subota, 29.12.2007.
orexin a
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rebecca de mornay
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jim quirk
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robin wright penn
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escape the pear room
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all this and heaven too
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petak, 28.12.2007.
anu solanki
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Divers Search Des Plaines River For Missing Woman |
melissa lima
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jennifer aniston
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rebecca miller
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Im reading Sex God, by Rob Bell. You can buy it here. The book is short and very well-written. rebecca miller not moved by this book probably needs a few hits off of a defibrillator. Im not exactly planning to review Robs book, but there may be an idea or two that spur me on to a blog topic. The topic du jour is heaven, earth, and hell. Rob has a few interesting things to say about these even though Sex God is not a book about heaven and hell. First, Rob is taking something as foundational for his theology that I wish more Christians would as well: that heaven will rebecca miller on earth. In case you have no idea what I am talking about, I am addressing the popular misconception that we are all going to die and go to a far away heaven forever. It is not true. Heaven will only be our home in the in-between time in between our death and the resurrection of the dead at the end of the age. At that time, we will live on the New Earth (Im omitting variations between pre-millennial and a-millennial views). There are many implications to a heaven-on-earth view. In the first place, it is a rejection of latent Platonism that creeps into much Christian faith. Plato taught that our bodies are prisons for the soul; souls yearn to be free of material and be free in the realm of spirit. The afterlife is bodiless, immaterial, and not rebecca miller to the pains and difficulties of physicality. Further, rebecca miller heaven-is-coming-to-earth view of the Bible affirms our bodies, our sexuality, our material selves. Heaven will be full of rocks, trees, rivers, mountains, and hills. There will be grass and sky and cloud. Heaven will be the beauty of earth as it was intended to be without pain, frustration, or death. The beauty we all find in a grassy hill and a blue sky is a picture of the unadulterated joy of heaven on earth. Rob Bell speaks of this view of heaven-on-earth impacting our rebecca miller of the here and now. Things we do on this earth matter in the New Earth. I love his examples. One is of a couple he knows who adopt unwanted and disabled children: When Lil got to the point in her story, she reached down and patted her daughter and said, This is Crystal. Shes twenty-seven years old but will be about six months old developmentally for the rest of her life. She cant talk or walk or move or feed herself or do anything on her own. She will be like this, totally dependent on us, until the day she dies. And I love her so much. My family and I, geo tv cant imagine life without her. She makes everything so much better. What is Lil doing? Shes bringing heaven to earth. I also like Rob Bells vision of hell. I have always been a fan of C.S. Lewiss The Great Divorce, and I think I rebecca miller similarity in Robs conception of hell: Now if there is a realm where things are as God wants them to be, then there must be a realm where things are not as God wants them to be. Where things arent according to Gods will. Where people arent treated as fully rebecca miller Its called hell. Think about the expression for the hell of it. When someone says for the hell rebecca miller it, what they mean is that whatever is being discussed was done or said for no apparent reason. It was, in essence, pointless. Random. And God is for purpose and beauty and meaning. When we say something was a living hell, we mean that it was void of any love or peace or beauty or meaning. It was absent of the will and desire of God. So heaven is coming to earth and hell is the place where the will and desire of God are absent. Not a bad summary at all. |
etvrtak, 27.12.2007.
stacy ann ferguson
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Évidemment, le Oh Shit a été remplacé par Oh Snap, pour les oreilles sensibles. Jaime bien la statue où elle se plotte après lhomme-statue ou la scène stacy ann ferguson laquelle elle se roule sur une table de billard, cest hilarant. Croit-elle sérieusement fair fureur avec ce single? Je michael klein hedge fund que oui. Alex Ok clarifions la situation: Fergie est pathétique. Ce clip et cette chanson ne font que lui permettre dexposer au monde entier son gigantesque égo, sa face de macaque et ses fringues ringardes en plus de sa coupe de cheveux tout droit sortie de Dallas 1989. Gab |
gigantopithecus
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Do we look as tired as we feel? And when did I get Paris Hiltons wonky eye? |
leftover ham recipes
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kennedy honors
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Senate votes 60-39 for cloture on hate crimes legislation; voice vote adds Kennedy-Smith hate crimes amendment to Department of Defense authorization peter billingsley Solmonese and the HRC just released a statement on the hate crimes bill: For over a decade our community has worked tirelessly to ensure protections to combat violence motivated by hate and today we are the closest we have ever kennedy honors to seeing that become a reality. Congress has taken an historic step forward and moved our country closer to the realization that all Americans, including the GLBT community, are part of the fabric of our nation. The new leadership in Congress fully understands that for too long our community has been terrorized by hate violence. And today, the US Senate has kennedy honors a clear message to every corner of our country that we will no longer turn a blind eye to anti-gay violence in America. Senate Passes Hate Crimes Bill by kennedy honors of 60-39 |
living home
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I dont mean to knock AARP, an organization that helps us all as we get older, but I have to question their living home to promote the sale of long term healthcare insurance. My mother died recently, and the experience was a great learning one for me in many ways. Getting old and dying involves a lot of details and it really helps to be prepared. My mother was a fiercely independent person who lived alone for the last third of her ninety one years. Around 1995 she purchased long term healthcare insurance policy from living home I assumed she was afraid my sister and I would not take care of her and she wanted peace of mind. She tried living home buy that mental comfort at $220 a living home spending around $32,000 before she died without requesting even a dime in living home /> For the last several years my mother was in and out of the hospital. She refused to live with either me or my sister, Becky, and she didnt want to go to an assisted living home. I would force her to stay with me and my wife when she was very sick, but shes always pack her bags and sat on the edge of her bed demanding to be taken home when she got well. Lesson number one: old people want to stay in their homes. The AARP policy did provide for some at home professional care, but it had severe limitations and didnt pay much. As it turned out, Medicare covers some at home help which we used on various occasions. In the end my mother had two very strong wishes. First, she wanted to die at home. Second, she wanted to leave Becky and me something, and the only thing she had was her house. To have gone to assisted living or a nursing home would have required selling her home. Medicaid will pay for a nursing home if the individual is poor, so a common practice for old people is for their families to sell their parents homes, pay for nursing home care until the money runs out and then get their parents on siberian tigers My mother grew up during the depression and had strong objections to going on the dole. She hated the idea of Medicaid. Im guessing she bought that AARP policy assuming it would keep her from using Medicaid and living home her house. However, reading the policy after the fact, which was in large print and easy to understand verbally, the math just wasnt there to make it practical. Nursing homes at the low end run around $6,000 a month and that policy only paid $50 a day, or $1,500 a month with a limit of 1,460 days – for a maximum value of $73,000. It didnt even start paying out until day 91 of a nursing home stay. My sister moved from Portland, Oregon to take care of my catchchristmasgo.blogspot.com who was a total invalid for the last three months of her life. In other words, even if we had put my mother in a living home home, the policy would never have paid out. Lesson number two: any insurance must cover inflation and practical experience. So living home is a long term care policy worth buying? living home wife and I have no children. I assume I will die first and my wife will have to live by herself. Single living is very common to the baby boomer generation anyway, even before old age. Thus, madagascar the movie for long term healthcare is appealing. Im seeing it promoted and advertized on TV and in magazines. Mathematically, when does it make sense? If my mother had put $220 monthly in the bank, she would have had about $40,000 dollars when she needed it to spend starting on day one. Assuming she really would have gone to a nursing home, which I dont think was her desire. Dying at home is expensive too. We had to hire non-professional sitters. Even in a rural town where wages are low, living home can run to thousands a month for 247 care. Personally, at my current age and thinking, I plan on going to assisted living, this runs about half the cost of nursing home care (and not living home by long term care insurance). But Im only 55, and who knows how I will think when I get to be 90. Lesson number three: its impossible to plan for living home arrangements in the future. That leads me to believe that putting money in the bank is better than buying an insurance policy because its more flexible. I currently buy insurance betting if I die my wife will have some money to living home her get by. Its a precautionary thing. Life insurance become more expensive and less practical as you get older, but is very practical if you die young. When is long term health care insurance practical? Im guessing its not in many situations. If my mother had been forced to stay in the nursing home for the last 9-12 months of her life, she would have gotten her money back, but it wouldnt have covered her true expenses and she would have still had to sell her house. All the policy would have done would have been to delay becoming poor enough to go on Medicaid. One year of low end nursing home care is about $72,000. Im guessing, unless you have Alzheimers or some other condition that involves a long slow decline, that on average youll spend less than a year in a nursing home. The decision between assisted living and nursing home care seems to be whether or not you can get out of a building under living home own steam in case of a fire. Most people will need far more money for assisted living expenses than for nursing home care – not the territory of long term care insurance. My mother never understood this and Im wondering if she thought the policy covered assisted living. In the end, my mother wanted to die at home and Becky and Hospice Care were the miracles that allow that. My sister had to quit her job and rent her house to come stay with my mother and that was a huge sacrifice on her part. I think Becky felt she owed me that because I always lived closer to my mother and helped her during her long retirement. Thus having children is a key component living home long term care. Like I said before, my wife and I do not have children. Most of our regular friends do not have children. Where does that leave us? It makes the urge to buy some kind of insurance stronger, but I have to wonder after seeing my mothers experience and ask if its worthwhile. I wonder what kind of insurance AARP is selling today, twelve years living home my mother bought her policy. Im sure the market is constantly evolving. Would something I buy today be practical when I get ready to use it 20-30 years from now? How can we best plan for the future? I know this might sound silly, but Im hoping that science and technology will perfect robotic health caretakers so if I want to stay in my home as long as possible. Im guessing though, a good supply of cash will be the most flexible problem solving insurance. I also have to wonder how the system iphone games handle the bulge of aging baby-boomers. Medicare pays for Hospice care, and I think they do this because its far more cost effective than letting people die in hospitals. My guess is any end-of-life living arrangements for the future might follow this lead. Can nursing homes be made more affordable and more humane? There is work in that area now. Long term health insurance policies need to prepare us for various kinds of possibilities. I dont think AARP ripped hadrians wall my mother, but I dont think it sold my mother a good policy either. Long term care insurance should be more like what was called whole life insurance – more of an investment than a gamble. What we need is something like a 401k for our final days (402k?). We need to save for living without working but remaining independent, and we need to save for our dying months when we cant take care of ourselves jwh |
peter fonda
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Has anyone else ever noticed this? That when youre going through something emotionally peter fonda whether positive or negative, it seems that everything around you becomes suddenly relevant to the situation? Every song on the radio seems to relate to what youre experiencing, every TV show is running the episode that seems to exactly mirror your current circumstance, every street sign is suddenly conveying much more than just traffic regulations. Am I alone on this one? If its a happy situation this is great. Everything you see and hear reminds of whats made you so happy. Lifes a bowl of ice cream. If its an unhappy situation its predictably not so great. When all you want to do is get your mind off of whatever it is that has got you down, everywhere you turn youre bombared with unpleasent reminders. Seriously, no peter fonda else is on board with this? Part two of this que I think its pretty obvious I need to get to bed. Its been a stressful week and Ive had a lot of things on my mind, so thats my excuse for this bizarre post. That is if talking about Peter Fonda and the Black Death in the same post is to be considered bizarre. Oh right, this is Friday. Here you go. |
mike tyson peter fonda there are indeed others among peter fonda who have similar experiences, and this is a human thing and not just an Ando thing, has it always been this way or is it indicative of an over-medied (pronounced mee-dee-ud) society? Back in the 1500s, when the only mass media was the Bible and hardly anyone could read anyway, when there was clearly less external stimuli, did people relate to things in a similar fasion? Or were they more concerned about things like, oh I dont know, the Black Death?srijeda, 26.12.2007.
l arche de zoe
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Toute cette affaire denlèvement pue l arche de zoe manipulation de la part du gouvernement tchadien, qui nen est l arche de zoe à son coup dessai en matière de pression et de mensonges. Nest-ce pas étrange quon nentende absolument pas parler du moindre des enfants supposés être enlevés ? Les seuls faits vérifiables dont il a été question, ce sont des points de législation sur ladoption et le contrôle étatique des organisations caritatives. Pour moi, on a arrêté ces gens soit parce quils navaient pas les moyens de payer tous les pots-de-vin requis, soit - ce qui est à peine différent - parce quils ne sétaient pas soumis à toutes les réglementations imposées dans le domaine et constituaient donc une occasion en or pour faire casquer ou plier les instances internationales et les gouvernements occidentaux. Nous pourrions bientôt avoir nos propres infirmières bulgares . [Suite, ce 10 novembre] |
emilie lelouch
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According to the BBC, Zoes Ark, most known for its work in the wake of the Tsunami and displaced children has been marred by allegations that it was attempting to traffic children out of Darfur to foster families in France. Zoes Ark claims that their intermediary contractors were responsible for this, and that they were in no way aware of these charges. But families in Darfur beg to differ. In fact, one parent in this article claims that he was told his child would be taken care of at a school. With education so highly regarded, its no wonder these parents agreed. But the reality was that some 100 or so children were kidnapped and were planned to be shipped to France as adoptees or foster children. Take a look at this article. G.S. Chad sets date for kidnap trial A court in Chad has set a date for the trial of six French nationals charged with trying to kidnap 103 children. The six workers from the charity Zoes Ark will be tried in the capital, NDjamena, on 21 December. Zoes Ark says the children were orphans from Darfur whom they were taking to be fostered in France. The court will try to establish whether the children were the beneficiaries of a humanitarian project that went wrong, or the victims of child trafficking. Eric Breteau, a volunteer fire-fighter who founded Zoes Ark in response to the Asian Tsunami, insists his mission in Chad was humanitarian. In a written statement handed to the BBC from his prison cell, Mr Breteau says that if the children are not orphans from Darfur it is the fault of Chadian intermediaries who delivered the children to him. He says he and his team had no direct contact with their carers. Three Chadians and one Sudanese refugee are also on trial for conspiracy. Fake blood american wedding soundtrack lelouch But Ibrahim Obali Mohamed, one of the parents who entrusted his three children to Zoes Ark, says he did indeed meet the French members of the charity. The white people spoke to us and the Chadians interpreted. I spoke to one French woman called Emilie, he told the BBCs Pascale Harter. He confirmed this woman was Emilie Lelouch, Mr Breteaus girlfriend. They said they were a humanitarian organisation building schools here to educate our children, Mr Mohamed said. Thats why we handed over our children to their care. For us, education is very important. Most of the children have been found to have at least one living parent or guardian. The judge will want to know why none of them appear to have known that they were handing over their children to be taken to France. He will also want to know why, when track santa of them was injured, the children were bandaged and caked in fake blood ahead of their flight. A lawyer for emilie lelouch Breteau told the BBC her client did it to amuse them as they were scared of norad journey. |
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google labs
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Disgusted of remembering the keys for hindi typing ? Try out this exciting new feature of indic translation by google labs which allows you to get the hindi text for similar sounding text in english. Eg. ram will be translated as राम. There are advanced options in case you want something else to be typed. All is visual and easy google labs use. Site: http://www.google.com/transliterate/indic/ |
sf zoo
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Hi. Im still alive, just too busy for the most part to prove it to anyone. I figured I would post, since people have called me to see if I was dead or not. Lets see&.whats going on&. Working OT almost every weekday and Saturdays as well. My director did an analysis to determine how many sf zoo it would take to complete the work we have to get done by the time we are laid off (date still not determined) and the results were: 64 temps if they want it done in 6 months, 32 if done in a year. We have no temps, so that should give you some idea of how busy Ive been. I accepted the offer of editor for the Syndar Gazette and brought sf zoo back to life a few weeks ago. The Gazette is an online RP newspaper based on events taking place in the game, Realms of Kaos, where I used to be staff. Its been a blast working on it, but took alot of time and energy. I sf zoo redesigned the entire website to give it an updated look with the re-release of the game. Having founded this newspaper many years ago I really feel a sense of ownership and responsibility to it. I am thrilled that it was kept up in my absense. I dont have toooo many staff writers yet so the paper is a little thin, but you can check it out here: http://www.syndargazette.net. (And if youre interested, http://www.realmsofkaos.com.) School is oscar peterson and overwhelming. Kids are munchkins. Larry got a job. Damon hasnt called me in two weeks. Basically everything has been the same as it ever was. Brynna is sf zoo to Greece in May, and Im so jealous I could scream. Shes doing a 14 day tour and its less than 3k! (Not including air-fare, of course.) It includes all lodgings, all breakfasts, half of the dinners, a historical guide, etc. Sigh. I need to get the fuck out of town. Considering taking the kids to the SF zoo next weekend. Assuming that I have the extra money to do it. Anywhere, just to get out of town. |
g4tv.com
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Watch this video from G4 tv with Ron Paul talking on Net Neutrality etc& http://www.g4tv.com/pile_player.aspx?video_key=16731 |
utorak, 25.12.2007.
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ponedjeljak, 24.12.2007.
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merry christmas myspace comments
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subota, 22.12.2007.
stewart scott
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The Indiana Pacers have been my favorite NBA franchise since I was a little kid. Back in the 1980s, they were one of the most gut-wrenching teams to watch in the entire league ponzi schemes their perennial lottery draft picks year after year. Coaches of high caliber would come and go, but the same players seemed to remain on the roster year after year. Granted, most of the names did change, but the type of player was always the same. Chuck Persons was a bright spot for a couple of years, but his overall work-ethic and volatile personality pretty much relegated him as a type of player who would never make his team any better than they already were. He scored points& he got his &but his team would always come up short when it was all said and done. Then the Pacers organization did something that would later affect their franchise for almost two full decades. They drafted a scrawny marksman from UCLA who went by the name of Reggie Miller . By the end of his career, Reggie would not only own the hearts of Big Daddy Hoosier in the basketball state of Indiana, but he would also own a lot of NBA records that will probably be safe for years to come. No one can shoot the ball quite like Reggie could because the type of player that the NBA is producing these days is more concerned with appearing on the next showing of ESPN and what their clever buddies sitting behind the booths would say about them and their wicked abilities. Stewart Scott is one of the worst at this. He never holds any of his hood-rat, thug-buddies accountable, but instead thinks of clever things to say about them when they jump sixteen feet in the air and dunk the ball. The fundamentals of the game have weakened in the past decade and players like Reggie Miller are now few and far between. They just dont make em like they used to and to the more astute basketball fan today there is less and less of an attractive product placed on the courts of NBA franchises. The days of watching Stockton and Malone run the pick and roll to perfection; Magic Johnson playing all five positions on the court with amazing success; Michael Jordan freezing us in our seats as he performed some of the most amazing feats all while he involved his entire team; Larry Bird stepping back and effortlessly sinking a thirty-foot shot; and so on&those days are gone. Now, were stuck with the disgusting thuggery of Allen Iverson, Carmella Anthony, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, and Kobe Bryant (a never-ending soap opera). These individuals are all brilliant with the ball, but their leadership abilities and overall team management philosophy is non-existent. Its darn-right miserable trying to be a fan of the NBA these days, but if I had complete control of my favorite team (the Indiana Pacers) and the sky was the limit then these are things I would focus on with the purpose of turning the teams future around AND putting a product on the court that the good people of Indiana could rally behind: 1. I would get on my knees and beg Rick Carlisle to come back. I would offer him a contract of his desire and wouldnt hesitate to give him seven to ten years&guaranteed. Carlisle was the lone bright-spot for the Pacers during these very troubling years of late. The fact that he DIDNT receive the Coach of the Year honors in 2005 for holding that team together after the infamous Brawl in Detroit while still getting the team into the playoffs is a baffling mystery to me and a complete black-eye for the NBA. Rick Carlisle has proved that he possesses the tools to be a top-tier NBA coach and by losing him we have lost a lot of hope in the future. 2. I would send Jermaine ONeal, Jamaal Tinsley, and Marquis Daniels to the Utah Jazz for Andrei Kirilenko, Derrek Fisher, and Paul Millsap&OR&Id send them to Minnesota for Kevin Garnett (lets be honest&hes not going to Minority Report with the Timberwolves anyways so regardless of what Timberwolves management says, hes on taylor hooton trading block) and Mike James. Either way&the Pacers absolutely MUST sever ties with ONeal and (definitely) Tinsley. Jermaine has blossomed as a Pacer, but hes demanding way too much of the offense to go through him. He simply IS NOT the go-to-guy who he thinks he is and hes NEVER done anything of note in his seven years as a Pacer. Jermaine needs a stable center to play alongside with because hes not the dominating front-court presence that he thinks he is. Hes an all-star talent that many teams would love to have, but hes definitely peaked here in Indiana. Jamaal Tinsley is a different story, however. He wore out his welcome several years ago when he stopped progressing and started regressing. His lack of desire to stay in shape and propensity to land on the injured list year after year has really rubbed Pacers fans the wrong way. Tinsley is another all-star caliber player with tremendous point guard abilities, but hes just not doing anything here in Indiana. We absolutely have to let him go and we need to get something for him. Marquis Daniels is a great sixth man to have on any team, but his involvement in some shady actions this past year have rendered him unreliable and unlovable here in Indiana. 3. Under no circumstance would I deal Jermaine ONeal to the Los Angeles Lakers. I am specific with identifying the Lakers because there has been a lot of discussion about the Los Angeles Lakers being extremely interested in the services of Jermaine ONeal (but didnt they have the most dominating Big Man in modern NBA history just recently; didnt Kobe soap opera Bryant run him out of town because Hollywood/LA apparently wasnt big enough for the two of them®ardless of how many NBA Championships they would certainly win? All I can do is shake my head in disbelief and be grateful that I am not a fan of the Lakers&AT ALL!!!). Looking at their roster (the Lakers), they have absolutely NO ONE of equal value to offer the Pacers. Any type of trade involving ONeal to the Lakers would be completely lopsided with the advantage clearly going to the Lakers. I have no respect for Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, or the Lakers Organization and would absolutely be AGAINST the idea of improving their team without dramatically improving ours. Some would say that Lamar Odom is a great talent, but he is cut from the same mold as Jamaal Tinsley and has proven that he just doesnt want to put in any extra effort in order for his team to get better and make advancements. Hes also a notorious drug user and is habitual with his lack of efforts on (and off) the court. Odom is a pouting, self-loathing, undisciplined player who is all-too-typical of todays NBA player. These are the first items of business that I would focus on for the 2007-2008 season. Obviously, the first two items listed above are more important than the third and I would actually place the importance of getting Rick Carlisle back at a higher level than getting rid of ONeal and Tinsley. If we are unable to lure Carlisle back to Indiana (at least make him an offer to keep him the front office with Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh) then the most urgent matter of business would undoubtedly be the unloading of ONeal and Tinsley. I would expect some growing pains in the first year (especially if we werent able to get Kirlenko/Fisher or Garnett/James), but by rebuilding now with a healthy, young and athletic nucleus we would be advancing towards our ultimate goals sooner rather than later. Here is a breakdown of the current (and proposed) situation that we would be looking at for the 2007-2008 NBA season: [CENTER] mattoon il currently have a very solid center (as well as an EXCELLENT and highly underated back up in Jeff Foster) with Troy Murphy. He has the ability to stretch the defense due to his outside shooting abilities that go very nicely with his decent inside game. [POWER-FORWARD] - The power-forward position would be the most looming question mark at this point in time. If we had either Kevin Garnett (arguably the leagues best all-around talent and most dominating power-forward) or Andrei Kirilenko (arguably one of the leagues best low-post/front-court defenders and underrated offensive player; completely under-utilized in Utah right now; known as an EXCELLENT team player) then we would be well on our way of establishing one of the best front-courts in the entire league. [SMALL-FORWARD] - The small-forward position is one of the more exciting situations we have going for us here in Indiana. Danny Granger is slowly, yet progressively becoming a force to be reckoned with. His outside shooting abilities, rebounding, and team defense is improving at an impressive rate, but he still needs to work on his personal defensive abilities in order to become a more complete player that we would need at that position. Danny Granger is a fun player to watch and he has an incredible attitude, which is something of very high importance to Indiana basketball fans. I think we were all a bit disheartened when the Pacers traded away the Hurricane , Al Harrington. He was certainly the fan favorite and is suddenly considered one of the better small-forwards in the league today! I would love to still have the Hurricane on our roster, but the upside of shipping him off to Golden State was that we were able to get rid of Stephen Jackoffson. We all miss Al, however. [SHOOTING GUARD] - The shooting guard position is another spot where there is a lot of recent excitement. Mike Dunleavy is a young player with a great physical build to play this position in the NBA. Hes tall, strong, athletic, and possesses above average game-management abilities. He certainly possesses the abilities to average a double-double (points and rebounds), which is actually something that I personally expect from him in the coming years. Above all, hes a very intelligent player and has seemingly good and instinctive leadership abilities that have yet to be tapped. His shooting is still relatively streaky, but if the defense was stretched out by Murphy and Kirilenko/Garnett then his scoring opportunities would flourish. Dunleavy needs to become more defensive-minded, but already possesses above average rebounding prowess. Dunleavy, however, is not untouchable and if he was required to be a part of a trade package in order to get the types of players we absolutely need then I would not hesitate in pulling the trigger. If I could keep him&great. If I need to deal him for the betterment of the team&no problem. Troy Murphy is more untouchable at this point due to his overall value to the core dynamics of the team we would be attempting to put together. [POINT GUARD: Most important position] - Point guard is where we have struggled for the past three to four seasons above anything else. Ever since we lost the services of Mark Jackson at the point guard position we have not been able to find any consistency. Tinsley just has NOT gotten the job done and the sole purpose of a point guard is NOT to score, but rather to set up his teammates to score. Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, and Tony Parker are not regarded as the leagues best point guards because they can score a lot of points. They are regarded as the leagues best point guards because of how well they involve their entire team. Its no coincidence that their teams are in the playoffs (and in contention for NBA Championships) year after year. They put up points when they need to, but find the open man when its critical and that is what makes them so valuable. If we were able to get Derrek Fisher from the Jazz or Luke Ridnour (someone I have really wanted in a Pacers uniform since he came out of college a few years ago) from the Supersonics then we would be well on our way of establishing the exact type of team that could be in contention on a yearly basis. We need to continually focus on defense, but without a point guard to run the show then it really wont matter what the ancillary necessities of the Pacers franchise are or will be. There are other john berg candidates for this position out there (such as Kirk Hinrich or Ben Gordon from the Bulls; Mike Bibby from the Kings; Jay Williams from free-agency, but only if he can physically prove that he can perform at his collegiate level prior to his motorcycle accident; T.J. Ford from the Raptors who is the prototypical point guard that any team would love to have&including myself&I would love to have T.J. Ford as our floor general ; and/or Jason Kidd from the Nets&Kidd was apparently on the trading block this season and if we could grab him then we would be sitting pretty for at least another three to four years; Kidd is still one of the top three point guards in the entire league) so it would be absolutely imperative that the Pacers focus on finding their point guard of the future. This is the most important position on the floor for any successful team and aside from making sure that we receive adequate compensation for the services of Jermaine ONeal (and possibly even Marquis Daniels), the sole focus of the Pacers organization should soyo freestyler 500 bluetooth headset on finding our perfect point guard. If none can be found for the upcoming season or if we cant get our hands on the exact point guard that we want then it would be absolutely fatal to extend a large contract to a second-rate replacement or fill-in. The Pacers cannot afford jim reeves on a point guard if they are unable to get who they want. Without a great point guard to run the show here in Indiana then we can pretty much anticipate a hit or miss team from season to season regardless of whom we get to replace ONeal. Bottom line, the Indiana Pacers absolutely have to sever ties with Jermaine ONeal and Jamaal Tinsley. If the both of them are still wearing Pacers uniforms next year then the organization will have failed Pacers fans across the globe. If it comes down to only being able to get rid of one of the above mentioned players then I think I speak for the majority of Pacer fans when I imply that seeing Jamaal Tinsley leave the state and set up shop somewhere else would make us all very, very happy. I would much rather keep Jermaine ONeal instead of putting up with Jamaal Tinsley for one more minute! In fact, I would actually be in favor of keeping ONeal for the rest of his contract if (and only if) he would completely restructure his deal to allow a lot more money to be used for the search of a good small-forward and/or a great point guard. ONeal is NOT the type of player a team can build around and he has proven that his isnt a go-to-guy that can take a ball-club on his back and forge ahead like we were used to seeing from Reggie Miller. If he were selfless enough to relegate himself to a more secondary (but still vital) role on offense then I would LOVE to see him stick around. Something tells me, however, that such a request would fall on deaf ears if presented to ONeal or his agent. Tinsley, on the other hand, absolutely and positively MUST go! If none of the other 31 NBA teams dont want to trade one of their players (or a high to mid first round draft pick) for Tinsley then I would be completely in favor of simply waiving him from the active players roster while still being contractually obligated to pay his salary. The reason I say this is because I think that Tinsley is more valuable to the Pacers if he is no where near Conseco Fieldhouse and also because eventually there would be a team who would be willing to grab him. Tinsley wouldnt remain on waivers for very long and lets be honest&hes not a terrible point guard with terrible skills, but hes definitely not a point guard whom we would like to see in an Indiana Pacers uniform again. Hes worn out his welcome here in Basketball Country , but its certainly NOT because we didnt give him a chance. After Tinsleys rookie season (as well as his sophmore season), Pacers fans as a whole were VERY excited about our future with a point guard like Tinsley. Unfortunately&laziness, being injury prone, being constantly out of shape, getting into trouble with the law, and a huge lack of discipline seemed to infiltrate his mind/body, which rendered him a useless (yet all-too-typical and expected), overpaid NBA player with a major attitude problem. Kirilenko and Garnett are players that I would even give up a draft pick for alongside the above mentioned players. It is upon them and their abilities that the Pacers could certainly build around, but without a suitable point guard to run the show then it simply wont matter. Well be a playoff caliber team who makes an early exit from the first (maybe second) round on a yearly basis. I love the Pacers, but as long as Jamaal Tinsley and Jermaine ONeal are still receiving pay checks from the Pacers organization then I will have to continue my boycott in all facets. I simply cannot sit back and support a team that has no desire to improve, win, or make progress. As a fan, I need to see some hustle and heart out there on the floor. I need to see some raw emotion and teamwork to get me involved as a fan and supporter. I wish that Reggie would come back, but I know that is not going to happen. At least with Reggie still on the team I could support them because Id know that there was someone on the roster who actually gave a damn. REGGIE®GIE®GIE&!!! AFTERTHOUGHT: recently, it was reported that Jermaine ONeal told reporters that he would be insisting on a trade to the New York Knicks. I guess its a surprise that theres actually someone out there who thinks that Isiaah Thomas is a coach that hed not only like to play for, but insist upon it! If this is the case and a trade with the Knicks is unavoidable then there are a couple of players whom I would love to get my hands on. For starters, if Stephon Marbury were able to convince Bird and Walsh that he is finished with his childish antics and selfish play then he is a decent point guard to consider for the replacement of Jamaal Tinsley. The only thing I fear about Marbury is his track record and reputation as being the type of player who is more concerned with getting his and scoring points rather than winning ball games. He certainly is a special talent, however. The other two players whom I have my sights set on are (PF) David Lee and (PF) Channing Frye. If they wanted to throw in Jamaal Crawford as a sign and trade&due to his currently existing contract of ridiculous proportions then I would be in favor of that, too. I dont like the idea of taking too many of the Knicks players because most of them are tagged with ridiculous contract sizes, but I dont mind the idea of bringing in Stephon Marbury, Channing Frye (and David Lee&I really think that David Lee is the EXACT type of player who Pacer fans would completely fall in love with), and Jamaal Crawford in exchange for Jermaine ONeal and Marquis Daniels. I would reserve sending Jamaal Tinsley to the Knicks in this deal because it isnt imperitive that we receive some of those players and I think we could get someone more suitable for the Pacers&like Luke Ridnour or T.J. Ford. I am very, very interested in a one-two point guard combination of Stephon Marbury and T.J. Ford/Luke Ridnour/Derrek Fisher! I think that would solve our point guard problems, for sure! Of course, it would all depend on the attitude of Marbury and if his attitude was at all in question then the alternative minimum tax would simply NOT happen. Im not at all looking forward to dealing with more drama and more selfish basketball stemming from the stereotypical NBA player of today. My dream lineup, right now, for the Indiana Pacers would be the following (and Im trying to be as realistic and reasonable as possible): PG - Luke Ridnour/Kirk Hinrich/T.J. Ford SG - Danny Granger/Josh Smith/Mike Miller SF - Andrei Kirilenko/David Lee/Shane Battier PF - Kevin Garnett/Mehmet Okur/Pau Gasol C - Troy Murphy/Brad Miller/Andrew Bogut *My core ingredients for selecting these players is discipline, attitude, defense, and ability to play as a team. |
leo sayer
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I have thick hair which becomes extremely wavy when it gets long. The kind of hair grandmothers love. The thing is, it doesnt grow down. It grows out - like this.* Which is why I keep it short. The shorter the better. But every few years I think to myself: what a waste, Ive got this thick, luxuriant, buy steroids online hair. If I keep the faith itll grow out and then get bored and fall, exhausted, down to my shoulders. I know Ill look a twat but, sooner or later, Im going to look like this, so what the hell, lets do it. So I try to grow it. And its always a disaster because it just keeps growing out around my head, getting bigger and bigger. It just doesnt know when to stop growing out. So, Im in one of these growing-my-hair moods when Im required to do an interview with Leo Sayer - this is some years ago now - and he arrives at reception and I go and pick him up. My hair is reaching for the stars at this point, it looks like a fucking beach-ball. Leo looks at my hair, I look at his. The receptionist sniggers. Its a big building and on the way to the studio I suspiciously manage to bump into a sizable proportion of my colleagues. Theyre leaping out of doors like the buildings on fire, and they give me supercilious smiles as they walk off. I can hear giggles recede down the corridor as Leo chats amiably. We do the interview. I drop Leo at reception. He says thank you and glances at my hair. The receptionist sniggers. The very next morning the hair comes off. But, of course, it doesnt stop. Everyone at work, theyre singing You Make Me Feel Like Dancing for weeks afterwards. I smile grimly. 2006: Leo, against all the odds, storms back to Number One. Hey, Wyndham, says someone, do you remember when you and Leo - Yes, I say, I remember . My day is near! * But not like this. |
rave motion pictures
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Gypsy Girl asked yesterday about my Harry Potter traditions. For the book releases, my sister and I preorder the book so that it will be waiting for us at our friendly neighborhood Barnes & Noble. A day or so before the release date, we stock up on such delectables as mass quantities of chocolate (needed to ease the aftereffects of dementor visitations), jelly bellies (because as I mentioned lately, the time I tried Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, I got a soap one and was andrew kissel for two hours), and any other treats that catch our fancy. Last time I tried making up a batch of butterbeer. It didnt go over so well. But if I can find a recipe at Mugglenet or somewhere else, Ill see what else I can come up with. This year were also going to the British Emporium to get some other fun thingspasties, fish & chips, clotted cream fudge, and any other British treats that we cant resist. Then the night of the book release we go to Barnes & Noble, get our wristands and wait. We chat with other people; I get a lightning-bolt scar painted on my forehead and a pair of cheap plastic spectacles; we read; we talk; we play rousing games of Who would you do (and no, youre not allowed to say neither. You have to make a choice.). We get tired, a little grumpy because of the crowds (were both antarctica desert agoraphobic), but keep telling ourselves that its worth it. Around 11 or so, the lines start forming. And usually were in the front part of the line because we got our wristbands early enough. And we wait in line, talk, read, more who would you do etc. As soon as we have the books in our hands, we are out of there. Then we go read. Because I read faster than Liz does, she usually gets cranky at me for lyubov serikova or gasping or crying. Then she goes into the other room, puts in her earplugs, and reads until she falls asleep. I continue reading because theres no way my mind will let me go to sleep until I have finished the book. Depending upon how long the book is, I usually finish reading around 5 or 6. I then open the book and start to read it all over again, but make it only a few pages before I fall asleep. Then Liz wakes up while Im still asleep, and shell go back to reading. If were both lucky, shell have finished reading before I wake up. This year will be a little different, as Soleil is joining us. Yay! And Im still trying to convince LeZard to join us as well. And Im dressing up this year, as Tonks, as is Soleil. And if LeZard comes, shell dress up also. So that will be fun. I think having three or four of us waiting will make the wait a little less tedious. And afterward were going back to my house. There are enough rooms, beds, sofas, etc., that everyone can have a comfy place to sprawl out and read. And if Liz gets too annoyed with me and Soleil for having audible reactions to what we read, she can go into another room and still be comfy. So thats the tradition for the book releases. For the movies, we definitely do the midnight show on opening day. We buy our tickets online as soon as theyre available. The night of the movie well go to Target and get assorted munchables, and take some books with us to read while were waiting. Rave Motion Pictures, the theatre closest to my house, let everyone into the theatres, so at least we were able to wait in relative comfort. But it does get a little tedious. We usually manage to get through the bucket of popcorn before the movie even starts. Again, having Soleil and, dare I hope, LeZard with us will make it more fun. And yes, Ill be dressed up for the movie, as will Soleil. And LeZard, should she deign to come along. And after the movie, its home to crash. I always take off work that day, because after having watched a movie at midnight, theres no way I feel like getting to work at 7 a.m. When Goblet of Fire came out, we were in the theatre waiting, and there was plenty of entertainment going on. There were a group of what looked like high school students, rehearsing for a musical they were in. And at one point, two guys dressed like Napoleon Dynamite and Pedro came in. Pedro turned on a huge boom box, and Napoleon Dynamite did his dance. It was so hilarious! When the music finished, he kept dancing for a moment, awkwardly, and then took a quick bow and raced out of the theatre to loud applause. We always work up to the new releases of books/movies by rereading the previous books for the umpteenth time; listening to the audio CDs with the incomparable Jim Dale (the only voices he does that I dont care for are Moaning Myrtle, who sounds subnormal, and george w bush eye color I like all his other voices.); watching the other movies; going to the Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet obsessively; spending hours speculating. On a boring day, well email each other frequently with our current speculations, knowing that theyll all be proved wrong but still unable to restrain ourselves. I think I mentioned yesterday that Leaky Cauldron is having a fun contest right now, where you get to write a chapter of book 7 imagining what happens with Harrys last time home with the Dursleys. Ill be working on that, and it will help work off some energy. So those are my Harry Potter traditions. What are yours? |
utorak, 04.12.2007.
missing canoeist
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The team was paged at 17:44 this evening after Northern Constabulary made a request to Aberdeen MRCC for Coastguard Rescue Teams to attend Loch Mhor, near Foyers, Loch Ness, to carry out a immediate search for a missing canoeist, after a fellow canoeist swim managed to swim ashore. The team responded with both vehicles, Inverness Sector Manager and water rescue equipment. Flood/swiftwater trained coastguard rescue officers carried out a shoreline/wading search whilst other officers searched the lochs shoreline. Fort Augustus IRT personnel were also involved in the extensive search along with RAF Sea King helicopter Rescue 1372. Officers from Northern Constabulary and an ambulance from the Scottish Ambulance Service were also on scene. The canoeist was not found. A decision will be made tomorrow morning as to whether or not to resume the search. The team was stood down at 9pm and recovered the canoe from the loch to Burnett Road Police Station. |
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