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Market Analysts See Foreign Investments In Chinese Traditional Liquor As Smart Move To Cash In On Emerging High-End Domestic Consumer
Although most westerners may be unfamiliar with baijiu, the traditional spirit of China, drinkers within the country have been sipping the powerful, often tear-inducing alcohol for centuries. Less famous abroad than Japanese sake or Korean soju, two of its descendants, baijiu is most certainly big business in China, with the most expensive bottles often selling for more than $10,000 USD. This high-end spectrum, populated by rare bottles produced by only a handful of companies, has apparently garnered the attention of more than one foreign company looking to get a piece of the premium baijiu market, as Diageo bought a 43% share in baijiu producer Sichuan Chengdu Quanxing Group last year and, recently, LVMH Moet Hennessy acquired a 55% stake in one of China's top producers, Wenjun Distillery.
This acquisition should fit seamlessly with Louis Vuitton Moet Hennissey's broader China strategy. As we wrote earlier this week, LVMH is making a massive push into the Chinese market, buoyed by figures that indicate China has leapfrogged past traditional luxury markets like the United States this year and should surpass the Japanese market within five years. Acquiring a premium baijiu with real brand pedigree — the first Asian brand to be owned by the LVMH group — is being greeted as a gutsy move, as the high-end baijiu market is both exclusive and highly competitive. As Karen Cho writes, the acquisition of Wenjun has huge potential as incomes grow throughout China, but — as uncharted territory — presents LVMH with a host of new challenges:
"This is the first experience for the whole LVMH group owning an Asian brand," says Allan Hong, development manager at Sichuan Wenjun Spirits Sales Company. "Because of the great potential in China, the whole group decided to run the Wenjun brand as a super-premium brand in China," he adds.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tripping Daisy Albums
- Tripping Daisy (2000)
- Time Capsule (1997)
- I Am An Elastic Firecracker (1995)
- Get It On (1994)
- Bill (1992)
Tripping Daisy Lyrics
Tripping Daisy's Photo
Tripping Daisy Biography
Pleasantly inspired by the Beatles' psychedelic period as well as the more heavy riffers of the 1970s, alternative popsters Tripping Daisy came together in Dallas in 1991. Comprising vocalist/guitarist Tim DeLaughter, guitarist Wes Berggren, ba**ist Mark Pirro and drummer Mitch Marine, the band gigged around the area and began recording soon after. One of the session highlights, "Lost and Found," appeared on a compilation released by local KDGE-FM and received airplay on the station. In 1993, Tripping Daisy did well at the Dallas Observer Music Awards and released their album debut, Bill, on Dragon Street Records. After the quartet signed to Island, the record label re-released Bill plus a five-song live EP, then issued I Am an Elastic Firecracker in 1995. Third album Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb followed in 1998. One year later, Berggren's d**h from an overdose effectively ended the band, with their self-titled 2000 effort appearing posthumously. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide


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Search for lists & modules
Welcome to Brunel's new reading list system.
Use the box on this page to search for a list using your module title or code or access your reading lists via Blackboard Learn using the link below.
Sign-in with your Brunel username and password if you wish to add personal study notes to your lists.


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Main Page
From 6.034 Wiki
Somewhere, something went wrong.
Welcome to the 2013 Edition of 6.034
This is the site for 6.034 Artificial Intelligence, Fall 2013, with Professor Patrick Winston.
Logistical stuff:
- Frequently asked questions
- Grading and collaboration policy
- Staff email addresses
- Tutorial assignments
- Office Hours
Reference stuff:
- Labs (also known as "problem sets")
Note that the TA address is: firstname.lastname@example.com
This address, used a year ago, is now a black hole: firstname.lastname@example.com
19 September 2013
The registrar has scheduled the 6.034 final for Thursday, 19 December, 9-12, Johnson.
18 September 2013
Quiz 1 is as originally scheduled, Wednesday, 18 September, 2013.
Quizzes 2, 3, and 4 are all delayed two days, from Wednesdays to Fridays:
25 October 2013 15 November 2013 6 December 2013
These changes were made so that we can use Walker as well as 10-250, making the quiz taking experience even more enjoyable. You will all have 10-250 for two quizzes and Walker for the other two.
12 September 2013
Lecture tomorrow, Friday, is a lightning review of basic search, from depth first to the role of extended lists. Some of you have seen this material more than once and may have other things to do. We will presume you know the material and quiz questions that focus on other material may involved it by way of comparisons.
9 September 2013
We have set up a mailing list for the TAs: email@example.com
Announcement of New Center for Collaborative Research on Intelligence
5 September 2013
We have sent the following message to the registrar's class list, but as of this moment, you may not get it that way because the registrar has not yet got the entire class list in order:
There is no 6.034 class tomorrow, 6 September. The only Friday class in September is an optional lightning review of basic search on 13 September. Tutorials begin on Monday, 9 September. You will hear from your TA about where your tutorial will be held.
If you did not fill out a tutorial scheduling form on the first day, pick one up in the plastic bin outside my office door tomorrow (32-251) and leave in another, obvious plastic bin. Then, a TA will be in touch.
2 September 2013
In the fall semester of 2013, 6.034 will meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 to 11. Most, but not all of Professor Winston's lectures will be on Monday and Wednesday. On many, but not all Fridays, you will learn about what is happening in the field right now from someone who is doing work right now in an area related to the Monday and Wednesday lectures.
Examinations will cover material from the traditional lectures as well as the right-now lectures. It will be extremely difficult to field questions on the right-now material if you do not attend the right-now lectures because the material is not yet in textbooks or, in many cases, published papers.
Tutorials will meet weekly on Monday and Tuesday. On the first day of class, you will fill out a form that will enable us to assign you to a tutorial.
There are no recitations.
6.034 is no longer offered in the spring term.
More details will emerge during the first lecture on Wednesday, September 4.


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Get the Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy v1.10 Demo off WP (750mb)
Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy (CM:BN) faithfully recreates the experience of tactical land warfare in Western France during World War Two. Using the unique Turn-Based (WeGo)/Real-Time hybrid game system of our proprietary CMx2 battle engine, the first installment in this new series covers the three months after the Allied D-Day l andings in Normandy in June 1944, from Operation Overlord in June through the Cobra Breakout in August.
(This Readme file is also available after the installation inside the game installation directory)
This is a FREE demo version (v1.00) of the game "Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy". This demo version contains li mited functionality and content to showcase the full version of the game, which can be purchased at www.battlefront.com.
- only three scenarios, especially made for this demo version, are playable (Note: This Demo includes a training battle "Training Mission - The Road to Berlin", playable from the American side. We recommend playing this battle before the other two.)
- QuickBattles are disabled (but the QB setup screen is visible)
- multiplayer modes (PBEM/TCP) are fully enabled
- the Scenario Editor is enabled and fully functional, but it will not allow you to purchase units, load, or save any maps
- contains nag screens during launch end exit of the demo.
Included with this patch is a pdf version of the CMBN manual. You will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order view these manual. That program is free and can be downloaded from Adobe's website here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
CM:BN defaults the installer to your "My Documents" folder. You can pick any other folder you like, of course. Please note however that since CM:BN is designed to allow you access to almost all game data files (for "modding"), installing into a Windows special directory (such as the "Program Files" folder, for example) may require special Windows UAC permissions to be set by the installer. Therefore, we recommend against installing the game into a protected Windows directory.
The game does not require "elevated privileges" (e.g. "Run as admin") under Windows. Note that if you install and launch the game with elevated permissions anyway, you will be required to ALWAYS run the game with these elevated permissions from then on. For more information about "elevated privileges", please see th e Microsoft Windows manual for UAC (User Account Control).
The game does not run in a Virtual Machine environment.
In order to view this new onscreen list of clickable commands, select a unit and press the SPACE BAR and a popup menu of available commands will appear. The menu can be dismissed with another press of the space bar or a mouse click anywhere outside the menu.
Combat Mission has two distinctly different approaches for using unit Commands via the keyboard; Relative and Direct. The Relative system involves a set of 9 keys centered around three rows of three consecutive keys each. These 9 keys match the 9 Command Buttons in the user interface's Command Panel. Each hotkey controls the commands RELATIVE to the position on the screen. For example, by default the U key activates the Top Row Left-Most key which would be FA ST, TARGET, and SPLIT depending on which Command Group is visible (Movement, Combat, and Special respectively).
The Relative system is the DEFAULT, and implemented in the hotkeys.txt file inside the game DATA folder.
The Direct system, on the other hand, assigns a unique hotkey for DIRECT access to each Command. No attention is paid to the graphical representation on the screen. For example, if so assigned, F would issue the FAST command. T would issue the TARGET command, H would control the HIDE command etc... no matter which Command Group is visible on the screen.
To use the Direct system, you can use the "alternative hotkeys.txt" file found inside the game DATA folder. Simply rename it to "hotkeys.txt".
There are pros and cons to each system. The Relative system allows the player to keep one hand stationary on the keyboard and does not require any "hunting and pecking" to find the right hotkey. The downside is that when you wish to use two Commands in a row that are in different Command Groups you have to first switch the proper Command Group (now done using the F5-F8 keys). The Direct system allows you to string Commands together without concern for which Command Group they are in, but does have the drawback of requiring the hand to move and locate a specific key, which may or may not be easily memorized. Which is "better" comes down to personal player preference, therefore both are provided.
Whenever possible, the order buttons under the various Command Panels will display the assigned "direct" key in highlighted green text.
Note, we recommend that you decide which system you prefer and then either use the "hotkeys.txt" file or the "alternative hotkeys.txt" file. You can then further edit the keys to your liking, but it may be a good idea to use one or the other pre-set f ile as a base.
By default, the first time the game is launched, the games internal resolution and refresh rate are set to whatever your desktop display is currently set to. We have added two ways to make adjustments to this settings.
From inside the game, go to the Main Menu, then select the Options panel. From there you can select the game to run at the following resolutions:
Desktop = (the game will run at whatever resolution your desktop is set to)
- 1024x768
- 1152x864
- 1280x960
If you want to run the game in a resolution and refresh rate not listed, you can manually configure these settings by editing the "display size.txt" file located in your game directory. Simply change the numbers that you see there with the width (in pixels) and height (in pixels) and refresh rate (in Hertz) you w ish to run the game.
Example: For 1440x900 at 75Hz refresh rate, you would delete the numbers in that file and replace with "1440 900 75" (without quotes).
If you put in all zeroes example: 0 0 0, the game will revert to using your desktop resolution and refresh rate.
Exercise caution and only use a resolution and refresh rate supported by your monitor as damage to your monitor or display adaptor could occur, especially if you use too high a setting.
Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy uses the UDP and TCP port 7023 for all multiplayer games. If you are trying to HOST a TCP-IP game make sure and open port 7023 for both UDP and TCP traffic.
This new game demo includes the optional install of a new, and we think, exciting tool. This tool seamlessly attaches to your internet browser (most of the major browsers are supported) and gives you instant access to Battlefront.com game news, patches, demos, chat channel as well as other popular browser toolbar *gadgets* such as realtime weather reports (unique to your hometown!), a spell checker and pop-up blocker, and MUCH more. Fully user configurable and expandable, your new Battlefront.com Community toolbar unlocks the full potential of your internet browser to keep you connected with the ever-growing world of Battlefront.com games and resources! You can find more details on this new free utility here.
More articles about Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy


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This item is part of a set ( http://ptr.wowdb.com/search?search=Latent Kor'kron ) and has a chance to drop off of one of the new mobs added in 5.3 that you need to kill for Battlefield: Barrens such as Hellscream Laborer for example. It is roughly a ~1% drop chance and can be purchased from Ravika and costs 200 of the Barrens resources, 100 of one type and 100 of another. You can combine this with a to get an Radical Mojoitem level 476 class/spec specific piece of armor.
Last edited by tehstool on Apr 17, 2013


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Don't you hate it when you're online playing a first-person shooter and the person on the other end that kills you is a young kid. Well, in China, that player could be younger than you'd ever imagine.
In a video posted last December, an unnamed 2-and-a-half year-old, is shown playing a Counter Strike clone, Mercenary Force Cooperation, in China. The video, 2 minutes and 16 seconds long, shows the toddler playing the game with gusto. He literally lifts up the mouse and pounds it back down to move his character.
It's obvious that he isn't exactly a pro, seeing how he had more deaths than kills. Oh, and he runs into walls, but for a 2 and-a-half year-old playing a shooter, it's pretty amazing. Heck, for a little kid using a keyboard and mouse, it's amazing.
Online comments from Chinese netizens have been more than positive. One netizen, Tao Te Man said that when this child grows up he will be a great asset.
Another netizen, Wei Cai, said this kid is too awesome.
The video has currently garnered over 600,000 views, most of which were attained this month. That's despite the fact that video was first uploaded last December.
游戏两岁半小孩玩转《穿越火线》!哥泪牛满面啊 [Tudou.com]


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Rihanna Is Smokin' (Literally) in Terry Richardson Pics
Rihanna decided not to drop her top for a photo shoot with Terry Richardson, which was used for her latest Rolling Stone cover. While she does show some cleavage, she saves the full on boob baring for Instagram. But she's smokin' literally, taking drags off what we think may be a blunt in this sexy spread.
In the shots, where RiRi rocks shiny, long, ombre hair extensions and amazingly lush and full amber eyelashes, she's using her mouth poutily and suggestively as she blows smoke throughout. It's enough to make your lungs hurt and your eyes water.
But through it all, RiRi is hotter than a four-alarm blaze. She's certainly undressing that camera, and in essence, you, with her eyes as she stares at lens like woman who's ready to pounce.
Too bad she's taken, which she revealed in her RS cover, confirming what already knew via her Instagram feed. No, not that she has nice boobies and likes flashing them at every turn, but that she is officially back with Breezy.
Judging by this latest batch of Richardson photos, he is one lucky man and best not blow it with her since she gave him a second chance. While many of her fans don't think he deserved another go-round with her, she does, and it's her life. So let it be. Ri has always said she doesn't want to be a role model.
Watch the Rihanna 'Diamonds' Video


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Making It BIG
Grounds managers' jobs are anything but mundane. On any given day, your crews might be mowing, collecting garbage, repairing vandalized property, fertilizing, installing flower beds, collecting leaves, clearing snow, etc. It doesn't matter whether you maintain sports fields, city parks, college campuses, cemeteries, highways, industrial office parks or government facilities, you need a variety of different machines to successfully accomplish the multitude of tasks you're responsible for.
Sometimes you encounter a big job that requires a big machine capable of covering lots of ground and withstanding a great deal of punishment. Also, with labor in short supply due to increasingly tight budgets, these machines have to be able to perform the work of several individuals in a fast and efficient manner.
Take large plots of wide-open turf, for example. Why have two or three crewmembers zipping around on three different zero-turn mowers when one person can do the task with one wide-area mower? In certain instances, this can be the ultimate solution for increased productivity.
Gilbert Pena, commercial segment strategy manager for John Deere, says it all comes down to a series of decisions the grounds manager must make in order to determine what machine is right for his or her situation. Deere offers 72-inch decks for both zero-turn and front-mount mowers, depending on what frame-type you prefer.
"The zero-turn radius mower with 72-inch deck will accommodate a lot of mowing in quick time, but the front-mount mower has a heavier duty frame, same deck size, and can do lots of things other than mowing when you add attachments," Pena says.
The next step up, Pena says, is WAMs, or wide-area mowers. These are best suited for wide-open areas, but grounds managers still have to decide whether the area requires a fine cut or not. Deere's 1600 Turbo Wide-Area Mower, for instance, can cut up to an 11-foot-wide swath with one out-front deck and two wings.
"But this is still a grooming mower that doesn't sacrifice quality of cut," Pena says. "It has a higher cost, so the grounds manager must ask, 'how much do I mow and how often am I mowing?' The answers to those questions will determine the level of capital fund investment he or she should pursue."
If the area to be mowed doesn't require a high quality cut, then Pena says the solution might be a tractor pulling a rotary mower that can cut up to a 15-foot swath in one pass. If ground contours are an issue, Deere offers a 72-inch flex deck to handle uneven terrain. The price goes up with each heavier duty model, but so does the life expectancy and productivity, which Pena says is what customers pine for.
"The development of the 1600 WAM had to do with requests from customers," Pena says. "They needed increased productivity, the ability to do more work with less labor. Labor is the most expensive and unpredictable piece, so you need to know how productive the machine is for the labor that is utilized."
The largest mower Jacobsen offers is the HR-9016 self-propelled rotary that cuts up to a 16-foot swath and up to 16.5 acres per hour. But just because it's a mammoth doesn't mean it has to be mammothly uncomfortable — it features an air suspension seat, considered a fairly high-end extra for machines like these.
"This machine has a big advantage over a tractor-pulled rotary," says Todd Kierstead, product manager for Jacobsen. "It has more flexibility, more power, more maneuverability, and leaves less of a footprint."
A 4-wheel drive machine, the HR-9016 features three decks, one out front and two on either side. If the operator needs to access a tight area or drive the mower from one site to another, he or she has the option of automatically folding up the two side decks. Attachments such as a snow blower, plow or broom can also be added for versatility. Kierstead believes Jacobsen will dedicate itself even more to this large mower market in the future.
"We have a big opportunity for growth with the large rotaries because we haven't been particularly strong in that market, particularly with emphasizing these mowers to our dealers," Kierstead says. "So because we haven't been strong, there is lots of room to improve."
Many mower manufacturers fill one part of the solution for grounds managers not seeking monster mowers for gargantuan-sized, wide-open fields but still needing as wide a cut as possible with lots of versatility. Walker is one of them. Its answer? The Model T and Model D front-mounts, which grounds managers can fit with any of Walker Mowers' 11 different sized decks. Whether a 36-inch deck is needed for tight spaces or a 74-inch deck fits the bill for large-area mowing, the one machine does it all.
"We feel it needs to handle both small and large areas," says Tim Cromley, marketing manager for Walker Mowers. "Plus it can handle a variety of attachments we make including a snow blower, chipper, rotary broom for paths, debris blower and boom sprayer."
Grasshopper offers 72-inch decks in both its front-mount and mid-mount mower lines to accommodate grounds managers who need to mow large areas efficiently. No matter how fast a mower cuts, though, a large area will require a grounds manager to sit for a long time. With that in mind, Grasshopper implemented a "stay-in-the-seat" comfort ride that takes fatigue out of the equation. On some mowers, the speed at which the operator mows will bounce them out of the seat, which cuts the power (as a safety precaution) and produces an irregular cut. The Grasshopper design, however, allows the operator to maintain good control of the mower at a faster speed and higher quality of cut.
One jumbo-sized attachment for Grasshopper's front-mount is a 132-inch shielded sprayer, which covers ground quickly while allowing the mower to retain its full zero-turn maneuverability. The mowers can also be equipped with beacon lights for the mowing of large roadside areas. And let's not forget sunshade canopies perfect for large-area jobs that require all-day mowing and hence long-term exposure to the sun.
Mowing isn't the only task that sometimes requires a big machine. Grounds managers have to top dress numerous athletic fields and aerate large areas of turf as well. Specific to these tasks, Turfco Manufacturing offers two behemoths, the CR-10 loader-material handler-topdresser and the TM-62 aerator. The CR-10 is capable of casting material up to 40-feet wide, while the TM-62 aerator offers a 62-inch wide aeration width. The CR-10 requires a 40-plus hp tractor to pull it, while the TM-62 requires only a 25-hp tractor.
"Productivity and reduced labor are the number one and two things we look at," says Tim Gray, regional sales manager for Turfco. "Plus, we try to make each machine as versatile as possible by allowing it to do more than one job. That way, if it's a $20,000 piece of equipment, the grounds manager will have an easier time getting that purchase approved."
The CR-10, for instance, also doubles as a material handler and loader. Grounds managers can use it to backfill drainage ditches as well as relocate material, and not worry about turf damage as the machine features turf tires with light psi. Turfco has acknowledged that grounds managers do a variety of tasks that require a variety of different-sized machines, which has defined their approach to the market.
"For applications for large machines, we have put a lot of resources into this by creating its own dedicated division within our company," Gray says. "But we divide our business 50-50 between large machines and small machines, but of course it takes more time to manufacture the larger machines [so output might lag behind small machines]."
George Bendon is a freelance writer who currently resides in Ohio.
The Big wheels
Here is a closer look at the equipment featured within this article. This information is not intended to be comprehensive, and no endorsement is implied by this listing. For specific information, contact the manufacturer directly.
900 Series (Grasshopper)
- 72-inch deck
- Mowing speed up to 10.5 mph
- 32-hp gas or liquid-cooled engine
1600 Turbo Wide-Area Mower (John Deere)
- 57-hp, turbocharged, overhead-valve, 4-cylinder, liquid-cooled Yanmar diesel engine
- On-demand or full-time mechanical rear wheel drive
- Mow up to 68 acres in an 8-hour day with a nearly 11-foot cutting width
CR-10 loader, material handler and topdresser (Turfco)
- 4-cubic yard capacity
- Casts up to 40-feet wide
- Four turf tires
HR-9016 Turbo (Jacobsen)
- 192-inch overall cutting width
- One 92-inch out-front, multi-flex front deck; two 59-inch swept-forward wing decks
- 87-hp Kubota turbo diesel engine
Model D or Model T zero-turn mower (Walker Mowers)
- 74-inch side discharge deck
RM 22 rotary mower (Brouwer by Jacobsen)
- Three 92-inch decks that cut a 22-foot swath
- High strength grade 60-10 gauge deck material
- High flotation tires follow ground contours
TM-62 aerator (Turfco)
- 62-inch wide aeration width
- 3.13 acres per hour
Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2020 Penton Media Inc.


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Gemini Man SUBTITLES (ENGLISH 2019).
Gemini Man English, Here is the English Subtitle File for the new Movie Gemini Man , The sub file has been converted to SRT File, You can purchase the movie on IMDB then mount it over to your TV or Personal Computer. Gemini Man Subtitles covers the whole span of the film. DownloadSRT have each Subtitle Version ranging from 720P, BluRay1080P & HDRip among others. In case you don't know how to Download & Upload Gemini Man English SRT to your film, Read the tutorial below to find out.
DOWNLOAD Gemini Man ENGLISH SUBTITLES (SRT)
HOW TO ADD Gemini Man ENGLISH SUBTITLE FILE 2019.
- Personal Computer Software Windows Media Player works pretty much like TV's, Some sites provides subtitle files in ZIP which you have to Unzip with either WinZip or any unzip software, After unzipping you'll the SRT File in the unzipped folder. You don't have to worry about this as DownloadSRT provide Gemini Man Subtitle English in SRT. Head on to the next step.
- In case you are using Windows Media Player, Copy Gemini Man! SRT File and place it in the same folder as the movie, This means you can create a Folder with the name Gemini Man Then the Movie 3GP or MP4 & The SRT Subtitle File must be placed inside the folder, This means the folder should contain Gemini Man!.mp4 & Gemini Man!.srt. You can then open the video and the Subtitle will be added automatically.
- Using VLC Media Player, Then that's pretty much easier, Open the video file and Right Click, Click on Subtitle and then Add Subtitle, Find the folder you placed the SRT File and Select, The subs will be added automatically.
DOWNLOAD SRT: Gemini Man (2019) ENGLISH SUB


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The last couple of months have been ridiculous. I moved to Santa Fe from DC the day after the inauguration and took five days to do it, meeting lots of very cool people along the way. After spending a week moving in, I found that I wasn't going to be able to stay in the house I had just spent a week setting up. Then I drove to LA to catch a flight to Costa Rica where I got to do some plotting and scheming with Don Rasmussen, meet Otto Guevara, and spend a weekend surfing in Esterillos. Then back to LA for a few days, drove to San Francisco for a meeting, then back down to Pebble Beach for my Mom's birthday on Valentine's day and to get the rest of my crap out of her basement. Then back to Santa Fe, followed by a week in Colorado and a week in Texas, then a nice little drive to DC. Then on to New Hampshire for the Liberty Forum. Then a week in Columbus getting ready for a week in DC to mark the 6th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Then St. Louis for the first Campaign for Liberty regional convention, and now back to Santa Fe.
I will keep this updated for what it's worth. And as before: All times and dates are local and in military format. Yeah, get used to it.
090331 - 1830 - Confessions of an Anarchist Lawyer - The Forum at the College of Santa Fe
090402 - 1900 - Revolutionary Reading Book Club - 145 Washington Ave
Santa Fe, NM 87501
090411 - 0715-0745 - Real News Radio with Brian Peek - www.therealnewsradio.com
090414 - 0900-1030 - Ms. Kovari's Global Studies Class - (my little bro is in it!)
090425 - APA Conference in San Antonio - I will be the featured presenter on a panel about PTSD


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CryoSat ready to be launched
ESA PR 42-2005. ESA's CryoSat spacecraft is to be launched on a Rockot vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia on Saturday 8 October. CryoSat will measure the ice at the Earth's poles with previously unattained accuracy.
With the aid of two radar antennas, the satellite will be able not only to determine the extent of the polar ice masses, but also their precise thickness. In addition, the radar satellite data will help explain the connection between the melting of the polar ice and the rise in sea levels.
On this occasion, ESA will organise a launch event at ESA/ESRIN in Frascati, Italy, from 15:30 to 20:00.
A live televised transmission of the launch will bring images from Plesetsk and mission control at ESA/ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany, to broadcasters and the general public.
ESA senior management and specialists will be on hand at ESRIN for explanations and interviews.
All live transmissions are carried free-to-air. For broadcasters, complete details of the various satellite feeds (on Eutelsat W2) are listed at http://television.esa.int.
For the general public, a launch transmission via Astra 1G has again been organised, with all schedule and transmission details online at http://television.esa.int/photos/Astra.pdf.
Media representatives wishing to follow the event at ESA/ESRIN, or the rebroadcast transmission at the ESA establishments, are requested to fill in the registration form and to fax it back to the place of their choice.
For further information, please contact:
ESA Media Relations Division
Tel: +33(0)18.104.22.16855
Fax: +33(0)126.96.36.19990


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English Graffiti (Deluxe) The Vaccines
Album info
Label: Columbia / Nashville / Legacy
Genre: Alternative
Subgenre: Indie Rock
Artist: The Vaccines
Album including Album cover
I`m sorry!
Dear HIGHRESAUDIO Visitor,
due to territorial constraints and also different releases dates in each country you currently can`t purchase this album. We are updating our release dates twice a week. So, please feel free to check from time-to-time, if the album is available for your country.
We suggest, that you bookmark the album and use our Short List function.
Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Yours sincerely, HIGHRESAUDIO
- 1Handsome02:20
- 2Dream Lover03:45
- 3Minimal Affection04:00
- 420 / 2003:07
- 5(All Afternoon) In Love03:54
- 6Denial03:03
- 7Want You So Bad04:21
- 8Radio Bikini02:05
- 9Maybe I Could Hold You03:10
- 10Give Me a Sign03:33
- 11Undercover02:00
- 12English Graffiti03:33
- 13Stranger03:07
- 14Miracle03:28
- 15Handsome Reimagined02:23
- 16Dream Lover Reimagined03:58
- 1720/20 Reimagined03:16
- 18Give Me a Sign Reimagined04:20
Info for English Graffiti (Deluxe)
Recorded in the winter of 2014 at Dave Fridmann's Tarbox Road Studio in upstate New York, "English Graffiti" was produced by The Vaccines, Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, MGMT) and Cole MGN (Ariel Pink, Beck, Nite Jewel).
"English Graffiti" is their third album having released their debut 'What Did You Expect From The Vaccines' in 2011 and the follow up, 'Come Of Age,' which reached number one in the UK album charts on release in 2012.
Justin Young, vocals, rhythm guitar
Freddie Cowan, lead guitar
Arni Arnason, bass
Pete Robertson, drums
Produced by Dave Fridmann, Cole M. Greif-Neill
The Vaccines
Soon after the release of the debut album, 'What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?,' Justin Young and his band-mates wrote a track named Teenage Icon. 'I'm no teenage icon/I'm no Frankie Avalon,' it says. 'I'm not magnetic or mythical/I'm suburban and typical.'
The song is now the centrepiece of The Vaccines' second album, set for release just 18 months after that March 2011 debut. But if Justin and co still feel 'suburban and typical', they certainly don't seem it. To look at them in their latest incarnation; longhaired, denim-clad, more confident than before, is to see a proper gang of four: Young plus bassist Arni Arnason, guitarist Freddie Cowan and drummer Pete Robertson. Teenage icons -- whether they like it or not.
'The biggest headfuck of all is the fact that people have an opinion of me as a human being -- not as a singer or songwriter, but as a human being,' says Young, musing on the point. 'It's so weird to think of people talking negatively about me or even hero-worshipping. A year ago I could have met said people in the pub and become friends with them but they'll already have an opinion of me now before we meet...'
But a lot can happen in a year. Formed in West London in 2010, The Vaccines were selling out venues nationwide by December. They released their debut the following spring and have since released two standalone singles, three EPs, a live album and the forthcoming follow-up album 'The Vaccines Come Of Age.'
'What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?' propelled the band into the spotlight -- going platinum by the end of the year -- and saw them end 2011 with two headline shows at London's Brixton Academy. By the spring of 2012 the band had amassed awards (including an NME award for 'Best New Artist'), nominations (including at the Brits), 3 NME covers, 6 straight Radio 1 A-list singles and a sold-out a run of U.K. seaside arena shows.
It's a rocket-fuelled rise that's left critics and cynics eating their words, even if those words have stuck with the band. 'When we first started talking to the press, I think we were quite timid,' says Young. 'We were being forced to defend ourselves because it was happening so quickly for us. I think people were suspicious. We're so confident in what we do though. And we turned the hypothetical situation into something real. We won.'
The attitude shift came at 2011's summer festivals. 'We'd done festivals all around the world and not really at home. 46 I think,' says Young. 'I remember saying to our tour manager backstage at our first UK festival, is there anyone out there? He just said, Listen! And I could hear about 20,000 people chanting our name. It felt bigger than anything anyone could say.'
While everything was falling into place, however, Justin's future as a singer was in jeopardy. He developed hemorrhaging on his vocal chords, requiring surgery three times last year. 'It was cruel, but life is like that,' says Young, who was left unable to speak for three weeks and sing for five after each operation, resorting to using flash cards saying 'yes', 'no' and 'I can't speak'. 'Emotionally and socially, that was quite an interesting experiment. I spent my first date with my girlfriend communicating with a notepad. It still scares the shit out of me though -- if I take it too far on a night out or I get a bit too overexcited in a show, I know it may be my last. The silver lining is my voice has more character as a result. I think that's where the softness on the new record comes from.'
If anything, the experience has put even more wind in the band's sails. Young and his band mates collected over 150 songs during 2011, written in hotel rooms from Tokyo to New York and Sydney. If The Vaccines's work rate seems unusually high, note that they don't judge themselves against their contemporaries; they judge themselves against the prolific pop groups of the past. It's one reason why they found themselves recording '...Come Of Age' live. Some tracks were cut in just one take. 'You think back to when people were paying for two or three hours in the studio. It was, OK -- go!' says Young. ''Bands make records and then work out how to play them. We wanted to do it the other way round. It feels purer.''
Producer Ethan Johns was the man charged with capturing lightning in a bottle. 'He felt like an old-fashioned producer -- an instiller of confidence,' says Young. 'He only cares that it sounds exciting. The songs were only ever finished when he said the hairs on his arms were standing up.'
They recorded in Belgium and Bath, stopping to play in Brazil, at Coachella and in New York. In Belgium they worked solidly, breaking only for one night out (they went to a gay bowling night, FYI). At the studio, there were banks of guitars and amps available but Young chose to use his own axe -- a cheap Danelectro he bought on Denmark Street for £180. Like his songs, it's honest, sturdy and deceptively simple.
The album shows the band's songwriting and performance entering a new phase. If the debut was them finding a sound somewhere between The Ramones, Jesus & Mary Chain and The Strokes, the latest, says Young, is them striving to 'sound like The Vaccines. We needed to work out which characteristics are going to make people compare bands to The Vaccines in five or ten years time. It's quite a searching record in that sense.' It means there's a spotlight thrown on Cowan's 50s influenced guitars, Robertson's pounding drums and Arnason's pulsing basslines.
Highlights include the groove-driven 'Bad Mood,' the timeless 'Lonely World' and the new wave-influenced 'Aftershave Ocean,' one of the more recent tracks that hint at where The Vaccines may head in the future.
The title -- 'The Vaccines Come Of Age' -- is tongue-in-cheek, but only a little. 'It's a lyric from the album's first single, which is how we named 'What Did You Expect...,' and it continues the theme of having the band's name in the title,' explains Young. 'Then there's the whole coming of age thing. The lyric is 'it's hard to come of age,' and that thought ties together the record. I'm bang in the middle of my 20s and I'm finding it to be quite a difficult place to be. You're expected to know what you want to do and who you want to be at this point, but I don't know who I am yet. Everyone I know is in a different place -- some have it all figured out, some have bad problems, some are parents, some are living with their parents, some are earning money, some are broke. I guess I still feel like I'm a kid. Recently I've found myself realising that a lot of my favourite music is no longer talking to me, but people younger than me. And that is a strange realisation.'
On the album sleeve, The Vaccines really are kids: it sees the four band members replaced by four androgynous, teenage girls. 'People said The Vaccines don't look like rock stars, so we thought, OK, have these girls instead. I wanted them to look androgynous. You can't tell who they are. They're at a time in their lives when they probably don't know either. And of course they're a gang,' says Young. One of the four stand-ins, who have appeared in The Vaccines' videos too, will appear on the cover of each of the singles from '...Come Of Age,' and the B-side will be written and sung by the individual band member represented on the sleeve.
Though they may claim not be teenage icons, The Vaccines have reset their expectations for this album. 'I want to mean something to somebody,' says Young. 'I want to keep getting better and better, and if bigger and bigger is a by-product of that, then that's fucking awesome. Quite simply, I want us to be your favourite band.'
This album contains no booklet.


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100 Blue Bloods Episodes of Heartwarming Family Moments
There's nothing more heartwarming than all the smiles around the Reagan family dinners.
The Reagans are a close family, unafraid to hold hands and say grace.
Danny is not afraid to show his lovely life Linda some lovin'.
Someone is always there to lead grace and tell the family what they're thankful for.
When in public, the site together like a proud family.
Family dinners are often the place where the exchange of values and ideas occurs between the generations.
Notice how similar their listening faces are -- that's family.
There's nothing cuter than a Reagan selfie.
The Reagans are a family that genuinely smiles with their eyes.
When one Reagan gets in trouble, another is always there to help. Especially big bro Danny.
There's no better mentor than Dad.
Nicky and Erin have beautiful smiles, and an even more beautiful mother-daughter relationship.
Need a joke? Ask the youngest Reagans at the dinner table.
Well... all siblings fight, don't they?
Erin looking classy as ever and at her grandpa as the family meal is served.
Like son, like father.
If you've gotta be surprised, better to be with your mom.
When there are important issues at hand, Frank isn't afraid to come to his kids for help.
An intimate portrait of the family dinner table.
Sometimes it's not always picture perfect ... but that's just because they all care so much.
That's not Danny's baby ... but how cute is that?
Not a Reagan, but even other loving families are showcased on Blue Bloods -- like Detective Baez with her younger brother.
Need help with your boxcar? Ask your Uncle Jamie.
Need a good hug? Just ask Dad.
We're thankful for 100 episodes of heartwarming family moments.


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Alpha vs. Alpha
I love the title of this new release. Alpha vs. Alpha, Francesca Hawley's new shapeshifter erotic romance, is out today at Ellora's Cave. I love Francesca's stuff. I remember years ago when I was privileged to help critique one of her novels.
Here's the blurb:
Alpha female Serena Goldwolf has spent a lifetime vowing never to be a submissive mate to any Alpha male. But all it takes is one surprisingly sexual meeting with Damien Blackwolf, a dissatisfied client of her shapeshifter dating site Predator-Match.com, and she's down on all fours, wanting to be mounted by the hottest male on two legs—or four—whom she's ever met.
Damien Blackwolf doesn't understand why the voluptuous Serena won't admit they're True Mates. To convince her, he decides to bring out her baser desires by dragging her off to someplace private to get to know her…intimately. But how can he convince her of their destiny when she runs away from him? Guess he'll just have to hunt her down and persuade her.
In a passionate battle of wills, there most definitelycan be two winners.
I urge you to go over and take a look.
Safe, sane and consensual,


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March 28, 2010
The following audio report was posted on the Militia Radio site on the evening of March 27:
Update: Fox News reports this afternoon that seven people have been arrested for allegedly selling pipe bombs in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana in connection with the federal raids. "The arrests and raids in Michigan and Indianapolis are related to alleged militia activity in the region, but are not related to international terrorism. There is not a current threat to the public, according to a law enforcement source." Fox does not mention FBI activity in Ohio, covered below.
An Ann Arbor, Michigan, website reports this afternoon that the people arrested in Michigan are from from a group named Hutaree, described as "a Christian-oriented militia group based in Lenawee County."
"Local Michigan militia member Jimmy Schiel said he was told five people were arrested – including one known member of Hutaree. Schiel said the five were reportedly arrested during a raid at a service in the Ann Arbor area for a Hutaree member who died recently. Schiel was told about eight Hutaree members were present. Schiel, who said he was invited but did not attend, spoke to a Hutaree member who was at the service, he said," AnnArbor.com reports.
The Hutaree website is here.
On Saturday night the FBI and Homeland Security conducted what was described as a "major" operation against the Michigan militia.
As of Sunday morning, the operation was not reported by national media, although it was covered by local media in Michigan.
"The FBI was conducting raids Saturday night at multiple locations in southeast Michigan," WXYZ News in Detroit reported last night. "Action News has learned Homeland Security and the Joint Anti-terrorism Task Force is also involved in a major operation."
The feds would not tell WXYZ "who they were targeting or where, but the FBI has set up a command center at the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department in Ann Arbor, where they have brought in two satellite trucks and a radio tower."
"Several media outlets report that the FBI conducted raids on Saturday night and Sunday morning at several locations in Washtenaw and Lenewee counties. In its Sunday morning broadcast, Channel 7 Action News reports that Homeland Security and the Joint Anti-terrorism Task Force are also involved in the raids, possibly connected to the Michigan Militia. A command center has been set up at the Washtenaw Sheriff's department," reported the Ann Arbor Chronicle.
"There is still a lot about this case we don't know," reported Action News reporter Kim Craig (see second video below), "and hope to find out later today, but there does seem to be a connection to the Michigan Militia." The FBI and Homeland Security used "a small army" against a house in Adrian, Michigan.
It appears raids are being conducted in Hammond, Indiana, and Sandusky, Ohio, as well.
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
- {openx:49}
"Hammond police assisted with an FBI raid Saturday evening in the Indiana city, but federal officials would not release any details," Chicago Breaking News Center reported.
FBI, Homeland Security, and agents from the Sandusky Police, Erie County Sheriff's deputies, agents from Toledo Police Bomb Squad and Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's K9 Unit conducted an operation in Ohio. "Some officers in green uniforms carried large automatic rifles," the Sandusky Register reports this morning. An FBI spokesman said warrants were sealed in federal court and he could not release any information until after the suspects appear in court Monday.
The Michigan Militia website reports today that the group has not been raided. "We do nothing illegal, " a headline on the website states. "Both The Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia and the staff of Michiganmilitia.com condemn attacks or threats of any sort directed against our elected representatives. We also condemn those who would use these attacks to further their agenda. If you don't like your representatives, then recall them or elect someone else, or hell, run for office yourself. We also urge all representatives to obtain and read a copy of The Constitution," the site explains.
The original Michigan Militia was formed in response to the federal government's mass murder in Waco, Texas, and the murder of Randy Weaver's family at Ruby Ridge in Idaho. The Michigan Militia came to national attention in1995 when the corporate media erroneously associated Timothy McVeigh to the group.
Last April, the Department of Homeland Security released a report on "rightwing extremism" that warned of militia violence. The DHS report followed similar reports issued by MIAC and the Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment Center. The MIAC report claimed supporters of Ron Paul, Chuck Bladwin, and Bob Barr are domestic terrorists.
The corporate media has reported on the raids. "The FBI confirmed to Local 4 [in Adrian, Michigan] that there were several law enforcement activities in the Lenawee/Washtenaw County area late Saturday night," reports MSNBC. "Michigan State Police said the raids are not terror related, but would not comment further."
Our premium quality vitamin D3 nutritional supplement, Winter Sun Plus, is now back in stock at 50% off with double Patriot Points and free shipping!


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UPS pilots urge more rest for cargo crews
WASHINGTON -- As federal officials continue investigating last year's fatal UPS crash in Alabama, the freight carrier's pilots are pressing to be covered by the same rules that require passenger airline crews to get more rest.
The cargo pilots have filed suit against the Federal Aviation Administration to bring them under those regulations and are backing legislation in Congress to do the same thing.
"It's in the public interest," as a matter of safety, to include cargo pilots under the tightened duty and rest rules, said Bill Trent, general counsel for the Independent Pilots Association, which represents more than 2,600 UPS pilots.
The rules for commercial passenger airline pilots — enacted in January — essentially limit their flying time to eight or nine hours, depending on when their shifts start. Carriers also are required to give their cockpit crews a minimum of 10 hours off in a way that allows the pilots to get at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Passenger airline pilots also must work shorter hours if they are flying overnight.
Cargo pilots fly under older rules that do not require as much rest, permit longer times on duty and allow them to fly beyond eight hours in certain conditions. And those rules do not impose any special limits on flight time at night, when cargo carriers do much of their flying.
The FAA, meanwhile, has revised its economic rationale behind exempting cargo pilots, saying it would cost the industry $550 million to comply, outweighing safety benefits. Originally, it said the rules would cost an additional $214 million.
"As a result, the FAA has determined that no revisions to the final rule on either cargo or passenger operations is warranted," the agency said in a regulatory filing expected to be finalized by July.
The Cargo Airline Association, which represents UPS and other cargo carriers, said in comments submitted to the government on the FAA revision that the agency "has correctly concluded that the costs overwhelm the benefits."
But Trent said the FAA's cost estimates for the cargo industry are overstated by at least $235 million.
"We believe we will ultimately succeed, if not through the courts, then through legislation," he said.
UPS spokesman Mike Mangeot said the carrier is not commenting on the lawsuit because "it's between the union and the FAA."
But the airline opposes the legislation requiring cargo pilots to be covered by the new anti-fatigue rules, arguing that its own rules are sufficient.
"We believe we go to great lengths to provide for crew rest, and the proposed legislation doesn't fit," Mangeot said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation of the Aug. 14 crash of a UPS Airbus A300-600 at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama. Capt. Cerea Beal, 58, of Matthews, N.C., and First Officer Shanda Carney Fanning, 37, of Lynchburg, Tenn., were killed on the flight, which originated in Louisville.
At the board's public hearing on the accident last month, a transcript of the conversation in the cockpit while the pilots were preparing the plane for takeoff shows that Beal and Fanning complained of fatigue and said rest rules for pilots of commercial passenger planes should apply to them as well.
"It should be one level of safety for everybody," Beal told Fanning.
That is precisely the argument the UPS pilots, their allies in Congress and many safety experts are making.
"We need to heed their words," Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said after the NTSB hearing. Beal and Fanning "clearly knew the dangers they faced due to the lack of safe work hours for cargo pilots, and in their names we should pass" the measure to extend the new rules to cargo pilots.
Boxer's bill, dubbed the Safe Skies Act, has four co-sponsors. A similar House bill has been introduced by New York Reps. Michael Grimm, a Republican, and Timothy Bishop, a Democrat.
Neither bill has had a committee hearing yet, but Boxer spokesman Peter True said the senators are building support. Bishop is doing the same in the House, spokeswoman Krystyna Baumgartner said.
The NTSB is aiming to complete its investigation of the Alabama crash, find a probable cause and issue safety recommendations before the accident's first anniversary.
The new FAA rest rules, issued in 2011, resulted from earlier legislation Boxer and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, got through Congress after a 2009 commuter plane crash near Buffalo killed 50 people.
In that case, the NTSB found that fatigue probably affected the pilots' performance.
The FAA estimated the new rules would cost the commercial passenger airline industry $297 million over a decade.
It encouraged cargo operators to abide voluntarily by the new rules — but stopped short of requiring them to do so.
NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman urged the FAA to reconsider the "cargo carve out" after it issued its rules.
"A tired pilot is a tired pilot, whether there are 10 paying customers on board or 100, whether the payload is passengers or pallets," she said.
The UPS pilots sued the FAA in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia immediately after the rules were issued, arguing there should be one standard of safety for all carriers and that the agency had no legal authority to exempt cargo pilots.
The court case is on hold as the FAA revises its analysis for leaving cargo pilots out of the rules. But the agency has not changed its position.
UPS' Mangeot, meanwhile, said "crew rest is a complex concept."
"For some, it's easy to jump to the conclusion that a pilot who flies at night must be tired," he said. "It's also easy to presume that if they are tired, it's induced by their assigned work schedule. Neither is necessarily accurate."
The typical UPS pilot is on duty 70 hours per month and actually flies about 30 hours per month, he said, adding that those duty days are "well within FAA limits."
In addition, the cargo carrier's maximum domestic scheduled duty day is shorter than the FAA's maximum, and pilots are provided with rest periods that are 25 percent to 50 percent longer than those required by the government rules, Mangeot said.
UPS also conducts a fatigue management program in cooperation with the union and provides sleep facilities for pilots at its major gateways.
"We believe those measures are appropriate," Mangeot said, adding that cargo operations are significantly different than passenger carriers because, in general, cargo pilots fly fewer hours and make fewer takeoffs and landings.
But the UPS pilots union, Hersman and other safety experts argue that cargo pilots may be even more susceptible to fatigue because they fly so much at night, a time the industry calls "the back of the clock."
"If there's any difference, the difference would argue for more stringent operations at cargo carriers," said Tom Devine, another attorney representing the UPS pilots.
Capt. Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association International, which represents almost 50,000 pilots at 31 airlines, including UPS competitor FedEx, said that "it is becoming more apparent that separate rest requirements for cargo and passenger pilots is unsustainable, unsupportable, and unconscionable."
"Pilots who operate in the same skies, take off from the same airports, and fly over the same terrain must be given the same opportunities for full rest, regardless of what is in the back of the plane," Moak said.


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Native Happy Meal Characters: Now You See Them, Now You Don't
Vincent Schilling
In what might just be a blip on the cultural radar, a pair of cartoonish Native American characters tied to a McDonald's Happy Meal campaign appeared on a designer's portfolio site — but were taken down.
The characters looked to be part of the cast of HappyStudio.com, a website connected to McDonald's and aimed at kids. At HappyStudio, children create personal avatars that inhabit a world that is also home to Happy Meal boxes with arms, legs and personalities (cowboy, scientist, pirate, etc.) that interact in games and videos.
The website DesignTaxi posted a selection of characters yesterday it described as an "update" — a new kid-friendly face of McDonald's, perhaps replacing the familiar Hamburglar, Grimace and Mayor McCheese. The characters and concept originated with the Paris-based firm TBWA; DesignTaxi's images came from the portfolio of the creative team of Alice Mounoury and Danae Bilheude, and were rendered by artist Libellule.
The American Indian Happy Meal characters depicted were "Happy Indian Chief," who wears a full feathered headdress while sitting on a rocking horse, and "Happy Eagle Eye," an archer whose braids are so long one of them is used as the string of its bow, which shoots a suction-cup-tipped arrow.
Several commenters at DesignTaxi voiced objections to Chief and Eagle Eye.
"I like the Indian Chief. How about an Oriental Female Driver, or Starving Negro Slave or something similarly appropriate?" said one.
"You forgot happy Latina nanny/housekeeper. Ridiculous. I thought we were past this foolishness, but McDonald's brought it to a new high… or low," said another.
Since the comments were posted, Mounoury and Bilheude have removed the American Indian characters from their portfolio sites, although it is unclear whether the removal was a direct result of the complaints.
Is is also unknown whether McDonald's plans, or ever planned, to use the two Native characters. Several attempts were made to reach Mounoury and Bilheude as well as the TBWA Agency, but all requests have remained unanswered.


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Today starts another fun challenge!! Be sure to check the bottom of this post for last week's winner :)
The fourth week of each month is always a Picture Perfect challenge.
This week we are inspired by this picture!
Create a NEW project (card, tag, layout, altered item, etc)
You must use at least one Paper Smooches stamp or free digi
(stamps from other companies can be used, but please make sure that PS images are easily seen)
Post your Paper Smooches SPARKS project on your blog. We would love you to include our SPARKS banner (shown on the right column) somewhere on your post, but it is not required. (right click on the SPARKS challenge banner and save to your computer. If you have any trouble, I am happy to e-mail the image to you) Please link to our web site: www.papersmoochesstamps.com - and include Paper Smooches somewhere on your post. Submit a direct link to your blog post using our linking system below.
If you do not have a blog, please upload your project to our Flickr Group and link to our web site in your description. Submit a link to your gallery image using our linking system below.
Here's what you are playing for: One Paper Smooches SPARKS player will be chosen and named our PS Pro. This player will receive a blog button to display on their blog and $30 credit to the Paper Smooches store!!!
The deadline for this challenge is: Sunday, August 5th at 11:59pm EST
The next challenge will be posted on: Monday, August 6th at 10am EST
Winners will be announced at the bottom of the new challenge post.
I am honored to share our design team samples with you. You can click on the links to see more of their beautiful work!
Angeline- PS Reflections, Friendly Flowers, and Chit Chat stamp sets
Jackie- PS Pretty Phases , Sunny Side Up, Reflections, and Hang Ups stamp sets
Kimberly- PS Circle of Honor and Space Cadet stamp sets
It brings us GREAT JOY to see you using our stamps. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your creativity with us. We truly appreciate you! We can't wait to see what you create!!! Good luck:)
All skill levels are welcome. You can enter as many times as you like.
Last week's entries were AMAZING! Great use of those colors!!! Our PS PRO winner for the July Cool Shades color challenge is....
Congratulations, Erin Taylor. Please email {sbmmhoover at yahoo dot com} to receive your badge and $30 gift certificate to the Paper Smooches store!


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Thursday, November 29, 2012
What Child is this? Putting
the spirit of Christ in Christmas
Send a link to a friend
I'm supposed to be writing
about Christmas, so I might lose everyone right off
the bat by mentioning the recent election. It's
over. Why bring it up when we are all just now
breathing a sigh of relief? Even if our candidate
didn't win, at least it we know the insane politics
of 15-second sound bites, misquotations and obscene
advertising budgets has been laid to rest for
But here I am digging it up
already. I must be crazy. Here we are on the
threshold of the most wonderful time of the year,
and I'm still obsessing over the election. Well,
"obsessing" might be too strong a word. Let's just
say my mind is still reeling about how a president
comes to power in a world ruled by the media.
Not having lived in days of
yore, I can only surmise that the process of
electing the United States of America's commander in
chief must have been much different before the
advent of the 24-hour news cycle and Facebook. These
days, it seems, we are desperately seeking someone
who knows how to play to the camera and toes the
party line 140 characters at a time. Style trumps
I suppose the argument could be
made: "It's not the actual person; it's what they
stand for that matters." After all, we wouldn't want
the rest of the world to think that Americans are
inarticulate, lazy slobs who spend all their free
time parked on the couch watching "Pawn Stars"
reruns. Of course we are going to elect someone with
a measure of wit and eloquence. And it couldn't hurt
if they happen to be a snappy dresser. Maybe this
kind of "it doesn't matter who you are, but how you
look" logic has a certain political appeal, but in
the words of a wise friend, "it really burns my
biscuits" when I hear people applying this kind of
superficial reasoning to Christmas.
You see, I love Christmas. I
love neighborhoods aglow with lights. I love the
green of fresh-cut trees, the red of big beautiful
bows and the gold of glittering ornaments. I love
the music -- everything from "I Want a Hippopotamus
for Christmas" to "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." I
love old cartoon classics about misfit reindeer,
magic snowmen and confused little boys who just want
to know what Christmas is all about. I love sharing
good food with loved ones. I love shopping for just
the right gifts, and I love the smiles they inspire
when they shed their paper and Scotch-tape skins.
Get it? I love the whole package.
But what I love most is The
Story (not the movie "A Christmas Story," though I
suppose I love that, too).
I love Christmas because it is
The Story, the true story of how God is so
crazy in love with people that He sends them a very
precious Gift. In fact, He gives us the most
extravagant Gift He could ever give: He comes to
humanity as one of us.
Of course, you know as well as
I do what spoiled children do to their toys -- break
them and toss them aside. Wouldn't you know that's
just what we did? We broke God, the precious Son,
with an ugly cross. We spat in the face of the
ultimate Gift of love and scorned the Giver.
But even that couldn't stop His love. He proved it by walking away
from death itself and even now patiently waits, hoping we will
receive His Gift and love Him in return.
That's The Story. That's what makes
Christmas special, but you'd hardly think so in such a shallow age.
Today, it's all about the show. Image is
everything. It's not the person who counts, just what he stands for.
And that's what Christmas is beginning to look a lot like. Words
like "peace," "'love" and "joy" are carelessly tossed around every
year about this time without a thought.
We try to leave out Jesus -- the person, the
Gift, God with us -- and focus on what He stands for (i.e., "peace
on earth" and "good will toward all men"). We miss the heart of
The Story -- God came to us! God invaded our broken world and,
in an ironic twist that only God could pull off, He let us break Him
so He could fix what's wrong with us.
In this day of wars and rumors of war, love and
joy and peace sound so wonderful. We wish them on each other every
December, but we can't give them to each other because we don't have
them to give. God came to us and brought love and joy and peace with
Him. Before Jesus, this world didn't have them, and without Him we
never will.
So, speaking as someone who loves Christmas, I
offer you this simple phrase: Enjoy all the food, folks and fun the
season has to offer. But remember this -- without Jesus Christ, the
rightful King of the world, born to us so many years ago, there is
no real hope for this hopeless world.
Someone said it so beautifully on the eve of
Election Day: "No matter who is elected president, Jesus is still
the King."
You don't have to wait for the eve of Christmas
or the eve of the New Year or the eve of your dying day to pledge
your allegiance to Him. Receive the Gift! Merry CHRISTmas!
Greg Wooten, Pastor
Lincoln Church of the Nazarene
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AP PHOTOS: A look at Thanksgiving around the world
Photo: AP
President Barack Obama, with daughters Sasha, center, and Malia, right, carries on the Thanksgiving tradition of saving a turkey from the dinner table with a "presidential pardon" at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. After the ceremony, "Cobbler" will head to George Washington's historic home in Virginia to be part of the "Christmas at Mount Vernon" exhibition. National Turkey Federation Chairman Steve Willardsen watches at left. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)


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Like a massive stone puzzle, the Great Pyramid has refused to give up all of its secrets. One of the last are two shafts out of the "Queen's Chamber." Purpose? Unknown, even to this day. Robots to the rescue.
In 1992, a robot named Upuaut 2 climbed one shaft and discovered limestone doors with corroded brass handles. Later, National Geographic traversed the same shaft with a drilling robot, gained access to the area beyond, and discovered another, larger door behind the first.
This door is now the target of a third robot expedition, led by Dr. Robert Richardson, of the Leeds University of Mechanical Engineering. Since the goal is to be as careful and preserving as possible, the work has been methodical and slow, to the tune of five years running.
"We have no preconceptions," he told the Independent. "We are trying to gain evidence for other people to draw conclusions. There are two shafts. The north shaft is blocked by a limestone door and nothing has penetrated that door. With the south shaft a previous team has measured the thickness of the stone, drilled through it and put a camera through it and found there was another surface. We are going to determine how thick that is and we could drill through it. We are preparing the robot now and expect to send it up before the end of the year."
Unlike the shafts leading out of the King's Chamber, these do not reach the surface of the pyramid. They end somewhere, possibly with a room filled with all manner of secrets and whimsy. We might know for sure by the end of the year, when the little shaft-climbing drillbot is scheduled to begin its ascent into the darkness. [Independent]


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Amla Phyllanthus emblica
Amla, also known as Amalaki or Indian Gooseberry, is a small fruit-bearing tree that is indigenous to India.
The small, gooseberry-like fruits have a very sour taste and are a part of the Indian diet because of their ability to nourish health. These small-but-mighty fruits are hand-collected in India either by climbing the tree or shaking the branches to catch the bounty.
Amla is one of the three fruits that are used in the ayurvedic formula Triphala. The other two fruits are Haritaki and Bibhitaki.
We also use amla in lots of other Pukka creations; it's a shining star in Vitalise, Natural Vitamin C and Triphala Plus.
Enjoy this film to hear Sebatian Pole introduce Amla.


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Apple and Google are no longer in an battle royale over wireless products and apps, but now has a somewhat cordial relationship, according to a Google executive.
Google chairman Eric Schmidt told reported at the Allen and Co. meeting conference in Sun Valley, Idaho that the Apple/Google relationship has improved over the last year with "lots and lots" of meetings, according to Reuters. Schmidt was cagey about what those meetings were about, but said they have been having business discussions about a "long list of issues."
U.S. & World
Schmidt once was on Apple's board of directors, but his job with Google and its relationship with the Android platform made the position untenable and he resigned in 2009.
Apple and Google have since had some differences, notably when Apple dropped Google Maps from the iOS for its own app, the poorly executed Apple Maps. Google has also worked to create its own infrastructure, including dominating Internet search with its own products.
Schmidt's words weren't very different from what he said about Apple late last year, that Google is being run like a country and trades with other countries, such as Apple.
"I think both Tim [Cook] and Larry [Page,] the sort of successors to Steven Jobs and me if you will, have an understanding of this state model, " Schmidt told the Wall Street Journal. "When they and their teams meet, they have just a long list of things to talk about."
This means that Schmidt doesn't say much about their meetings or what their future may hold, but what he does say tends to get repeated.


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As for "The Hobbit," Sloan confirmed MGM was in talks with Peter Jackson to make two movies based on J.R.R. Tolkein's "prequel" to "The Lord of the Rings."However, making the film is contingent on negotiations with New Line, which owns the right to produce "The Hobbit" (MGM owns only the right to distribute the films). And people close to Jackson say that until his ongoing lawsuit with New Line -- over monies he says are owed him from the "Lord of the Rings" franchise -- is settled, a serious conversation over "The Hobbit" cannot proceed.Even so, Sloan remains optimistic. He said the first "Hobbit" pic would be a direct adaptation of "The Hobbit," and the second would be drawn from footnotes and source material connecting "The Hobbit" with "The Lord of the Rings."
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New Yitty - Had Me Back (Directed by Taya Simmons) (Prod by IllaTracks) [Label Submitted]
Mr 24-7 Is At It Again In This Ultra Sexy Classic
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For decades those pesky raccoons have been sneaking about at night, digging through our trash cans and generally making a mess of things. It's time the game reviewers of the internet strike back. To Raccoon City!
It may sound like a nice place to live and cuddle, but like the furry fiends themselves, Raccoon City is only cute from a distance. Get too close and it turns on you, teeth bared and hissing. You run, terrified at the sudden transformation, and when you finally return the only trace of the once adorable animal's passing is a game console clogged with malodorous droppings.
Aren't you glad Evan reviewed Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City instead of me now? It would have been paragraph after paragraph of fun facts about our furry friends. Did you know raccoon hand washing is really a way for the creatures to thin the sensitive membrane covering their paws to better detect the good bits of the food they scavenge? See? I'm completely out of control.
Luckily there's a whole internet filled with video game critics that are not me, and this is what they thought of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City.
When news of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City trickled out, gamers were justifiably excited. After all, who wouldn't want to play a four player, class-based co-op shooter set in the much-beloved Resident Evil universe? The potential for something special was present from the start, and many figured it would be akin to Left 4 Dead for the BioHazard set. Sadly, this isn't the case. Not only is Raccoon City not in the same league as Left 4 Dead, it's not even a decent Resident Evil game.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City opens with your squad infiltrating Umbrella's laboratory in Raccoon City, a location reused a few times throughout the seven-mission campaign, which spans roughly five hours. Each leather-clad Umbrella operative sounds off with a one-liner, after which series staple Hunk offers a quick, raspy-voiced bit of exposition to get the player up to speed. The only problem is, if you've never played Resident Evil 2, you're not going to have any idea what these people are talking about or what the hell they're doing. For newcomers, there's not even an explanation of what Umbrella is.
Raccoon City is under siege by the undead, and Umbrella, the company behind the outbreak, wants to clean up the mess. On the other side are government-issued Spec Ops troops trying to coordinate a rescue and ascertain exactly what caused the contagion. Throughout the campaign, your Umbrella Delta squad is sent to key locations to hide behind filing cabinets to shoot zombies, soldiers and an inexplicably abundant remote mine population. I can't say I've ever heard of a city hall locking up at night by placing laser trip-mines in its records room, but it appears to be protocol in Raccoon City.
Push Square
Things don't improve when it comes to combat. The cover system is loose, activated by simply walking into walls, boxes, etc.; when you need it most it might not activate, forcing you to back up and try again. Basic aiming and shooting is perfectly fine, but when the bullets reach their targets there's no feedback - enemies are so unresponsive to your projectiles that it's tough to work out if you're hitting them or not, unless they're flying backwards after being met with an exploding grenade. The issue goes both ways: often you can't tell if you're taking damage yourself, leading to surprising, frustrating deaths that seem to come from nowhere. The only indication of downed allies are small icons that don't catch the eye; quick time events are advertised through the same means.
At times Operation Raccoon City is unnecessarily unfair. Go face to rotting face with bigger foes such as a Tyrant and you'll naturally be smacked about with a vicious melee attack. If you're unfortunate enough to be in a tight spot, though, they'll trap you and continue the beat down relentlessly, leaving you no chance to escape and regroup. Their attack animation is shorter than your recovery – just as you've nearly clambered to your feet, they've already reconnected their fist to your helpless head. On smaller enemies this can be exploited by you too: it's possible to slash them endlessly with knife strikes until they're killed all over again. You might as well make use of this as opponents are bullet sponges, taking unreasonable amounts of punishment before they go down, which is even worse given the lack of feedback.
Game Informer
The game is only marginally improved by hopping into versus mode and replacing the mindless AI with actual humans. My favorite multiplayer mode involves blasting your way to a rescue helicopter in an attempt to secure a trip out of the doomed town. However, modes which require even an ounce of strategy, like team deathmatch or a capture-the-vial mode, fall apart due to the game's inherently chaotic environment. I found no joy losing a heated firefight because a stray zombie grabbed me, forcing me into an analog stick-waggling quicktime escape. Some may enjoy the overwhelming bustle of the battlefield, but the entire experience just feels like a crowded mess to me.
Official Xbox Magazine (OXM)
Our biggest complaint about Raccoon City is its squadmate A.I. - or lack thereof. Far too often, your dimwitted A.I. allies become a sponge for enemy bullets and thrashings, and it's incredibly frustrating having to constantly revive them. (Then again, Raccoon City is clearly meant to be played online, with other humans - not bots.) The game's environments also feel bland: though you get to explore a variety of locales - everything from laboratories and fog-enshrouded graveyards to the backalleys of Raccoon City - all of the settings have a discernable lack of personality.
The campaign shouldn't take more than six or so hours to get through, though I've already found myself replaying stages just to continue leveling up and blasting Tyrants in the face. Despite its missteps, Operation Raccoon City certainly does a good job of nailing an addictive quality that keeps one coming back for more. There's a certain satisfaction in pushing a zombie back and then jamming a knife into its neck that keeps pulling me back. If you can get together with four good players who are up for having a chuckle, then the overbearing odds can become amusing in their own right, even if it does feel like the game tried to copy Left 4 Dead's hysterical intensity but took things way too far.
ORC's not worth playing as a single-player experience. Put bluntly, it's a mediocre slog with annoying difficulty spikes and gets hampered by dumb AI partners through a world that's not special enough to deserve your time. And as an online-focused game, Raccoon City's got more going for it than its most direct predecessor Resident Evil Outbreak. But like that PS2-era multiplayer experiment, it's probably going to wind up as a costly curiosity that gets forgotten. The germ of a clever multiplayer experience lies within but uninspired execution and Resident Evil fan service don't provide enough nutrients for it to grow into a virus worth caring about.
The only title with Raccoon in the title I will not buy


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| 16.1°C Dublin
David Moyes on Friday remained tight-lipped about claims that Wayne Rooney has signed a new contract with Manchester United.
Speculation has been rife that Rooney has signed a new five-and-a-half-year deal, but the United boss was giving nothing away during his pre-match press conference at the club's training ground.
"As soon as we have the information to give you, we will give you it," Moyes said when asked about contract negotiations with the England striker.
Moyes does hope a deal for the player will be concluded soon, though.
The Scot added: "Everyone knows how important a player he is. He is a terrific football player and if we can get it done that will be great."
Rooney has been in contract negotiations with United for some time now and Press Association Sport understands considerable progress has been made in the last few days.
It is understood Rooney agreed the outline of a contract worth £300,000 earlier this week.
But if any formal signing or announcement was imminent on Friday, Moyes was hiding it well.
In fact, the United boss was far from happy to talk about the matter.
After repeated questioning about Rooney, Moyes said: "I'd only be repeating myself again (if I answered) your question."
Moyes was determined to focus on Saturday's Barclays Premier League game against Crystal Palace rather than talk in depth about Rooney.
Palace looked destined for relegation towards the end of 2013, but manager Tony Pulis has turned things around at the London club.
Moyes has been impressed with what the former Stoke boss has done at Selhurst Park.
"A lot of people were writing Tony off during his time at Stoke City but he hasn't half gone in there and made a few people eat their words," Moyes added.
"Results are what matter and you have to think about where Crystal Palace were and where they are now. What matters to Tony is results and he's very good at getting them."
Palace could do with a morale-boosting win against United given that they are two points above the relegation zone.
But Moyes is acutely aware that he needs to get back to winning ways after falling behind in the race for the top four with a 0-0 draw against Arsenal last week.
That draw left United 11 points behind fourth-placed Liverpool with 12 matches left.
When asked whether he thought his team could make the top four, the former Everton manager said: "We have to try, don't we? We have to try to get as close as we can and see if we can put some pressure on the teams above us."
Like the speculation over Rooney, Moyes gave little away regarding team news for United's trip to London.
Midfielder Marouane Fellaini has been out since the start of December with a series of injuries while Rafael suffered concussion at Arsenal.
Moyes would not divulge any information about the fitness of his players though ahead of the club's games against Palace and Olympiacos next Tuesday.
"Every club has players with injuries and we have the same," Moyes added.
"I'll take all the players and hopefully prepare everybody for both games."
A five-day warm-weather training camp has done much to boost the spirit in the squad ahead of the team's run-in.
"It was great that we had some time together with the players," Moyes said.
"It's the first time I've really had the chance to have a few days with the lads.
"We trained, we had some relaxation time as well, so it was good.
"You hope you get some benefit from it. I'm sure it will benefit the players, having the chance to relax.
"We'd have rather been in the FA Cup, but we weren't so the next thing we have to do is get them ready for the 12 remaining games."
PA Media


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To all our dear forum users. We want to wish you a truly Merry Christmas, and the happiest of New Year's. Whether you celebrate this day or not, whether you have had disagreements with us Moderators/Supercell, we are sending our best wishes your way. We hope you all have lots of fun, and stay safe. We are eager to see you back on our forums in 2017, for what is set to be an absolute cracker of a year.
From smolson:
To all of the holly jolly forumers out there I would like to to wish you all a happy holidays. May your coffers be forever full and your stockings stuffed with gems! Even if you spent the last year complaining about the removal of TH sniping
From Bakunin:
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
Apart from me, cursing that I had just messed up another Smooka Op attack.....
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all forum members.
From Sharkyfinn:
However you spend the holidays, I hope you have a peaceful and joyous celebration. From my family to yours, have a very merry Christmas and a very happy New Year.
credit to www.supportoursharks.com
From twister:
Time flies! For the 5th holiday season, I just wanted to wish all our forum family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Hope you enjoy any time off you get with your family.
From meonhoc:
Clashers, Farmers, Boomers, Clashers,
Happy Holiday Season to all of you!
May you all have a wonderful time with your close ones. And keep an eye on the future, the best is yet to come.
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There's nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.
-Charles D.
Meowy holidays everyone! And may you all have a fantastic new year.
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Happy Holidays
I wish you all much love and happiness.
From Raindragon:
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, forum members! So many of you are amazing people and it's a pleasure to read your posts. Hope your New Years hold everything in them that you hope for! Please keep being the awesome community members that you are!


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Charles Hamilton Vs. Uncle Luke Go At It Over The Phone! (Charles Bashes On Uncle Luke's Show) "Homeboy. You Better Watch Yo Mouth, Cause When I See You I Might Put My Foot Up Yo Azz" [Audio]
Dont Quit reports "Things got heated when Uncle Luke called up to talk about his show on VH1. Charles Hamilton chimed in and things went down hill from there." On Lip Service - Shade 45.
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Far from Jones Senior�s memory is a 2011-12 season in which its boys basketball team struggled to win six games.
This year, the Trojans � with a new head coach and a revamped lineup � are expecting to bring home the bacon.
TRENTON � Far from Jones Senior�s memory is a 2011-12 season in which its boys basketball team struggled to win six games.
This year, the Trojans � with a new head coach and a revamped lineup � are expecting to bring home the bacon.
Jones Senior, which opens the season today at Spring Creek, will debut its new head coach in Jason Barker and a lineup comprised mostly of guards that Barker expects to do big things.
Barker served as an assistant for two years to former coach Glenn Smith, who stepped away to spend more time with his family, Barker said. After going through the interview process, Barker was given his first head varsity boys basketball job and he�s expecting a 6-18 season last year to be turned around immediately.
Even if the Trojans� tallest player is �maybe� 6-foot-2.
�I�m grateful for the opportunity. I�m just ready to get it going tomorrow,� Barker said.
�Our goal is always going to be (the) conference championship. East Carteret did a great job last year. They didn�t have no size and they still won the regular season title. I feel like we�ve got enough guys that can play that have a lot of effort and energy that I feel like we�re going to have a chance at it.�
Graduated forward Andrew Bryant was the Trojans� tallest player last season at 6-4. This season, Barker said it�s junior forward Demetrius Williams.
Barker said he plans on turning his team�s weakness into its strength. Since the Trojans are so small, Barker plans on using a pressure defense and a run-and-gun offense that can score at the basket and away from it.
�I don�t know if you can really get smaller than what we were (last year) but we�re actually smaller than what we were,� Barker said. �Just the size-wise, we don�t have no big, tall guy or nothing like that. We got a bunch of wing guys. We�ve got a bunch of athletic guys (and) I feel like they�re all-around players who can do a little bit of everything.
�We�re trying to (run) a system that works off our positives that we have. Our guys do have a lot of positives we just don�t have any real big guys. We�ve got some all-around players that are pretty good � they�re good athletes � and we�re just going to try and put them in a situation where they can excel.�
One of those areas the Trojans will excel at is on the defensive end, Barker believes.
�I think that�s a big key for us, honestly. � I think we have pretty good defensive players,� he said. �I think being able to apply defensive pressure and getting into a fast break situation is going to be key for us.�
A big plus for Jones Senior this year is it returns its top two scorers from a year ago. Sharp-shooting senior Miguel Foy is back after posting an area-best 17.1 points per game last season. Also back is junior guard K.D. McCall, who averaged 8.6 points per game as a sophomore.
�They�re going to be pretty huge for us, there�s no question about it. They�re pretty good all-around players who can do everything,� Barker said.
�Miguel�s probably the better scoring option, and K.D. just brings that all-out effort.�
While Foy and McCall may be the names followers of the Trojans will recognize the most, a couple newcomers as well as a few reserves from last season are expected to contribute.
Eric Dudley Jr. and Parrish Bryant are both newcomers to the Trenton community. Dudley is a 5-9 senior guard while Bryant is a 6-foot senior forward who Barker called a �big-bodied guy.�
The Trojans also pulled up sophomore guard Glen White from the junior varsity squad.
�They look really good in practice so I�m eager to see what they can do for us,� Barker said. �I�m anticipating seeing this team and who�s going to step up because we�re going to need a couple of those guys to step up and all of them are capable of it.�
One area of concern Barker has is health. Before playing its first regular season game today his team has already suffered from injuries.
Darvoris Batts and Marcus Staten, both starters last season, will miss the entire 2012-13 season due to knee injuries suffered in football, Barker said.
That�s why he�s looking for a few to step up and join Foy and McCall � and believing they will to make a run at a Coastal Plains 1A title.
�They were going to be pretty big pieces for us. Like I said, those other four or five guys, I feel pretty confident in them, from what I�ve seen so far, that they�re going to be able to step up and help us,� Barker said.
�If we can get healthy and stay healthy � that�ll be the key � I feel like we�ve got a shot at it.�
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.


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Home-School Football Squad Debuts in St. Louis Co.
ST. LOUIS - The upcoming fall high school football season will include a St. Louis County home-school squad.
The 14-member Central Panthers practice at Rockport Baptist Church in Arnold and compete on the junior varsity level in their first season. They're led by a pastor-coach who was a 51-year-old backup middle linebacker at Westminster College in Fulton while earning his master's degree in theology.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the new Mid-East Missouri Homeschool Football Association hopes to add to at least two more teams with players from O'Fallon, Wentzville and St. Charles to the north, and Jackson and Cape Girardeau in the south, as well as a Central varsity team next year.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association voted in 2012 to allow its members to play home-school teams.


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Tapping into the herd mind
Yesterday's Another Marketing Conferencesaw a number of illuminating and involving presentations, designed to provide ideas and guidance for marketers of all types. Held in Cambridge, it had some great speakers, slick (but not too slick) organisation and a wide range of delegates.
One presentation that stood out for me was Mark Earls (aka @herdmeister) talking about how marketers are essentially failing to understand their customers. We treat consumers as rational, thinking beings, when essentially we're dominated by a desire to avoid thought and follow the herd. As Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahnemann put it: "We are to thinking as cats are to swimming. We can do it if we have to, but we don't particularly like it."
Mark outlined four handy principles:
- People do first and think later – they might post-rationalise their decisions and believe they acted logically, but that's after the fact.
- We're far more like Captain Kirk rather than Dr Spock, so you need to make it easy for people to make decisions, rather than thinking.
- People aren't looking for the best, they are looking for 'good enough'. We're living in a universe of too much stuff, the vast majority of which doesn't involve life or death choices. So we'll generally go with what satisfies the need rather than spend days searching for the best possible option.
- People harmonise with other people automatically. In an uncertain decision landscape we're most likely to choose what our peers are choosing rather than listen to marketing around us. We learn by copying others.
What I think is really interesting is how this plays out in social media and online. We tend to Like what our friends Like, we want to follow people that our friends follow and watch the videos that they do. So once something gets momentum behind it (think Psy's Gangnam Style) it just grows and grows.
You can see this as depressing, as essentially it explains mob behaviour, but as marketers we need to understand how customers operate if we're going to successfully engage with them. What decisions are independent and what are herd led? Structure campaigns accordingly and you can change behaviour and ensure your message gets across.
There's more on this in the new book Mark has co-written "I'll have what she's having" which was handily included in the goodie bag from the conference and has moved to the top of my reading list. Watch this space for a fuller review.
October 19, 2012 Posted by Chris Measures | Cambridge, Creative, Marketing, Social Media | Another Marketing Conference, Cambridge, Herd: How to Change Mass Behaviour by Harnessing Our True Nature, Herdmeister, I'll have what she's having, James T. Kirk, Mark Earls, marketing, social media, Spock | 7 Comments
Why Revolutionary Measures?
Marketing is undergoing a revolution. The advent of social media provides the opportunity for one-to-one communication for the first time since the move to an industrial society. This blog will look at what this means for B2B PR and marketing, incorporating my own thoughts/rants and interests. Do let me know your feedback!
About meI'm Chris Measures and I've spent the last 18 years creating and implementing PR and marketing campaigns for technology companies. I've worked with everyone from large quoted companies to fast growth start-ups, giving me unrivalled experience and ideas. I'm now director of Measures Consulting, an agency that uses this expertise to deliver PR and marketing success for technology businesses.
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HORSE to hold tack sale
The Humane Organization Representing Suffering Equines of Connecticut based in Washington will hold a giant undercover tack sale Feb. 2-3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
Proceeds raised at the Wilbur Road organization will benefit jackets for the group's rescue horses.
Larger jackets can cost as much as $150-300 each.
A horse can go one through more than one coat in a season.
Horses able to be ridden require a "cooler" when they sweat to help them dry faster. These coats cost between $50 and $125, depending on the size of the horse.
For more information, call 860-868-1960 or visit www.horseofct.org.


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While Sen. Rand Paul was filibustering last week over drones, his Republican colleagues were engaged in stalling tactics of another sort, designed to prevent federal judicial nominees from ever taking their seats on the bench.
In this New Yorker piece today, Jeffrey Toobin explains why judicial appointments are becoming "one of the great missed opportunities of the Obama Presidency."
Case in point: Caitlin Halligan, Obama's nominee for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals — considered the second most important court in the nation:
A majority of the Senate voted to bring up the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, but forty-one Republican Senators voted to prevent her from receiving consideration. This is the modern version of the filibuster, far more common than Paul's thirteen-hour speech. Without sixty votes, it's now virtually impossible to accomplish anything in the contemporary United States Senate.
This was the second time that Halligan received majority support, but, because she never passed the threshold of sixty, her nomination now appears doomed. And so, in the fifth year of his Presidency, Obama has failed to place even a single judge on the D.C. Circuit. . . [which] now has four vacancies out of eleven seats.
Halligan is widely viewed by attorneys on both sides of the aisle as impeccably qualified to sit on the bench. So what's the problem? It turns out that while working in the New York Attorney General's office Halligan wrote a brief supporting the efforts of her boss, Andrew Cuomo, "to make gun manufacturers legally responsible for some of the violence in New York, a position that the National Rifle Association opposed. The N.R.A. punished Halligan for doing her job for New York, and the Senate Republicans followed."


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It's rare that Sony makes announcements about new PlayStation 2 games, but not too surprising when that game is Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow, the latest PSP game to come to the company's last-generation console.
The portable Syphon Filter, originally released in 2007 – garnering "Game of the Year" accolades from at least one outlet – will make the leap from the PSP to the PS2 on June 1, giving previous-gen gamers something to do with their summer. The re-release of Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow will hit alongside the Syphon Filter digital graphic novel, coming to the PlayStation Store this summer as well.
With a few hundred thousand new PlayStation 2 owners out there, as of the holidays, we can't say that a two and a half year old port of a popular franchise is all that surprising. Instead, it just makes us think of the other PSP games that deserve a PS2 upgrade. Any suggestions?
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow Heading to PS2 on June 1st [PlayStation.blog]