text:
Regional leaders to discuss deepening integration process
The leaders will also be discussing other issues such as intra-regional trade, movement of skills and movement of financial resources.
CANANEWS 19 mayo, 2011
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders meet here over the weekend for a private retreat more than a month before they gather in St. Kitts for their annual summit.
The retreat had been agreed upon by the 15-member grouping at their inter-sessional summit in Grenada in February and the May 20-21 event at the remote Teperu-Itabu quarries lodge located at Mazaruni, south-east of Georgetown, will allow them to discuss a number of issues including a possible successor to Sir Edwin Carrington, who resigned as the region's top public servant in January.
Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon said that the leaders would be examining ways of "refocusing, re-energizing Integration within the Caribbean Community" through an European-styled commission that would help speed up the implementation of decisions taken by the leaders.
"This has been the subject of adverse comments for decades now about the need to address the ceding of political authority from member states to this super-arching body a la European model," he said.
At their meeting in Grenada, the leaders agreed that the burning issue of governance, which dominated their deliberations during their annual summit in Jamaica July last year, had been referred to a committee for continued deliberations.
"The matter was discussed but it was decided …that it should properly await the completion of the review of the (CARICOM) Secretariat because the Secretariat is an integral part on the delivery of that governance and secondly, it is not just likely to come up, but it is inevitably going to be part of the discussions that should take place in the retreat that we have received the invitation from President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana," Jamaica's Prime Minister Bruce Golding said then.
Golding said that there were also reservations about some of the recommendations that have so far been brought to the table, including the possibility of having the caucus of regional ambassadors permanently based in Guyana as one of the instruments for ensuring that decisions taken by the regional leaders are implemented by member countries.
"(There will be) a frank discussion of what actually is the state of integration and then to find those common issues, the common platforms around which pragmatic era of integration could flow," said the Cabinet Sectary to the Guyana government.
"It will also address the likely practice of integration in today's community as well as the financial economic realities and imperatives," he added.
CMC/pr/11


The music video features a live performance by the band in black and white.
The tour will feature 15 performances in 10 different countries over the month.
His work also featured performances for television and radio programs.
The game featured several great performances by players on both teams.
The second half of the game in contrast featured a dominant performance by Texas.
In addition to 375 professional artists, the fair also features performances and children's activities.
It features performances put up by the various performing arts groups of the school.
The second live result show featured a performance from Outasight.
Each results show featured musical performances from at least two artists.
The show also featured several guest performances after the opening.


According to National Geographic, paid maternity leave in common throughout the world. The news source states that paid maternity leave for childbirth is federal policy in 34 out of the 35 nations that are members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The hold-out country is the United States.


text:
Garrity Funeral Home
Send Flowers for Michael
Plant a Tree for Michael
Michael John Burr
October 2, 1955 ~ January 10, 2023 (age 67) 67 Years Old
Read more about the life story of Michael and share your memory.
Michael J. Burr age 67 of Prairie du Chien, passed away on Tuesday January 10, 2023, at the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. He was born on October 2, 1955, in Prairie du Chien the son of Alonzo and J. Anita (Haupt) Burr. He graduated from Prairie du Chien High School in 1973. Michael married Barbara Thornton on August 5, 1978, in McGregor, IA and later divorced. He later married Joann Bender in 2007 and later divorced. Michael was an avid outdoorsman who liked to hunt and fish. He enjoyed watching Wisconsin sports. Most of all, he loved his family, especially his grandchildren. Michael's sense of humor will be missed by all. He is survived by his children: Melissa (Jeff) Marshall, Steven, and Sarah (Johnny McArthur) King, his sister: Connie Burr, sisters-in-law: Carol Burr and Joanne Peterson-Brooks, 14 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter: Brenda Cipra, brothers: Gerald, Robert, and Larry, sisters: Julie and Mary.
A Memorial Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 19, 2023, from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at the Garrity Funeral Home Chapel in Prairie du Chien with a private burial at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Michael John Burr, please visit our floral store.
704 S. Ohio St.
Prairie du Chien, WI 53821
Michael Burr
October 2, 1955-January 10, 2023
© 2023 Garrity Funeral Home. All Rights Reserved. Funeral Home website by CFS & TA | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Coyotes 4, Red Wings 2: Defenseman Michael Stone snapped a 2-2 tie late in the third period to lift Phoenix to its first road win.
Antoine Vermette, Mikkel Boedker and defenseman Derek Morris had a goal and an assist apiece for the Coyotes, who are three games into a five-game road trip that includes four Eastern Conference opponents. Mike Smith made 28 saves for Phoenix.
Joakim Andersson and Jonathan Ericsson replied for Detroit, which is winless in three games since opening the season with a 2-1 home victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Jimmy Howard stopped 34 shots for the Red Wings.
Stone's slap shot with 4:47 remaining fooled Howard, finishing a play set up by Mike Ribeiro -- who recorded his first point with Phoenix -- and Martin Hanzal. Vermette added an empty-netter with 51 seconds remaining to ice the contest.
Morris opened the scoring with 2:21 into the first period on a point shot through traffic. Andersson and Ericsson scored 53 seconds apart to give Detroit the lead six minutes into the second period, but Boedker knotted the contest 64 seconds later.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Coyotes D David Rundblad, who was scoreless and minus-2 through the first three regular-season games after leading the team in preseason scoring, was a healthy scratch. … Detroit fell to 14-6-1 at home against the Coyotes since the 2004-05 lockout. … Smith appeared to hurt his hand during the contest, but remained in the net.


text:
Henry Schulman
For my money, being a Major League Baseball beat writer is the hardest job in sports journalism. You're covering hundreds of ballgames, day after day and night after night. You're seeing the same people, often asking them the same questions. You're flying from Chicago to Detroit to Kansas City then back home before another trip to Tampa, then Miami, then Atlanta. In 2016, you're not merely writing 700 words. You're Tweeting. You're thinking up sidebars. You're answering reader questions.
Brutal.
Henry Schulman isn't merely the Giants beat writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. No, he's the best in the business; a nearly 30-year veteran who writes with an artful flair I both admire and envy. Since starting on the beat in 1988, Henry has covered last-place losers and multiple world champions; he's been with Dusty Baker and Roger Craig, Reggie Sanders and Matt Williams, Darnell Coles and Tim Lincecum. He might not have the fame or money of a Major League All-Star, but he's outlasted the very best of them.
Today, Henry talks about enduring Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent, crafting the perfect game story and fighting through non-Hodgkins lymphoma. You can follow him on Twitter here, and check out his work here.
Henry Schulman, Royce Clayton has nothing on you. You're Quaz No. 241 …
JEFF PEARLMAN: Henry, as you know I wrote a biography of Barry Bonds several years ago. But you covered him for his entire time in San Francisco—which strikes me as both fascinating and a sort of cruel punishment. I know this is a big question, but the Internet offers unlimited space. So, what was it like covering Barry Lamar Bonds?
HENRY SCHULMAN: Ah, I see you want me to write a book, too, because it would take 50 chapters to answer this question properly. Covering Bonds could be exciting, rewarding, instructional, maddening, painful and funny at once.
Really, there were different stages. First, the honeymoon stage after he signed with the Giants in 1993 and came home. That was not too bad. But after the strike, once he settled into San Francisco, he became his surly self. It still was not difficult to cover him then. The Giants started an upswing in 1997, he was a big part of it, and while he was not easy to talk to, it was not a terrible chore, either.
Then came the PED phase, which encompasses his chase for the single-season home run record, link to BALCO and chase for the all-time home run record. Then, things got hairy. He became a national story, and those of us who covered him on a daily basis became small players in a bigger show. The clubhouse that I covered became America's clubhouse, which made it more difficult to do our jobs on a daily basis. Since Bonds did not want to talk most of the time, about homers or steroids, and every reporter still had to file their stories, the other 24 players had to absorb all the questions, which made for a tense environment.
We local beat writers had to cover the big stories, too, but we also had to know how Rich Aurilia was feeling after he strained a hamstring, or get Tim Worrell's response to a blown save, etc. These and most other players just hid so they wouldn't have to answer Bonds questions (and ultimately resented Bonds for putting them in that position).
The chase for 755 homers was surreal. By that time Bonds had been exposed as a steroid monster. The record, once he got it, would be tainted. Yet we in the local media still had to write about it every day. There was a lot of tension even within my paper. Mark Fainaru-Wada, who co-wrote "Game of Shadows" and exposed Bonds as a PED abuser, insisted that I mention his indictment (for perjury) and drug use every time he hit a homer and got closer.
Whenever Mark and Lance Williams discovered a new fact about Bonds regarding BALCO, I was the one who had to ask Bonds for his reaction, since Mark and Lance never went to the clubhouse. I think that's when I lost most of my hair.
But how many beat writers were at the epicenter of such a quake for so many years? My stories were better read than most beat stories, and we at the Chronicle were praised constantly for our work in unmasking Bonds.
Frankly, I was happy when the Giants announced shortly after Bonds broke Henry Aaron's record that they would not retain him after the 2007 season. The clubhouse culture had changed with an infusion of youth (Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, etc. …) and I really wanted to cover a "team" again.
We local beat writers no longer had to cringe while we watched 50 national reporters clog the clubhouse, actually hoping at times that Bonds would not speak that day because we had other stories to write and that would make life harder for us.
Of course, there were many times Bonds would not speak to me at all, which I believe you've chronicled in your book. For some reason, he really didn't (and still doesn't) like me. He also took it out on me that our paper continued to write stories about his PED abuse.
I learned a lot about being a good reporter then, especially that I could do my job regardless of whether a key source wanted to talk to me or not. I didn't need Bonds, and making that discovery made me a better, stronger reporter.
Henry, far right, with good ol' Barry.
J.P.: Fuck it, I'm gonna be unoriginally original and follow with: You covered Jeff Kent during his entire San Francisco career. This strikes me as both fascinating and a sort of cruel punishment. I know this is a big question, but the Internet offers unlimited space. So, what was it like covering Jeff (Mustache) Kent?
H.S.: Covering Jeff was not difficult at all. He was a strange bird, and he despised reporters as much as Bonds did, but he played "the game." He knew the best way to get reporters off his back was to give them the five or 10 minutes they needed after the game. He also was a great quote (as was Bonds at times).
When Bonds and Kent got into a physical fight in San Diego in 2002, Bonds left the clubhouse before we were allowed in. Kent made a point of staying so that he could tell us exactly what happened. Not only that, he ordered all electronic media to leave. He respected the fact that writers were there every day, their paper spending money to send us on the road, and wanted to reward us.
I was kind of sad when Kent was not re-signed after that season, even though we had a falling out that changed our relationship.
In the spring of 2001, Kent broke his hand popping wheelies on his motorcycle in Scottsdale, Ariz. He claimed he fell off the top of his monster truck while washing it, but I did some detective work and wrote a big story proving it was a motorcycle accident. He never forgave me for uncovering the truth.
Still, a few years later he hit a walkoff homer for the Astros in a playoff game that I covered, and he gave me a one-on-one interview afterward that was fantastic.
Kent comes to spring training every year to tutor Giants players for a couple of weeks. We're cordial now, and he's happy to do interviews with all of us. He claimed, much like Bonds does now, that his orneriness was just a persona he needed to prepare himself to compete.
J.P.: On Aug. 17 you posted a letter to "friends and readers," explaining that you were away from the Giants beat because of illness. It turns out that illness is non-Hodgkins lymphoma. So I'd like to ask: A. How did you find out? Were there symptoms? Was it a random doctor's visit? B. How did you digest the news? C. What has your life been like since the diagnosis?
H.S.: In January last year, I discovered a small lump underneath my left jaw. My doctor misdiagnosed it as a blocked salivary gland. She gave me antibiotics, told me to eat sour candy to stimulate the gland to make more saliva and apply compresses. But just in case, she told me to make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor at my clinic.
I then had the worst luck. Before I could see the ENT the swelling went away. I thought the diagnosis was correct and went on my merry way. Then, in June, the lump returned, as did several others. When I finally saw the ENT at 10:30 a.m. on July 15, he had me on a CT Scan table by noon. By 5:30 p.m. I was back in his office for a needle biopsy, which confirmed the presence of cancer cells.
That doctor phoned me from Alaska two nights later (he was on a fishing vacation) to tell me. I was in Arizona, at the ballpark, covering a Giants-Diamondbacks game. I was naturally scared, but even more ill at-ease telling my beat-writing compatriots, which I felt I needed to do because clearly I was not myself.
I'll never forget reading the conclusion of the radiologist who interpreted my CT scan. She wrote, "Constellation of findings worrisome for metastatic disease." Those words will be emblazoned in my mind forever.
A surgical biopsy revealed Stage 2A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common kind. In my first meeting with my oncologist, he told me that the cure rate was 66 percent. My sister and then-girlfriend were in the room. They were thrilled to hear how good my chances were. All I could think about was being in the other 33 percent.
On Aug. 7 I began what became 3 ½ months of chemotherapy. I am just now completing radiation but even before I started radiation I was declared disease-free after a PET scan.
Something like this changes you in all the cliched ways. Mainly, it hit home that I might not live a long life and I can't put things off. I never felt sorry for myself. Whenever I started to, somehow I'd see a photo of a 5-year-old cancer patient in the hospital with hair gone, or I'd see a patient at my clinic or in the chemo infusion center who clearly was worse off than I was.
I really have not dwelled on death. My recent Buddhist training has helped me there. I dwelled more on being able to live my life the way I wanted to and not being a patient anymore.
I am grateful The Chronicle allowed me to continue working, from home, which saved my sanity. I did not cover another game this year after July 26. I returned to the ballpark once, for the penultimate game of the season, just to say hi to everybody. I was nervous as hell walking into a clubhouse and press box that really are my homes away from home. I'm not really sure why.
My life is back to normal now, sort of, and I'm looking forward to going to spring training on time next month. Interestingly, I've been thinking for a few years about moving away from beat writing so I can spend more time at home as I get closer to retirement. I turn 56 in April.
But like many athletes, I want to go out on my own terms, not forced out by this disease, so covering this season is very important to me.
J.P.: I know you started covering the Giants in 1988 for the Oakland Tribune and San Francisco Examiner, I know you moved to the Chronicle in 1998—but how did this happen to you? What I mean is, why journalism? Did someone push you in the direction? Was there an "ah ha! moment? In short, what's your path from there to here?
H.S.: Like many people my age, who went to high school in the mid-1970s, we were entranced and inspired by Watergate, specifically the role that two newsmen played in uncovering the scandal and forcing a president to resign.
When the book and movie "All the President's Men" were released, that did more to swell the ranks of reporter wannabes than anything else in history, I'd bet. I wanted to be a political reporter and got my degree in political science at UC Berkeley.
I worked my way up the old-fashioned way, from being half of a two-man reporting staff at a 14,000-circulation weekly to the Oakland Tribune, where my focus actually shifted to high-technology reporting mainly because that was the opening the Tribune had.
My love for politics never waned, but my love of sports, baseball specifically, waxed greatly. When the Giants job came open at the Tribune after Nick Peters left for the Sacramento Bee, I told the top editors at the paper that I wanted to move to sports. I figured they would elevate a current sportswriter to the Giants beat and I'd start doing college football or some such thing. Instead, they liked me a lot and just made me the Giants writer.
I was terrible at first. I didn't understand the rhythm of baseball beat work and it took me some time to spread my wings, so to speak, as a writer, which one is allowed to do on the sports pages.
I didn't really have an "aha" moment. I just remembered sitting at my desk in the business section, in a suit and tie, talking on the phone to others wearing suits and ties (or women's business attire), writing stories to be read by similarly attired people and thinking, "I don't want to do this for the rest of my life."
For the first six years of my career I established myself as a reporter and did what I had to do to move up. After that, I followed a passion, sports, and it was the best professional decision I ever made.
J.P.: When you're in the press box, covering a game, what are you looking for—and what are you hoping for? Are you watching every pitch? Paying half attention? Chatting? Etc? And do you prefer a close game? A Giant win? Neither? Both?
H.S. Ninety-nine percent of folks believe I root for the Giants, which is obviously not true. I'm a reporter, straight down the middle. I root for 2-hour, 20-minute games.
All we ever hope for is an interesting angle. Nowadays, we don't write game stories in AP style. We are encouraged to featurize, so many times I'll have my angle before the game begins, so during the game I'll start crafting. I don't watch every pitch. Many times you look up when you hear the crack of the bat. We have to be social media stars now, too, so we're often tweeting as we watch and write.
One of the best parts of the job is B.S.ing and joking with others in the press box. Not an hour of my professional life goes by without a belly laugh, and really, how many people can say that about their jobs?
Close games are fine during the day, when we have plenty of time to write. At night, every beat reporter will admit, a blowout is better. More to the point, you do not want something major to happen that will force you to blow up the story you've mostly written.
When a game is close in the ninth inning, I actually have two stories going at the same time: a "win" story and a "loss" story, because I have to file as soon as the is over. I literally have one "thrill of victory" story on one Word document and an "agony of defeat" story on another, and I toggle between them to polish them until the game is settled and I need to file one.
Thank goodness, so far, I've never sent the wrong one.
A future great deep in young thought.
J.P.: In 1996 the Giants went 68-94 and finished 23 games out of first. Dusty Baker was the manager, two starters had ERAs over 5.00. People always ask about covering the legends, the greats—but what's it like going through a season of absolute sludge?
H.S.: That year was horrible, not because the team stank, but because it was boring. The Giants not only lost every day, they lost the same way every day. It was so difficult to come up with something fresh. We couldn't wait for the season to end. Boring is a sportswriter's Kryptonite.
The Giants also stank between 2005-08, but at least we had the Bonds stories to attack some days.
I've actually been blessed to cover mostly winning teams during my tenure. I often wonder what it must be like to cover one of those teams that loses every single season, the Pirates, for instance, who did not finish above .500 from 1992 (Bonds' last season) until they reached the postseason in 2014.
J.P.: I've never wanted to be a newspaper beat writer, because it just seems like a job that destroys souls and enthusiasm. I mean, you probably cover 150 baseball games a year—year after year after year. The travel is brutal, the airport security lines a pain in the ass. It strikes me as a gig for 25-year-olds who have the freedom and sense of wonder. I'm assuming you love it. So, with 100-percent respect and admiration, I ask—why?
H.S.: I guess it's because that's who I am and what I do best. Also, I just love the sport. I love the grass, the energy of the crowd (most nights) and being part of something so popular.
I actually cover about 125 games a year. Like you said, the travel is brutal, but you learn how to navigate airports and hotels to your advantage. You're also correct that this is a job for people in their 20s and 30s. But the physical and mental demands also keep me young, in a way. You can't be out of shape and do this job.
As I said earlier in this Quaz, I do hope to shift away from baseball beat work soon. It's been almost 30 years, and I actually think it might benefit Chronicle readers to have a new, younger voice.
The job has changed so much, with video, graphics, social media almost overtaking the writing in importance. I'm not a dinosaur when it comes to technology or change, but my strength is in crafting a story that I've reported. That almost seems secondary now to the main goal of gaining clicks on our websites.
Back to answering your question, just when I get frustrated or tired of the sameness, I'll write a great gamer—not because of my skill, but the greatness of the game itself—and remember why I love this job. That is the fuel that keeps the engine of this old jalopy running.
Listening to the deep musings of Buster Posey.
J.P.: What's the absolute worst mistake you've made in print? And how did it happen? What's the story behind it?
H.S.: I've been fortunate in that I've never made one of those star-spangled, 10,000-kiloton mistakes that becomes a national story for days and gets you called into not only the sports editor's office, but the top editor's office.
One that comes to mind, though, was the last year Bonds was an All-Star. They wanted him to be in the home run derby and he kept putting them off. Finally, he agreed, and a source told me that he changed his mind only because he would be paid, which was quite a story because none of other players in the derby ever was paid.
I went to Bonds and asked him what he was getting and he said, "Everything they've got." I assumed that he just confirmed he was going to be paid and wrote that he agreed to do the home run derby after negotiating "compensation."
I was wrong. It turned out he did negotiate a whole bunch of perks, such as extra suites, more access to the field for family members, minuscule stuff like that. Bonds immediately issued a denial and called me a "liar." I was awakened the morning the story ran with a phone call from MLB saying I was completely wrong.
Making it worse, I had a scheduled day off and did not go to the clubhouse when the other reporters asked Bonds about my story. It looked as though I was ducking him. Moreover, this came during the time The Chronicle was breaking all the BALCO stories and we were being accused of trying to destroy Bonds, so my mistake looked like part of the conspiracy.
J.P.: This might sound weird, but is a World Series championship payoff for you? What I mean is, obviously players bust their asses to win the ring. But is covering the Series, and having your team the last standing, also sort of a reward? Or, by that point, would you rather be home?
H.S.: I wanted to do it once. I wanted to see a team through from the first possible day they could work out in spring training through the last possible pitch that can be thrown in a World Series. In 2010, it happened. I was wiped out afterward, because the baseball postseason means 30-40 days working in a row, but it was rewarding. I got what I wanted.
Then, I got it again in 2012 and 2014, and I was not thrilled necessarily. This is when my middle-agedness comes into play. It's physically exhausting to work every day until Nov. 1. After all three World Series I got sick as soon as I got home. So did the other beat writers.
But a beat writer can't root against his team just to start vacation early (though some do). The story ends when it ends. And it is rewarding to write during October because you know how many people are reading … not only reading, but hanging on every word.
I've done some of my best work in the postseason. Call me the Mark Lemke of baseball writing. I've had quite the opportunity, since the Giants have won a World Series in every even year since 2010. I'd like to respectfully ask them to skip 2016 and go for 2018, though. I've had a tough six months.
A visit to Fenway with fellow scribes Chris Haft and Andrew Baggarly.
J.P.: I'm pretty sure a lot of young, aspiring and up-and-coming sports writers read these Q&As. So Henry, what's the key(s) to writing great game stories; to making them more than merely, "The Giants lost to the Reds, 4-2, after Jay Bruce blah blah blah …"
H.S. Picture what you want to write very early in the game. Spend as much time as possible imagining and crafting the lede, which is the gateway to the story. Once you have a great lede, the rest follows.
Remember that nowadays, people know the final score, how the teams scored and even can see a pitch-by-pitch reckoning on the Internet. Remember that you are telling the readers something they cannot discern on their own, and you have to do it in the most entertaining way possible.
Take chances. Be funny. Don't worry about what anyone else is writing. Have a voice. Enjoy writing the story. Think outside the box and come up with interesting angles, even if you think you might be the only one who finds them interesting, because you're probably wrong on that.
Be Reggie Jackson. Take a big swing every time. Yes, you'll strike out sometimes (Jackson struck out a lot), but when you hit a home run on a story, like Jackson's homers, they'll travel a long way.
QUAZ EXPRESS WITH HENRY SCHULMAN:
• Five nicest ballplayers you've ever covered?: Ellis Burks, Darryl Hamilton, Rich Aurilia, Brandon Crawford, Barry Bo … no, wait. Omar Vizquel.
• Have you ever thought you were about to die in a plane crash? If so, please explain: Team flight, when we used to fly on those, from Cincinnati to San Francisco. Worst turbulence I'd experienced at the time. I was in an aisle seat. A row behind me, in another aisle seat, was Duane Kuiper, who saw my white knuckles and kept saying with a sadistic smile, "We're going down, Henry, aren't we? We're going to crash, aren't we?"
• Rank in order (favorite to least): Elvis Presley, Georgetown University, turducken, Ron Jeremy, Chris Bosh, Home Alone II, Billy Swift, Boogie Nights, warm slippers, Santa Claus, Brazil, cockapoos: Elvis, Boogie Nights (seriously), Ron Jeremy (has to follow Boogie Nights, right?), cockapoos, Georgetown, Billy Swift, turducken, Bosh. I've not seen Home Alone II, don't wear slippers and haven't been to Brazil.
• The world needs to know—what was it like covering Brian Johnson?: Fantastic. He was a candidate for the top-five nicest question, and the gamer I wrote after his 1997, late-September homer to beat the Dodgers in extra innings is one of the best I've written, and still one of my favorites. We're still close, as source and reporter go. He's a Giants scout.
• Five people from your industry one would be remiss not to follow on Twitter: Tim Dierkes (@mlbtraderumors), Buster Olney (@buster_espn), Ken Rosenthal (@ken_rosenthal), @mlbcathedrals (fantastic photos of ballparks of yore) and, of course, @hankschulman.
• Most overrated stat in baseball: OBP. Sometimes, especially as a middle-order hitter, you just need to swing the damn bat.
• Would you rather work for a year as Celine Dion's private writing counselor (which would pay $33,000—and you'd have to also babysit her kids and wash her laundry) or streak naked, opening day, across a packed Yankee Stadium, mid-game, holding a sign with your phone number and social security number?: Celene, as long as she promises never to sing when I'm in ear-reach.
• What's your moment when an athlete was an absolute dick to you story?: You'll find this hard to believe, but it was Buddy Black, one of the nicest guys in the game. He was pitching for the Indians. They were terrible. He must've hated life. I started asking Jesse Orosco at the next locker what it was like facing Ozzie Canseco in a game in Oakland, and Buddy kept interrupting and chiming in. I finally turned to him and said, "Was I talking to you?" He responded, "There it is. There's the attitude." It was my first encounter with Buddy and I thought he was an asshole. Years later, of course, I realized that being an Cleveland Indian at the time would do that to anyone.
• Five coolest places you've ever visited: La Sagrada Familia cathedral (actually, Barcelona in general), Denali National Park in Alaska, Rome, anywhere in Hawaii besides Waikiki, the White House (in the East Room and the South Lawn for Giants World Series-winner ceremonies), the house in the San Fernando Valley where Ron Jeremy made all his movies. (I'll let you guess whether that's a joke or not.)
• What's less seductive: Tuna breath or an awful stutter?: Tuna breath. I hate tuna.
2 thoughts on "Henry Schulman"
Ted Mark January 12, 2016 at 6:29 pm
Nice quaz. Congrats to Henry on his ongoing path to good health. Also for surviving the Barry Bonds years.
Paul C January 12, 2016 at 9:13 pm
Just for the effing record, why the heck SHOULD Henry Schulman have been expected to mention Bonds's "indictment (for perjury) and drug use every time he hit a homer and got closer"? To make Mark Fainaru-Wada feel better about himself, or, more likely, to promote Fainaru-Wada's book? Talk about revisionist history.
In fact, Bonds WAS NOT indicted for "drug use." Bonds's TRAINER was indicted for supplying anabolic steroids to athletes. But Bonds himself was indicted only for perjury to a grand jury. (Actually, 4 counts of perjury and 1 count of "obstruction of justice.") Indeed, all witnesses supoenaed to testify before that grand jury were assured that the only criminal charges they could face would be for perjury, if they lied. To suggest that Bonds was "indicted for drug use" is not only inaccurate; it's possibly libelous even if in fact Bonds did use drugs. (Grand jury testimony, BTW, is supposed to be confidential, and it's a crime to leak it. A scumbag attorney for scumbag Victor Conte leaked Bonds's testimony illegally, and actually pleaded guilty to that crime! Some the score on criminal convictions is: Bonds: 0; attorney who illegally leaked grand jury testimony: 1.)
While I have no doubt that Bonds was a total a-hole, and that he took PEDs, the indictment turned into an actual criminal court case. And what happened? Well, proof that an indictment is not the same as a conviction, since some counts were thrown out, there was a mistrial as to all remaining perjury counts, and Bonds was found guilty on a single "obstruction of justice" count. The judge showed her (appropriate) contempt for the prosecutors' even bringing the case by sentencing Bonds to the proverbial wrist-slap: 30 days house arrest; 250 hours of community service; 2 years' probation. As we all know, even that conviction was later overturned. What did it cost? About $1,000,000 for every day of Bonds's initial sentence.
So Schulman's colleagues basically wanted him to add gratuitous insults in everything he wrote, to promote their own book. Why didn't they ask him to mention the REAL villain of the whole affair, Jeff Novitzky, whose Javertian overzealousness resulted in expenditure of millions of dollars of government money, with no discernible good result? Well, no "good" result except that Novitzky parlayed that into a cushy appointment as the UFC's VP of Athlete Health and Performance.


By using our website you consent to the collection, processing and use of data as described below. Our website can be visited without registration. While you access our web pages, we automatically collect data of a general nature. These data (server log files) include, for example, the type of browser, its operating system, the domain name of your Internet service provider and other similar general data. These data are completely independent of the person using the computer and are used to display the web pages correctly and are retrieved each time you use the internet.
When you sign up for our publications, we use the information provided to contact you and, upon request, to send you our newsletter and other information.
You have the right to unsubscribe at any time. Please contact one of the following email addresses: ns@fvcm.us or kmm@fvcm.us.
Your personal information will only be stored for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide the services specified and as required by law.
Our website uses "cookies." Cookies are text files that are transferred from the server of a website to your computer. Certain data such as IP address, browser, operating system and Internet connection are transmitted.
Cookies do not start programs and do not transmit viruses. The information collected by cookies is intended to help you navigate and optimize the display of our web pages.
Data that we collect will never be disclosed to third parties or associated with personally identifiable information without your consent.
You can request information about your data that is stored with us at any time. They also may be corrected, blocked, or, if the prescribed periods of data storage for the transaction have expired, be deleted. Our Privacy Officer will help you with any related questions. Her contact details are below.
Changes or revocation of consent can be made via notification to us. This is also possible for future actions.
For questions about privacy issues please send an email message to kmm@fvcm.us subject "Privacy."
This revocation instruction page was created with datenschutzerklärunggenerator.de.
F&V Capital Management, LLC. Copyright 2008 - 2018. All rights reserved.
F&V Capital Management (FVCM) is an SEC-registered investment advisor located in New York City. We offer customized asset management solutions using U.S. traded equities, fixed income, and other short-term and liquid securities for a wide variety of international clients.


It was a cold winter evening in Manchester. As I exited the Palace hotel lobby, I immediately felt the chilly light rain, as it drizzled throughout the night. But wait a minute, that was nothing new. The weather was either rainy and gloomy here in the UK. I'm dressed appropriately, wearing a light jacket and rain boots. Tonight's mission; an adventure at Manchester's Christmas Market.
I walked down Oxford road, past Chinatown to the town hall, and behold the transformation was amazing. As I always recommend that it's best to visit the Christmas markets anytime after dark, to really experience the illuminated buildings and Christmas decorations. Like any other, various vendors displayed their goods; from antiques to food and drinks.
At the entrance was the aroma of lamb burger sizzling over the grill, and gluhwein warming up in a giant golden cauldron. Lots of foot traffic on this cold Friday night, as pedestrians brushed past each other, shopping for wares, alcoholic beverages and food. The atmosphere was very festive, and there were people from all walks of life. But the objective was to indulge my appetite with street food. No restaurant or fancy food tonight, just a simple, delicious, classic lamb burger with onions, a little bit of chilli pepper and some Lancashire cheese. Yummy!
So thanksgiving 2013 has come and gone. A day that Americans feast on turkey and other various cuisines (depending on your ancestral background). This was my first time away from home on thanksgiving, and I discovered something novel in Northern Ireland: Belfast's Christmas Continental Market.
Held at the city center, the Xmas market is easily accessible from virtually anywhere in town. It's right at the hub of every means of transportation. I recommend going there after dark as you'll get to see the buildings and the streets all lit up in various festive colors. There are great cuisine, drinks and confectionaries to choose from, but the most intriguing was the, "Meats of the World." Care for a kangaroo or ostrich burger?


Shares of Healthcare Services Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCSG) have been given an average recommendation of "Hold" by the eleven research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $47.60.
A number of equities analysts have recently commented on HCSG shares. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of Healthcare Services Group in a research note on Saturday, February 2nd. ValuEngine lowered Healthcare Services Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 2nd. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Healthcare Services Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 29th. Benchmark set a $50.00 price objective on Healthcare Services Group and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. Finally, BidaskClub lowered Healthcare Services Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 9th.
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HCSG. Group One Trading L.P. increased its stake in Healthcare Services Group by 1,942.1% during the fourth quarter. Group One Trading L.P. now owns 700 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 738 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its stake in Healthcare Services Group by 3,976.1% during the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 1,186,395 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 1,157,289 shares during the period. Csenge Advisory Group bought a new position in Healthcare Services Group during the third quarter valued at about $37,000. Whittier Trust Co. increased its stake in Healthcare Services Group by 2,149.1% during the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 1,282 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 1,225 shares during the period. Finally, Bronfman E.L. Rothschild L.P. increased its stake in Healthcare Services Group by 43.6% during the fourth quarter. Bronfman E.L. Rothschild L.P. now owns 1,512 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 459 shares during the period.
Shares of NASDAQ:HCSG opened at $30.91 on Wednesday. Healthcare Services Group has a fifty-two week low of $30.68 and a fifty-two week high of $48.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.86.
Healthcare Services Group (NASDAQ:HCSG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $496.41 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $507.45 million. Healthcare Services Group had a return on equity of 20.09% and a net margin of 4.16%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.27 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Healthcare Services Group will post 1.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 15th will be paid a $0.1963 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 14th. This is a positive change from Healthcare Services Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $0.79 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.54%. Healthcare Services Group's payout ratio is presently 70.54%.
Healthcare Services Group, Inc provides management, administrative, and operating services to the housekeeping, laundry, linen, facility maintenance, and dietary service departments to nursing homes, retirement complexes, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals in the United States. It operates through two segments, Housekeeping and Dietary.
Receive News & Ratings for Healthcare Services Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Healthcare Services Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.


Play Pixel Warrior | Eyzi - Enjoy the game!
Protect your camp against the Zombies they want to take control of your camp but don't give them an opportunity.
You can choose different weapons inside the weapon category like an AK, minigun and more. Pick your gun and serve your body to your camp as a shield.


8.75 Stiletto Assisted Opening Knife w/ Imitation Pearl Handles. This beautiful stiletto measures a full 8.75 opened! It is exceptionally fast and smooth opening with the spring assisted mechanism, just flick the stud on the spine of the knife for instant blade deployment! 5" closed, 3-3/4" Polished 440 stainless steel blade with false top edge and Stiletto Etching.
These make great carry pieces or centerpieces to build a collection around. Details: Lighting Fast and Smooth ASSISTED OPENING! 440 Polished Stainless Steel Blade Spur Trigger Imitation Pearl Handles Stainless Steel Pocket clip Blade Length: 3-3/4 Blade Thickness: 3 mm Overall Length: 8-3/4 5 closed Weight: 5.3 ozs Linerlock Construction. This is NOT a Switchblade or Automatic knife. Please make sure it is legal to import this item into your country. Be sure to check out my other auctions and my feedback. I try to describe all my items as accurately as possible.
The item "8.75 Stiletto Spring Assisted Liner Lock Knife Pearl Handle FAST SHIPPING" is in sale since Thursday, June 15, 2017. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Knives, Swords & Blades\Collectible Folding Knives\Modern Folding Knives\Factory Manufactured".
The seller is "biggerbulletsllc" and is located in Topeka, Kansas. This item can be shipped worldwide.


This 2017-2018 chapter in the men's game has been quite annotative on the careers of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic; we're thus provided with more clarity on their contributions, championship legacies, etc. As I have been suggesting with Nadal's latest clay campaign, and extending this line of reasoning to the other two players, these recent times have further defined these champions' athletic careers.
Next, I will begin to organize my discussions of "Nadalism" and the The Djoker/"Djokollapse" as two more areas of study.
Djokovic's loss today is more of the same, another reminder of what's happening with him, what has always happened with him. We'll talk more about the match and his continued collapse later.
"Nadalism" and the Djokocourse will become elevated to that HRFRT level of study.
Join me in welcoming these collections of essays/posts to our dashboard of analysis!


Psychology is the science of the mind and behaviour. The word "psychology" comes from the Greek word "psyche" that means "the study of" or "research". A professional practitioner or researcher is called a psychologist, and can be a social scientist, behavioural scientist, or a cognitive scientist.
Sherlock Holmes, in a lot of ways is an inspiration to many psychologists. His keen observation, careful reasoning and explanations to any problem highlight the need to avoid a narrow outlook. Why?
Psychology is a branch of medicine which investigates the depths and complexities of the mind. Sometimes this is undertaken with the intention of helping people in therapy, or in an attempt to learn more about humans in general. This takes a certain level of understanding and so a narrow outlook on things doesn't help.
Developing and implementing individual treatment plans.
Discussing the treatment of problems with clients.
Being a psychologist requires quite a bit of schooling as well as an advanced degree from the reputed psychology schools. Sigmund Freud, the most famous psychoanalyst was a graduate of the University of Vienna and a private medical practitioner when he started developing his theories which are recognised throughout the world today.
Having a Bachelor's Degree in psychology will enable you to find work as an assistant to other psychologists. A master's degree will further qualify you to work as school psychologists or industrial-organisational psychologists.
Psychologists work in many fields, ranging from clinical and educational psychology to the sports and leisure industries. You could also teach at a college or a university. Alternatively, you could be a Forensic Psychologist, Police Psychologist in the Federal Government, Trial Consultant, an expert witness in employment discrimination cases or even a Science Writer.
Both government and private firms need and employ Psychologists. They work in courthouses, prisons, hospitals, clinics, juvenile detention centers, adult remand centers, police stations, schools, universities, colleges, government offices, NGOs, law offices and private firms.
Apart from this, there are many mental health clinics and outpatient centers that hire psychologists to do evaluations, testing, and therapy. They may also become executive coaches and do individual services with leaders.
In fact, psychologists have some of the most interesting and odd jobs. Circus Psychologists for example, yes, circus! These are professional who help performers adjust to their new job, overcome fear and stage fright and recover from injuries and fatigue. Practicing psychologists have the professional training and clinical skills to help people learn to cope more effectively with life issues and mental health problems. After years of graduate school and supervised training, they become equipped to provide a number of services, including evaluations and psychotherapy.
A career in psychology is appealing for a variety of reasons including satisfying work, flexible hours and good pay. In fact, in the U.S., the median salary in 2010 for clinical, counselling, and school psychologists was US$66,810 and the median salary for organisational psychologists was US$77,010. A typical starting salary for a Psychologist in UK is in the region of £30,460.
Helping other people can be very rewarding- One of the major attractions of becoming a psychologist is the opportunity to help others. If you enjoy working with people, a career in psychology is a great choice.
Flexible work schedules- One big advantage of becoming a psychologist is that you can have a rewarding career and still have plenty of time to spend with your friends and family.
High salaries- While money alone is never a good reason to choose a certain career, psychologists are generally well compensated for their time and effort.
Dealing with clients on a daily basis can be emotionally draining- While one of the great rewards of being a psychologist is the opportunity to truly help people, the daily strain of dealing with the difficult issues your clients face can be emotionally exhausting.


With Apple's addition of proactive Siri features in iOS 9, users have an even more intuitive and flexible interface from which to quickly create location based reminders.
Apple's new pressure-sensing 3D Touch technology, introduced with iPhone 6s, lets users swiftly navigate iOS 9 with Quick Actions and "Peek and Pop" previews. A lesser known -- but equally functional -- feature turns iPhone's soft keyboard into a trackpad for granular cursor control, making text entry and navigation a snap.
Along with a change to the new San Francisco font, iOS 9 now displays lowercase letters on the virtual keyboard by default when typing non-capitalized letters. This is a change that has been met with some criticism by users, but thankfully Apple has included a way to switch back to the all-caps keyboard.
With iPhone 6s' 12MP iSight and 5MP FaceTime cameras, Apple bumped the specs of the world's most popular digital shooter, giving users a good excuse to create mountains of data. Using iOS 9's built-in Photos app can help you manage this flood of photographs from the moment you press the shutter button.
Apple's iOS 9 introduces a new Notification Center tweak that allows users to display alerts individually in the order they are received rather than compartmentalizing by app, a change that presents an event "firehose" format common with social media services.
Using iOS 9's Text Replacement feature, formerly called keyboard shortcuts, can greatly speed up input of commonly used phrases, sentences, or text that is challenging to punch in on the iPhone keyboard.
Since the release of iOS 9 this week, a number of users have reported an issue in which their devices are rendered useless by an unresponsive "Slide to Upgrade" screen that appears after installing the new operating system.
Apple chose to highlight AppleInsider content in its new News app at this year's WWDC keynote, so it should come as no surprise that you can add us as a source in News after updating your iPhone or iPad to iOS 9.
Starting with next week's launch of iOS 9, users will be prompted to speak a series of commands once enabling "Hey Siri," making the intelligent personal assistant more adept at understanding a person's unique voice.
One of the most notable -- albeit least trumpeted -- user-facing enhancements in iOS 9 is the new back button, which lets you quickly return to where you were when following links between apps. Confused how it works? Here's a concise explainer.
Starting with iOS 9, Apple has made it possible to disconnect an iPhone from a Bluetooth device without the need to "forget" the wireless accessory, making it easier to reconnect without going through the pairing process again.
Apple's new operating system update does a great deal to automatically improve efficiency and extend battery life. But if a user knows that they have a long day ahead of them, they can go even further, manually enable iOS 9's new "Low Power Mode" at any point to maximize their iPhone's uptime.
iPhone 6 or 6 Plus users who upgrade to iOS 9 can now access non-default credit, debit and loyalty cards in their Apple Pay Wallet directly from the lock screen, with just two taps of the home button.
This week's launch of iOS 9 brings a slew of small but important new features for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users. They include an all-new app for viewing iCloud Drive content, support for more complex six-digit passcodes, and a series of tweaks and improvements.


For a duration of about 18 minutes, the night skies over Cagayan de Oro City became an excellent setting for a fiesta eve fireworks display sponsored by Centrio Mall.
Now held annually right across Duaw Park near City Hall on the day before the city fiesta, Bisperas Fireworks drew oohs and aahs from hundreds if not thousands of spectators who positioned at Duaw Park, Ysalina Bridge and adjacent areas. Browse over some aerial photos below courtesy of Project LUPAD.
Here's another by Mark Anthony Canoy Quitoriano.


H&S MADE NO COMMISSION THE MOST -TALKED ABOUT PARTY IN MIAMI.
Disrupting the world since its 2015 launch, No Commission, the brainchild of Swizz Beatz, The Dean Collection, and BACARDÍ is a movement that forges a direct link between artists' practices around the world and art patronage; enabling artists to showcase their works while retaining 100% of the sales for their artwork.
H&S was asked to elevate the conversation around BACARDÍ and this game-changing, counter-cultural movement by driving global headlines, social buzz and epic moments.
H&S delivered on an A-List music lineup, buzz-worthy artist feature stories, an intimate panel discussion on the "Future of Creativity," moderated by Anne Pasternak, Shelby White, and Leon Levy. No Commission: Miami took South Beach by storm, shutting down Wynwood, making it the most-talked-about party in the press that week.


text:
Q: What is this 'block' called in a UITextView? I am looking at creating a contained block like in the notes app Bear. When you click the 'hashtag' icon in the Keyboard Accessory it adds a 'contained block' in the text view. You can then continue to write text but if you backspace it selects the whole block as if it's a single element? It also shows it with a background colour. When you click the tag icon what is that 'contained block' element called? Here is the example: https://imgur.com/a/kpcK5En

A: That's definitely a custom view.
I searched their site for 3rd party libraries but can't seem to find the specific one that does this behavior. Tbf, I just skimmed. But there's a possibility it could be their own code.
3rd-party libraries used: https://bear.app/faq/Extra/Libraries%20used%20in%20Bear/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Home Inspiring Stories Leap Past Your Limits: What's on Your Adventure Bucket List?
Leap Past Your Limits: What's on Your Adventure Bucket List?
I'm hurtling through the sky at maximum velocity. The wind is rushing by so quickly my cheeks flap. The feeling of free falling doesn't drop my stomach like I thought it would, but knowing I have nothing between me and the earth is terrifying and exhilarating. The skydiving instructor pulls the parachute and everything stills. We float serenely to the ground and after a graceful touchdown, I am sure of one thing: this is definitely the adventure I've been looking for.
If you're like me, you look at your life and think things are not that exciting. You stay in front of a desk most days, drive around a lot, and mostly just work for the weekend.
When was the last time you challenged yourself to a new experience? I know I needed to start checking things off my bucket list or I'd let the blood dry in my veins.
So, if you're looking for some inspiration for your own bucket list, here are some of the activities I tried and want to share with you.
The thing that stuck with me about skydiving was my inability to control anything. Once I let go of that plane and dove into nothingness, I had no control. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen and I surrendered.
Skydiving is exhilarating, freeing, and pushes you to the farthest reaches of what you think your body can endure. It was a liberating experience unlike any I've experienced before.
While skydiving seems very dangerous, it's actually quite safe, with research showing there were only 21 fatalities in 2015. That's out of 3.5 million jumps! With numbers like that, you're more likely to die by getting a bee sting, or struck by lightning.
So, if you're like me, and you're looking for something to get your adrenaline pumping or find a lesson in letting go, consider adding skydiving to your bucket list of adventures.
Bucket lists aren't all about being wild and crazy. If that's not your cup of tea, getting a tattoo might be the thing for you. We all have life experiences we want to commemorate.
Find something that brings you inspiration, a memory, or even something you just really like looking at, and take the leap. Bring a friend or a relative along to experience it with you.
Actress Lea Michele has said that getting a tattoo is almost a family event for her large, Italian family. She says when they gather, someone will suggest getting tattoos, and it ends up being a sentimental experience.
This is a memory you can revisit over and over as you'll be carrying it around on your skin for the rest of your life. Don't worry, it only hurts for a minute.
This may sound tame next to skydiving, but when you're in the heat of battle and those colorful bullets are whizzing past your ears, it gets intense. With such a wide range of facilities and scenarios, it's easy to find one that's pretty realistic.
From fake towns to real-life military bases, you and your buddies can strategize and carry out your missions. Plus, it hurts when you get hit! Prepare yourself for the angry, red whelps you're going to receive, and the fun adventure you can add to your list.
You can even become a real-life Tomb Raider like Angelina Jolie and her family.
I've read that the number one fear for Americans is public speaking. I bet this wouldn't be an issue if you could stand onstage and text your audience, but alas, that is not acceptable.
So, the fear remains. Why is it so scary? Is it because we care so much about what other people think of us? What if we make a mistake and look foolish? Well, now is the time to stand up to that fear and face it down once and for all.
Why should you let others' opinions of you keep you from doing something extraordinary? If you think you're funny, try your hand at a stand-up comedy open mic night and literally laugh in the face of fear. If you're more thoughtful, aim for a poetry jam or spoken word event at your local coffee shop. Either way, get creative, get motivated, and get up on that stage!
We all have a need for purpose in our lives. In the grand scheme of things, we are only on this earth for a short period of time, and I know I want mine to be full of life, and full of adventures that allow me to explore my senses to the max.
I want to do things that scare and thrill me, and that maybe even make me fail so I can grow. I want to be stretched and challenged and proven wrong.
Whether it's falling from the sky or speaking in front of strangers, I want to look back on my life and realize I never let fear keep me down.
A bucket list shouldn't be just one more thing you need to get done. It should be a challenge. It should be an adventure. So, step out into that void of nothingness and feel the exhilaration of the free-fall.
Writing and researching for ThePaintballProfessor.com, Amanda Wilks is exploring the concept of excitement each day. She has learned that we all have an innate desire to push our senses towards new experiences, and we should always seek new learning opportunities. Whether in a playful or serious context, she believes you should always challenge yourself and grow out of your comfort zone. Be bold!


Student of Stillness | Music | Style Weekly - Richmond, VA local news, arts, and events.
Methodical and meditative, young jazz standout Victor X. Haskins never toots his own horn.
The wisdom of age is widely praised, but there's also something to be said for the wisdom of youth. Case in point: the centered and disciplined 19-year-old trumpeter Victor X. Haskins.
For a young artist on the rise, there's a remarkable stillness to Haskins. It's evident in the focused economy of his playing, perhaps even more so when he's simply standing, poised and listening, to someone else's solo.
This focus has paid off. Haskins twice has been named by the Richmond Jazz Society as a Joe Kennedy Jr. Scholar. His performances in both jazz and classical categories have won multiple awards. Perhaps most notably, he took second place in the 2012 National Trumpet Competition Jazz Division, where he competed with the country's best graduate and undergraduate players.
Haskins' small ensembles include some of the best and most seasoned players in Richmond. His photograph, seriously natty in suit and tie, has become one of the iconic images in Virginia Commonwealth University's re-branding campaign. And his teachers are full of praise for his potential.
"I met him when he was a freshman in high school," says international trumpet virtuoso and VCU professor Rex Richardson. "He was a good player for his age, but not particularly outstanding. The phenomenal thing about him is his understanding of himself. He's learned how he learns."
Over lunch at Crossroads Coffee and Tea, Haskins agrees. "My whole premise, not just for music but for everything that I try to do in life, whether it is schoolwork or playing a video game, is to try to figure out the most basic thing that is happening," he says. "Try to break it down and find the root of what I am trying to accomplish."
For example, he realized that the complexity of "playing the changes" — creating real-time improvisations over a shifting complexity of harmonies — doesn't require using each and every augmented and diminished chord. "It was mostly about ... playing melodies similar to the tune," Haskins says. "I am always following the phrasing, the feel of the tune, no matter how abstracted or inside it becomes. The music is never about what I want it to be; it is always about what the music wants to be."
Giving it up for the music requires strategic restraint. Haskins says he knew he wanted to play jazz when he was in high school, but he put off confronting bebop's intricacies until he arrived at VCU, concentrating instead on mastering technique. He never practices "licks" — short melodic hooks — because he wants to avoid having his performances slip into cliché. In the end, his disciplined dedication to the scholastic mastery of fundamentals increases his freedom on the bandstand.
Haskins' fluency has resulted in work with a multigenerational cross-section of leading musicians in the area, including saxophonist Skip Gailes, pianist Russell Wilson, trumpeter John D'earth, drummer Devonne Harris and bass player Andrew Randazzo. Perhaps his most adventurous work is in his vivid collaborations with pianist Steve Kessler. Playing with the brilliant, mercurial, ceaselessly inventive Kessler is regarded by many as a challenge; for Haskins it's a release. "Every time I play with Steve," he says, "I know we are always going for the most musical thing that we can do."
Kessler has left Richmond for a gold-mining town in northern Ontario, where the Internet has made him a local hero. Haskins soon will be gone as well. He'll complete his degree at VCU in the spring, after his third year, and plans to move on to New York, Los Angeles or possibly Europe. "My goal is to play high-quality music for a living," he says. He's pursuing that goal with quiet, inexorable logic, a patient young man in a hurry. So enjoy him while he's here.
When Haskins played a recent jam session at the Camel, celebrating the visit of young musicians from South Africa's University of KwaZulu Natal, he cut against the grain. Rather than following in the slipstream of a series of extroverted, up-tempo solos, Haskins played a slow, questing meditation on the melody.
The Victor Haskins Group plays regularly at Bogart's in the Fan — next on Nov. 7 — and other Richmond venues. Haskins will perform as part of the 32 Bar Records Artist Showcase at the downtown Capital Ale House on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. $15-$20. For a schedule of performances, go to victorhaskins.com.


5 blind men feel and describe an elephant.
A 6×4″ postcard: 'It was a cold day'.
These cards and more are available direct from the artist .
I'd like to order some of the vesper and some of the giraffe!
Hi Leila, it's the 'Harp and Bird' card is it? Let me know, postcards are £1 each, greetings cards £2.50 each, plus p&p according to weight.
Thanks a lot for your reply. Yes, it is the harp & bird card.
It is going to be her birthday soon and I thought of getting this nice card as the invitation card for her friends (about 18 kids) since she has chosen "harp" as her birthday theme.
May I ask you a couple of questions please.
What type of paint the card is?
Since the greetings version would be a bit pricy for the occasion, do you thing the post card version can be used as invitation card? Please let me know if you have any thoughts.
I was wondering whether you received my e-mails earlier?
I do apologize for the long mail.
– The "Harp" frame itself looks very much like no.7 and I thought of having a nice no. 7 somewhere next to the harp. Since my daughter will turn to 7, I found the idea interesting.
– As I am not aware whether you are able to have the invitation text on the back side of the card or not, therefore, I am sending you 2 version of info. to go either on the back side or front side (p/s: I personally prefer to have the " harp & no. 7″ on front side and the text on the back side, but if not possible, then we put the brief info. on the front side as well).
Pour commencer cet anniversaire party!
Je vous attendrai chez moi. Papa et Maman s'occupent de tout.
7 ans ça se fête!!!
Thank you in advance and kindly let me know if I mentioned anything not clear enough.
May I get a feedback from your end ragarding persinalizing the harp card please.
Dear Leile, do not despair, the card is underway! I have found a way how to put your text on the back, and am just re-working the picture so it incorporates Emma's 7, and fits on the postcard, yours Caroline.
Thank you for the update Caroline.
I would just ask you to keep the same "yellow, blue and brown" originally used on the card as I am using them for the other elements of the event.
Could you please confirm whether you've received my reply to your e-mail few days ago or not as it seems I had mail issues at biginning of the week. It was sent on Sep 29th.
Dear Leile, I didn't get it, and seem to be having some email problems here too, yours Caroline.
I re-counted the number of people once more and would like to get 20 cards instead of 18 please.
…………………………………………………7 ans ça se fête!!!…………………………………………………………………….
I had to put dots in one of the sentences above to keep it in the middle of the line as it was moving without the dots!! Please keep it in the middle.
Hi Leila, I have amended the wording and sent it off to the printers! So finger's crossed it should be here in a few days, I'll check it and then send on to you, and Emma! Thank you for your kind comments and I'm pleased Emma liked it, with best wishes from Caroline.
Many thanks for the update Caroline 🙂 since you mentioned the printers, I was wondering if we could have a choice on paper quality etc or not. I do not know if it is already too late for it or not but if we still have the choice, I would rather go for a good quality, heavyweight, thick paper possibly with a gloss finish. I don't mind if it will be little more expensive but since the painting and colors are great, it worths doing it 🙂 what is your opinion?
Hi Leila, there is only one option but it's a good one;- good quality card, quite thick, with gloss on the image side, regards Caroline.
Let me know please once you receive them.
Dear Leila, I will, yours Caroline.


text:
Opinion>Finance
A vision for independent workers
by Michael Mandel and Alec Stapp, opinion contributors - 07/29/20 7:00 PM ET
A slice of bread is good, but a whole loaf is better. In the spring, Senator Mike Braun of Indiana introduced the Helping Gig Economy Workers Act to shield digital companies from lawsuits on worker classification when providing protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. This legal "safe harbor" for such digital companies could find its way into the Republican stimulus package under consideration in Congress.
But independent workers around the country, including freelancers and sole proprietors, need much more than protective equipment. They need access to a universal baseline level of benefits, paid for by the companies they work with, without losing the work flexibility they value. They need a new regulatory framework that is suited for the 21st century labor market rather than the 20th century labor market. Reaching these goals requires legislation, but it is very different from what Braun is proposing.
First, it is important to realize that while independent contractors receive tax deductions with expenses like vehicle miles, the tax system penalizes independent workers who provide their own benefits. Most independent workers must pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on the money they contribute to their retirement accounts. By contrast, the contribution of employers to their employee retirement accounts is exempt from these taxes, subject to certain rules. Indeed, this tax exemption can be worth thousands of dollars for middle income workers. Similar problems also arise with health insurance coverage for independent workers.
Second, the companies that do business with independent workers are not able to provide benefits because then the Internal Revenue Service would classify the workers as employees, leading to the loss of flexibility and control over their hours and who they can work for. Such a shift with status would likely reduce the number of available jobs. Those remaining workers would have fixed schedules, capped hours, and inability to work with more than one company. It is obvious that these tax and regulatory barriers weaken the labor market position of independent workers since benefits are more expensive and difficult for them to receive.
There are two solutions to this problem. One is to double down over the historical dichotomy between employees and independent workers and make the distinction even more rigid. This "procrustean bed" solution is best exemplified by a California bill that imposes a rigid test on who can be classified as an independent contractor. Basically, it attempts to force companies to turn many of their independent contractors into traditional employees, an outcome which the vast majority of these workers do not want for the reasons described already. There is a better answer. We can level the playing field for independent workers with these steps.
First, we need legislation on the tax treatment of benefits so independent workers can have the same advantages as employees. Second, we require a new universal baseline level of benefits and protections for independent workers, fully funded by those companies they work with, including a plan with a menu of options for workers to choose those benefits that make the most sense for them. These benefits would be portable. Third, we set the uniform national standard for determining who is an independent worker. Independent workers would have control over their hours of work and no agreements preventing them from working for other companies.
Companies would opt into this regulatory framework since independent workers are so diverse that it is not true that "one size fits all." Our plan is different from the market contractor laws passed in states such as Florida, which merely specify that certain on demand workers are to be treated as independent contractors. But they do not fix the federal laws that unfairly penalize these benefits for independent workers. They also do not require companies to pay for baseline levels of benefits and protections.
We believe strongly in the importance of regulation for a strong economy. Yet we also advocate to improve regulation as essential for growth and job creation. It is time to improve regulation of the labor market to benefit the independent workers rather than the companies they work for.
Michael Mandel is chief economic strategist and Alec Stapp is director of technology policy at the Progressive Policy Institute based in Washington.
Tags America Business Economics Finance Government Labor Policy Regulation
More Finance News
To reverse our discontent, America needs a national infrastructure bank
by Harlan Ullman, Opinion Contributor 21 hours ago
FHLBanks promote stability during liquidity challenges
by Ryan Donovan, opinion contributor 2 days ago
Finance / 2 days ago
How investing in microbusinesses can bring massive economic results
by Connie E. Evans, opinion contributor 3 days ago
The debt ceiling's silver lining
by Emil Henry, Opinion Contributor 3 days ago
Chiefs star Kelce to Cincinnati mayor: 'Know your role and shut your mouth'


text:
Whole Life Tariff Reviews by Jeremy
Earlier this year Jeremy Bamber won a ECHR Grand Chamber case to have a review inserted into his sentence: for further information catch up here. The article below was written by Jeremy during the latter half of 2012.
Whole life Tariff Reviews: "hope for the future, however tenuous that hope may be."
On the 28th of November 2012, the European Grand Chamber will hear the appeal against my whole life tariff along with two other cases, Vinter and Moore. Firstly I need to clarify what this case is actually about. Many people have assumed that if my case in the Grand Chamber is won then my tariff
would be put back down to the original 25 years set by the trial judge. This is not the case. What my legal team has applied for is for a review to be inserted into my mandatory whole life sentence. It is my position that the UK Government is in breach of Article 3 and article 5 (4) of the European Convention on Human Rights by imposing a whole life sentence without review, this amounts to 'inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.' But what does this actually mean? In light of the January ruling that whole life tariff's are not in breach of human rights law, the only appropriate submission my legal team could make to the Grand Chamber is that there is no problem with a government applying a mandatory whole life sentence, but the breach of Human Rights Law lies within there being no mechanism for review of the prisoner's whole life sentence. It is then asserted, (and it is also my particular view) that a whole life order then becomes parallel with a death sentence. To order someone to die is to permanently exclude them from society and it then follows that to sentence a person to whole life imprisonment is also permanent social exclusion. Social death is a dimension of the slavery which replaced death in Classical society, and was and still is intrinsically linked to loss of liberty. [1] As I have stated many times, I have been sentenced to death by old age.
This leads us to the psychological state of those incarcerated for whole life without reviews. It has been clarified by psychologists including those assessing me that I am at continued risk of having depression brought about the prolonged environment of prison.[2] I am in total agreement about life without hope, after all hope is what keeps the human spirit alive and without hope there is nothing. For me, even with the insertion of a review there is still very little hope of release. If the Grand Chamber rule to allow me to have reviews there is no knowing at what point a review could be placed, it might be at 30 or 40 years into a sentence. As I have maintained innocence, there lies the other difficulty of reviewing my prison term in light of this. Because I have maintained innocence I have not taken part in any rehabilitation programmes and neither can I be viewed as a prisoner who has gained atonement. The judiciary and review boards see me as being in denial of guilt. So when the European Court of Human Rights ruled against my appeal at Strasbourg in Janurary 2012, the three dissenting judges emphasised that Article 3 was being infringed and their words rang true for me, "equally importantly depriving him of any hope for the future, however tenuous that hope may be." Tenuous, really is how I feel about this ruling even if we win in the Grand Chamber. After this digression, nevertheless the argument my lawyers have put forward is that this treatment, taking into account psychological effects does amount to inhuman and degrading treatment. To this I have to agree wholeheartedly, respect for 'hope' an essential dimension of human dignity does underpin the protection of human rights. [3]
In the USA and China the death penalty still exists in contrast to Canada where there is no death penalty and no whole life sentencing. The USA, similarly to England and Wales currently has the sentence of 'Life Without Parole' (LWOP) and in Florida the US Supreme Court commented broadly on the destructive impact of this sentence "It deprives the convict of the most basic liberties without giving hope of restoration.[4]
If you have always felt that England and Wales are soft on sentencing then think again because the statistics show otherwise. The position is that all majority state parties of Europe rule that life sentences must have reviews.[5] Only England and Wales and Hungary have an authentically irreducible whole life sentence, England and Wales with almost 21 times more life sentenced prisoners than any other single European country and We currently have more whole life sentence prisoners than all of Europe put together. [6] The first whole life tariff in the UK was set in 1988, and in 2003 reviews at executive discretion for these prisoners was abolished (under a Labour government).[7]Although Scotland's sentencing is generally similar to England and Wales their human rights laws were brought into line with Europe at the time of the devolution of powers.[8]
Whole life tariff prisoners cannot be subject to a prerogative pardon. The only mechanism for release of a prisoner (other than to overturn their conviction) on a whole life sentence in England and Wales is granted in exceptional circumstances, where the prisoner is medically incapacitated with death to occur within 3 months and no life sentence prisoner has ever been released under this or any other power in England and Wales. This exception compounds the view that a whole life sentence is literally a death sentence.[9]
As I am not guilty of the crimes I have been convicted of carrying out, where do I fit in all of this? Currently the only avenue to appeal is through the politically controlled quango of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. When this avenue is exhausted because the commission has usurped the role of the appeal courts and is in violation of the Criminal Appeals act 1995, and non disclosure of evidential materials still prevails, surely this is a violation of both Article 3 and 5(4) of European Human Rights Law, and should be taken into consideration when assessing whole life sentences. As crime is intrinsically tied to sentencing it is axiomatic that the problem of Miscarriage of Justice cases could be expanded within this framework simply because a Miscarriage of Justice in UK law does not allow for innocence but only a "miscarriage of due process."[10]
If we are to believe the statistics quoted by Dr Michael Naughton as opposed to the Government's 'massaged figures' we face a very worrying situation indeed. Naughton reveals that there are no less than 18 convictions a day overturned in the UK which is an astonishing figure warranting a full review of the causes of wrongful convictions.[11] Indeed Naughton himself states: "miscarriages of justice as understood from the perspective of the legal system are not the exception to the rule, rather they are a routine and even mundane feature of the criminal justice process."[12]
It is of course, with my own conviction and these statistics in mind when I consider what a whole life sentence means to the individuals living a 'social death' as I do each day. But whatever happens on the 28th of November this year it will make little difference to my current life, release for me with my conviction intact means no life at all. There is only one freedom and one hope for me and that is that the truth of my innocence will be heard in a court of Law allowing me the liberty I have been fighting for.
[1] Patterson, O. Slavery and Social Death: A Comparative Study, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1982
[2] Dr Anderson Report, 2006
[3] "reintergrationist" versus "exclusionary" types of imprisonment, Dolovich, pg 13 & 122; Life Without Parole, Ed Ogletree and Sarat, NYU Press, 2012. Absence of a "dignity tradition" comparative study USA, Europe, pg 19 & 282-310, op cit.
[4] Graham v Florida 130, S.Ct. 2011, 2021 (2010) at 2027 & Naovarath v State, 105 Nev. 525, 526, 779 P.2d 944 (1989), at pg 4 &40
[5] http://treaties.un.org & UN report on Life Imprisonment (1994)
[6] Stats prisoners serving life or IPP http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/prison-probation/omsq/omsq-q1-2012.pdf, The Howard,Newsletter of the Howard League for Penal Reform, Summer 2009, http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/prisons/ & Hansard, Baroness Stern at Col 448 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/
[7] Provisions of CJA 2003
[8] Convention rights (Compliance) (Scotland) Act 2001 c.7
[9] PSO, 4700, para, 12.2.1
[10] Naughton, M. Rethinking Miscarriages of Justice, 2012 edition, Palgrave, Basingstoke, pp 21-24
[11] Daily average in Crown Court, CACD (including referrals from the CCRC) and House of Lords, 18.21, op cit.
[12] Ibid pg 4


text:
Former Twitter Employee Convicted of Charges Related to Spying for Saudis
The estimated reading time is 3 minutes
SAN FRANCISCO — A former Twitter employee was convicted on Tuesday by a jury in federal court of six charges related to accusations that he spied on the company's users for Saudi Arabia.
While at Twitter, Ahmad Abouammo, 44, managed media partnerships in the Middle East and North Africa. He developed relationships with prominent individuals in the region, receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars and a luxury watch from a top adviser to Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. In return, prosecutors said, he shared the personal user information of dissidents with Saudi officials.
The jury convicted Mr. Abouammo of two counts of wire fraud or conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of money laundering, one count of falsifying records and one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without properly disclosing that work. It found Mr. Abouammo not guilty on five counts of wire fraud or conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The verdict comes at a fraught moment between the United States and Saudi Arabia, as the United States seeks closer Saudi-Israeli relations and relief from high gas prices. President Biden made his first visit as president to the kingdom last month, setting aside a promise to make it a "pariah" and exchanging a fist bump with the crown prince.
The visit was sharply criticized by human rights activists who said it diminished the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post columnist who was assassinated in 2018 by Saudi operatives.
Mr. Abouammo's trial concluded on Thursday, and the jury of six men and five women took 17 hours to reach a verdict. On Monday, prosecutors and Mr. Abouammo's lawyers agreed to allow 11 jurors to decide the case after the 12th member of the jury had been excused for testing positive for the coronavirus.
After the verdict was read on Tuesday, three jurors answered questions from the defense team, saying they had deliberated the longest over the charge that Mr. Abouammo had acted as an agent of a foreign government. The jury reached a unanimous decision on that count Tuesday morning, the jurors said. One juror told Mr. Abouammo's lawyers that she wished Twitter had "a little more responsibility for this."
A Twitter spokeswoman said the company had cooperated with law enforcement during the trial and had notified users who might have been affected.
Mr. Abouammo, who worked at Twitter from 2013 to 2015, was arrested in 2019. Ali Alzabarah, another former Twitter employee who was also charged in the scheme, fled the country before he could be arrested. Several of the charges of which Mr. Abouammo was acquitted were related to communications between Mr. Alzabarah and Saudi officials, suggesting that the jury was not convinced that Mr. Abouammo had influenced his co-worker's actions.
Prosecutors described Mr. Abouammo as a mole who had sold his access to personal user information to Saudi Arabia.
"Power. Greed. Lies. You heard this story, told by the evidence, here in this courtroom," said Eric Cheng, an assistant U.S. attorney, during closing statements.
In a statement, Stephanie Hinds, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, said, "In this case, the government demonstrated, and the jury found, that Abouammo violated a sacred trust to keep private personal information from Twitter's customers and sold private customer information to a foreign government."
She added, "As this case demonstrates, we will not tolerate the misuse of personal information or attempts by foreign governments to recruit secret, malign agents at American technology companies."
Mr. Abouammo repeatedly looked up personal information for the Twitter user behind an account known as Mujtahidd, as well as for other dissidents, prosecutors said. The Mujtahidd account is critical of Saudi leadership and has more than two million followers on Twitter. Prosecutors said Saudi representatives had paid $300,000 to Mr. Abouammo for the information.
Seth Wilson, a Twitter security executive who testified at the trial that Mr. Abouammo's accessing of users' information had been inappropriate, tweeted his gratitude for the verdict. "Been a long road to get to this conviction," Mr. Wilson wrote. "Appreciate the efforts of so many to see that justice was done."
Lawyers for Mr. Abouammo described him as merely a Twitter employee who had been doing his job. Other media-partnerships managers at Twitter also developed close relationships with influential people who used the platform and provided white-glove service, helping them become verified on Twitter and handling their complaints about impersonators and troublesome accounts, Mr. Abouammo's defense argued.
Prosecutors had not connected Mr. Abouammo's accessing information and receiving payments with actual sharing of that information, his lawyers said.
"Even if you think Mr. Abouammo possibly or probably did it, you must vote not guilty," said Angela Chuang, a federal public defender who represents Mr. Abouammo and a lead attorney in the case, during closing statements. Jerome Matthews, another lawyer for Mr. Abouammo, declined to comment on the verdict.
Previous articleBlizzard will stop selling 'Overwatch' loot boxes on August 30th
Next articleDisney+ ad-free streaming price increases to $11 per month in December
Nothing Phone 2 to launch in US later this year
TikTok's New Defense in Washington: Going on the Offense
Phil Spencer says Microsoft will continue to 'support and grow'…
Anthropic Said to Be Closing In on $300 Million in…
US, Netherlands and Japan reportedly agree to limit China's access…
On Trump's Truth Social: Ads for Miracle Cures, Scams and…
'Stranger Things' helped Netflix dominate the streaming charts in 2022
Phil Spencer says Microsoft will continue to 'support and grow' Halo amid 343 layoffs
Anthropic Said to Be Closing In on $300 Million in New A.I. Funding
US, Netherlands and Japan reportedly agree to limit China's access to chipmaking equipment
On Trump's Truth Social: Ads for Miracle Cures, Scams and Fake Merchandise
'Stranger Things' helped Netflix dominate the streaming charts in 2022
Audi's Activesphere EV concept is built for off-roading and augmented reality
Wearable ultrasound patch could offer real-time heart scans on the go


Field trips that enhance student learning and reinforce the curriculum are scheduled appropriately throughout the school year.
Sacred Heart School 7th and 8th graders traditionally take a trip together each year; usually to either Camp Eagle in Rocksprings, TX (during February or March) or Washington, DC & New York (in the month of June). The school will notify the parents and those wishing to particiapte can pay to attend.


The U.S. is suspending security assistance to Pakistan "until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against [terror] groups including the Afghani Taliban and the Haqqani Network," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Thursday.
The State Department declined to provide a total amount of assistance being suspended– but this new announcement is in addition to $255 million in foreign military assistance the U.S. suspended on August 31. Those funds — essentially money that the U.S. provides to Pakistan to purchase American military equipment — remain suspended, in addition to past years' foreign military assistance that are now suspended as well.
In addition, the Pentagon will suspend further military reimbursements to Pakistan as part of its Coalition Support Fund, a program that reimburses U.S. allies for costs they have incurred in counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations. In fiscal year 2016, that figure totaled $550 million — although Defense Secretary James Mattis withheld $50 million of that money in July, citing the same difficulties securing Pakistan's cooperation.


Here we use a blank recordable compact disk as a diffractive device. A simple model for the disk grating is proposed. After the disk is properly cut, small pieces of it are completely immersed in the liquid of interest. Such a small piece is in fact a single-use reflective grating and we call it removable compact disk grating. Because it's very cheap and, for this reason, easy to remove it, the compact disk grating is a suitable device for contaminating fluids and particularly for human serum. The principle of the method allows to calculate the refractive index of human serum by measuring the angular displacement of the diffracted maxima, or by fringe counting in a grating interferometer.


6 Recent Notable Contract Disputes in NY/NJ SportsStar athletes failing to reach contract agreements with professional sports teams is nothing new, especially among the teams in the New York City area.
Osi Umenyiora Signs 1-Day Deal To Retire As A GiantUmenyiora, who won two Super Bowls with the Giants, has announced his retirement after 12 NFL seasons.
Report: Umenyiora Might Sign 1-Day Contract With Giants, Ceremoniously RetireIf Umenyiora doesn't come to terms with a team soon he will retire with the Giants and a formal announcement will be made during training camp.
Ex-Giants Pass Rusher Osi Umenyiora Visits JetsOsi Umenyiora wants to retire, whenever that day comes, as a member of Big Blue. But in the meantime his next stop could be with their MetLife Stadium co-tenants.
Giants' Beatty Feeling Good, Ready To Take On Old Pal UmenyioraAfter a disappointing season that ended with a broken leg in the regular-season finale, New York Giants tackle Will Beatty is back in form and smiling a lot this week.
Silverman: Roadkill! Expect Falcons To Fall Flat Against Surging Giants At MetLifeThe Falcons have set a tone for their season: it appears they are going to be quite formidable at home, and rather timid when they go on the road.
Ranking The Best Local Athletes In History By Jersey/Uniform Number: 79-70We've already counted down the best local players from No. 99 to No. 80. Now let's try our luck in the 70s.
Giglio: 48 Predictions On The Road To Super Bowl XLVIIIWeek-to-week storylines around the NFL will continue to be unpredictable for experts. Joe Giglio gives his 48 predictions to watch during the 2013 NFL season.
Giants Aiming To Bounce Back After Missing Playoffs Last Season A year ago, the New York Giants failed miserably in their bid to get back to the Super Bowl and defend their title. This year, the Giants just want to stay home — and become the first NFL team to play the Super Bowl in their backyard.
With Minicamp Over, Giants Have Sights Set On Getting Back To Playoffs After being warned by coach Tom Coughlin that now was not the time to slack off, the New York Giants held their final workout before the start of training camp in late July.
With JPP Out, Mathias Kiwanuka To Start At Defensive End For Giants Mathias Kiwanuka is going back to being a defensive end for the New York Giants — and as a starter. Kiwanuka was thrust into the role earlier this week when Jason Pierre-Paul had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back.
Freeney's Father: Dwight Would 'Love' To Play For Giants, But 'They're Broke' "His heart is with ... talking to him, he would love to be with the Giants," Hugh Freeney, Dwight's father, told Sirius radio's Adam Schein. "But the Giants unfortunately ... doesn't have the money for it. They're broke."