text:
This Week In: The NFL – Thanksgiving 2013 and Updated Power Poll
November 27, 2013 ~ John Lally	~ 1 Comment
Brady consoles Manning after beating him for the 10th time in 14 meetings
In the biggest matchup in the NFL for Week 12, Tom Brady led his New England Patriots team to victory over Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos, despite having been 24-0 behind at half-time. On a cold windy night in Massachusetts, Manning was far from his best despite throwing two touchdown passes, as he completed only 19 of his 36 throws for 150 yards. Nevertheless, even when he was far from perfect, the veteran quarterback did still lead the Broncos on a 80 yard, fourth-quarter touchdown drive to force overtime after New England had scored 31 consecutive points. In the extra period, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick opted to give possession to Denver despite having won the coin toss, instead choosing to have the wind in their favor for overtime. That proved to be a correct decision, as New England prevented their opponents from scoring on two separate possessions and then, with under two minutes to go Brady, moved them into field goal position and the 31 yard kick from Stephen Gostkowski inflicted just the second defeat of the year on the Broncos, while ensured the Patriots moved to 6-0 on the year at home. Had he missed, it could have seen the first time in more than 40 years that there were two ties in the NFL on the same day, since Green Bay and Minnesota ended up even after Matt Flynn had led the Packers on a late comeback to help them recover a 23-7 deficit. During the extra 15 minutes, both sides hit field goals to make the final score 26-26 and it marked the first time since the change in overtime rules that both teams had scored and the game had ended up tied.
Earlier in the day, the Cowboys looked like they were going to have yet another collapse in a crucial game, as they let a 21-6 third quarter advantage slip away against the Giants, but Tony Romo drove the team down the field in the final few minutes to set up the winning field goal as time expired, ending New York's run of victories at four and moving Dallas into a tie for first in the NFC East with the Eagles, who were on their bye week. Meanwhile Green Bay's tie put them to within a half game of the top of the NFC North, as both Detroit and Chicago lost their fixtures, against Tampa Bay – who have now won three in a row after starting the season 0-8 – and St. Louis respectively. Last season, when Chuck Pagano was absent from getting treatment for leukemia, it was Bruce Arians who filled in and helped get the Colts to the playoff, but in his new role as head coach of Arizona, he masterminded a game plan that saw his new team beat his former charges, 40-11. The so-called "Chuck Strong" movement of last year saw Indianapolis rally when their head coach was sick, but in Houston this year the opposite as happened, as the Texans slumped to a new low by losing at home to the Jaguars while Gary Kubiak is recovering from a mini-stroke he suffered during their game against the Colts three weeks ago.
Elsewhere in Week 12, the Saints had a narrow 17-13 Thursday night victory over the Falcons to move to 9-2; the Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 27-11 victory in Cleveland; Kansas City lost for the second consecutive game, as the Chargers prevailed in a shootout, 41-38; Cam Newton led a late touchdown drive to give the Panthers their seventh consecutive victory, 20-16 over the Dolphins; Baltimore beat the Jets 19-3; San Francisco returned to winning ways following three straight losses, beating Washington 27-6 on Monday night; and the Titans came out on top in Oakland, 23-19 against the Raiders.
This week, there are three Thursday games as Detroit and Dallas play their traditional home fixtures on Thanksgiving, this year they face the Packers and Oakland respectively; then in the evening, Baltimore and Pittsburgh face off in a matchup that will probably end the postseason hopes of whichever team loses. On Sunday, the marquee matchup is the second game in two weeks between the Chiefs and Broncos, who both have 9-2 records and will be playing for the lead in the division when they meet in Kansas City. On Monday night, home field advantage is at stake for the Saints and Seahawks in their fixture in Seattle – though New Orleans will need to hold off a challenge in the South from the Panthers, who play Tampa Bay the day before, if they want to avoid ending up as a wild card. It will be a somewhat tricky fixture for the Seahawks as well, despite their 10-1 record and having won their last 13 home games, they have also had yet another player – cornerback Water Thurmond – suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy; while Brandon Browner, who plays in the same position as Thurmond, is expected to be banned for a year for the same offense. Even before the latter's fate is known, it means that 6 Seahawks players in the last two years have been suspended for failing drug tests, perhaps suggesting that their success this season has been thanks to performance enhancers, rather than the yoga regime that was lauded before the season in ESPN The Magazine. Continue reading →
This Week In: English Football – Honors Even on Merseyside and A Game I Will Not Talk About
November 25, 2013 November 25, 2013 ~ John Lally	~ 1 Comment
Chelsea's top scoring striker this season, Romelu Lukaku wracks up his seventh goal for Everton during his loan spell
In the most exciting game of the weekend – and perhaps the best one so far in the Premiership this season – Everton and Liverpool shared six goals and the points following an exhilarating derby at Goodison Park. The Reds had taken an early lead through Phillipe Coutinho, but that advantage was wiped out in the 8th minute by Kevin Mirallas, only for Luis Suarez to give his side the edge once again when he curled a free-kick into the bottom corner, threading the ball through a gap Steven Pienaar had left on the end of the Everton wall. Ten minutes before half-time, the Toffees should have been reduced to 10 men when Mirallas went in on Suarez with his studs up and caught the Uruguayan in the thigh – most likely an act of retaliation for a tackle in the derby last season that left the Belgian on the sidelines for several weeks. However, referee Phil Dowd chose to brandish only a yellow card and it was Mirallas' hard work following up a Romelu Lukaku free-kick that enabled the ball to come back into the area for the on-loan striker from Chelsea to equalize in the 72nd minute; then the same combination worked again from a corner to give Lukaku his seventh goal of the season and the home team a 3-2 lead. Nevertheless, Everton were not able to enjoy their first Merseyside victory in over three years, as substitute Daniel Sturridge gave the visitors from across Stanley Park a point with a flicked header from Steven Gerrard's cross. In all, it was a fair result as both teams had multiple chances to score more, but Liverpool will be particularly disappointed not to have taken all three points as, when they were 2-1 up, Joe Allen had a simple opportunity to extend their lead after hard work from Suarez had put him one-on-one with the keeper, but the Welsh midfielder put the ball wide with the goal at his mercy.
That was not the only other high-scoring match of the Premiership weekend, as on Sunday there was another involving one of the Manchester clubs – nope, not that one, I am not talking about that game – as United were held to a draw in Cardiff. The champions had taken the lead through Wayne Rooney in the first half but, like Mirallas the previous day, the England striker should not have been on the pitch to effect the game as he should have been dismissed for kicking out petulantly at Jordon Mutch in the 7th minute. Despite the setback, Cardiff were not overawed by the occasion and got back onto level terms through former Red Devil Fraizer Campbell, only to concede again just before half-time when Patrice Evra headed in a corner kick. David Moyes' side then held onto the lead up until injury time at the end of the match, but were forced to settle for only a point when Kim Bo-Kyung headed in Peter Wittingham's free-kick, though Rooney could still have won it for the visitors before the end, but he opted to attempt a pass when through on goal instead of finishing himself and gave the ball straight to Cardiff keeper, David Marshall. The draw leaves United seven points behind the leaders, Arsenal, who beat Southampton 2-0 at the Emirates on Saturday, with both goals being scored by Olivier Giroud, though the Frenchman will not have had an easier brace. His first was a gift from the Saints goalie Artur Boruc, who inexplicably attempted to take the ball around Giroud instead of booting it clear, then slipped and left the Arsenal striker with an open goal; and the second came via a penalty spot after Per Metersacker had his shirt pulled at a corner by Jose Fonte. Somehow Southampton, who have the tightest defence in the Premiership so far this campaign, have also conceded two of the most ridiculous goals: that opener for Giroud on Saturday; and the 13 second strike by Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic a few weeks ago. That wind-assisted shot from Begovic is now only the joint fastest so far this season, as there was an equally quick opening goal at the Etihad on Sunday scored by Jesus Navas – but I am not saying anything more about that game.
This Week In: English Football – A Bumper Weekend in the Premiership
Ronaldo's self-confidence received a much needed boost with his displays for Portugal
After yet another two-week break for internationals – which saw France, Croatia, Greece and Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal become the last four European nations to qualify for next year's World Cup – the Premiership returns this weekend with one of the best group of fixtures I can ever remember. There are Merseyside, Black Country and London derbies; first in the table faces third; two of the top five from last season play each other; and the reigning champions of the top two divisions square off. A fortnight ago, although the fixture list had not looked quite so exciting before the games were played, there were several surprise results and a couple of very entertaining games.
Perhaps the biggest upset came at the Stadium of Light, where lowly Sunderland won for the second time in three games under their new manager, Gus Poyet, as they beat Manchester City 1-0 through a Phil Bardsley goal. Despite the disparity in the two sides starting positions in the table – not to mention the amount each has spent on transfer fees over the last few years – the result actually should not have been too much of a surprise: it was not only the fourth away defeat of the season for City; they had also lost by the same scoreline on their previous three visits to Sunderland. There was more joy in the northeast for Newcastle, who soaked up lots of pressure in their match at Tottenham, but crucially scored the only goal of the game through Loic Remy to claim all three points from White Hart Lane, leaving Andre Villas-Boas's men to head into an international break with another costly home defeat, just as they had done against West Ham back in October.
In the game that had received the biggest billing – but was far from the most entertaining – Manchester United became the first team to beat Arsenal in the Premiership since the opening day, as former Gunner Robin Van Persie scored against his old club once again and gave David Moyes's men a narrow 1-0 victory that brought them back to within five points of the top. At Stamford Bridge, Steve Clarke – the former assistant to Jose Mourinho and now manager at West Brom – saw his team recover from 1-0 down to take a 2-1 lead away at Chelsea, but they were denied all three points when the home side were awarded a controversial penalty in the final minute when Ramires was adjudged to have been brought down by Steven Reid and Eden Hazard converted the spot kick. The points were also shared in South Wales as a result of a late penalty, as Swansea had come all the way back from a 2-0 half-time deficit against Stoke to go 3-2 in front in the 86th minute, but Charlie Adam converted from 12 yards to give the visitors a much-needed point. Continue reading →
This Week In: The NFL – Week 12 and Playoff Picture Update
In his second season, Russell Wilson has the Seahawks in poll position in the NFC
In the final weekend before Thanksgiving, the last four teams not to have had a bye yet all take a break from action, meaning that by Turkey Day, everyone will have five games left in the race to either make the playoffs, or obtain as high a pick in the draft as possible to enable the rebuilding process to begin (cough, Jacksonville, cough). With the final part of the season upon us, it is a good time to evaluate who look likely to make the postseason, the teams that are still in contention and those that can make early plans to take a vacation in January. Let's start with the NFC:
Current Standings: 1. Detroit Lions 6-4; 2. Chicago Bears 6-4; 3. Green Bay Packers 5-5; 4. Minnesota Vikings 2-8
Joe Flacco and the Ravens struggle to control the ball in a muddy Chicago
If not for Aaron Rodgers getting injured, this division would have been an easy win for the Packers, who have lost their last three since their quarterback was injured in the first drive against the Bears. On Sunday, they were unable to stop the Giants from winning their fourth in a row and if Number 12 is not back by Thanksgiving – when Green Bay plays the early game in Detroit – then the season will likely be over. The Lions remain favorites for the division, though a costly 37-27 loss in Pittsburgh last week means that they are only a single win ahead of the Packers and are tied with the Bears, who won the craziest game of the season against Baltimore last Sunday. Early on in the game, the Ravens took a 10-0 lead but there was then a two-hour delay due to a storm system in the region that saw more than 70 tornadoes touched down in the Midwest and Soldier Field in Chicago took a battering from wind and rain. However, when the weather cleared slightly, Josh McCown was able to lead the Bears to a famous 23-20 overtime victory, one that he had assured his teammates before the final drive that they would be telling their grandchildren about one day. Minnesota are the only franchise out of playoff contention in the North and it was no surprise that they lost 41-20 in Seattle in Week 11.
Current Standings: 1. New Orleans Saints 8-2; 2. Carolina Panthers 7-3; 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-8; 4. Atlanta Falcons 2-8
Both the Saints and the Panthers had controversial wins last weekend that moved each of them closer to the playoffs and setup a fascinating two games series between them as they face each other in Weeks 14 and 16, matchups that will determine who will not only take the division title, but may well enjoy a first round bye in the playoffs as well. New Orleans claimed victory over the 49ers after a penalty was called on Ahmed Brooks from a personal foul after he had strip-sacked Drew Brees – a call that gave the home team a new set of downs and allowed them to tie the score with a field goal, then claim the win via another kick by Garrett Hartley. On Monday night, Carolina held off a late drive by New England to win 24-20, though the Patriots believed their should have been a pass interference flag on Tom Brady's final throw, which would have given them another shot at the end zone but the officials did not call a penalty and the Panthers won for the sixth time in a row. After an 0-8 start, the Buccaneers are now tied with the Falcons at the bottom of the division following their 41-28 dismantling of Atlanta in Florida last Sunday.
Current Standings: 1. Philadelphia Eagles 6-5; 2. Dallas Cowboys 5-5; 3. New York Giants 4-6; 4. Washington 3-7
Much has been made of the improvement that Philadelphia have made with Nick Foles under center instead of Michael Vick, as he is a less error-prone quarterback which is definitely an advantage in the high-pace of Chip Kelly's offense, but the teams that they have beaten in the last three weeks have been substandard. First they racked up 49 points against the Raiders in Oakland, then defeated the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers in Green Bay, before last weekend ending their 10 game home losing streak, but it was against a woeful Washington team. Dallas were on a bye last week which will give them longer to think about how poor their defense was against New Orleans, but they have a very important four day stretch coming up where they face the Giants at MetLife Stadium, before hosting the Raiders on Thanksgiving – if the Cowboys can be at 7-5 by the time the Pumpkin Pies are being finished across the nation, then they will have ended New York's improbably comeback from 0-6 this season and will be favorites to claim the NFC East title for the first time since 2009.
Current Standings: 1. Seattle Seahawks 10-1; 2. San Francisco 49ers 6-4; 3. Arizona Cardinals 6-4; 4. St. Louis Rams 4-6
If you had said at the start of the season that with six weeks to go, Arizona and San Francisco would be tied for second place in the West, it would be assumed that there would have been an injury to Colin Kaepernick, who looked almost unstoppable in the 49ers playoff run in January. However, their loss in New Orleans last week combined with the Cardinals 27-14 victory over the Jaguars means that both franchises are fighting for a wild card berth, while the Seahawks romp to the division title and they stayed perfect at home for 2013 with the aforementioned win over the Vikings. St. Louis had a bye last week so had an extra seven days to savor their 38-8 success in Indianapolis the previous Sunday, but the Rams are out of the playoff hunt.
Currently, the Panthers hold the 5th seed and the 49ers the 6th in the NFC, but San Francisco is tied with Arizona and Chicago; plus Dallas and Green Bay are only a single game back. If the Giants were to go 5-1 down the stretch and end 9-7, there is an outside chance they could claim a postseason berth even if they cannot usurp both the Cowboys and the Eagles in the East, however, their final run of fixtures includes the game against Dallas this Sunday, hosting Seattle and a trip to both San Diego and Detroit, so it is hard to see them doing any better than 8-8, more likely 7-9 or worse. Continue reading →
This Week In: The NFL – Week 11 and Updated Power Poll
November 13, 2013 ~ John Lally	~ 2 Comments
Mike Glennon led Tampa to their first win of 2013 against the Dolphins
In a week of surprises in the NFL, perhaps the biggest was the Panthers extending their winning streak by beating the 49ers in San Francisco by a score of 10-9, with Carolina holding Colin Kaepernick to just 91 passing yards and 16 rushing. It marked only the second time the 49ers had been beaten at home this year, but the other team who had prevailed there, the Colts, lost in Indianapolis 38-8 against the St. Louis Rams, who were propelled to victory by rookie Tavor Austin, who had two receiving touchdowns for 57 and 81 yards; and also returned a punt 98 yards for another score. The other big shock of the weekend was that the two previously winless teams from Florida – the Buccaneers and Jaguars – both recorded their first "W" of the season, after beating the Dolphins and Tennessee Titans respectively. Following that defeat for Miami, it was probably a good thing that Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito had both already left the team, since who knows what kind of bullying the former would have experienced at the hands of the latter, after a loss to 0-8 Tampa Bay.
At the top of the NFC standings, the Seahawks continued their march towards the number 1 seed by winning it Atlanta 33-10, a defeat that leaves the Falcons on 2-7 and almost certain to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Just behind Seattle in the race for home field advantage are the Saints, who racked up 49 points in their Sunday night rout of the Cowboys in New Orleans, dropping Dallas to 5-5 for the year. They still have a share of the lead in the NFC East however, alongside the Philadelphia Eagles who took advantage of the absence of Aaron Rodgers to beat the Packers 27-13, with Green Bay also being forced to replace their backup quarterback after the first series, as Seneca Wallace had to exit the game with a groin injury. For Philadelphia, Nick Foles has thrown 16 touchdown passes and no interceptions this season, but strangely enough the team is 5-1 in their last six away fixtures, but have lost their last 10 at home.
Elsewhere, the Ravens gave up a last minute hail mary touchdown to the Bengals, but rallied to beat Cincinnati 20-17 in overtime; Calvin Johnson had two touchdown receptions but the Lions still needed to foil a two point conversion at the end of the game to prevent the Bears forcing an extra period; the Giants, who started 2013 0-6, won their third straight against Oakland and get to face Green Bay's third string quarterback this weekend; San Diego hit Peyton Manning hard, but could not stop the Broncos from moving to 8-1; the Bills were beaten in Pittsburgh, 23-10 by the Steelers; Wade Phillips took charge of Houston while Gary Kubiak recovered from a mini-stroke, but the Texans lost in Arizona, 27-24; and Washington came inches away from tying their Thursday night game against the Vikings, but Santana Moss had one foot out of bounds and so Minnesota won for just the second time this year.
Power Poll
As always, the working behind this poll can be found in the first post found here.
(Last week's position in brackets)
1. (1) Kansas City Chiefs
2. (2) Seattle Seahawks
3. (8) New Orleans Saints
4. (5) Denver Broncos
5. (=6) New England Patriots
6. (3) San Francisco 49ers
7. (9) Detroit Lions
8. (4) Indianapolis Colts
9. (=6) Cincinnati Bengals
10. (17) Carolina Panthers
11. (14) Arizona Cardinals
12. (10) Green Bay Packers
= (12) New York Jets
14. (11) Chicago Bears
15. (16) Dallas Cowboys
16. (13) Miami Dolphins
17. (18) Cleveland Browns
18. (20) Buffalo Bills
= (26) St. Louis Rams
= (22) Philadelphia Eagles
21. (15) Tennessee Titans
22. (24) Baltimore Ravens
23. (21) San Diego Chargers
24. (23) Houston Texans
25. (27) New York Giants
26. (28) Atlanta Falcons
27. (29) Pittsburgh Steelers
28. (19) Washington
29. (25) Oakland Raiders
30. (30) Jacksonville Jaguars
31. (32) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32. (31) Minnesota Vikings
Week 11 Predictions
Last week, 6-8; Season, 76-70
Home teams in bold
Colts -3.5 over Titans
Buccaneers +1.5 over Falcons
Bills -1.5 over Jets
Ravens +2.5 over Bears
Bengals -6.5 over Browns
Lions -2.5 over Steelers
Raiders +6.5 over Texans
Washington +3.5 over Eagles
Cardinals -6.5 over Jaguars
Chargers -1.5 over Dolphins
Packers +6.5 over Giants
Seahawks -13.5 over Vikings
Saints -3.5 over 49ers
Chiefs +8.5 over Broncos
Panthers -2.5 over Patriots
This Week In: English Football – Arsenal Beat Liverpool, Face United – Plus Concussions
November 7, 2013 ~ John Lally	~ 1 Comment
Aaron Ramsey celebrates his goal against Liverpool with Giroud and Gibbs
Last weekend, Arsenal faced Liverpool in the late game on Saturday in a fixture that pitted the top two teams in the Premiership against each other, a throwback to the late 80s and early 90s when these two clubs battled each other for the league title year after year. This time around, there was little in the way of a contest between the sides, as Arsenal ran out comfortable winners, prevailing 2-0 thanks to a goal in each half from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey, a result which saw the Gunners extend their advantage at the top of the table to five points. They hold that lead over three clubs: Liverpool, who will have been particularly disappointed that the previously potent partnership of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge offered little goalscoring threat in their toughest match of the season; Chelsea, who suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat away at Newcastle United; and Spurs, who earned a credible 0-0 draw away at Everton, though their blank in front of goal means they have scored only 9 times in their opening ten Premiership fixtures.
The flip side of that coin is that Tottenham have also kept 10 clean sheets in that time, the first time in their history they have achieved such a feat, though the one at Goodison Park proved to be controversial as their goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, was allowed to play on after he had been knocked out by a collision with Romelu Lukaku's knee. Watching the game live, it seemed incomprehensible that Lloris would be able to stay on the pitch, let alone be given the okay to do so by the medical team, since the whack he took to the head looked very serious and he required several minutes of treatment. Since the incident, many people have criticized the club and – in particular – manager Andre Villas-Boas for keeping the French goalkeeper
In the battle between Lukaku's knee and Lloris' head, somehow the latter won
on the field, especially as more and more is being learned about the dangers of concussions. However, what has to be remembered is that Lloris himself was insisting he wanted to play on – something that draw a round of boos from the usually excellent Everton home support, who will hopefully feel a little bad at their reaction in hindsight – and he appeared to suffer no further ill-effect from the incident. While concussions are a very serious topic (one that I covered here) and athletes in many different sports, including football/soccer, need to be protected, that is not achieved by overreacting to an event that ended with the players wanting to stay on the field and having done so, proved he was clearly with it by making a couple of crucial saves that earned the draw for Spurs. Obviously the result is not as important as Lloris' health, but in this instance, it was not a choice between one or the other and the hypocritical reaction of many in the press – who have ignored the effects of head injuries for so long in sport, but are now wanting to jump on the bandwagon – does nothing to further the worthy cause of protecting athletes.
One person who will want to forget the weekend of footballing action will be Chris Hughton, who took his Norwich side to the Etihad where they caught Manchester City on a rampant day, as the 2011/12 champions racked up seven goals against the Canaries. The race for the next manager to lose his job in the Premiership could come down to Hughton and his former boss at Tottenham, Martin Jol, as the Dutchman's position became more precarious with a 3-1 home defeat against Manchester United, who had the three points wrapped up well before half-time. Sunderland's winning run came to a half at 1, as they had more men sent off in first half stoppage time (two) at Hull than they did shots on target (one), although to be fair, it was a Black Cats player who scored the only goal of the game, but unfortunately for Carlos Cuellar, it was into his own net. In a shock to exactly nobody who has ever watched him play before, one of the men dismissed for Sunderland was Lee Cattermole, the seventh time he has been shown a red card in a Premiership fixture.
Last weekend also saw the first ever all Welsh game in the top flight of the English league system and it was the home team, Cardiff, who took all three points thanks to a second half header from Steven Caulker. However, the Bluebirds – who have been rebranded into red home kits – should be deducted a point for failing to take advantage of one of the most fun things that can ever happen in football – an outfield player going in goal. Such a scenario used to happen more frequently when I was younger, since substitutes were limited to just two players and nobody ever had a reserve keeper, so any injury or sending off would see a defender, midfielder or striker being forced to don the gloves. With it being so rare, it was a shame that when Swansea had used up their three substitutions and were thus forced to put their right-back Angel Rangel in goal following Michel Vorm's late dismissal for a professional foul on Frasier Campbell, Cardiff only tested him from the resulting free kick, then took the ball into the corner to waste time and did not take potshots at Rangel. Maybe the home supporters will just be happy to have taken three points and leapfrogged their rivals in the table, but for a neutral like me it was such a disappointment to see that opportunity wasted. Continue reading →
This Week In: The NFL Week 10 and Updated Power Poll
Brett Favre looks better in jeans commercials than Seneca Wallace did in the NFL
On the first drive of Green Bay's Monday Night matchup against their divisional rivals the Chicago Bears, the Packers season was rocked by an injury to Aaron Rodgers, who was sacked on third down and left the game due to a fractured collarbone on his non-throwing arm. As a result of his absence, Green Bay – who have already lost Jermichael Finley for the year, as well as major players like Clay Matthews, James Jones and Randall Cobb missing time – lost to Chicago and their backup quarterback, Josh McCown, who performed well in the place of Jay Cutler, who has been out with a groin strain. The 27-20 loss the Packers means that there is now a three-way tie in the NFC North between themselves, Chicago and Detroit – who were on their bye week – with all of them currently on 5-3, but Rodgers being out for at least three weeks could see Green Bay drop out of postseason contention all together. With Seneca Wallace – who has not won an NFL game since 2010 – as the only other quarterback on their books, the Wisconsin team need to find another option under center. I hear that Brett Favre is not doing much nowadays, maybe it is time to bring back the gunslinger – just kidding, he can go and be Minnesota's fifth starting QB of the year, as the Vikings have now dropped to 1-7 following their 27-23 loss in Dallas last Sunday.
The biggest news of the week in the NFL was the loss of two offensive linesmen for the Miami Dolphins – rookie Jonathan Martin, who opted to leave the team; and veteran Richie Incognito, who stands accused of bullying Martin and has been suspended while the claim is investigated. The culture of hazing young athletes is hardly anything new, but if reports are true then Incognito not only crossed several lines, but obliterated them like he was a hateful version of Jackie Robinson, knocking down barriers of good taste. Before all of this was revealed, the Dolphins finally won for the first time since week 3, as they beat the Bengals 22-20 thanks to a safety in overtime, the first win for the state of Florida in the NFL in their last 14 attempts. The Buccaneers failed to make it two in a week for the Sunshine state however, as they allowed a 21-0 lead to slip away against the Seahawks, who improved to 8-1 with a 27-24 victory, also in overtime.
Kansas City moved to 9-0 for the first time since 2003, as they won in Buffalo 23-13 against the Bills, though they also had to come from behind and the game turned on a 100 yard interception return for the Chiefs by Sean Smith four minutes into the third quarter. Perhaps the biggest upset of the week came in New Jersey, where the Jets beat the Saints 26-20, mainly thanks to Chris Ivory who rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown to inflict just the second defeat of the season on New Orelans. Elsewhere, the Chargers lost in Washington in overtime, after a late touchdown was overturned and they failed to get the ball in from only a few inches out and had to settle for a field goal, giving Robert Griffin III the chance to win it for the home team in the first possession of the extra period; Tennessee prevailed 28-21 in St. Louis; Nick Foles became only the seventh man in NFL history to throw for seven touchdowns, achieving the feat in the Eagles 49-20 victory in Oakland; the Browns beat the Ravens 24-18 in a matchup of current and former Cleveland franchises; the Patriots posted 55 points in their win over the Steelers, who managed 31 themselves; Carolina heaped the misery onto Atlanta with a 34-10 defeat of the Falcons; and Andrew Luck led Indianapolis to another comeback, as they overturned a 24-6 third quarter deficit to beat the Texans. There was more worrying news for Houston however, as their head coach Gary Kubiak was hospitalized at half-time during the game after collapsing on the field; an incident that came just a day after John Fox – who holds the same position with the Broncos – was treated for a heart attack and it was announced he would be missing significant time away from the team. Continue reading →

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Momochi-san Chi no Ayakashi Ouji (The Demon Prince of Momochi House) Vol. 11 Manga Review
3:00 PM August 10, 2019
Manga Review [Category]
Romance Manga, Fantasy Manga, Shoujo Manga, Supernatural Manga, Reverse Harem Manga [Genres]
Honey's Anime Pickup,
viz
An Imposter Nue is Unnecessary!
Mangaka : Shouoto, Aya
Publisher : VIZ
Genre : Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo, Harem, Supernatural
Published : March 2018
Momochi-san Chi no Ayakashi Ouji (The Demon Prince of Momochi House) Vol. 11 Introduction
Even though Himari has a lot to be happy about as far as Aoi is concerned, she's plagued by disturbing dreams. Shortly after, lesser yokai from the back of Momochi House appear that are stained black. They warn of a spreading darkness that bears a resemblance to Himari's nightmares. It seems Aoi's new shikigami Hakka is not the only unsettling addition to Momochi House.
Contains Spoilers
Discussion Time
Himari has a startling dream about a dark figure muttering something ominous but when she awakes, Aoi is right next to her, which does nothing to help calm her down! Aoi becomes distracted with Hakka when Yukari and Himari are approached by some very worried lesser yokai. They announce that the back of Momochi House is stained black. Ise decides to investigate on his own instead of waiting for Aoi. Because Aoi has gained a few shikigami in a short amount of time, it's likely Ise just wants to establish himself as a strong and dependable shikigami to Aoi. When the others go searching for him later, however, his still and bloodied body drops from the ceiling in front of them.
While Ise recovers, Himari convinces Aoi to let her tag along on another expedition to find the cause of the encroaching darkness. Bringing along Hakka and Yukari, they go to the spot Ise's body was found and suddenly numerous hands spring out at them from all directions. The horrified looks on both Aoi and Himari's face right after what seemed like an uneventful scene are shocking. As a smoky, inky blackness spreads out over the hallway, the ayakashi behind it becomes visible. It appears to be some dark version of the Nue claiming Aoi is an imposter and in his presence, Aoi is unable to transform into the Nue.
Hakka creates two endless corridors to trap the dark Nue in but it won't hold him back forever. Outside of its dark realm, Aoi can transform into the Nue and he vows to destroy the dark Nue. She wakes up in her bed and Aoi promises not to do anything so he'll be allowed to stay but Himari still goes to open the door to make some space between them. They're surprised by numerous beautiful lanterns floating down the hallway and the two share a romantic moment.
Sometime later, Aoi pours over books while Yukari tries to get him to calm down. Yukari warns Aoi he's losing himself and, suddenly, Aoi's eyes very much resemble the Nue's and he smiles while saying that he's already half ayakashi. Himari starts from another nightmare and finds a lesser yokai stained black begging her to find Aoi. She rushes to the back of the house in time to see Aoi getting mangled to death by the dark Nue. Yukari holds her back as she screams for Aoi but she's forced to retreat with Hakka. Hakka tries again to convince her to marry him so he can become the new Nue before the real Aoi appears, revealing it was only an illusion to force the real enemy out of hiding.
A shikigami of the former Nue stands beside the dark Nue, nursing his grudge and urging him to kill. Hakka uses his power to connect to bring the dark Momochi House and the real Momochi House together which allows Aoi to transform. Aoi tells the masked spirit to let the dark Nue rest, saying that it is merely a puppet of the masked spirit's will. The shikigami of the dark Nue tells everyone of how after his master was devoured by Momochi House, he desperately sought a way to revive him. He one day came upon an incense that can call back the dead and even cut off pieces of his own body to use as sacrifices. But instead of the proper old Nue, a twisted version filled with wrath and murderous rage took form.
Himari manages to break the incense jar and the lesser yokai that led her there takes over the dark Nue puppet. It is the true soul of the masked spirit's Nue. It calls the shikigami Kagura and Kagura asks if he's really Amane, but Amane only answers that he may just be Kagura's lingering attachment.
Why You Should Read Momochi-san Chi no Ayakashi Ouji (The Demon Prince of Momochi House) Vol. 11
1. It's Made Clear What a Curse It is to Be the Nue
Gone are the days when we thought the worst thing was being trapped inside Momochi House. We knew there would be a toll as well, but hearing the Nue of Amane only lasted one year before he was devoured reveals the danger Aoi is in. We see what this pain can cause in others and how lonely it can be.
Why You Should Skip Momochi-san Chi no Ayakashi Ouji (The Demon Prince of Momochi House) Vol. 11
1. It's One Dark Continuous Story Instead of Multiple Fanciful Stories
If you prefer the volumes where you get to see many different places and meet interesting characters with stories summed up each chapter, you may find this volume lacking. It's all about the mysterious dark Nue and the connection between Himari's dreams and a look at an old Nue and shikigami's relationship. All very interesting, but very little about Himari and Aoi's relationship, Himari's school life, or other realms in the spirit world.
We're definitely getting more horror vibes with this volume! There are a lot of sudden scares and one of the more notable ones was the hands scene that spans two whole pages. Really makes you feel like there's no escape! Himari's detailed horrified faces also help with the unsettling atmosphere. We're kinda hoping there's a little more romance next time!
Author: May
Hey friends! I reside in Georgia and use my degree in Japanese primarily to (barely) read doujinshi that hasn't been translated. Beyond deciding who is best girl in whatever I happen to be watching, I really enjoy ballroom dancing, reading, crying over dating sims, karaoke, and being surrounded by beautiful things~ (You know, scenery, décor, boys, stuff like that). I also love talking about passions with others!
Top 5 Anime by May
Momochi-san Chi no Ayakashi Ouji (The Demon Prince of Momochi House) House Vol. 10 Manga Review
Manga Review Post
I'm Quitting Heroing Vol. 1 [Manga] Review - A Rehash of What Came Before It
Doomsday With My Dog Vol. 1 [Manga] Review - A Fun Journey With A Cute Shiba Inu
Choujin X Vol. 1 [Manga] Review - A Worthy Successor to Tokyo Ghoul
Harriet Tubman: Demon Slayer, Vol 1 Review - A Kickass Portrayal of an American Hero
View All Manga Review Post
Honey's Anime Pickup Post
Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko! (Tomo-chan Is a Girl!) First Impression - When Your Bro's Not Just Your Bro, but the Love of Your Life!
NieR:Automata Ver1.1a First Impression - Taking on the Machine Onslaught!
Chainsaw Man Review - Fueled by Oppai! What Else is Worth Fighting For?!
A Space for the Unbound - PC Review
View All Honey's Anime Pickup Post
Manga Characters


There's a red for everyone, but to get the perfect shade for your skin tone, you might need two. Westman mixed tomato and cherry tints together to get the color shown here: "To complement her alabaster complexion, I used a bit more tomato, but the mix could be adjusted with more or less pink to suit any skin tone," she says. For a simple but showstopping eye, Westman applied a pale gilt shadow to the lid, with a warmer bronze in the socket. She then swept a pearlescent gold in the tear duct and under the lash line, and finished with the pièce de résistance: three tiny crystals at the outer upper corner of each eye, secured with lash glue.


It is on INDIAN HISTORY.
The entire portion of Indian History has been covered in 19 meticulously prepared Modules of Quick Revision Notes divided into 3 sections of Ancient, Medieval and Modern periods. You get a thorough revision of the complete portion here.
Once you are through with this and confident that you have consolidated your understanding of Indian History well, it is time to perfect your knowledge through practice.
TEST 1 and TEST 2 will give you a complete evaluation of your preparation in INDIAN HISTORY. You are bound to smash it! You've revised so well, after all!
Give yourself a good revision and practice in History. And look forward to the next post!


text:
Faroe Islands Finland Norway Svalbard All countries
All countries Svalbard Svalbard Longyearbyen
Weather in Longyearbyen
Weather archive at the weather station ( 6 km, -7.4 °C+19 °F )
43 minutes ago at the airport (6 km) it was -8 °C+18 °F, clear with cloudy periods, normal air pressure, strong breeze (12 m/s) (43 km/h) (27 miles/hour) (23 knots) (6 Bft) blowing from the south-east.
Tomorrow we expect -12..-17 °C°F, +10..+1 °C°F, without precipitation, freezing (supercooled) fog
, gentle breeze. The day after tomorrow: -9..-12 °C°F, +16..+10 °C°F, without precipitation, moderate breeze.
Tomorrow, Tue, January 19
Wed, January 20
direction E E E E E E E E E E E E E SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE
Polar night Polar night Polar night Polar night Polar night Polar night
Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 19
Local time 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 16 19 22 01 04 07 10 13 16 19 22 01 04 07 10 13 16 19 22 01 04 07 10 13 16 19 22 01 04 07 10 13 Local time
direction E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE direction
65 64 64 65 59 62 67 67 70 72 70 72 75 82 84 83 87 89 88 87 86 86 83 77 73 64 66 68 63 71 76 74 72 70 67 66 67 71 69 74 76 81 79 87 86 86 87 87 88 88 89 89 88 86 87 87 78 69 58 47 43 38 36 33 34 34 48 62 68 73 Humidity,
Polar night Polar night Polar night Polar night Polar night Polar night Sun:
is available on the website rp5.am
4 hours ago, a near gale ( 15 m/s 54 km/h 34 miles/hour 29 knots 7 Bft) with gusts up to 16 m/s58 km/h36 miles/hour31 knot7 Bft was observed in Verlegenhuken.
2 hours ago, the minimum air temperature ( -11 oC +12 oF ) was observed in Phippsoya.
2 hours ago, the maximum air temperature ( -8 oC +18 oF ) was observed in Barentsburg.
Phippsoya
Verlegenhuken


Custody of children -- United States -- Case studies.
The Resource Custody of children -- United States -- Case studies.
2 Items that share the Concept Custody of children -- United States -- Case studies.
Context of Custody of children -- United States -- Case studies.
Data Citation of the Concept Custody of children -- United States -- Case studies.


Vantroys, Elise, Joél Smet, ARNAUD VANLANDER, Boel De Paepe, Sarah Vergult, TOM SANTE, Björn Menten, and Rudy Van Coster. 2016. "Mild Early Epileptic Encephalopathy Evolving to Spastic Paraplegia, Neurogenic Bladder and Generalized Slow Colon Transit in an 18-year Old Patient with Pathogenic Mutations in FARS2." In Neuromuscular Disorders, 26:S175–S175.
Vantroys, E., Smet, J., VANLANDER, A., De Paepe, B., Vergult, S., SANTE, T., Menten, B., et al. (2016). Mild early epileptic encephalopathy evolving to spastic paraplegia, neurogenic bladder and generalized slow colon transit in an 18-year old patient with pathogenic mutations in FARS2. NEUROMUSCULAR DISORDERS (Vol. 26, pp. S175–S175). Presented at the 21st International congress of the World Muscle Society.
Vantroys E, Smet J, VANLANDER A, De Paepe B, Vergult S, SANTE T, et al. Mild early epileptic encephalopathy evolving to spastic paraplegia, neurogenic bladder and generalized slow colon transit in an 18-year old patient with pathogenic mutations in FARS2. NEUROMUSCULAR DISORDERS. 2016. p. S175–S175.
Vantroys, Elise, Joél Smet, ARNAUD VANLANDER, et al. "Mild Early Epileptic Encephalopathy Evolving to Spastic Paraplegia, Neurogenic Bladder and Generalized Slow Colon Transit in an 18-year Old Patient with Pathogenic Mutations in FARS2." Neuromuscular Disorders. Vol. 26. 2016. S175–S175. Print.


Diabetes: Are high blood glucose levels an effect rather than the cause of the disease?
Insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose levels are considered to be the cause of type 2 diabetes. However, scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University Hospital have now provided evidence that things might be completely different. They showed in flies that elevated levels of the metabolite MG (methylglyoxal) cause the typical diabetic disturbances of the metabolism and lead to insulin resistance, obesity and elevated blood sugar levels.
Flies are an established model to study energy metabolism. The body fat of this fly is labelled with GFP ("green fluorescent protein").
Type 2 diabetes, a form of diabetes with a typical onset in middle or older age, causes severe health complications including elevated risks for heart disease and strokes, massive blood flow problems in the legs as well as severe damage to eyes, nerves and kidneys. These dangerous late effects are believed to be caused by high blood sugar levels, which develop when the body cells no longer respond to insulin, the regulatory hormone that lowers blood sugar.
Blood glucose levels correlate with the level of diabetic symptoms. When very high blood glucose levels are lowered using drugs, the rate of infarctions and strokes as well as blood flow problems decrease in parallel.
"But this holds true only up to a certain point," said Peter Nawroth, Medical Director of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Heidelberg University Hospital. "Large clinical trials in recent years have shown: Even when blood sugar could be lowered by drugs below the diabetes threshold value, many patients nevertheless developed typical diabetic damage to nerves and kidneys. This suggests that type 2 diabetes might in fact have molecular causes that are independent of insulin and glucose."
Peter Nawroth and Aurelio Teleman, who leads the Division of Signal Transduction in Cancer and Metabolism at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, knew that in type 2 diabetics, high levels of a glucose metabolite called methylglyoxal (MG) have been observed. Medics have thought so far that this is an effect of elevated blood glucose levels. Since MG can cause damage to proteins, textbook knowledge consequently holds that it must be one of the culprits in causing typical diabetic damage. However, in light of their recent results, metabolism experts Teleman and Nawroth have now doubted this sequence of events.
When rats are given MG with their food, they develop many typical signs of diabetes, including insulin resistance. The Heidelberg researchers planned to investigate the effects of long-term elevated MG concentrations on the organism. They chose fruit flies as a model for this purpose. "Flies and humans are not very closely related. However, since energy metabolism developed very early on in evolution, results are nevertheless meaningful and can usually be translated to mammals and humans."
Using genetic engineering, the researchers turned off the enzyme that breaks down MG in flies. The glucose metabolite MG subsequently accumulated in their bodies. The flies soon developed insulin resistance. Later, they became obese and at higher age their glucose levels also became disrupted.
"It appears to be sufficient to increase the MG level to trigger insulin resistance and typical diabetic metabolic disturbances," Teleman resumes. "This is clear evidence that MG is not the consequence but rather the cause of type 2 diabetes."
This observation, in turn, raises the question about what might cause an elevated MG level. For example, obese people who are not diabetic also display elevated MG levels. "Why this is so, we don't know. This is an important aspect of our future research," said Nawroth. Teleman adds: "Production as well as decomposition of MG is influenced by numerous metabolic processes which we do not know yet and have to understand better. And we also urgently plan to study in mice which clinical symptoms long-term elevated MG levels cause in mammals."
*A measurement for blood glucose level is the level of HbA1c. This is the percentage of the blood pigment hemoglobin that is bound to glucose. The normal range of HbA1c in healthy people is less than 6%.
Picture caption: Flies are an established model to study energy metabolism. The body fat of this fly is labelled with GFP ("green fluorescent protein").
Use is free of charge. The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) permits one-time use in the context of reporting about the topic covered in the press release. Images have to be cited as follows: "Teleman/DKFZ".
Distribution of images to third parties is not permitted unless prior consent has been obtained from DKFZ's Press Office (phone: ++49-(0)6221 42 2854, E-mail: presse@dkfz.de). Any commercial use is prohibited.
The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) with its more than 3,000 employees is the largest biomedical research institute in Germany. At DKFZ, more than 1,000 scientists investigate how cancer develops, identify cancer risk factors and endeavor to find new strategies to prevent people from getting cancer. They develop novel approaches to make tumor diagnosis more precise and treatment of cancer patients more successful. The staff of the Cancer Information Service (KID) offers information about the widespread disease of cancer for patients, their families, and the general public. Jointly with Heidelberg University Hospital, DKFZ has established the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg, where promising approaches from cancer research are translated into the clinic. In the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), one of six German Centers for Health Research, DKFZ maintains translational centers at seven university partnering sites. Combining excellent university hospitals with high-profile research at a Helmholtz Center is an important contribution to improving the chances of cancer patients. DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers, with ninety percent of its funding coming from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the remaining ten percent from the State of Baden-Württemberg.


text:
require_relative "../spec_helper"
require "review"

describe Review do
  describe ".all" do
    it "loads 7 reviews from the datastore" do
      expect(Review.all.size).to eq 7
    end

    it "instantates instances of Review" do
      Review.all.all? { |review| expect(review).to be_a Review }
    end

    it "creates the reviews with the correct data" do
      review_text = Review.all.map(&:text)
      expect(review_text).to eq([
        "A hamster made me write this.",
        "This product was not great",
        "I love love love it!!!!!!!!!",
        "Great price, only £15 pounds, would recommend.",
        "This was a great great purchase!",
        "PHP PHP PHP Brainfuck the elderberry!!!",
        "Sometimes I talk about price, but not here!",
      ])
    end
  end

  describe "a review" do
    it "has text" do
      review = Review.new("text" => "foo bar")
      expect(review.text).to eq "foo bar"
    end

    it "has an id" do
      review = Review.new("id" => "17")
      expect(review.id).to eq 17
    end

    describe "vetting status" do
      it "has a status" do
        review = Review.new({})
        expect(review).to_not be_vetted
      end

      it "can be set" do
        review = Review.new({})
        review.vet!
        expect(review).to be_vetted
      end
    end

    describe "submission status" do
      it "has a status" do
        review = Review.new({})
        expect(review).to_not be_accepted
      end

      it "can be accepted" do
        review = Review.new({})
        review.vet!
        review.accept!
        expect(review).to be_accepted
      end

      it "can be rejected" do
        review = Review.new({})
        review.vet!
        review.accept!
        review.reject!
        expect(review).to_not be_accepted
      end

      it "is always false if not vetted" do
        review = Review.new({})
        review.accept!
        expect(review).to_not be_accepted
      end
    end

    describe "rejection reason" do
      it "is nil by default" do
        review = Review.new({})
        expect(review.rejection_reason).to be_nil
      end

      it "can be set" do
        review = Review.new({})
        review.rejection_reason = "foobah"
        expect(review.rejection_reason).to eq "foobah"
      end
    end
  end

end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


While most gardeners are singing the winter blues in the month of February, the second month of the year is perfect for planning what to grow this spring. A well-designed perennial garden can provide many years of beauty and enjoyment. Careful selection of plant materials and thoughtful planning can result in a full season of color and maybe save a species.
In today's high-tech, online world, it is sometimes hard for people to remember the real meaning of Christmas. Is there an app for that? There are many stories and traditions that have been passed down through centuries. Some stand the test of time, while others slowly fade away. In early times, Christians associated holly's sharp pointed leaves with Christ's crown of thorns and the bright red holly berries to his blood. How many of us, today, can imagine seeing holly for the first time and being so inspired to compare its resemblance to the thorned crown and the blood of Jesus?
Holiday meals are perfect for using herbs and spices from the garden. There is nothing quite like the flavor of home-grown sage when added to Aunt Edna's scrumptious turkey stuffing recipe.
Friend or foe? Wild, noxious weed or environmentally-sound perennial? Sometimes it takes a trained eye or a magnifying glass to tell the difference.
If you live in eastern El Paso County, chances are you have experienced the dreaded toadflax, although the weed is also found inside city limits. The important question is this: what should we all do to prevent it and why?
Pyracantha (pronounced "Pie-ra-CAN-tha") is the beautiful orange-fruited evergreen bush that likes to stand up and be noticed this time of year. Once you get the pronunciation squared away, you might agree this plant is a bit of a wonder. Incidentally, its common name is firethorn.
Pears are another gift from above. It's no secret that everyone should eat more fruits and vegetables. Research shows that most people are not getting enough. While vegetables are more difficult to eat for some, fruit is seen as a more palatable choice.
Whether it is called a pollinator habitat, bee hotel, insect hotel, bug bank, bug hotel, insect condo or bug stack mansion, it has one important purpose — attracting pollinators that will remain in the garden. An extra reward is that they can be charming, artsy and add a whimsical flair to any outdoor area.
It's almost vegetable time! Those that have hoop gardens or greenhouses have likely been enjoying vegetables throughout these past winter months, but for gardeners who plant in an unprotected vegetable plot, preparation is in the air.
If you grow one you're passionate about it. When it's in full bloom, it can stop traffic! This incredible flowering plant is so beautiful to look at; it arouses such interest you might just find yourself gazing in awe in front of it.
The word clematis (pronounced KLEM-a-tis) comes from the Greek word "klema" meaning "a vine branch." Clematis belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, which includes peonies, anemones, and buttercups.
The Lenten season is the liturgical color of purple. The priest's vestments, altar linens, and decorations throughout our beautiful churches are all embellished with purple.
In Christianity, purple symbolizes fasting, faith, patience, pain, suffering, mourning, and of course, penance. In Jesus' time, purple was the color of royalty and nobility.
It's a brand new year and time for brand new seeds. Before you know it, Spring will be here and God will shed his blessings upon the land. While it is too early to plant anything outside, it's the ideal time to start choosing the perfect seeds for your 2018 crop.
Deck the halls with boughs of holly! It's Christmas time, and holly is a recognized symbol of the season. Its stiff, spiny, glossy deep green leaves and bright red berrylike fruit are used to decorate our homes, tables and landscapes. Its beauty has withstood the test of time and reminds us that Christmas will soon be here.
Tis the season for cranberries! These marble-sized, tart, tasty red berries pack a powerful blessing with their antioxidant punch. They are showing up fresh in our diocese at local supermarkets and should be available through the month of December.


There are 1,047.63 miles from Alvo to Baltimore–Washington International Airport (BWI) in east direction and 1,193 miles (1,919.95 kilometers) by car, following the I-80 route.
Alvo and BWI Airport are 18 hours far apart, if you drive non-stop.
This is the fastest route from Alvo, NE to BWI Airport. The halfway point is Notre Dame, IN.
Please note the time difference between Alvo, NE and BWI Airport is 1 hour. The current time in Alvo is 1:04 pm and the current time in BWI Airport is 2:04 pm.
A car with an MPG of will need 55.23 gallons of gas to cover the route between Alvo, NE and BWI Airport.
The estimated cost of gas to go from Alvo to BWI Airport is $156.29.
During the route, an average car will release 1,081.98 pounds of CO2 to the atmosphere. Your carbon footprint is 0.91 pounds of CO2 per mile.
If you want to meet halfway between Alvo, NE and BWI Airport or just make a stop in the middle of your trip, the exact coordinates of the halfway point of this route are 41.754509 and -86.252579, or 41º 45' 16.2324" N, 86º 15' 9.2844" W. This location is 596.44 miles away from Alvo, NE and BWI Airport and it would take approximately 9 hours to reach the halfway point from both locations.
The closest town to the halfway point is Notre Dame, IN, situated 584.47 miles from Alvo, NE and 613.21 miles from BWI Airport. It would take 9 hours to go from Alvo to Notre Dame and 9 hours 11 mins to go from BWI to Notre Dame.
The major city closest to the halfway point between Alvo, NE and BWI Airport is South Bend, IN, situated 578.46 miles from Alvo, NE and 614.17 miles from BWI Airport. It would take 8 hours 58 mins to go from Alvo to and 9 hours 13 mins to go from BWI to South Bend.
Rain tomorrow, with high temperatures peaking at 75°F on Tuesday.


text:
This is a bibliography of works by Thomas De Quincey (15 August 1785 – 8 December 1859), a romantic English writer. Chiefly remembered today for his Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821), De Quincey's oeuvre includes literary criticism, poetry, and a large selection of reviews, translations and journalism. His private correspondence and diary have also been published.

Essays

Translations

Collected works

Miscellania

Notes

Bibliographies by writer
Bibliographies of British writers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The first step is to figure out whether you already have the git-completion script on your machine. You can use the command sudo find / -type f -name "git-completion.bash" to see if the script already exists on your local machine. Note: the sudo command will require you to enter the password you use to log in to your Mac. Also, this command may take a minute to run, because it looks through your whole file system. Here are some possible locations for the git-completion script, but it's okay if it's somewhere else.
If the git-completion.bash script doesn't exist on your machine, please retrieve it from the link I provided above and save it to your local machine in a new file called git-completion.bash in the /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/ directory.
If the git-completion.bash script exists on your machine, but is not in the /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/ directory, we should create a copy of it in that directory. A quick sudo cp /current/path/to/your/git-completion.bash /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/git-completion.bash should do the trick.
For those who are curious about the /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/ directory: it's for storing new completion commands, and you may have to create it if it doesn't already exist on your machine.
At this point the git-completion.bash script should exist on your local machine in the /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/ directory.
Now we'll plug the git completion script into bash by pointing to it from ~/.bash_profile. Note: the tilde in the previous sentence refers to the home directory on your computer. Add the following line to ~/.bash_profile: source /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/git-completion.bash and save.
The final step is to reload your bash profile. You can achieve this by running source ~/.bash_profile in your current bash session.


During a split between parents, nothing can be more distressing than the prospect of a difficult child custody dispute. Our San Francisco divorce and child custody lawyers can calm the rough waters of these disputes and get the orders that you need to protect your children. Our attorneys frequently litigate child custody disputes and also assist our clients in mediating these disputes whenever possible. We use a network of experts – child psychologists, custody evaluators, and co-parenting counselors – to help us advise our clients and, if necessary, to prove their case in litigated custody disputes.
In the case that parents cannot agree on the custody of their children, the court makes a determination about the best interests of the children, based upon a number of factors. No one factor is determinative. Two of the factors in the best interests analysis is the need of a child for frequent and continuing contact with both parents and the need for continuity and stability.
The court will make a determination of which parent should have legal custody and physical custody. Legal custody means the right of the parent to make decisions regarding the health, education, and welfare of the child. The court can make a determination of sole legal custody to one parent or joint legal custody between parents. In the case of sole legal custody, only one parent has the power to make decisions regarding the child's health, education, and welfare. This can mean choice of school, enrollment in extracurricular activities, and the power to make decisions regarding medical treatment. However, regardless of custodial status, each parent is entitled, in most cases, to all information regarding the health, education, and welfare of the child. Our San Francisco family law office has sought and obtained orders for sole legal custody in cases where the evidence showed that the parents were unable to work cooperatively to make decisions regarding the children's welfare. In the case of joint legal custody, both parents have the power to make decisions regarding health, education, and welfare. In practice, the court has a preference for the parents having joint legal custody, although there is nothing in the law that requires it.
Physical custody refers to the parent or parents with whom the child lives. Joint physical custody arrangements can vary widely. In some cases, joint physical custodians can see the children for several days a week. In other cases, a joint physical custodian may see the children every other weekend. Like with legal custody, although there is nothing in the law that requires an order for joint custody, courts often have a preference, in practice for joint custody. However, an order for joint custody says almost nothing about what kind of timeshare schedule you are going to set in place for your children. At the beginning of a custody dispute, we work with our clients to set up a schedule that works – informally if possible – with the other parent. This initial schedule sets the stage for the schedule that the court would adopt if a dispute about child custody crops up.
Although cases where parents have sole physical custody are less common than those with joint physical custody arrangements, sole physical custody is sometimes appropriate and necessary for the welfare of the children. Where one parent had no prior experience or desire to care for the children before the parents split up or where substance abuse or domestic violence are an issue, sole physical custody can be a necessity for the safety of the children. Our office has litigated and won requests for sole physical custody where it was necessary for the welfare of the children.
If you are facing a tough custody dispute, call our San Francisco family law office for a consultation.


text:
Owl Feed
Owl is using Smore newsletters to spread the word online.
Get email updates from Owl:
Follow Owl Feed
Contact Owl Feed
OwlFeed Newsletter
Agua Fria, It's Cold Outside!
December has come, along with the end of the first semester and midterms. As everyone settles into the cold of the holidays, pressing for those last grades before a long awaited rest, the OwlFeed team shares some of the new happenings of winter. The wonders of this time of year are on the forefront of everyone's minds, and the same can be said for the OwlFeed team as we embrace the holidays and the coming of a new year! Enjoy our wintry narratives.
-Naomi Metoyer, Editor in Chief
News: Audition for AFHS's Next Musical, 'Cinderella'
By: Alex Fikes
Do you like to sing? How about dance? Maybe you should try out for the musical! Agua Fria does a musical each year, and this year, the stage managers, Felicia Jeppe and Aaron Tibbetts, are doing Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella."
Read on here.
Lifestyle: Who Was Stan Lee?
By: Sarah Niezgodzki
Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America — all names that are common to the general population whether you watch superhero movies or not. But who was the man behind it all? His name is Stan Lee and you may have heard that on November 12th he passed away at the age of 95 in Los Angeles, California.
Opinion: Modern Relationships Are the Worst
By: Naomi Metoyer
High school, in many ways, serves as a condensed model of the world outside of it, and this is equally true for the relationships people foster within it. Through personal and shared experiences, I have learned what it means to be in a romantic relationship.
Click here to read on.
Sports: Pom Team Ready to Shine in Competition Season
The football season has come to an end, that means it's only the beginning for our Pom competition team on their journey to go to state. They had their first competition in late November at Estrella Foothills High School, where they did their best and gave a great performance.
Tear Gas Used at the U.S Border Causes Divisions
By Elijah M. Carson
On November 29, there was an event that was going on at the Mexico-America border, where asylum-seeking migrants were gathering to show their need to cross the border.
Kyrsten Sinema Wins Arizona Senate Race After Bitter Campaign
By: Zianney Arellano
Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona's first female Senator, was finally announced the elected winner on November 12th after a long and exhausting election against Republican candidate, Martha McSally.
Earth Club Keeps Students In Touch With the Outdoors
By: Angela Macias
Earth Club is back and better than ever right here at Agua Fria High School. Earth Club is being held in room K4 every Friday after school until 3:15. The club brings awareness to nature and what's going on in our ecosystem.
There are Four Types of People. Which One are You?
By: Matthew Willarch
¨There are three kinds of people in this world. People who make things happen, people who watch things happen, and people who ask what happened.¨ No, Steve Backley, there isn't. There are actually four kinds of people and I'm gonna tell you how.
What the Heck is a Detective Pikachu?
By: Emma Parry
I think everyone these days has heard of Pokemon, or at the very least Pikachu, the little yellow and brown lightning rodent that has taken the world by storm since his creation in the late 90s. The Pokemon Company has decided to make a live-action movie based on a game created in 2016.
Top 5 Movies to Watch in Theatres During Winter Break
By: David Menendez-Velez
Are you bored over winter break and want to watch a movie? Here are some of the best movies you can watch that are in theatres this december!
Opinion:
Gender, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is "Either of the two sexes (male and female), especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. The term is also used more broadly to denote a range of identities that do not correspond to established ideas of male and female."
Loot Crates and The Effect of Gambling on Minors
Gambling is a huge industry in America, one of the things that helped build the country. It's the thrill and curiosity that keeps people coming back, but gambling can be very addictive more often than not.
Why Boba Might Just Be Trash
By: Julian Jones
It seems like every other day, I hear about the sweet, sugary taste of Boba. Tales of its magnificent texture and shape roam the Agua Fria hallways. I finally decided to see what the fuss was about, making my way to Ahi Poke, a japanese restaurant where Boba is served. My experience there however may have scarred me for life.
Lady Owls Soccer Gets Victory Over Buckeye in Scrimmage
By: Kaylie Langtry
The Lady Owls kicked off their season with a scrimmage against Buckeye High School. With a competitive game, the Owls started off their season strong with a 6-0 victory.
Wrestling Brings Home 2nd in Big Red Tourney
By: Kyla Heller
On Friday, December 7th, and Saturday, December 8th our varsity wrestling team competed in our annual Big Red invitational wrestling tournament with great energy and determination to defend our home mats.
9th Graders Seek to Make Big Impact on W Soccer Team
With many new faces this year on the women's varsity soccer team, five stick out the most. Say hello to Jerzi Alvarado, Anyssa Valencia, Madison Jirka, Nicole Fernandez, and Michelle Cadena. These are the new freshmen on varsity.
OwlFeed Columns:
Wintertime Activities in Arizona
By: Angelina Cordova
Are you looking for something to do this winter? With friends, family, or maybe even a significant other? Well, Arizona has a lot to offer, here are some great activities in your area that would be fun to do this winter.
Owlfeed
Click to read more stories HERE and check out the sports website HERE
Connect with Owl Feed


Melt butter in a medium pan on medium-heat. Allow to brown gently and froth.
Add the sage leaves (reserve a few for decoration later) and let crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel.
Add the onion and cook a few minutes until translucent.
Add the carrots and let cook for 5 minutes.
Pour in the stock and turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until carrots are tender. If the soup is too thick add some hot water during the cooking process. Remove soup from stove and allow to cool for 10-15 minute.
Blend everything in a food blender until smooth. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Serve (great in small shot glasses) with the reserved browned sage and some more fresh sage.
This looks so very delicious, I think I may make this for Thanksgiving (and tomorrow night's dinner).


On June 16th, Scientific American posted a quite amazing, quite historic story on its web site that went largely unnoticed by the Outside World. Outside the astronomy community that is; more specifically, outside the residents of the Wisteria Lane of the astronomy community that is interested in the hunt for and study of exo-planets – planets that circle other stars Out There in the Great Black.
As 2009 prepares to slip gloomily and morosely into 2010, with the world still hunched under the weight of recession, and truly godawful weather battering the UK, sitting here at my computer, listening to the rain skrish against the window, over and over and over, like handfuls of thrown shingle, I'm starting to wonder, and worry, if I'm having a bit of a mid-life crisis.
No, I haven't grown a ridiculous ponytail, or bought myself a pair of cowboy boots and a Harley and taken to the road, or started hanging around bars trying to look 20 years younger than I really am in the hope of impressing long-legged blondes young enough to be my daughter; no, this lifelong, space-nut, who has always looked forwards and not backwards, who has always lived for the future and not looked back at the past, has started to get very, very interested in history. Specifically, deep, deep history – i.e. the origins of Mankind.
Ah, but if even just a handful of them are orbited by planets as small as Earth, and if only a few of that handful of worlds are the right distance from their star to have liquid water… rivers, streams and seas… then when we look at that image we are looking at the destinations of the first interstellar probes – and beyond them, the first manned starships, whichever century they are built in.
Read more at Cumbrian Sky, BtC's collaborator Stuart Atkinson's blog.


text:
Expropriation of artefacts as a demonstration of power
Posted By Matthew On October 27, 2014 @ 9:55 pm In Similar cases | 7 Comments
This article is prompted by the current state of affairs in Iraq & Syria, where ISIS fighters are systematically destroying heritage from cultures that do not fit entirely into their worldview. This is not a new approach however & has been going on for as long as people can remember. The means & the stated aims might vary, but the end result – denigration of the culture of the local population – is invariably the outcome.
The empty seat once occupied by the Bamiyan Buddhas before they were systematically destroyed by the Taliban
If great architecture belongs to humanity, do we have a responsibility to save it in wartimes?
Jeff Sparrow
Tuesday 7 October 2014 03.25 BST
The lands of Syria and Iraq gave rise to some the oldest societies we know: the Sumerians, the Akkadians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Parthians, the Romans and many others. Traces of all of these peoples remain in archeological sites of the utmost significance.
And now they're being destroyed.
A fortnight ago, satellite imagery revealed the cultural effects of Syria's civil war. "The buildings of Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, has suffered extensive damage," explained Archaeology magazine. "The ancient city of Bosra, the ancient site of Palmyra, the ancient villages of Northern Syria, and the castles Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din have all been damaged by mortar impacts and military activity."
So too in Iraq.
Sometimes, the destruction is accidental (if that term means anything in wartime). Sometimes it's deliberate, with the Islamic State systematically leveling ancient religious sites.
After looters rampaged through Baghdad's National Museum in 2003, Francis Deblauwe established the (now defunct) Iraq and Archaeology site, which eloquently expresses what's now once again happening. He wrote:
War in this cradle of civilization beyond the horrendous, almost invisible casualties – always somebody's husband, always somebody's son – and downplayed 'collateral damage' – always somebody's wife, always somebody's child – inevitably takes its toll on the archaeological heritage as well. After all, this fertile flood plain and surrounding mountains gave birth to agriculture, to writing, to cities, to laws, to the 24 hours in a day, and many more things we take for granted.
Iraq takes its name from Uruk, the ancient city said to have been ruled by Gilgamesh, sometime between 2,500 and 2,700 BC.
In the epic poem that bears his name, Gilgamesh leaves Uruk, a place he constructed, stricken with grief after the death of his friend. After many adventures, he accepts that only the gods endure forever, and returns with a new appreciation of the city – a human achievement that offers the only immortality humans can expect.
David Ferry's beautiful translation describes Uruk as follows:
The outer wall
shines in the sun like brightest copper; the inner
wall is beyond the imagining of kings.
Study the brickwork, study the fortification;
climb the great ancient staircase to the terrace;
study how it is made…
Uruk's ruins were rediscovered in the 19th century, 250kms south of Baghdad. That means we can, quite literally, study the brickwork and the fortifications and the outer walls upon which Gilgamesh once gazed – and when we do, we confront the same questions about eternity and loss he pondered some 4,500 years earlier.
The ancient stones exemplify the persistence of our collective culture, a persistence that provides, as the poem suggests, our sole consolation for the inescapability of our individual deaths. That's why, in The Seven Lamps of Architecture, the great Victorian art critic John Ruskin argues that we have a responsibility to such artefacts. He warns:
They are not ours. They belong partly to those who built them, and partly to all the generations of mankind who are to follow us. The dead have still their right in them: that which they labored for, the praise of achievement or the expression of religious feeling, or whatsoever else it might be which in those buildings they intended to be permanent, we have no right to obliterate.
Great architecture, Ruskin says, belongs to humanity as a whole, and not to "those mobs who do violence to it". It's an argument that surely applies to the relics of ancient Mesopotamia, caught between Islamic State fighters and US strike bombers.
But can we – or, rather, should we – proclaim the rights of the dead when patently we cannot guarantee the rights of the living?
Nearly 200,000 people have already perished in Syria's civil war. Estimates of deaths from the 2003 Iraq invasion vary from several hundred thousand to over a million, depending on which source you cite. In the midst of almost unimaginable blood and suffering, is it wrong to care about the walls of Uruk?
"I wish to be absolutely clear," writes Deblauwe, "no epic Sumerian cuneiform tablet, majestic Neo-Assyrian lamassu sculpture or any other Mesopotamian artifact is worth a human life, be it Iraqi, American, British or other."
The bluntness of that statement, from a man who palpably cares about Sumerian cuneiform tablets, contrasts with the abstraction of Ruskin's formulation, which champions a generalised humanity over the flesh and blood of today's people. Call it the antiquarian temptation: a tendency to privilege a bygone world over the one in which we actually live.
There's a long, disreputable tradition of venerating ancient Rome and Greece while denigrating anyone with the temerity to live in those cities today. When ideologues seized cultural treasures from subaltern populations, they generally did so on the basis that the ignorant locals couldn't appreciate the stuff's value. That's how major British museums built their collections, from the Elgin Marbles to the bones of Aboriginal people.
Yet it's worth thinking about the perceived need for such expropriation.
Why did the Taliban dynamite the Bamiyan buddhas? Like all despots, Mullah Omar and his men made the past into a guarantor of the future. The giant statues represented an alternative system of thought. By blasting away the ancient sculptures, the Taliban proclaimed, "there are no choices here – and there never have been."
The absorption of other civilisations' treasures into the British empire spoke to the same need. Consider the incorporation of the diamond known as the Koh-i-Noor into the crown of Queen Elizabeth, an obvious and ostentatious demonstration of Britain's power over India.
Likewise, settler societies such as Australia have always needed to denigrate the achievements of those they displaced, so as to justify the fiction of terra nullius. It's a process that continues today. Some archaeologists calls the Brewarrina Fish Traps the oldest human constructions in the world – but how many white Australians have even heard of them?
In 1258, Genghis Khan sacked Baghdad, and systematically annihilated its famous House of Wisdom, the first ever university. "It was so horrible there are no words to describe it," wrote the Persian poet Saadi of Shiraz. "I wish I had died earlier and not seen how these fools destroyed these treasures of knowledge and learning. I thought I understood the world but this holocaust is so strange and pointless I am struck dumb."
In her book The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein records remarkably similar responses to the plunder of the National Museum of Iraq after the US invasion. "It was the soul of Iraq," said one local merchant. "If the museum doesn't recover the looted treasures, I will feel like a part of my own soul has been stolen." "Baghdad is the mother of Arab culture," said another man, "and they want to wipe out our culture."
I wish I had died. My own soul has been stolen. Can we truly assert that no cultural artifact's worth a human life?
Of course, the question's unanswerable, since valuing the irreplaceable (whether a person or an artwork) constitutes, almost by definition, a category error. Nonetheless, it's clear that the past and its culture cannot be so easily disentangled from the present and its politics.
Klein explains the pillage of Baghdad's museum in terms of the neoconservative attempts to reconstruct Iraq as a deregulated, free market utopia. She quotes the coalition economic advisor Peter McPherson, who saw looting as a DIY privatisation, a legitimate beginning to the downsizing of state assets. "I thought the privatisation that occurs sort of naturally when somebody took over their state vehicle, or began to drive a truck that the state used to own, was just fine," McPherson explained.
How can you protect a common human heritage when you're innately opposed to collectivity? More importantly, why would you even try?
In the New York Times, Ziauddin Sardar discussed the historical destruction taking place taking in Mecca, where ancient sites have been crudely bulldozed by developers.
"The house of Khadijah, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad, has been turned into a block of toilets," he says. "The Makkah Hilton is built over the house of Abu Bakr, the closest companion of the prophet and the first caliph."
Like the Islamic State militants they fund, the Saudi Salafists despise alternative interpretations of Islam. It's common to call their philosophy "medieval", but the label misrepresents the entirely 21st phenomenon taking place in Mecca. As Sardar argues, the Saudis have turned the "spiritual heart of Islam [into] an ultramodern, monolithic enclave, where difference is not tolerated, history has no meaning, and consumerism is paramount."
The same might be said of the Islamic State itself. Its supporters raze ancient sites, not only to wipe out the traditions they represent, but also to capitalise on the thriving market for antiquities in the west, reportedly raising US$36m alone from the looting of al-Nabuk in Syria.
On the surface, the rich cosmopolitans who buy the stuff and the ascetic fundamentalists who steal it could not be more different. But they share an identical indifference to history as a collective resource for humanity. Do we need, then, a team of George Clooney-style "Monuments Men", specially trained to guide the US forces in Iraq and minimise the historical damage they cause?
In 2009, the archeologist Yannis Hamilakis wrote a stinging rebuke to colleagues embedding with western militaries, arguing that they simply legitimised the destruction they sought to forestall. He quoted the Iraqi-born academic Zainab Bahrani: "The entirety of Iraq is a world cultural heritage site, and there is no way that a strategic bombing can avoid something archaeological."
Just as recent "humanitarian" interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya have culminated in humanitarian catastrophes, efforts by what Hamilikis dubs "the military-archaeology complex" are unlikely to succeed, since long-term preservation depends upon a relationship between the history of a site and those who inhabit it today.
The great poet and designer William Morris argued something similar during his campaign to spare the ancient buildings of Britain from the ravages of industrialisation."Believe me," he explained to supporters, "it will not be possible for a small knot of cultivated people to keep alive an interest in the art and records of the past amidst the present conditions of a sordid and heart-breaking struggle for existence for the many, and a languid sauntering through life for the few."
On another occasion, he put it like this: "If we have no hope for the future, I do not see how we can look back on the past with pleasure."
The same might be said about Iraq and Syria today. The fight for our collective heritage necessarily involves a struggle for peace and social justice, for it's only when people feel a stake in the world around them that they can appreciate the achievements of the ancients as part of their lives.
URL to article: http://www.elginism.com/similar-cases/expropriation-artefacts-demonstration-power/20141027/7517/
[1] Image: http://www.elginism.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/141027-bamiyan-buddhas.jpeg
[2] Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/07/-sp-if-great-architecture-belongs-to-humanity-do-we-have-a-responsibility-to-save-it-in-war-times


text:
West Palm Beach ist ein Bahnhof im Regional- und Fernverkehr an der Eisenbahnstrecke von Mangonia Park zum Flughafen Miami. Er befindet sich in West Palm Beach im Palm Beach County, Florida. Der Bahnhof wurde 1925 eröffnet.

Geschichte
Der Bahnhof wurde im Jahr 1925 durch den Architekten Philips Clarke fertiggestellt, der für die Gestaltung aller Stationen der Seaboard Air Line Railroad in Florida zuständig war. West Palm Beach wurde im Stile des spanischen Barock errichtet. Der Bahnhof wurde bis 1953 unter anderem von dem Luxus-Reisezug Orange Blossom Special angefahren. Der Silver Meteor, der 1971 von der Amtrak übernommen wurde, bedient seit 1939 den Bahnhof. Neben dem Silver Meteor hält heute auch der Silver Star in West Palm Beach. Von 1989 bis 1998 war der Bahnhof zudem der nördliche Endpunkt des Regionalverkehrs der Tri-Rail aus Richtung Miami. Die Verbindung wurde danach weiter bis Mangonia Park verlängert.

Am 19. Juni 1973 wurde der Bahnhof in das National Register of Historic Places aufgenommen.

Anbindung
In West Palm Beach halten sowohl die Regionalzüge der Tri-Rail als auch die Fernzüge der Amtrak. Im Nahverkehr wird die Station von Bussen des Countys (Palm Tran) bedient. Der Bahnhof befindet sich direkt westlich der Interstate 95 sowie nördlich der Florida State Road 704.

Schiene

Palm Tran

Weblinks

 West Palm Beach, FL (WPB) – amtrak.com
 West Palm Beach Station – tri-rail.com

Einzelnachweise

West Palm Beach
Erbaut in den 1920er Jahren
West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach
Denkmal im National Register of Historic Places (Florida)
Bauwerk im Palm Beach County


text:
Minnesota › Battle Lake › Battle Lake Public School District › Battle Lake Secondary
Battle Lake Secondary
402 Summit Street West, Battle Lake, MN 56515
Students at this school are making average academic progress given where they were last year, compared to similar students in the state.
Average progress with high test scores means students have strong academic skills and students in this school are learning at the same rate as similar students in other schools.
This school is about the same as the state average in key measures of college and career readiness, but depending on the state, average can mean only a minority of students are ready for college and career.
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. Find out more about why STEM coursework is so important for today's students.
Many successful high school students end up in remedial math courses in college. Is your student prepared for college-level math? Ask this school how they ensure students are well-prepared.
Test scores at this school are far above the state average, suggesting that most students at this school are performing at or above grade level.
Even high-performing schools can have disparities between student groups. To understand how well this school serves all its students, review the information below in the Equity section. Understand what on-track learning looks like for your child and how you can help at home.
Underserved students at this school are performing better than other students in the state, though this school may still have achievement gaps.
402 Summit Street West Battle Lake, MN 56515
School leader: Mr Ryan Severson


text:
Book Review and Giveaway: The Charm Offensive
Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it's no wonder then that he's spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise's history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.
Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn't believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he's a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he's cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.
As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they'll have to reconsider whose love story gets told. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)
Melissa Amster:
I had been interested in reading The Charm Offensive, as I love LGBTQ novels. So when Jenny from Book Coffee Happy said she had purchased it (more on that below), I added it into my Kindle TBR so we could review together. I'm so glad for that extra push, as it was a great story that I still think about and recommend!
The story was really well told, with some laugh-out-loud moments and some tissue-worthy moments. It shines a light on what happens behind the scenes on reality dating shows, and it's not all sunshine and roses. (I watch only one reality TV series and even that one has reported a lot of behind the scenes scandal and manipulation.) Both Dev and Charlie were sympathetic and lovable lead characters and there were some great supporting characters, as well. (Especially Parisa and Jules!) There's a lot of focus on mental health throughout the novel and that is what has the most emotional impact. It also has some typical romcom elements that I enjoy in any novel.
Having Dev and Charlie both narrate in third person got confusing sometimes because I wasn't always sure who the focus was on, even if it said the character's name at the beginning of the chapter. That was the only issue I had with this novel, which is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.
Overall, it is a sweet and romantic story, and definitely worth checking out!
Movie casting suggestions:
Dev: Nik Dodani
Charlie: Harry Cook
Jules: Ashley Park
Parisa: Summer Bishil
Maureen: Sigourney Weaver
Skylar: Jasika Nicole
Daphne: Erin Moriarty
Megan: Jasmine Savoy Brown
Ryan: Sean Paul Lockhart
Jenny Share:
Thank you so much for having me, Melissa! It's so nice to be back guest blogging on Chick Lit Central.
I'm Jenny, and I blog over at Book Coffee Happy. I've known Melissa for years and was excited when she asked if I would like to review Alison Cochrun's The Charm Offensive with her.
I bought The Charm Offensive at the most lovely little bookshop while vacationing in Door County, Wisconsin (If you ever find yourself in the area, you MUST stop in THIS ADORABLE bookshop)!
I've been holding on to this book for a few months and couldn't wait to finally crack it open.
A smart purchase, indeed.
I loved EVERY SINGLE WORD of this beautiful book! I never wanted it to end! Alison Cochrun's writing is a GIFT. Each character was so perfectly crafted and each storyline was so perfectly created. Together, all of it made this such a gem of a book in every single way. This book tackled some really big topics (love, mental health, sexual orientation, gender identity, family, friendship, etc.) in the most perfect of ways. I ADORED THIS BOOK SO, SO MUCH.
I'm a huge Bachelor fan and I absolutely loved the behind the scenes view that this book gave into the creating of a reality show love story. I mean, everyone knows it's fake but THIS fake? Mind blown. Yikes. And yet…I'm still such a fan, lol.
If you are a Bachelor fan, this book is a MUST READ. Another must read for Bachelor fans is One To Watch by Kate Stayman London (you can read my review of that one and my thoughts on the Bachelor franchise HERE).
What a perfect read for me to start off 2022! I can already confidently say that this will be one of my favorite books of the year…and it's only January :)
Alison Cochrun's next novel comes out this fall and I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on a copy! If it's even a smidge as wonderful as The Charm Offensive, I love it already...
Thanks to Atria for the book (for Melissa) in exchange for an honest review. They have one copy for a lucky reader!
Giveaway ends January 31st at midnight EST.
Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.
Labels: contests, review
Red, White and Royal Blue. Thank you kindly
Nothing comes immediately to mind.
I can't think of any.
no fav
Nothing I can think of.
Lelandlee said...
Nothing comes to mind
Fizzy said...
Notes of a crocodile is my recent favourite!
Book Review: Is This for Real?
What's in the (e)mail...plus a (print) book giveaway
Book Review: Good Rich People
Book Review: Coco at the Ritz
Lindsey Kelk lights up the night...plus a book giv...
Book Review: The Cocktail Bar...plus a special giv...
Book Review: Sasha's Redemption
Lauren Layne has made it big...plus a book giveaway
Spotlight and Giveaway: Somebody's Home
Spotlight and Giveaway: Waiting for the Night Song
Book Review: Look What You Made Me Do
Book Review: The Night She Disappeared
Alison Rose Greenberg's lucky year...plus a book g...
Sara and Melissa Talk About...New Year's Resolutions
Book Review: No Ex Before Marriage
Spotlight and Giveaway: The Paris Bookseller
Book Review: Both of You
What's in the (e)mail
Review: Red Dress
Spotlight and Giveaway: The Last House on the Street
Book Review: The Girl in the '67 Beetle
Book Review and Giveaway: The Paid Bridesmaid
Spotlight: Much Ado About a Latte


text:
Your Money MattersConsumerDont Waste Your Money
Fake Publishers Clearing House checks going out to homes
Letter claims you are a winner
Publishers Clearing House is starting 2018 with several new contests, and you may soon see TV ads for their latest jackpot prize.
Unfortunately, scammers know that, too, and are using their latest contests to target the older people who enter to win.
Letter claims she is the big winner
We all secretly dream of the PCH Prize Patrol showing up at our door. Ellen Olsen did too.
So she was stunned when she received a letter and $5,000 check from Publishers Clearing House.
"When this check came and the Publishers Clearing House letter came with it, I thought, 'Well maybe it is legitimate,'" she said.
The letter stated she was the winner of PCH's $2.5 million grand prize -- even though a winner had not been announced yet.
The $5,000 check accompanying it was to cover taxes and fees, according to the letter.
But something wasn't right, her daughter BethAnn said.
"They told her to cash the check, and the other thing that was mentioned was don't tell anybody," she said.
Don't tell anyone? It sounded fishy.
What she did next is what you or your older parents need to do if a call or letter claims you are a winner: check the Publishers Clearing House blog, and type in the word "scam." You'll find all the warning signs that you are about to be taken.
Unfortunately, at this time you cannot just go to PCH.com and find scam warnings. They are only accessible on the PCH blog right now.
"I googled Publishers Clearing House to see how they notify big winners, and they say they just come to the door, and never tell you in advance," she said.
Good thing she checked.
Warning signs of a scam
PCH says it will never call or email in advance to say you are going to be a winner.
They will never tell you to be home at a certain time (they will drive all around town looking for you).
They will never ask you to pay anything in advance to collect your prize.
They will never send an advance check of a few thousand dollars to cover "taxes" or "fees."
That $5,000 check? It's fake.
"It's terrible, the greed is just so bad now," she said.
If you have older parents or grandparents who enter the PCH contests, you may want to warn them about this, so you don't waste your money.
"Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").
"Like" John Matarese on Facebook
Follow John on Twitter (@JohnMatarese)
For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com


text:
Q: AudioKit/AVAudioEngine Takes Too Long to Start I'm using AudioKit, which uses AVAudioEngine underlyingly. I have built an average-sized audio chain with some players, a microphone, sound effects, and mixers to satisfy my app's functionality. However, I noticed that whenever I initialize the chain and call AudioKit.start(), it takes quite long to finish. 2s on a real device without earphones, and 7s when I use bluetooth headphones. Can anyone advise me if this is normal, and how should I make it faster? It does not feel normal to take 7s to process...

A: @nicholas,
Do you have an example project that you can post to GitHub? Are you initializing the AudioKit engine in its own class, or within viewDidLoad in individual ViewControllers?
Also, which version of AudioKit and Xcode are you using?
Thanks,
Mark

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package de.flapdoodle.solid;

import java.util.function.BiConsumer;

import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;

import de.flapdoodle.solid.generator.Document;
import de.flapdoodle.solid.site.SiteConfig;

public interface PageSink extends BiConsumer<SiteConfig, ImmutableList<Document>> {

	@Override
	default PageSink andThen(BiConsumer<? super SiteConfig, ? super ImmutableList<Document>> after) {
		return (c,t) -> { accept(c,t); after.accept(c,t); };
	}
}