journey alone.
Become a HBOC Crusader and help FORCE fight against hereditary cancer.
Want to donate and honor a loved one at the same time? Learn how you can Create a Named Fund, Create a Tribute, or donate through special fundraising programs.


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You may enter a US or Canadian location in the following formats:
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By clicking the button above, you are indicating that you have read, understood, and agree to LoopNet's Terms and Conditions.
Search for Parking Lots and Garages for Sale and Lease. Browse all of LoopNet's Parking Lots or Garages listings and other commercial real estate including Land, Multifamily Apartments, Retail and Office Buildings, Industrial Property, Hotels and Motels, Shopping Centers and much more.
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LoopNet operates the most heavily trafficked commercial real estate listing service online, with more than $425 billion of commercial real estate for sale and 5.1 billion sq. ft. of commercial real estate space for lease. LoopNet also attracts the largest community of commercial real estate professionals looking for Parking Lots and Garages with more than 7 million members comprised of brokers, corporate executives, service providers, and more than 3 million buyers, tenants and other principals.
Find Parking Lots and Garages for sale at LoopNet.com.


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Home > Clothing & Accessories > Women > Shoes & Accessories > 1 Pair Silicone Gel Insoles for High-Heel Shoes: Women's US Size 4
Product Details
Insoles are also known as shoe pads, shoe cushions, inserts or footbeds. These full-length pads are transparent and discreet, which make them ideal for high-heel shoes. Gel insoles have excellent shock absorption properties, do not absorb odors and can be hand washed with warm water and soap. Also, they do not lose their cushioning or flatten out the way foam pads do. The textured top surface has a mild massaging effect that relaxes your feet and releases the stress. The bottom surface is self-stick and does not shift or leave adhesive residue.
- Full-Length Insole
- Heel-to-toe Cushioning
- Shock Absorbing
- Odor Resistant
- Reusable and Washable
- Mild Massaging
- Self-Stick
- Color: Transparent
- Material: Silicone Gel
- Length: approximately 8 inch / 20 cm
- Width: approximately 2.5 inch / 6.4 cm (ball of foot); 1.9 inch / 4.8 cm (heel)
- Size: Women's US Size 4 / Euro Size 35 / UK Size 2
Primarily for comfort from heel to toe. Relieve stress, pain and fatigue when wearing high-heel shoes.
The textured surface should face up. Peel off the protective film. Insert and attach the "L" insole to the left shoe; "R" insole to the right shoe. Reusable: hand wash with warm water and soap, then air dry.
Package Includes:
- 1 Pair of Insoles
Related Tags


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The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association announced Thursday the launch of its "Our Partnership with You" initiative, which is designed to help investors "get the most" out of their relationship with their advisor and highlights the fact that "both parties have responsibilities to one another."
The initiative, which is part of SIFMA's new broader investor-first initiative, "is all part of our commitment to fostering prosperity and helping Americans realize their financial goals, to fund their dreams and to use capital to fuel the growth of our country," said Judd Gregg, SIFMA's CEO, during a speech at The National Press Club in Washington.
"A strong relationship between individual investors and the financial industry is essential to helping investors achieve their financial goals," said the former Republican senator from New Hampshire. "The financial services industry is dedicated to putting customers first through initiatives which protect investor choice, support investor education and enhance retirement savings."
Gregg encouraged investors to "go and meet your advisor and get comfortable with them," as "the advisor is there to help you in an area where you don't have the expertise." But, he warned, "go to someone who's a true professional…and is on the side of the customer."
SIFMA is encouraging its membership to share its "Our Partnership with You" document in their communications with clients.
The document outlines steps investors should take to inform and educate themselves, keep accounts current and use the right resources. "This means investors should read carefully all documents before making an investment decision, review the materials provided by their investment firm and ask questions as they arise. Investors should consider their investment options and be sure to ask questions and fully understand the choices," the document states.
Chet Helck, SIFMA chairman and CEO of Raymond James Global Private Client Group, said at the event that Raymond James has "long had a similar document that helps to establish a strong foundation for the relationship between a financial advisor and his or her client." Said Helck: "It's the start of open dialogue and clear expectations, both of which build trust and are critical in helping clients determine their financial goals, then reach them through appropriate investments."
Gregg also noted during his comments that he believes there has been a "piling on" of regulations. "We have received 15 million words under Dodd-Frank," he said.
When asked if there should be less regulation, Gregg replied: "We're not talking about less, we're talking about rational regulation that accomplishes the purpose. Find the purpose first and then try to solve it."
He said one regulation that had "gone too far" was the Department of Labor's initial proposal in 2010 to change the definition of fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. DOL's proposal "would have forced out of the business of giving advice a lot of the industry, and the loser would have been the consumer," Gregg said.
Gregg said he supported the House's recent passage of H.R. 2374, the Retail Investor Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., which would require the DOL to wait to repropose its fiduciary rule until 60 days after the Securities and Exchange Commission issues its fiduciary proposal under Section 913 of the Dodd-Frank Act.
Under Dodd-Frank, Gregg said, "that's the proper approach," that the "SEC should take primary responsibility" in crafting a fiduciary rule first.
But as a Senate Democratic aide told ThinkAdvisor after House passage of the Wagner bill, the Senate Banking Committee has "no interest" in taking up such legislation.
Phyllis Borzi, assistant secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, said at a recent conference that the DOL is "coming very close to finishing our work" on the reproposed rule. The "conflicts of interest rule," she continued, is DOL's "highest priority."
Check out SIFMA and Main Street Take Center Stage: Chet Helck's Legacy? on ThinkAdvisor.


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Jody McAuliffe
Professor of the Practice of Theater Studies
Jody McAuliffe (MFA, Yale University)
Award-winning director, writer, adapter, dramaturg, translator, scholar and teacher whose artistic work has been seen across the country. Her directing combines theater, film, documentary, literary adaptation, dramaturgy and the development of new work. Her writing encompasses multiple genres: short fiction; film, literary, and cultural criticism; literary non-fiction; a novel.
Directing Credits: Abrons Arts Center, Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Repertory, Denver Center Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, Duke Performances, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Sundance Institute, L.A. Theatre Center, Great Plains Theatre Conference, Burning Coal, Manbites Dog Theater, Private Theatre. Member SDC.
Publications include The Mythical Bill, A Neurological Memoir; My Lovely Suicides; Crimes of Art and Terror; Mysterious Actions: New American Drama, Guest Editor, South Atlantic Quarterly; Plays, Movies, and Critics; Foreword to Sibyl Kempson's Let Us Now Praise Susan Sontag; Gulag Follies in Ethics and Images of Pain (an essay about her theatrical adaptation of Shalamov's Kolyma Tales); Reflections on a Director's Process, Afterword to Peter Weiss's The New Trial. Short fiction in South Atlantic Quarterly. Literary Imagination, and Southwest Review. Reviewed theatre for Norwegian Shakespeare and Theatre Magazine.
Resident Artist at Abrons Art Center, New York, she adapted and directed Don DeLillo's The Body Artist (also part of Duke Performances season) in collaboration with Jim Findlay, Rachel Jett, Jess Barbagallo, and Tanya Selvaratnam. Recent projects include dramaturgy on True Pearl with David Lang and Sibyl Kempson (2018 premiere at Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston), directing Barbara Hammond's We Are Pussy Riot for Theater Previews at Duke (also dramaturg), and dramaturgy for Sibyl Kempson's Let Us Now Praise Susan Sontag at Abrons Art Center in New York City. Collaborators include Don DeLillo, Wole Soyinka, Sibyl Kempson, Frederick Neumann, Neal Bell, Allan Havis, Nilo Cruz, Erin Cressida Wilson, Clay Taliaferro, William Noland, Joseph L. Guindi, Barbara Hammond, Marlane Meyer, Julie Hebert, Donald Margulies, Anna Deavere Smith, Lewis Black, Robert Auletta, Reynolds Price, Young Jean Lee, Megan Mostyn Brown. Her adaptations have been produced at Manbites Dog Theater, Abrons Arts Center, Duke Performances.
As chair of theater studies, she revived the professional producing arm of the department, Theater Previews, and presented New Works Labs by Sibyl Kempson and Barbara Hammond (both New Dramatists) and hosted The Builders Association for a workshop with freshmen in the Focus program she created--Liveness: Digital Media & Performance. Received a Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation Grant to study new play development at Scotland's Traverse Theater. Convener of the Mellon funded Humanities Writ Large Performance and Integrated Media; Guest Director and Guest Faculty at the National Theater Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center; Director of the Duke in Chicago Arts Entrepreneurship Program which she created; Guest Artist at Great Plains Theatre Conference; National Endowment for the Arts Directing Fellow at the Mark Taper Forum and member of the Directing Workshop for Women at American Film Institute. Her video work has screened at AFI, North Carolina Museum of Art and festivals. She was Associate Producer on Metromedia Producers' Tom Cottle. Up Close.
As a Duke Faculty Fellow in Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship, she hosted a panel on domestic terrorism with Tim Nichols, Executive Director, Counterterrorism and Public Policy Fellowship Program, and Fellows after a performance of her adaptation of Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent from the point of view of Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber: The Perfect Detonator.
She is a recipient of Duke's Trinity College Distinguished Teaching Award.
Collaboration Development Grant, Duke University Council For The Arts. Duke University Council For The Arts. May 2010
Visual Studies Initiative. Unknown. March 2009
Provost's Common Fund. Unknown. July 2008
Selected Grants
Gulag Follies awarded by Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation (Principal Investigator). 2008 to 2009
- Artistic Events
- Exhibits
- Films
- Musical Compositions
- Musical Performances
- Radio / Television Programs
- Scripts
- Theatrical Productions
- Video Recordings
Goin' A Buffalo. Director. (2008)
GOIN' A BUFFALO. Center for Documentary Studies
RODINA. Director. (2008)
Scenes of Secrecy Interdisciplinary Inquiries on Suspicion, Intelligence and Security, Duke University
Eleanor/In Her Own Words. Consultant. (1985)
KCET/Taper Media
Dr. Ruth. Producer. (1981)
MGM Television
Tom Cottle, Up Close. Producer. (1981)
1981 - 1982. Metromedia Producers.
Now You See Me. Director. (2010)
by Neal Bell
The Beatification of Area Boy. Director. (2010)
by Wole Soyinka
Skies, Cries, Mysteries and Some Horses. Actor. (1992)
Two Evenings of Dance by Clay Taliaferro
Lizzadro. Actor. (1991)
Hans und Zuruck. Director. (1987)
by Hindemith
Don DeLillo's The Body Artist at Abrons Arts Center, New York, NY. Director. http://www.abronsartscenter.org/on-stage/shows/don-de-lillo-body-artist/ (2017)
Giantess by Genne Murphy. Director. (2016)
The Wild Duck. Director. (2016)
We Are Pussy Riot by Barbara Hammond. Director, Dramaturg. (2016)
Anatomy of a Hug by Kat Ramsburg. Director. (2015)
Let Us Now Praise Susan Sontag, by Sibyl Kempson. Dramaturg. http://www.abronsartscenter.org/performances/sibyl-kempson-let-us-now.html (2015)
Drown by David Hilder. Director. (2014)
Great Plains Theatre Conference, Guest Artist, Workshop Instructor, Mainstage Reading Director, PlayLab Panelist
The Perfect Detonator. Director, Writer. (2014)
Lear. Director. (2013)
by Young Jean Lee
Let Us Now Praise Susan Sontag. Dramaturg. (2013)
by Sibyl Kempson, Duke Theater Previews New Works Lab
A Stampede of Zebras. Director. (1996)
National Science Foundation Betacam SP Video
Academic Integrity: The Bridge to Professional Ethics. Director. (1994)
National Science Foundation. Betacam SP Video


text:
Movie rental company Blockbuster Inc. said Monday the risk that it may not complete financing deals raises "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue as a going concern.
Dallas-based Blockbuster, which has struggled amid the rising popularity of DVD-by-mail services like Netflix, disclosed the warning in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company had already cautioned last month that its auditor was likely to raise doubts about its ability to stay in business.
A going-concern qualification refers to an auditor's assessment of a company's ability to continue to operate for the foreseeable future.
Last week, Blockbuster said its revolving and term loan agreement was amended, giving it a $250 million revolving loan refinancing that matures on Sept. 30, 2010. Lenders including JPMorgan also agreed to waive any default that could result if auditors attached a "going concern" classification.
But on Monday, the company said its lenders' obligation to fund the $250 million credit facility is subject to meeting certain conditions, and there can be no assurances that these conditions will be met.
Even if the loan is funded, the company said it "may not have sufficient liquidity to finance the ongoing obligations of our business, which raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern."
Blockbuster said it believes that it will be in a position to close the amended credit facility by around May 11, though "there can be no assurance regarding these matters."
Shares fell 3 cents to 85 cents in after-hours trading, having closed earlier at 88 cents.
Blockbuster Says it May Not Be Able To Stay in Business
Movie rental company Blockbuster Inc. said Monday the risk that it may not complete financing deals raises "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue as a going concern.


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The Medford Oven Hood
This statement steel hood invites many colorful conversations just like it's colorful acid patina finish. Built from 16 Gauge colled rolled steel with 3/16″ thick steel straps and decorative corner ornaments this hood was built to take center stage in any kitchen.
- Available in custom sizes and designs.
Please call 406-582-0711 for pricing and order information
or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, will give the commencement address at an upstate New York college in May.
Bard College, in the Hudson Valley 90 miles north of New York City, announced Wednesday that the couple will address more than 600 graduating students during commencement ceremonies on May 25.
College officials say the 42-year-old Giffords will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the liberal arts school.
Giffords was among 13 people wounded in a January 2011 shooting outside a Tucson, Ariz., supermarket that left six others dead. The Democrat resigned from Congress a year later.
The shooting left Giffords partially blind with a paralyzed right arm and brain injury.
Recommended: Kelly Gun Purchase Blocked by Store Owner in Arizona
Kelly is a former space shuttle commander.


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According to Automotive News, Toyota is building a $1 billion plant in the wilds of Memphis, Tennessee. At least, they're expected to, which means someone spilled the beans ahead of a local press conference to be held this morning in Blue Springs, Miss — a tiny town outside of big
Memph Toupe. That's where the SUV plant will go online, reportedly by 2009, employing 2,100 at first. The company will require additional workers when it ramps up to build a yet unnamed Crossover. Engines will come from Toyota's expanding plant in Huntsville, Ala, according to AN. Music will be provided by a hybrid of Big and Rich.
Chicago Auto Show: 2008 Toyota Highlander [internal]


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MAINE evokes ocean breezes, the smell of beach roses and the sight of lobster boats trawling for the evening catch. But a few miles from the coast in Freeport, there's an anomaly that has delighted young children and intrigued curious adults for nearly 90 years. Called the Desert of Maine, it is not really a desert at all — but it sure looks like one. And although it is operated as a tourist attraction, this is no ersatz Sahara built of trucked-in sand and designer dunes. Nature laid it down, human error uncovered it, and the hucksters and gawkers arrived late in the game.
On a clear late-summer morning with temperatures in the low 70's, the "desert," which emerges incongruously from the surrounding green hills, shimmered at 90 degrees from the reflected heat of its shifting dunes. Walking to the middle of this silent expanse, you'll find it difficult to believe you are anywhere in the eastern United States, let alone Maine.
Most visitors tour this otherworldly landscape — which takes up most of the Desert of Maine tourist attraction's 47 acres — on 30-minute tram tours. But there are also easy hiking trails, and visitors can wander on their own. In places, dunes tower high above the trails, kept at bay by trees — the surrounding forest is the natural fence that keeps the sand from spreading.
My 12-year-old son and his friend, young sophisticates who had feigned lack of interest in anything in Maine unattached to a hotel pool, the ocean or a Game Boy, became so interested in their desert explorations that they didn't want to stop to pose for pictures.
The Desert of Maine is well known locally, according to Robert Doyle, a retired head of the Maine Geological Survey and former associate professor at the University of Maine at Augusta. "My father took me there when I was 10," he said.
The story of this strange place began more than 10,000 years ago, Mr. Doyle explained, when the glaciers of the last Ice Age slowly scraped the soil and ground rocks into pebbles and then to a sandy substance known as glacial silt, forming a layer up to 80 feet deep in places in southern Maine. Then, over the centuries, topsoil formed a cap, concealing the "desert," enabling forest to grow and, when settlers came to North America, supporting agriculture.
Enter William Tuttle, a farmer who bought 300 acres of prime farmland in 1797. Tuttle built a large post-and-beam barn on the site and operated a successful farm for decades, raising cattle and crops. His descendants added sheep to sell wool to textile mills. Poor crop rotation and overgrazing by sheep, which tear the plants out of the soil by the roots, resulted in soil erosion and something eerily beyond.
One day, a patch of sand the size of a dinner plate became exposed. It grew until the family became alarmed. But it was too late. The "desert" had made its entrance, and the more the soil eroded, the more the sand underneath was exposed.
THE Tuttles didn't give up right away, and tried for years to fight the inevitable. But slowly the sand claimed the farm, swallowing buildings and pasture. By the early 20th century they abandoned the place. Proving that one person's disaster is another's gold mine, Henry Goldrup bought the farm in 1919 for $300 and opened it as a tourist attraction in 1925. It now attracts 30,000 visitors a year, according to Mary and Bob Kaschub, who work as tour guides.
The tram tour travels through the starkest portions of the desolate landscape, like the site of a springhouse, built in 1935, that was overtaken by sand by 1962 and is now invisible under eight feet of sand. Pine trees have adapted to the sand and seem healthy, with only their tops exposed and their trunks buried as much as 50 feet deep. The contrast is vivid between the brightness of the dunes and the surrounding forest.
Mica in the silt sparkles in the Maine sun. It also reflects heat, explaining the high temperatures in the middle of the sandy expanse. Readings of more than 100 degrees are not uncommon, Ms. Kaschub said.
Over several years as a tour guide, she has learned to respect the power of the sand. On one tour, a powerful gust of wind suddenly made it impossible to see and nearly impossible to breathe, she said. Visitors and staff had to cover their eyes, noses and mouths until the swirling sandstorm subsided several minutes later. Ms. Kaschub also pointed out trees that had been stripped of much of their bark, essentially sandblasted smooth from the wind. "Every year, I wonder, will the desert win, or will the forest win?" she mused.
On the day of our visit the air was still, making it easy to admire the area's odd beauty and to feel sorry for the hapless Tuttles. They tried to make bricks out of the sand swallowing their farm, but because of the high mica content, the bricks just crumbled and fell apart. So the sparkling quality that helped make the place a tourist attraction essentially prevented its practical use.
Once the touring and hiking are done, there are more activities for children. A staff artist gives free lessons in fashioning art from the sand, which varies in color. For the purchase of a bottle for a few dollars and a quick lesson in shaping a sand creation, visitors can spend an absorbing hour creating a piece of the "desert" to bring home.
Also on the site are a museum with agricultural implements and a play area where children can search for colored stones that the staff has scattered on the sand.
In the 1950's, the Desert of Maine kept a camel named Sarah to add to the desert atmosphere. It developed the unfortunate habit of biting and spitting at the tourists and was eventually sent to a zoo. Taking its place now are two life-size statues of camels, one lying down and the other standing. They are not nearly as interactive as Sarah was, but at least tourists who want a souvenir picture won't have to worry about fending off a dromedary with anger management issues.
THE Desert of Maine (207-865-6962; www.desertofmaine.com) is at 95 Desert Road, Freeport, Me. To reach it from Interstate 295, which follows the coast, get off at Exit 20, turn west and drive for two miles. The Desert of Maine is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Memorial Day and Oct. 15; the last tour leaves at 4:30. Tickets are $8.75 for adults.
Admission to the picnic area is included with the price of admission, but the Desert of Maine store sells only snack food. For more substantial picnic fare, Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster Company in South Freeport is just two miles away (36 Main Street; 207-865-3535). It's an informal place overlooking the Harraseeket River that features fresh lobster (two one-pound lobsters for $19.95) or, for the kids, chicken fingers and $1.50 hot dogs.
A trip to Freeport would be incomplete without a stop at the mothership of shopaholics, L.L. Bean, which has had its headquarters there since 1917. Three million visitors arrive each year to visit the flagship store (800-441-5713) on Main Street in the center of the village. It is open 24 hours a day every day of the year.


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For the past five years, Barry and I have written about golf for the pure love/hate relationship behind it and for the satisfaction we get from offering tips that we learned. We still enjoy taking our twilight walks together (sigh) and keeping you involved in our weekly games, even if we're not always playing up to par!
As a matter of fact, that is precisely how this blog got started!
Barry handed me a gift of a set of golf clubs that he purchased off of the internet (yes, left-handed) and turned me over to a golf instructor. He was smart enough not to teach me himself but, since I was learning about golf anyway, he wound up making a more concerted effort in his own game, eventually attaining a few scores in the 70's!
I wanted to make sure that I would remember what was taught to me and decided to write it all down where I would keep looking at it. I also wanted to keep a log of my improvement and Barry insisted on joining me on this journey.
The rest, my friends, is history!
We thought it might be fun to pull out our camcorder in order for you to get to know us a little better. A friend of mine came into our shop recently and asked if I could teach her how to use her own digital DVD video-maker so that she could record her grandson for posterity's sake. I gladly obliged and, in doing so, realized that I have one of these at home too!
We dusted off our camcorder and have created a short video on balance using one of the contraptions that we keep in the golf sanctuary of our home. (If you are interested in learning more about the styrofoam balance roll in our video, just leave a comment!)
We hope that you enjoy our very first golf-related video realizing never to take this game too seriously, have fun and always play good golf!
---Stacy Solomon
If you are having problems viewing this video, please click here!
Here are a few ways to follow Golf for Beginners:
Link to our RSS Feed, become our friend on Twitter,
ask me about golf on Stracka or through MySpace where you just might find opinions on things other than golf!


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#3 Bree Thurman
|Columbia, Tenn. (Spring Hill HS)
2012: Started 55 games... Hit .204 with a home run, nine RBI, seven doubles and 24 runs scored... Scored the game-winning run on eight occasions... Homered in the season's second game, against Mississippi State (Feb. 10)... Went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored against IPFW (March 7)... Scored twice in a March 24 victory at Cal Poly... Scored the game-winning run in both games against the Mustangs (March 23-24)... Had season-high three hits, with a double, an RBI and a run scored against Austin Peay (April 10)... Drove in the game-winning run against Kennesaw State (April 20)... Earned an Academic All-Conference nod.
2011: Second on the team with a .271 batting average, primarily from the top of the order... Led the Lady Bisons in walks (33), OBP (.418) and steals (13)... Steals mark tied her for eighth in the A-Sun; she was third in walks... Had seven multi-hit games... Drove in a season-high three runs against ETSU (March 25)... Homered in back-to-back games against Georgia Tech (March 19) and Coastal Carolina (March 20)... Stole two bases and went 2-for-3 against Georgia (Feb. 13)... In the field, did not commit an error for the second season in a row... NFCA Scholar Athlete and member of the A-Sun All-Academic Team.
2010: Played in 45 games, starting 36 with most of them coming in the outfield … Hit .161 with 6 RBI and 10 runs scored in 62 at-bats … Posted a 1.000 fielding percentage … Played in all 20 Atlantic Sun Conference games … Hit .167 in 24 at-bats with 3 RBI, a stolen base and 4 runs scored in conference play … Registered first collegiate hit against Georgia Southern in the Eagle Classic (Feb. 20) … Finished game against Georgia Southern 2-for-3 with a run scored (Feb. 20) … Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team.
High School: Lettered four years in softball. ...Named to 10-AA All-District Team in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009. ...Named "Offensive Player of the Year" in 2006, 2007 and 2009. ...Played in the Middle Tennessee Softball Coaches Assocation All-Star Game for A-AA (2009). ...Named to Middle Tennessee Softball Coaches Association A-AA All-Midstate Team (2009). ...Named to 10-AA All-Academic Team in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. ...All-State All-Academic Team in 2008 and 2009. ...Also lettered two years in soccer. ...Named to All-District Tournament Team in soccer in 2007. ...Named to the All-District Team in 2008. ...Served as soccer team captain her senior season. ...Played three years of varsity basketball, serving as team captain as a senior. ...Spirng Hill Distinguished Scholar Award (2009). ...Salutatorian of Senior Class.
Personal: Parents are Pamela and Mark Thurman. ...One brother, Brandon. ...Father played football for Middle Tennessee State University. ...Played for Tennessee Xplosion club team coached by Brian Drake. ...Major is Marketing.


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San Francisco's political establishment will rightly celebrate itself this afternoon [Wed/12] at 5pm with a ceremony in City Hall marking the 10th anniversary of the unilateral decision to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, kicking off what became known as the Winter of Love.
It was the greatest thing that then-Mayor Gavin Newsom did during his seven-year tenure in Room 200, a bold and principled stand for civil rights that started California down the long and arduous road toward marriage equality.
"It was a proud moment for San Francisco, and some of my most meaningful moments in public service," Mayor Ed Lee wrote in a guest editorial in today's Examiner, referring to the minor role that he played as a city administrator at the time.
But that kind of political leadership and willingness to take radical action in the face of injustice — or even the recognition during this kumbaya moment that what Newsom did far exceeded his actual legal authority — seems to be absent in today's City Hall, which overvalues civility and compromise.
Real estate speculators and greedy capitalists are rapidly changing the face of San Francisco, killing its diversity and some would say its very soul, and the Mayor's Office hasn't done anything of any real substance to address the problem. While Mayor Lee gives lip service to protecting the city "for the 100 percent," it is his supporters from the 1 percent that are acting with impunity to evict our workers, artists, and valued cultural institutions.
So as San Francisco officials pat themselves on the back this afternoon at City Hall, celebrating what was indeed an important and historic effort, our hope is that they will remember the radical spirit of that fateful moment and apply it to the pressing problems that have ignited such populist outrage today.


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Results tagged ' Mike Allstott '
2011 Toby Hall Celebrity Golf Classic
Day 2 of the Charity Week experience. This charity event actually took place last Thursday, but somehow I lost my little camera video card in the movement from the camera to the computer. Now that the day's photos are safely within the computer, it is time to give you some of the highlights and tales from the 2011 Toby Hall Celebrity Golf Classic.
This is my second year volunteering for this golfing event that first started out as a bowling event in Tampa so many years ago. Arrived at the Bayou Club gold clubhouse about 9:45-ish and immediately came face-to face with three off-duty members of the St. Petersburg Police Department.
They were there as special guests of Hall to participate in a fundraising event through their memorial T-shirt benefiting the families of two recently slain SPPD officers. During the charity event, the SPPD representatives set up a tent at the turning point or Hole 9.5 of the course and as the golfing pairs came up to do the putting challenge, they could also purchase T-shirts and speak to the officers( including a K-9 officer) that knew the two officers.
When Tampa Bay Rays centerfielder B J Upton's 5-member pairing came up for the putting contest, Upton took a moment to go over to the SPPD tent and purchased not one, but over a dozen T-shirts, including one for everyone in his pairing group.
Fellow Rays Fans Wall of Fame member George Stone was on the scene again that day spreading the word about the featured charity of the event, The Miracle League. Some might not know that the Miracle League is a baseball league formed so that children of all ages with special needs and abilities can also enjoy the greatest game on dirt. At one point later in the evening, Stone actually got a verbal commitment from St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster to attend the 2011 Opening Day event in St. Petersburg.
There were plenty of Rays, plus ex-Rays on hand this day helping Hall in his quest to help this great organization. I remember a few years ago when they completely re-constructed the Miracle League field in the Azalea region of St. Petersburg, just down the street from the old Rays Spring Training facility.
On hand that day supporting Hall's charity event was Dan Wheeler (Red Sox), Jesse Litsch (Jays), Brian Stokes (Jays).Boof Bonser ( NY Mets), Jason Michaels (Astros), Trever Miller (Cardinals),Ryan Webb (Marlins), Gregg Zaun (Padres), Miguel Cairo (Reds). Bobby Wilson (Angels) and Jorge Cantu (Padres), plus former NBA star Matt Gieger and retired Bucs running back Mike Alstott.
Representing the Rays was Upton, starter James Shields, RP Andy Sonnanstine, and new RP Adam Russell. Also on hand were a few other well known Rays faces either from the Coaching ranks, or from their on-the-field reporting. Broadcaster Todd Kalas was joined on this day by current Rays Third Base Coach Tom Foley and former Rays Coaches Bill Evers ( Durham Bulls), Ozzie Timmons (Columbus Catfish) and former Hitting Coach Steve Henderson. Rays shortstop Reid Brignac was also scheduled to attend, but had an emergency.
I was stationed to begin the day in the registration area handing out specially made Toby Hall caps, visors and rain slickers. But just as it seemed I might have an early end to my day, I volunteered to run the putting contest. It was a great time in which each pairing member got a chance to hit one golf ball into a sectioned off squared area for multiples of points with a maximum of 10 points if you sunk your putt..
You could cut the air with a knife as to the early competitive nature of the event as Cairo was the closest to the hole for most of the day until 5 pairings from the end, the cream began to rise to the putting top of the pot. Local attorney David Papa, who was in the Wilson pairing found the center of the hole to become the first to thrust his team to a sizeable lead. ( total 14 points).
That total seemed safe until one of the last groups, which included LPGA star Brittney Linicome, had their first putting contestant Tim Nalls of American Marketing put in square in the hole. With an immediate 10 points, this team was quickly putting (bad pun) itself into contention for the Putting contest crown.
But suddenly we all noticed that Linicome, who had an early flight out of Orlando in the morning for a LPGA event had left before taking her putting chance. I made an executive putting contest decision to let Nalls put his way to either team victory, or a second place finish. The climatic moment was short lived as Nalls pulled his second try to the right and did not even register a single additional point. I wonder if Linicome would have gotten them that needed 5 points for their victory by putting her golf ball in the inner square within a foot of the hole? We will never know.
But the solace of placing second was definitely short lived by the Linicome pairing as they finished the event with a 52, good enough for the eventual top finish in the tournament and bragging right for the entire year. As the teammates from the Linicome pairing basked in the afterglow and celebrated at the after party at Courtside Grille minus Brittney. The real winner here was the Miracle League.
I have been proud the last two years of volunteering in this event, and also made a commitment that day to help another event that will be held this Friday. On that day I will be helping out the Jesse Litsch & Bechtel Financial Celebrity Golf Tournament in Oldsmar, Florida. How can I possibly complain, another great day in the Sun with athletes supporting their local charities and spreading the news of this great charitable golfing event.
I want to remind the Rays Republic that the memorial T-shirts that benefit the families of the two slain SPPD officers will be ongoing in the Tampa Bay community. You can contact, or visit the St. Petersburg Police Department's lobby to purchase a T-shirt, or contact them about ongoing outside T-shirt opportunities within the community. Please support this worthy charity and remembrance of these Tampa Bay heroes.
Again I want to thank Tracey and her staff plus Toby for the adventures and memories. Believe me, I have more than a few moments to tell people about that would not fit on this post today. But that is the great thing about charity events like this that happen so close to Spring Training. The excitement levels in seeing past friends and the approaching report dates just adds to the zeal and essence of the tournament.
I am already looking forward to the 2012 event. I want to post a link here for the Miracle League of the Gulf Beaches and hope that all of us can contribute in some way to a great organization that brings the love of the game to some that might not be able to run, hit or even pitch like everyone, but the smile and joy on their faces as they move around the bases makes it so worthwhile.
All photos taken at the 2011 Toby Hall Celebrity Golf Classic can be found in a photo set on Flickr.com


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There's so much to love about our wonderful game of golf. Hands down, one of the neatest things about it though, is how the courses and the style of play can vary through different regions of the world.
For instance, maybe you're playing on a perfect, sunny, windless day in Arizona. You can hit it high and land it soft right by the pin (notice I said, "you can," and not, "I can"). Whereas if you're on the other side of the pond playing in, say, Scotland, you'll most likely have to hit a lot of low, running shots to counter the wind.
With those factors -- and many others -- in mind, we asked PGA.com Facebook Nation to tell us this week: If you could travel to any one nation for a golf trip (non-U.S.), where would you go and why?
Here's a look at the best of the nearly 200 responses we received:
9. Portugal. Pure beauty. The courses are fantastic and if you're game isn't quite up to par, there's plenty to do.
Facebook fan quote:
"Well since so many have already gone for Scotland, home of golf and the next Ryder cup venue, I am going to go with Portugal. Great weather, beautiful variety of courses and excellent food, especially the fresh caught fish." -- Nicole Condit Duncan
8. Turkey. There's no doubt Turkey is staking its claim in golf. Eight of the world's best golfers were there just last week for an exhibition.
Facebook fan quote:
"Turkey. They have a good mix of different type of courses on a small concentrated area." -- Henrik Garpenrud
7. United Arab Emirates. Now this would be a cool place to play. The pictures, the video and the stories about Dubai have made it a sure bucket-list destination for me.
Facebook fan quotes:
"UAE with all the new courses." -- Stan Reeves
"Dubai. Because the players always brag about how great it is there." -- Louis Permanente
"Jumeirah Golf Estates Dubai... Would love to tackle the deep deep bunkers!!" -- Christopher Nelson
6. Spain. This is one destination I can highly recommend based on experience. You'd be hard-pressed to find anything better than playing golf in Spain; specifically, Andalusia.
Facebook fan quotes:
"Novo Sancti Petri, Spain." -- Andri Páll Ásgeirsson
"Spain." -- Paul Wong
5. Australia. Home to some of the best, most renowned golf courses in the world, you'd have to think Australia would be a slam-dunk great golf trip.
Facebook fan quotes:
"The land down under." -- Mike Emory
"Australia - because our winter is their summer... so in essence, I could play all year round." -- Jane Zelazny Belz
"Australia. It's a beautiful place with lots to see when ur not on the course." -- Jon Kephart
"Gold coast Australia." -- Tommy Higham
4. Japan. From what we here, it sure isn't easy to get a tee time in Japan, but if you're lucky enough to get one, it's sure going to be a treat to play.
Facebook fan quotes:
"Japan, For the sake and the AWESOME golf." -- Edgar Monetathchi
"Japan. My uncle is a pro over there and to play a round of golf in Japan is not at all like here in the states where you and your buddies go out on a lazy day. It's expensive and fairly exclusive. So I'd get to spend time with him and play in that beautiful country!" -- Matthew Nielsen
3. New Zealand. I remember seeing pictures and video one time of a place called Cape Kidnappers. It honestly looked as though it was from another world. Absolutely mind-blowing.
Facebook fan quotes:
"New Zealand!! Love the mountain views!!" -- Tim Horgan
"Been to Scotland... Yes it is amazing but nothing compares to New Zealand... Blew my mind. #CapeKidnappers" -- Matthew Jordan Mues
"Kauri Cliffs - New Zealand." -- Derek Dawson
2. Ireland. Golf, pubs, impossibly beautiful scenery. Does it get any better than that?
Facebook fan quotes:
"I would go to Ireland best links in the world great food and nice people." -- Simon P Russell
"Ireland... Waterford Castle Golf Resort... been there and loved it! Ireland always has cool golf weather." -- Maryann Parks Prine
"I would like to play Royal County Down in Ireland." -- Allen Pack
1. Scotland. PGA.com Facebook Nation -- overwhelming -- insists that if you could travel to any one nation for a golf trip, the birthplace of golf is it. You're not going to hear any arguments from us.
Facebook fan quotes:
"How could anybody not pick Scotland and St. Andrews?" -- Bob Moran
"Scotland, hands down. The history, the courses, the scenery, the challenge, the timelessness, the food... just kidding about that last one." -- Josh Brooks
"Scotland and to St. Andrew's, specifically. Where it all began." -- Mike Osterbur
"St. Andrews Because the course has so much history, and not to mention it is a beautiful course to play for any handicap golfers." -- Jeff Pascarella Jr
"I played St Andrews back in 1993 when I was deployed to England. I Played alone back then and would really like to play it with someone I love. It would have been so much better, especially walking down the small cobble stone streets." -- Kenny Skeie
"Scotland! I have been once and it was the best!!" -- Dan Singleton
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Anti-Islam filmmaker in hiding after protests
Tue., Sept. 11, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An Israeli filmmaker went into hiding Tuesday after his movie attacking Islam's prophet Muhammad sparked angry assaults by ultra-conservative Muslims on U.S. missions in Egypt and Libya, where one American was killed.
Speaking by phone from an undisclosed location, writer and director Sam Bacile remained defiant, saying Islam is a cancer and that the 56-year-old intended his film to be a provocative political statement condemning the religion.
Protesters angered over Bacile's film opened fire on and burned down the U.S. consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, killing an American diplomat on Tuesday. In Egypt, protesters scaled the walls of the U.S. embassy in Cairo and replaced an American flag with an Islamic banner.
Bacile, a California real estate developer who identifies himself as an Israeli Jew, said he believes the movie will help his native land by exposing Islam's flaws to the world.
"Islam is a cancer, period," he repeatedly said in a solemn, accented tone.
The two-hour movie, "Innocence of Muslims," cost $5 million to make and was financed with the help of more than 100 Jewish donors, said Bacile, who wrote and directed it.
The film claims Muhammad was a fraud. An English-language 13-minute trailer on YouTube shows an amateur cast performing a wooden dialogue of insults disguised as revelations about Muhammad, whose obedient followers are presented as a cadre of goons.
It depicts Muhammad as a feckless philanderer who approved of child sexual abuse, among other overtly insulting claims that have caused outrage.
Muslims find it offensive to depict Muhammad in any manner, let alone insult the prophet. A Danish newspaper's 2005 publication of 12 caricatures of the prophet triggered riots in many Muslim countries.
Though Bacile was apologetic about the American who was killed as a result of the outrage over his film, he blamed lax embassy security and the perpetrators of the violence.
"I feel the security system (at the embassies) is no good," said Bacile. "America should do something to change it."
The film was dubbed into Egyptian Arabic by someone Bacile doesn't know, but he speaks enough Arabic to confirm that the translation is accurate. It was made in three months in the summer of 2011, with 59 actors and about 45 people behind the camera.
The full film has been shown once, to a mostly empty theater in Hollywood earlier this year, said Bacile.
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After a long plane ride across the Pacific Ocean, Pivot Point-member school students from schools across the U.S. have joined together in Japan to explore the beauty and style of Tokyo: Pivot Point International's three Chicago-land academies, Penrose Academy of Scottsdale, Arizona, California's Federico Beauty Institute and Xenon International. As a proud graduate of Pivot Point International, I am so honored and excited to be a part of this incredible experience!
The beginning of the study abroad trip is designed to give us visitors a glimpse into Tokyo's every day beauty: from the incredible natural wonders and forests, to the delicacies of dining, onto the man-made structures Tokyo is best known for, and a look at the fashion-fueled shoppers that line the streets of Harajuku. As the trip progresses, each lesson from each stop along the way is realized when the hands-on education begins at the Yamano Beauty College.
Today was day one--and it began with a motorcoach tour of Tokyo, where we were immersed in the beauty of nature through a guided tour of the Meiji Shrine, hidden inside a lush forest in the middle of an incredibly busy city. We learned bits of the country's history--how it is a story of continual reinvention as Tokyo was nearly destroyed by bombs and fires during World War II, and earthquakes at other times. But Tokyo ALWAYS rebuilds itself and today, it's one of the world's main economic centers and is Japan's most populous area. The business of Tokyo is business, we learned, but you can still find small-scale gardens on backstreets (around the corner from neon and concrete you may find the bonsai-lined courtyard of a traditional inn).
After the tour, we led into one of the day's biggest highlights: A sushi-making class at the Japan International Sushi School.
Much like the art of hairdressing, sushi chefs must practice extreme discipline. It takes years of training and apprenticeships to become a professional--working alongside the masters, studying their movements, tension, skill and expertise.
Though we got a glimpse into the world of sushi-making, we barely scratched the surface. Imagine your first day in beauty school and being asked to cut a bob. Certainly it would be full of imperfections! But it would still be fun to be given the opportunity!
After we learned from some of Tokyo's best sushi chefs, we got to eat our creations! It was delicious. Many discovered that their methodical skills of dexterity transfered well to the art and creation of sushi, while others (ahem ahem) not so much.
After lunch, our group made our way to the Tokyo Tower. At 1,000 feet tall, the observation deck offered incredible views of the city. We made a quick stop at the Zojoji Temple, where we were met by Jane Yamano, whose family founded the Yamano beauty empire in Japan (which includes the Yamano beauty supply company, a make-up division, a kimono company, multiple salons and day spas, and academies for esthetics and cosmetology). We will see Jane again later in the week when we visit her beauty schools for education.
Jane walked our group over to the Hasami Kannon--the "Scissor God" statue that is considered sacrid by professionals who work with shears (hairdressers, seamstresses, tailors) as it is designed to offer prosperous career.
In Japanese, scissors are called "Hasami," which when written out looks like the digits "8" and "3," so every August 3, at 3pm, there is a holiday of sorts at the statue where hair professionals are celebrated. They bring their shears, receive blessings, and can get their tools sharpened and cleaned to celebrate, as well!
One of the best parts of the day was splitting into smaller groups to explore the Harajuku district of the city. Harajuku is the area around Tokyo's Harajuku Station and is the center of Japan's young adult culture and style. The street that is considered the heart of the area is Takeshita Street--packed with shops filled with colorful clothing, bright accessories, hair extensions and funky shoes. The shoppers who local the area have fantastic style and eccentric fashion! Our group loved snapping pics--imagine the streets filled with the most stylish street fashion bloggers you've seen--and multiply it by 20. THAT's what it's like in Harajuku!
Follow our trip--we can't wait to head to the Yamano schools for hands-on education and inspiration! On Instagram and Twitter, use #beautiesabroad to check out our adventures.
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Notice: On April 23, 2014, Statalist moved from an email list to a forum, based at statalist.org.
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Re: st: Exploratory factor analysis using a mix of categorical and continuous variables
Nick Cox <email@example.com>
Re: st: Exploratory factor analysis using a mix of categorical and continuous variables
Fri, 3 Feb 2012 09:52:33 +0000
I don't see that this can be easily classified as correct or incorrect.
Some people recommend strongly against such a mix, and some people
would argue that the pragmatic defence is whether it provides
interesting or useful results.
As you yourself have labelled the exercise "exploratory" the acid test
is surely what do you learn from the data by examining the results.
This is a cross-disciplinary list and we can only report our own
perspectives. In what is nominally my own discipline, geography,
factor analysis in the sense of an exploratory exercise throwing all
the data into one pot, stirring and seeing what you got, was probably
the most popular technique of all in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I
met several people whose one statistical idea was to read everything
into SPSS and do a factor analysis. I even met some people who did not
know that there were simpler statistical techniques. In geography this
fashion faded rapidly as too many people did not understand what they
were doing or found no useful new results. However, I am now touching
on quite different stories.
In terms of your question, my only guess is that from your variable
names you have a ragbag here and you won't find much interesting or
useful structure. It is better to decide what are your response or
outcome variables that you most want to explain or predict and think
how those might be modelled. The basic problem is not soluble by using
a slightly different multivariate command. Having a mix of predictor
types, dummies, categorical and continuous variables, is of course a
soluble problem.
On Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 9:32 AM, Urmi Bhattacharya <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote:
> I am using exploratory factor analysis to generate factor loadings and
> the corresponding uniqueness values using 16 variables. I have a mix
> of dummy variables (taking values 1 or 0), categorical variables
> (positive integers), and continuous variables. I am using the
> following command:
> factor govt_school chais_desk_s schl_toilet_s schl_water_s
> hrs_electric_s num_classoutdoor_s num_mixedgrade_s reg_fee_gen_s
> tuit_fee_ gen_s pupil_teach_s inservice_training_s library_s
> computer_use_s playgrnd_s formal_teach_eval_s distance_primaryschool,
> ipf factor(1).
> My question is whether this is the correct procedure to use when I
> have variables that are not continuous? If not, is there a command in
> Stata that better handles this?
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/


text:
BRISTOL, Tenn. – It's not always how a team starts, but how they finish, and the King University men's basketball team closed their game against Erskine College with a flurry of three-point baskets in the second half. The Tornado heated up from long range in the second frame to top the Flying Fleet 86-49 to remain atop the Conference Carolinas standings.
The Flying Fleet (11-8, 5-5 CC) scored the first basket of the game, a triple to take the early lead. However, King (11-9, 8-2 CC) came storming back with a barrage of three-point baskets. Hunter LeVeau connected on the first one to even the score before Michael Fortune and Logan Lyle drained back-to-back shots from long range. A pair of layups by Fortune and Lyle capped King's 13-0 run that gave the Tornado a 13-3 lead seven minutes into the game.
With the Tornado leading 18-6, the Flying Fleet scored seven straight points to cut their deficit to just five points halfway through the first frame. Nevertheless, Drew Standifer and Shamarae Watts both converted three-point plays to stretch the Tornado lead back to 24-13. King held the lead there, and led 31-19 at halftime.
In the first half, King shot 32.4 percent from the floor in the first half and 17.4 percent from three while holding Erskine to 20.6 percent shooting in the half.
The King offense heated up in a hurry in the second half, after the Flying Fleet scored the first point of the frame. Lyle started the Tornado onslaught of 17 straight points with one of his three triples in the contest. C.J. Good followed Lyle's triple with three straight from downtown before Standifer capped the run and gave King a commanding 48-21 lead with 15 minutes remaining.
King followed their 17-0 run with a 19-4 spurt that gave the Tornado a 70-30 lead with eight minutes left. Scottie Hendricks started the run with a triple while Lyle, LeVeau, Watts and Dorian Albritton all connected from long range on the spurt. King reached their largest lead of 42 points on two occasions, and ultimately took the contest 86-49.
The Tornado turned in their third-best shooting percentage in a half this season, shooting 64.3 percent from the floor. Their 60.0 three-point percentage also is their third-best this season. For the game, King shot 46.2 percent from the floor, and 37.2 percent from long range. The Tornado defense also played well on defense, holding the Flying Fleet to 27.1 percent from the floor and 20.6 percent from three. The Tornado outrebounded Erskine 49-34, and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds.
LeVeau and Good lead five scorers in double figures with 14 points apiece. Lyle added 13 points and Hendricks scored 11 while Standifer chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds. Malcolm St. Louis also snared a team-high nine boards.
King will be in action again when they take on the University of Mount Olive, who are currently in second place in the Conference Carolinas standings behind the Tornado. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center Complex.


text:
New: SENIOR POWER "P-A-D is appropriate"
The Massachusetts ballot initiative to give terminally ill, mentally competent adults with six months or less to live the freedom to obtain a prescription for aid in dying was defeated. The right to be at liberty to die should have been an election issue everywhere.
Popular and professional media had been crammed with other "stories" and "reports" like Joe Klein's June 11, 2012 Time magazine cover article, "How to Die," in which he described the dramatic improvement in his parents' care after they moved into a facility organized with an important distinction: no monetary incentives for unwarranted interventions.
At Liberty to Die: The Battle for Death with Dignity in America, has just been published by New York University Press. It was borrowed for me from the San Francisco Public Library via the LINK, the taxpayer-library user's lifeline. Standing next to me at Library Circulation was a proverbial little old lady who chimed in audibly "At liberty to die that's good that's needed that's important!" (Old women are so often assumed to be little and ladies, or at least lady-like… My bad.)
Author seventy-five year old Howard Ball is Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Vermont. He has authored books about the Supreme Court, judicial policy and politics, and international justice, including The Supreme Court in the Intimate Lives of Americans (also published by NYU Press); and Genocide: A Reference Handbook.
"Provocative and compelling" is Compassion & Choices magazine's take on Ball's latest book. It charts how end-of-life choice has become deeply embroiled in debates about the relationship amond religion, medicine, civil liberties, politics and law in American life. Ball explores the cases that built the constitutional framework and the legislative and ballot battles in state after state up through the 2011 legislative sessions. He also describes the legal rulings and media frenzies that accompanied the Terry Schiavo case and documents the growing number of Americans like my library ladyfriend who support a person's right to aid in dying as well as "the continuing and vigorous opposition of the 'sanctity of life' organizations."
When a terminal illness is diagnosed, control of one's own life ceases. Of every six hospital admissions, one is to a Catholic hospital, where aid in dying and other end-of-life choices are strictly forbidden. For many of those patients, a Catholic hospital is the only local "choice." Supporters of the policy of allowing a physician to assist a terminally ill patient to die do not refer to "suicide." Nor is the older phrase "physician-assisted suicide (PAS)" used by Ball. "Physician-assisted death" (PAD) is appropriate.
Mental health specialists contend that there is great difference between suicide and the choice made by a dying patient to hasten impending death in a peaceful and dignified manner. The American Psychological Association has recognized that the reasoning on which a terminally ill person bases a decision to end her or his life is fundamentally different from the reasoning a clinically depressed person uses to justify suicide.
"The Suicide Tourist" documentary aired on PBS Frontline on March 2, 2010. (www.pbs.org). The DVD can be purchased and is in some libraries' collections. It depicts one person's travail and travel following diagnosis and onset of ALS. It is the account of Craig Ewert, his devoted wife Mary who enabled their trek, and their decision to journey to Switzerland, where assisted death is possible, albeit not easy.
ALS is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also referred to as motor neurone disease in some British Commonwealth countries and as Lou Gehrig's disease in North America. It is a debilitating disease with varied etiology characterized by rapidly progressive weakness, muscle atrophy, difficulty speaking and swallowing, and d ecline in breathing ability.
In 2007, Dignitas, a Switzerland-based organization, began an effort to gain legal permission for healthy foreigners, including married couples committed to suicide pacts, to end their lives in Switzerland. As of October 2008, approximately 100 British citizens had travelled to Switzerland to die at one of Dignitas' rented apartments in Zurich. Most of these people remain anonymous. In July 2009, British conductor Sir Edward Downes and his wife Joan died together at a suicide clinic outside Zürich "under circumstances of their own choosing." Sir Edward was not terminally ill although in great pain; his wife had been diagnosed with rapidly developing cancer. Read Anushka Asthana's article in The Guardian Observer, Saturday, July 18, 2009. Right-wing politicians in Switzerland have repeatedly criticized "suicide assistance" for foreigners, branding it suicide tourism (Sterbetourismus in German).
The documentary, "The Suicide Plan; Assisted Suicide in the United States," aired locally on PBS Frontline in November 2012. (www.pbs.org). It depicts the travail of several persons as they attempt to experience or to facilitate death with dignity of a human being. "In this groundbreaking 90-minute film Frontline explores the shadow world of assisted suicide and takes viewers inside one of the most polarizing social issues of our time – told not only by the people choosing to die, but also by their 'assisters,' individuals and right-to-die organizations at risk of prosecution for their actions to hasten death." Featured are nonprofit organizations Compassion & Choices and Final Exit Network as well as Derek Humphry's Final Exit book. The video of "The Suicide Plan" video is available online; the DVD can be purchased at the website.
The leading cause of death in America differs by age group: 45-64 years – cancer, 65+ heart disease, dementia and cancer. Of the 1.4 million Americans who die each year, the vast majority are frail elders.
The American Association of Suicidology reports that the elderly account for 12.5 % of the total population. In 2009 (the most recent year data were gathered), they accounted for 15.7% of all the suicides committed in the United States. Caucasian men age 65+ were at the highest risk for suicide; almost 85% of elderly suicides in 2009 were male.
While the number of suicides among middle-aged Americans has gone up steadily since 2000, there has been a decline in geriatric suicides. Older adults take their own lives for a variety of reasons, including learning of an incurable illness. A new report from researchers has been published in the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Note that I avoid using the commit suicide phrase because I believe that ending one's own life, with or without assistance, is not a crime, as in commit murder, and that PAD – physician assisted death – is the valid term.
Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) is the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources for LGBT older adults and their caregivers, advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT older people, and provides training for aging providers and LGBT organizations, largely through its National Resource Center on LGBT Aging. With offices in Washington, DC, Chicago, and New York, SAGE coordinates a growing network of 23 local SAGE affiliates in 16 states and the District of Columbia.
A maintenance worker at the Torrance, California Golden West Towers senior-living complex found three persons dead in an apparent murder-suicide. When he saw a man who lived in the facility holding a gun, he locked himself in the maintenance office and called 911. He heard one of the women victims say, "Please, no! Please!" and then two gunshots. A few minutes later, another shot. Officers found the bodies of two women and a man. Employees at the facility told the Los Angeles Times that the alleged perpetrator was a male resident of the facility, and that one of the victims was a manager of the complex and the other was a caregiver. One employee said the alleged shooter was prone to violent outbursts and had expressed anger toward those who were killed. Authorities confirmed that one of the victims was an employee at the apartment complex. They said none of the previous threats had been reported to Torrance police. [Los Angeles Times. November 20, 2012]
A reliable source informs us in "a matter of public concern." Strawberry Creek Lodge will be merged into Affordable Housing Associates. Affordable Housing Associates recently announced merger with Satellite Affordable Housing Housing to become Satellite Affordable Housing Associates. Informant wonders "if we are caught up in a non-profit version of Merger Mania? Merger manias are not a reassuring phenomenon… [Read Wikipedia article re the term merger.] One way of looking at this affair is that the possibility of getting $14 million blinded them to the obvious advantages of improving the Lodge slowly and gently, without risking our independent existence and without subjecting the tenants to a grueling accelerated program of demolition and reconstruction."
OWL, "the Voice of Midlife and Older Women," reports that the median income for older women is $15,000.00 a year. Unemployment is much higher among older women – 20.5%, than men – 7.2%. Women are far more likely to serve as unpaid family caregivers. The notorious wage gap between women and men – 77 cents to the dollar – increases as women age. And gaps in life expectancy between rich and poor set to increase over the next 10 years.


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Posts Tagged 'roxygen2'
Webcast on Writing Great R Code
19th September, 2013 6 comments
While I'm promoting things, you might also want to know that I'm doing a webcast on how to write great R code next Wednesday. It's at 6pm British Summer Time or 10am Pacific Daylight Time.
the big problem with being a data scientist is that you have to be a statistician and a programmer, which is really two full time jobs, and consequently a lot of hard work. The webcast will cover some tools in R that make the programming side of things much easier.
You'll get to hear about:
- Writing stylish code.
- Finding bad functions with the sig package.
- Writing robust code with the assertive package.
- Testing your code with the testthat package.
- Documenting your code with the roxygen2 package.
It's going to be pitched at a beginner's-plus level. There's nothing hard, but if you haven't used these four packages, I'm sure you'll learn something new. Register here.


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Sometimes a little competition is a healthy thing.
The WWE was definitely hoping Sunday night was one of those times, as the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit played host to the 19th annual Survivor Series. With the exception of a WWE Championship match featuring another go-round between John Cena and Kurt Angle, this edition of the November spectacular banked heavily on the rivalry between the two brands, which had been building for the past few months with mixed results.
Feuding between the two announce teams threatened to overshadow the wrestler intros and the beginning of the match, with the feud between the two shows spilling over to the men calling the action. Tazz sounded particularly irritated, lobbing insults at Coach, Jerry Lawler and even old pal Joey Styles. An agreement to let Michael Cole call the action eventually calmed things down to a level manageable enough to proceed.
Rookie Smackdown star Lashley got the first chance to shine in the main event, powering out of Chris Masters' attempt at a Master Lock and dishing out pain to most of Team Raw. Both Carlito and Shawn Michaels got tossed around, but Kane grabbed Lashley with a chokeslam from the apron and Michaels covered to get the first elimination at the 7:16 mark.
Teamwork between Rey Mysterio and Batista wore down Kane enough for the world champ to pin him with a spinebuster at 11:40, but the Team Smackdown captain ended up leaving less than a minute later after facing a double chokeslam from Raw's tag team champs for the third time in the past few weeks. Several minutes of rampaging Big Show went for naught when he fell to a Mysterio springboard senton - perhaps to foreshadow their match this Tuesday on Smackdown - and got pinned at 14:25.
The three men remaining on each team got together for a little donnybrook, with Michaels getting clobbered on the outside by a JBL fallaway slam. Team Raw's captain never got a chance to see JBL pin Carlito or Mysterio pin Masters, leaving the Heartbreak Kid facing long odds. JBL brought Shawn back into the ring, which proved to be a big mistake. Michaels caught Mysterio in mid-springboard with Sweet Chin Music and served up another for JBL, pinning both superstars in a span of about 15 seconds.
Only Randy Orton and Michaels remained, and both men were wary of each other's finishers. HBK caught fire first, running through his usual string of moves and dropping his trademark elbow off the top rope. The already eliminated JBL returned with a steel chair, but Michaels ducked and connected with yet another superkick. Ever the opportunist, Orton struck with an RKO and wrapped up an upset victory. The Smackdown locker room emptied to celebrate the win, but things weren't quite over yet.
Surprise crept over the face of Orton and the voices of the announcers when the familiar tones of the Undertaker's entrance music hit and the lights went dim. They must not have been paying attention to the promotion for Survivor Series - the Dead Man's return was a key selling point. Hooded monks set up a coffin on the stage and a lightning bolt set the coffin ablaze. The Undertaker finished a dramatic pause by bursting out and heading for the ring.
Most of the Smackdown mid-carders got decimated while Orton and his dad looked on from the ramp. A Tombstone piledriver made an example of William Regal as the show came to a somewhat anticlimactic close, finishing off a night of wrestling that had its moments but was quite a long way removed from Survivor Series '98, this writer's favorite pay-per-view of the past ten years.
The next WWE pay-per-view is the Smackdown only Armageddon on December 18.
Match 1 - Booker T vs. Chris Benoit - U.S. Title Best of 7 Series - Match 1
Tazz explains why I have such a strong feeling of deja vu: these guys have done this before, back in their WCW days. Michael Cole is adamant that this time is more important because it's for the U.S. Title. I'll have to get the SLAM! Wrestling intern to check for me, but I'm pretty sure the WCW series was for the same belt. There should really be people telling Cole things like that through his earpiece. Booker rules the early stages of the match but can't quite keep the Rabid Wolverine down for three. Suplexes, as always, are Benoit's best friend as he fights back. A trio of German suplexes has Booker softened up as Benoit goes up top, but he finds no one home when he tries for the diving headbutt. Booker makes a cover and puts his feet on the ropes for leverage, and Sharmell also lends a hand to make sure her man gets the duke. Not bad, but my guess is the best is yet to come in this series.
Winner... Booker T
Match Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Can't have a pay-per-view without a few backstage run-ins, and this one is between Eric Bischoff and Vince McMahon. An excited Bischoff talks about wanting to make history tonight the same way Vince did back when he screwed Bret Hart. Hmm... I wonder what he's talking about. Anyway, it turns out Cena is standing right behind Eric, and he gets in a wisecrack about Bischoff screwing guys before the GM hightails it out of there. McMahon tries to show how cool he is by calling Cena "my n----." Let's just say it's a word I hear a lot on The Boondocks. Standing nearby, Booker wants Sharmell to tell him Vince didn't just say that. Oh, but he did.
Match 2 - Melina (with MNM) vs. Trish Stratus (with Mickie James) - Women's Title Match
Surprisingly, Melina can actually wrestle a little. The action in the ring, though, isn't as entertaining as the exchanges between Tazz and Joey Styles. MNM sneaks in and thinks about giving Stratus the Snapshot, but the referee sees it in time and ejects the guys from the proceedings. Both women earn near falls before Melina evades the Stratusfaction. Trish is in a precarious spot on the apron, but James is there to lend a helping hand. Coming off the top turnbuckle, Stratus uses a horrendous looking bulldog to bring this thing to an end.
Winner... and still Women's Champion... Trish Stratus at 6 minutes and 24 seconds.
Match Rating: 3 out of 10
Match 3 - HHH vs. Ric Flair - Last Man Standing
Hunter wastes no time, attacking Flair on the ramp. After a series of suplexes, Trips turns to weapons, gouging Flair with a screwdriver. The fight spills to the outside, and HHH sets up for a Pedigree on the announce table. Flair counters with a back body drop, and Triple H is sent crashing through the Spanish announce table. Hunter tries another Pedigree, but Flair counters with a low blow. The Nature Boy gains the advantage and crotches HHH on the ringpost repeatedly. Hunter goes back to his bag of tricks, nailing Flair with the ring steps. Trips hits another Pedigree, but Flair gets up. Hunter hits another; Flair still gets up. Hunter nails the trifecta, but Flair won't stay down. Triple H then pulls out the trusty sledgehammer, and a shot to Flair's back puts the Nature Boy down for good.
Winner... Triple H at 26 minutes and 59 seconds.
Match Rating: 8 out of 10
If there's a team match happening, you have to have a strategy session first. It's an unwritten rule of wrestling. Four-fifths of Team Smackdown gathers in the locker room to discuss Batista's injury, and Randy Orton doubts the world heavyweight champion will be able to do his usual thing. He actually calls Batista the weak link, and it's right about then that Big Dave walks in. Batista says there can only be one leader for this team and his gold gives him that position. Rey Mysterio and Lashley are down with that, as is JBL after some initial griping. Orton hesitates before telling Batista he's the man, though he's none too convincing. I smell a little trouble brewing.
Edge and Lita head to the ring, and they have an announcement. No, Edge isn't cashing in his title shot, but instead he will be hosting his own show. "The Cutting Edge" will debut tomorrow, (where's the Cabana? I leave for three weeks and everything changes) but tonight we are going to get a sneak preview as Edge calls out Detroit Tigers DH Dmitri Young. Edge rips on baseball, and then all Detroit sports (except the Red Wings). Young answers back by asking Edge where his championship is.
Match 4 - Kurt Angle (Challenger) vs. John Cena (Champion) - WWE Title Match - Special Referee - Daivari
The question isn't will there be a ref bump, but how many ref bumps will there be? Cena hits a fisherman's suplex early, but Daivari flat out refuses to make the count. Cena confronts Daivari, but Angle slaps on the ankle lock. Cena grabs the ropes, only to have Daivari kick his hand away. Cena rolls out, and then slaps Daivari. Angle stops Daivari from DQ'ing Cena. The Champ then knocks Daivari from the ring with Angle. Cena follows, but Angle slams the champ into steps, and then hits a belly to belly suplex. A new ref hits the ring, but Angle can't get the pin. After a DDT, Cena follows with the five knuckle shuffle. Angle then blatantly attacks the ref, and follows with a low blow on Cena. Another ref enters the ring, as Angle hits a Superplex. The Olympic champ climbs the turnbuckle. Cena rolls away from a moonsault. Cena sets up the F-U, but Angle grabs the ref. Angle then knocks the ref out, and tries to revive Daivari. Angle runs out to stop another ref from entering the ring, but Cena nails Daivari with a DDT. Referee Charles Robinson enters the ring with Angle. Cena gets Angle up for the F-U, and drops him with it. Little Natch makes the count and Cena retains the title.
Winner... and still WWE Champion... John Cena at 13 minutes and 53 seconds.
Match 5 - Eric Bischoff vs. Theodore Long
Not quite sure what the point of this is here, but it is what it is. Long concentrates on mocking Bischoff, who's in full karate mode. Long's buddy from The Network is on the apron, attracting the attention of the refs (there's one from each show) and giving Bischoff time to choke Long with his black belt. There's more "action" until some music hits - it's The Boogeyman. I think it's the wrestler, though, and not the one from my childhood closet. Bischoff sends the refs to investigate the scary entrance smoke; of course, the Boogeyman enters the ring from behind. He drops Bischoff with a pumphandle slam and disappears into the crowd, gift wrapping a win for Long. That's five minutes of my life I'll never get back.
Winner... Theodore Long at five minutes and 24 seconds.
Match Rating: 0 out of 10 (and possibly less if that was allowed)
The ever popular video package reminds us how the Raw versus Smackdown feud got started, all the way back at the Raw Homecoming show. Never has the simple act of turning out the lights led to such anger and hatred.
Main Event - Team Smackdown (Batista, JBL, Rey Mysterio, Lashley and Randy Orton) vs. Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Carlito, Chris Masters, Big Show and Kane) - Survivor Series Elimination Match
Winner... Team Smackdown at 23 minutes and 58 seconds.
Match Rating: 7 out of 10
Overall Event Time: 2 hours and 48 minutes.
Overall Event Rating: 6.5 out of 10
SLAM! Wrestling columnist Nick Tylwalk has just been announced as the captain of Team Chili's, much to the dismay of his buddy Dale Plummer, SLAM! Wrestling Raw reporter and captain of Team Applebee's. To enlist for this titanic battle of casual dining brands, e-mail Nick at email@example.com or Dale at email@example.com.