tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298671002024-03-05T15:48:47.258-08:00refWrite backpageAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.comBlogger995125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-29709713366678902322013-02-17T17:55:00.001-08:002013-02-17T17:55:32.596-08:00Technics: 2/3 banks in USA: bear brunt of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attaclsCan you imagine the panic in a bank when it realizes that it is under attack from a hi-ly organized crew of cyberattack hactivists who are onto the fact that the bank is using its firewalls as the first line of defense against them? The worst of the attacks are of two kinds: Distributed Denial of Service (DDos) where the bank can't perform its functions over its internet technology system to service customers, government obligations, or inter-bank operations; and Zero-Day attacks which bring into action a previously unknown vulnerablilty of its system, a latent vulnerablity that the attacker has located and is exploiting. Altho the article below is an infomercial, it provides strong visualization of its argument with mention of endorsements and awards, etc, at <a href="http://www.corero.com/">Corero Network Security</a>. Many businesses have to be aware that not only free-lance IT anarchists are at work on these mess-you-up projects, but also sophisticated competitive businesses who want to bring you down and keep you down as competitors, even tho your products may be superior to theirs. Their hired mischief-making hactivists are superior to your outdated cyberdefenses (which are probably based on firewalls, which the hacktivists know how to circumnavigate).<br />
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— <b>Technowlb, refWrite Backpage</b> technics newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<a href="http://www.darkreading.com/insider-threat/167801100/security/attacks-breaches/240146738/two-thirds-of-banks-hit-by-cyberattack-in-past-12-months.html?cid=nl_DR_daily_2013-01-23_html&elq=1b9e563854ed457db33d461a444ba2e5">Dark Reading</a> (Feb17,2k13) Protect the business, Enable access<br />
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Two-Thirds of Banks Hit By Cyberattack In Past 12 Months</h1>
<span class="text" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #eeeeee; color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Inadequate technology and insufficient personnel cited as the key obstacles to preventing attacks</b></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #eeeeee; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #eeeeee; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><div class="comments" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #eeeeee; color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
Jan 22, 2013 | 02:46 PM | <a data-disqus-identifier="article_240146738" href="http://darkreading.com/insider-threat/167801100/security/attacks-breaches/240146738/two-thirds-of-banks-hit-by-cyberattack-in-past-12-months.html#disqus_thread" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: underline;">0 Comments</a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-weight: normal;">Hudson, Massachusetts, USA, January 22, 2013 - More than two thirds (64%) of IT & IT security practitioners reported that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #f4cccc;">their banks have suffered at least one <b>Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) </b>attack in the last 12 months</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-weight: normal;">, according to independent research commissioned by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>Corero Network Security (CNS: LN)</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-weight: normal;">, a leading provider of network and application layer DDoS defense products. The research of 650 IT and IT security practioners at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>351 banks</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-weight: normal;">, including from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>some of the largest in the world</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-weight: normal;">, also revealed that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>78% of those surveyed believed that DDoS attacks will continue or significantly increase in 2013</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-weight: normal;">, leaving them vulnerable to cyber attacks that could lead to downtime and compromised data.</span></span><div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #34282c; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Conducted by the <b>Ponemon Institute</b>, almost half of respondents (48%) said their banks had suffered multiple DDoS attacks in the past 12 months. They stated that along with DDoS attacks, <b>Zero-Day attacks</b>, an attack that exploits a previously unknown vulnerability, are considered to be <b>the most severe security threats</b>. Among the key barriers impacting banks ability to deal with DDoS attacks, 50% cited insufficient personnel and expertise and a lack of effective security technology as the most serious concerns, followed by insufficient budget resources.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Despite the recognition that the threat of DDoS attacks is not abating, the survey revealed that </span><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">banks are still predominately relying on previously deployed traditional technology</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">, in particular </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #f4cccc;">firewalls (35%)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;"> to protect their organisation from today's sophisticated attacks.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"The belief that traditional perimeter security technologies such as firewalls are able to protect against today's DDoS attacks is lulling not only financial institutions but organizations across every sector into a false sense of security," said <b>Marty Meyer</b>, President of Corero. "Many Organizations assume traditional firewalls can provide protection against DDoS and Zero-Day exploits at the perimeter, yet this is not what they were designed to do and <b>therefore attacks are still getting through</b>. Organizations need to add <b>First Line of Defense solutions</b> that can provide this protection and are able to <b>remove all of the 'noise' at the perimeter </b>before it hits the network so that firewalls and servers can optimally work on the functions they were originally designed for. "</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">The findings add further support to the trend that hacktivist groups proactively target banks with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #f4cccc;">Bank of America</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fce5cd;">JPMorgan Chase</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Citigroup</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Wells Fargo</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;"> and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #d0e0e3;">Capital One</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;"> and others <u>again allegedly being actively targeted with DDoS attacks since the end of 2012</u>.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"It really comes as no surprise that DDoS attacks are one of the most severe security risks cited by the banking industry and these results clearly demonstrate the level to which they are being targeted on a continued basis" said Dr. <b>Larry Ponemon</b>, Chairman and Founder of the Ponemon Institute. "When such an attack occurs, the time and efforts of IT staff are devoted to dealing with the problem instead of managing other IT operational and security priorities. This leaves financial institutions open to more dangerous attacks that further compromise their infrastructure"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To download the full report, please go HERE</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">About <b>Corero Network Security</b>:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Corero Network Security (CNS:LN), an organization's </span><b style="background-color: yellow;">First Line of Defence</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">, is an international network security company and the leading provider of </span><b style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><u>Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)</u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><u> defense and next generation security solutions</u>. As the First Line of Defense, Corero's products and services stop DDoS and server targeted attacks, protect IT infrastructure and eliminate downtime. Customers include enterprises, service providers and government organizations worldwide. Corero's solutions are dynamic and <u>automatically respond to evolving cyber attacks, known and unknown, allowing existing IT infrastructure -- such as firewalls -- to perform their intended purposes</u>. Corero's products are transparent, highly scalable and feature the lowest latency and highest reliability in the industry. Corero is headquartered in Hudson, Massachusetts with offices around the world. For more information on Corero's First Line of Defense products, visit: www.corero.com.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-24312162138529868222013-02-12T00:13:00.000-08:002013-02-12T00:13:47.415-08:00PoliticsUSA: Navy Seal who shot Bin Laden: Now can't earn a living<br />
The Obama administration apparently has thrown its assassin to the dogs after a successful mission. It's hard to think of a government leadership that can be so calloused. But that seems to be just what Americans have got.<br />
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— <b>Politicarp, refWrite Frontpage</b> politics newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/February%2011,%202013,%206:00%20AM%20The%20Man%20Who%20Killed%20Osama%20bin%20Laden...%20Is%20Screwed%20%20For%20the%20first%20time,%20the%20Navy%20SEAL%20who%20killed%20Osama%20bin%20Laden%20tells%20his%20story%20%E2%80%94%20speaking%20not%20just%20about%20the%20raid%20and%20the%20three%20shots%20that%20changed%20history,%20but%20about%20the%20personal%20aftermath%20for%20himself%20and%20his%20family.%20And%20the%20startling%20failure%20of%20the%20United%20States%20government%20to%20help%20its%20most%20experienced%20and%20skilled%20warriors%20carry%20on%20with%20their%20lives.%20%20BY%20PHIL%20BRONSTEIN%20More%20from%20this%20author%20%20%20SHARE%20%20%20%20%20Published%20in%20the%20March%202013%20issue%20%20Phil%20Bronstein%20is%20the%20former%20editor%20of%20the%20San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20and%20currently%20serves%20as%20executive%20chairman%20of%20the%20Center%20for%20Investigative%20Reporting.%20This%20piece%20was%20reported%20in%20cooperation%20with%20CIR.%20%20%20%20%20The%20man%20who%20shot%20and%20killed%20Osama%20bin%20Laden%20sat%20in%20a%20wicker%20chair%20in%20my%20backyard,%20wondering%20how%20he%20was%20going%20to%20feed%20his%20wife%20and%20kids%20or%20pay%20for%20their%20medical%20care.%20%20It%20was%20a%20mild%20spring%20day,%20April%202012,%20and%20our%20small%20group,%20including%20a%20few%20of%20his%20friends%20and%20family,%20was%20shielded%20from%20the%20sun%20by%20the%20patchwork%20shadows%20of%20maple%20trees.%20But%20the%20Shooter%20was%20sweating%20as%20he%20talked%20about%20his%20uncertain%20future,%20his%20plans%20to%20leave%20the%20Navy%20and%20SEAL%20Team%206.%20%20He%20stood%20up%20several%20times%20with%20an%20apologetic%20gripe%20about%20the%20heat,%20leaving%20a%20perspiration%20stain%20on%20the%20seat-back%20cushion.%20He%20paced.%20I%20didn't%20know%20him%20well%20enough%20then%20to%20tell%20whether%20a%20glass%20of%20his%20favorite%20single%20malt,%20Lagavulin,%20was%20making%20him%20less%20or%20more%20edgy.%20%20We%20would%20end%20up%20intimately%20familiar%20with%20each%20other's%20lives.%20We'd%20have%20dinners,%20lots%20of%20Scotch.%20He's%20played%20with%20my%20kids%20and%20my%20dogs%20and%20been%20a%20hilarious,%20engaging%20gentleman%20around%20my%20wife.%20%20In%20my%20yard,%20the%20Shooter%20told%20his%20story%20about%20joining%20the%20Navy%20at%20nineteen,%20after%20a%20girl%20broke%20his%20heart.%20To%20escape,%20he%20almost%20by%20accident%20found%20himself%20in%20a%20Navy%20recruiter's%20office.%20%22He%20asked%20me%20what%20I%20was%20going%20to%20do%20with%20my%20life.%20I%20told%20him%20I%20wanted%20to%20be%20a%20sniper.%20%20%22He%20said,%20'Hey,%20we%20have%20snipers.'%20%20%22I%20said,%20'Seriously,%20dude.%20You%20do%20not%20have%20snipers%20in%20the%20Navy.'%20But%20he%20brought%20me%20into%20his%20office%20and%20it%20was%20a%20pretty%20sweet%20deal.%20I%20signed%20up%20on%20a%20whim.%22%20%20%22That's%20the%20reason%20Al%20Qaeda%20has%20been%20decimated,%22%20he%20joked,%20%22because%20she%20broke%20my%20fucking%20heart.%22%20%20I%20would%20come%20to%20know%20about%20the%20Shooter's%20hundreds%20of%20combat%20missions,%20his%20twelve%20long-term%20SEAL-team%20deployments,%20his%20thirty-plus%20kills%20of%20enemy%20combatants,%20often%20eyeball%20to%20eyeball.%20And%20we%20would%20talk%20for%20hours%20about%20the%20mission%20to%20get%20bin%20Laden%20and%20about%20how,%20over%20the%20celebrated%20corpse%20in%20front%20of%20them%20on%20a%20tarp%20in%20a%20hangar%20in%20Jalalabad,%20he%20had%20given%20the%20magazine%20from%20his%20rifle%20with%20all%20but%20three%20lethally%20spent%20bullets%20left%20in%20it%20to%20the%20female%20CIA%20analyst%20whose%20dogged%20intel%20work%20and%20intuition%20led%20the%20fighters%20into%20that%20night.%20%20When%20I%20was%20first%20around%20him,%20as%20he%20talked%20I%20would%20always%20try%20to%20imagine%20the%20Shooter%20geared%20up%20and%20a%20foot%20away%20from%20bin%20Laden,%20whose%20life%20ended%20in%20the%20next%20moment%20with%20three%20shots%20to%20the%20center%20of%20his%20forehead.%20But%20my%20mind%20insisted%20on%20rendering%20the%20picture%20like%20a%20bad%20Photoshop%20job%20%E2%80%94%20Mao's%20head%20superimposed%20on%20the%20Yangtze,%20or%20tourists%20taking%20photos%20with%20cardboard%20presidents%20outside%20the%20White%20House.%20%20Bin%20Laden%20was,%20after%20all,%20the%20man%20CIA%20director%20Leon%20Panetta%20called%20%22the%20most%20infamous%20terrorist%20in%20our%20time,%22%20who%20devoured%20inordinate%20amounts%20of%20our%20collective%20cultural%20imagery%20for%20more%20than%20a%20decade.%20The%20number-one%20celebrity%20of%20evil.%20And%20the%20man%20in%20my%20backyard%20blew%20his%20lights%20out.%20%20ST6%20in%20particular%20is%20an%20enterprise%20requiring%20extraordinary%20teamwork,%20combined%20with%20more%20kinds%20of%20support%20in%20the%20field%20than%20any%20other%20unit%20in%20the%20history%20of%20the%20U.S.%20military.%20%20Similarly,%20NASA%20ma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%20to%20exit,%20and%20adapt.%20Despite%20his%20foggy%20future,%20his%20past%20is%20deeply%20impressive.%20This%20is%20a%20man%20who%20is%20very%20pleased%20about%20his%20record%20of%20service%20to%20his%20country%20and%20has%20earned%20the%20respect%20of%20his%20peers.%20%20%22He's%20taken%20monumental%20risks,%22%20says%20the%20Shooter's%20dad,%20struggling%20to%20contain%20the%20frustration%20that%20roughs%20the%20edges%20of%20his%20deep%20pride%20in%20his%20son.%20%22But%20he's%20unable%20to%20reap%20any%20reward.%22%20%20It's%20not%20that%20there%20isn't%20one.%20The%20U.S.%20government%20put%20a%20$25%20million%20bounty%20on%20bin%20Laden%20that%20no%20one%20is%20likely%20to%20collect.%20Certainly%20not%20the%20SEALs%20who%20went%20on%20the%20mission%20nor%20the%20support%20and%20intelligence%20experts%20who%20helped%20make%20it%20all%20possible.%20Technology%20is%20the%20key%20to%20success%20in%20this%20case%20more%20than%20people,%20Washington%20officials%20have%20said.%20%20The%20Shooter%20doesn't%20care%20about%20that.%20%22I'm%20not%20religious,%20but%20I%20always%20felt%20I%20was%20put%20on%20the%20earth%20to%20do%20something%20specific.%20After%20that%20mission,%20I%20knew%20what%20it%20was.%22%20%20Others%20also%20knew,%20from%20the%20commander-in-chief%20on%20down.%20The%20bin%20Laden%20shooting%20was%20a%20staple%20of%20presidential-campaign%20brags.%20One%20big-budget%20movie,%20several%20books,%20and%20a%20whole%20drawerful%20of%20documentaries%20and%20TV%20films%20have%20fortified%20the%20brave%20images%20of%20the%20Shooter%20and%20his%20ST6%20Red%20Squadron%20members.%20%20There%20is%20commerce%20attached%20to%20the%20mission,%20and%20people%20are%20capitalizing.%20Just%20not%20the%20triggerman.%20While%20others%20collect,%20he%20is%20cautious%20and%20careful%20not%20to%20dishonor%20anyone.%20His%20manners%20come%20at%20his%20own%20expense.%20%20%22No%20one%20who%20fights%20for%20this%20country%20overseas%20should%20ever%20have%20to%20fight%20for%20a%20job,%22%20Barack%20Obama%20said%20last%20Veterans'%20Day,%20%22or%20a%20roof%20over%20their%20head,%20or%20the%20care%20that%20they%20have%20earned%20when%20they%20come%20home.%22%20%20But%20the%20Shooter%20will%20discover%20soon%20enough%20that%20when%20he%20leaves%20after%20sixteen%20years%20in%20the%20Navy,%20his%20body%20filled%20with%20scar%20tissue,%20arthritis,%20tendonitis,%20eye%20damage,%20and%20blown%20disks,%20here%20is%20what%20he%20gets%20from%20his%20employer%20and%20a%20grateful%20nation:%20%20Nothing.%20No%20pension,%20no%20health%20care,%20and%20no%20protection%20for%20himself%20or%20his%20family.%20%20Since%20Abbottabad,%20he%20has%20trained%20his%20children%20to%20hide%20in%20their%20bathtub%20at%20the%20first%20sign%20of%20a%20problem%20as%20the%20safest,%20most%20fortified%20place%20in%20their%20house.%20His%20wife%20is%20familiar%20enough%20with%20the%20shotgun%20on%20their%20armoire%20to%20use%20it.%20She%20knows%20to%20sit%20on%20the%20bed,%20the%20weapon's%20butt%20braced%20against%20the%20wall,%20and%20precisely%20what%20angle%20to%20shoot%20out%20through%20the%20bedroom%20door,%20if%20necessary.%20A%20knife%20is%20also%20on%20the%20dresser%20should%20she%20need%20a%20backup.%20%20Then%20there%20is%20the%20%22bolt%22%20bag%20of%20clothes,%20food,%20and%20other%20provisions%20for%20the%20family%20meant%20to%20last%20them%20two%20weeks%20in%20hiding.%20%20%22Personally,%22%20his%20wife%20told%20me%20recently,%20%22I%20feel%20more%20threatened%20by%20a%20potential%20retaliatory%20terror%20attack%20on%20our%20community%20than%20I%20did%20eight%20years%20ago,%22%20when%20her%20husband%20joined%20ST6.%20%20When%20the%20White%20House%20identified%20SEAL%20Team%206%20as%20those%20responsible,%20camera%20crews%20swarmed%20into%20their%20Virginia%20Beach%20neighborhood,%20taking%20shots%20of%20the%20SEALs'%20homes.%20%20After%20bin%20Laden's%20face%20appeared%20on%20their%20TV%20in%20the%20days%20after%20the%20killing,%20the%20Shooter%20cautioned%20his%20older%20child%20not%20to%20mention%20the%20Al%20Qaeda%20leader's%20name%20ever%20again%20%22to%20anybody.%20It's%20a%20bad%20name,%20a%20curse%20name.%22%20His%20kid%20started%20referring%20to%20him%20instead%20as%20%22Poopyface.%22%20It's%20a%20story%20he%20told%20affectionately%20on%20that%20April%20afternoon%20visit%20to%20my%20home.%20%20He%20loves%20his%20kids%20and%20tears%20up%20only%20when%20he%20talks%20about%20saying%20goodbye%20to%20them%20before%20each%20and%20every%20deployment.%20%22It's%20so%20much%20easier%20when%20they're%20asleep,%22%20he%20says,%20%22and%20I%20can%20just%20kiss%20them,%20wondering%20if%20this%20is%20the%20last%20time.%22%20He's%20thrilled%20to%20show%20video%20of%20his%20oldest%20in%20kick-boxing%20class.%20And%20he%20calls%20his%20wife%20%22the%20perfect%20mother.%22%20%20In%20fact,%20the%20couple%20is%20officially%20separated,%20a%20common%20occurrence%20in%20ST6.%20SEAL%20marriages%20can%20be%20perilous.%20Husbands%20and%20fathers%20have%20been%20mostly%20away%20from%20their%20families%20since%209/11.%20But%20the%20Shooter%20and%20his%20wife%20continue%20to%20share%20a%20house%20on%20very%20friendly,%20even%20loving%20terms,%20largely%20to%20save%20money.%20%20%22We're%20actually%20looking%20into%20changing%20my%20name,%22%20the%20wife%20says.%20%22Changing%20the%20kids'%20names,%20taking%20my%20husband's%20name%20off%20the%20house,%20paying%20off%20our%20cars.%20Essentially%20deleting%20him%20from%20our%20lives,%20but%20for%20safety%20reasons.%20We%20still%20love%20each%20other.%22%20%20When%20the%20family%20asked%20about%20any%20kind%20of%20government%20protection%20should%20the%20Shooter's%20name%20come%20out,%20they%20were%20advised%20that%20they%20could%20go%20into%20a%20witness-protection-like%20program.%20%20Just%20as%20soon%20as%20the%20Department%20of%20Defense%20creates%20one.%20%20%22They%20[SEAL%20command]%20told%20me%20they%20could%20get%20me%20a%20job%20driving%20a%20beer%20truck%20in%20Milwaukee%22%20under%20an%20assumed%20identity.%20Like%20Mafia%20snitches,%20they%20would%20not%20be%20able%20to%20contact%20their%20families%20or%20friends.%20%22We'd%20lose%20everything.%22%20%20%22These%20guys%20have%20millions%20of%20dollars'%20worth%20of%20knowledge%20and%20training%20in%20their%20heads,%22%20says%20one%20of%20the%20group%20at%20my%20house,%20a%20former%20SEAL%20and%20mentor%20to%20the%20Shooter%20and%20others%20looking%20to%20make%20the%20transition%20out%20of%20what's%20officially%20called%20the%20Naval%20Special%20Warfare%20Development%20Group.%20%22All%20sorts%20of%20executive%20function%20skills.%20That%20shouldn't%20go%20to%20waste.%22%20%20The%20mentor%20himself%20took%20a%20familiar%20route%20%E2%80%94%20through%20Blackwater,%20then%20to%20the%20CIA,%20in%20both%20organizations%20as%20a%20paramilitary%20operator%20in%20Afghanistan.%20%20Private%20security%20still%20seems%20like%20the%20smoothest%20job%20path,%20though%20many%20of%20these%20guys,%20including%20the%20Shooter,%20do%20not%20want%20to%20carry%20a%20gun%20ever%20again%20for%20professional%20use.%20The%20deaths%20of%20two%20contractors%20in%20Benghazi,%20both%20former%20SEALs%20the%20mentor%20knew,%20remind%20him%20that%20the%20battlefield%20risks%20do%20not%20go%20away.%20%20By%20the%20time%20the%20Shooter%20visited%20me%20that%20first%20time%20in%20April,%20I%20had%20come%20to%20know%20more%20of%20the%20human%20face%20of%20what's%20called%20Tier%20One%20Special%20Operations,%20in%20addition%20to%20the%20extraordinary%20skill%20and%20icy%20resolve.%20It%20is%20a%20privileged,%20consuming,%20and%20concerning%20look%20inside%20one%20of%20the%20most%20insular%20clubs%20on%20earth.%20%20And%20I%20understood%20that%20he%20would%20face%20a%20world%20very%20different%20from%20the%20supportive%20one%20President%20Obama%20described%20at%20Arlington%20National%20Cemetery%20a%20few%20months%20before.%20%20As%20I%20watched%20the%20Shooter%20navigate%20obstacles%20very%20different%20from%20the%20ones%20he%20faced%20so%20expertly%20in%20four%20war%20zones%20around%20the%20globe,%20I%20wondered:%20Is%20this%20how%20America%20treats%20its%20heroes?%20The%20ones%20President%20Obama%20called%20%22the%20best%20of%20the%20best%22?%20The%20ones%20Vice-President%20Biden%20called%20%22the%20finest%20warriors%20in%20the%20history%20of%20the%20world%22?%20%20%20%20Read%20more:%20Man%20Who%20Killed%20Osama%20Bin%20Laden%20-%20Treatment%20of%20Veteran%20Who%20Shot%20bin%20Laden%20-%20Esquire%20http://www.esquire.com/features/man-who-shot-osama-bin-laden-0313#ixzz2KfGkDNLc">Esquire</a> (Feb12,2k13)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">February 11, 2013, 6:00 AM</span></div>
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The Man Who Killed Osama bin Laden... Is Screwed</h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For the first time, the Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden tells his story — speaking not just about the raid and the three shots that changed history, but about the personal aftermath for himself and his family. And the startling failure of the United States government to help its most experienced and skilled warriors carry on with their lives.</span></div>
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BY PHIL BRONSTEIN</div>
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<em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Published in the March 2013 issue</span></em></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em>Phil Bronstein is the former editor of the </em>San Francisco Chronicle <em>and currently serves as executive chairman of the <a href="http://cironline.org/" style="color: #bf0103; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">Center for Investigative Reporting</a>. This piece was reported in cooperation with CIR.</em></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The man who shot and killed Osama bin Laden<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"> sat in a wicker chair in my backyard, wondering how he was going to feed his wife and kids or pay for their medical care.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was a mild spring day, April 2012, and our small group, including a few of his friends and family, was shielded from the sun by the patchwork shadows of maple trees. But the Shooter was sweating as he talked about his uncertain future, his plans to leave the Navy and SEAL Team 6.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He stood up several times with an apologetic gripe about the heat, leaving a perspiration stain on the seat-back cushion. He paced. I didn't know him well enough then to tell whether a glass of his favorite single malt, Lagavulin, was making him less or more edgy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We would end up intimately familiar with each other's lives. We'd have dinners, lots of Scotch. He's played with my kids and my dogs and been a hilarious, engaging gentleman around my wife.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In my yard, the Shooter told his story about joining the Navy at nineteen, after a girl broke his heart. To escape, he almost by accident found himself in a Navy recruiter's office. "He asked me what I was going to do with my life. I told him I wanted to be a sniper.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"He said, 'Hey, we have snipers.'</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"I said, 'Seriously, dude. You do not have snipers in the Navy.' But he brought me into his office and it was a pretty sweet deal. I signed up on a whim."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"That's the reason Al Qaeda has been decimated," he joked, "because she broke my fucking heart."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I would come to know about the Shooter's hundreds of combat missions, his twelve long-term SEAL-team deployments, his thirty-plus kills of enemy combatants, often eyeball to eyeball. And we would talk for hours about the mission to get bin Laden and about how, over the celebrated corpse in front of them on a tarp in a hangar in Jalalabad, he had given the magazine from his rifle with all but three lethally spent bullets left in it to the female CIA analyst whose dogged intel work and intuition led the fighters into that night.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I was first around him, as he talked I would always try to imagine the Shooter geared up and a foot away from bin Laden, whose life ended in the next moment with three shots to the center of his forehead. But my mind insisted on rendering the picture like a bad Photoshop job — Mao's head superimposed on the Yangtze, or tourists taking photos with cardboard presidents outside the White House.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bin Laden was, after all, the man CIA director Leon Panetta called "the most infamous terrorist in our time," who devoured inordinate amounts of our collective cultural imagery for more than a decade. The number-one celebrity of evil. And the man in my backyard blew his lights out.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ST6 in particular is an enterprise requiring extraordinary teamwork, combined with more kinds of support in the field than any other unit in the history of the U.S. military.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Similarly, NASA marshaled thousands of people to put a man on the moon, and history records that Neil Armstrong first set his foot there, not the equally talented Buzz Aldrin.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Enough people connected to the SEALs and the bin Laden mission have confirmed for me that the Shooter was the "number two" behind the raid's point man going up the stairs to bin Laden's third-floor residence, and that he is the one who rolled through the bedroom door solo and confronted the surprisingly tall terrorist pushing his youngest wife, Amal, in front of him through the pitch-black room. The Shooter had to raise his gun higher than he expected.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Read more ...</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The point man is the only one besides the Shooter who could verify the kill shots firsthand, and he did just that to another SEAL I spoke with. But even the point man was not in the room then, having tackled two women into the hallway, a crucial and heroic decision given that everyone living in the house was presumed to be wearing a suicide vest.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But a series of confidential conversations, detailed descriptions of mission debriefs, and other evidence make it clear: The Shooter's is the most definitive account of those crucial few seconds, and his account, corroborated by multiple sources, establishes him as the last man to see Osama bin Laden alive. Not in dispute is the fact that others have claimed that they shot bin Laden when he was already dead, and a number of team members apparently did just that.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What is much harder to understand is that a man with hundreds of successful war missions, one of the most decorated combat veterans of our age, who capped his career by terminating bin Laden, has no landing pad in civilian life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Back in April, he and some of his SEAL Team 6 colleagues had formed the skeleton of a company to help them transition out of the service. In my yard, he showed everyone his business-card mock-ups. There was only a subtle inside joke reference to their team in the company name.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Unlike former SEAL Team 6 member Matt Bissonnette (<em>No Easy Day</em>), they do not rush to write books or step forward publicly, because that violates the code of the "quiet professional." Someone suggested they might sell customized sunglasses and other accessories special operators often invent and use in the field. It strains credulity that for a commando team leader who never got a single one of his men hurt on a mission, sunglasses would be his best option. And it's a simple truth that those who have been most exposed to harrowing danger for the longest time during our recent unending wars now find themselves adrift in civilian life, trying desperately to adjust, often scrambling just to make ends meet.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">At the time, the Shooter's uncle had reached out to an executive at Electronic Arts, hoping that the company might need help with video-game scenarios once the Shooter retired. But the uncle cannot mention his nephew's distinguishing feature as the one who put down bin Laden.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Secrecy is a thick blanket over our Special Forces that inelegantly covers them, technically forever. The twenty-three SEALs who flew into Pakistan that night were directed by their command the day they got back stateside about acting and speaking as though it had never happened.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Right now we are pretty stacked with consultants," the video-game man responded. "Thirty active and recently retired guys" for one game: Medal of Honor Warfighter. In fact, seven active-duty Team 6 SEALs would later be punished for advising EA while still in the Navy and supposedly revealing classified information. (One retired SEAL, a participant in the bin Laden raid, was also involved.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With the focus and precision he's learned, the Shooter waits and watches for the right way to exit, and adapt. Despite his foggy future, his past is deeply impressive. This is a man who is very pleased about his record of service to his country and has earned the respect of his peers.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"He's taken monumental risks," says the Shooter's dad, struggling to contain the frustration that roughs the edges of his deep pride in his son. "But he's unable to reap any reward."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's not that there isn't one. The U.S. government put a $25 million bounty on bin Laden that no one is likely to collect. Certainly not the SEALs who went on the mission nor the support and intelligence experts who helped make it all possible. Technology is the key to success in this case more than people, Washington officials have said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Shooter doesn't care about that. "I'm not religious, but I always felt I was put on the earth to do something specific. After that mission, I knew what it was."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Others also knew, from the commander-in-chief on down. The bin Laden shooting was a staple of presidential-campaign brags. One big-budget movie, several books, and a whole drawerful of documentaries and TV films have fortified the brave images of the Shooter and his ST6 Red Squadron members.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There is commerce attached to the mission, and people are capitalizing. Just not the triggerman. While others collect, he is cautious and careful not to dishonor anyone. His manners come at his own expense.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"No one who fights for this country overseas should ever have to fight for a job," Barack Obama said last Veterans' Day, "or a roof over their head, or the care that they have earned when they come home."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But the Shooter will discover soon enough that when he leaves after sixteen years in the Navy, his body filled with scar tissue, arthritis, tendonitis, eye damage, and blown disks, here is what he gets from his employer and a grateful nation:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nothing. No pension, no health care, and no protection for himself or his family.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Since Abbottabad, he has trained his children to hide in their bathtub at the first sign of a problem as the safest, most fortified place in their house. His wife is familiar enough with the shotgun on their armoire to use it. She knows to sit on the bed, the weapon's butt braced against the wall, and precisely what angle to shoot out through the bedroom door, if necessary. A knife is also on the dresser should she need a backup.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then there is the "bolt" bag of clothes, food, and other provisions for the family meant to last them two weeks in hiding.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Personally," his wife told me recently, "I feel more threatened by a potential retaliatory terror attack on our community than I did eight years ago," when her husband joined ST6.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When the White House identified SEAL Team 6 as those responsible, camera crews swarmed into their Virginia Beach neighborhood, taking shots of the SEALs' homes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After bin Laden's face appeared on their TV in the days after the killing, the Shooter cautioned his older child not to mention the Al Qaeda leader's name ever again "to anybody. It's a bad name, a curse name." His kid started referring to him instead as "Poopyface." It's a story he told affectionately on that April afternoon visit to my home.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He loves his kids and tears up only when he talks about saying goodbye to them before each and every deployment. "It's so much easier when they're asleep," he says, "and I can just kiss them, wondering if this is the last time." He's thrilled to show video of his oldest in kick-boxing class. And he calls his wife "the perfect mother."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In fact, the couple is officially separated, a common occurrence in ST6. SEAL marriages can be perilous. Husbands and fathers have been mostly away from their families since 9/11. But the Shooter and his wife continue to share a house on very friendly, even loving terms, largely to save money.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"We're actually looking into changing my name," the wife says. "Changing the kids' names, taking my husband's name off the house, paying off our cars. Essentially deleting him from our lives, but for safety reasons. We still love each other."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When the family asked about any kind of government protection should the Shooter's name come out, they were advised that they could go into a witness-protection-like program.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just as soon as the Department of Defense creates one.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"They [SEAL command] told me they could get me a job driving a beer truck in Milwaukee" under an assumed identity. Like Mafia snitches, they would not be able to contact their families or friends. "We'd lose everything."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"These guys have millions of dollars' worth of knowledge and training in their heads," says one of the group at my house, a former SEAL and mentor to the Shooter and others looking to make the transition out of what's officially called the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. "All sorts of executive function skills. That shouldn't go to waste."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The mentor himself took a familiar route — through Blackwater, then to the CIA, in both organizations as a paramilitary operator in Afghanistan.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Private security still seems like the smoothest job path, though many of these guys, including the Shooter, do not want to carry a gun ever again for professional use. The deaths of two contractors in Benghazi, both former SEALs the mentor knew, remind him that the battlefield risks do not go away.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By the time the Shooter visited me that first time in April, I had come to know more of the human face of what's called Tier One Special Operations, in addition to the extraordinary skill and icy resolve. It is a privileged, consuming, and concerning look inside one of the most insular clubs on earth.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And I understood that he would face a world very different from the supportive one President Obama described at Arlington National Cemetery a few months before.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I watched the Shooter navigate obstacles very different from the ones he faced so expertly in four war zones around the globe, I wondered: Is this how America treats its heroes? The ones President Obama called "the best of the best"? The ones Vice-President Biden called "the finest warriors in the history of the world"?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /><br />Read more: <a href="http://www.esquire.com/features/man-who-shot-osama-bin-laden-0313#ixzz2KfGkDNLc" style="color: #003399; text-decoration: initial;">Man Who Killed Osama Bin Laden - Treatment of Veteran Who Shot bin Laden - Esquire</a> <a href="http://www.esquire.com/features/man-who-shot-osama-bin-laden-0313#ixzz2KfGkDNLc" style="color: #003399; text-decoration: initial;">http://www.esquire.com/features/man-who-shot-osama-bin-laden-0313#ixzz2KfGkDNLc</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-21561890020413365332013-02-11T18:03:00.001-08:002013-02-11T18:03:29.697-08:00Music: Justin Timberlake: Live performance at Hollywood Palladium sizzles<br />
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This very opinionated report leans long to the "celebrity" side of Roger Freidman's mandate, not to the showbiz side -- at least not to the musical showbiz at hand. We get no intimation as to the musical qualities of Timberlake's singing last nite. And that's, obviously, what JT was most focussed on. But regarding which JT didn't get a break from the apparently tone-deaf RF. Too bad for the reporter. Hey, Mr Timberlake you're pissin' 'em off, just like you planned. (8-)<br />
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<b>Musikos, refWrite Backpage</b> music newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Justin Timberlake sizzles in hi energy show, </span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">but insults the media in comeback</span></h2>
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by Roger Freidman<br />
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<a href="http://www.showbiz411.com/2013/02/11/justin-timberlake-sizzles-in-high-energy-show-but-insults-the-media-in-comeback">Showbiz * 411</a> (Feb11,2k13)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I like Justin Timberlake and I enjoyed his big comeback show at the Hollywood Palladium last night. So I was a little shocked when at the end of almost two hours, Timberlake at last spoke to the audience. He said: “I love you Los Angeles, I love each and every one of you. And don’t let the stupid fucking media tell you otherwise.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Huh?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Through almost two hours of energetic dance music, Timberlake had not spoken to the wildly happy crowd of 4,000-plus fans–most of whom were jammed like sardines onto the floor of the Palladium. Some, like yours truly, were up in the balcony where there were leather benches to sit on. The bass was so overdone that the benches shook as if they were vibrating furniture from the Sharper Image.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But the audience didn’t seem to mind the lack of modulation or communication. They loved everything Timberlake did, whether it was a hit like “<b>Cry Me a River</b>” or “<b>Rock Your Body</b>,” faithful covers of the Jacksons’ “Shake Your Body,” or INXS’s “I Need You Tonight.” Timberlake, dressed in a sharp suit and untied bowtie, <b>very Rat Pack</b>, <b>channeled Michael Jackson, Prince and Robin Thicke</b>, as well as a little <b>Daryl Hall</b>. He <b>avoided</b> doing any <b>ballads</b>, which is too bad, because <u>it would be nice now to hear his voice challenged. He can do it. He has the chops</u>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Timberlake also failed to show his sense of humor, or any of the wit that we’ve seen on “<b>Saturday Night Live</b>” [TV humour show] Again, this was a surprise. He just delivered the songs, one after another, without comment. He also makes a near fatal mistake by using a guitar and a piano as <b>props</b> he’s supposedly playing. He’d be better off sticking to singing. <b>Elton John</b> or <b>Billy Joel</b>, he clearly isn’t. And just as he did years ago, he insists on playing his guitar with his back to the audience. I would just drop all this aritifice and stick to what he does best.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Jay Z and Timbaland were special guests last night. Justin will announce a tour starting in late summer of arenas, with Jay Z. I’m already buying earplugs. Jay Z is the guest star on Timberlake’s soulful single, “<b>Suit and Tie</b>,” which I think is a terrific record. Unfortunately, Justin performed it last night at twice its regular speed. Please, let’s hope he can that back to its proper, delicious pace. Nevertheless, it’s clear that he and Jay Z like each other. They have a natural rapport. That ticket will be very hot this summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I have no doubt Timberlake’s album, “<b>The 20/20 Experience</b>,” is going to be good. And the tour, from Live Nation, should be a huge hit after some tweaking. (How about clips from those Andy Samberg videos? Or Timberlake in skits?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But the “stupid f—ing media” would like not to be insulted if Timberlake is going to achieve these goals. We’ve always liked him. I had no idea he hated us so much. [Hey, Roger, don't lose your flimflam, don't take it so personally. You may not be someone JT has in mind. -- Musikos] Where is all this anger coming from? Maybe it’s time for a new publicist. Justin, no one thinks you don’t like your audience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">PS Seen at the show: Selena Gomez, Hunter Hayes, Neil Patrick Harris, Beyonce (Mrs, Jay Z). Mrs. T, Jessica Biel, must have been down front or backstage. Selena Gomez– I spoke with her. What a nice girl. She’s working on a new album. Her “Love You Like a Love Song” was a great single. There’s a lot to come from Selena…</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-42927392299588312542013-02-09T11:11:00.000-08:002013-02-09T11:11:32.398-08:00Publishing a book: From time of conception to shippping of the product: Seth Godin's graph of flashpoints A graph with write-ups for 9 flashpoints. In the title, "shipping" refers to an author's experience with the possiblity of her/his book being published and shipped to bookstores, beginning with the moment of conception or arrival of an "idea for a book."<br />
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-- <b>LitCritikos, refWrite Backpage</b> literary matters -- newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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Hat Tip to Byron Borger.<br />
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<a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/02/the-roller-coaster-of-shipping.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Fsethsmainblog+%28Seth%27s+Blog%29#.URZ0qPA5pWM.facebook">Seth Godin</a>'s blog (Feb9,2k13)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The roller coaster of shipping</span></h3>
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Perhaps something like this has happened to you. Here's an annotated graph of what it's like to make a book, with 'joy' being the Y axis with time along the bottom (click to enlarge)...</div>
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<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b31569e2017ee8407661970d-popup" style="color: #553381; display: inline;"><img alt="Rollercoasterofshipping2" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b31569e2017ee8407661970d" src="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b31569e2017ee8407661970d-500wi" style="border: 0px;" title="Rollercoasterofshipping2" /></a><br />1. <strong>The manic joy of invention.</strong> The idea arrives, it's shiny and perfect. I can't wait to share it.</div>
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2. <strong>The first trough of reality.</strong> Now that I've pitched the idea to someone (and I'm on the hook), the reality of what has to be done sets in precisely as the manic joy of invention disappears.</div>
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3. <strong>Wait</strong>! <strong>The epic pause of reality.</strong> It's not quite as bad as I feared. I can see a path here, maybe. I'm still in trouble, sure, but perhaps...</div>
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4. <strong>The horrible trough of stuckness.</strong> The path didn't work. The data isn't here. Critical people have said no. People in critical roles have said no. I can't find any magic. Sigh.</div>
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5. <strong>Flow</strong>. This is why we do it. The promises made as a result of #1 pushed me through the horrible trough, and the lights are coming on and my forward motion, my relentless forward motion, may just be contagious. Let's not talk about this, because I don't want it to dissipate.</div>
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6. <strong>The pre-publication lizard-brain second-guess.</strong> I see the notes that have come back to me, all that red pen, the not-quite-ebullient look on the face of a trusted reader. I am sniffing everywhere for clues of impending doom, and yes, there they are.</div>
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7. <strong>The realization that it's good enough</strong>. This is the local max, but not the universal one. Optimists welcome. It's not perfect, but it's going to ship, and good luck to it.</div>
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8. <strong>Post-partum ennui.</strong> "Why haven't you read my book yet?"</div>
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9. <strong>Life</strong>. And this is the long haul, the book in the world, the hearing about a book you wrote ten years ago that's still impacting people. The crepe paper grand opening bunting has been taken down and there is no one left to write a snarky review, because the book is on its own, touching, spreading and being.</div>
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And then, sometimes, #1 happens again. Or not. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-82525755764524304382013-02-09T08:45:00.001-08:002013-02-09T08:55:05.544-08:00History: Annah Arendt: A glimpse thru the lens of Danish filmaker Margarethe von Trotta<br />
Hannah Arendt was a sociopolitical philosopher who became involved, as a reporter for the New Yorker magazine, in the famous Eichman trial. I most appreciated this glimpse of her as an historical personage, and of her own most famous moment -- whether the also-famous and controversial film director Margarethe von Trotta's interpretation is the best or no. The movie appears in this video as very good work.<br />
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-- <b>Videoviewer, refWrite Backpage</b> video newspotter, analyst, and columnist<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WTQNWgZVctM#!">YouTube</a> (Feb9,2k13)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WTQNWgZVctM" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-62408315096265666012013-01-30T07:10:00.002-08:002013-02-09T09:04:56.837-08:00Video: On the trail of Fairtrade cotton: A world organization buys from self-organized farmers-workersThis educational video is about the supply chain, from grower's coops in Africa thru entry of their commodity into the world market -- all at a fairer price than otherwise can be gained.<br />
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-- EconoMix, refWrite Frontpage ecomomics business labour<br />
newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Fairtrade video</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/53851781" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/53851781">On the Trail of Fairtrade Cotton</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/fairtradeinternational">Fairtrade International</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-71701707024633379572013-01-30T04:43:00.001-08:002013-01-30T04:43:36.517-08:00Video: Scourge of NTDs: Neglected Tropical Diseases are now fully targetted by business and World Health OrganizationThere's another blog, <b>Christian Medical Observations and Ruminations</b>, that a friend edits. They've taken on <a href="http://christmor.blogspot.ca/">learning</a> about the billion-victim <b>Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)</b> and are joining as a supporting organization the <b>World Health Org</b>'s campaign against 17 NTDs, supported by major pharmaceutical companies, <b>Business and Human Rights</b>, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and thousands ordinary folks like us. God bless 'em, <b>YouTube</b> now has a set of videos on the NTDs, gruesome as they are, they're must viewing! This subject matter shoud be tawt in schools — not just public schools, but Christian and Jewish and Muslim schools too. A hi proportion of the world's doctor's and nurse's (compared to the relative sizes of such schools to the given student population in, say, North America) seem to come from these sources — and it's obvious the world — our world — God's world — is going to need young new medicos with the mettle to rise to the needs of the more than a billion sufferers of this select menu of illnesses. This video is from Kenya.<br />
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— <b>Videoikos, refWrite Backpage</b> video newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=952jT4GbTrQ&feature=endscreen">YouTube</a> (Jan30,2k13)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/952jT4GbTrQ?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-50649486753095480362013-01-29T09:16:00.002-08:002013-01-29T09:22:49.277-08:00Sports: NHL Hockey: For both cellar dwellers the outlook is grim<br />
Grim outlook, but one of these teams has to win, correct?<br />
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— <b>Sportikos, refWrite Backpage</b> sports newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Leafs on the road in Buffalo tonite</span></h1>
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Tuesday, 29.01.2013 / 10:01 AM / <a href="http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/newsindex.htm?location=%2Fnews" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">News</a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">MAPLE LEAFS Toronto (2-3-0) at SABRES Buffalo (2-3-0)</span><br />
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TV: LEAFS TV, MSG-B</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>Season series</u>: Despite it being early in the season, this is the second meeting between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo went into the Air Canada Centre for its second game of the season on Jan. 21 and left with a 2-1 win.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>Big story</u>: With both Toronto and Buffalo coming off tough road losses, the game Tuesday night is a big opportunity to build some positive momentum and climb out of the place both teams are currently sitting -- the <b>Northeast Division cellar</b>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><u>Team Scope</u></b>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Maple Leafs</b>: In their last game the Maple Leafs appeared headed to a second impressive win in three games after taking a 2-0 first-period lead against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. After the opening 20 minutes, however, things stalled out significantly for Toronto. The Leafs managed just 17 shots on goal over the course of the entire game while giving up 42 shots on net and they were eventually victims of a Rangers comeback that was punctuated by a four-goal third period. That the loss came on the heels of 7-4 loss at home against the New York Islanders made the blown lead a tough pill to swallow, particularly considering that just three nights before their loss to the Rangers, the Maple Leafs had spoiled the Pittsburgh Penguins' home opener with a stunning 5-2 victory.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The loss to the Rangers was a particularly rough night for netminder <a href="http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8473503" style="color: black; text-decoration: underline;">James Reimer</a>, who had an opportunity to grab the reins of Toronto's unsettled goalie situation after <a href="http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8475681" style="color: black; text-decoration: underline;">Ben Scrivens</a> was pulled from the loss to the Islanders two nights earlier. If the Maple Leafs can manage to get solid play on the back end, however, they could wind up surprisingly opponents. With 11 goals in the last three games, it would appear the offense is not the problem.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Sabres</b>: Buffalo might have been among the most impressive teams in the League in its season opener. On the strength of Thomas Vanek's five-point outburst, the Sabres trounced the Flyers 5-2 for a statement victory and knocked off the Maple Leafs in Toronto a day later to open 2012-13 at 2-0-0. Since then, however, the Sabres have hit the skids. Not only has Vanek missed time due to a muscle strain, but the team is now mired in a three-game losing streak after getting swept in a home-and-home against the Carolina Hurricanes and suffering a 3-2 loss to the previously-winless Washington Capitals this past Sunday.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Perhaps more forboding is the Sabres' lackluster offense of late. Since its season-opening win over Philadelphia, Buffalo has averaged just two goals per game while surrendering an average of 2.50 goals per game over the same stretch. If the Sabres' don't turn it around soon, things could be get out of hand very quickly. Buffalo doesn't have more than one day off at a time until Feb. 13 and 14, meaning there is little time for the players to catch their breath if the team starts to slide.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>Who's hot</u>: The Sabres' loss to the Capitals Sunday was the first time this season Jason Pominville failed to register a point, but he is still off to a strong start with three goals and five assists through five games this season. ...<a href="http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8471362" style="color: black; text-decoration: underline;">Mikhail Grabovski</a> has scored a goal in each of the last three games for Toronto and added two assists over that span for good measure, while <a href="http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8475172" style="color: black; text-decoration: underline;">Nazem Kadri</a> has quietly put up five points in five games this season.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I<u>njury report</u>: Thomas Vanek (lower-body injury) is considered probable for Buffalo Tuesday. The Maple Leafs, who recently lost <a href="http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470207" style="color: black; text-decoration: underline;">Joffrey Lupul</a> for six weeks with a broken forearm, may also be without <a href="http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470667" style="color: black; text-decoration: underline;">Clarke MacArthur</a> (lacerated finger), who is considered questionable.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-83041078219360194962013-01-28T08:26:00.000-08:002013-01-30T04:45:46.110-08:00Video: Frontpage story: Fire in Brasil niteclub<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Brasil niteclub fire traps most of 2,000 college, students death toll above 200</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-43932790483712230882013-01-28T04:21:00.000-08:002013-01-28T04:21:27.996-08:00Technics: Free foto-editing: 4 + 5 apps to make foto-editing cheaper and to retain qualityI gathered the offerings of two autorities in the field of altnerative foto-editing apps (alternative to the very expensive Photoshop). First, is Nancy Messieh (4 of her selections), and, second, is Taty (6 selections). I'm hoping to try some of these out, and you may hear of my results — if I like them!<br />
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— <b>Technowlb, refWrite Backpage</b> technics newspotter, analyst, columnist <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-online-photo-editing-tools-you-should-bookmark/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=2012-01-21">MakeUseOf.com</a> (Jan28,2k13)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-online-photo-editing-tools-you-should-bookmark/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Crop, Retouch, Fill, And Create New Images With These 4 Online Photo Editors"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Crop, Retouch, Fill, And Create New Images With These 4 Online Photo Editors</span></a></h1>
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January 19, 2013</div>
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By <a class="url fn" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/author/nancy/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0066cc; display: inline; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nancy Messieh</a></address>
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<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3b3128; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-color: initial; border-style: initial; font-size: 14px; font: inherit;"><img alt="free online photo editors" class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/pixlr1.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: right; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 250px;" /></span>While there is simply no comparing robust photo editors like Photoshop or Gimp to online alternatives, sometimes a simple online tool is all you need to get the job done. Whether it’s content aware cropping and filling, applying filters and textures, or even doing a little bit more Photoshop-like tasks like using a cloning stamp, there’s a wide array of online tools that will get the job done, and for free.</div>
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We’ve put together a list of four online tools that should be in the arsenal of any photographer, designer, or blogger, making it easy to get basic photo editing tasks done on the fly, and in some cases, even on your mobile phone. In no particular order, here they are.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Croppola</b></span></h2>
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Content Aware Cropping with Croppola</h2>
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If you’re looking for the perfect way to crop your photos online, look no further than <a href="http://croppola.com/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Croppola</a>.</div>
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The free online service goes beyond giving users a way to simply crop images. Croppola provides users with content aware cropping, meaning that it will suggest, based on your image, how it should be cropped.</div>
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Upload your image to Croppola, and choose the dimensions of your new cropped image – the options include maintaining the image’s aspect ratio, square, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 and more. It even has a setting to crop an image to the Facebook timeline’s cover photo.</div>
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<img alt="free online photo editors" class="aligncenter" height="604" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Croppola.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="590" /></div>
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After choosing the crop, you can download the cropped image to your computer.</div>
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With Croppola, you can crop multiple images on the website, and download them all as a zipped file. Find out more about Croppola <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/croppola-automatically-crop-images/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a>.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>WebInPaint</b></span></h2>
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Content Aware Filling with WebInPaint</h2>
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While Photoshop offers users a great content-aware filling feature, not everyone can afford Photoshop. If you want to use the feature online, give WebInPaint a try. The free service allows users to upload images to the website. Simple swipe over the parts of the picture that you want removed, and <a href="http://www.webinpaint.com/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">WebInPaint</a> will do the rest.</div>
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For a free, online service, <b>WebInPaint</b> works surprisingly well. We tested the service with busy photos filled with distractions that we wanted removed, we tried it with simple images, removing just one element, we tried it with black and white photos and color, and in all situations, it was able to successfully remove the parts of the image we didn’t want. An example can be seen below. Before putting the image in <b>WebInPaint</b> it looked like this:</div>
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<img alt="free photo editors" class="aligncenter" height="393" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Coptic-Egypt17.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="590" /></div>
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And after removing one element from the photo, this is what it looked like:</div>
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[Notice the anti-Christian religious prejudice in removing a Sign of the Cross from what's probably a monastic encrypted to tomb! AG]</div>
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<img alt="free photo editors" class="aligncenter" height="393" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Coptic-Egypt17-edit.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="590" /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Pixlr</b></span></h2>
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Robust Photoshop Features with Pixlr</h2>
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If you’re looking for an all-in-one online photo editor, <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/pixlr-online-image-editor/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pixlr</a> is one of the most robust options out there. We’re also big fans of the fact that it looks and feels a lot like Photoshop, making it pretty easy to use. You can upload images directly to the site, or even just import an online image using the direct link to the JPEG. Another great feature that Pixlr offers users is the ability to create new images with transparent backgrounds, so you can create PNG logos without having to worry about having access to Photoshop.</div>
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<img alt="free photo editors" class="aligncenter" height="435" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/pixlr.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="590" /></div>
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Pixlr is packed with basic and advanced editing features – from cropping and resizing to a clone stamp, magic wand, layer,s and much more. Pixlr is also available <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/pixlr-express-ios-photo-editor/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">as a mobile app</a>.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><b>PicMonkey</b></span></span></h2>
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Apply Filters with PicMonkey</h2>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3b3128; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">
With an Instagram-led obsession with filters, no online photo editors list would be complete without at least one option which gives users access to lovely vintage filters. <a href="http://www.picmonkey.com/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">PicMonkey</a>definitely fits the bill with a ton of filters to choose from. Not all of them are available for free however, with some features limited to paying members. A membership will set you back $4.99 a month.</div>
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<img alt="free online photo editors" class="aligncenter" height="256" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PicMonkey.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="590" /></div>
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Other than adding filters, PicMonkey also provides users with basic photo editing features, retouching, adding text, frames and textures to images, and more. Find out more about PicMonkey in our in-depth review <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/picmonkey-spiritual-successor-picnik/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a>.</div>
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July 2, 2010</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><firstimage 06="" 2010="" http:="" main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com="" photoshopaltsmall.jpg="" uploads="" wp-content=""><img alt="free alternatives to adobe photoshop" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/photoshopaltsmall.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; float: right; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" />With digital photography largely taking over traditional film photography’s place, it has become more and more important to have an image editing software. The king of kings is, of course, Photoshop, but with a price tag of $699 for the full version, many started to wonder if there aren’t free options around that could do the same things Photoshop does. </firstimage></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">What program you need depends largely on what you will use it for. We’ve previously published a list of free <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-simple-free-photoshop-alternatives-that-are-under-2-mb/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">alternatives to Adobe Photoshop which are under 2MB</a>. Today, we’ll be looking at a couple more, very capable, great Photoshop alternatives.</span></div>
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<h2 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18px;">
<a href="http://www.getpaint.net/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Paint.NET</a></span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Paint.NET is a program rich in features, tutorials and with a supportive community to help most new users through their learning curve and issues. Paint.NET started development as an undergraduate college senior design project mentored by Microsoft which was meant to substitute Microsoft Paint, and is currently being maintained by some of the alumni that originally worked on it. It has a large number of buttons that are exactly like Photoshop and an equal number of Photoshop features, which makes it a very strong candidate as a substitute for those looking for a Photoshop like program. I dare say that most of what can be done in Photoshop can be duplicated using Paint.NET.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><img alt="free alternatives to adobe photoshop" class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/paintnetsmall.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; line-height: 18px;">
<a href="http://www.gimp.org/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">GIMP</a></span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">GIMP is, without a doubt a very capable image editing software with many of the same features as Photoshop. And if you require a program that allows you to create several layers, manipulate individual parts of the picture, create filters and tools and work with a variety of formats, including most Photoshop native formats, such as PSD; then GIMP is the right program for you.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="list-cnt-4" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=L&ai=Cxo8E30wGUZnmPKvYwQHKroBAqa3M6gKh0KvqKsCNtwEQASDjh4ANKARQgvbyh_z_____AWD9oJmB6APIAQGoAwGqBJEBT9AQe1wuHAQqv2ozGj-QmSW4sqMGOuZ4VNIpHGBR5uJqe2ayPRJB8i3JHhaUK_aWWSgA9Io228JMCvqd4tzvgSNz_jie7RNbOX-2-6LVkTEbqbLF55QWlWQpOGlVfXpJNS6oRnPpxfRfa6AMmS0SweEYla8qG0arIO7xxj_RfygvAUhO55bPKGx4OzwMTxvdG4AH-bWyDA&num=1&sig=AOD64_10AXDFS2DFinmjDeo1hncGepPQyA&client=ca-pub-5700237260308472&adurl=http://www.webcrawler.com/info.wbcrwl.303/search/web%3Fq%3Dmobile%2Bapps%26cid%3D41827729" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; 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margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mobile Apps</strong> </span></a><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font: inherit; left: 234px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 310px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; vertical-align: baseline;">Find more sources/options for what your looking for</span><br /><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; left: 234px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10pt; position: absolute; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=L&ai=Cxo8E30wGUZnmPKvYwQHKroBAqa3M6gKh0KvqKsCNtwEQASDjh4ANKARQgvbyh_z_____AWD9oJmB6APIAQGoAwGqBJEBT9AQe1wuHAQqv2ozGj-QmSW4sqMGOuZ4VNIpHGBR5uJqe2ayPRJB8i3JHhaUK_aWWSgA9Io228JMCvqd4tzvgSNz_jie7RNbOX-2-6LVkTEbqbLF55QWlWQpOGlVfXpJNS6oRnPpxfRfa6AMmS0SweEYla8qG0arIO7xxj_RfygvAUhO55bPKGx4OzwMTxvdG4AH-bWyDA&num=1&sig=AOD64_10AXDFS2DFinmjDeo1hncGepPQyA&client=ca-pub-5700237260308472&adurl=http://www.webcrawler.com/info.wbcrwl.303/search/web%3Fq%3Dmobile%2Bapps%26cid%3D41827729" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #72a15b; font-family: Verdana; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">webcrawler.com/mobile_apps</a></span><br /><br /><a href="http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=L&ai=C3arM30wGUZnmPKvYwQHKroBA24jk9wS72sztUcCNtwEQAiDjh4ANKARQh_i7vPz_____AWD9oJmB6APIAQGoAwGqBJEBT9BAIU4uHwQqv2ozGj-QmSW4sqMGOuZ4VNIpHGBR5uJqe2ayPRJB8i3JHhaUK_aWWSgA9Io228JMCvqd4tzvgSNz_jie7RNbOX-2-6LVkTEbqbLF55QWlWQpOGlVfXpJNS6oRnPpxfRfa6AMmT8YpPcYla8qG0arIO7xxj_RfygvAUhO55bPKGx4OzwMZWTuLYAH6_noOg&num=2&sig=AOD64_3Q4pbgZEeh-zhiKfRtgALZc3ioCQ&client=ca-pub-5700237260308472&adurl=http://www.info.com/Free%2520Photo%2520Editor%2520Collage%2520Maker%3Fcb%3D22%26cmp%3D316611" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; 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margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Free Photo Editor</strong> </span></a><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font: inherit; left: 234px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 310px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; vertical-align: baseline;">Collage Maker Info. 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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">For those who have used Photoshop before, the interface will seem reasonably familiar, with many of the buttons having the same name and being in similar places on the interface. For those who have never used advanced image editing software before, GIMP has a very comprehensive list of tutorials, from beginner to advanced level which can be found at<a href="http://www.gimp.org/docs/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">GIMP’s Documentation page</a>. Or you could just take a look at these <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-websites-learn-gimp-photo-editor-online/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5 Websites To Learn GIMP Online</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><img alt="photoshop alternatives" class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/gimpsmall.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">PhotoScape</a></span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">PhotoScape is built to be user-friendly, with an intuitive choice of projects to select from, which vary from image editing and GIF creation to a wizard to combine pictures together or take screenshots. It certainly does not have as many features as Photoshop does, but can do, with a single click or two, many of the same things it would take a Photoshop user several clicks to do.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><img alt="photoshop alternatives" class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/photoScapesmall.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.vicman.net/vcwphoto/index.htm" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">VCW VicMan’s Photo Editor</a></span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">VCW comes bundled with optional web album software, but even without it, the VCW can be a very handy tool for image editing. The program has an old interface and doesn’t look visually attractive, but the tools work well and allow you to do most of what you’d need from a simple photo editor, such as cropping, drawing tools, contrast and color adjustments, effects and filters. The program also comes with a video tutorial to help you master it all.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><img alt="photoshop alternatives" class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/vcw-small.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.picnik.com/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0477cd; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Picnik</span></a> – an online option</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Picnik is a simple but helpful online photo editor which can help you with either basic adjustments such as sharpening and red eye or more advanced filters under the “create button”, which opens options for features such as text and color effects and many of the same filters you can find on Photoshop. It is not designed for layered editing or advanced manipulation of images, but it does a very good job with one click pre-set adjustments.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><img alt="free alternatives to adobe photoshop" class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/picniksmall.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">As with most programs, there are probably more options than you imagine, and th examples above are just a sample of what is available online to substitute commercial software. Finding the program that can do what you want or need it to do can sometimes mean finding a program with simpler features, but that does those things well. On the other hand, if you want flexibility and control over all the aspects of your image editing, you can also find options above that will give you tools to fulfill all of your needs.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Do you use any of the free alternatives to Adobe Photoshop listed above? Have you compared any of them to Photoshop for particular tasks? Tell us your thoughts.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-8134188341339615962013-01-28T02:26:00.000-08:002013-01-28T02:26:03.122-08:00Semiotic differences created by removing meaning-heavy visual elements from a picture<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">semiotics</span></i><br />
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<i>This item comes from a free picture editor in which I detected that the sign to be removed was the Sign of the Cross, probably from a foto of the sealed-in-door of a monk's crypt — Albert Gedraitis</i><br />
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We tested the service with busy photos filled with distractions that we wanted removed, we tried it with simple images, removing just one element, we tried it with black and white photos and color, and in all situations, it was able to successfully remove the parts of the image we didn’t want. An example can be seen below. Before putting the image in <b>WebInPaint</b> it looked like this:</div>
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<img alt="free photo editors" class="aligncenter" height="393" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Coptic-Egypt17.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; cursor: move; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="590" /></div>
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And after removing one element from the photo, this is what it looked like:</div>
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[Notice the anti-Christian religious prejudice in removing a Sign of the Cross from what's probably a monastic encrypted to tomb! AG]</div>
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<img alt="free photo editors" class="aligncenter" height="393" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Coptic-Egypt17-edit.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; cursor: move; display: block; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="590" /></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-90450288660653983852013-01-27T10:42:00.000-08:002013-01-27T10:42:42.165-08:00Fashion: Milan: Men's Fashion Week for 2013<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Fall Accessories</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
This get-up was shown in the Milan Fashion Week for Autumn looks like Milan gets as cold as Toronto in the Winter Months. Well, it looks water, rain, snow, and sluge proof. Hooray<br />
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— <b>Fashionaria, refWrite Backpage</b> fashion newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2013/01/15/fashion/20130115-MENSACCESSORIES-22.html"><span id="goog_953578693"></span>New York Times<span id="goog_953578694"></span></a> (Jan27,2k13)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgdqlKJ4mdy_oDpxb4nFg3RbBe_jmvH8Qytq8gmC23yBz539aWgN38Xjhg6QMKdubkcJohLAhHnWP6FWlvolJk0Aw6jxQrOBvEm3r6GA96Xo7fIcwlBzboiNrMwJa-ZjD8j5_/s1600/milan_mens_fashion_week_fall_accessories_2k13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgdqlKJ4mdy_oDpxb4nFg3RbBe_jmvH8Qytq8gmC23yBz539aWgN38Xjhg6QMKdubkcJohLAhHnWP6FWlvolJk0Aw6jxQrOBvEm3r6GA96Xo7fIcwlBzboiNrMwJa-ZjD8j5_/s640/milan_mens_fashion_week_fall_accessories_2k13.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-59030117179251645332013-01-26T23:59:00.000-08:002013-01-26T23:59:18.924-08:00Fashion: Inauguration: The ladies Sasha and Malia Obama in their new coats for today's event<br />
Young ladies, did you notice how your Dad is squinting? Help him pick some eye-glasses. (8-) By the way, you both look great.<br />
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— <b>Fashionaria, refWrite Backpage</b> fashion newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<a href="http://blogs.providencejournal.com/arts-entertainment/lifestyles/style/2013/01/j-crew-retires-plum-color-coat-worn-by-malia-obama.html">Providence Journal</a> Rhode Island (Jan27,2k13)<br />
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STYLE</h1>
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J. Crew retires plum-color coat worn by Malia Obama</h1>
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Comments <fb:comments-count class="" fb-xfbml-state="rendered" href="http://blogs.providencejournal.com/arts-entertainment/lifestyles/style/2013/01/j-crew-retires-plum-color-coat-worn-by-malia-obama.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="fb_comments_count" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">5</span></fb:comments-count></div>
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January 22, 2013 5:19 pm</div>
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By <a class="author-entry-email" href="mailto:amiller@projo.com" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; text-decoration: initial;">Alexis Magner</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaP_d89eAXRSAgHIENF-tPJXqUTmKZnWSGx_7rTbGeiKM-riyXuww8e5QaT3qylo6YP_XKBER_hUuC-kGfY-llQDLu8EbCTaQmqYGLzyLb34w9phFMBcCYKsxxgiG1R3tFInC/s1600/sasha_and_malia_obama_in_their_inauguration_coats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaP_d89eAXRSAgHIENF-tPJXqUTmKZnWSGx_7rTbGeiKM-riyXuww8e5QaT3qylo6YP_XKBER_hUuC-kGfY-llQDLu8EbCTaQmqYGLzyLb34w9phFMBcCYKsxxgiG1R3tFInC/s640/sasha_and_malia_obama_in_their_inauguration_coats.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you were hoping to score Malia Obama's J. Crew coat, you're plum out of luck.</div>
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While the <a href="http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/outerwear/wool/PRDOVR~49622/49622.jsp" style="color: #363535; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">"lady day" style</a>, which has been in the company's lineup for years, will still be available, the bright color Malia wore to her father's Inauguration is being retired in honor of the First Daughter.</div>
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Ditto the glittery J. Crew belt (a sash from the wedding collection) Michelle Obama paired with a <a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/news/michelle-obama-inauguration-day-2013?click=cos_latest" style="color: #363535; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Thom Browne coat</a> on Inauguration Day.</div>
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No word from Kate Spade about the availability of the purple coat that Sasha Obama sported. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-39890892365611827222013-01-22T19:39:00.003-08:002013-01-22T19:46:43.761-08:00Technics: Business teams: Work-community and talentsJeff Weiner is CEO of Linkedin, the rapidly growing global resume+ service that's trying to displace Facebook and Google in the ratings has some things to say about team work, community, and individuals talents. Linkedin? I'm signed up, but never coud make much use of it. I'm retired, have a full time job with no compensation. <br />
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— <b>Technowlb, refWrite Backpage</b> technics newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
with <b>Sportikos, refWrite Backpage</b> sports<br />
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<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130121221644-22330283-how-to-spot-the-five-tool-superstar">Linkedin</a> (Jan22,2k13_<br />
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How to Spot the Five-Tool Superstar</h1>
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<div class="article-date" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-attachment: scroll; background-color: white; background-image: url(http://s.c.lnkd.licdn.com/scds/common/u/img/icon/icon_bullet_grey2_4x4.png); background-position: 8px 12px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #666666; display: inline-block; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; height: 30px; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: middle; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
January 21, 2013</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In baseball, the holy grail for any talent scout is the discovery of the five-tool player -- a player that can hit for average, hit for power, run, throw, and field. Willie Mays was the classic five-tool player. He could beat you with his bat, his arm, his glove and his legs, and he oftentimes did:</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-------------------------------------</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ESzmm1Kjb40" style="font-style: normal;">YouTube</a> (Jan22,2k13) <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I had to substitute-in a different Mays video because some distributors won't show their vids on YouTube in Canada, where I'm based — it's our copyright laws. </span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Outside Canada try this title on YouTube search: </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Willie Mays makes an amazing over-the-shoulder catch. "</span></span></i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1954 World Series Game 1: Willie Mays makes one of the most memorable plays in World Series history with an over-the-shoulder running catch in deep center field... </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">Check out <http: com="" video=""> for more!" — </http:></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">Video's Info. <i>Also check out</i> <http: vrsg_-dv7q="" youtu.be=""> </http:></span><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> - Technowlb.] </span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><b>Greatest Baseball Catches Ever</b> (pictures only). 930,00 video hits to date.</span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ESzmm1Kjb40" width="420"></iframe></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Over the years, one of the questions I've been asked most frequently is "What skills should I look for when hiring great talent?" The answer I give is the same I would to any indivdual looking to advance his/her career. As in baseball, consider this five-tool framework:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Read more ...</b></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Technology vision</strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bill Gates understood the implications of Moore's Law and subsequently envisioned a day in which there would be a computer on every desktop; Marc Andreessen appreciated the potential of the internet well before his browser made it accessible and usable by everyone; and Elon Musk recognized that advances in energy storage might one day make it possible for the mass production of high performance electric vehicles.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In a world where business success is increasingly determined by innovative breakthroughs -- where software allows companies to reach hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people in milliseconds; where technological advances mean product creation and iteration happen at previously unseen rates -- one of the most valuable skills is the ability to understand where technology is headed and what's possible as a result. What made Wayne Gretzky great, as he once famously acknowledged, was the ability to skate to where the puck was going, not to where it had been. The same can be said of a visionary technologist.</span></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. Product sensibility</span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As valuable as a vision for technology can be, without a clear understanding of how that technology can be applied to meet the unmet needs of customers, that vision will be limited to great research papers, futurist journals, and symposium speeches. Substantially greater value accrues once that technology moves from a place of theoretical understanding to a practical application that ultimately delights customers.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Having great product sensibilities is perhaps best illustrated by Steve Jobs. The Mac, iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad are all examples of manifesting advances in technology in simple, intuitive, and beautifully designed products that changed people's lives and fundamentally changed the world.</span></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. Business acumen</span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Developing a product in high demand is not enough. Just ask the countless consumer web companies of the late 1990s whose plan was to lose a dollar on every sale but make it up on volume.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The truly great, lasting products don't just meet consumer needs -- they are built on sustainable, long-term business models that mutually benefit multiple players within their respective ecosystems. Take Google for example.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Building on the work of Bill Gross' bidded search model at Overture, Google added a clickability variable that would reward the most relevant sponsored search ads (the ones searchers were most likely to click on and transact with) and penalize the least relevant. With the introduction of relevancy into the prevailing search advertising model, they created a powerful virtuous cycle and one of the most successful business models ever. Consumers with commercial intent could find exactly what they were looking for, advertisers could utilize ROI analytics and bid rationally for placement, and Google realized a massively scalable source of profit they could reinvest in improving existing products (search index comprehensiveness, algorithmic search quality) and developing and/or acquiring new ones (e.g. Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Android).</span></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. Leadership</span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You can have a clear understanding of where technology is heading, an uncanny sense for how to turn that technology into a must-have product, and a Midas-like instinct for creating value. However, if you can't effectively communicate your vision and attract and retain world-class talent to execute it, you'll have nothing more than a plan. To realize that plan, you'll need to lead.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For me, leadership is simply defined as the ability to inspire others to achieve shared objectives. Managers tell people what to do; leaders inspire them to do it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To inspire, you'll need clarity of vision, the courage of your convictions, and the ability to effectively communicate both. This holds no matter the size or stage of your company: Start-ups need to inspire new recruits to join the team, VCs to invest, and existing employees to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds; more mature companies need to explain to new and existing talent why they'll be able to have disproportionate impact on already well established platforms, convince decision makers to take intelligent risks, and educate external constituencies, e.g. Wall Street, the press, etc., on where the company is heading next.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Regardless of where your business is in its life cycle or how successful it has been to date, you'll need the right leadership to ultimately realize its full potential.</span></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5. Resourcefulness</span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As important as the previously mentioned skills are, I would trade them all for the ability to get s*&% done.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Every individual and every team, no matter how skilled, is eventually going to experience obstacles -- running out of funds, the inability to scale a key piece of technology, a shift in consumer sentiment, a new entrant in the competitive landscape, naysayers within the organization -- if it's worth doing, you will always find yourself hitting walls. With that in mind, the most valuable people I've worked with are the ones that use sheer force of will to go around those walls, climb over them, or just flat out knock them down.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There's a great scene from the film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112384/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #006699; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">"Apollo 13"</a> that embodies this approach. The movie depicts the real-life series of events in which NASA attempts to return the manned Apollo 13 spacecraft to Earth after experiencing a series of potentially catastrophic failures ("Houston, we have a problem"). Through sheer ingenuity and determination, all three astronauts eventually make it home safely. This clip captures the resourcefulness and determination that made it possible:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Z3csfLkMJT4">YouTube</a> (Jan22,2k13) 61,008 video hits to date; 1.47 minutes.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Apollo 13</b> clip</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z3csfLkMJT4" width="560"></iframe></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whether it's in baseball or business, the true five-tool player is a rare find -- so much so that most successful teams don't have any five-tool players, let alone multiple players with more than one skill. What the best teams have are individuals who recognize what capabilities they have and which they lack, and subsequently complement one another such that in the aggregate, they have the ability to draw upon all five tools.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rather than simultaneously strive to achieve excellence in all five areas, start by selecting one where you not only have the aptitude, but also possess the passion <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130107144741-22330283-from-seinfeld-to-sushi-how-to-master-your-domain" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #006699; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">to continuously improve and master that ability over time</a>. Being superlative at any one of the five tools will make you valuable to any team; two or more will make you a star. All five and one day you just may find yourself mentioned with Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Jeff Bezos among the pantheon of modern day business greats.</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-80698084010714084522013-01-22T05:21:00.001-08:002013-01-22T05:37:16.178-08:00Sports: Raven's Suggs: Cusses out Patriots who lost to upsurging Baltimore Ravens 28-13What a Super Bowl this year! Head coaches of the Ravens and the 49ers are brothers. Baltimore Ravens champs the American Football Conference coached by John Harbaugh vs San Fransisco 49ers champs of the National Football Conference coached by Jim Harbaugh. <br />
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I've interspersed some critical comments into my composite blog-entry below and a quote from another article by the CBS Sports folks.<br />
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-- <b>Sportikos, refWrite Backpage</b> sports newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<span style="border: 0px; color: #2c2d2e; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2013/01/21/suggs-goes-on-expletive-laden-tirade-against-pats-following-ravens-win/">CBS Connecticut/AP</a> (Jan22,2k13))</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FOXBOROUGH, Mass. </strong>— A fired-up <b>Terrell Suggs</b> ripped the <b>New England Patriots</b> following the <b>Baltimore Ravens 28-13 AFC Championship</b> win.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">According to <a href="https://twitter.com/DanWetzel" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #266ec4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Wetzel</a>, the Ravens linebacker had a few expletive-laden words directed at <b>Bill Belichick</b> and company.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“Tell them to have fun at the Pro Bowl. <b>Arrogant f******</b>,” Suggs said in the locker room.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">He then suggested the <b>Patriots’ arrogance</b> has hurt the organization.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">[What coud have got under Suggs' skin so? The answer may be found in another <a href="http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2013/01/21/sharpe-belichick-makes-it-real-easy-for-you-to-root-against-the-patriots/"><span id="goog_887843693"></span>CBS Connecticut <span id="goog_887843694"></span></a>news story,</span></div>
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<b>Shannon Sharpe</b> blasted New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for refusing to do an interview with <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/21590107/cbs-sharpe-blasts-belichick-after-he-refuses-post-game-interview" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #266ec4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">CBS Sports</a> following their loss to the Baltimore Ravens.<br />
The Hall of Fame tight end and analyst for “<b>The NFL Today</b>” called Belichick’s behavior “unacceptable” after the Patriots lost the AFC Championship game to the Ravens 28-13.<br />
“Bill Belichick makes it real easy for you to root against the Patriots,” Sharpe said to CBS. “You can’t be a poor sport all the time. You’re not going to win all the time and he does this every time he loses.”</blockquote>
Clearly, it seems to <b>refWrite's Sportikos</b>, that <b>CBS Sports</b> honcho Sharpe has a grudge against the Pats leadership who may indeed by the worst f's and p's in pro football today, for all I know; and CBS or Yahoo Sports journo Dan Wetzel seems to have provoked an unguarded Suggs into letting loose with the same sentiment as runs the show at CBS. This sports-journo technique, where the journo virtually puts words in the player's mouth to rip into the coach and player-leadership of the other team, is quite bad sports-journo practice. Actually, the interview-avoiding Patriots coach actually said elsewhere, <span style="background-color: white; color: #2c2d2e; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“That was a disappointing end to an overall pretty positive season,” Belichick said. “Tonight we just didn’t do enough things well enough to win. Give the Ravens credit, they’re a good football team, they just outplayed us and outcoached us tonight. They just made more plays than we did and that’s pretty much the story.” So Shannon Sharpe's blast at Pats coach Belichick is thick with spoil-sport, and it throws into sharp relief the unnecessary quotation of Raven's Suggs fs and ps, a dirty game by CBS. But the Suggs story isn't even signed! Quote a man's expletives and then you don't even sign your f***ing name? -- <b>Sportikos</b></span></span>]<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“These are the most arrogant p***** in the world, starting with Belichick on down,” Suggs exclaimed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The riled player did, though, give <b>credit to the Patriots for their season</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“With how the game last year ended, and <b>who (No.) 12 is </b>[QB Tom Brady, folks], and <b>who their head coach is</b>, and <b>who their owner is</b> … <u>you won’t get another battle like this between two AFC opponents</u>,” Suggs said. “We have the <b>utmost respect for them</b>.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Ravens reached their <b>first Super Bowl in 12 years</b>, thanks to three touchdown passes from <b>Joe Flacco</b> and a <u>defense led by <b>Ray Lewis</b></u> that made <b>Tom Brady</b> look downright ordinary.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Next up for Harbaugh and the <b>Ravens</b> is younger brother Jim and the <b>San Francisco 49ers</b>, who beat <b>Atlanta</b> 28-24 earlier in the day for the <b>NFC title</b>.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-42639741350656381392013-01-22T03:24:00.000-08:002013-01-22T03:25:55.474-08:00Literary Arts: C S Lewis: Author of many good books, including the Narnia Trilogy for kidsHat Tip to Steve Bishop of <a href="http://paper.li/stevebishopuk/reformational">The reformational Daily</a> and blogger-newspotter <a href="http://yearnforgod.org/2012/11/28/30-things-you-might-not-know-about-cs-lewis/">Greg Breazeale</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1583461111"></span>Yearn for God<span id="goog_1583461112"></span></a>, the list-author's blog for Nov28, 2012 (Jan22,2k13)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">November 29th marks the eleventy-fourth (114th) year since C.S. Lewis was born. <a href="http://yearnforgod.org/2011/11/29/happy-birthday-clive-staples-lewis/" style="color: #2089cc; outline: none;">Last year I listed some of my favorite quotes</a> from his writings. This year I thought I would share some of the more interesting facts about his life.</span></div>
<a href="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/5ffe25874e326e362d2ea2364c1d2e0f?s=128&d=identicon" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" class="avatar avatar-128" height="128" src="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/5ffe25874e326e362d2ea2364c1d2e0f?s=128&d=identicon" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px;" width="128" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 22px;">Follower of Jesus. Husband to Heather. Father to Cross and Rhyse. Owner of Baggins. Pastor of Metro East Baptist Church</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>1. Clive Staples Lewis was not English.</strong></em> Though many think and refer to him as such, he was actually born in Belfast, Ireland. So he technically he was British but not English.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>2. He changed his name to Jack.</strong></em> In 1902 he announced to his parents that he would, from that day forward, be referred to as “Jacksie.” It was later shortened to “Jacks” and then finally “Jack.” He would be Clive no more.</span></div>
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<em><strong><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3. He never learned to drive.</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Read more ...</span></strong></em></div>
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<a name='more'></a><em><strong><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4. His favorite sound was adult male laughter. </span></strong></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong><em>5. His ideal happiness was</em></strong> “to be always convalescent from some small illness and always seated in a window that overlooked the sea, there to read these poems (Renaissance Italian epic) eight hours of each happy day.”</span></div>
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<em><strong><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">6. He loved the sea.</span></strong></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>7. He failed his Oxford entrance exam, twice.</strong></em> He took the Responsions at least two times and failed the math section. He was allowed entrance into Oxford in 1917 because he served in the military.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>8. He had dreams of lions.</strong></em> Prior to writing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Narnia-Box-Set-Lewis/dp/0061992887/ref=pd_vtp_b_62" style="color: #2089cc; outline: none;"><em>The Chronicles of Narnia</em></a> he had strange dreams of lions and pictures in his head of a faun carrying parcels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>9. J.R.R. Tolkien did not like the Narnia stories.</strong></em> Tolkien did not like the Christian allegory, nor did he like the mixing of myths. It appeared he was fond of Aslan though.</span></div>
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<em><strong><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">10. Aslan is Turkish for “lion.”</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">11. He often addressed Jesus as Aslan in prayer.</span></strong></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong><em>12. Some argue that Tolkien based Treebeard on Lewis.</em></strong> I cannot prove this, but I’ve heard it in more than one place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>13. His conversion to Christianity was not</strong> <strong>when he wrote in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Surprised-Joy-Shape-Early-Life/dp/0156870118/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y" style="color: #2089cc; outline: none;">Surprised By Joy</a>:</strong> </em>“You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen [College, Oxford University], night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England. I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape? The words <i>compelle intrare</i>, ‘compel them to come in,’ have been so abused be wicked men that we shudder at them; but, properly understood, they plumb the depth of the Divine mercy. The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This was simply his conversion to theism from atheism in 1929. It wasn’t until 1931 that he and his brother went to Whipsnade Zoo. Warren drove the motorcycle while Jack sat in the sidecar! He wrote, “When we set out, I did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo, I did.” The evening before this trip, Lewis had a long discussion with Hugo Dyson and J.R.R. Tolkien about Christianity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>14. He did not affirm the inerrency of Scripture.</strong> </em>To be clear, he highly regarded the Bible and its authority. He read the Bible constantly (Authorized Version). But he would not have used the same language about the Bible as evangelicals do today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong><em>15. He wasn’t a fan of the Reformation.</em></strong><em> </em>He thought the issues involved could have been handled more appropriately. He referred to it as “farcical.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>16. He smoked</strong></em> . . . a lot!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>17. He drank</strong></em> . . . a good bit!</span></div>
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<em><strong><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">18. He was a shabby dresser.</span></strong></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>19. He was extremely generous</strong></em>. Douglas Gresham recalls a story where Jack and a friend were walking to a meeting one day when they were approached by a beggar. The beggar asked them for some spare change whereupon Jack gave him everything he had. Once the beggar had gone, his friend said, “You shouldn’t have given that man all that money Jack, he’ll only spend it on drink.” Jack’s reply – “Well, if I’d kept it, I would have only spent it on drink.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>20. He married Joy Davidman in the hospital.</strong> </em>This was about a year after he married her in a secret civil ceremony due to the denial of her residency by the British Home Office. But he wanted a church ceremony, hence the hospital wedding.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>21. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grief-Observed-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652381/ref=pd_vtp_b_2" style="color: #2089cc; outline: none;">A Grief Observed</a> was originally published under the pseudonym N. W. Clerk.</strong></em> Lewis wrote this work after Joy died in 1960. Many who read the book sent Lewis copies hoping it would help him in his plight!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong><em>22. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652926/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y" style="color: #2089cc; outline: none;">Mere Christianity</a> never mentions the Resurrection</em></strong>. He did however write on the Resurrection in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miracles-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060653019/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354043008&sr=8-1&keywords=miracles" style="color: #2089cc; outline: none;"><em>Miracles</em></a> and other works.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>23. He read every single book from the 16th century.</strong></em> To prepare to write his <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/English-Literature-Sixteenth-Century-Excluding/dp/0198812981/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=JYOX4F25CL86&coliid=I2XP8NUNWS635F" style="color: #2089cc; outline: none;">English Literature in the 16th Century</a></em>, he read every single volume from the 16th century in Duke Humphrey’s library, the oldest part of the Bodleian Library.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong><em>24. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Screwtape-Letters-C-Lewis/dp/0060652934/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354029760&sr=8-1&keywords=screwtape+letters" style="color: #2089cc; outline: none;">The Screwtape Letters</a> was his least favorite to write.</em></strong> He said he never wrote with less enjoyment. Having to “switch sides” was difficult for him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>25. He wrote to Kathy Keller.</strong></em> Kathy Keller is Tim Keller’s wife. She wrote to Lewis when she was 12. There are four letters from him to her in<em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/C-S-Lewis-Letters-Children/dp/0684823721/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353969236&sr=1-9&keywords=surprised+by+joy+c.s.+lewis" style="color: #2089cc; outline: none;"> Letters To Children</a> </em>and<em> </em>volume three of <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Letters-C-S-Lewis-Cambridge/dp/0060819227/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353969352&sr=1-2&keywords=letters+of+cs+lewis" style="color: #2089cc; outline: none;">Letters of C.S. Lewis</a></em>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>26. He shared a boat ride to Ireland with Martyn Lloyd-Jones in 1953.</strong></em> The two met before this when Lloyd-Jones attended a lecture by Lewis and afterward had lunch with him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>27. He was not a Calvinist.</strong></em> He said in a letter (3:866) “I’m no Calvinist.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>28. He died on November 22, 1963.</strong> </em>This was of course the same day Kennedy was shot as well as when Aldous Huxley died.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>29. Walter Hooper referred to him as</strong> </em>“the most thoroughly converted man I have ever met.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em><strong>30. He said about his writings,</strong></em> “After I’ve been dead five years, no one will read anything I’ve written.” He’s been dead 49 years. Thankfully Mr. Lewis, you were wrong! Happy Birthday!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Greg Breazeale</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-44085243577614337072013-01-22T02:38:00.003-08:002013-01-22T02:38:47.614-08:00Video: Story of cummunity-based theatre: C.S. Lewis' Narnia, for many a new artistic experienceCommunity-theatre is winning an audience thru grassroots connections and a wonderful story for children (and their parents) by C. S. Lewis.<br />
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-- <b>Theatrikos, refWrite Backpage</b> theatre newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Narnia Experience</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dJCJHDk1ij8">YouTube</a> (Jan22,2k13)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dJCJHDk1ij8" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-46179418873475367872013-01-21T20:59:00.000-08:002013-01-21T20:59:16.732-08:00Movies: Bourne Legacy star: Jeremy Renny says 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people' I own gunsIt's hackneyed, but it's still the best one-liner around on that side of the issue. It seems Jeremy Renner wavered in allegiance to his side, and now suggests others bent a non-commital <b>Demand a Plan</b> move of the <b>Mayors Against Illegal Guns</b> into a total ban-guns crusade. Jeremy, haven't you figured it out yet, that's what politicians, and mayors are politicians, will do every time. Stick to your guns, and keep your fans, it's as simple as that. If you continue to waver, many of us will get fatigued with the style you're dancing — whatever we think about gun control — because you in that case woud turn out to be just another politically-slick Hollywood celeb.<br />
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— <b>Politicarp, refWrite Frontpage</b> politics newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<a href="http://cnsnews.com/news/article/bourne-star-guns-don-t-kill-people-people-kill-people">CSNnews.com</a> (Jan21,2k13)<br />
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<i>Bourne Legacy</i> star says, </h1>
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‘Guns Don’t Kill People, People Kill People’</h1>
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January 21, 2013</div>
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<a href="http://cnsnews.com/image/jeremy-renner" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #2f6ed4; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;" title="jeremy renner"><img alt="jeremy renner" class="" height="183" src="http://cnsnews.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/medium/images/aaa2_560.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="jeremy renner" width="220" /></a><div class="caption" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; margin: 5px 0px 10px; padding: 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
Actor Jeremy Renner poses during a photo call to present the movie "The Bourne Legacy", in Rome, Monday, July 17, 2012. (AP Photo)</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Jeremy Renner,</b> star of the action film <i><b>The Bourne Legacy</b></i>, released a statement on his personal website declaring that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” and saying that <b>banning guns is not the answer to gun violence</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Taking guns from people is no answer. <b>I own guns and want to keep it that way</b>. But guns don’t kill people… people kill people. <u>Blaming movies or video games is no actionable solution,</u>” Renner wrote January 16.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Renner, one of the Hollywood actors who participated in the "<b>Demand a Plan</b>" public service announcement that called for public action to “demand a plan” to address gun violence in the wake of the Sandyhook school shooting, issued his statement after appearing in a star-studded video funded by anti-gun group <b>Mayors Against Illegal Guns</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Renner said that he wasn’t calling for gun control necessarily, just for some kind of public response.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“I’m saddened by those that misinterpret the 'Demand a Plan' PSA I participated in. In short, we asked our leaders for a plan, hence,' Demand a Plan,' and it’s most certainly <b>not stripping us of our rights as Americans; that is absolutely asinine</b>.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Instead, Renner said that preventing violence should begin at <b>home, with better parenting and more attention paid to childhood development.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“I believe our salvation begins in each of our homes. It starts with parenting, which has become increasingly more challenging in recent years,” Renner wrote.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“In a communication age where technology is growing at a much faster rate than we can truly understand, <b>our youth has available to them more information and access to pretty much everything before they are socially and mentally matured</b>. Our children need to be attended to with even greater care.”</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-58783977698300113322013-01-20T22:24:00.000-08:002013-01-20T22:24:10.743-08:00Music: Beatbox: Beatbox Batle World Champs 2012 - Final Skiller vs AlemHat Tip to Grizzly Beatbalks (Jan18,2k13)<br />
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4,940,832 video hits to date<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVAka_y3BC0&feature=player_embedded">YouTube</a> (Jan21,2k13)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xVAka_y3BC0?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-43956941711802780822013-01-20T17:20:00.001-08:002013-01-22T03:44:00.595-08:00Sports: Football (pro): NFC San Fran 49ers 28 over Atlanta Falcons 24<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And a tite and lively game was had by all. It's official: 49ers 38, Falcons 24. And the San Fransisco team heads to the Super Bowl as champs of the National Football Conference, where they'll face New England or Baltimore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">-- <b>Sportikos, refWrite Backpage</b> sports newspotter, analyst, columnist</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000128809/article/video-49ers-jim-harbaugh-loses-his-cool?campaign=Twitter_atl">National Football League</a> (Jan20,2k13)<br />
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Coach Jim Harbaugh loses </h1>
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his cool in </h1>
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<li id="article-hdr-meta-pub" style="color: #999999; float: left; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="label">Published:</span> <span class="published"><abbr class="value" id="article-time" style="border: 0px;" title="2013-01-20T18:33:00-0500">Jan. 20, 2013 at 06:33 p.m.</abbr></span></li>
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<i>See Rosenthal's post-game write-up with video <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000128803/article/san-francisco-49ers-headed-to-super-bowl-xlvii">here</a>.</i><br />
<i>See Charles Odum's <a href="http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/50528580/ns/sports-nfl/">take on the game</a> for AP, with video of Kaepernick post-game wrap-up.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">With the <a href="http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2013012001/2012/POST20/49ers@falcons#tab=recap&menu=highlights" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1358729554979_3518" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: initial;"><b>NFC Championship Game</b></a> winding down, you want your leaders showing coolness under pressure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://subscriptions.nfl.com/nflsubs?icampaign=Prod_GR_SEO_inline" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1358729554979_3519" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: initial;"><img align="center" border="0" src="http://static.nfl.com/static/content//catch_all/nfl_image/Game-rewind_inside.jpg" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" /></a><br clear="all" />Relive every game this season online and on-demand with enhanced viewing features, including the "All-22" coaches film. <a href="http://subscriptions.nfl.com/nflsubs?icampaign=Prod_GR_SEO_inline" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1358729554979_3520" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: initial;">Get NFL Game Rewind</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Still, watching <a href="http://www.nfl.com/teams/sanfrancisco49ers/profile?team=SF" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1358729554979_3521" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: initial;"><b>San Francisco 49ers</b></a> coach <a href="http://www.nfl.com/player/jimharbaugh/2515790/profile" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1358729554979_3522" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: initial;"><b>Jim Harbaugh</b></a> absolutely freaking out always makes for great television.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We present Harbaugh, whose reaction after a catch by <a href="http://www.nfl.com/teams/atlantafalcons/profile?team=ATL" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1358729554979_3523" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: initial;"><b>Atlanta Falcons</b></a> wide receiver <a href="http://www.nfl.com/player/harrydouglas/222/profile" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1358729554979_3524" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: initial;"><b>Harry Douglas</b></a> was upheld after an official review. Two-year olds everywhere admire the coach's form.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Harbaugh will get a chance to work on his form for a few more weeks, because he's <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000128803/article/san-francisco-49ers-are-headed-to-the-super-bowl" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1358729554979_3525" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: initial;" target="_self">headed to the Super Bowl</a> following the <b><a href="http://www.nfl.com/teams/sanfrancisco49ers/profile?team=SF" id="yui_3_5_0_1_1358729554979_3526" style="color: #364c88; text-decoration: initial;">49ers</a>' 28-24 victory</b> Sunday.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222221; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">http://www.nfl.com/videos/auto/0ap2000000128705/Harbaugh-goes-crazy-after-Douglas-catch</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-50030506917206588942013-01-20T16:43:00.002-08:002013-01-20T16:43:49.034-08:00Sports: Tennis - Australian Open Marathon: Novak Djokovic defeats Stanislas Wawrinka, 4th roundThe Australian Open Tennis Marathon has a way of casting up heroes, even in defeat, and Novak Djokovic's tribute to his defeated opponent, the Swiss Stanilas Wawrinka (always second to that other Swiss Roger Federer) elegantly put Wawrinka in the hero category. And there's nothing about Djokovic's praise that is maudlin or sentimental. Keep your eye on Wawrinka, but there's, of course, always Roger Federer to overcome. Will Djokovic be up to that challenge? First, however, his next round -- the 5th -- Tomas Berdych who is ranked No. 5 among the contenders.<br />
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-- <b>Sportikos, refWrite Backpage</b> sports newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">MELBOURNE, Australia -- The opponent was different, the match three rounds earlier. Still, the result gave <b>Novak Djokovic</b> a familiar feeling, and another chance to rip off his shirt in celebration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Djokovic needed just over <b>5 hours</b> to beat Stanislas Wawrinka 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 12-10 in a fourth-round match Sunday night at the Australian Open, on the same court where he needed 5:53 to beat <b>Rafael Nadal</b> in last year's final.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"I just had flashback of 2012," Djokovic said. "It was maybe 45 minutes less this match than the one 12 months ago, but still it was still as exciting. I tried to enjoy the moment and couldn't ask for more. What a match point ... unbelievable."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">He wasn't exaggerating about the match point. <u>On his third attempt to end it, his backhand cross-court shot zipped past the valiant <b>Wawrinka</b>, who, Djokovic conceded, had outplayed him for most of the night.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"He came up with great tactics today," Djokovic said. "He didn't give me a lot of the same rhythm that I could get into the match. <b>He was the one being in charge. I was passive.</b> "</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The win was <b>Djokovic's 18th in a row at Melbourne Park</b> after winning the last two Australian titles and advanced the Serbian star to the quarterfinals of his <b>15th consecutive major tournament</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Wawrinka</b>, who had been receiving treatment to his upper leg muscles from late in the fourth set, said he would take more positives than negatives out of the match. He led 5-2 in the second set after outplaying Djokovic in the first.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"For sure, I think <b>the best match I have ever played</b>," Wawrinka said. "I fought like a dog like always. At <b>4-4 in the final set</b>, I thought I might have won the match, but he was just better."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Djokovic will next play No. 5 <b>Tomas Berdych</b>, who needed five match points in the tiebreaker before beating South Africa's <b>Kevin Anderson</b> 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (13).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fourth-seeded <b>David Ferrer</b> won 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 over No. 16 <b>Kei Nishikori</b> of Japan to set up a quarterfinal against fellow Spaniard <b>Nicolas Almagro</b>, who was leading 6-2, 5-1 when No. 8 <b>Janko Tipsaveric</b> retired from their fourth-round match.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Djokovic-Wawrinka match overshadowed <b>Maria Sharapova</b>'s accomplishment earlier in the day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sharapova advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-0 win over <b>Kirsten Flipkens</b> in another impressive display – last year's French Open champion has lost just five games through four rounds, <u>breaking the Australian Open mark of eight</u> held previously by eventual champions <b>Steffi Graf </b>and <b>Monica Seles</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"A couple that I've won, I felt like I was playing great from the beginning and I was able to carry that through the whole tournament," said Sharapova, who won titles in 2004 at Wimbledon, 2006 at the U.S. Open and 2008 in Australia before completing her career Grand Slam with a victory at last year's French Open.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She can't remember ever winning so few games through four rounds of a tournament, but realizes this means nothing if she doesn't make it to the latter stages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Well, I'm certainly happy to be playing this well but ... it only gets tougher from here," said Sharapova, who is playing her first tournament of 2013 after withdrawing from a warm-up event at Brisbane because of an injured right collarbone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She next plays fellow Russian <b>Ekaterina Makarova</b>, who beat fifth-seeded <b>Angelique Kerber</b> 7-5, 6-4. Sharapova defeated Makarova in the quarterfinals here last year on her way to the final, which she lost in straight sets to <b>Victoria Azarenka</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Li Na</b>, who reached the final here in 2011 and won the French Open later that year, saved a set point in the tiebreaker before beating <b>Julia Goerges</b> 7-6 (6), 6-1. She'll play No. 4 <b>Agnieszka Radwanska</b>, who beat No. 13 <b>Ana Ivanovic</b> 6-2, 6-4 for her 13th consecutive win. <u>Radwanska won the Auckland and Sydney titles before coming to Melbourne</u>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On Monday, <b>Roger Federer</b> plays <b>Milos Raonic</b>, and U.S. Open champion Andy Murray faces Gilles Simon. <b>Azarenka</b>, <b>Serena Williams</b> and fellow American <b>Sloane Stephens</b> <u>also have their fourth-round matches</u>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thy will have a tough time matching the spectacle of Sunday's late-night encounter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><b>Djokovic</b> had beaten <b>Wawrinka</b></u> – the perennial No. 2 among <b>Swiss tennis players</b> to 17-time major winner <b>Roger Federer</b> – <u>in their 10 previous matches. He hadn't lost a head-to-head since 2006 and had won 11 straight sets between them.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Wawrinka stunned the top-ranked Djokovic with three service breaks in the first set</u> and had that 5-2 lead in the second before the 25-year-old Serb rallied by winning six consecutive games. But just as Djokovic seemed to be taking control, Wawrinka launched his own comeback to win a long tiebreaker and <b>force a fifth set</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Djokovic got to serve first in the fifth, giving him a psychological edge as long as he held his serve.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Wawrinka had game point in the 22nd game but let Djokovic get on a roll. He saved his first match point with a service winner, then saved another two minutes later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At 1:40 a.m. local time, Wawrinka was whacking his head with the racket and biting the ball after giving Djokovic another match point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Moments later, he was slumped on the court, exhausted. Djokovic raised both arms, walked to the net and embraced his beaten rival, then pulled of his shirt and flexed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>"Give him credit, he made me run all over the court," Djokovic said. "He never gave me the same ball. He was aggressive from both sides. I didn't know what was coming next."</u></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-82175329230174049342013-01-20T15:18:00.000-08:002013-01-20T15:18:35.533-08:00Music: Grace Pettis: Song "Abilene"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">She does the song with an acoustic guitar and no frontal microphone, her tone is dissonance, sometimes she seems to be rawly emoting into shouts almost. You have to watch it several times, and watch the video, to get in her groove. And then, for most of us, Grace Pettis begins to come across as a powerful ideosyncratic musician and singer in the folk music idion, but transgressing many of its assumed rules.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Musikos, refWrite Backpage</b></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> music newspotter, analyst, columnist</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Hat Tip to Byron Borger, whose write-up I've pirated below.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Grace Pettis performs "Abilene"</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">LIVE STREAMING VIDEO TONIGHT </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Grace & Pierce Pettis </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">8:00 PM EST — Live from Saratoga Springs</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><a href="http://www.concertwindow.com/venues/caffelena/shows" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.concertwindow.com/venues/caffelena/shows</a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">If you are not watching the final wrap of the football games tonight, you might enjoy this. I have seen Grace and Pierce doing this show twice, and have been blown away each time. Beth and I and good friends from our church saw them Friday night and, again, it was profound, entertaining, and an evening of spectacular songwriting and craftsmanship. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I have admired Pierce since his first indie release, and we sell his albums in the shop. His version of "In the Bleak Midwinter" (from Winter Solstice III) is my favorite version of that song, and I listen to Miriam (from Making Light of it) every Advent. He skewered the Christian right in "Lions in the Colosseum" --how many songs do you know about Dorothy Day? -- and sings more than one song about a certain lion from Narnia. He is up there in my top few performers and his passion and skillful playing and literate songwriting continues to mean a lot to me. Maybe some of our friends know that Steve Garber has the lyrics to a Pettis song as a frontispiece for his thoughtful Fabric of Faithfulness. So there ya go, just one of several book connections in his work. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Pierce has recorded a Mark Heard song on each of his last several albums and he and his daughter are doing several Mark Heard songs in this tour. Grace’s skilled and evocative high vocals --skipping up into falsetto often -- adds perfect depth and texture to Pierce’s powerhouse voice. If you still miss Mark (who died after an on-stage heart attack during a Cornerstone show a decade ago) it will be worth the five bucks just to hear them do “Tip of My Tongue.” I was a little embarrassed how I cried sitting in the front row when I heard their live version last fall. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Twenty-something Grace has a new album out (Little Birds) produced by Billy Crockett and she has matured as a songwriter and performer since her great first album. She is a gal to keep an eye on. I think (no matter how touched I am by Pierce’s powerful songs, all which are favorites since I play his CDs so much) the highlight of the show is the sad, slow song “Abilene” from her new album. It is a song about a desperate young woman whose hard life is going nowhere in a Texas town, as she promises her young sister that they will escape soon. The line that she got her name because her mother “liked the sound of Abilene” just slays me. Tune in and be transported by Grace into that life like a short story.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Here is her doing an early version: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1u241mmwiM" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1u241mmwiM</a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Grace’s powerful voice soars and whispers in a song we might all be wise to ponder this inauguration day: Paul Simon’s “American Tune.” Pierce finger- picks it with his hard style, not gently, but nonetheless stunning. I have listened to Paul Simon (and others) do that song a hundred times, and nobody tops their live version. I trust they will do it tonight. Maybe you’ll hear it as a prayer for our needy nation.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">They do some rowdy stuff, too -- Dylan’s “Down in the Flood” is manic, the banging guitar and amazing harmonica blaring brought the house down! -- and fun stuff like the song about eloping (“Rodeo Around the World.”) Pierce compliments Grace's songs and she does great backup on his. He does some great instrumental stuff, and tells lots of jokes. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">And they do the quiet tender stuff -- "Little River Canyon" captures the drama of adolescence wonderfully, and hints at disappointment, in a truly beautiful melody and gentle folk finger-picking. The Biblical literacy of the gorgeous “That Kind of Love” is sweetly touching, so beautiful you can hear a pin drop. That they did “I’ll Be There” from the out-of-print Chase the Buffalo album was a sheer gift, making me deeply glad for God’s faithfulness, for those Bible verses where Jesus says he is our friend, and also for our own long-lasting friends. I got a lump in my throat, too, for those whose lives are on the edge of desperation (“You make a lot of money/you make a lot of friends/ When you lose that money, a lot of those friendships end/ Lose that job, lose that house, lose that car, lose that spouse -- I will be here.”) He is a master of doing poignant, lyrical songs that are tinged with faith, that have double-meanings, that can be heard on different levels. He is profoundly and at times overtly Christian, but appeals to the broader folk crowd. (For instance, his homage to his home state of Alabama “State of Grace” which he nearly shouts out as solid Southern patriotism and as theological treatise.)</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Young Grace, too. As in introduction to an old-school sort of ballad, “Lighthouse” she cheerfully warned that “this is a Jesus allegory. Or maybe not, maybe it is just a story. You can choose.” The dark Western murder ballad (“A Murder of Crows”) seems to have some theological thing going on, too. Weird, dark, true.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Perhaps one of the great moments in the show for me further illustrates this. The beautiful “Alabama 1959” (from 2004’s Great Big Love) is set up with a goofy story about finding his dad’s old home movies from his boyhood, movies nobody really watched much. The first couple of stanzas of the song wonderfully portray small town life in a mid-century Southern US of A. The third verse speaks gently of racism. There is a line that hints at complicity. At the end of the nostalgic story he sings</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">These old home movies, well they make me cry</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Still I bring them out and watch sometimes</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">And all those ghosts come back alive</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Alabama 1959</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Ghosts, indeed. I think the first song I ever heard by Pettis was the powerful duet sung with the strong black vocalist from Take Six, “Legacy” and its sense of Southern culture and racism made me an fan. The songs is pretty powerful, and here he talks about it a bit as he plays it solo: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B44NGVGfP_I" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B44NGVGfP_I</a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Pierce has done songs about race relations for his whole career. He doesn’t preach, but he illumines, and we, as listeners, are better for it.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Their live show includes moving and evocative and serious songs, but they leaven it with levity, telling stories and fussing with tunings and re-doing missed notes. Pierce has long been known as an introspective, literary songsmith and yet a zany, upbeat guy. Grace is cute in her flowing skirt and sexy cowboy boots but, again, brings a gravitas to her much of her writing. Like her old dad, she is a troubadour, with stories to sing from the road and songs to play from her nomadic life, searching, as it is, for beauty and goodness and truth. They don’t preach, but there is substance and warmth and insight here. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The live streaming show is on tonight from the historic Cafe Lena coffeehouse. Don’t miss it.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Here is a link to Grace’s website: </span><a href="http://www.gracepettis.com/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.gracepettis.com/</a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Here is a link to Pierce’s website: </span><a href="http://www.piercepettis.com/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.piercepettis.com/</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-67559632861302033222013-01-20T07:18:00.000-08:002013-01-20T07:18:03.577-08:00Technics: Video: Business to Business and Business to Customer marketing communications show upturn in video useSome stats on the role of online and email video use.<br />
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— <b>Technowlb, refWrite Backpage</b> technics newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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According to Matthew Tomassi of Social Media Guide:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Did you know that <strong>video is the fastest-growing digital content category</strong>? It's true! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In fact, consider these eye-opening stats: </span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">70% of Business2B content marketers use videos</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">58% of B2B marketers rate videos as the most effective content marketing tactic</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">85% of Internet Users watch online video</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">There will be 73.3 million mobile video viewers during 2013, up 20% from 2012.</span></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-58850040147765686212013-01-20T03:25:00.002-08:002013-01-20T03:36:57.726-08:00Sports: On the way to the Super Bowl: San Fransisco 49ers vs Atlanta FalconsWell, I went for Simon Evans' preview of today's game, and he was focussed on Colin Kaepernick of the Atlanta Falcons, but by the time I got to Craig Ballard's pick for the X-factor on San Fran's 49ers, I wasn't so sure. This is gonna' be a great game, tho it's hard to end up "neutral," so I'm gonna' go with the 49ers.<br />
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— <b>Sportikos, refWrite Backpage</b> sports newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<a href="http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2013/01/18/san-francisco-49ers-at-atlanta-falcons-nfc-championship-game-x-factors/">RantSports</a> (Jan20,2k13)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 900; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons: </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 900; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">NFC Championship Game X-Factors</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Coda, Muli, cursive; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 900; line-height: 20px;"><br /> </span><br />
by Craig Ballard<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are getting closer and closer to seeing<u> who will compete in Super Bowl XLVII</u> and this article is a look at a few potential X-factors for the <b>NFC Championship</b> tilt between the <a href="http://rantsports.com/nfl/teams/san-francisco-49ers/" style="color: #0645ad; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">San Francisco 49ers</a> and the <a href="http://rantsports.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons/" style="color: #0645ad; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Atlanta Falcons</a>. As the 2013 <a href="http://rantsports.com/nfl/" style="color: #0645ad; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">NFL</a> Playoffs Insider for <a href="http://rantsports.com/" style="color: #0645ad; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Rant Sports</a>, I have a detailed game preview <a href="http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2013/01/16/49ers-at-falcons-2103-nfl-playoffs-nfc-championship-game-preview/" style="color: #0645ad; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">RIGHT HERE</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For the visiting 49ers I will pick rookie<b style="text-decoration: none;"> LaMichael James</b> as their X-factor. <u>The former <b>Oregon Ducks</b> star has only been active for a month, but he is a guy who can contribute in a few different ways on Sunday.</u></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The 49ers running game is superb</b>, and we know the offensive line plus guys like Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore are the main cogs, but James has been getting in on the fun recently too. In his past two games he has <b>averaged 7.0 yards per carry in each of them</b>, and if he can contribute in addition to the usual cast of characters for San Fran then they pretty much become <b>unstoppable</b>. His speed on the Georgia Dome turf could prove to be an effective additional weapon for <b>Jim Harbaugh</b> on Sunday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This young man has also taken on the <b>kick return duties</b>, and he has been very good with that. Last week he had just one kickoff return and it went for just <b>23 yards</b> which was his only game where he did not reel off at least one kickoff return of 30+ yards (his longest so far was a<b> 62 yard return</b>). I could see a scenario where the Falcons score through the air like they want to, feel good about it, but only to have James rip off a big return and immediately set up the Niners in good field position to answer the Falcons score. X-factor.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My Falcons X-factor last week was linebacker <b>Stephen Nicholas </b>as I figured he needed to have a great game vs the <a href="http://rantsports.com/nfl/teams/seattle-seahawks/" style="color: #0645ad; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Seattle Seahawks</a> and their impressive running attack. Nicholas was good, and so were his fellow linebackers <b>Akeem Dent</b> and Sean Weatherperson. This <b>trio</b> will be my X-factor for this week.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The <b style="text-decoration: none;">Seahawks</b> were averaging a whopping 155 rushing yards on the road (no.2 in the NFL) and the <b style="text-decoration: none;">Falcons</b> were yielding an average of 130 rushing yards at home, but <u>they held the combo of <b>Russell Wilson</b> and <b>Marshawn Lynch</b> to 106 combined rushing yards</u>. This <b>49ers</b> team is <b>a different animal</b> as their <b>running game is morphing into something special</b> right before our eyes. Opposing linebackers have been befuddled constantly by the way <b>the Niners use different formations to run out of</b>. Kaepernick is capable of tearing up massive chunks of yards (even touchdowns) so this Falcons team needs to be greatly prepared to recognize their keys and strategies by <b>Mike Nolan</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The 49ers can be as aggressive and explosive through their running game </b>as other teams are in their passing game so Nolan’s defense, especially the linebackers, have their work cut out for them. They were excellent vs the very good Seahawks running attack, and they will have to step up even more to <b>slow down the 49ers running game</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We know who the big names will be on Sunday, but to <b>earn a birth to Super Bowl XLVII </b>these teams will need other players to step up as well. Thank you for checking out my work! If you enjoyed the read please do pass it on…</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://rantsports.com/nfl/author/craigballard/" style="color: #0645ad; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">CLICK HERE</a> for all of my NFL Playoffs articles including the <a href="http://rantsports.com/nfl/teams/baltimore-ravens/" style="color: #0645ad; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Baltimore Ravens</a> at <a href="http://rantsports.com/nfl/teams/new-england-patriots/" style="color: #0645ad; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">New England Patriots</a> X-factors article … craigballard77@myself.com , @craigballard77</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />Read more at <a href="http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2013/01/18/san-francisco-49ers-at-atlanta-falcons-nfc-championship-game-x-factors/?88RwuYsBJmFSEbPt.99" style="color: #003399; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2013/01/18/san-francisco-49ers-at-atlanta-falcons-nfc-championship-game-x-factors/?88RwuYsBJmFSEbPt.99</a> </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16772525823462216671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29867100.post-75497613385473703542013-01-20T02:29:00.001-08:002013-01-20T03:38:19.764-08:00Sports: FootballUSA pro: San Fran 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons + Colin Kaepernick<br />
Reuters football journo, Simon Evans, reads fast and well, covering all the combos the Atlanta Falcons have to offer around there quirky star Colin Kaepernick. I, for one, can't help go into viewing this game without rooting for the Falcons against the intrepid San Fransisco 49ers. But, heck, I'll take anything as it comes along if the game is as lively and engaging as Evans' write-up suggests it will be.<br />
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— <b>Sportikos, refWrite Backpage</b> sports newspotter, analyst, columnist<br />
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<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/18/us-nfl-playoffs-falcons-preview-idUSBRE90H14320130118">Reuters</a> (Jan20,2k13)<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">All eyes are on Colin Kaepernick </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">in National Football Conference title game</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66hzruLmyU-CmWdFSjcmWMbHsvDcnjmjDFvVHzQO7RzYEe8B6BWb1Xt4yLxQ9BUk9qGzA7KesCvqtqfiJOAuB96KhDAVT3s1OaC10ZkBlABki_lcciExWPevZdswMQ6ROa989/s1600/colin_kaepernick_atlanta_falcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66hzruLmyU-CmWdFSjcmWMbHsvDcnjmjDFvVHzQO7RzYEe8B6BWb1Xt4yLxQ9BUk9qGzA7KesCvqtqfiJOAuB96KhDAVT3s1OaC10ZkBlABki_lcciExWPevZdswMQ6ROa989/s640/colin_kaepernick_atlanta_falcons.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by Simon Evans</span></div>
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<span class="timestamp" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fri Jan 18, 2013 1:42pm EST</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span id="midArticle_0" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span class="focusParagraph" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="focusParagraph" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="articleLocatio</span>n">(<span class="mandelbrot_refrag" style="font-weight: normal;"><a class="mandelbrot_refrag" href="http://www.reuters.com/video/reuters-tv?videoId=238165734&videoChannel=118066&lc=int_mb_1001" style="color: #006e97; cursor: pointer; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;">Reuters</a></span>) - The <b>Atlanta Falcons</b> are one game from finally turning their <b>Super Bowl</b> potential into reality but while their presence in the <b>NFC Championship</b> game is no shock, <b>San Francisco 49ers</b> quarterback Colin Kaepernick is certainly a surprise element.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sunday's game in the Georgia Dome will arguably come down to whether Atlanta's defense, which has struggled against mobile quarterbacks this season, will be able to cope with the fast read-option plays of the <b>thrillingly unpredictable Kaepernick</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Atlanta have everything else in place.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Read more ...</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They have a <u>reliable and accomplished orthodox quarterback in <b>Matt Ryan</b></u> who is well protected by a <b>strong offensive line</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Falcons have a powerhouse running back in <b>Michael Turner</b>, two of the league's top receivers in <b>Roddy White</b> and <b>Julio Jones</b> and one of the finest tight ends in the league's history in 16-year performer <b>Tony Gonzalez</b>, who is looking for a first Super Bowl in what is likely his final season.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On the other side of the ball, Mike Smith's team had the sixth ranked defense in the NFC against both the pass and the rush.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But the playoffs are all about the moment, about peaking and about individuals finding that little extra when it really matters and no-one in the NFL is doing that more than Kaepernick.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The 49ers are back, one win from the Super Bowl again, after last year's agonizing defeat to eventual winners, the <b>New York Giants</b>, at the same stage of the season.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span id="midArticle_8" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Even more than the Falcons, San Francisco has a team that has quality on both sides of the ball with the third ranked overall defense and the fourth best rushing offense in the league.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GUESSING GAME</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But while the 49ers know exactly what to expect from the dependable Ryan, their own offense has had the Falcons studying hard this week.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The 25-year-old Kaepernick started his season as back-up to Alex Smith, used only in wildcat plays, but when the Smith was injured in week 10 against the <b>St. Louis Rams</b>, the former University of Nevada quarterback was given his chance.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last week he <u>ripped apart the <b>Green Bay Packers</b> with a thrilling example of the dual-threat quarterback collecting 263 yards</u> through the air and two touchdown passes combined with 181 yards rushing and two running touchdowns.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span id="midArticle_13" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Atlanta's coach knows to expect the unexpected.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"It is a challenge and I think we'll find out early in the ball game what the formations are going to be. I think we're going to see things that we haven't seen, in terms of what they're going to do with their formations," Smith said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Falcons have not done well this season against quarterbacks similar to Kaepernick such as Carolina's <b>Cam Newton</b> and they will need to be alert to San Francisco's heavy use of <b>fake plays</b>, particularly the <b>fake hand-off</b> which they excel at in the read-option.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Everybody understands how critical that is to the play. It is a key component to the play," says 49ers offensive coordinator <b>Greg Roman</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"I felt like Colin, because of his extensive use of that type of offense in college, came in here to the NFL with a real good understanding of that," Roman said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Adding to the concern for the Falcons' defense is that Kaepernick has such good options available. He can hand off to such a fine running back as <b>Frank Gore</b> or throw to proven wide receivers <b>Randy Moss</b> and <b>Michael Crabtree</b> or tight end <b>Vernon Davis</b> and of course he has the speed and strength to run into the end zone himself.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There is pressure on both teams to get to the Super Bowl this season after both reached the playoffs last season.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The 49ers are looking for a sixth Super Bowl win, which would equal the record held by the <b>Pittsburgh Steelers</b> but which would be their first since the 1994 season.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Falcons have made just one appearance in the ultimate game - in the 1998 season when they lost 34-19 to <b>John Elway</b> and the <b>Denver Broncos</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Falcons have made the postseason in three of the past four seasons but went out after a game on each occasion.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"We're right there now, we are right at the door," said Gonzalez.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"We just have to push it open a little bit more."</span></div>
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