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Run for Your Life

A calculating killer who calls himself The Teacher is taking on New York City, killing the powerful and the arrogant. His message is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences! For some, it seems that the rich are finally getting what they deserve. For New York's elite, it is a call to terror.

Only one man can tackle such a high-profile case: Detective Mike Bennett. The pressure is enough for anyone, but Mike also has to care for his 10 children-all of whom have come down with virulent flu at once!

Discovering a secret pattern in The Teacher's lessons, Detective Bennett realizes he has just hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history. From the #1 bestselling author comes RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, the continuation of his newest, electrifying series.

The official beginning of Sloppy Joe's Bar, the famous and infamous Key West saloon, was December 5, 1933--the day Prohibition was repealed. The bar was destined to go through two name changes and a sudden change of location before it would become Sloppy Joe's, seen by millions of visitors to Florida's southernmost outpost.

Key West being a bastion of free thinkers even in the thirties, Prohibition was looked on as an amusing exercise dreamed up by the government--and Joe Russell was just one of the enterprising individuals who operated illegal speakeasies. Even Ernest Hemingway, who made Key West his home at the time, slipped over to Russell's on occasion to buy illicit bottles of Scotch, and the two struck up an enduring friendship.

When the government's Great Experiment ended a dismal failure, Joe Russell became a legitimate saloon-keeper-proprietor of the Blind Pig, a droll rundown building that Russell leased for three dollars a week.

The rowdy, come-as-you-are saloon was renamed the Silver Slipper upon the addition of a dance floor, but that didn't matter--it remained a place of shabby discomfort, good friends and gambling, fifteen-cent whiskey, and ten-cent shots of gin.

It was Hemingway, a favorite patron of Russell's bar from the start, who encouraged its name change to Sloppy Joe's. The new name was adopted from Jose Garcia Rio Havana club selling liquor and iced seafood. Because the floor was always wet with melted ice, his patrons taunted this Spanish Joe with running a sloppy place... and the name stuck.

In its early days in Key West, Sloppy Joe's boasted several trademark "fixtures" besides Hemingway. There way "Big" Skinner, the hearty black bartender who tipped the scales at 300 pounds and served Sloppy's customers for more than two decades. The long bar curved rakishly; gambling and the requisite pool tables were in the rear.

Sloppy Joe's migrated across the street to its present location on May 5, 1937. The move was occasioned by a rent increase that Joe Russell refused to pay: from three dollars a week to a whopping four. Luckily, the former Victoria Restaurant owned by Spanish emigrant Juan Farto was vacant. Located at the corner of Duval and Greene streets, the Victoria had been built in 1917 and incorporated beautiful Cuban tile work, busily whirring ceiling fans, and jalousie doors. Joe Russell paid $2,500 for it.

In true Key West fashion, the bar never actually closed during the transition--customers simply picked up their drinks and carried them, along with every accoutrement in the place, down the block to 201 Duval Street. Service resumed with barely a blink. The new Sloppy Joe's boasted the longest bar in town, a walled-off room often used for gambling, and life-size paintings of fighters on the walls. Also adorning one wall was a 119-pound sailfish caught by Hemingway, and Skinner had pride of place above the huge bar.

Joe Russell was a charter boat captain, rumrunner, Hemingway's boat pilot, and the author's fishing companion for twelve years. In his company, Papa once caught an astonishing 54 marlin in 115 days. Hemingway called him "Josie Grunts" and used him as the model for Freddy, the owner of Freddy's Bar and captain of the Queen Conch in To Have and Have Not. Joe Russell died in 1941 of a heart attack. He was 53 years old.

When Joe officially opened the bar, Hemingway and his "Mob" of cohorts were enthusiastic regular customers. In fact, the author once called himself a co-owner or silent partner in the enterprise. The "Mob" was comprised of some of the literary lights of the day as well as a variety of famous and infamous local residents: John Dos Pasos, Waldo Pierce, J.B. Sullivan, Hamilton Adams, Captain Eddie Saunders, Henry Strater. They wrangled, drank, and philosophized the days away, never knowing they were building a legend.

When Hemingway left Key West in 1939, he left a number of personal effects stored in a house next to Sloppy Joe's. After the house was sold, the effects were moved into the back room behind the bar at Sloppy's. They remained there until 1962, a year after Hemingway's death, when his widow opened the room and took possession of them. Some of the memorabilia was given to the then-owner of the bar to be displayed.

Over the years Sloppy Joe's, like rare Cuban rum, has gained a richness and flavor while essentially remaining unchanged. The ceiling fans still whisper busily, a little bit wobbly but carrying on. The jalousie doors open on a Duval Street busier than even Hemingway could imagine, yet still bearing the offbeat ambience that prompted him to brand Key West "the St. Tropez of the poor." The long curving bar wears the scars of generations of visitors and Hemingway aficionados, drawn by the legend and hoping some measure of magic will rub off on them--and it does.

Open 365 days a year, from 9:00am-4:00am daily (noon-4:00am on Sundays). Sloppy Joe’s has three compleme

"What The Heck???"

These are the size 50 jeans I got for Christmas. As you can see, there is some spare room in them now. Actually, if you had been here when I took the photo, you would know I was standing on the bottoms of the jeans legs and could not keep them up between photo shots.

It all started in November or maybe even earlier. My ankles were beginning to bark, my knees hurt, and it got to the point where I could not get through a day at work without having rather severe back pain. I figured my body would adjust to the weight but it just got worse. To make things even more difficult, I could not get through most days without a nap. I was just so tired all the time. I had little energy to get things done around the house. I just felt like I wasn't really living life anymore. Just existing as this fat guy with a big ball gut...which was making my back hurt a lot. I just felt like I was overwhelmed by this huge dark cloud of lethargy.

So the first week of January I made some changes. I doubled the amount of vitamins I take every day. I cut out almost all sugar from my food intake, and decided to eat more healthy.

My current breakfast favorites are a roasted turkey sandwich (it takes one minute to assemble, not exactly traditional breakfast, but do I look like a traditional guy?) or a six egg white omelet with sauteed tomato and spinach with parmesan cheese. Lunch is soup and salad or a turkey burger and salad, no bun, just the turkey burger. Gawd, they are good. I do not know what seasoning the manufacturer is putting in them, but everyone at work is hooked on them. Dinner is either something made from scratch or I make bear something he likes (as he is not eating so healthy) and I do Healthy Choice. Hey, I cook for others all day! Last night we had chicken with zucchini, yellow squash carrots and red bell peppers sauteed in olive oil, thyme, fresh basil and salt & pepper and tossed with pasta.

I still drink beer most nights.

The result? See the photo above. From January 7th to Sunday, February 20th, I have gone from 340 to 295. Today I had to run around the corner to Patrick's Market for a few things. I ended up in size 44's. Good thing I saved my old clothes as I was putting on weight. The t-shirt in this pic is an XL. The underwear I modeled a week or so ago also XL. I can now walk into any store and actually buy things.

What about my health you say? Well...I haven't had the urge to nap in over a month. I get more done at work. I notice I don't waddle anymore, and can walk faster. I have more energy at home and the results have been documented here in my 365 in some of the projects I have completed around the apartment. I can bend over to pick something up without my belly cutting into my inner organs and affecting my breathing. I can actually trim my own toenails again. And yes....I have more energy in bed. ;)

Perhaps best of all is that I feel more alive...more energized...I feel more like I am living life. My knees do not hurt anymore, my ankles do not hurt anymore, and my back is not killing me anymore.

Do I plan to loose more weight? I don't know actually. I plan to keep eating healthy and apparently that adds up to less calories than I need to maintain my current body weight, so I imagine I will drop more weight. Do I have a goal? No, we'll just see what happens.

It's called The Run. An illicit, high-stakes race across the country. The only way to get your life back is to be the first from San Francisco to New York. No speed limits. No rules. No allies. All you have are your driving skills and sheer determination as you battle hundreds of the world's most notorious drivers on the country's most dangerous roads. In Need for Speed The Run, you'll weave through dense urban centers, rocket down icy mountain passes and navigate narrow canyons at breakneck speeds, all the while evading a relentless police force prepared – and willing – to use lethal force to take you down.

On one side of this country lie the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and cable cars — on the opposite coast there are massive skyscrapers, the Statue of Liberty and the endless glow of Times Square. What separates these two great cities is nearly 3,000 miles of roadway through dense urban centers, over epic mountains, across arid deserts and in constricted canyons.


Evade the Police

A race to get your life back!

Gorgeous car designs
Synopsis
With no speed limits, rules or allies available, only Jack's determination and driving skills will keep him going in this heart-stopping race to get his life back. Thrills and excitement hide around every corner of this breakneck race across the country, but so do the police — and the men who want him dead. Evading these ruthless forces in one town won't be enough. You must have the Need for Speed.
Key Features:
Unleash the power of three vehicles exclusive to this Limited Edition, including the Lamborghini Aventador, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the Porsche 911 Carrera S
Open up the 700 HP untamed Lamborghini Aventador and frighten your rivals, bully back the cops in the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and experience the sheer power and pinpoint handling of the most highly anticipated car of 2011, the Porsche 911 Carrera S
Put your driving skills and new elite cars to the test with this Limited Edition's five exclusive racing events, fresh content, new chances to battle your friends on Autolog and earn bonus rewards and achievements
Be the first to cross the finish line as you speed across the country from San Francisco to New York in an illicit, high-stakes race
Race as Jack, a marked man who must make it to New York City ahead of the competition, the police and the men who want him dead
Grip the wheel, put the pedal to the floor and use your slick driving skills and sheer determination to keep Jack alive inside and outside of the car
Battle hundreds of the world's most notorious drivers on the country's most treacherous roads
Snake through dense urban settings, plunge down icy mountain passes and carefully traverse narrow canyons at breakneck speeds
Evade a relentless police force that is ready and willing to use any means necessary to take you down
Connect to Autolog and compare your best times against your friends in a race to New York where every second counts
Engage in high-octane multiplayer racing and join races already in progress with matchmaking technology, create a party with friends and pick a playlist of your favorite challenges and vie for racing supremacy across every stage ofThe Run
Level up and earn access to exclusive vehicles, upgrades and abilities by mastering the playlists
Powered by the new Frostbite 2 engine, created by the award-winning DICE studio, delivers an amazing level of visual detail, immersive environments and emotional impact
Prepare for the race of your life in Need For Speed: The Run. This extremely illegal, high-stakes race across the country requires only slick driving skills and your sheer determination to be first. There are no rules, no allies and most importantly, no speed limits in this dangerous competition. Battle against hundreds of the world's most infamous drivers on the country's most hazardous roads. As you rocket down icy mountain passes, snake through dense urban centers and steer through narrow canyons, beware the unyielding police force determined to bring you down — by any means necessary, including lethal force. With this Limited Edition, you'll receive access to powerful cars that take your Need for Speed to the next level. Put the pedal to the floor in the 700 HP Lamborghini Aventador on the highway to leave the cops and your rivals in the dust. Drive across the U.S. with the American classic Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and show your enemies that you will be bullied by no one. Slide behind the wheel of the most highly anticipated car of 2011, the Porsche 911 Carrera S, and experience the raw power and tight handling. With the power and precision of these elite cars, you'll want to put them to the test. Shift into another gear with five racing events, fresh content, new chances to combat your friends on Autolog and earn bonus rewards and achievements included with this Limited Edition. Are you ready for the drive of your life?