Your Chief Sports writer, John Dillon takes a very limited view of what he terms “a man in a TV Truck”.
In fact his argument is neatly summarised by the accompanying cartoon. The portrayal of a Chelsea player, having an air-punching rant, may well be valid but it does not constitute a fully thought out argument.
Those of us, who also watch Rugby’s Super League, have seen The video ref concept work.
True, there will still be decisions that can be disputed.
In Super League, the players usually represent a physically, bigger threat, to a human ref, but he is backed up by a few extra weapons. He can dismiss a player from the field for 10 mins., for an individual rant. He can march a team back 20 yards, repeatedly.
A few extra’s might be needed, such as: converting a free kick into a penalty and Converting a 10min. sin-bin into a straight red for persistent confrontation.
 Bear in mind that a team, which has only seven players left on the pitch, automatically forfeits the match.
Admittedly some teams have got away with extreme abuse for so long that they will take time to grow accustomed to a stricter regime. Nevertheless, a new respect for the ref can be supported and gain support.
Players would eventually welcome the opportunity to play in an unbiased game, because they are innately sportsmen and have only learned this behaviour, because of their club’s financial imperatives.
Thierry Henri will suffer for what was an instinctual reaction of a highly competitive personality; whereas a video ref would have dealt him a red card and global commiseration.
Ireland would have had their rightful place in the World Cup and the only losers would have been Platini and FIFA, who would have lost a few Euro’s.

One thing that Hitler and Blair have taught us is that power may be achieved through the ballot box but democracy never has been.

Idealism has to be put aside, until after you have the power to afford it.

Today I’m going to highlight a non hockey blog, Resa Michelle dot com.  She is a great source for all things Apple and offers a personal touch with stories and insights. . .

I think personal blogs should be human, one way to do this is to include an image of yourself. It doesn’t need to be fancy  but a photo helps readers remember that the writer of the blog is a person.  Resa did this in her header and as you can see I do this in my side bar.

**Noteworthy: The search the site button in her header is a smart move..helps you; helps readers.

Keeping with the “keep it personal” meme the “about me” section of your blog is an opportunity to highlight your favorite subjects. Some blogs can do this so well that a tag cloud would be redundant, which is the case for Resa. Reading this section I wouldn’t be suprised to see a post about classes, general marketing thoughts, SEO, apple products, fashion, or Salsa. The about me section is on the TOP of her sidebar which is very cool.

Just above “the about” me section she offers very pretty graphic links to her online locations. Your twitter page, youtube channel, facebook account, flickr account etc. are like a list of spots you hang out online. Including them helps fans find you and keep up with what you are doing.

I haven’t talked about Comments much but they are really important! If you are lucky enough to have people so engaged that they are willing to comment (less than 5% of people will) you need to respect that. Comments are like a conversation with your blog. You started the conversation by posting a blog if someone answers back make sure you engage. This doesn’t just apply to private blogs, companies could learn this lesson as well.  Look at what Resa does in the section above… someone comments she comments back, and instantly she has a fan.

As always if you would like your blog featured please send an email to hockeyonabus@gmail.com or send a tweet to @Mhandy1.

Please rate the blog reviewed below and offer your take in the comment section!

Left to Right – Employees Sarah, Michael Ramlochan, Alana, Stewart and owner Dave Ramlochan on Thanksgiving night.

Story and photos by Leni Santoro

PARKSVILLE – On Thanksgiving Day traveling from one place to another on the highways and byways of America has become almost as traditional as the turkey itself. Many travelers will stop in at one gas station/convenience store or another to gas-up and grab that last minute item that is a must have at the dinner table. But in Parksville this year, patrons were able to do more than just grab an extra loaf of bread.

For the second year in a row, the owners of Fiddle’s Wally Mart, located at the light on Route 17 in Parksville, served up a Thanksgiving dinner complete with all the trimmings to members of the local community. Anyone who came in the door on Thanksgiving afternoon was offered a full course meal to enjoy with their family either at one of the tables in the store or as a take-out meal.

Chandra and Dave Ramlochan started the tradition last Thanksgiving because they wanted to be able to “give back to the community” that has welcomed them, and their management of the Fiddle’s Wally Mart in Parksville.

Donations from many of their distributors such as Sysco, Weston Bakeries, Pepsi, Manhattan Distributors and Daisy Cakes, as well as local businesses such as McCabe’s in Liberty and even Liberty Mayor Rube Smith enabled the Ramlochans to match their generosity and provide meals to those who wished them.

The menu included turkey, dressing, mashed and sweet potatoes, vegetables, ham, rolls and dessert. At the end of the evening meals were also brought to the State Trooper’s offices in Liberty and to Daytop Village in Parksville.

Last year too, the Ramlochan’s invited Santa Claus to come for a special visit. They are also continuing that tradition again this year and invite the public and their distributors once again to help Santa by donating a new un-wrapped toy and placing it in the special gift box provided in the store. Monetary donations are also being accepted and may be placed in the jars on display near the cash registers.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Fiddle’s Wally Mart Continues Thanksgiving Tradition visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

For the past couple of years I have noticed that almost every morning, just before I open my eyes, a song pops into my head. Sometimes I am only half asleep and I don’t remember what rational my subconscious made for it; sometimes it corresponds with something in a dream just before I stir. Either or whatever way it happens the strange thing is that it is often a song I haven’t heard for a very long time, and sometimes it is even a song I hate outright. Well, I figure it would be neat to record the songs, and who knows, perhaps I will end up with a nice, very random, song list.

Here are the last couple of days to catch up:

Sunday, November 29th 2009 – Recommended for play list: NO

*Note: Trust me, you would rather stare at a record than watch the video.

Monday, November 30th 2009
I forgot at the moment

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

14-year old Harrison Whitford.

NORTH BRANCH – Open Mic Night is a regular Friday evening feature at the historic North Branch Inn.

Last Friday was no exception, as 18-year old Graham and Harrison Whitford, 14, the teenage sons of Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford and Karen Whitford, a photographer, took center stage at the local inn to perform several guitar works and sing a couple of songs.

Graham Whitford was a finalist in Guitar Centers “King of the Blues” competition, placing in the top five out of 4,000 entries.

In August he played with his father and Aerosmith at a concert on Sturgis, South Dakota, and last year on tour with his dad during the band’s “Experience Hendrix” tour.

Earlier this month, he performed at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, but missed out on Aerosmith’s playing at a Formula I motor race in Abu Dhabi.

Both boys attend Elizabeth Irwin High School in New York City, and reside in NYC and Callicoon.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Sons of Aerosmith Perform at NBI visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio .

Dear all…

Sehubungan hari ini adalah hari dimana saya memiliki kesempatan menulis sebelum mulai mengerjakan materi training yang harus saya berikan mulai tanggal 5 – 9 Desember… maka bersama ini saya mohon maaf karena dengan sangat menyesal.. CheatSheet untuk edisi malam ini.. terpaksa saya ‘kalah’ kan.

Pengamatan saya sekilas, IHSG ditutup tipis diatas resisten, Hangseng ditutup tipis diatas resisten gap, saham-saham hari ini banyak yang ditutup menembus resisten (artinya bisa naik lagi besok).  So.. artinya: kalau Dow nanti malam naik, berarti besok kita akan testing medium term resisten di 2475 – 2500.  Kalau resisten itu ditembus, bisa jadi kita bullish sampai akhir tahun.  Disisi lain, suport untuk IHSG besok bakal ada di 2435.  Kalau ditutup dibawah itu.. berarti bullishnya batal.

Happy trading… semoga untung!!!

Perencana Trading

*bacalah halaman disclaimer sebelum anda membaca ulasan ini.  Terima kasih.

PDF Posted for Your Convenience

Bill Teague, Managing Editor

Bill Teague, Managing Editor, Intuit ProConnection

Sometimes good stories get waylaid when they really need to be available to readers.

One example for me is the two-part tutorial Intuit we received from a talented writer earlier this year. As editor, I only did half the job. We edited and published the first part of the tutorial but then part two languised.

Fortunately I have a chance now to rectify that gap in our coverage.

Earlier this year, the Intuit® ProConnection® Newsletter published the first of a two-part tutorial on using multicurrency in QuickBooks 2009. While Intuit has somewhat expanded the scope of the multicurrency function in QuickBooks 2010, the information in both parts of this tutorial remain an excellent way for practitioners to get up and running with mutlicurrency more easily than ever.

Esther Friedberg Karp, Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

• Bonus Tutorial on Multicurrency in QuickBooks, Part I of II: Change is Good – and Easy to Track

Until the second part of the tutorial is posted on the main Intuit server, we are posting the second part here, for your convenience, in the form of a PDF download.

• Bonus Tutorial on Multicurrency in QuickBooks 2009, Part II of II: Change is Good — and Easy to Ttrack

Both parts of this tutorial are written by Esther Friedberg Karp, who is a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor in both the United States and Canada. This unique background allows her to write with extra insight into the use of Multicurrency.

Stay tuned for more articles by Esther to be published in Intuit ProConnection.

If you are interested, check out Seattle Marathon comments and race day momentos on Facebook. LINK: Seattle Marathon facebook

I promise to return to posting more astrology, starting with my 2010 predictions near the end of December.

Also I promised to share chart data and do some more observations but I’ve been too busy to write interpretation data into my program… to show what one of my paid-for astrology readings would have looked like, though I no longer care to offer paid-for readings. I’m still pushing all my energies into a personal project so it’s hard to find a healthy balance. So I don’t promise on any chart observations any time soon.

Take care!

Story and photos by Carol Montana

A new business in Liberty is getting to the root of it all in more ways than one.

Root 52 Gallery at 87 Mill Street (Route 52) specializes in functional art made from the roots of trees that originate in Costa Rica. And so, owner Tiffany Moore decided to go for the root / route play on words for the name of her business.

As artistic as she is clever, Moore has taken the huge space that once housed a craft store, and turned it into a striking display of hundreds of beautiful wood pieces – vases, benches, dishes and more.

The walls of the room feature life-size photos of Moore’s staff harvesting the roots from the farms in Costa Rica. And Moore intends to have a video made that will show the process from start to finish.

Moore is the mother of three children. After she saw these wood products in Costa Rica she fell in love with them. “I love wood, I always loved the look of trees and wood, my house is full of pieces. I saw these products and decided to open a gallery.”

There are over 20 different types of woods represented in the gallery including Rosewood, Purple Hearts, Fustic, Tigerwood and Blackwood. And every single piece comes from a tree that is either threatened or endangered. 

“Most of these trees are protected by the Costa Rican government,” said Moore. “That’s why the trees are not cut. The tree has already fallen from natural causes, and the pieces are made from the root. They can be trees that were cut 50 years ago before there was a protection order on them, and the roots are still in the ground. A lot of these roots come from farmlands, and the farmers want to get the roots off their ground. But the roots are plentiful.”

Moore also said that she is looking into donating a percentage of the sales toward the replanting of these endangered trees.

While 20 or so different kinds of trees are represented, the number and variety of pieces they yield is endless. But how does the sculptor decide what the final product will look like? “The root decides what form it’s going to take,” said Moore, who spends a lot of time in Costa Rica. “There’s myself and one other man, we look at the pieces and kind of see what form it’s going to take.”

Choosing to open a business during this risky economic time takes a lot of courage. Moore said she gave that a lot of thought. “People are very careful about what they spend their money on,” said Moore. “It’s pieces they fall in love with or feel connected to … And I think a lot of people will think these pieces are beautiful. And every single piece is different.”

Roberta Byron-Lockwood, President of the Sullivan County Visitors Association who was one of those present at the grand opening remarked on the variety. “The inventory is just absolutely incredible. I’ve picked out all my holiday gifts for the next ten years. The layout and presentation are stunning.”

That sentiment was echoed by Jodi Goodman, Sullivan County Legislator for District 6, which includes the gallery site. “This is a magnificent addition to Liberty. To look at this and how magnificent it is, it’s a plus for my district. The concept is incredible, the name of the business is fabulous. I’m so excited that Tiffany chose Liberty. It’s a museum, and an art studio and a retail shop all in one. There’s an element of warmth and belonging. You can have a lot of fun in here. I’m telling my husband we have to re-do a room for one of these pieces. Tiffany can be very proud.”

And Susan Jaffe, Vice President for the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development said how wonderful it is “to welcome a new business, there are some beautiful pieces of functional art. I want everyone to know that we’re going to have the Holiday Harvest Market in Liberty soon, and this business is a wonderful addition, and I encourage everyone to walk on down and do some shopping.”

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Root 52 Gallery Opens in Liberty visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Straight Lines – Dawn Landes

thoughts and highlights of this past thankful week:

∞ paul called me family ♥

∞ frankie is writing again

∞ i may or may not have a potential roommate. either way, another WC kid joins the new hometown. see ya soon, max!

∞ i truly truly truly miss my big nash family.

∞ my friends are beautiful and amazing. i’m incredibly lucky to have them in my life and i am so glad they stayed by my side. i just wish they saw that about themselves.

∞ frankie amazes me everyday, in the smallest ways and in big-flashing-neon-sign ways. he’s my destresser, heater, partner in crime, sometimes crazy and just as weird as i am, and things that I didn’t believe truly existed in a boyfriend/best friend/whatever I feel like calling him.  even on my cranky days, he puts a smile on my face or unintentionally makes me laugh. still waiting for the other shoe to drop but i’m throughly enjoying my one shoe existence.

∞ to an extent i care if people read my blog or not. not because i write amazing works of art or because i’m naturally hilarious or because my blog is just absolutely awesome. i’m not really sure what it is. with that said, my blog isn’t exactly eye-catching/interesting/what people would read. i guess i just like comments and communicating with random people. i’m not sure i ever realized how much i collect people’s stories in my head.  maybe that’s what drives me to write some days, the fact that if i put my story out there that maybe some will come back to me.

∞ i’m beyond excited for the ruby holiday party. i really want to get to know people here, they’re such great gals.  prizes, food, and location don’t hurt. i need to get my secret santa gift this week!

∞ i like that many people i know have blogs. mainly because its like fb stalking but better. you get quality info without the random farmville/mafia wars/insert ridiculous fb app here crap.

∞ i wish my blog was cooler.

∞ still hasn’t quite sunk in that driving away from the grove is home and driving towards the grove is not home. 4 years of habits is hard to break. i miss pacific for the people and for the classes. it’s still out in the middle of nowhere and i like being in the city, surprisingly. although portland doesn’t quite feel like home yet. might have something to do with my living out of a suitcase. just maybe.

∞ got a new song (or at least i think its a new song) from meiko stuck in my head: “i know better than to be friends with boys with girlfriends oh…” and ”1901″ by phoenix.

∞ i miss sarah. forest grove seems so far away.

∞ yesterday was my birthday rebate day! rebate because 1) i worked on my birthday 2) frankie was in cali 3) therefore, frankie and i were unable to do anything. sooo we combined our wanting to go to the coast with previously uncelebrated bday and wah-la! hello cannon beach on a fairly decent day! beautiful sun, no rain, no wind, some fog.  Found cool little shops that i want to go back to sometime. A quote on a cool rock like thing: “Sometimes you have to leap and build your wings on the way down.” Then we walked down to the beach in our very non-beach-but-still suitable shoes. Haystack Rock is giant! I’ve never been to Cannon Beach before so I didn’t expect that. We walked all the way down to Mo’s (we think it was close to 2 miles) taking pictures, leaping over streams/rivers of ocean water, posing on logs, and talking about all the cute dogs, big dogs, tiny dogs, and excited dogs. dinner was delicious…mmm seafood! we’ve been craving it since may, literally. although, my crab craving is still unfulfilled. but we got an appetizer of clam strips that we devoured, two fantastic dinners (seafood pasta for me and cajun oysters for frankie), 4 different drinks, and a HUGE piece of peanut butter pie. had a great view of the sunset and decided to walk back on the beach in the dark. the moon was nearly full so it actually wasn’t that bad and our feet didn’t get too wet. only saw a few other people out there in the dark and it was little bit colder but still there was something perfect and wonderful about the night walk. rocked out to ursa major and lost in transit on the way home. and to top it off, i was the lucky recipient of a very relaxing massage. all in time for my first 5 day week of work!  big fan of my second birthday.

∞ someday i think it would be cool to own a bookstore.

∞ i so badly want to travel but i don’t think i’ll ever have the money.

∞ i’m more stressed out than i let on sometimes and i apparently take it out my parents.

∞ i’m in love with my old navy diva jeans and my white mossimo jacket materialistic? yes. make me feel better about myself, so really a health and wellness issue and therefore not materialistic? also yes. white a questionable choice for oregon weather? make that three affirmations. but i’m not a blue girl (i look transparent or like i’m on the edge of death) and it’s not a long white coat! besides i’ll take good care of it and its so warm but casual. ok, i’m done.

∞ more on my past later.

∞ tag overload!

happy monday to all you random people who see this…or to the universe as no one visits.

Comment on James Kicklighter’s blog post “Empathy” on November 30, 2009.

So you’re all probably wondering why we put up this random looking comment thing, but I assure you it has a valid reason.

Link-referral is a free advertising website that has given us a lot of hits here at Purple FAB Feminists.

Below are just some comments people left on our site—See people actually like this site LOL

It’s the last day of the month, the first day of the Major Senate Debate on Health Care, the Day Before Obama Announces Troop Increase in Afghanistan,and a day when there is a forthcoming Federal announcement to save mortgages for struggling homeowners.

If you have something to say, then place a comment now. I’ll be reviewing them to keep off pure advertising and will gey yhem up right away.

- Bill

Well, happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a relaxing and wonderful holiday. I hope it was filled with love, family, warm memories and great food too. We had a terrific time here as well, even if it was leaner than we’d have liked.

Nothing eventful to report here. We made due with what we had on hand, but we also spent some great family time. Headed back to the library on Friday to return some books which couldn’t be renewed, then went shopping. My wife and I are non-traditionalists, but we had a nice time enjoying each other’s company. It was great. I watched a whole lot of football, to my son’s aggravation, because it keeps him off the Wii. Just a really nice, relaxing weekend with no stress or worries and a lot of love and togetherness.

How about you? Today, to show you all how grateful I am to you and for you (and because I have absolutely nothing to add to the conversation beyond what I’ve already said, heh), I’d like the comments to be wide open for you. I know my buds abroad didn’t celebrate a holiday, but I’d love for them to chime in too.

What did you do this past (holiday) weekend? Whether you were celebrating Thanksgiving or not, you probably did something. For those in the States, did you have a traditional Thanksgiving gathering? What did you eat? Who did you visit or receive as guests? What time does your family sit and eat? Let me know.

For those not celebrating a holiday, did you have plans? Was it “Black Friday” for you too, even though it wasn’t the day after Thanksgiving? Did you brave the throngs of slathering, rabid holiday shoppers, or did you sit tight and just enjoy friends and family?

So, the comments are yours. Tell me all about your weekend, whether four days or just the standard two. I’m eager to get back in touch with you all and hear about your lives and times.

Don’t leave me hangin’ now!

-JDT-

All original content © 2009 DarcKnyt
ALL rights reserved.

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A British company has  reportedly unveiled the world’s most expensive mobile phone – a gold iPhone encrusted with nearly 200 diamonds that retails at a hefty 1.92 million pounds.

The phone, designed by Stuart Hughes for the Liverpool-based Goldstriker International, is made from 22-carat gold.

It has 136 diamonds in the front bezel and an Apple logo made out of no fewer than 53 diamonds. The phone’s front navigation button comprises a rare diamond of 7.1 carats.

The phone, which took over ten months to make, ships with a seven kg chest crafted from a single block of granite, offset with Kashmir gold and lined with Nubuck leather on the inside.

Called the iPhone 3G Supreme, it was reportedly commissioned by an anonymous Australian businessman – IANS

This link is for an election campaign for Socialist parties, intending to contest the next election. I only got it because of a personal email.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocZXFF6O3OI

The lack of publicity that these groups are getting means that they will be unlikely to get many votes and unseat New Labour in Wigan. Unless the situation changes significantly, I will probably vote UKIP, even though they seem to be right-wing (but left of New Labour). I want New Labour out but I don’t want Tories in. At present Ukip seems to be the only viable, high visibility option.