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Coverage of today's Cards and Marlins game can be heard on The Big 870AM/96.3 FM Newstalk WTIM beginning at 5:35pm.
Baltimore, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - Kolten Wong went 4-for-5 with two runs scored to help the St. Louis Cardinals avoid a three-game sweep against the Baltimore Orioles with an 8-3 victory on Sunday. Peter Bourjos hit a three-run homer to back a solid outing from Lance Lynn, who allowed three runs on nine hits with six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. More importantly, Lynn (12-8) held the powerful AL East leaders homerless for the first time in the series. Baltimore launched nine homers in winning the first two games by a combined score of 22-5. "We like having Lance on the mound in these situations," said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, "and we felt good about what our offense could do." Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman (6-4) was charged with three runs on eight hits over five innings. Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz each knocked in a run for the O's. Matt Carpenter, Wong and Matt Holliday each singled to open up the game for St. Louis in the first. Matt Adams grounded into a fielder's choice to score a run before Jhonny Peralta laced a single to center that scored Wong. Jon Jay walked to pack the bags again, but Oscar Taveras flied into a double play as Adam Jones gunned Adams down at the plate attempting to tag from third. "I did a good job bouncing back in the second inning, but that first inning was a rough one," said Gausman. "It kind of seemed like wherever they hit the ball, we didn't have a guy there." Baltimore answered in the home half with and RBI double off the bat of Cruz that cut the deficit to 2-1. Jay got the run back in the third, however, ripping a single to right that scored Wong. The O's trimmed the deficit to one again in the fifth. After back-to-back singles from Markakis and Manny Machado, Adam Jones flied out to center that allowed Markakis to move over to third. Lynn then uncorked a wild pitch that pushed Markakis across to make it a 3-2 game. With one out and runners at the corners in the sixth, Daniel Descalso sent an RBI single to right, restoring St. Louis' two-run cushion. The pendulum continued to swing in the home sixth, with Markakis making it a one-run game again courtesy of an RBI single to center. Back-to-back doubles from Descalso and Carpenter made it 5-3 in the eighth, then a pinch-hitting Bourjos left little doubt of the outcome with his homer in the ninth. Game Notes Baltimore catcher Caleb Joseph had his five-game homer streak end ... The Orioles had won three straight and 12-of-16 coming in ... St. Louis is 8-12 against the American League this season, while Baltimore is 9-5 against the Senior Circuit.
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Ron Ruggless
Southwest Bureau Chief, Nation's Restaurant News
Phone: 214.366.4391
Follow @RonRuggless
Ron Ruggless covers the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
He joined NRN in 1992 after working 10 years in various roles at the Dallas Times Herald newspaper, including restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor and lifestyle editor. He also edited several printings of the Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and his articles have appeared in Food & Wine and Self magazines.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hey guys, been a long while. Wanted to show you guys a Pathways poster I just designed. I was inspired by another person's PiD piece, but I decided to elaborate on the idea a bit.
Nathan92 wrote:Yup, that's the one I was inspired by, didn't notice his maze-like Minotaur one though, coincidence maybe!
Zott wrote:I definitely enjoy the colors and maze. The splatter/grime on the final circle is a nice touch.
As a critique, it kind of bothers me how most of the mazes are confined below the boundaries of the temple above. I think it might look a bit better with within an upside down triangular confinement. That is, mazes start outside the reach of the temple then work to a point.
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We woke up Monday morning to a rainy, cold day in the 40s, this coming after weeks of beautiful weather, and a Saturday in the 80s. I wanted nothing more than to fall back asleep with Jamie, warm and cozy in bed, listen to the rain outside and feel the cool breeze drifting through the open window while I was snuggled under the comforting weight of my white down comforter...
But until we win the lottery, we both have to work, so no lying about in bed on a Monday. The weather stayed drizzly, chilly and overcast most of the day, and so I made creamsicles.
It may seem strange, making a frozen treat on a cold day, but these creamsicles were so lovely that they cheered me right up.
Growing up in South Carolina, popsicles were such a welcome treat during the humid summers. We played outside in our backyard, climbing on the trees that my dad chopped down for firewood for the next winter, roller skating on the rough cement patio behind the house, turning a rickety wooden trailer parked on the side of the house into our "fort", complete with a bucket of water and a cup tied to a string for our "water well", and running all over the woods across the street, pretending to search for hidden treasure using maps we'd drawn of the trees and marshy areas.
Inexpensive ice pops stocked our freezer, and after hours of play, my brother and sister and I would grab two or three each, eating one right after the next until our lips and tongues were bright purple, green, orange or red, and the corners of our mouths raw from the edges of the plastic sleeves.
Then there were the boxes of fruit flavored popsicles on wooden popsicle sticks; my favorite flavors were grape and banana, so I ate those first, then orange, and lastly, cherry. If we were lucky, we'd get a fudgesicle now and then, too.
And while plain orange popsicles were never a favorite of mine, I loved creamsicles. Half ice cream, half orange sherbet, they were the perfect combination of fruitiness and creaminess. I found something similar in China that I was addicted to in the hot summers, a slim popsicle with an icy orange shell filled with creamy vanilla ice cream.
With just four ingredients - strawberries, oranges, orange juice and cream - these refreshing and pretty creamsicles are the perfect cold treat, whether it's hot and sunny or rainy and gray out. And too tempting to eat just one.
Strawberry Orange Creamsicles
printable recipe
- 12 popsicle molds
- 12 strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) mandarin orange slices in juice, drained
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1 cup cream or half 'n' half
Yields 12 servings
Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen


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A year after the 49ers took him in the fourth round of the NFL draft, running back Marcus Lattimore says he's healthy enough in recovery from the gruesome knee injury that ended his college career that he could take the field today.
Lattimore said his next steps aren't about rehabbing his knee, they're just about convincing 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh that he deserves significant playing time.
"If he wants to put me in, he'll put me in," Lattimore told GoGamecocks.com. "If I prove it in practice, I don't think there's no excuse why I can't play. I'm ready."
The knee injury Lattimore suffered in 2012 was so serious that sitting out his rookie season, as he did last year, was far from his biggest concern. When he first got hurt, Lattimore feared he'd never play football again.
"After my injury, I just wanted to walk again," Lattimore said. "It was tough, very tough. We're a playoff team, so we play 20-plus games. Being on that sideline, we got so close to the Super Bowl title the last three years. But I'm blessed to be in this situation. Never would have thought in a million years I'd be in this situation."
Lattimore has heard the reports that backup running back LaMichael James is not in the 49ers' long-term plans, which means Lattimore would move up to third on the depth chart behind Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter.
"If that happens, it does put me in that No. 3 spot," Lattimore said. "But I've just got to go in there and work hard. I can pass-protect and run the ball. I've got to show that."
If he can run now the way he ran at South Carolina, Lattimore will show a lot in San Francisco this year.


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This column really captures the essential differences between the Marvel and DC movies.
Thor is fun, the way Superman should be; his cape is a bright, hopeful red and you want to hang out with him. The Superman in Man of Steel is a guy you want to keep your distance from, more coldly alien than the Asgardian who just arrived here. They're both immigrants to Earth, but even though the Man of Steel Superman was raised here, Thor feels more connected to humans in his movies, more their champion. More their Superman.


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Arianne Zucker, the soap opera actress in the video that has rocked the presidential campaign, says Donald Trump's comments toward her were offensive.
But Zucker says she wasn't shocked by it, given "that type of personality." She says that's "probably why it doesn't mean a lot to me."
Zucker spoke in an interview broadcast Thursday on NBC's "Today."
Zucker is the actress who meets Trump and TV personality Billy Bush on a soap opera set in the 2005 video. In the video, Trump boasts of using his fame to kiss and grab women. Trump, before greeting Zucker, tells Bush he needs to use Tic Tacs in case he starts kissing her.
Photo Credit: WireImage
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.


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Social media users have 'Conversation With…' Graduate School Associate Dean Jackson-Weaver
Answering questions submitted from around the world via Facebook and Twitter, Karen Jackson-Weaver, associate dean for academic affairs and diversity at Princeton University's Graduate School, recently served as the fourth host of the ongoing "Conversation With…" series.
Jackson-Weaver fielded questions about the varied programs at the Graduate School, how long Princeton's advanced degree programs take, financial assistance, joining the campus community, and more.
One Twitter user asked about the Graduate School's financial aid programs. Jackson-Weaver pointed out that all doctoral students and some master's degree students have their studies fully funded through the Graduate School.
"This is actually one of my favorite questions to respond to, because it really gets at the heart of the University's commitment to its graduate students," she said.
The "Conversation With…" series, which began in 2010 with an episode hosted by undergraduate admission dean Janet Rapelye, is a multi-part video series in which users are asked to post questions on Facebook and through Twitter. Questions for Jackson-Weaver came from as far away as Colombia.
Future "Conversation With…" episodes will feature other senior administrators, faculty and staff. Participants can ask questions, or simply watch. Anyone on Facebook can participate, and interested individuals can follow the conversation by becoming a fan of Princeton University's Facebook page or following Princeton on Twitter. Princeton currently has more than 51,500 Facebook fans and 15,000 Twitter followers.
The video series and the Facebook site are managed by the Office of Communications.


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By OTTO KREISHER, Special Correspondent
able to better share information
with civilian relief organizations,
officials said.
The first program is called
Mobile Modular Command and
Control (M2C2). ONR spent about
$25 million over four years to
explore "the kinetic control on the
move concept for the Marine
Corps," said John Moniz, the program manager at ONR.
The goals are to have I-band
communications for reach back to
higher echelons through communications satellites while moving, and
then distribute that information to
other staff vehicles while they also
are moving, Moniz said.
Kevin Holt, the program manager for Marine Air-Ground Task Force Command and Control Systems at
Marine Corps Systems Command, said the service had
a requirement for "on-the-move command and control" so that "when the commander is out in the battle-space, moving from one location to another," he can
stay in touch with a command center.
The absence of that capability became evident during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, when separate
Marine columns were moving rapidly toward Baghdad
while Army units were advancing on even more distant
routes, and the whole operation was being commanded from a joint command center in a different country.
To get satellite connections at that time, commanders had to stop so their communications experts could
erect cumbersome antenna and receiver systems,
which could take hours.
The systems now being developed could enable
satellite contact in as little as 15 minutes, while the
command vehicle is moving. And that could be accomplished by Marines with a wide range of skills, not just
a few communications technicians, Moniz said.
Commanders in the field need to be able to maintain communications and receive extensive digital support at great distances,
both while rolling across the battlefield and during humanitarian or
disaster-relief operations.
■ Marines now typically use UHF tactical communications.
■ The goal of the Mobile Modular Command and Control program
is to put satellite communications on the move.
■ The Office of Naval Research also is watching to see what
capabilities come out of the Army's Warfighter Information
Network-Tactical effort.
The Marine Corps, with its expeditionary mind-set and the challenge of engaging in irregular
warfare, increasingly is focusing on operating
with small, highly mobile and widely dispersed units
tied together with effective communications.
But that operational concept is handicapped by the
inability to receive and exchange voice and data messages through high-volume satellite networks while on
the move. Currently, Marine units on the move typically use UHF tactical communications, which has relatively low data rates and limited range.
That lack of mobile long-range communications is
being attacked with a developmental program funded
by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and could be
addressed in a more comprehensive way by a major
program managed by the Army.
If the two initiatives progress as scheduled, Marine
Corps tactical unit commanders within five years
should be able to maintain communications and receive extensive digital support at great distances while
rolling across the battlefield in their command vehicles. And in noncombat humanitarian assistance or
disaster relief missions, those commanders might be


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I've had my blog running for a couple of years now, although it was only recently that I let my guildmates in on the secret. The blog thing may be contagious. There are now three of my guildies who now have their own blogs. I'll shamelessly plug them here.
Our main tank (bear druid) is phenomenal. He's writing a blog about feral druid tanking and raid leading. Trust me, he knows what he's talking about. Check him out at Primal Precision.
The guild's other raid leader is a mage who has been playing and raiding since early WoW. He's got a new blog that focuses on mage raiding, with particular emphasis on macros and other helpful tricks. Find him at The Mage's Den. (ask him for stories about pre-BC raiding – he's got a ton of great stories)
Its neat to see what other talents your guildmates have. One of my friends from the guild has a non-WoW blog where she shows her immense artistic talents. See her stuff at fawn of the white island. Maybe you'll see something you want to buy!


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Florida linebacker Ronald Powell to forgo senior year for NFL Draft
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida defensive lineman/linebacker Ronald Powell announced on Monday that he will forego his final year of eligibility with the Gators' football program and enter the 2014 NFL Draft.
"Ronald has informed me that he has made a decision to declare for the NFL Draft," said head coach Will Muschamp. "This hasn't been an easy decision for him. I talked to him several times over the holidays, but it was important for him to come back and look me in the eye and tell me what he wanted to do and why he wanted to do it.
"It's one of the great experiences as a coach to watch young players mature. It's been well documented the hardships he has had to overcome and he has always kept a positive attitude. I wish him the best of luck and, as I've said before, I encouraged him to return to get his degree."
Powell, who missed the 2012 season due to injury, returned to full strength in 2013 and played in 11 games with eight starts. He led the team with four sacks and had eight quarterback hurries and was second on the team with seven tackles-for-loss. In his career with the Gators, Powell totaled 84 tackles with 19 tackles-for-loss and 11 sacks.
"I want to thank the entire Gator Nation for making a kid from California a part of their family," said Powell. "It's hard to put into words what this whole experience has been for me. I've had so many opportunities and met so many people. All of them have been supportive and helpful in my time here. Because of that, I've had a chance to grow and mature into the man I am today and the man I am going to become in the future. This hasn't been an easy decision because this is a tough place to walk away from — but really you never walk away from being a Gator.
"I never thought it would be this hard to make this decision — most people think it's easy — go for the money. It's hard to leave my brothers behind, but we've shared so much more than our time on the field. We've lived our lives together and we are truly a family. This place has so many memories that I will carry forever and I will never forget my coaches, teammates, trainers, strength staff, professors and the entire support staff that helped me during my time here.
"I wouldn't trade anything I've experienced because they have all helped me grow. I will miss running out of the tunnel into The Swamp and all of the tradition and great rivalries. It has been an honor to be a part of Gator history and I will always represent The Gator Nation and bleed Orange and Blue. Thanks again to everyone and much love for The Gator Nation. Once a Gator, always a Gator! Go Gators!"
Powell is the third Gator to declare early for the 2014 Draft, joining defensive backs Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Roberson.


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Colorado floods spawn massive search-and-rescue effort
- More than 3%2C400 people have been rescued
- Boulder County accounts for more than half the rescues
- It is the largest such effort since 60%2C000 people were rescued after Katrina
The massive search-and-rescue effort following Colorado's massive floods has been one of the biggest in state history — and the largest in the USA since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — as thousands of stranded people are plucked from swirling floodwaters by helicopters or rumbled out of washed-out neighborhoods by all-terrain military vehicles.
TV and camera-phone images of people hoisted by helicopter from flooded homes have brought eerie comparisons with similar efforts to rescue stranded Gulf Coast residents during Katrina.
The rescues in Colorado were only a fraction of the number in the Gulf — 3,465 Coloradoans, compared with 60,000 rescued from rooftops and flooded homes in Katrina's aftermath — but the event still tested Colorado's emergency-response system and brought together the assets of several agencies in challenging terrain.
Unlike the Katrina rescue effort, where critics later pointed to a breakdown in communication among local, state and federal agencies, various rescue teams in Colorado — from Colorado National Guardsmen to U.S. Forest Service Hotshot Crews — worked quickly and, by most accounts, effectively together in one of the largest rescue missions in Colorado history, says 1st Lt. Skye Robinson, a Colorado National Guard spokesman.
Eight people have been confirmed dead since the floods began Sept. 11, and 140 are still unaccounted for, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"The assets needed arrived and were prepared and went out to mission," Robinson says. "The process went very smoothly. This is how things should work."
A major reason: experience from a series of devastating wildfires that mauled Colorado just two months earlier, he said. During those fires, which claimed two lives and more than 500 structures, some of the same agencies shared airspace and staffed emergency management offices together. Instead of rescuing residents, though, they were dropping cubic tons of water on the fires.
"We've worked with these people before; we know each other's names," he says. "They were able to walk in and get straight to work."
In some of the most dramatic rescues, crews airlifted 85 elementary schoolchildren and 14 adults from an outdoor education session when nearby roads were choked off by floods. Then, more than 50 National Guardsmen, rescuers and residents needed to be airlifted out of Lyons when they became stranded by rising water.
"We had a lot of rescues from the air and from our ground operations, too," says 1st Lt. James Goff, a National Guard spokesman. "We were hitting them from both sides."
Post-Katrina rescue efforts were led by the U.S. Coast Guard, which was faced with a dual disaster: first the punishing winds of a hurricane, followed by a massive urban flood as the levee system protecting New Orleans collapsed, says Scott Price, a Coast Guard historian. Around 5,600 Coast Guardsmen used HH-60J Jayhawk helicopters and tender boats to help rescue or evacuate 34,000 residents, often hacking them out of their attics with small crash axes, he says.
That was the largest Coast Guard rescue effort since the 1937 Mississippi River flood, when 67,000 people needed saving.
In Colorado, as the floods intensified, a federal disaster declaration launched inter-agency rescue teams — known as "Urban Search and Rescue Teams" — into the water-wrecked areas of northern Colorado, says Ricardo Zuniga, a FEMA spokesman on the ground in Colorado.
The teams consisted of about 80 rescue crewmembers with varying skills, from medics and bridge engineers to seasoned firefighters, Zuniga says. Ferried by military Chinook helicopters or light medium tactical vehicles (LMTVs), the crews were dispatched to the hardest-hit counties, he says.
At the height of the effort, more than 20 helicopters ferried in and out of isolated neighborhoods and more than 700 Guardsmen and Army troops spread across the mountainous region, looking for stranded people, according to the Colorado National Guard.
More than half the rescues were in Boulder County.
"This is something we have never experienced to this size," says Liz Donaghey, a spokeswoman for the Boulder County emergency operations center. "I don't think it's comparable to anything we've done in the past."


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Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama ruled out any possibility of signing a short-term extension of the federal debt ceiling Monday, insisting that the time has come to tackle the nation's most pressing fiscal problems in a comprehensive way requiring bipartisan compromise on both taxes and cuts to entitlement programs.
The president continued to push for the largest deal possible -- an apparent rejection of a call by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to focus more narrowly on spending cuts agreed to in an earlier round of negotiations.
It's time to "pull off the Band-Aid" and "eat our peas," Obama told reporters of the need for both sides to make difficult choices to address the nation's mounting federal deficits and debt. "Let's step up. Let's do it."
Noting that Republicans have pushed for decisive action on debt reduction, Obama urged them to compromise from their blanket refusal to end Bush-era tax cuts for wealthy Americans. The president said he'd be willing to push Democrats to do something they don't like -- reform Medicare and other entitlement programs that are the party's political legacy -- in an effort to reach his goal of trimming the deficit by $4 trillion over the next 10-12 years.
"Now is the time to deal with these issues," Obama declared. "If not now, when?"
There was no breakthrough during a White House meeting between Obama and congressional leaders Monday afternoon, but top Democrats and Republicans agreed to meet again Tuesday, according to a congressional aide. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, called Monday's meeting "constructive."
While dismissing a possible short-term deal covering the rest of the year, the president insisted that an agreement to increase the current $14.3 trillion debt ceiling will be reached before August 2. Treasury officials have warned that a partial default could be triggered if lawmakers fail to act by that date.
Such a failure could lead to skyrocketing interest rates and a plummeting dollar, among other things.
Obama, who promised daily meetings until a deal is reached, reiterated his warning against either party taking a "maximalist position" in the ongoing negotiations. The president insisted he is willing to take "significant heat" from his own party on issues such as entitlement reform in order to get a deal done.
Republican leaders should as well, he said, referencing GOP opposition to any increase in tax rates.
For his part, Boehner said he still has a sharp disagreement with the White House over taxes and the "extent of the entitlement problem, and what is necessary to solve it."
"It takes two to tango, and they're not there yet," Boehner said in reference to the administration.
A Republican aide with knowledge of Monday's meeting said it included one exchange in which Boehner argued that his side also would find it difficult to vote to reform entitlements, which would likely include delaying or reducing some benefits in order to cut costs.
When Obama pointed out that the Republican-controlled U.S. House had already passed a proposal that would overhaul the government-run Medicare health insurance program for senior citizens, the GOP aide said, Boehner responded: "Excuse us for trying to lead."
Two Democratic officials with knowledge of Monday's talks confirmed the exchange but noted that it wasn't tense or any kind of showdown between Obama and Boehner.
According to multiple Democratic officials familiar with the meeting, Obama again made the case for a comprehensive deal at Monday's meeting but also asked House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, to explain spending cuts in a possible smaller deal that emerged from previous negotiations led by Vice President Joe Biden.
Those savings totaled about $1.8 trillion, well short of the almost $2.4 trillion that the administration seeks to raise the debt ceiling through 2012. Boehner has said any debt ceiling measure must be accompanied by spending cuts of equal value.
After Cantor's presentation, Obama made the case that bridging the difference between the spending cuts agreed to in the Biden talks and the Republican demand for a debt ceiling deal would require raising revenue, the Democratic sources said. At the same time, congressional Democrats said they need revenue increases through ending tax loopholes or other steps in order to get their caucuses to support an agreement, the sources said.
With another meeting scheduled for Tuesday, congressional participants were asked to bring ideas for closing the roughly $600 billion gap between negotiated spending cuts and further savings that Republicans say are necessary for a debt ceiling deal, the Democratic sources said.
When Obama set the Tuesday meeting for 3:45, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked if that was in the morning or the afternoon and the president said, "We might get to that," according to the Democratic sources.
Earlier, Boehner repeated his insistence that the House will not pass any debt ceiling deal that includes tax increases. He also stressed that the House won't pass a deal that fails to include spending cuts larger than any debt ceiling increase while also constraining future spending.
Negotiators are trying to salvage a deal after Boehner pulled back Saturday from a proposed "grand bargain" that would have saved up to $4 trillion over the next decade. The deal reportedly fell apart over a dispute regarding eventual tax increases for the wealthiest Americans by allowing the Bush-era tax cuts to expire at the end of 2012.
While Republicans remain opposed to tax hikes, Democrats are demanding revenue increases to reduce the impact of domestic spending cuts and ensure that the richest Americans shoulder some of the burden of a deal. House and Senate progressives are also balking at the idea of reining in spending on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
"We, unfortunately, remain far apart because every time we get close the Republicans move the goal posts further to the right, further and further to the far right," Rep. Steve Israel, D-New York, said Monday on CNN's "American Morning."
"We're not in this boat because America taxes too little," said Rep. Tom Price, R-Georgia. "We're in this boat because America spends too much, Washington spends too much."
The president insisted Monday that he is not looking to raise any taxes until 2013 or later. He claimed he has "bent over backward to work with the Republicans" and not force them to vote on any revenue hikes in the short term -- a politically toxic move for the GOP's conservative base.
In exchange, Obama said, he wants to ensure that the current progressive nature of the tax code is maintained, with higher-income Americans assessed higher tax rates.
An aide to Boehner said the speaker is now proposing a smaller deal based on $2.4 trillion in cuts identified during previous talks spearheaded by Vice President Joe Biden.
Boehner hinted as much at the GOP's strategy meeting on Saturday evening, when he issued a statement saying that his party cohorts could not support a major deal so long as Obama and Democrats insist on increasing taxes. He said that any such revenue-raising initiative would prevent the bulk of Republicans from supporting a more ambitious deal, even if it was one that included cutting spending and reforming entitlement programs such as Medicare.
Boehner insisted the talks' parameters should be scaled back to focus on budget cuts alone.
The White House immediately pushed back, with a senior administration official saying Boehner had initially accepted the need to increase tax rates on wealthy Americans as part of a deal. But then, the official said, Republicans offered a different plan in talks with Obama that began Thursday.
Boehner insisted Monday that he had never discussed an increase in tax rates.
At the heart of the GOP resistance is a bedrock principle pushed by conservative crusader Grover Norquist against any kind of tax increase. A pledge pushed by Norquist's group, Americans for Tax Reform, has been signed by more than 230 House members and 40 senators, almost all of them Republicans.
CNN's Ted Barrett, Kate Bolduan, Tom Cohen, Dan Lothian, Alan Silverleib, Jessica Yellin and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.
Watch State of the Union with Candy Crowley Sundays at 9am ET. For the latest from State of the Union click here.


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This is another installment of "Ask Emily," a biweekly column by Emily Bazar, senior writer with the California HealthCare Foundation's Center for Health Reporting. It is a Q&A exploring the practical questions that consumers have about the Affordable Care Act. You can submit questions for "Ask Emily" at email@example.com.
Q: Will doctors and hospitals who accept health insurance from companies like Blue Shield accept insurance sold by the health insurance exchange? I've heard that Cedars-Sinai, for example, will not accept coverage from Covered California.
A: You heard right, Lily.
Let's say you currently buy health insurance on the open market. But you discover that you can get tax credits from the state's new health insurance exchange, called Covered California. (For people whose incomes qualify, tax credits will lower the cost of premiums. To find out if that includes you, use Covered California's rate calculator.)
And wouldn't you know it, the same insurance company that covers you now also offers a plan on the exchange.
That means you'll get to keep your doctor if you buy that Covered California plan. Right? RIGHT???
Not necessarily.
Many insurers are limiting the networks of doctors and hospitals that participate in their Covered California plans, meaning your doctor may not be included.
"You need to do your homework, because the same doctor may or may not be there," says Nicole Kasabian Evans of the California Association of Health Plans. "It depends by plan."
The reason that your doctor may not participate in a plan offered by the same insurer is financial. Insurers limit networks to keep their costs — and premiums — down. Which is why Cedars-Sinai in Southern California, one of the most expensive hospitals in the nation, is not included as a provider in Covered California plans.
Covered California says you can find out if your doctor or hospital participates by calling 800-300-1506 or visiting its website: CoveredCA.com. But, sorry to say, as of my deadline on Oct. 2, the search tool still wasn't there. (Story continues below video window.)
Ask Emily: Simplifying Obamacare from CAhealthReport on Vimeo
Q: Everything I have read refers to tax credits. Can you explain? Will we take tax credits on our end-of-year income tax forms or get credit at the time of enrollment?
I've written endlessly about Obamacare's complications. But it's not just the law's provisions I'm referring to. As Jayne from Bakersfield notes, it's also the Byzantine language.
The Obamacare tax credits are sometimes called subsidies. The Internal Revenue Service uses the term "premium tax credits." I've also heard them referred to as "advance premium assistance." Huh?
Whatever you want to call them, these federally funded tax credits will be available to individuals and families who don't have access to "affordable" health insurance from their employer (as defined in the law ) or coverage from a government program such as Medi-Cal.
You will qualify if your income falls between 138 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). This year, 400 percent equals $45,960 for an individual or $94,200 for a family of four. (Click here for FPL guidelines.)
But you don't have to wait until tax time the following year to receive the credits. Tax credits can be applied in advance, immediately lowering your monthly premiums.
By the way, you can only receive tax credits by buying from Covered California. They won't be offered for employer-sponsored insurance or open-market plans.
Q: Will my eligibility for tax credits in 2014 be based on my 2012 or 2013 income, or my estimated 2014 income? And when I do my 2014 taxes (in 2015), will there be an adjustment if my actual 2014 income is different than my estimated 2014 income?
A: Let's start off with a straightforward answer and then ease into the pain: Your eligibility will depend on your 2014 income, says Anne Gonzales of Covered California, so make the best estimate you can.
Now for the pain: Yes, Ray from Richmond, if your actual income varies from your estimate, either you'll owe, or be owed, money.
"If your income goes down, you're entitled to more credit, so you'll be entitled to a refund on your 2014 tax return," says Garry Browning, a Certified Public Accountant in Modesto who trains other CPAs in Obamacare matters.
"But if your advance payments were more than you're entitled to, you're going to have to pay back the difference."
Browning notes that there is a maximum you'd have to pay back, which varies with your income.
If, for instance, annual family income is under 200 percent of FPL, repayment is capped at $600 ($300 for individuals). The cap is $2,500 ($1,250 for individuals) if annual income is between 300 percent and 400 percent of FPL.
To avoid sticker shock, Gonzales suggests you contact Covered California right away if your income changes during the year.
"Otherwise, the adjustment will be made at tax time," she says, "and that could be a surprise."
Questions for Emily: firstname.lastname@example.com
The CHCF Center for Health Reporting partners with news organizations to cover California health policy. Located at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, it is funded by the nonpartisan California HealthCare Foundation.


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Writing about this week's presidential debate, Andrew McCarthy titles his weekly NRO column "Obama unfiltered." Yet from the debate Andy takes Romney unfiltered. "With no slavish Obamedia filter between the candidates and the viewers," Andy writes, "the Obama campaign's ludicrous distortion of Romney collided, one on one and for all to see, with the reality of Romney." Andy gives us Romney unfiltered in this paragraph:
Whatever you may think of the former Massachusetts governor's politics, there should never have been any hesitation about Romney the man. This is a bright, self-made man, one whose public and private philanthropy, which puts most of us to shame, should be legendary. It is not. That's because his good works weren't done to burnish his political credentials and his decency discourages their exploitation toward that end. You don't have to agree with Romney on everything to see that he is a mensch. He obviously loves the America that is — the land of opportunity that has rewarded his work ethic. Like most of us, he wants that America preserved, not "fundamentally transformed."
What a great column.
RELATED: Andrew Klavan, "A fantasy election, an imaginary man."


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City of Vista, CAHome Menu
City and Residential Services
There are a variety of resources and services available to the residents, businesses and visitors of Vista. Following is useful information that is easily accessible and services that can be accomplished on-line. In addition, this useful "Important Contact Numbers" (Spanish version) provides phone numbers for many of these services.
City Services
- Animal Services
- City Parks
- Dog Park
- Facility Rentals
- Hazardous Waste Disposal
- Parking Tickets
- Report a Problem
- Senior Transportation & Other Services
- Sewer - Billing
- Street Sweeping
- Utility Providers - Residential
- Volunteer Opportunities
Public Utilities
County Services
- Animal Control / Humane Society
- Birth & Death Certificates
- County Tax Assessor
- Marriage License
- North County Transit District
- Recycling Locations
- San Diego County official website
- San Diego Registrar of Voters
- Vista Library
State Services
- Department of Motor Vehicles
- Employment Development Department
- Local Election information
- Sales Tax Information
- State of California
Community Services & Resources
- 2-1-1 San Diego Free service to connect people with community, health and disaster services.
- California State University, San Marcos
- Chamber of Commerce, Vista
- MiraCosta College
- National University
- Palomar College
- Public Transportation
- Traffic Information
- Tri-City Medical Center
- Vista Adult Education
- Vista Community Clinic
- Vista Farmers' Market
- Vista Unified School District


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This motorcyclist in China had one of the narrowest escapes from death I've ever seen!
The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
I hope he went right out and bought a lottery ticket!
Holy ....!!! Can't get any closer than that!
If he had stayed behind the stop line there would be no story.
While I hate those drivers who stop three or more vehicle-lengths before the line, I also laugh at the problems folks get into who go over the line, or creep up waiting for the light to change.
stay safe.
I can only hope he had a spare set of pants in his saddlebag.
He's also lucky that it was a shipping container and not an ordinary truck trailer. If it had been the latter, the load could have come bursting through the roof, which is not a strengthened structure.
+1 to what skidmark said. Let's see if that guy stops in the crosswalk ever again.


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Random Thoughts On Long Beach
The third stop of the season for the IZOD IndyCar Series was shaping up as a sleepy parade, but quickly got interesting. The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was not offering much for viewers to latch onto, until Helio Castroneves punted Justin Wilson on Lap 24. Then all kinds of things started to unfold.
Pole sitter Will Power took the lead at the start and everyone pretty much maintained their original starting positions throughout the first twenty-five laps. Then when Wilson spun, a few cars – including Ryan Briscoe and Alex Tagliani – darted into the pits expecting a full-course caution. It didn't happen. When it looked like Briscoe was destined for another poor finish, Paul Tracy booted Simona de Silvestro out of the way the very next lap, leading to the needed full-course caution. Suddenly, Briscoe and Tags found themselves up front.
From that point, there was a lot of jockeying for position behind the leaders. Things were fairly entertaining at that point. Then, with about twenty-five laps to go – EJ Viso kept his streak alive by tearing up another car on a race weekend. His record for 2011 is still perfect. This brought out only a local yellow, but Justin Wilson spun soon afterwards and that brought out the full-course caution that bunched up the field to bring another double-file re-start.
When the green flag waved on Lap 66, Briscoe was leading with Ryan Hunter-Reay lined up beside him. Will Power shot up to challenge Hunter-Reay for second. As they approached Turn One, Power backed off but his teammate, Helio Castroneves, locked up his brakes and slid right into Power. Neither Penske car could fire their engines. By the time they got re-started to re-join the field, Power was in eleventh and Helio was twelfth.
When the field came down for the next re-start, all eyes were on Briscoe and Hunter-Reay. Lurking in fourth place was an inconspicuous Mike Conway, whose season had gotten off to a horrible start. Conway immediately passed Dario Franchitti for third, and blew by his teammate Hunter-Reay, who had suddenly developed gearbox problems, for second. Soon afterwards, he did away with Ryan Briscoe, took the lead and never looked back.
This should be a popular win. Although he doesn't show a lot of personality, it's my understanding that Mike Conway is very well thought of in the paddock. Less than eleven months ago, he was in a horrifying crash on the last lap of the Indianapolis 500 that ended his season. He's with a new team and he's now won his first race in the IZOD IndyCar Series. I will toot my own horn in recalling that I picked Mike Conway to win at Barber. OK – so, I was seven days too soon.
TV Coverage: Since I was at Barber last weekend, this was my first chance to watch the new Versus crew on a live basis. Overall, I was very impressed.
Most know that I don't really follow the Firestone Indy Lights Series. I wait until some of the drivers actually move up into the IZOD IndyCar series before I learn anything about them. Yesterday was the first time I have watched an Indy Lights race from start to finish. With Versus showing them as a live lead-in to the main race, I'll watch more. I was pleasantly surprised with Mike King. I always considered him the weak link on the IMS Radio Network, but I thought he did a very good job on the Indy Lights telecast. I won't say the same for Willy T. Ribbs. He sounds like he is reading a legal document and falling asleep in the process.
Another pleasant surprise is Wally Dallenbach, Jr. Watching Wally in the past on NASCAR telecasts, I usually found him to be annoying. When I first heard that he was joining the Versus IndyCar booth, I wasn't pleased. I felt like it was another attempt to satisfy potential NASCAR viewers with one of their own, much like the miserable Rusty Wallace experiment with ESPN/ABC. Instead, I've found Wally to be insightful, witty and enjoyable to listen too. It helped hearing him say on Trackside that IndyCars were his first love. That's understandable, since his father raced them in the sixties and seventies and was CART's chief steward for a number of years.
I know Kevin Lee caught some grief for his performance on "Through The Field" at Barber. I watched the replay later last week and he flubbed it pretty well. But like the pro he is, he rebounded nicely at Long Beach with no noticeable gaffes. I'll throw out the disclaimer that I like Kevin. We've talked a few times, swapped some e-mails and he's been kind to me on "Blogger Night". But what I like about him is his style. As host of Trackside, he comes across as very prepared but also very human. His interaction with Curt Cavin is like listening to two old friends talking racing in a bar for two hours every Thursday night. I'm a little biased, but I think Kevin Lee does an excellent job in his new role with Versus.
Although the director moved away from a couple of shots again, the only real negative comment I'll offer to Versus is to ask them to move their telemetry graphics during the in-car camera shots. It needs to be moved to the bottom of the screen. I like watching the road ahead to get an idea of how quickly a driver has to react to things ahead. Anytime there is a turn or an obstacle to the right – our view is obstructed by the graphics box.
Of course, the biggest plus of the Versus coverage is the addition of Robin Miller. My only complaint is they need to use him more. He brings great information – like when he said that Bryan Herta Autosport and Dan Wheldon will be doing the testing of the 2012 car later in the season. If that was out there, I'd never heard it before. Great stuff.
Ragged Start: The start and subsequent re-starts were very ragged and disjointed. I'm not sure if it was due to coming off of the hairpin turn or if it was by design to spread out the field before they hit Turn One. Whatever the case, it looked bad for TV. Do what they need to do for the next race in Brazil, but my hope is that they create a photo-worthy tightly aligned three-wide field for the Indianapolis 500.
Great Firestone Ad: Firestone has cranked out some great commercials the last few years. My personal favorite was the "Magic Rings" campaign from two or three years ago. They hit a home run this year with the "100 Years of Racing" commercial they ran yesterday. I just wish they ran it more than once.
Wilson Woes Continue: Now that Briscoe and Conway have jump-started their seasons, the biggest disappointment of this young season has to be Justin Wilson. I really expected big things from him this season – especially on the road courses. You've got to cut him some slack with his wrist injury from the first race, but things have gone from bad to worse. He finished twenty-second yesterday, his worst finish of an already bad season.
Bad Day For Simona: In fact, it was a rough weekend. She wasn't particularly fast in practice. Then she brushed the wall in qualifying, which ended her day early. Then she fell victim to Paul Tracy's manners and was spun around exiting the hairpin on lap twenty-five. After two top-ten finishes to begin the season, Simona finished twentieth which dropped her from fourth to a three-way tie for seventh in the points. She has quickly become one of my favorites and I hope this can be chalked up as simply a bad weekend.
Great Day For Newman/Haas: It's really good to see this team find its way again. After a couple of dismal years, this once-proud team is back on solid footing. Oriol Servia turned in another solid performance, qualifying fourth and finishing sixth. He now sits fourth in points. Rookie James Hinchcliffe continues to turn heads. In only his second IndyCar race ever, he qualified eleventh and finished fourth.
Bad Season For Helio: The long nightmare of Helio Castroneves continues. After three races, Helio has caused a first-turn melee at St. Petersburg, had a mediocre weekend at Barber, where he was never in contention, then took out his teammate Will Power – thereby costing Power the points lead. I've made it no secret that Helio Castroneves is my favorite current driver in the series, but he needs to pull his head out of wherever it is and get his act together. Roger Penske was very classy in his post-race comments, but these moves that Helio is pulling are very un-Penske like. Speculation has been focusing on Ryan Briscoe being the odd man out if Team Penske ever cut back to a two-car team, but after Helio's start to this season – I'm not so sure.
Another Quiet Day For Foyt: Don't look now, but Vitor Meira and AJ Foyt Racing are quietly putting together a very solid season. Road/street courses are not Meira's strength, but after three straight events of turning right, Vitor Meira sits tenth in points and really only two points out of a three-way tie for seventh. Once back from Brazil, I'd love to see Vitor and Foyt work some magic at Indianapolis.
All in all: After a dull start, I thought it was a very entertaining race at Long Beach. It was interesting to watch the different team strategies play out. Some worked. Some didn't. After a shaky 2009 rookie season, I was impressed with Mike Conway in the few races we saw him in last season. I tend to pull for anyone coming back from such devastating injuries, like Conway suffered at Indianapolis last year. It's also always good to see a new face in victory lane. With five different teams represented in the top five, this season may not be the Penske/Ganassi runaway that everyone predicted. Three different winners from three different teams is the way to get this season off to a good start. I can feel the momentum building for May. I can't wait.
George Phillips
26 Responses to "Random Thoughts On Long Beach"
AA definitely surprised this weekend… Tracy slow and booting Simona, no surprise there. Again, it's time for both Helio and Marco (and his crew ) to have their vision checked and attend a course in physical, situational awareness… Great second 2/3s of the race, gotta love it when an understated (seriously injured 11 months ago) guy like Conway wins. Especially when so much time and energy has been and continues to be spent obtaining sponsorship for and heralding the advent of others of mediocre talent at the AA stable. I also would like very much to see more of Mr. Miller, he is the best…. Thanks for a great race breakdown George.
AA didn't surprise me, as I figured that an AA racer would be first, second, or third.
Marco might've learned from mishaps of his dad and grand-dad to try to avoid pit lane mishaps.
Robin Miller is cool, smart, and knowledgeable though some think that he's too curmudgeonly for airtime during the race.
Good catch on Meira. He's very quietly been putting together an excellent season.
Robin Miller called Helio "EJ Viso with a moreexpensive car" or something to that affect. The coverage was excellent and I am enjoying the road and street courses. Tough day for RHR because I think it was his race until the gears went South on the DHL car and I am glad to see Briscoe. In my opinion, Andretti was the surprise team. Almost a one-two finish, but that is racing. Another good column George.
I am really thrilled with Newman/Haas's performance so far. That team was once a Penske/Ganassi and they had fallen a LONG way. At least on Twitter, they really seem to be good folks who are proud of their history. On a shoestring, when they could have hired another true ride-buyer, they did exactly what they should have done and hired an under-appreciated vet and a highly promising rookie. It is really nice to see them both running solidly in the middle of the top-ten. Even on a showstring, talent, experience, and doing the right thing can pay off.
Amen to all that! I'm watching a resurgent N-H!
Good recap, George. The Versus crew is pretty good, but R. Miller is really a breath of fresh air. He's honest and funny and you're never quite sure what he's going to say. My favorite driver is Simona, but my favorite team is quickly becoming Newman-Haas with Servia and Hinch. They are both real good drivers and very personable. That spin Servia did to get back in the race was awesome.
I know you're a Helio fan George, but his crocodile tears interview made me question his sincerity. Helio seems like a loose cannon who's ready to boot anybody out of the way in his own self-interest…not a fan.
AA would've had an awesome day yesterday if not for bad luck for RHR and a dumb move by Marco and/or his crew. AA might be trying to make the Big Two the Big Three. Viso should be sent down to the minor league or the demolition derby at the Fairgrounds. Conway blasted off like a rocket–happy he kept it together.
Pretty good event, but on the down-side–between Talladega and playoff basketball and golf and baseball, I don't have much hope for Versus ratings to improve. On the other hand, Long Beach sure makes it look like attending an Indycar street race is a real fun thing to do.
More good bytes George. Since I was not able to see the race (and most of the time could not hear it on Dead Timing and Scoring), I looked forward to you comments.
Throw my name in the hat with those who are happy to see the resurgence of Newman/Haas. If Paul is able to watch from his skybox I am quite sure he is wearing that trademark smile.
This is proving to be a very interesting and very competitive season.
Is it just me or does anyone else find that tin top tag team racing a bit bizarre? Perhaps that was what Tracy was trying to do with Simona.
It's very weird looking, Ron. And it's hilarious how drivers talk about it–"I was going with him until he left me so I hooked up with Hamlin instead. We committed to going together from the start and we looked for each other all day." Someone could have a field day editing these sound bites…
My apologies to Mr Dallenbach. Kyle Petty must have been the reason TNT Nascar's coverage is terrible. After watching Raceday on Speed for over a year with Petty, I should have figured that out. Wally has been great, now can we just get a real play by play man?
I watched and DVR's the race and I have but one question: WTF was Helio thinking? Did he just expect when he came blasting toward the corner that everyone was going to just say, "Oh, it's Helio. I must move over?"
I had told my wife that we'd be rooting for Helio when we go to Indy this year so that I could see another four time winner live. Now, I'm having to kinda back off on that becuase he's turned into Paul Tracy with the chrome horn. Even my wife, who is a HUGE Helio fan, wondered what he was thinking.
I also just about fell off my chair when Marco took "full repsonsibility" for his pit dustup with Sebass. I told the wife, "I think that's the FIRST time I've EVER heard an Andretti take respoinsibility for ANYTHING."
I agree on the Foyt/Meira comment. I'd like nothing more than to see the old man get to victory lane again at Indy and Vitor has certainly paid his dues.
And, considering her distate for road/street racing, I think you have to give props to Danica for bringing home the car in one piece (again) with a top 10 result. I was substantially surprised that she was able to keep TK behind her in the last few laps. Just like Meira, she's been kinda sneaking up on people. The way she's done at Indy (historically), I think you have to make her a dark horse for that race.
Hell, with these starts/re-starts the 500 could be wide open.
The only thing I'll disagree with is Willy T. Ribbs on the Lights broadcasts.
His monotone delivery isn't terribly exciting, but it has power behind it. Combined with his penchant for making melodramatic statements and the insights that he offers often enough, I think he has a certain charm as a broadcaster. I also think he'll get better as the season goes along.
Come on, Billy. Willy T. is BRUTAL in the booth. His slow delivery is not good for TV. He talks WAY too much. And have you ever noticed how much he repeats himself? He sounds like Foghorn Leghorn, I say I say. I read on another site that he had the gall to make the statement that it wasn't Joe Newgarden's fault that he crashed at the end of the race? Are you blind, Willy? Did a seagull distract Newgarden? If you are going to be considered a race ANALYST, you have to tell the truth and at least know what you are watching.
I have no clue why he was hired. The only saving grace for the Lights broadcast is when they bring Wally D into the booth. He actually makes it sound like a professional telecast.
Willy T. sucks and sucks badly.
I agree that WTR stinks badly. He admitted that he had been disinterested in racing until lured to the booth with $. He has no gift for gab or useful insights. I have no idea why he was hired. ~weird~
Good one George and I pretty much see it the same way. I would like to vote for Foyt as the most surprising, but Larry has been steadily getting better performance out of the team and I felt that he would all along. It is good to now see his efforts bear fruit. Instead, I'll go with Newman/Haas and remark that it is excellent to see them back at it again.
The Lapper
I'm a fleabit peanut monkey
ordinarily, I'd hate to admit it, but like you, George, I haven't watched FIL on tv. I have watched races at tracks, read of them in racing mags and on Indycar.com and other websites, getting interested in some of the "stars of tomoorow." Then they don't graduate to the IndyCar series! It's disheartening! I could name eight who only get a ride at Indy 500 or get a bone at a season-ending race (a try-out).
As you, "Yesterday was the first time I have watched an Indy Lights race from start to finish. With Versus showing them as a live lead-in to the main race, I'll watch more." But Willy Ribbs was 'painful' to listen to.
This was the first day this season that I watched an IndyCar race on TV, and Versus was okay by me.
Guess I'll add Willy T. Ribbs in the broadcast boot to the list of things that only I seem to care for…
Yes, he sounds like a weather radio but if you found him "painful" to listen to then you have never heard Dave South call a football game.
I thought Ribbs was awful the first race. At some points he just stopped in mid-sentence. He was repetitive and stumbled alot. But it was his first time in the booth, so I cut him some slack. I thought he was better in Long Beach, but not good.
— deplorable for a paid commentator!
Did anyone think to tell Bourdais that the end of Pit Road is 1 lane? He throws his hands in the air as if to blame Marco. Now Marco has had his share of blunders, but all Bourdais had to do was tap the brakes to alleviate that situation. Yet nobody picked up on that in the booth. I realize no race driver likes to brake, but the alternative is a heck of a lot better.
As far as Helio, he is driving like he usually does, looking just past his 2 front tires.
I had also wondered why Sebas didn't feather his throttle or brake when anticipating or observing Marco moving left. But Marco was willing to take the blame, and we didn't have overhead, camera-hung-from-wire coverage with which to see whether SB was accelerating to pass (stupid) or was at a constant speed, or maybe had slowed slightly. I'm not an apologist for SB. I just wish that we had cameras zooming overhead..
By the way, Sam Schmidt did have a good day in FIL and I am always impredded so I am going to cast another vote, but this time for Sam Schmidt Racing. I won't tell you how much I admire this man and if I am ever at a crossroads in life I want to take a chapter out of this fine man's book. If there ever was someone to admire it is Sam.
hopefully Sam will become as successful in Indycar as he has been in IndyLights. Good point, John.
I also hope that the team finds success in ICS.
[…] Random Thoughts On Long Beach [Oilpressure]I love George's teaser into the meat of his article: "Then all kinds of things started to unfold." LIKE PAPER AIRPLANES! ORIGAMI SPIDERS! UNNECESSARILY INTRICATE GREETING CARDS!! I think you see where I'm going… and if you don't, it's to the booby hatch, and I'm not talking about my man chesticles. […]


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Every Friday, gorgeous Italian Jewish women and men line up to buy this hideous dessert. What is the fuss all about? Recently I visited Rome and, like I do in every city I visit, I investigated the local dessert scene. When I saw 30 people waiting in line outside a tiny shop, I had to find out what was inside. When I saw the charred loaves, I thought that the people outside must be waiting for some other dessert. But no, everyone was buying the black lump. It was burnt to a crisp, with the raisins puffed and charred beyond recognition. It also had colorful candied fruit in it, which apparently some people like. There were pine nuts and almonds sticking out of it, some of them barely recognizable. It is essentially the dessert equivalent of cholent – a dish that one dumps everything into. I use cholent to clean out my cabinets before Passover and put every grain, bean and pasta I find into it. Now you have a dessert into which you can dump all the small amounts of nuts and dried fruit that are sitting, lonely, at the bottom of their bags and boxes.
It is called "Pizza Ebraica" and it is a Jewish Roman specialty. I finally tasted it while I enjoyed my coffee across the street. It was extremely crunchy. I liked the taste and aroma of the well-toasted nuts and, like a three-year-old, I picked out the candied fruit. I packed up the rest to take with me to meet our group in line for tickets for the Forum and Coliseum and gave out pieces to all. Our group of seven kids looked at it and went straight to the chewy chocolate cookies from El Mundo di Laura, another Kosher bakery in the Jewish Ghetto, around the corner from where I bought got the "pizza." As the adults kept breaking off pieces of it, eventually the kids wanted to understand why we kept grabbing for more. It was absolutely addictive. I finally got the obsession.
I did some research on this Roman dessert and learned that Saveur magazine had done a story on it back in April 2010. Despite that, I had never seen it anywhere before. Really, why would anyone serve something that looks so unappetizing?
Upon returning, I decided to try baking it. I found a variety of recipes online and then developed my own, substituting dried cranberries, golden raisins and apricots for the evil candied fruits. The recipes also called for soaking the dark raisins in sweet wine but I was not sure whether to use red wine or Moscato. I went with the Manischewitz. Okay, so the dough came out a bit purple, but my family decided it was so much better than the version we had in Rome. I still felt it wasn't crunchy enough and made a second version with more chazerai (Yiddish for junk) inside and less wine, but the troops liked the first batch better. Either way, it is the perfect dessert to have sitting on the counter during Shabbat, and I can virtually guarantee that folks will be picking off chunks as they pass on by. For the last two Shabbats before Passover, go ahead and clean out that pantry, bake this ugly dessert and then watch the pretty smiles on everyone's faces.The shop, Pasticceria il Boccione, is on Via Del Portico d'Ottavia, the main street of the Jewish Ghetto.
Pizza Ebraica
Serves everyone, until it's gone
You can use any nuts or dried fruit you like, just follow the amounts below. You do not need to bake it until it is charred, but well-browned results in a crunchier loaf.
¾ cup olive oil
1 egg white
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup almonds
¾ cup dark raisins soaked in 1 cup sweet wine for ten minutes
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
½ cup golden raisins
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place the olive oil, egg white, flour, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat. Add the almonds, raisins and wine, apricots, pine nuts, cranberries and golden raisins, and mix with your hands until combined. You will have a dry dough. Dump onto your prepared cookie sheet and shape into a large oval or rectangle, squishing in the nuts and fruit so that they remain inside the dough. Pat down the top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until well-browned. Let cool. Store at room temperature for up to three days, if it lasts that long.


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Chicago: 7 Favorite Taco Joints
In any big city, tacos are a great representation of what the local food scene has to offer. Small, simple, and versatile, this is street food at its finest. Or it's a popular chef (ahem, Paul Kahan) doing tacos at their cheffiest-finest. There's quite a bit of diversity on this list: from the homey, traditional carne asada and carnitas to kalbi (Korean short rib) to a crunchy fish taco.
In a city like Chicago, it's hard to say that these are the seven very best taco joints, but they are seven that we've gone back to again and again. And then still craved weeks later.
Taco Cheat Sheet
Here are our favorite orders for each stop. Read more about each in the slideshow!
Carnicerias Guanajuato: Carne asada, lomo encebollado (ribeye cooked with onion), and carnitas
La Pasadita: Carne Asada
Cemitas Puebla: Tacos arabes (Lebanese-Mexican schwarma-like pork)
Del Seoul: Kalbi (Korean short rib) and panko-encrusted shrimp
Don Pedro Carnitas: Carnitas and deep-fried beef brain tacos
Tio Luis: Carne asada
Big Star: Pork al pastor, fish, and pork belly
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Semper aliquid novi Africam adferre (Always something new out of Africa)
Meeting Abstract
Suche in Medline nach
|21. Juni 2011
Background: In which we present "tips and tricks". We will present techniques which we use to make our burns theatre more efficient and safer. As well as skin grafting techniques that are successful and less traumatic to the children.
Methods: 1.Intra-operative endotracheal tube stabilisation for facial burns. 2. A technique for securing split-thickness skin grafts in, paediatric burn patients. 3. The 'Vacsplint' for Hands Plus unpublished 'tricks'.
Results: Pictures in talk.
Conclusions: We present a slide show of 'tips' and 'tricks' from the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital Burn Unit.


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Ekaluck graduated with a BA from Bangkok University and an MFA from Chulalongkorn University. He has worked for various advertising agencies and as an independent graphic designer in Thailand.
He worked for Cadson Demak on some side projects before joining the design team at Cadson Demak in 2006.
Currently, he also teaches typography full time at Bangkok University.


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Miley Cyrus isn't messing around with her safety.
The pop star has obtained a temporary restraining order against Jason Luis Rivera--the 40-year-old man who was convicted of trespassing at the singer's home.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
According to the restraining order, the former Hannah Montana star asked that Rivera also be ordered to stay away from Wendy and Catlin Green, whom Cyrus describes as family friends. The restraining order request states that Wendi and Catlin were on Cyrus' property on Sept. 8 when "Rivera illegally entered the premises under the delusional belief that he was married to Cyrus."
Back in September, Rivera hopped the fence of Miley's L.A. home and proceeded to wield scissors around her yard. The 19-year-old starlet was not there at the time, but two family friends--who have now been identified as Wendi and Catlin Green--were present and called the police.
All the details on Rivera's arrest
The Greens and Cyrus are asking that Rivera be ordered to stay 1,000 yards away. Even though Rivera has been in jail since his September arrest, Miley wants the order in place in case he is released.
A hearing will take place Nov. 16 to decide whether to extend the temporary order.
Miley Cyrus isn't the only one...take a look at more stars with overzealous fans


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There are plenty of articles and websites showing many different facial exercises that you can do which promise to keep your skin looking young and supple. But before you start contorting your face into weird expressions – let's take a look at what experts say about them.
It would make sense that exercising the facial muscles would keep them tight – because that's how it works in the body. However, some experts say that repeated extra movements of your facial skin will lead to premature lines and wrinkles – like how smokers get lines around their mouths by constantly puckering. So – what are you to do?
Both of these statements are true so what you have to do is to tone your muscles without contorting your facial skin too much – and no crinkling of the eyes, forehead, or mouth! Use light resistance as you would with the muscles in the body by using your hand to push against your skin while performing your facial and neck exercises.
Find a good book or DVD that gives you proper instruction before trying this – and remember that as with strengthening your body consistency is key. Do not expect to see results unless you put the time in. And be realistic about the results you expect to see – experts do say that over time with consistent training you should see some noticeable results, but the best way to keep your skin young looking and supple is to stay out of the sun, eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep, and don't smoke.


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The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provides safe harbors from copyright infringement liability for online service providers (17 U.S.C. 512) and makes it unlawful to circumvent technological measures that effectively control access to copyrighted works (17 U.S.C. 1201). A lesser-known (and lesser-litigated) provision of the DMCA (17 U.S.C. 1202) makes it illegal to intentionally remove or alter any copyright management information or to distribute copies of works knowing that copyright information has been removed or altered without authority of the copyright owner or the law. "Copyright management information" includes information conveyed in connection with copies of the work, such as the title and the name of the author.
A recent case from federal court in Florida considered whether this regulation of copyright management information in the DMCA applies only to electronic works intended for distribution over the internet, or whether it applies to more traditional works such as hard copy technical drawings. The court interpreted the DMCA broadly to apply to all kinds of works, whether on the internet or not.
Plaintiff alleged that defendant violated the DMCA by distributing copies of plaintiff's drawings "knowing that [plaintiff's] name had been removed therefrom and/or that another entity's name had been added thereto." Defendant argued that plaintiff failed to state a claim for a violation of the DMCA because the DMCA only applies to "technological" infringement. Defendant cited to Textile Secrets Intl'l, Inc. v. Ya–Ya Brand, Inc., 524 F.Supp.2d 1184 (C.D.Cal.2007), which found that § 1202(b) "was [not] intended to apply to circumstances that have no relation to the Internet, electronic commerce, automated copyright protections, or management systems, public registers, or other technological measures or processes as contemplated in the DMCA as a whole." To read it otherwise, the court in that case reasoned, would contradict the "legislative intent behind the DMCA to facilitate electronic and Internet commerce."
In this case, however, the court noted that other courts, focusing on the plain language of the DMCA, have held differently, and approved the DMCA's application to non-technological contexts. See Murphy v. Millennium Radio Group LLC, 650 F.3d 295 (3d Cir.2011); Agence France Presse v. Morel, 769 F.Supp.2d 295 (S.D.N.Y.2011). Although in this case, as in Murphy, the legislative history of the DMCA was consistent with defendant's interpretation, it did not actually contradict it. Instead, Section 1202(b) simply established a cause of action for the removal of, among other things, the name of the author of a work when it has been conveyed in connection with copies of the work.
So the court, as it found it was required to do, considered the statute's plain meaning before it considered its legislative history. Under that analysis, it held that plaintiff's allegations were sufficient to a state a claim for violation of the DMCA.
Roof & Rack Products, Inc. v. GYB Investors, LLC, 2014 WL 3183278 (S.D. Fla. July 8, 2014)
Evan Brown is an attorney in Chicago advising clients on matters dealing with copyright, technology, the internet and new media.


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Yesterday, we reported on the announcement of the SET filesharing system. SET claims to accelerate a typical P2P download by anywhere from 30-70 percent by increasing the potential sources of files being downloaded. It works this magic by identifying files that were similar to the one being downloaded, and finding identical pieces within those similar files. Thanks to the folks who developed the system, we had a chance to read the paper they are presenting that described the system in detail.
The obvious first hurdle in any such system is presenting the files to be shared in a way that allows similarities to be detected. P2P filesharing systems already split files into chunks typically based on byte length, allowing clients to retrieve different chunks from different sources. This would mask similar but nonidentical files, however, as any change that altered the total bytes would throw off the register of the information in any chunks that followed it. SET works around this by using a process called Rabin fingerprinting.
Using this method, chunk boundaries are set based on a combination of size and the properties of the data itself. For example, chunk boundaries could be determined based on rules such as "16 Kb after the last boundary at the first place that four bits in a row are zeroes." Using this sort of method allows the chunks to share common boundaries even when intervening differences throw them off register.
Once a file is split in chunks, a hash value can then be calculated for each chunk, allowing identical chunks to be recognized. But sharing and comparing all the hashes for the chunks of all available files would be horribly inefficient, as it would require significant network traffic and computational resources. To avoid these problems, the authors devised a rapid comparison scheme they termed "handprinting" that involves a single, small data transfer.
Once the hashes are calculated, they sorted them lexicographically (similar to alphabetical sorting). The first 30 of the resulting hashes were defined as the "handprint" of the file. Those handprints can then be sent to the global filesharing lookup table, allowing new clients to rapidly access them. By comparing two handprints, a rough measure of the total similarities between two files can be determined. Only when the similarity of a handprint in two different files was above a certain threshold would the full list of chunk hashes be compared, and identical pieces of the files could then be downloaded.
There are three variables that need to be set arbitrarily in the SET system, which the authors chose to fill empirically. The first is chunk size: bigger chunks would make for more efficient transfers, but produce fewer similar chunks when differences are evenly distributed in the files. They chose a 16Kb chunk because that size captured the majority of possible similarities while only imposing a one percent overhead.
A second variable was the number of chunk hashes that go into a handprint. They calculated that using 28 of them would give them a greater than 90 percent chance of identifying any two files that were more than 10 percent similar, so they tested a handprint of 30 chunk hashes against a set of movie and MP3 files obtained from P2P networks. This successfully pulled out 99 percent of the similar files, which they considered to be a pretty good rate. The final issue was where to set the similarity threshold that determines whether a file is similar enough to perform a full comparison. Here, tests showed that a 10 percent similarity provided a good balance between overhead and the identification of similar files.
With these parameters in place, they tested their system on a number of simulated networks, and compared it to BitTorrent clients on the same networks. In general, the speedups from SET were most dramatic when the network performance was worst. Speedup was minimal when any server was on a fast network, because a single server could saturate the clients. Put both servers and clients on slow, asymmetric DSL links, and SET provided a huge boost. In the real world, these inefficient conditions appear to predominate: the authors cite studies showing that over 60 percent of P2P downloads are never completed, and the median transfer time for a 100MB file on Kazaa was over a day.
Given that data, It looks like the SET technique could have a big impact on future P2P services. The authors also noted that their technique is simply a method for rapidly identifying more sources of the file that's being downloaded. There's also research going on into speeding the data transfers themselves, and the two improvements could be combined to produce an aggregate speedup. Hopefully, the resulting software will cut down on the most inefficient aspect of the whole process: the downloads that are started but never completed.


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Wolfgang Gruner Veltliner Concerto 2008
Region: Austria
Winery: Wolfgang
Varietal: Grüner Veltliner
Wolfgang's Gru-Vee wines showcase remarkable examples of Austria's heralded Gruner Veltliner grape, the centerpiece of Austrian wines that has swiftly become sommeliers' favorite among the world's white varietals. Because nearly all of the annual Gru-Vee yield is consumed in Austria, the grape's charms have long been hidden from the rest of the world. In international tasting competitions, Gru-... Read more
Wolfgang's Gru-Vee wines showcase remarkable examples of Austria's heralded Gruner Veltliner grape, the centerpiece of Austrian wines that has swiftly become sommeliers' favorite among the world's white varietals. Because nearly all of the annual Gru-Vee yield is consumed in Austria, the grape's charms have long been hidden from the rest of the world. In international tasting competitions, Gru-Vees have regularly outshined the world's finest Chardonnays and white Burgundies. Wolfgang Vineyards' wines are not only great examples of Gruner Veltliner, they're also a great place to start your exploration of all the country's great wines. Be on the lookout for new wines from Wolfgang Vineyards as we continue to introduce the world to Austria's wonderful wine varietals. Austrian History Austria is a country with a rich and exciting wine history dating back to the dawn of civilization. The Celts settled in the Austrian region known as Burgenland around 700 BC, and were one among the first to make wine, for use in their rituals and for daily consumption. They began to develop sophisticated wine-making techniques and provided an ideal foundation of agricultural skill and knowledge when the Romans invaded present day Austria in the 1st century BC. The soldiers stationed there accounted for a high demand for Austrian wine and were able to keep the wine-producing culture alive. The Celtic natives in turn, learned from the advanced Roman technology and incorporated it into their wine-making techniques. During the Middle Ages, French monks from Burgundy settled in the Burgenland area, bringing with them wine-making knowledge along with new grapes that helped to expand the Austrian wine culture. Wine production flourished, and special winery schools were established in the mid-1800's to advance the art of Austrian wine growing. The Second World War destroyed most of the old wines created before the twentieth century, but the knowledge and skill of how to make these prestigious wines stayed hidden from the violence. The Austrian wineries were rebuilt and began to mesh modern day machinery with their ancient knowledge of wine making. This advancement has allowed Austrian wines to be produced in greater, though still limited, quantities and find their way into the international market. Today, people around the world are able to share in the history and prestige of these remarkable wines. Wine Regions The four wine producing regions found within Austria are: Niederosterreich, Styria, Vienna, and Burgenland. All four of these regions are located in the Eastern border of Austria. Niederosterreich is the largest of the four and is often called "Lower Austria" as Niederosterreich sits lower on the Danube River than "Upper Austria". Styria, the southern most wine region in Austria, is well known for its many extinct volcanoes and rich, fertile soil. The region of Vienna is also home to the nation's capital, one of the only cities in the world to contain wine vineyards within the city limits. Burgenland is the most rustic and traditional of the four Austrian wine regions. A narrow, flat province that stretches up the Eastern side of Austria, Burgenland is a rich, arable land and is home to a diverse and lively culture. Burgenland is one of the least populated areas in Austria, and to this day resembles the same simple fields tilled by local vintners' ancestors. Burgenland Burgenland is located on the far Eastern side of Austria and stretches for several miles along the Hungarian border. Burgenland is one of the flattest and most arable wine regions in Austria. It is famous for its red, iron-rich soil. Burgenland is most notably acclaimed for its ability to produce botrytised dessert wines each year. A botrytised wine is one that contains grapes infected with the Botrytis cinerea, or Noble Rot, fungus. These prized wines are particularly sweet and are extremely hard to produce. The shallow lake Neusiedl, along with the flat terrain of Burgenland, provides the perfect environment for the fungus to grow during the harvest season. The Gru-Vee grapes, which are mostly grown in the Niederosterreich region, take on a unique flavor here: the rich soil allows for a slightly spicy and more powerful taste when compared to Gru-Vee grapes grown in Niederosterreich. Each vineyard in this region has a unique story to tell. Many of the wineries here have been in the same families for hundreds of years, and all take great pride in producing some of the world's finest wines. Our family started their wine producing heritage with a single vineyard in the province of Styria. Today, that same vineyard is still owned and cultivated by members of our family, and still produces some of the finest wines in Austria. When Burgenland became a province in the early 20th century, two brothers purchased several acres in the province and established a second vineyard. They took a winemaking heritage from the old vineyards in Styria and combined it with the untouched, rich soil of Burgenland. This combination has allowed us to continue to produce some of Austria's finest wines, extending a centuries-old winemaking history into the 21st century, and now - for the first time - to bring these wines to lovers of fine wine around the world. Read less
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Book your Train ticket to EisenstadtAustria
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At the foot of the Leithagebirge hills, Austrian town Eisenstadt brims with fanciful Baroque houses and palaces. Visit the elaborate Esterházy Palace where 18th-century composer Haydn was musical director, then pay your respects at the Haydn Museum and Mausoleum.
Train Station(s)
Trains are a convenient way of reaching many towns and cities throughout Europe. The majority of cities in Europe have a minimum of one train station, while larger, more populated cities have two or more stations. Train stations, in general, are located in the heart of the city. Review the map below to get an idea of where the train station(s) in Eisenstadt can be found.
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Eisenstadt to graz Is there a direct train from Eisenstadt to Graz, Austria? Carley D. | 2013/12/20 answered | 0 Comments
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Are you a factory?Where is your factory?Yes,We are factory in Wenzhou,China. How can we visit your company ?By Train or Bus or Taxi .What's your Payment Terms?T/T,Western Union, Paypal1. 30% deposit and 70% balance against B/L copy if total amount more than USD20002. 100% payment if total amount less than USD2000Which way for your Shipment goods?DHL, EMS, UPS, FedEx, TNT, By Sea By Air etc. What's your MOQ?5000 pcs for our existing product. This product Warranty time?Five years. Do you Inspection goods before shipping?Each step of production and finished products will be carried out by QC department before shipment or the third party What's your Lead Time?About 7 Working Days for samples, 20-30 working days for bulk orders


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Greenville man faces child sex abuse charges involving a boy and a girl
DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine (AP) � A Greenville man is headed to court to face charges that he sexually abused two children over a period of years.
Shawn Worster is scheduled to appear in Piscataquis County Superior Court on Tuesday.
The 49-year-old Worster is charged with 10 counts of gross sexual assault and 21 counts of unlawful sexual contact.
Prosecutors tell WABI-TV (http://bit.ly/Wq40rY) he sexually abused two children younger than 10 � one boy and one girl � during a three-year period.
It was not immediately clear if Worster had a lawyer.
Information from: WABI-TV, http://www.wabi.tv


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Monday, 30 December 2013
Has it been cold outside?
This time of year, we often hear conversation about the temperatures, usually exclaiming about how cold it has been. Cache Valley has a reputation in Utah of being rather cold. This might lead someone to ask: what are normal temperatures one can expect in Cache Valley?
As it happens, over the past month it actually has been colder than the multiyear average. On December 9 the low temperature was -14°F, compared to the average for that day of 18°F, a difference of 32°F. We also had a cold spell that lasted from December 3 to December 19, 17 consecutive days with cooler than average low temperatures. Additionally, 81% of the days in December had lower than average low temperatures.
This and historical statistics can be found on our Community Profile page.
~ Jason, Special Collections Librarian
Posted By Logan Library - Logan History at 12:41 PM in Category:Announcements / News
The Latest Tidbits!
Jul 17, 2018
» Logan Chapter - Service Star Legion Mar 15, 2018
» New Artwork Donation Sep 14, 2017
» Founding of Brigham Young College


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Author's Bio
Michael Spiro has been a 3rd-Party Recruiter and Account Executive for nearly 20 years. He is currently the Director of Recruiting / NE Ohio Region for Experis Finance, a dedicated business unit of ManpowerGroup — a $22 Billion publicly-traded staffing firm operating out of over 3,600 offices in more than 80 countries. As its name implies, Experis ("Experience" + "Expertise") focuses on high end project solutions and professional talent resourcing (Temporary Staffing, Temp-to-Perm and Permanent Direct-Hire positions) in three areas: IT, Finance and Engineering. Experis Finance (formerly Jefferson Wells) specializes in Finance & Accounting, Risk Advisory Services (Audit) and Tax.
Michael's other recent positions include President of Midas Recruiting, a boutique head-hunting firm specializing in the recruitment and placement of top-performing executives and professionals throughout the United States, and Director of Talent at Patina Solutions, a Professional Services Firm specializing in deploying professionals with 25 or more years of work experience on contract/consulting engagements. Prior to that, Michael also worked for two of the largest publicly-traded executive search firms in North America – Management Recruiters International (MRI) and Kforce Professional Staffing – where his specialty area was permanent placement. Michael has sourced candidates for clients in multiple industries, including Software Development, Manufacturing, Banking, Insurance, Legal, Retail and Medical. He has recruited candidates for positions in Sales, Healthcare, Information Technology (IT) and Finance & Accounting.
Before his career in the staffing industry, Michael was a director-level manager and department head for a $10 million non-profit social-services organization. And in a former life, Michael was active in the entertainment industry, with extensive road-warrior experience as a touring performer (singer-songwriter / guitarist / comedian) and as a recording artist, music producer and booking agent.
A long-time resident of the Cleveland, Ohio area, Michael received a B.A. degree in Psychology from Case Western Reserve University.
► Michael Spiro's LinkedIn Profile
► Michael Spiro's Résumé (PDF)
► Job Opportunities through Experis
► Job Opportunities through Midas Recruiting
► Michael Spiro's Music Website
► Send Michael a Message
"Music, Sex & Cookies" … The Story of My Former Life
Once upon a time, long ago in a former life, I made my living as a full-time musician. I played guitar, wrote and sang songs, did comedy, recorded a couple of albums, and performed at hundreds of coffeehouses, nightclubs, colleges and concert halls. I toured extensively, opened up for several national acts, and did a lot of radio and TV shows. I often tell people that I lived the life of a traveling bohemian artist-musician during that rare window of time between when The Pill came out, and AIDS came in! All in all, I followed my dreams, sewed a lot of wild oats and had a great time! If you're curious, check out my Music Website … or if you really want a good laugh, watch this ancient video of me performing the song "Music, Sex & Cookies."
Moving from the Entertainment Business to the Non-Profit World to the Staffing Industry might not seem, at least on the surface, to be a very logical career path. The truth is that they are all more related than you might think. So many of the skills I acquired and lessons I learned in those musician days were later to become invaluable tools that I continued to use throughout my successive jobs in the business world and the staffing industry. Communications skills, organizational skills, effective time management, prioritization, creative problem solving, networking, sales and marketing acumen – as well as the ability to stay positive, passionate and enthusiastic about my work, and to maintain a sense of humor … these are all things that I learned back then, and still use today. Basic life skills like those are always "transferable." My hope in writing this blog is to be able to share some of my accumulated knowledge and experience – especially as it relates to staffing, employment and job-seeking – and to help others in the process.
– Michael Spiro
17 Comments Add your own
I was first brought to this Blog through Linked-In regarding "Why Job Hunting is a Consultative Sales Position" and as the comment I left in the discussion group states, "Right-on! Couldn't Agree More."
However, upon visiting this Blog and the other commentaries, such as "The Power of a Positive Attitude," "Looking for Networking in all the Wrong Places," and last but not least, "Answering The Dreaded Salary Question," it is definitely apparent that Mr. Spiro is "well positioned," "tuned-in," and understands "the pulse of the market."
Best personal regards,
Wow! Thank you for your positive and pro-active insights into networking. You combine the best information into realistic and repeatable scripts.
Crafting scripts is so very difficult for many folks. I work with mainly scientists, engineers, technology and financial folks (as well as many other types) who are phenomenally creative when it comes to their areas, yet crafting communication scripts in English can be daunting for many of them.
I am currently developing workshops helping global professionals craft & deliver elevator speeches and networking communication strategies. May I use your blog posts as part of my "examples and references" segment?
Kind regards,
Phyllis Thesier, MAT, CCC-SLP
I enjoyed your blog. Very helpful. Keep up the good work on encouraging others.
Eric Costello
Great articles! I've passed your site to my husband who is "in transition" but also "on the back nine" and perhaps he will contact you with his resume. It's funny how companies look the other way and avoid hiring experienced people yet wonder why their customer service lags … they just don't seem to see the connection. Keep sharing your insights!
Great blog with lots of relevant information for job seekers. I look forward to reading more useful tips in the future.
Hello Michael —
I must say, I greatly respect the amount of information you share on your Blog and the wonderful reminders and bits of useful information I have gleaned from it. I've only read two articles thus far and have already started implementing some of the ideas. Thank you for that!
— Anita Broccolino
Hi Michael,
I find your blog really interesting. Information is clear and I love the style too: concise, down to earth. I am an MBA student with a previous experience (and a passion) in HR Management and in helping folks finding the best jobs. I will make a large use of your posts!
Thank you,
I want to let you know how much I appreciate your blog, "Recruiter Musings." Currently, I work at a government job service center, and your blog is the only source (from a "job search expert") I feel comfortable forwarding (while always giving you credit and mentioning your blog) to our job seekers. Having worked in staffing and selection for 10 years (including as an executive search consultant, "in-house" recruiter and HR manager), I think 99% of these self-proclaimed "job search experts" don't know what they are talking about. Thus, I really appreciate the quality, practicality and frankness of your blog postings.
Great stuff – this is the best blog site I've seen for capturing and describing the key elements of a successful job search process.
Thank you – I'll be a regular follower.
Hi Michael,
I have never posted any comment on any blog that I have read but I couldn't agreed with you more: "So many of the skills I acquired and lessons I learned in those musician days were later to become invaluable tools that I continued to use throughout my successive jobs in the business world and the staffing industry. Communications skills, organizational skills, effective time management, prioritization, creative problem solving, networking, sales and marketing acumen – as well as the ability to stay positive, passionate and enthusiastic about my work, and to maintain a sense of humor … these are all things that I learned back then, and still use today. Basic life skills like those are always 'transferable.' My hope in writing this blog is to be able to share some of my accumulated knowledge and experience – especially as it relates to staffing, employment and job-seeking – and to help others in the process."
The only thing that I can see differently is that you're out there writing and sharing to the world while I'm talking and emailing to only friends and families. My salute to you for doing what you're doing. Keep posting and communicating. You got a fan out of me for sure. Thanks for sharing. Cynthia 😀
I have been a small business owner for over 25 years and have been an English professor as well. Michael has some of the most well written, informative material available. His blog should be a must read for every job seeker or employer. I give you an "A" , Michael!
Michael, I'd just like to say how much I enjoyed reading your wordpress site and congratulate you on the content. Very useful, very clear and above all very useful. Well done and again, thanks for sharing.
Michael, I stumbled upon your blog today and stayed far longer than planned! I am impressed by your knowledge of the career transition process, the realities of the marketplace and the required job seeker savvy.
There is a lot of advice for job seekers floating around cyberspace, but I seldom find any resource that I can recommend without reservation…yours I can.
I plan to cite your blog in my workshop materials and refer to your posts in my presentations.
Thank you.
Hello, Michael. I appreciate your thoughtful articles as well as your contribution of half of your genetic material to me, including your precious Y chromosome. -Corey
Michael, I recently stumbled across your articles and was floored! They gave the most useful information to date. Over the last 5 years I have searched frantically for someone like you to get REAL advice! THANK YOU!!
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