Randy Moss Waived By Vikings

Randy Moss' days as a Minnesota Viking are reportedly numbered. (Update: Moss was not yet officially waived by Monday afternoon's deadline. Vikings coach Brad Childress issued a statement Monday night confirming Moss' release. He will likely be placed on waivers Tuesday.)

Michael Lombardi of NFL Network first reported that the Vikings waived Moss on Monday, one day after he followed an unproductive game in a loss to the Patriots with a bitter press conference in which he questioned the Vikings' coaches and suggested that he'd rather be back in New England.

Multiple media outlets later confirmed the news, including the Associated Press, which reported that linebacker Ben Leber said Vikings coach Brad Childress told the team of the news during a Monday team meeting.

And just like that, the experiment of bringing Moss back to Minnesota has ended, and the Vikings have effectively signaled that they know they're not Super Bowl contenders and don't want to put up with a malcontent like Moss in their locker room. If the Vikings are going down, they're going down with the guys they want.

Minnesota is out the 2011 third-round draft pick it sent to New England in exchange for Moss in October.

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Pee Wee Herman

Pee-wee Herman is back in a big way – his stage production of The Pee-wee Herman Show is about to open on Broadway. In support of the opening, actor Paul Reubens recently participated in The Guest DJ Project radio show on KCRW in Los Angeles.

When asked to pick the five songs that have inspired him throughout his life, Reubens went with Jimi Hendrix’s “Stone Free” as his #1 and had this to say about Hendrix: “I think most people who heard Jimi Hendrix for the first time had a religious experience – as did I. I had never heard anything like this. This song, besides the beat of it, and just the drive of it, this was the piece of music that made me feel like anything was possible. This piece of music defines genre, invention…and you can draw just a straight line from Jimi Hendrix to almost everybody else who matters in music now, in my opinion. I mean, there is certainly no Prince without Jimi, there's certainly no…150 billion people without him.”

For Pee-wee completists, Reubens’ top five were:

1. Jimi Hendrix, “Stone Free”
2. The Rolling Stones, “Monkey Man”
3. Stevie Wonder, “Love Having You Around”
4. Michael Jackson, “Don’t Stop ’Til You get Enough”
5. Chaka Khan, “I Feel For You”

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Tim Lincecum Girlfriend

Is Tim Lincecum married? Is he dating with someone? Does Tim Lincecum have a girlfriend? These types of questions have been hit on the web.

The full name of Tim Lincecum is Timothy Leroy Lincecum. Tim Lincecum is a pitcher for San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Though he is 26 year old, he formulating the biggest start of his career. His nick names are "Big Time Timmy Jim", "The Freak", "The Franchise" and "The Beast". He throws with right hand and use left hand for batting. Lincecum is identified for his unorthodox mechanics, ability to generate high velocity in spite of his slim build of 5'11", 172 lbs and long stride.

Tim Lincecum is basically from Washington State. During 2008 and 2009 crusades, he won the CY Young Award as the National League's best pitcher in his first two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB).

A two-seam fastball that reaches into the mid-nineties, a slider, a curveball notable for its sharp breaking action, and a changeup he grips like a splitter, are included in his repertoire. He has a four-seam fastball, but he does not mostly use it.

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Edgar Renteria

Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria came up huge for San Francisco in the World Series to earn MVP honors. He bashed a 3-run home run to break a scoreless Game 5 in the 7th inning. Cliff Lee had been relatively unhittable at the time, matching scoreless frames with Tim Lincecum until Renteria caught him with the big blast. He did it with two outs in the inning and after Pat Burrell struck out for the second of three times in his 0-for-4 game.

Renteria went 8-for-18 in the five game series with six RBIs. In addition to his monstrous Game 5 home run, Renteria also went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs in Game 2, coming up with a solo home run to put them on the board in the 5th and a two-run single in the 8th. He went 1-for-3 in Game 1 with two runs scored and he even had three hits in the Game 4 win. Renteria’s final World Series stats was a .412 batting average, 1.209 OPS, two home runs, and six RBIs.

Who would have ever expected Edgar Renteria would end up as the World Series MVP for the Giants? Nobody could have guessed it, but now Giants fans will never forget him just like Marlins fans will always remember his 1997 World Series-winning hit.

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Colonel Angus

Tonight, NBC celebrated the ladies of SNL, rekindling the meaning of the word flurge, of which Amy Poehler’s Hillary Clinton demanded not to be called whilst admonishing audiences for saying she has cankles.

The special showcased classic feminine-led female skits throughout the years. We got to watch Alec Baldwin turn from a thin, debonair leading man to the premiere distended comedian of the aughts. We got to relive Christopher Walken as Colonel Angus, the best misappropriation of the word cunnilingus ever. We also got to relive Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and, of course, Poehler as Clinton.

The skits and acting are semi-legendary, and launched the two into the stratosphere — tv shows, Vogue covers, you name it.

The flurge meaning and even spelling are still up for debate nearly two years later. The “u” spelling is alleged is to combine “flaccid and urge.” Like most men, I see Clinton as a masterful stateswoman, a classy lady, and a major boner-killer.

The other spelling, “flirg,” is an acronym for First Lady is Really a Guy. This is genius.

Whatever the meaning, we’ll probably start seeing more of their comic avatars right around May 2011. This might just be when Palin is nominated Huckabee’s Veep, and Hillary Clinton will abandon her post of Secretary of State. Don’t be surprised to see a Ted Kennedy-esque insurgent campaign against the incumbent, Barack Obama, in 2012. If anyone has the opportunity, it’s Clinton.

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Candidates For 2010 Election

Candidates For 2010 Election

Hello! This Site has all the most up-to-date news headlines on candidates for 2010 election that are out around the web. The stories below reveal the latest “candidates for 2010 election” headlines. come back often for even more of the newest candidates for 2010 election headlines Enjoy!.

Candidates Campaign One Last Time Before Elections
The 2010 general election is nearing the end, as voters gear up to head to the polls.

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Where Do i Vote

Knowing who to vote for can be tough enough this election year. You don't need to make things any harder on yourself by getting lost on the way to the polling station. This year Google and the Democratic National Committee are each trying to make it easier for voters to find their assigned voting locations by zip code and by street address.

Election Center is a Google Labs project that drops a pin on both your address and the polling station to which you have been assigned. It starts by recognizing the state you are in but needs your specific address to determine your polling station.

The Democratic National Committee has put up a slightly more useful polling locator they call Raise Your Vote. This site still needs your address and zip code, but then displays your assigned polling station as well as the best route to get there from your home.

Both of these sites use Google Maps and offer contact information for your state's Board of Elections and Voter Information Hotline if the service can not find your assigned polling station.

Good luck getting to the polls!

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Ballroom Dancing

Ballroom Dancing

Welcome! This Site has all the most current news bits on ballroom dancing to be found online. The stories on this page show the hottest “ballroom dancing” bits. check back soon for even more of the newest ballroom dancing bits Enjoy!.

Michelle poised for Strictly return
Strictly Come Dancing contender Michelle Williams is back in rehearsals after injuring her ankle in a training accident earlier this week. A show insider said it was “looking good” for the former Destiny’s Child star after fears she might miss this weekend’s show after she damaged her ligaments.

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Golf Courses

President Hugo Chavez said some of Venezuela’s golf courses should be expropriated and used for other purposes.

“That’s an injustice -- that someone should have the luxury of having I don’t know how many hectares to play golf and drink whiskey and, next door, there’s misery and children dying when there are landslides,” Chavez said during his weekly television show, “Alo, Presidente.”

Dozens of people died in the past month when landslides caused their homes to collapse after heavy rains. Chavez said he will dedicate himself to resolving Venezuela’s housing shortage.

Chavez also called on Venezuelans to actively look for abandoned private land to expropriate.

“Look for irregularities, and by that I mean good land that’s been abandoned,” he said.

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League Of Women Voters

Very few people actually consider how the environmentalists work the system to fund their multi-million dollar political agendas … A teachable moment is now presented . Main Entry: political agenda: Part of Speech: n: Definition: a set of policies or issues to be addressed or pursued by an individual or group; also, a set of underlying motives . MinnPost thanks these generous donors: MAJOR FOUNDATIONS. John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Blandin Foundation McKnight Foundation Minneapolis Foundation. Agenda may refer to: Agenda (meeting), points to be discussed; sometimes refers to the list of topics itself; Political agenda, the set of goals of an ideological group; also .

League of Women Voters offers Election Day voting hot line | Political Agenda
Questions about where to vote and how to register will be answered on a telephone hot line run by the League of Women Voters on Election Day. The numbers — 651-646-1699 in the metro or 800-555-8772 statewide — will be answered from 5:15 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The League also offers an online Voter’s Guide , that provides a customized list of candidates and their positions on some issues …

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Coffee Shops

Cannabis and other 'soft' drugs are available imranmeo says:Coffee Shops Offer High-End Java http://ping.fm/bHIWy imranmeo says:Coffee Shops Offer High-End Java http://bit.ly . Carrier coffee shops offer high-end java. Carrier coffee shops offer high-end java; Air Force Lieutenant wins Marine Corps Marathon; Duke holds off late rally to beat Navy 34-31; In Yemen, U.S. hands are tied in al . Navy carrier coffee shops offer high-end java.

Carrier coffee shops offer high-end java – Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq – Navy Times
Need your iced chai latte with an extra shot of white chocolate before going on watch? If you’re a carrier sailor, you might be in luck: Gourmet coffee is getting underway.

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Yoga Studios

World Yoga Championships have been held in Los Angeles yearly for the past seven years already, where yoga practitioners from all over the world perform a three-minute, seven-posture routine in front of a panel of judges.
 
Lu Mei Ling who represents Singapore in the junior category absolutely impressed the panel of judges with her amazing flexibility and grace to grab this year’s Junior category Championship title.

Unlike other 12 year old kids who spends more time playing inside their house with their toys or video games, outdoors, and allotting so much time in school and friends, it is different with Lu Mei Ling who spends most of his time in Yoga Studio after school time. This is also the main reason why she has developed great talent in the form of Yoga.

“Winning in LA was one of my yoga goals so it felt good to achieve that,” says Lu. “It made my mom so happy.”

She gets so much support from her mother in to this Yoga Studio time and even to a point of telling her not to worry about studies and focus on training for the yoga competition. 

Mum even got Lu’s school to give her time off to train. Unlike many parents in Singapore for whom school and exams are an unquestionable priority.

Lu Mei Ling regularly practices the postures in a routine everyday in the yoga Sudio and when she gets home to perfect it. “My favorite is full wheel,” she says. “It looks so beautiful.” Organized by Bikram Yoga studios worldwide, the World Yoga Championships are well known within a segment of the yoga community but not yet beyond.

Her advice to those gaining interest to Yoga art, “Give it your best shot,” says Lu. “Go over your routine and your teacher’s comments. Don’t bother cramming at the last minute. Make as few mistakes on stage as possible.”

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Voting Hours

Early Voting ended Sunday evening, when the last voters in Miami-Dade county cast their early ballots, and while not Hours Left For Early Voting In Dade Florida . There are just hours left for early voting in Miami Dade county, where voters have an extra day to cast their ballot at 20 locations.Early Voting ended Saturday in the Keys and . Voters across Miami-Dade County took advantage of the last day of early voting Sunday, waiting in hours-long lines to avoid having to cast a ballot on election day . There are just hours left for early voting in Miami Dade county, where voters have an extra day to cast their ballot at 20 locations.Early Voting ended Saturday in the Keys and .

Hours Left For Early Voting In Dade
There are just hours left for early voting in Miami Dade county, where voters have an extra day to cast their ballot at 20 locations.Early Voting ended Saturday in the Keys and Broward County.

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World Series Live Streaming

San Francisco Giants Vs Texas Rangers Live Streaming World Series Free Game 5 Feed Baseball Coverage American League Division Series Video Broadcast Online Soapcast Internet tv November 1,2010.HD Quality online Soapcast direct to your home pc and laptop radio.Watch mlb matches live from home.Live score Audio and radio station.mlb playoffs online,Roster Lineup,salaries.TBS.

Match Start Schedule time and venue:
7:57 PM ET, November 1, 2010
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, Texas

Starting Pitchers
San Francisco: Lincecum (1-0, 6.35 ERA)
Texas: Lee (0-1, 11.57 ERA)

Giants-Rangers Preview
Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants ended Cliff Lee's amazing run of postseason dominance in Game 1 of the World Series. If Lincecum beats Lee again, the franchise will earn its first championship in 56 years.
Lincecum will try to help bring the first World Series title back to the Bay Area for the Giants on Monday night in Game 5 against Lee and the Texas Rangers.These aces met in Game 1 at AT&T Park on Wednesday, and Lee entered the contest 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA in eight career postseason starts. The Rangers ace allowed seven runs over 4 2/3 innings in an 11-7 loss after yielding 12 runs over his previous 64 1/3 postseason innings."This time, I get a chance to redeem myself against the team that actually put it to me pretty good last time," Lee said. "I'm looking forward to it. I've been working hard and ready for -- it's basically the last start of the season for me -- and I want to do everything I can to help this team win the World Series."

Lincecum wasn't at his best, but was good enough to earn the victory. He gave up four runs over 5 2/3 innings, improving to 3-1 with a 2.83 ERA in four postseason starts.The two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner expects to be better in his second chance against Texas."I think just the experience of being there is the big help," Lincecum said. "You know, just going through the lineup again knowing that you're pitching in another World Series game, just eases the tension there. But yeah, like I said, just try to approach it, just try to keep my nerves together and keep poised."Lincecum will have a tough time duplicating the effort of teammate Madison Bumgarner in Sunday's 4-0 victory. Bumgarner dominated for eight innings, yielding three hits and striking out six as he and Buster Posey became the first rookie battery to start in the World Series since Spec Shea and Yogi Berra for the Yankees in 1947.

The Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958, four years after their last title in New York. They lost their three previous World Series appearances in the Bay Area, getting within six outs of the title eight years ago against the Anaheim Angels.Giants manager Bruce Bochy made the right choice at designated hitter Sunday as Aubrey Huff hit a two-run homer to open the scoring in the third inning. Posey added his first homer of the postseason in the eighth."We've got a big challenge tomorrow with Cliff Lee," Huff said. "We got him last game, but you know he's going to come out and really want to get us."

The Giants took advantage of numerous mistakes by Lee in the opener. Freddy Sanchez doubled all three times in Game 1 against the left-hander, who acknowledged he was far too hittable."I was throwing balls over the middle of the plate, and they did a really good job swinging the bat and working the count and getting themselves in good positions to hit," Lee said. "Yeah, that's what happens, especially at this level."This will be the lone start of the postseason at home for Lee, who went 2-2 with a 3.08 ERA in seven starts in Arlington with Texas after being acquired from Seattle. The Rangers are confident that Lee will bounce back and help keep the season alive."I certainly hope he'll do better tomorrow," manager Ron Washington said. "We feel pretty good about him being out there tomorrow. Once again, we've got to put some runs on the board."

Bochy said that slumping Pat Burrell will return to the lineup after sitting out Game 4. Burrell is 0 for 9 with eight strikeouts in the World Series, and has 19 strikeouts in 38 postseason at-bats.The left fielder was left out Sunday partly because the Rangers started right-hander Tommy Hunter. Burrell drew a key walk off Lee in a six-run fifth inning in Game 1."I'm just not feeling comfortable at the plate," Burrell said. "When you're not feeling comfortable, it's hard to get hits."While Bochy was constantly being asked about Burrell before, it's Washington now who is fielding questions about his struggling lineup. The Rangers, who lost 9-0 in Game 2 at San Francisco, are the first team to be shut out twice in a World Series since the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers failed to score in the last three games while being swept by Baltimore."They've done a great job," Washington said. "We've got to figure out some ways to put some runs on the board against them."Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero combined for seven hitless at-bats Sunday. Hamilton is 2 for 16 in the World Series while Guerrero is 1 for 10.

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Randy Moss Released

Vikings head coach Brad Childress released a statement on Monday night making official that news that the team is going to release receiver Randy Moss.

Read the complete story here.

It looks like the Randy Moss sweepstakes will be entering round two—the Minnesota Vikings have released their mercurial wide receiver, which means that every last team in the NFL is suddenly very critical of its existing wide receiver options.

Read the complete story here.

Randy Moss was drafted by the Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University. Vikings head coach Brad Childress told Vikings players in a team meeting that Moss was going to be waived by the team, one day after he criticized Childress and teammates in a press conference following the Vikings’ loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

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Demi Lovato Rehab

Actress/singer Demi Lovato has pulled out of a world tour with the Jonas Brothers and checked into rehab to address "emotional and physical issues."

The Disney star, 18, was due to wrap up her slot supporting the singing siblings in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 13 November, but she left the trek at the weekend to seek professional help at a treatment centre.

A statement from the teenage star's publicist reads, "Demi Lovato left her tour early this weekend in order to seek medical treatment for emotional and physical issues she has dealt with for some time.

"Demi has decided to take personal responsibility for her actions and seek help. She is doing just that. She regrets not being able to finish her tour, but is looking forward to getting back to work in the near future."

It is not known what sparked her decision to seek help. Lovato has recently been romantically linked to teen pop sensation Justin Bieber and previously dated Jonas Brothers star Joe Jonas.

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Flurge Meaning

Flurge Meaning: I believe what was said during the Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton skit was "flerge" or "flerg," which the Urban Dictionary defines as:

1) The state of a man's penis when it is not erect;
2) The foreskin of a man's penis.

Examples: "The cold water in the pool sure gave me a flerg"; "Aww dude, that ugly chick turned my wood into a flerg."


Other possibilities

According to the Urban Dictionary, "flurch" is when you fart and accidentally soil your pants. And a "flurge" is a cross between a flush and a purge -- which doesn't make a lot of sense in the context of the skit.


A Viral Marketing Hoax

A clever writer realized that, by planting a fake word, they could generate thousands of Google hits about SNL. See the link to Google Gotcha below.


Even more possibilities

Flirg -- it stands for the "First Lady Is Really Gay" or "First Lady Is Really a Guy."

Flirge: "First Lady I'd Rather Get Elected."

FLRG: F'ing Liberal Repulsive Girl


Quote in context:

Poehler as Clinton: "And don't refer to me as a [flurge]. I Googled what it stands for and I do not like it."

Fey as Palin: "So we ask reporters and commentators, stop using words that diminish us, like 'pretty,' 'attractive,' 'beautiful.' "

Poehler as Clinton: " 'Harpy,' 'shrew' and 'boner shrinker.' "


And yet more responses from WikiAnswerers

* Considering that, two lines down, "boner-shrinker" is reiterated, that it is the most likely meaning. That would make the correct spelling the first one listed.

* Naw, it's an old phrase from the Clinton White House meaning "First Lady Is Really Gay."

* In the actual script, two lines after the word in question is used, the actress playing Clinton uses the term "boner-shrinker" in the same context, and since there is a verified dictionary entry for the word listed as "the state of a man's penis when it's not erect," it's going to take a lot more than your unverified assumption to show what you're saying to be true. Just saying "Naw" isn't going to cut it.

* "Flurge," as defined on the Urban Dictionary as:
1) The urge to be flaccid. Said in reference to a woman who is so unattractive as to cause flaccidity in the male penis (rather than an erection over an attractive woman).
2) A woman who is so unattractive as to cause the "urge" to become "flaccid" in heterosexual males.

Example: "Hillary Clinton is a flurge with cankles."

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Flurge

According to the Urban Dictionary, "Flurge" means "a cross between flush and purger."Urban Dictionary: Flurge Entry The word was used in a September 13, 2008 Saturday Night Live skit that parodied Sarah Palin and Hillary Rodham Clinton, played by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Poehler's Clinton said she didn't like being called a "flurge." The blogosphere suggests that in this context, the word actually meant a woman who exerts a diminishing effect on the male erection.

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M T Bank

M T Bank, Wilmington Trust Corp., Bank of Delaware, founded by du Pont family and undermined by souring loans, agreed to be sold to M & T Bank Corp. and 351 million shares, or about half its market value last week .
The agreement is “the best option for our shareholders and our customers and employees,” according to a Business Wire has to Wilmington, which has its headquarters in Delaware the same name. Investors will have 0,051 share of Buffalo, M & T for each share of Wilmington they have.
The lender’s 107 year-old has recorded losses, driven in part by soured commercial real estate loans and investments in funds of trust preferred securities. The bank cut its quarterly dividend to one cent last year, and CEO Ted Cecala retired in June after 14 years at the helm.
unit of Wilmington Trust Wealth Management, focusing on clients in the U.S. and with 10 million or more in liquid assets, managed and 25 million to 30 June.
Wilmington Trust, said in a regulatory filing in August, after one and 116 million net loss in the second quarter “, with our strong capital position at June 30,” with a capital ratio based on risk 16.65 percent, compared with 10 percent minimum required by the U.S. Federal Reserve to be considered “well capitalized.”
The U.S. Treasury, through its Program for Troubled Assets Relief, and purchased 330 million in preferred stock at Wilmington Trust in December 2008.
T. Coleman du Pont, the former president of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., founded the bank in 1903. It is now widespread.

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Blekko

After three years of development, 8,000 private beta testers, and $20 million in, Blekko is finally ready for primetime--well, public beta primetime. The service is a search engine, which raises the inevitable question--"another search engine? Really?" What sets the site apart is its aggressive approach toward "search spam."

Blekko relies on a technology called "slashtags," refining results thusly, "search query /slashtag," a clever way of essentially searching inside categories within your search query on the fly.

Let's take a vanity search, for example (because I assume you're all searching my name anyway, right? Search "brian heater /tech" and you'll get very different search results when you search "brian heater /comics."

Techcrunch claims that Blekko's own decision not to overhype itself may be what saves the company from becoming another crushing disappointment like, say, Cuil (remember them?). For better or worse, however, the tech industry seems to be doing all the hyping the new company could ask for.

According to Blekko itself, 11.5 percent of its beta users have continued to use the site on a weekly basis. Not too shabby for a beta search engine.

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Thanksgiving Coloring Pages

Here are some free Thanksgiving coloring pages created by Mandy Groce. They are also a thanksgiving craft and learning activity to help children think about specific blessings in their lives. This would be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving Sunday School lesson. I plan to use it in my children’s church during November.

Directions: To download this free coloring page, simply click the preview images for the printer friendly PDF files. We’ve also uploaded them in high resolution jpegs for advanced editing. Use these download links: Tree page PDF (JPEG) and the leaves page PDF (JPEG).

The tree coloring page has the words “I am thankful to the Lord.” It has bare tree branches, pumpkins, and a child’s swing. The second page has leaves where children can write in things for which they are thankful.

Mandy offered these thoughts about the pages. Be sure to leave her a comment if you want to thank her for this free material.

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Jon Stewart Rally Attendance

Rally To Restore Sanity Attendance. The Jon Stewart Rally to Restore Sanity attendance is somewhere between 150,000 to 250,000 according to various reports surfacing. CBS says that the attendance is pegged at around 215,000 - although the Restoring Honor rally held in August was claimed to have about 87,000 participants.

The Rally To Restore Sanity/March to Keep Fear Alive were created by Comedy central TV show hosts Stephen Colbert an Jon Stewart. The two have become unlikely political figures over the past couple of years in the midst of various scandals and high profile news events.

For instance, Stephen Colbert testified before Congress for illegal immigration debates. Jon Stewart was thrust in the limelight when Rick Sanchez was fired after calling Stewart a bigot.

Jon Stewart even calle the president "dude" before the mid-term elections when Obama showed up on his "The Daily Show" while filming in DC.

What are your thoughts on the Rally to Restore Sanity attendance?

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Thanksgiving Pictures

Thanksgiving Pictures, Thanksgiving 2010 Wallpapers and Pictures – After the celebration of Halloween, we’re finally starting November 2010 calendar. Aside from the countdown to Christmas day, we have a countdown to Thanksgiving Day, scheduled to happen on November 25, 2010.
Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. It is a holiday to express gratitude, appreciation and gratitude to God, family and friends we’ve all been blessed to material possessions and relationships. Traditionally, Thanksgiving Day was a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest.
As early as now, many people have been looking for pictures and wallpapers Thanksgiving. Here are some of them. If you want to put them as wallpaper on your computer or display a table to show an early sign of gratitude.
The wallpaper Thanksgiving Day above shows a picture of a bumper crop with the main course on Thanksgiving Day-Turkey.
The second Thanksgiving Day picture above shows a girl praying and thanking the Lord for all the blessings they have received.
These are just two of the paintings that represent the next Thanksgiving Day that can be used as wallpaper. There are many more available on the Internet, but basically, everyone around these two themes – a bumper crop and a prayer of Thanksgiving.

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Maurice Lucas

Here's the text of a press release sent out by the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday night.

TRAIL BLAZERS LEGEND MAURICE LUCAS PASSES AWAY

PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland Trail Blazers legendary forward Maurice Lucas passed away today at the age of 58 after a long battle with cancer.

Lucas was a central figure on the Trail Blazers 1976-77 NBA Championship team and averaged 15.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.72 blocked shots over five seasons (1976-80, 87-88) in Portland.

During Portland's 1976-77 NBA Championship season, Lucas led the team in scoring (20.2), field goals made (8.0), free throws made (4.2), offensive rebounds (2.4) and minutes (36.2). In the 1977 Playoffs, Lucas led the team in scoring in eight of the 19 games and in rebounding twice.

"Portland and the NBA lost one of their greats today," said owner Paul Allen. "Maurice Lucas was an amazing man and I count myself lucky to have known him. We all - players, coaches, the owner and the fans - were made better by having Maurice a part of our team, whether playing on the championship team or, most recently as an assistant coach.

"He was one of the greatest Blazers ever. I'll miss him. I and the entire Blazer family send our condolences to his wife, Pamela, and their children," added Allen.

A standout at Marquette University, Lucas led the school to the NCAA National Championship game in 1974. Portland acquired Lucas as the second pick in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft. He played 12 seasons in the NBA and four in the American Basketball Association.

"Words cannot express the magnitude of loss we feel tonight with the passing of Maurice Lucas," said Trail Blazers President Larry Miller. "The Trail Blazers family has lost our Enforcer, but for me personally, I have lost a brother.

"Maurice has left unforgettable fingerprints on every decade of Trail Blazers basketball, yet it is his booming personality, his warrior-like loyalty, and most of all, his undying love for his family, for the Trail Blazers, for his teammates, and for the city of Portland that we will all hold dearly in our hearts. On behalf of myself and the entire Trail Blazers organization, our deepest sympathy goes out to his wife Pam, sons Maurice Jr. and David, daughter Kristin and grandson Luke," added Miller.

Selected to the All-Star Game in three straight seasons from 1977-79, Lucas is one of four three-time All-Stars in Trail Blazers history (Clyde Drexler, Brandon Roy, Sidney Wicks).

"We have lost a champion of a man," said Trail Blazers Head Coach Nate McMillan. "Maurice was a great man and a great friend. He battled his illness like the warrior he was on the basketball court.

"We were so fortunate to have his influence on the young men on this team. He was my mentor, my big brother, and I always knew he had my back. He has left us far too soon," added McMillan.

The Pittsburgh, Pa., native was named to the All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive First Team in 1977-78. He was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in 1978-79.

Lucas most recently served as an assistant coach with the Trail Blazers for five seasons from 2005-10, and previously in 1988-89.

The Trail Blazers honored Lucas by retiring his uniform number (No. 20) on Nov. 4, 1988.

Service arrangements are to be determined.

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Marine Corps Marathon Results

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The Walking Dead Review

To say that I've been looking forward to The Walking Dead is a shambling hulk of a flesh-seeking understatement. I'm a longtime fan of the Robert Kirkman comic series on which the show is based, and I had enormously high hopes for last night's premiere.

Happily, I wasn't disappointed. Even if you hate zombie movies, here's why you should be watching the show:

It looks great. No cheap horror-flick visuals here, this is full-fledged big-budget AMC cinematography, and some of the scenes are stunning. The visual of our protagonist Rick riding his horse on an empty street into zombie-desecrated Atlanta trying to escape the city while the side of the highway is clogged with jammed-up, abandoned vehicles is particularly amazing. The zombie FX is top-notch, too, for those with discerning taste in decomposition.

It's a human story as much as it is a zombie story. This is what's going to make this series shine: the fact that it isn't just about jumping at every creepy noise or splattering the screen with gore. Yes, there will be scenes like that, but this is a story about the people trying to survive. From the moment Rick is dropped into this fully formed apocalyptic madness (via wakening alone in a hospital after the outbreak has occurred), you're brought along with him as he struggles to make sense of what's going on. The fragile humanity displayed by the first living people he meets is handled beautifully, and if you can watch a scene of a young boy sobbing in his dad's arms while his undead mother rattles the doorknob without choking up (and having your hair stand on end), you're made of STONE, my friend.

There's a lot of story to go. By the end of the first episode we know Rick's wife and son are alive. We know Rick's former deputy buddy is with them, and that he's making the moves on Rick's wife. We know Rick is left in a seemingly hopeless situation, trapped in a tank and surrounded by an entire city of zombies. And we know someone's out there watching him, as evidenced by the crackling voice that came over the radio: "Hey, dumbass! Comfy in there?"

What's going to happen next? Man, I don't know about you, but I'll be glued to the set next Sunday night to find out.

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Elizabeth Smart

After a long duration of seven years Elizabeth Smart shall be going face to face with the man that is accused of keeping her in his custody for a horrifying time period of nine whole months. The jury selection shall be beginning this Monday in the federal court in the Salt Lake City; it would be for the false self proclaimed prophet named Brian who is 57. The sick person kidnapped young Elizabeth Smart when she was in the early teenage. The young girl has now decided to go to Utah for testifying against the kidnapper and it is to be noted her that the sick guy was previously removed from the court room when he was loudly singing some scriptures.
The father of Elizabeth Smart stated that her daughter would be pretty happy to see all of this stuff coming to an end and her father would be present in the court for supporting her in this case that has got a bit too late. The


jurors that are in support of Brian shall be putting the logic that he is guilty as he is not mentally stable and the judge has been able to declare Brian competent to stand for the trial after several years of appeal and hearings. There are expectations that this case shall be going around for around a month and around fifty witnesses for the prosecution and the defense is expected to testify. The whole case is center of attraction for the people and the media and its decision would be pretty interesting.

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Election Day 2010

Refute: To prove wrong by argument or evidence, to show to be false or erroneous.

Repudiate: To refuse to have anything to do with, to disown, to refuse to accept, to reject as unauthorized, untrue, unjust, or having no binding force

Election Day 2010: Refudiate: A new term coined by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, which combines the above two words. And what will be done by voters to President Obama on Election Day, so as to demonstrate their anger at his, Speaker Pelosi’s, and Harry Reid’s having forced down America’s throat destructive and wrong liberal policies that have wrecked the economy and threaten our future well-being as a nation.

Don’t be fooled by the propagandist spin of a blatantly partisan liberal media that will defend and prop up at all costs the phony “messiah” they created back in 2008. This is a massive election defeat for the Democrats, of unprecedented historical proportions. Going from near veto-proof super-majorities to losing the House by a comfortable margin and very possibly the Senate as well, in a year when most of the seats up were on friendlier and safer liberal blue turf, is a staggering punch in the gut. To use poker lingo, they badly overplayed a hand that was much weaker than they thought, and now they’re about to lose most of their chips for it.

And this is just the beginning. Even in the best-case scenario for the Republicans, wherein they squeak out control of the Senate, the Democrats would still have a filibuster and Obama’s veto. That means that no significant rollback, reversal, or repeal of the damage that Obama, Pelosi, and Reid have inflicted will become reality. At best, presuming the GOP “leadership” of Speaker Boehner and Senator McConnell actually finds its testicles come January, we’ll see a repeat of 1995, with a GOP Congress trying to cut spending, a liberal president blaming his budget veto on them, and a biased media reprising “The Gingrich That Stole Christmas” demagogic fearmongering – only in even more apocalyptic tones.

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November 2010 Calendar

November 2010 Calendar, The Senior Center of Castle Rock is pleased to announce its schedule of activities for November 2010! Thanksgiving!
Every Monday: Our famous cinnamon rolls and coffee is served to the public from 10 am to noon. The suggested donation is just and 1.50!
Wii Fit exercise game will be played (laughs) every Monday at 1:30 pm. Come play, have fun and in the process, improve balance and keep that heart healthy! Open to all people.
Every Friday Monday, Wednesday &: Get that heart rate and restore health with exercise classes from 9:30 am to 10:30 am!
Every Wednesday: Nutrition of the CAP provides meals for seniors at the Center for lunch. Suggested donation and 2.50, but please call # 274-7502 or # 274-8145 (Monday) for reservations.
Book Toledo classes are held from 1pm – 3pm for projects.
Every Thursday: Fun quilting projects will take place 24:00-15:00 Pinochle and games are played at the Center Evening at 7 pm and is open to all interested parties, so bring your game!
Every Friday: Another PAC Food Nutrition! PAC offers food Nutrition for Seniors at the Center for lunch. Suggested donation and 2.50, but please call # 274-7502 or # 274-8145 (Wednesday) in the reserves.
Every Saturday: Bingo games will be played at the Center 13:00 to 3:00 p.m., except on 23 October.
SPECIAL DATES: Hooray!
Tuesday, November 9: Program for lunch and dinner. Anita Hopkins of the PAC, to explain the new rules under the new Medicare Health Plan at 11 am, followed by lunch at noon.
Very informative! Bring your laptop!
Tuesday, November 18: commodities are distributed from 10am – 1pm. You must have a valid punch card, please.
Note: The Senior Center will close on November 25, 1926 and 27 for the Thanksgiving Feast! Have a wonderful November!

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Stephanie Powers

JIM IS MISTAKEN FOR A MURDEROUS VIGILANTE, AND STEPHANIE MAKES A DISCOVERY THAT COULD EXPLAIN HOW THE FAMILY OBTAINED THEIR POWERS, ON ABC’S “NO ORDINARY FAMILY”

“No Ordinary Vigilante” – While patrolling the park at night in an effort to catch a mugger, Jim is mistaken for a murderous vigilante who has begun targeting the robbers; Stephanie makes a discovery that could explain how she and her family got their powers; Daphne uses her telepathic abilities to get into an exclusive party reserved for only the cool high school kids; and JJ tries out for the football team – with a lot of help from his powers — on “No Ordinary Family,” TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“No Ordinary Family” stars Michael Chiklis as Jim Powell, Julie Benz as Stephanie Powell, Romany Malco as George St. Cloud, Autumn Reeser as Katie Andrews, Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell, Jimmy Bennett as JJ Powell and Stephen Collins as Dr. Dayton King.

Guest starring are Reggie Lee as Dr. Francis Chiles, Jason Antoon as Mr. Litchfield, Zorianna Kit as reporter, Jonna Walsh as Megan, Nikki Soohoo as Lisa, Cody McMains as clerk, Guillermo Diaz as Detective Cordero, Ashton Moio as Declan, Jonathan Adams as Coach Baskin, Tim Kelleher as Andrew Meyers, Katrina Begin as Bailey Browning, Carly A. Jones as Ava, Tricia Leigh Fisher as Alice Costigan, Brian Cousins as Edward Costigan, James Earl as Kenny, Steven Krueger as Reynolds, Catherine Reitman as Mrs. Sanderson, Bill Seward as TV announcer and Brock Kelly as Mike Clemmons.

“No Ordinary Vigilante” was written by Ali Adler & Jon Harmon Feldman and directed by Ron Underwood.

“No Ordinary Family” is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC’s selected HDTV format with a 5.1 channel surround sound. This program carries a TV-PG,L,V parental guideline.

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Voting Locations By Zip Code

Where do I vote? Know which voting precinct you are assigned before heading to the polls tomorrow November 2, 2010. For voting locations by zip code, check out Project Vote Smart. About Project Vote Smart Here at Project Vote Smart, Americans young and old volunteer their time, take no money from special interest groups, and [...]

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Wilmington Trust

Wilmington Trust and the M&T Bank Corporation said on Monday that they would merge, creating a major lender in the eastern United States and a global provider of wealth management.

The deal is a stock-for-stock transaction in which Wilmington shareholders will get 0.051372 shares of M&T for every share of Wilmington. The deal is worth $351 million and is expected to close in the middle of next year.

M&T is based in Buffalo and holds $68.2 billion in assets, while Wilmington has $10.4 billion in assets, and is based in Wilmington, Del.

“As our third quarter earnings announcement shows, we continue to face difficult financial realities associated with the credit quality of the loan portfolio in our banking business,” Wilmington Trust’s chief, Donald E. Foley, said. “As a result, our board examined a range of strategic alternatives and has held discussions with several potential partners.”

M&T will obtain 48 branches and 225 ATMs, with no overlap in the two lenders’ branch networks, as well as Wilmington’s wealth advisory business, which works with high-net-worth clients in 36 countries.

Wilmington hired Lazard as financial adviser and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom as counsel. M&T hired RBC Capital Markets and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Morgan Stanley provided the fairness opinion.

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Thanksgiving Clip Art

Here are two cute vintage Thanksgiving Day postcards. The one at the top with the Turkey has such nice bright colors. The second one, with the Corn on the Cob, would be a great card for a vegan or vegetarian!

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Thanksgiving Wallpaper

Thanksgiving Wallpaper, Shares of the following companies are having unusual movements in U.S. trade. Stock symbols are in parentheses and prices are from 10 am in New York.
Alere Inc. (ALR U.S.) fell 7.6 percent to 27.30 and after sinking as much as 19 percent, the intraday since 8 June. The company, which offers patient diagnosis, monitoring and management of health services, reduced its full-year profit forecast to 2.50 per share, and 2.60 per share. The average estimate of*n*lysts surveyed by Bloomberg was and 2.56.
Avanir Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AVNR U.S.) more than doubled and of 5.10 for the biggest gain in the Russell 2000 Index. The drug maker’s goal of price rose to 15 and Jefferies & Co.*n*lyst Andrew Fein equity. Avanir therapy to laugh or mourn without control in patients with neurological won U.S. approval, the Food and Drug Administration said.
Baker Hughes Inc. (BHI U.S.) increased more in the Standard & Poor’s 500, rising 5.7 percent to 48.96 y. The global provider of oilfield services, the third largest published its third-quarter profit, excluding some items of 54 cents per share, beating the average*n*lyst estimate by 17 percent, according to Bloomberg data.
Biodel Inc. (BIOD U.S.) slumped 53 percent to 1.72 and after sinking to 55 percent, the most intraday since September 2008. U.S. regulators said the company would not approve the action of insulin products quickly, without further studies.
CNA Surety Corp. (southern U.S.) increased 21 percent to 23.20 and and advanced to 23.56 and earlier, the highest intraday price since October 1997. CNA Financial Corp. (U.S. CAN) said he intended to buy the insurance of surety bonds and 22.00 per share in cash.
EXCO Resources Inc. (XCO U.S.) increased more in the Russell 1000 index, assembly and 35 percent to 20.01. The oil and gas producer, said its CEO Douglas H. Miller presented the Board of Directors a proposal to acquire all the shares of the company that does not already own and 20.50 per share in cash.
Fortinet Inc. (FTNT U.S.) rose 15 percent to 34.61 and after gaining as much as 23 percent, the most intraday since 18 November. The manufacturer of network security, received a takeover approach from International Business Machines Corp. (IBM U.S.), according to two people familiar with the situation, who declined to be identified because the talks have not been made public .
Intel Corp. (INTC U.S.) rose the most in the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 2.5 percent to 20.58 y. largest chipmaker in the world was boosted to “outperform” from “neutral” Macquarie Group Ltd.
Northeast Utilities (NU U.S.) gained 2.5 percent to 32.06 and after rising to 32.21 and earlier, the highest intraday price since December 2007. largest in New England, owner of utilities increased its forecast for fiscal 2010 revenues of up to 2.20 and a percentage compared with previous guidance of no more than 2.05 and a fee.
Vivus Inc. (VVUS U.S.) fell 8.1 percent and 7.12. The Mountain View, California-based pharmaceutical can not have the necessary data to meet the Food and Drug Administration cardiovascular concerns for experimental diet pill Qnexa, Jefferies & Co.*n*lyst Thomas Wei said. The company rates the shares Vivus “inferior” and with an estimated price 3.
Wilmington Trust Corp. (WL USA) were reduced more in the Russell 1000 index, plunging to 43 percent, and 4.04. The Bank of Delaware, founded by du Pont family agreed to be acquired by M & T Bank Corp. after recording six consecutive quarters of losses, and for about 351 million, or about half its market value on October 29 .

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Comic Con 2011

Hey gang! I just wanted to remind you to buy your San Diego Comic-Con 2011 passes today because they are officially up for sale! This years convention takes place on July 21-24, 2011.

4 day memberships go on sale at 9 a.m. PST and will most likely sell out within a day. The 4 day preview night passes already sold out at Comic-Con this year, so there will be no preview night for people who purchase their tickets today.

There's no doubt that Comic-Con 2011 is going to be a great year! There's going to be a ton of stuff to see hopefully we'll see some stuff from The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises and a whole lot more! Thor and Green Lantern films will already have been released by the time Comic-Con starts. Captain America actually comes out the weekend of Comic-Con, so it's going to be insanely hard to get in a screening for that in San Diego! I'm sure Disney/Marvel and Warner Bros./DC will have a lot more to reveal this next year.

GeekTyrant will be at the ultimate geek convention in full force next year! So get you tickets and let's hang out!

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Where Do I Vote

Where Do I Vote: Most Texas newspapers publish the location of polling places prior to every election.

You may also contact the person that handles the election duties in your county to find out the location of your polling place. If you have your voter registration certificate, it will list your precinct number. When you call, tell the person that answers the phone your precinct number to find out where your polling place is located. Remember, on election day you must vote in the precinct where you are registered. However, during the early voting period, you can vote at any early voting site within the county.

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Discover Card

Discover Card, Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Moneris offers credit, debit and other payment services to over 350,000 retail outlets in North America and is Canada’s largest seller acquirer.Gerry Wagner, vice president of acceptance at free world, said the company plans in the coming years, increasing the number of merchants accepting free cards.And Canada, you really make money on these transactions. It is a very convenient way to pay.
This type of stability of the Internet will ensure that our development is very safe. It’s really impossible for anyone to access our accounts because of this level of stability. However, the complexity of security, simplicity is at the top of usage.On you can get 5% cash purchases in popular categories. Check the dates and categories that can earn 5% back back.We “excited about this new partnership and we have many more examples of new forms of payment on our blog, so check back soon.
Shopping earn 2% cashback bonus will not be considered in their total annual purchases to determine your level of floor. Within 5 weeks for this award to be added to your account CashBack Bonus. Just to get more information, Open Road, Motiva holders are eligible to participate in this program. See Terms and Conditions CashBack Bonus program based more Riverwoods details.Shares Discover Financial fell 3 cents to 17.49 and later trading.the expiration date of the card, membership number, which is three numbers and user information of the principal card holder.

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Amc Tv

The latest AMC show doesn't fit into the same genre as "Mad Men," but it is likely to be a success.
Valerie Warrington

Amid the market's flood of comic book inspired movies comes a television show adaptation of the popular comic book series, "The Walking Dead."

The new AMC show doesn't fit into the category of "Mad Men," the most popular show on the channel. Instead, "The Walking Dead" fits into its own unique category--a horror television drama.

The series is set in a world that has been infested with aggressive zombies who threaten the lives of the surviving humans. The New York Daily News reports that this isn't some "campy" horror flick like "Dawn of the Dead." Instead, the news magazine dubs it a "hard watch".

Although the series sounds like a cheesy horror flick, it actually delves into the moral corruptness of the human race. Like many of AMC's shows, it also involves flawed characters and a dark mood. The humans are now in full on survival mode, and their behavior is dramatically affected by the presence of flesh eating zombies.

Without giving the specifics away, it's safe to say the behavior of the survivors at times becomes more reprehensible than that of the zombies, who exist for the sole purpose of devouring human flesh and creating more zombies.

Director Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile) opens up exclusively about the series to Time.com. He senses the recent popularity of zombies, which were not always mainstream ideas for a series.

"It absolutely blows my mind that zombies, which, for decades, was this subgenre of horror that appealed to a core group of geeks like me, has gotten so much mainstream acceptance in the last five years," he said. "All these years, all these decades, I was part of this little group of people with a very specialized interest, and suddenly this obscure thing has blossomed into grandmothers walking into Barnes and Noble and buying zombie books for their grandkids. It's a very strange feeling. I've been busy on this production for a year, and I poke my head up and, all of a sudden, zombies are everywhere."

Due to the recent popularity of zombies and the cult following of this classic comic book series, AMC is likely to have another hit to add to their television lineup.

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Madison Bumgarner

Madison Bumgarner didn't just get the job done Sunday night against the Rangers - he got all jobs done. He went to work, and by the time he was finished, everything was all wrapped up in a package with a neat little bow on the top.

McCovey Chronicles takes this opportunity to reflect on what Bumgarner was, and to discuss what his Game 4 start will become with the passage of time:

The unlikeliness of it all. One year ago, Madison Bumgarner was a pitching prospect without a fastball. His velocity wasn’t just down, it was Rueterian. And as he was always known as a one-pitch pitcher -- the changeup and breaking ball were so raw that they barely warranted a mention -- so the red flags were waving red flags taped to smaller red flags. There are such things as pitching prospects, but when they start pitching as if there’s something wrong, there usually is.
...
No matter what the outcome of the series, no matter what nuttiness ensues over final game or three, that was a pitching performance that we’ll bore our kids and grandkids about. We’ll sit on a sunny porch,drinking lemonade and spinning yarns about Madison Bumgarner’s start in Game Four. He threw 104 MPH, he did. He threw sliders that made hitters in the on-deck circle take cover before the balls broke over the plate. He completely broke down one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game in two consecutive at-bats.

Click through for the entire post, as Giants fans consider the impossibility of it all as they stand a win away from a World Series championship.

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Amcdead

Michelle Forbes (“Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “True Blood”) and Billy Campbell (“The Rocketeer,” “The 4400”) have been cast in AMCdead’s pilot for “The Killing,” a project that sounds to me a little like “Murder One.”

Created by writer-producer Veena Sud (“Cold Case”), it’s a crime drama about the investigation of a girl’s murder. Forbes plays the dead girl’s mom; Campbell plays a mayoral candidate.

Also cast in the pilot are Brent Sexton (“W”), Eric Laden (“Generation Kill”) and Jamie Anne Allman (“The Notebook”).

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Forrest Gump 2

When I was a boy I remember my family getting one of those big boxes of assorted chocolates as a gift at Christmas. My favorite pieces were the peanut clusters and the caramels. The problem was that everyone liked them as well, so they didn't last long. Also, they were the only two kinds of candy in the box that could be identified on sight. The rest of the pieces were filled with the various assortment of creams-- some I liked, while others my young pallet rejected as something that tasted like chocolate covered liver. The problem was, of course, that I could not tell what was what just by looking at them; and that was before the days when candy manufacturers started putting a diagram on the underside of the box top to help in the process of identification.

Thus, the only way that I could tell what was inside a piece of chocolate was by tasting it, or pushing my thumb nail on the underside of the piece to get a look at whether the cream inside was to my liking. But I quickly discovered that the latter option was clearly out of bounds as my mother made clear. Any thumb marks on the bottom of the candy would mean that the culprit would be required to eat the piece so desecrated. That would be only the first step in my punishment.

I was left with quite a dilemma. I decided that the best course of action was not to eat any piece of chocolate I was not certain of. That would save me the disaster of having to eat something that tasted like chocolate covered liver as well as receiving any other unsavory punishments.

Life is indeed like a box of chocolates. We never know what we are going to get. I suspect most people understand that idea and embrace it in theory, but in practice we have a difficult time accepting it; especially in Western society where we believe that somehow we have to forge our own destinies through the power of the right of choice. I have suspected for some time that America's emphasis on choice (not on what choice is made, but simply having the choice in the first place) is a denial of the realities of life by setting up the false, and yes, the idolatrous belief that we are the masters of our fate and the captains of our souls. At the end of the day we do not want to acknowledge that most of life is lived as a response to what comes upon us. The ancient Greeks, however, understood this as they reflected on human character and how it was shaped by how women and men responded to those events and happenings that impinged upon them through no choice of their own. We set up the myth that we are the determiners of our destiny through our choices so as not to have to truthfully encounter the meaning of life's contingencies. We may acknowledge in the abstract that life is like a box of chocolates, but when we get what we do not want, we have to somehow convince ourselves that it has nothing to do with who are as individuals, since we are supposed to be in charge of making our own identity.

But the truth of the matter is that most of life is indeed a response to that which comes upon us. We do not get to choose where we are born, nor do we get to decide which parents we want. We do not get to pick our genetic makeup, neither do we choose what socio-economic class we grow up in. And it certainly does not need to be said that we do not decide which country and under what government and in what situation we enter the world. We cannot control how others act toward us. We do not get to choose our gifts and graces. I could go on, but I think I have sufficiently made my point.

It is certainly true that we are responsible individuals and that our choices are important insofar as whether or not they are right choices and good choices, and how those choices impact others, but character is formed and revealed more in how we respond to the unexpected nature of life than in what we plan for. Indeed, it is the human character that is formed by the contingencies of life that is employed in the very choices we make. In other words, how I act in those happenings in life I can control is in large part the result of how I have been formed by those things that I do not expect.

We simply do not not know what we are going to get in life. Jesus himself reminded us that the rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45) and calamity comes to all persons righteous and unrighteous (Luke 13:1-5). As followers of Jesus our task is to respond in faithfulness to everything that comes our way, things we plan for and things we don't; happenings we are prepared for, and happenings that are unexpected.

To be a disciple is to know that I am not the master of my fate, nor the captain of my soul. My fate and my soul lay in the hands of another who not only sends the rain on everyone, but also has secured my fate, my destiny, by his cross and resurrection.

Just like that box of chocolates I stared at as a boy, hoping not to get something I did not like, so in life I never know what I am going to get. But ultimately, that is OK-- Jesus Christ holds my life in his keeping. My task is to respond in faith and faithfulness, come what may.

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World Series Game 4

ARLINGTON, Texas — The rookie pitched way beyond his years, sending a shudder through Rangers Ballpark.

Madison Bumgarner dominated for eight innings, Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey homered and the San Francisco Giants put on a fielding clinic in Game 4, beating Texas 4-0 on Sunday night to move within one win of that elusive World Series title.

Dressed in black-and-orange, the Giants were spooky good in taking a 3-1 edge. Bumgarner allowed only three hits and took all the fun out of a festive, Halloween crowd.

"I can't say enough about what he did," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Ace Tim Lincecum will try Monday night to deliver the Giants' first championship since they moved to San Francisco in 1958. Now it's up to Cliff Lee to save the Rangers' season in Game 5.

The 21-year-old Bumgarner and closer Brian Wilson helped the Giants become the first team to post two shutouts in a World Series since Baltimore threw three straight to close out the Dodgers in 1966.

"I thought the pitching was the thing tonight," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "And their defense."

Huff's two-run homer in the third gave Bumgarner all the support he needed. Posey added a solo shot in the eighth – Bumgarner and Posey became the first rookie battery to start in the Series since Spec Shea and Yogi Berra for the Yankees in 1947.

Even though Bumgarner got relief help, it was a complete game for the Giants. Andres Torres and Edgar Renteria each got three hits and their teammates made almost every play in the field.

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Fall Back Time Change 2010

Time Change Fall 2010: When Daylight Savings Time 2010 Ends? – When is Daylight Saving Time 2010? When do we turn the clocks back in 2010? These are the questions of many as they seek on the day when they should change their clocks and watches as Daylight Saving Time ends.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in fall. This practice is being done primarily to conserve energy.

So now that fall is approaching, when should the time change in fall begin? When does daylight saving time end in 2010? According to Daylight Savings Time 2010 schedule, for all residents of US and Canada, effective Sunday, November 7, 2010 the clocks fall back to Standard Time. The official change will occur at 7.30 PM IST (6 AM Eastern Standard Time). During Standard Time, clocks are turned backward an hour, effectively moving an hour of daylight from evening to morning. Daylight Saving Time will return on March 14, 2011 in the US and Canada.

It is important to note however that some US states and territories, including Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas, do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the clocks fall back to Standard Time effective today Sunday, October 31, 2010. The official change will occur at 6.30 AM IST (1.00 AM GMT). Daylight Saving Time will return on March 28, 2011 in the UK. Having said that, if you are asking what time is it on London right now, you can tune here.

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West Hollywood Halloween 2010

Hundreds of Thousands of People Are EE Thurs Thurs flock of Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood today, Thurs Organizers say what is one of the world's largest Halloween celebrations.

The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, Which kicks off at 6 pm, will celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Rocky Horror Picture and will close out the event with an Attempt To Break the Guinness World Record for the largest Time Warp dance - Which will take place across all six performance stages at 10:45 pm

The event's witching hour will be 11 p.m.

Following the 6 p.m. Kickoff, There Will Be a Carnaval in March starting at 7 pm at Santa Monica and La Cienega boulevards Where Members of the West Hollywood City Council will lead the march is pedifloats.

The Event Will Also include a Rocky Horror Picture Show, the stage is located in Santa Monica and San Vicente boulevards, featuring a special performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show starting at 9:15 pm

Singer-songwriter John Quale - Prince Poppycock of NBC's "America's Got Talent" - will be crowned the "Honorary Mayor" of the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval.

In summer of 2010, Quale was a contestant on the NBC show Where they became one of the top four Finalists.

"This year's Halloween Carnaval Entertainment is a diverse and unique as the city Itself," said West Hollywood John Heilman in a news statement.

"From the Rocky Horror Picture Show and a record-breaking Time Warp dance Thurs Prince Poppycock and his award-winning music Thurs highly-talented performance artists Including Momma and the Wandering Marionettes, this will be true at a West Hollywood-style Halloween celebration."

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Illinois Lottery

Need we repeat? It ain't over until it's over. And the formal protests related to the Illinois Lottery private management contract bid process aren't over yet.

Now, sources tell us, Intralot's concerns about the manner in which its formal protest has been (mis)handled by executives with the Illinois Department of Revenue and the Lottery have been dropped in the lap of the man who made the final decision on the contract -- none other than Gov. Pat Quinn, who remains in a tight race to save his job as the state's leader.

Quinn awarded the contract to the Northstar Lottery Group on Sept. 15. Northstar is comprised of Gtech, Scientific Games and Energy BBDO, all of which currently have contracts with the Lottery.

Sources say a letter was hand delivered to the governor's office today that talks bluntly about what Intralot considers highly inappropriate actions on the part of Department of Revenue and Lottery officials. Those actions, as referenced in a posting on this blog last week, involve threatening to go public with some of the more salacious details about the background of one Socratis Kokkalis, the head of Intralot Group's parent company, which is based in Greece.

Sources indicated that Department of Revenue and Lottery executives suggested to Intralot reps during a hastily-called meeting on Sept. 12, that it might be in Intralot's best interest to drop its formal protest to avoid disclosure of unflattering information about Kokkalis dredged up by Kroll, the firm hired to do probity checks for the Illinois Lottery private management bid process.

Intralot, however, wasn't interested in dropping its protest.

On the contrary, it has escalated the protest to the governor's office. Of course, Intralot must realize that any move by the governor to investigate the situation as it now stands might be interpreted as an admission on his part that something could be wrong -- an acknowledgement Quinn could be highly reluctant to make at a delicate point in time when his political future is at stake.

But sources say plenty of other state executives and legislators, including attorney general Lisa Madigan and state senate president John Cullerton, have been carbon-copied on the Intralot letter to the governor. So plenty of eyes in positions of power and influence are watching.

Meanwhile, Camelot Group, a finalist for the Lottery private management contract, also remains very much in formal protest mode. As of late last week, Camelot had heard nothing definitive from the Department of Revenue or the Lottery regarding its protest.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Revenue said she was hopeful some response could come on at least the Intralot Group protest by week's end. But that's not definite. "It's complicated," she said. No kidding.

But whatever does happen, rest assured, it won't be over until it's over.

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