text:
Christina Aguilera gives birth to baby girl

Christina Aguilera has given birth to a baby girl.

The 33-year-old singer welcomed her first child with fiancé Matt Rutler via Caesarean-section at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles Saturday (08.16.14), according to UsMagazine.com.

However, the 'Your Body' hitmaker also delivered her six-year-old son Max - whom she has with ex-husband Jordan Bratman - via C-section and was keen to give birth to her daughter naturally this time around.

A source said earlier this week: "She's due at any moment. But she's freaking out because with her first child, Max, she had a C-section. This time, though, she wants to have a natural childbirth."

The 'Voice' USA mentor announced in February she was expecting a baby with the production assistant.

The happy news came one week after Matthew proposed to the beauty in the backyard of their new home in Los Angeles on Valentine's Day (02.14.14).

Meanwhile, Christina recently showed off her pregnancy body in V magazine and admitted she is very "proud" of her figure.

She said previously: "As a woman, I'm proud to embrace my body through all stages of life, staying fearless and confident in surrendering to the unknowns the future has in store."

More Entertainment News

Recent Trending

Castanet Proud Member of RTNDA Canada


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Type: response

text:
Whittington Castle

Whittington castle is well-known for its photogenic gatehouse and, of late, with Arthurian romance and the story of the Holy Grail. Yet Whittington's true beauty is far greater than this.  The castle was founded upon the remains of a prehistoric earthwork that may have been a site of ancient Druidic worship.  It is possible that the first citadel built here was the ancient hall of Pengwern, long sought for in the Marches of Shropshire.  A long dark age poem that mentions the battle of Oswestry in 641 also tells of King Cynddylan and his life and death, as well as the destruction of his hall at the head of the marsh.  It is quite feasible that this hall lay under the site of Whittington castle.

The real history of Whittington castle begins in the early twelfth century.  The castle was most probably founded, along with the nearby castles of Overton and Chirk, during the summer of 1114, when King Henry I (1100-1134) invaded Wales.  The founder of the castle was William Peverel of Dover, and not his namesake of Nottingham which was first wrongly asserted as long ago as the end of the thirteenth century.  Much of Whittington castle's early history has been bound up with the Fitz Warin Romance, a romantic work which has caught the attention of many interested in the Fitz Warin story. Unfortunately the author of this Romance was on shakey historical ground when he wrote his 'history'.  He therefore created quite a mess with his muddled story of the foundation of Whittington castle and his tale of Warin of Metz, the hero ancestor of the house of Fitz Warin.  In this new book on Whittington castle the convoluted geneaology of the house of Fitz Warin is meticulously worked out, as too are the descent of the houses of Peverel and Powys.  All three of these families claimed the title of lord of Whittington and two of them fought for this to the death.  During the Anarchy of King Stephen's reign (1135-54) Whittington castle became a lynchpin in the Angevin's hold on the Welsh Marches, but in 1146 the castle was exposed by the defection of Earl Ranulf of Chester.  As a consequence Whittington castle was seized by the Welsh who continued to hold the castle and district until 1160, when the king of Powys and his son died.  The surviving accounts suggest that King Madog died in Whittington castle on 9 February 1160. If this is true then he may have died in Whittington keep, a reconstruction of how this may have looked at that date is shown here.  After Llywelyn ap Madog's death the castle was seized by King Henry II (1154-89) who  strengthened its garrison during a series of bloody Welsh wars.
In 1165 King Henry, as part of an attempted general Welsh settlement, granted the castle to a Welsh family who had held the district of Maelor since the days of King Æthelstan in the early tenth century.  In this manner the castle came into the hands of Roger Powys, while Fulk Fitz Warin, the grandson of Warin, was confirmed in his Gloucestershire lands, held in exchange for Whittington.  The Powys family proved stanch supporters of Henry II and his son, King Richard the Lionheart.  On several occasions Roger and his sons intervened decisively in Wales on behalf of their king.  Then in the 1190's Fulk the great-grandson of Warin successfully gained a court judgment that Whittington castle belonged to him.  However this Fulk died in 1198, before he had gained control of the castle.  As a result, in 1200, his son, yet another Fulk Fitz Warin, felonously killed Meurig, the son of Roger Powys and lord of Whittington castle.  Consequently he was forced into exile by a vengeful king.  For three years this Fulk lived the life of an outlaw and pirate before making peace with King John and receiving from him, Whittington castle.  Much of his story can be compared with the supposed life of Robin Hood and it is possible that Fulk was one of the progenitors of Robin.  For the bulk of the reign of King John, Fulk proved himself a loyal baron, and ran up enormous debts to the Crown of almost £1,300. This was against his holding of Whittington lordship, then valued at £10 per annum.  In 1215 Fulk joined 'the Northerners' in their rebellion against King John which led to Magna Carta.  In the meantime in the Marches of Shropshire with Whittington castle were overrun by the Welsh and the district was annexed by Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth of Gwynedd (1194-1240).

In 1218, after the rebel barons had been defeated by the new government of King Henry III (1216-72), Prince Llywelyn made peace with the Crown, and in 1220 returned the barony of Whittington with the destroyed castle to Fulk.  In 1221 Fulk began rebuilding his fortress, with one eye on Wales for the reaction of Prince Llywelyn and his friend, Earl Ranulf of Chester.  In March 1223 the prince struck at his many enemies and the half-built Whittington castle was one of the many that felt his wrath that spring.  Fulk was rein-stated at Whittington by the king that summer and once more he began the task of rebuilding Whittington castle.  This castle, finished by 1230, is the castle the visitor sees today. The long-running dispute between Fulk and Llywelyn was only really healed in 1239, when Llywelyn married Fulk's daughter.  However Llywelyn only lived another eighteen months and the settlement proved short-lived.  Yet it was not until 1264, after Fulk's son and heir, another Fulk Fitz Warin, had been drowned fleeing the battle of Lewes, that Llywelyn's grandson, Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, once more claimed the castle.  Llywelyn proved legally succesful in acquiring title to the castle, having it twice granted to him by treaty, but the Lestranges, who held the castle for the young heir, made sure that he never gained physical possession.  It seems likely that the next Fulk Fitz Warin was present at the killing of Prince Llywelyn in 1282, thus finally ending the Welsh claim to Whittington castle.

During the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries Whittington castle became more of a home than a fortress and a pleasure garden was built here on the site of part of the old outer bailey.  It was more likely the ladies of Whittington who were intimately involved in the construction of this garden, for the lords of Whittington, certainly during the fourteenth century, seemed more often than not abroad fighting for their king.  Another pleasure garden apparently existed at Clun castle during this era.  At the beginning of the fifteenth century Whittington castle repeatedly saw off attacks by Owain Glyndwr and his men, and the castle and surrounding barony suffered much at their hands.  Finally in 1422 the castle was attacked and taken for the last time when the men of William Fitz Warin stormed the castle in an abortive coup d'etat.  From here on the castle continued its stately decline into the romantic ruins that survive today.

Whittington Castle and the families of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Peverel, Maminot, Powys and Fitz Warin (ISBN 1-899376-80-1) can be bought direct via PayPal for £39.95.  This new book of 341 A4 pages includes the full history of the Medieval castle, with a detailed description of the remains, new photographs of the fortress after the recent renovations, plans, maps and an index.

Copyright©2007 Paul Martin Remfry

  • Index

  • Home

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-04
operator: CommonCrawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for January 2017
publisher: CommonCrawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


text:
Artist Profile: Remo Baldi

  • no artist image

Lumina (Original Comic Book Soundtrack)

Type: Album

Artist: Remo Baldi

  • Lumina (Original Comic Book Soundtrack) by Remo Baldi

Released:  May 1st, 2015
Track List:

1.Last Chance
2.The Calling
4.Swept Away
5.A New World
6.Hunted Down
8.Just the Beginning
9.A World of Light (feat. Sara Cappelletti & Tommaso Stanzani)
10.A World of Light (Instrumental) [feat. Sara Cappelletti & To...

What others are saying about Catapult

Robbie Seay Band"As an artist, the best thing to say about Catapult is that they rarely cross my mind. I trust them. They pay me on time and it's low maintenance for me. I focus on music and they focus on being the best online distribution company anywhere, and apparently its working. Their reputation for the highest artist percentage payout, efficiency, and customer service is separating them from all other distribution companies anywhere. "

Robbie Seay - Independent Artist


WARC-Truncated: length

text:
Overseas pro-life leaders condemn ‘aggressive’ pro-abortion U.S. policy

A delegation of international pro-life leaders will attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Friday to show support for American pro-lifers and to voice their opposition to the U.S. government’s “aggressive” pro-abortion foreign policies.

The leaders, from Africa, Europe, South America, Asia and Oceania, will speak at Human Life International’s (HLI) Jan. 22 “The Fight for Life Around the World” conference at the Washington Court Hotel in Washington, D.C. before joining hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates in the annual March for Life.

"America's March for Life is now the world's March for Life," commented Joseph Meaney, Director of International Coordination for HLI. “It has become the world's pro-life protest because of the aggressive promotion of abortion and population control that is now official policy of the United States, thanks to the administration of President Barack Obama.”

Dr. Ligaya Acosta, HLI Regional Coordinator for Asia and Oceania, noted that the March for Life marks both the anniversary of the pro-abortion Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade and also falls near the anniversary of President Barack Obama’s reversal of the Mexico City Policy, which barred U.S. taxpayer funds for international organizations that promote or perform abortions.

The Mexico City Policy came into effect under President Ronald Reagan. It was suspended under the Clinton administration but reinstated by President George W. Bush. Because of President Obama’s policy reversal, the U.S. Congress was able to allot $700 million for international abortion-promoting groups.

Acosta said the funds are used to promote “abortion and other assaults on life in my own country of the Philippines, in Africa, in China... all over the world where 40 million babies are killed every year. It is wrong and we are here to tell him and Congress to stop paying to kill our children.”

Emil Hagamu, HLI's regional coordinator for English-speaking Africa, said the U.S. government was “arrogant” for “trying to tell us how many children we should have.”

“President Obama is of Kenyan descent. How can he do this to his own people?” he asked.

Raymond DeSouza, HLI's coordinator for Portuguese-speaking nations, charged that the “aggressive policies” of the U.S. are hurting the country’s image abroad “even if they help America appeal to the cruel international elites who want to run everything.”

He compared tying international aid to abortion to holding a nation hostage. The policies tell people that “children are bad,” which translates into “hopelessness for the future.”

“This is a terrible violence against the families and children of the developing world," DeSouza charged.

Recent activity:

Follow us:

Check out Catholic News Agency Polls on LockerDome on LockerDome


text:
Harman Kardon K495NC

  AKG K 495 NC, casti on ear mini cu noise canceling Product details Of course ’NC’ stands for ’noise cancelling’, but it could also stand for ’no contest’, because when it comes to pure, undisturbed sound, the AKG® K495 NC headphones deliver high-quality performance and active noise control that are second to none. Durable and easy to charge through the USB, these top-of-the-line headphones create a perfect audio world: you get all the sound you want, and none of the sound you don’t. State-of-the art, active noise-cancelling technology (closed -loop technology) Unparalleled AKG sound quality Continuous sound for listening with empty battery USB chargeable (adapter included; no batteries) Detachable cables in two different lengths Brushed-metal parts for increased durability Supersoft headband and ear cups for long-wearing comfort Unique 3d-axis2 folding mechanism for easy transport and storage Flight adapter and premium carrying case included Back to top Full specs Audio Features/Specifications Frequency Response    20Hz - 20kHz Maximum Input Power    50 mW Input Impedance    26 ohms Sensitivity    121 dB SPL/V General Features/Specifications Cable    1.40 m Connector    3.5mm (1/8") stereo mini-jack plug Battery Life    40 hrs Weight    235 g Colour    Black
Azi 1.062 LEI
Cumpără la cel mai bun preț de la magazinele de mai jos sau caută alte produse:
Cere părerea prietenilor tăi:
Nu sunt oferte recomandate
Produse similare


text:
Rocky Mountain Award Nominees!
Rocky Mountain Award Nominees!
By CBC Docs

We've been nominated for three Rocky Awards at the Banff World Media Festival!

The Wild Canada interactive app has been nominated for Best Cross Platform Non-Fiction.

The Man Who Tweeted Earth and Survival of the Fabulous have been nominated in the Science and Technology Category.

Awards will be presented in June.

Also on CBC


text:
Police closed a stretch of West Cordova in downtown Vancouver's Coal Harbour neighbourhood where two men were shot Monday night.

The shooting happened at around 10:30 p.m. PT  and the two men were rushed to hospital with "serious injuries," the Vancouver Police Department said in a statement.

Officers closed West Cordova Street between Burrard and Bute streets, and detectives from the Vancouver Police Major Crime Section were called to the scene.


text:
A crash between a school bus and a semi-tractor trailer in northwest Alberta sent 10 students to hospital Tuesday afternoon.

The bus carrying up to a dozen elementary and junior-high students was hit at about 4 p.m. near Beaverlodge, RCMP said.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Beaverlodge and Grande Prairie — with two eventually transferred to hospital in Edmonton — for treatment of a variety of injuries, police said.

"Even though many of them were pretty banged up a number of them really stepped up and tried to remain as calm as possible in a very chaotic environment, said RCMP Cpl Roy Kennedy.

School officials are doing what they can to support the families, said Sheldon Rowe with Peace Wapiti School Board.

"We were at the hospital in Grande Prairie, principals from Beaverlodge Elementary were at the hospital in Beaverlodge and our vice principal was on site," he said.

Neither driver was seriously hurt.

RCMP were awaiting an update from Alberta Health Services Wednesday morning on if any of the children are still in hospital.
The bus appeared to have been travelling east on a township road when it was struck by the northbound truck while crossing Highway 723, police said.

Alcohol or drugs are not considered factors in the crash.


text:
A coalition of social justice and environmental organizations is encouraging people to demand an environmental assessment of a new fracking proposal in the Sahtu region of the Northwest Territories.

Husky Energy is applying for permits to drill and frack up to four horizontal wells in the Sahtu by 2018.

Alternatives North, Ecology North and the Council of Canadians are calling on people to write the Sahtu Land and Water Board, urging it to order an environmental assessment.

"The legislation states that public concern is a reason to refer an application to an environmental assessment,” says Christine Wenman of Ecology North. “So the aim here is to demonstrate that public concern."

The deadline for comments on Husky's application is April 28th.

A month ago, a petition was presented to the territorial government calling on it to order environmental assessments for hydraulic fracturing projects.

It was signed by 790 people.

Last year, the first horizontal drilling and fracking project in the north was approved without an environmental assessment.

That decision was influenced in part by a letter-writing campaign by businesses and other organizations in the Sahtu that wanted the project approved as quickly as possible.


text:
Signs warning motorists of crossing moose have been installed on Highway 11 near Saskatoon. ((Sharon Gerein/CBC))

The Saskatchewan government is getting a little more worried about the hazards moose present to motorists.

While "deer crossing" signs have been common on southern Saskatchewan highways for many years, "moose crossing" signs are now popping up on Highway 11, southeast of Saskatoon.

"Right now, it's pretty common to see moose in southern Saskatchewan," said Marv Hlady, a wildlife allocation specialist with the Environment Department.

"We don't think the numbers are going to be decreasing."   It's a dangerous situation when a car hits a deer, but it's even more dangerous when the animal struck is a moose, Hlady said.

Moose are bigger and taller and when they're hit, there's a greater likelihood the animal will go over the fender, he said.

As to why moose are becoming more plentiful in southern Saskatchewan, Hlady said there's no single explanation, but it may have to with the fact that rural Saskatchewan is less populous than it once was.

That suggests there's simply more habitat available to moose, he said.

It's also possible that these days, there's less "unlicenced harvesting" — in other words, illegal moose hunting — than there used to be, he said.

Moose, typically denizens of the wooded areas, are making their homes in willow bluffs, slough bottoms and farmyards, he said.

"They become a pest," he said, "They can be aggressive if they're protecting their calves."


text:
The Windsor Cardiac Centre is now monitoring 250 high-risk heart patients across the country, using satellites.

The real-time surveillance can detect the warning signs of heart attack.

"The body tries to give you a lot of hints, for weeks and weeks before patient actually collapse," said  Dr. Wadea Tarhuni.

The monitoring device is called a cardiophone. It is a wireless device that combines heart monitoring and cellphone technology.

From Windsor, Ont., experts at the centre monitor the patients' every heartbeat in real time.

He said one group at a particularly high risk is middle-aged men who play hockey, especially those who only play hockey once a week.

Research shows players between 40 and 60 are at increasing risk of heart attack - especially if they're mostly sedentary the rest of the week. Doctors say hardening of the arteries may go undetected until a player overexerts on the ice.

"Playing hockey, professional or recreational, they're putting a lot of stress on their heart and their brain and they might develop heart attack or stroke," he said.

Tarhuni encourages exercise, but said before someone takes on a sport so intense, they should speak to a doctor first.

Tarhuni said people older than 40 should go to their doctor and request a full cardiac screening, including stress test, before joining a league or exercise program.

Wayne McCaw, 47, saw the effects hockey can have.

"A good friend who plays hockey had some heart issues during a game," he said. "He became short of breath and was exhibiting some odd behaviour and ended up having a double bypass as a result of it."

Each year, approximately 7,000 people in Ontario will have a heart attack.

According to the Windsor Cardiac Centre, up to 85 per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home or in public places. Almost half of cardiac arrests are witnessed by a family member or friend.

There is now a growing trend among doctors of "prescribing" exercise rather than simply suggesting it.

The head of the Heart and Stroke Foundation's stroke recovery centre welcomes the trend.

Dale Corbett said specific exercises with specific instructions on how and when to do them lead patients to actually stick with them.

"It's going to be a very important tool in getting people to exercise more and make it part of their daily routine," he said. "And that's really what we have to get back to, or get to in a lot of cases."

Corbett notes that exercise is beneficial for physical and mental health and longevity.


text:
Right-hander Doug Fister's arbitration-avoiding contract with the Washington Nationals is for one year with a base salary of $7.2 million US.

Fister also can earn performance bonuses of $75,000 each for reaching 200 and 210 innings pitched.

He threw 208 2-3 innings last season, when he went 14-9 with a 3.67 ERA for the Detroit Tigers. Washington acquired him in a trade.

Fister made $4,075,000 last season. He had asked for $8.5 million in arbitration, while the Nationals submitted an offer of $5.75 million. They agreed to terms over the weekend.

Only one other Nationals player still could go to arbitration, right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard. He asked for a raise to $6.35 million; the team offered $4.45 million. Clippard made $4 million last season.


text:
The Christian Broadcasting Network

titanic stamp
Do You Need Prayer?

Send us your prayer request

Or call our prayer line at 1-800-759-0700.

Find more Prayer Resources

Daily Devotions
Stay Connected

Get Inspiration from CBN in your Email

Like CBN Spiritual Life on facebook

Daily Devotion

Lessons from the Titanic

By Dianne Neal Matthews

The Titanic was the largest, most luxurious ocean liner of its time and called "unsinkable" by many. During its first voyage from England to New York City, the British steamer sideswiped an iceberg around 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912.

Two and a half hours later, it broke apart and sank. The ship carried enough lifeboats for only half of its 2,200 passengers and crew. Approximately 1,500 people lost their life.

Many assumed that the iceberg had ripped a long gash in the ship's hull. When the wreck was recovered in 1985, no such tear was found. Researchers learned that the hull was made of steel that became brittle in the frigid North Atlantic waters, causing it to fracture easily during the collision. Some suspect the Titanic was traveling too fast for an area where there was a possibility of icebergs.

One night, Jesus walked on the water, and his disciple Peter wanted to join Him. Peter left the boat and was doing fine until he looked around at the high waves. Then he became terrified and started to sink (Matthew 14:25-30).

Like Peter, we may be accomplishing great things with God's help, and we look around at our frightening circumstances. Then our faith starts to waver, and we get more than a sinking feeling.

At other times, we start to look at our successes and ignore the need to safeguard our spiritual growth. We may start to feel unsinkable, like the Titanic.

But there are always hidden dangers that can wreck our witness and ministry. The only way to safely navigate life is to keep our eyes on Jesus, not on ourself or the circumstances around us. He will help us complete our voyage, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

"Save me, O God,  for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;  I can’t find a foothold.  I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me." (Psalm 69:1-2, NLT)

This Devotion is used with permission from The One Year On This Day Devotion. (Tyndale House Publishers) © 2005 Dianne Neal Matthews

Read more on this topic ...

Related Links:

Can God change your life?

God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life. Discover how you can find peace with God. You can also send us your prayer requests

Dianne Neal Matthews lives in the Salt Lake City area. Her publishing credits include magazine articles, newspaper features, Bible studies, stories in compilation books, and several daily Devotions including The One Year Women of the Bible (Tyndale House, 2007). She serves as a correspondent for, and also enjoys speaking and teaching at writers’ conferences. To learn more, visit or connect with her on Facebook ( or Twitter (@DianneNMatthews).

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

  • Translate
  • Print Page

Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting?
Are you facing a difficult situation?

A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.

Do You Know Jesus
Grow In Your Faith

Need Prayer?

Call 1-800-823-6053
Email your prayer request

Email iconSign up for E-mail Updates Full List


text:
The Christian Broadcasting Network

Related Links

700 Club Videos Reveal the Power of God over the Spiritual Forces of Darkness.

A Christian Response to Vampire Obsession

Addicted to Horror

More from's Halloween Resource Section

Knowing God

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

By Elliott Watson What about Halloween?

Should you and I be involved in the celebration of Halloween?

Finding the answer to this question has been an interesting journey in itself. I interviewed several people and then researched what many leading Christian writers, authors and spokesmen have written about the subject. I also searched various websites such as,, and to read what others might be saying. What I found was an agreement on the origins of Halloween, but a mixture of recommendations about allowing our children to participate in this super-charged media driven holiday.

The origins of Halloween are Celtic in tradition and have to do with observing the end of summer sacrifices to gods in Druidic tradition. In what is now Britain and France, it was the beginning of the Celtic year, and they believed Samhain, the lord of death, sent evil spirits abroad to attack humans, who could escape only by assuming disguises and looking like evil spirits themselves. The waning of the sun and the approach of dark winter made the evil spirits rejoice and play nasty tricks. Believe it or not, most of our Halloween practices can be traced back to these old pagan rites and superstitions.

But what about today? Perhaps we can still learn from history. In the fourth century, Christians attempted to co-opt the holiday by celebrating the lives of faithful Christian saints the day before Halloween. This was a conscious attempt to provide an alternative and re-focus the day away from ghouls, goblins, ghosts, witches and other “haunted” experiences. Since that time many Christians have decided to allow their children to dress in more “innocent” costumes of pumpkins, princesses, Superman or as a cowboy. Part of this is due to the simple reality that in today’s Western culture it is nearly impossible to “avoid” Halloween.

Just before reaching a conclusion on the subject, I was struck with the thought that I ought to further my search and find out what Wicca, the official religion of witchcraft, has to say about Halloween. Perhaps they viewed the day as a simple fun and innocent neighborhood activity?

“Shock” is the only word to describe what I found. Halloween is a real, sacred day for those who follow Wicca. In fact, it is one of two high and holy days for them. The Celtic belief of spirits being released is current, along with the worship of Samhain (the lord of death) – both are promoted as something to embrace on that day. There is no question in my mind that to those who believe and follow the practices of witchcraft, Halloween represents an opportunity to embrace the evil, devilish, dark side of the spiritual world.

So after discovering this, what is a reasonable conclusion? As Christians you and I are placed in this world to be a light in a world of darkness. There is no lasting benefit to ignore a holiday that exists around us, but it also does harm to celebrate Halloween as it has originated and grown over the centuries.

My suggestion? Christians should be teaching their children (age appropriately) that:

  • there is a spiritual world filled with goodness from God and evil from Satan (Eph. 2:1-10);
  • life with Christ has power over darkness (I John 4:4); and
  • those who celebrate Halloween either are unaware of its roots, or are intentionally promoting a world where evil is lauded and viewed as an ultimate power.

To counter the evil influence of Halloween, we need to join together and celebrate the reality of the heroic efforts of Christian saints over the evil in their day. Many leaders in the past -- and present -- have fulfilled the mandate of destroying the works of the devil through their sacrificial commitment to Christ and His Kingdom.

Too, rather than “hide” in the face of evil, we should unabashedly and boldly create an alternative that is positive and uplifting; that celebrates good over evil and the triumph of God over Satan. We need to provide an environment that also makes room for heaps of fun while using the day as a “teachable moment” to celebrate God’s protection, provision and purpose for our lives.

More from's Halloween Resource Section

Can God change your life?

God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life. Discover how you can find peace with God. You can also send us your prayer requests

  • Translate
  • Print Page

Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting?
Are you facing a difficult situation?

A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.

Do You Know Jesus
Grow In Your Faith

Need Prayer?

Call 1-800-823-6053
Email your prayer request

Email iconSign up for E-mail Updates Full List


text:
The Christian Broadcasting Network

Browse Videos

Share Email

Safe in the Center

Operation Blessing opened a day care center that five-year-old Zoleka attends. She used to play on the streets, but now is being cared for, clothed and fed. She is also receiving an education.

EMBED THIS VIDEO | Do You Know Jesus? | Privacy Notice | Prayer Requests | Support CBN | Contact Us | Feedback
© 2012 Christian Broadcasting Network


text:
You are here

Many States Cutting TANF Benefits Harshly Despite High Unemployment and Unprecedented Need

October 3, 2011

In 2011, states implemented some of the harshest cuts in recent history for many of the nation's most vulnerable families with children who are receiving assistance through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. The cuts affect 700,000 low-income families that include 1.3 million children; these families represent over one-third of all low-income families receiving TANF nationwide.

A number of states have cut cash assistance deeply for families that already live far below the poverty line, ended it entirely for many other families with physical or mental health issues or other challenges, or cut child care or other work-related assistance that make it harder for many poor parents fortunate enough to have jobs to keep them.

Among the state TANF cuts to date:

  • At least five states — California, Washington, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and New Mexico — and the District of Columbia have cut monthly cash assistance benefits for TANF families, reducing already very low benefits. In South Carolina, for example, TANF benefits are now just 14 percent of the poverty line for a family of three. These cuts are pushing hundreds of thousands of families and children below — or further below — half of the poverty line.
  • States have shortened or otherwise tightened their lifetime time limits on receiving TANF benefits, cutting off aid entirely for thousands of very poor families and reducing benefits for thousands more. California and Arizona shortened their time limits, and several other states tightened time limits.
  • States have cut TANF-funded support for low-income working families. Michigan slashed its refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (which is partially funded with TANF funds) by two-thirds, raising state income taxes for several hundred thousand low-income working families and pushing more children and families into poverty. Several other states have weakened "make-work-pay" policies by cutting or eliminating the modest TANF benefits that working-poor families can receive as supplements to their low wages.

Many of the cuts run counter to states' longstanding approaches to welfare reform. For example, some states that had provided support to poor parents working in low-wage jobs have abandoned those policies. Similarly, states have shortened their time limits and eliminated some bases for extensions or exemptions, and applied these changes retroactively. As a result, states have terminated or reduced benefits for some of the most vulnerable families, most of whom have very poor labor market prospects.

These TANF cuts come at a time when unemployment remains very high and the prospects of finding jobs, especially for people with low skills, are poor. In August 2011, unemployment was 9.1 percent. . Over two-fifths (42.9 percent) of the 14.0 million people who are unemployed — 6.0 million people — have been looking for work for half a year or longer, a level of long-term unemployment that remains at levels not seen in the past 60 years. [1]

Despite these economic conditions, states are implementing policies that are shrinking the already low number of poor families with children that TANF serves. In 1994-1995, just before TANF's creation, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program (AFDC, TANF's predecessor) served 75 families with children for every 100 families with children who lived in poverty. In 2008-2009, TANF served only 28 families for every 100 in poverty. This ratio varies among states; in seven states in 2008-2009, TANF served fewer than 10 families for every 100 in poverty. [2]

To be effective, a safety net must be able to expand when the need for assistance rises and to contract when need declines. The TANF block grant is failing this test, for several reasons: Congress has level-funded TANF since its creation, with no adjustment for inflation or other factors over the past 15 years; federal funding no longer increases when the economy weakens and poverty climbs; and states — facing serious budget shortfalls — have shifted TANF funds to other purposes and cut the TANF matching funds they provide. The next section examines these and related factors.

Why States Are Making Deep TANF Cuts Now

The current fiscal year (fiscal year 2012) is shaping up as one of states' most difficult budget years on record. Some 44 states and the District of Columbia projected budget shortfalls totaling $112 billion for 2012.[3] States have responded to these fiscal pressures by making deep cuts in many education and human service programs, including TANF. [4]

The TANF cuts are due in substantial part to the inadequacy of the federal TANF block grant. Under TANF, federal block grant funding does not rise when caseloads increase in hard economic times. This is a sharp change from the structure of the AFDC program, under which the federal government shared the costs of increased caseloads with the states in order to protect them from the full economic costs of serving more families when the economy weakened.

Furthermore, as noted, the block grant has been level-funded since its creation in 1996, with no adjustment for inflation or any other factor. The same is true for the required levels of state spending (called maintenance-of-effort or MOE spending). At only 72 percent of their original value in inflation-adjusted dollars, state and federal TANF funds can no longer fund the same level of services and support as they did 15 years ago.

States also shifted both federal and state TANF funds previously used to fund cash assistance and related services for poor families to cover the costs of various other programs and services (such as child care, child welfare, homeless assistance, and teen pregnancy prevention programs), enabling states to scale back the state funding devoted to those programs. In fiscal year 2007, before the onset of the recession, states used just 30 percent of their federal and state TANF funds to provide basic assistance to families with children. When the economy slumped badly and TANF caseloads began rising, state TANF agencies were unable to reclaim the transferred funds to cover the costs of providing assistance to the growing number of families in need.

An additional problem is that the federal TANF Contingency Fund — created to provide additional assistance to states during economic downturns — has proven severely inadequate. The original fund was entirely exhausted in December 2010, and the additional money that Congress allocated for fiscal year 2011 was so small that it provided funding for only a few additional months. Funding for 2012 is also likely to last only a few months. [5]

The TANF Emergency Fund, created as a part of the 2009 Recovery Act, provided states with extra help for fiscal years 2009 and 2010, but that fund ended on September 30, 2010 when Congress declined to extend it. With no additional federal funds to draw upon, states ended countercyclical employment programs that they had created to help low-income parents and youth find jobs in a period of high unemployment and began cutting TANF benefits and services.

As a result of all of these factors, changes in TANF caseloads stemming from the recent recession have varied significantly across the states. Although the national caseload increased by just 13 percent, caseloads in 22 states showed little or no increase, whereas caseloads increased by more than 20 percent in 15 states and by between 11 and 20 percent in 13 states (see Figure 1).[6] It is the states with the most responsive caseloads that have faced the most difficult budget choices, as they are assisting many more families with no additional money to help cover the extra costs. In many cases, these are the same states whose economies have been hit hardest by the recession — and that are now making some of the most severe TANF cuts.

The rest of this paper describes the kinds of TANF cuts states have made in 2011.

Benefit Reductions

Some states have reduced TANF benefits even though benefits were already very low. In July 2010, TANF benefits for a family of three were less than half of the poverty line in all states and below 30 percent of the poverty line in over half of the states. [7] The median benefit for a family of three was $429 a month, just 28 percent of the poverty line; adding in food stamp benefits in the median state got a family up to 68 percent of the poverty line. As of July 2010, the maximum TANF benefits in 30 states had declined by more than 20 percent in real dollars since TANF was created in 1996.

Several states have cut benefit levels. For example:

  • Washington cut TANF benefits by 15 percent effective February 1, 2011, reducing benefits for a family of three that has no other income by $84 per month, from $562 to $478.
  • South Carolina cut TANF benefits by 20 percent effective February 1, 2011, reducing benefits for a family of three from $270 per month to $216 — just 14 percent of the poverty line.
  • New Mexico cut TANF benefits by 15 percent effective January 1, 2011, reducing benefits for a family of three by $67 a month, from $447 to $380.
  • California cut TANF benefits by 8 percent effective July 1, 2011, reducing benefits for a family of three from $694 to $638.
  • Wisconsin reduced benefit levels by $20 for many TANF recipients effective October 1, 2011. Benefits were reduced from $673 to $653 for those participating in community service and from $628 to $608 for those participating in transitional placements.
  • The District of Columbia cut benefits by 20 percent effective April 1, 2011 for families that have received assistance for 60 months or longer. A family of three subject to the decrease will see its benefit cut from $428 to $342. These reductions for families beyond 60 months are slated to increase over time, with the cut increasing to 25 percent for 2013, to 41.7 percent for 2014, and to 100 percent (i.e., benefits will be eliminated) for 2015 and beyond.

Finally, New Hampshire eliminated its Unemployed Parent Program for two-parent families.

These benefit reductions, which will affect hundreds of thousands of families, can have longstanding consequences for the children in these families. A recent examination of the scientific evidence by Greg J. Duncan and Katherine Magnuson, economists highly regarded for their work on the impact of poverty on children, has found compelling evidence that lower levels of income cause poor educational outcomes in young children. [8]

Shorter and More Restrictive Time Limits

A number of states have changed their TANF time limit policies. Changes include shortening the time limit, restricting exemptions from the time limit or bases for extensions, taking harsher actions when a family reaches the time limit, and reducing benefits for families that have received aid for certain periods of time even when they are not otherwise subject to time limits.

These were not policy-based changes; rather, they reflect state fiscal pressures. Many of the states that cut benefits or eligibility based on length of TANF receipt previously chose not to take harsh actions against certain groups of families that receive benefits for longer periods of time because they recognized that as caseloads have fallen, many of the families left behind face significant personal and family challenges (including serious mental and physical health issues) that limit their ability to find work.

State actions related to TANF time limits include:

  • Arizona reduced its TANF time limit to 24 months, one of the shortest in the country. This change ended benefits for 3,500 low-income families when it was implemented in July 2011; additional families will lose benefits each subsequent month as they reach the 24-month limit. Last year Arizona shortened its time limit from 60 months to 36 months and eliminated the time limit exemption for child-only cases, retroactively subjecting them to the 36-month limit. Arizona's TANF caseload dropped by half over the last year.
  • In February 2011, Washington cut off over 5,000 families that had reached 60 months on TANF by narrowing its extension policies. Washington also extended time limits to child-only cases living with ineligible parents (for example, ineligible immigrants).
  • California shortened the TANF time limit for adults from 60 to 48 months effective July 1, 2011. For a household of three with one parent, this new limit will result in a reduction of $122 per month in TANF benefits when the parent is removed from the grant after the 48th month.
  • Maine, which effectively had no time limit so long as families were participating in work-related activities, adopted a 60-month time limit.
  • Michigan tightened its 48-month time limit by eliminating certain bases for exemptions or extensions, resulting in termination of benefits to over 12,000 families in October 2011.

The TANF block grant has been in place long enough for us to know that families who reach time limits are among the most vulnerable families. They are far more likely than other TANF recipients to face employment barriers such as physical and mental health problems and to have lower levels of education that significantly reduce their chances of finding jobs.[9] There is no sound policy argument for shortening time limits when the labor market is so weak — especially since TANF recipients remain subject to stringent work requirements and have their benefits reduced or eliminated if they do not meet those requirements.

Cuts in TANF-Funded Support for Low-Income Working Families

A number of states have reduced the supplemental income their TANF programs provide to families in low-wage jobs, restricted access to important supports that enable many parents to work in low-wage jobs (such as child care and transportation assistance), or otherwise reduced TANF-funded support for working-poor families.

  • Weakening "make-work-pay" policies that disregard a portion of earnings. One of the hallmarks of state policies under TANF (as compared to AFDC) was that nearly all states increased the amount of earnings they disregarded when determining working TANF recipients' benefit levels. This year marks the first time since 1996 that states have begun to cut back on these "make-work-pay" policies; here, too, the cuts are solely for fiscal reasons and run counter to the states' own welfare reform approaches and philosophies. California reduced the amount of earnings disregarded each month from $225 plus 50 percent of the remainder to $112 plus 50 percent of the remainder. Reducing the amount of earnings disregarded results in lower TANF benefits for working-poor families. It also means that TANF recipients who obtain jobs lose their TANF eligibility sooner and at lower earnings levels.
  • Eliminating or weakening work supplements for families that have left cash assistance for work. In the last few years, a number of states have begun providing a transitional benefit to families that leave welfare for low-wage work. Despite the success of these programs, some states are suspending or terminating them, or reducing the monthly benefit amounts, in order to cut costs. Washington and New Mexico have suspended their programs. In 2010, Delaware ended its program and Massachusetts suspended a similar program that provided supplemental aid to working families on SNAP (food stamps).
  • Eliminating or reducing state EITCs, which provide work incentives and support for working families. Several states cut back on state Earned Income Tax Credits. Michigan reduced its refundable EITC to 6 percent of the federal credit (down from 20 percent) effective in 2012, which is expected to raise state taxes on hundreds of thousands of low-income working families and push 9,000 more children and their families into poverty. Wisconsin lawmakers filled $56 million of the state's budget shortfall by scaling back the state's Earned Income Tax Credit for 152,000 low-income working families, at an average cost of $518 for families with three or more children and $154 for families with two children, annually.
  • Reducing child care assistance. States are also weakening other supports for families leaving TANF for work. For example, South Carolina has shortened the period for which employed former TANF recipients can receive transitional child care subsidies from 24 to 12 months after their cash assistance ends. Arizona, which already cut the number of children receiving child care assistance from 48,000 to 29,000 since February 2009, has reduced state funding for child care subsidies again this year, terminating child care subsidies for another 13,300 children.

Some states have also reduced the resources for their work programs. They are providing less assistance to help individuals find jobs, and case-workers, carrying bigger caseloads, are providing less employment assistance at a time when more is needed.

To be sure, hard trade-offs are necessary when funding is tight and need is high, and temporary cuts in work programs or work supports may be less harmful than deep cuts in basic assistance that shrink already-low benefits or end eligibility entirely for especially vulnerable families with children. But too often, the core welfare reform areas — basic assistance, child care, and work activities — are the target areas for cuts and are competing against each other in a fixed funding pot. Other programs funded with TANF dollars often are dispersed throughout the state budget and don't necessarily face the same fiscal pressures as the core TANF activities.

The measures outlined above will carry a heavy human cost. Cuts in cash assistance benefits will leave families who are already far below the poverty line with even fewer resources to make ends meet. New time-limit restrictions will eliminate assistance entirely for many families with physical or mental health issues or other challenges that limit their ability to work. Cuts in child care and other benefits that help offset work-related costs will make it harder for the parents lucky enough to have jobs in this economy to keep them. As a result, for the foreseeable future, hundreds of thousands of poor parents and children will face even greater difficulties in meeting their basic needs.

A strong economy contributed to the success of welfare reform in the late 1990s; now, a weak economy has wiped out most of those gains. To be effective, a safety net needs to be able to expand when the need for assistance increases and to contract when the need for assistance declines. The TANF block grant is failing this test.

End Notes:

[1] Chad Stone, "Statement on the August Employment Report," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, September 2, 2011.

[2] LaDonna Pavetti, Danilo Trisi, and Liz Schott, "TANF Responded Unevenly to Increase in Need During Downturn: State-By-State Fact Sheets," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, January 25, 2011.

[3] Elizabeth McNichol, Phil Oliff and Nicholas Johnson, "States Continue to Feel Recession's Impact," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, March 9, 2011.

[4] Michael Leachman, Erica Williams, and Nicholas Johnson, "Governors are Proposing Further Deep Cuts in Services, Likely Harming Their Economies," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities," March 21, 2011.

[5] Making these problems worse, owing to a flawed design, the states with the greatest need for additional resources did not all qualify for the contingency funds even when funds were available.

[6] LaDonna Pavetti, Danilo Trisi, and Liz Schott, "TANF Responded Unevenly to Increase in Need During Downturn," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, January 25, 2011.

[7] Liz Schott and Ife Finch, "file type icon ," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, October 14, 2010.

[8] Greg Duncan and Katherine Magnuson, "The Long Reach of Early Childhood Poverty," Pathways, Winter 2011, .

[9] LaDonna Pavetti and Jacqueline Kauff, When Five Years Is Not Enough: Identifying and Addressing the Needs of Families Nearing the TANF Time Limit in Ramsey County, Minnesota, Washington, D.C.: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., 2006.


text:
The all new
CBS News App for Android® for iPad® for iPhone®
Fully redesigned. Featuring CBSN, 24/7 live news. Get the App

J.C. Penney’s Super Bowl tweets backfire

J.C. Penney (JCP) probably thought it had a nifty idea to promote its stock of mittens: Get a staffer to wear a pair and try to tweet during the Super Bowl, sending out garbled messages that would pique interest in the cold-weather wear.

The only problem? Many viewers and even other companies seemed to think that someone was drunkenly tweeting behind the J.C. Penney Twitter handle, @jcpenney. After mangled tweets such as “Who kkmew theis was ghoing tob e a baweball ghamle,” Kia Motors America wrote, “Hey @jcpenney need a designated driver?”

With the Super Bowl ranking as the year’s most-watched event, marketers are eager to muscle in on the attention. For those with deep pockets, buying airtime during the game can ensure millions of captive eyeballs. But others seek to gain an edge by throwing out a catchy sentiment on social media, such as Oreo’s clever tweet during last year's Super Bowl blackout, when it reminded viewers they could “still dunk in the dark.”

J.C. Penney’s message, though, was more of a head-scratcher.

Some fans asked if whoever was tweeting for the retailer was OK, with many speculating that the person was drunk. Others wondered if the person the company's Twitter account had been hacked.

The suspense didn’t last long.

“Oops … Sorry for the typos. We were #TweetingWithMittens,” the retailer explained after a couple of garbled messages.

On the one hand, J.C. Penney managed to bring attention to a clothing item that generally doesn’t make headlines. And the mixed-up tweets got people talking about the retailer and its social-media strategy, although the reception was a mixed bag of positive and negative views.

Still, that’s a definite improvement from the past year, when headlines have focused on the company's declining sales, an ousted CEO and retailing missteps.

“We knew Twitter would be very active but wanted to find a way to stay above the Super Bowl fray and instead create our own narrative,” a J.C. Penney spokeswoman told BuzzFeed

Creating a unique narrative is nevertheless a far cry from Oreo’s game-stealing tweet, which was both clear and clever.

J.C. Penney’s message appears to be, “Don’t type while wearing mittens." That's not exactly a compelling reason to buy a pair.


text:
The all new
CBS News App for Android® for iPad® for iPhone®
Fully redesigned. Featuring CBSN, 24/7 live news. Get the App

NSA picks 5 universities to train future cyberspies

CBS News

You might think of it as Spy School.

This week the National Security Agency -- NSA -- selected five more universities to offer special training to select students. The NSA National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations Program, now offered in a total of 13 schools, screens and trains students to enter the U.S. cybersecurity and intelligence workforce.

The five new schools are: New York University, Towson University, United States Military Academy, University of Cincinnati, and University of New Orleans.

Students in these Centers of Academic Excellence focus on fields like computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering. Some students and faculty get to do summer internships at the NSA, though they will "not engage in actual U.S. government intelligence activities" according to a statement by the agency.

The students must go through a rigorous application and screening process to get into the program. The screening process is not only for technical aptitude but also to be sure that new workers reflect proper legal and ethical standards. In light of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's leak of millions of agency documents to news outlets last year, the agency is being especially careful.

"In the application process and in all collaboration with selected schools, the importance of integrity and compliance is always paramount," Dean of NSA's College of Cyber Operations Steven LaFountain said in a statement. "Cybersecurity technical skills are increasingly important in national defense, but it's equally important to operate within the bounds of the law and Constitution."


text:
The all new
CBS News App for Android® for iPad® for iPhone®
Fully redesigned. Featuring CBSN, 24/7 live news. Get the App

Temporary Fix Helps Patients Around Drug Allergy

Actors John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson and Jenna Fischer attend the after party of the West Coast premiere of the New Line Cinema film 'The Last Mimzy' on March 20, 2007 in Los Angeles, California.
Having a bad reaction to penicillin as a child doesn't guarantee you're still allergic decades later. And if the oncologist says you have to switch chemotherapies because of an allergic reaction, well, maybe not.

More medical centers are recommending a lesser known choice: Drug desensitization, a carefully controlled method of helping patients temporarily tolerate medications - from aspirin to antibiotics to chemo - that their bodies once rejected.

Not everyone's a candidate. But for those who are, the process can mean the difference between getting the best treatment or a runner-up that may not do the job, says Dr. Mariana Castells, an allergist at Harvard and Brigham and Women's Hospital who helped pioneer the care.

"You don't know how lucky I feel" to have been desensitized, says Vanessa Greenleaf of Marblehead, Mass.

Greenleaf developed a severe allergy to a mainstay of ovarian cancer treatment, carboplatin. Even as a burning sensation engulfed her body during the allergic attack, Greenleaf's chief fear was that doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital would take her off the chemo combination she believed her best shot.

"I kept mumbling, 'I want to stay on,'" recalls Greenleaf, 52, who eventually got her wish. "All the nurses kept telling me, 'You can, we'll get the drug into you safely.'"

Allergies make up 5 percent to 10 percent of all adverse reactions to medications, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Sometimes drug allergies kill. So anyone who's ever reported an allergic reaction to a medicine, even decades earlier, is told never to take that drug.

The Leading Causes

Penicillin and related antibiotics are a leading trigger, as are anti-inflammatory painkillers like aspirin.

But increasingly, severe reactions to some leading cancer therapies are being reported, including allergies developed by more than a quarter of patients who take widely used platinum-based chemos.

You've probably heard of allergy shots, where hay-fever sufferers get small doses of the problem allergen for a few years until they build up tolerance to it. More recently, allergists have begun testing similar therapy for children with life-threatening food allergies.

Desensitization for drug allergies is the same concept. It was first started for penicillin allergies and expanded to chemo in recent years: Tiny, diluted amounts of the problem drug, sometimes with anti-allergy medicines, are given in slowly escalating doses over hours to a day - usually in the hospital or even intensive care unit for safety - until reaching the optimal dose. But desensitization's effects last only as long as the patient is taking a daily dose of that medication. That means chemo patients, for instance, must get desensitized all over again before each new treatment cycle.

First step: Prove the allergy. About 30 percent of penicillin allergies can disappear in a decade or so as immune cells age and are replaced, but only testing can tell, says Dr. Elina Jerschow, who directs a newly opened drug desensitization program at New York's Montefiore Medical Center.

A skin test for penicillin allergy returned to the market last fall after a several-year absence. Castells' office in Boston is working through a waiting list of people eager to be tested. Many other drugs lack a skin test and may require a "challenge," in which a small amount of the drug is administered to the patient in the doctor's office or hospital to be sure of the diagnosis.

The culprit isn't always obvious. Montefiore's Jerschow is testing a man whose open-heart surgery was aborted after he had a reaction to either the anesthesia - three drugs were used - or a precautionary antibiotic. His surgery can't be rescheduled until she finds the cause.

When patients don't have a good alternative, customized desensitization can calm the immune cells, called mast cells, that control this allergic response. Small amounts of the drug can bind to the cells in a way that prevents them from overreacting to the bigger dose. The team - an allergist and specially trained nurses - must know how to respond in case the desensitization is enough to spark a life-threatening reaction. In 2008, Castells published a series of 413 desensitizations to cancer drugs, in 98 patients undergoing repeated treatments with medicines including carboplatin, Taxol and the monoclonal antibody Rituxan - and found 94 percent had a mild or no reaction.

There's no count of how many hospitals have formal desensitization programs. Castells' program desensitizes three to five people a day, including many patients who travel to Boston because their own doctors are unfamiliar with desensitization.

It can be scary for patients, too, says Mass General gynecologic oncology nurse Elizabeth Johnson. "Anxiety itself can be a sign of a reaction so it gets tricky," she says. But, "I'm betting this is going to become a larger and larger treatment phenomenon because other disciplines are catching on."


text:
• My Scores
  • NFL
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • NBA

Los Angeles at San Diego

L.A. Dodgers
San Diego
W: D. Lowe (13-11) L: S. Estes (2-2)
HR: LA - J. Loney (12), M. Ramirez (33), M. Ramirez (34)   SD - None

Manny homers twice, Dodgers extend NL West lead to 3 1/2 games

CBSSports.com wire reports

SAN DIEGO -- Petco Park is a big ball park. Manny Ramirez makes it look small.

"When he hits the ball in the air, it doesn't come down," Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.

Ramirez hit two prodigious two-run homers, both to the deepest part of the park in center field and the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 7-2 on Wednesday night and extended their lead in the NL West to a season-high 3½ games over Arizona.

The home runs, a 435-foot blast in the fifth off Shawn Estes (2-2) and a 404-foot shot off Dirk Hayhurst in the ninth, were his 523rd and 524th of his career.

It marked the 52nd time Ramirez hit multiple home runs in a game, the second with Los Angeles. He has 34 homers this season, 14 since being acquired by the Dodgers in a three-way trade. He has 40 RBI in 38 games with the Dodgers.

Derek Lowe (13-11), allowed one run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings before leaving with a sore knee. It was his third straight victory as the Dodgers won for the 10th time in 11 games.

Lowe was hit in the back of the right knee by a hard one-hopper by Kevin Kouzmanoff.

"You never want to come out of the game," Lowe said. "I normally get hit in the calf, but this was kind of below the back of the knee."

Lowe, who was staked to a 5-1 lead, took a few warmup pitches after Torre came out to see him.

"He was a little stiff," Torre said. "His pitch count was getting up there (86). This was going to be his last inning, but I still had to wrestle the ball away from him."

Lowe was impressed by Ramirez's latest power display.

"What can you say about Manny?" Lowe said. "He's been absolutely phenomenal since we've got him.

"This is clearly a pitcher's park, we all know that. You don't see too many balls at night to center field and to be able to do it twice is pretty impressive."

Padres manager Bud Black and Ramirez played together with Cleveland in 1995.

"His swing is so pure," Black said. "He stays on the ball such a long time. I can only imagine his vision must be incredible -- just to see the ball so well in times like these."

While there was no doubt about Ramirez's first home run, the fifth-longest at Petco this season, his second barely cleared the fence.

"I thought he (Will Venable) was going to catch it," Ramirez said. "I was watching him and I thought he was going to get it."

The home run was the third in two nights for Ramirez at Petco.

Mike Ekstrom, making his major league debut for San Diego, struck out Ramirez looking in the seventh.

"I probably went about it the wrong way by walking the two batters before him," Ekstrom said. "I was trying not to see who was up. I was just trying to keep my head down, but it was still hard not to notice."

Ekstrom pitched two scoreless innings.

James Loney homered for the Dodgers, hitting his 12th to ignite a three-run second inning.The homer was his first extra base hit in 13 games. Blake DeWitt's RBI double and Russell Martin's RBI single produced the other runs.

The Padres scored in the first on a leadoff double by Brian Giles and two infield grounders, the second by Kouzmanoff that drove in a run.

That run snapped Lowe's 19 consecutive scoreless innings streak.

Dodgers right-hander Brad Penny, who was activated off the 15-day disabled list (right shoulder inflammation) earlier Wednesday came on to start the seventh. He didn't get an out as he walked the leadoff batter Venable and gave up singles to Josh Bard and Matt Antonelli.

Cory Wade came on for the Dodgers and after giving up a sacrifice fly to pinch-hitter Drew Macias, who got his first major league RBI, got Giles to hit into an inning-ending double play.

  • Dodgers SS Rafael Furcal, who has been on the DL since May 6 before having lower back surgery, was one of the hitters to face Takashi Saito in a simulated game Wednesday. Torre said he is hopeful Furcal could return before the end of the regular season.
  • Joe Beimel extended his Dodgers record when he pitched in his 96th consecutive game without allowing a home run.
Copyright 2017 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
CBSSports Facebook Google Plus
Conversation powered by Livefyre
Not once, but twice does Manny Ramirez get to watch his long shots, both two-run homers. (AP)
Not once, but twice does Manny Ramirez get to watch his long shots, both two-run homers. (AP)

Players of the Game
Los Angeles

M. Ramirez
AB 5
R 2
H 2
HR 2
Los Angeles

D. Lowe
IP 5.1
H 3
ER 1
BB 1
K 3

Related Video

Los Angeles Dodgers
Russell Martin, C4011100 .278
Andre Ethier, RF4220102 .301
Manny Ramirez, LF5224012 .325
    Jason Repko, LF0000000 .200
Casey Blake, 3B5010002 .280
James Loney, 1B4111001 .297
Matt Kemp, CF3100110 .285
Blake DeWitt, 2B3121100 .268
Angel Berroa, SS4000013 .225
Derek Lowe, P1000101 .150
    Scott Elbert, P0000000 .000
   a- Juan Pierre, PH1000000 .273
    Brad Penny, P0000000 .192
    Cory Wade, P0000000 .000
   b- Mark Sweeney, PH1000010 .129
    Joe Beimel, P0000000 .000
a-lined out for Elbert in the 7th
b-struck out for Wade in the 9th
2B - Blake DeWitt (13, Estes)
HR - Manny Ramirez 2 (34, Estes, Hayhurst), James Loney (12, Estes)
RBI - Russell Martin (61), Manny Ramirez 4 (108), James Loney (80), Blake DeWitt (42)
2-OUT RBI - Russell Martin (22), Manny Ramirez 2 (44)
SB - Russell Martin (16, 2nd base off Ekstrom/Bard)
Team LOB - 6
DP - Lowe-Berroa-Loney, DeWitt-Loney
E - James Loney (12, Misplayed grounder)
Los Angeles Dodgers
Derek Lowe (W,13-11) 5.1311130 3.48
Scott Elbert 0.2000010 6.23
Brad Penny0211100 6.15
Cory Wade (H,6) 2000010 2.37
Joe Beimel 1000000 2.06
HBP - Antonelli (by Derek Lowe)
Pitches-Strikes - Derek Lowe 86-49, Scott Elbert 7-4, Brad Penny 17-11, Cory Wade 15-14, Joe Beimel 12-7
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Derek Lowe 10-3, Scott Elbert 1-0, Cory Wade 2-2, Joe Beimel 2-1
Batters Faced - Derek Lowe 21, Scott Elbert 2, Brad Penny 3, Cory Wade 5, Joe Beimel 3
San Diego Padres
Brian Giles, RF4110013 .303
Luis Rodriguez, SS4010001 .281
Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B4001010 .268
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B3000101 .273
Chase Headley, LF4010022 .264
Will Venable, CF3100101 .317
Josh Bard, C4010001 .207
Matt Antonelli, 2B2010000 .087
Shawn Estes, P0000000 .167
   a- Chip Ambres, PH1000010 .138
    Mike Ekstrom, P0000000 .000
   b- Drew Macias, PH0001000 .000
    Dirk Hayhurst, P0000000 .000
a-struck out for Estes in the 5th
b-hit a sacrifice fly (foul territory) for Ekstrom in the 7th
2B - Brian Giles (34, Lowe)
SF - Drew Macias (1)
SH - Shawn Estes (5)
RBI - Kevin Kouzmanoff (77), Drew Macias (1)
Team LOB - 5
DP - Rodriguez-Antonelli-Gonzalez
San Diego Padres
Shawn Estes (L,2-2) 5655312 3.82
Mike Ekstrom 2000210 0.00
Dirk Hayhurst 2322021 7.59
Pitches-Strikes - Shawn Estes 100-53, Mike Ekstrom 31-16, Dirk Hayhurst 33-22
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Shawn Estes 7-6, Mike Ekstrom 4-1, Dirk Hayhurst 2-2
Batters Faced - Shawn Estes 23, Mike Ekstrom 8, Dirk Hayhurst 9
Game Information
Attendance - 27208
Game Time - 2:48
Temperature - 67
Umpires - Home - Derryl Cousins, First Base - Eric Cooper, Second Base - Angel Hernandez, Third Base - Marty Foster


text:
• My Scores
  • NFL
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • NBA

Tampa Bay at Boston

Tampa Bay
W: C. Buchholz (1-0) L: B. Badenhop (0-1)
HR: TB - L. Scott (1)   BOS - J. Saltalamacchia (1),D. Pedroia (2),D. Ortiz (1),M. Aviles (1),C. Ross (1)

Ortiz's five RBI lead Red Sox's onslaught

CBSSports.com wire reports

BOSTON -- The way Mike Aviles hit as Jacoby Ellsbury's replacement in the lineup, the Red Sox didn't have to worry about the leadoff spot.

The rest of the batting order made up for his absence, too.

David Ortiz drove in five runs and hit one of Boston's five home runs as the Red Sox pounded the Tampa Bay Rays for the second straight day, 13-5 on Saturday, a day after Ellsbury partially separated his right shoulder.

More on Rays-Red Sox
Related links
More MLB coverage

"I know Jacoby's a big part of this offense and he's a good ballplayer, great ballplayer actually," said Aviles, who had a go-ahead homer among his three hits. "But we've got to bear down and everybody's got to step up and put the pieces together and play as a team."

The game was tied 5-all until Aviles homered, starting a three-run seventh inning. The Red Sox added five in the eighth -- on a three-run double by Ortiz and a two-run homer by Cody Ross -- one day after scoring eight in that inning in a 12-2 win.

"It's not going to happen every day, but that doesn't mean that we're not going to go at it. We have good hitters," Ortiz said. "We're going to miss [Ellsbury] a lot, but whenever we can come out and produce like we did today, we've got to take advantage of it."

The outburst was more remarkable because Boston had scored a total of just 57 runs in 18 games against Tampa Bay last season.

The Red Sox rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the first inning as Clay Buchholz (1-0) settled down.

"Buch got himself in a little trouble early, obviously," Ross said, "and then just pitched a gem after that and we picked him up."

Ellsbury, last year's runner-up in the AL MVP voting, went on the 15-day disabled list before the game after being hurt trying to break up a double play.

Aviles, batting first for just the 46th time in 346 career games, led off the seventh with a homer, his first of the season, off Burke Badenhop (0-1). The Red Sox then loaded the bases off J.P. Howell on a double by Adrian Gonzalez, a walk to Kevin Youkilis and a single by Ortiz. Ross followed with a two-run double for an 8-5 lead.

Jeremy Hellickson struggled in his first start since being hit in the head with a ball during batting practice on Wednesday. He gave up five runs on seven hits in five innings and said his head didn't bother him.

"The cutter was good. I think the first two home runs were good pitches," he said. "I've just got to throw more strikes. I felt good. Arm felt good. Nothing with the head. Just made some bad pitches."

And that forced manager Joe Maddon to bring in a reliever in the sixth inning.

"The bullpen's covering a lot of innings," he said. "We've got to get deeper into the game. That's been our strength in the past."

Tampa Bay had taken its first-inning lead on an RBI double by Carlos Pena and a three-run homer by Luke Scott, his first of the year.

The Red Sox cut that in half on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's two-run homer, his first, but Scott's run-scoring double in the third made it 5-2.

Then Boston tied it with two more homers -- one run scoring on Dustin Pedroia's second of the year in the third and two on Ortiz's first in the fifth.

Aviles had batted only eighth and ninth this season, but Ellsbury's injury left a vacancy at the top of the order that figured to be tough to fill.

The center fielder batted .321 with 32 homers and 105 RBI and led the majors with 364 total bases last season. He was hurt when he slid into second base in the fourth inning trying to break up a double play and shortstop Reid Brignac landed hard on Ellsbury's right shoulder.

Boston manager Bobby Valentine gave no timetable for his return.

  • The Red Sox called up OF Che-Hsuan Lin from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Ellsbury's roster spot.
  • The Rays optioned RHP Josh Lueke to Triple-A Durham and recalled RHP Dane De La Rosa from that team. Lueke allowed four runs on six hits in one inning of Tampa Bay's 12-2 loss to Boston on Friday.
  • The ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by Bill Hogan Jr., who was born six days before Fenway Park opened on April 20, 1912. Saturday was his 100th birthday.
  • Boston LF Carl Crawford, recovering from wrist and elbow injuries, took batting practice.
Copyright 2017 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
CBSSports Facebook Google Plus
Conversation powered by Livefyre
David Ortiz (left) collects four of the Red Sox's 15 hits, including his first home run of the season.  (Getty Images)
David Ortiz (left) collects four of the Red Sox's 15 hits, including his first home run of the season. (Getty Images)

Players of the Game

D. Ortiz
AB 5
R 2
H 4
HR 1
Tampa Bay

L. Scott
AB 4
R 1
H 2
HR 1

Related Video

Tampa Bay Rays
Desmond Jennings, CF3100102 .194
Carlos Pena, 1B4111012 .379
Evan Longoria, 3B4000021 .345
Matt Joyce, LF2110111 .231
   a- Elliot Johnson, PH-LF1000010 .125
Ben Zobrist, RF3100102 .259
Luke Scott, DH4124001 .455
Jeff Keppinger, 2B4000001 .214
Jose Molina, C4010020 .235
Sean Rodriguez, SS3010010 .111
a-struck out for Joyce in the 8th
2B - Carlos Pena (3, Buchholz), Luke Scott (2, Buchholz)
HR - Luke Scott (1, Buchholz)
SH - Sean Rodriguez (2)
RBI - Carlos Pena (9), Luke Scott 4 (7)
2-OUT RBI - Luke Scott 4 (6)
Team LOB - 4
DP - Keppinger-Molina-Pena
Tampa Bay Rays
Jeremy Hellickson 5755313 3.29
Burke Badenhop (L,0-1) 1.1111021 6.75
J.P. Howell 0.2322110 7.71
Dane De La Rosa 1455201 45.00
Pitches-Strikes - Jeremy Hellickson 99-59, Burke Badenhop 25-19, J.P. Howell 15-10, Dane De La Rosa 35-21
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Jeremy Hellickson 4-9, Burke Badenhop 1-1, J.P. Howell 1-0, Dane De La Rosa 2-0
Batters Faced - Jeremy Hellickson 24, Burke Badenhop 5, J.P. Howell 6, Dane De La Rosa 8
Boston Red Sox
Mike Aviles, SS5231003 .296
Dustin Pedroia, 2B5221010 .324
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B4110101 .313
Kevin Youkilis, 3B3310201 .185
David Ortiz, DH5245000 .406
Cody Ross, CF5124001 .222
    Che-Hsuan Lin, CF0000000 .000
Ryan Sweeney, RF4110112 .400
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C4112014 .118
Darnell McDonald, LF2000210 .143
2B - Mike Aviles (2, De La Rosa), Adrian Gonzalez (2, Howell), David Ortiz (4, De La Rosa), Cody Ross (2, Howell), Ryan Sweeney (3, Hellickson)
HR - Mike Aviles (1, Badenhop), Dustin Pedroia (2, Hellickson), David Ortiz (1, Hellickson), Cody Ross (1, De La Rosa), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1, Hellickson)
RBI - Mike Aviles (4), Dustin Pedroia (3), David Ortiz 5 (9), Cody Ross 4 (5), Jarrod Saltalamacchia 2 (2)
2-OUT RBI - David Ortiz 5 (5), Cody Ross 2 (2), Jarrod Saltalamacchia 2 (2)
PK - Mike Aviles (1, Hellickson)
Team LOB - 6
Boston Red Sox
Clay Buchholz (W,1-0) 7655351 9.82
Franklin Morales (H,1) 1000010 0.00
Alfredo Aceves 1000020 13.50
Pitches-Strikes - Clay Buchholz 104-66, Franklin Morales 10-8, Alfredo Aceves 15-10
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Clay Buchholz 9-7, Franklin Morales 2-0
Batters Faced - Clay Buchholz 30, Franklin Morales 3, Alfredo Aceves 3
Game Information
Attendance - 38024
Game Time - 3:18
Temperature - 72
Umpires - Home - Todd Tichenor, First Base - Brian Gorman, Second Base - Larry Vanover, Third Base - Tony Randazzo


text:
The hindi version of the website is under construction.

X Close

Extension Services and Community Feedback Programme

The Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) organises a variety of educational activities for formal school students studying in Govt. or Govt aided schools as well as children studying in non-formal schools run by voluntary organizations under its Extension Services and Community Feedback Programme. The activities include:

Educational Tours

Art Galleries

Craft Centres

Zoological Parks/Gardens

Offered to the students of  Govt. /Govt. Aided schools free of cost.
Arranged by the CCRT at HQ (New Delhi) and the Regional Centres at Hyderabad,  Udaipur and Guwahati, with city specific activities.

Theme based special exhibitions are sent to schools on prior request. The setting up of Exhibition is done free of cost for the benefit of students / teachers and interest of communities at large provided a safe, secure place is provided by the school authorities to CCRT.

Special Programmes

Workshops on learning crafts using low cost locally available resources

Camps oon conservation of natural and cultural heritage

Lectures and demonstrations by artists and experts on various art forms

Demonstrations by artists and craft persons in schools and colleges

Slide-presentation supplementing class-room teaching

Workshops for children of resettlement and basti colonies

Workshops for specially-challanged students; and

Workshops on Puppetry in Education

The CCRT, under this programme also organises ‘Summer Camps’ for children (aged between 10 to 15 years). The activities are carefully chosen to bring heart and heed, hand and mind into unison. Working with experts and artists in a rare and wonderful experience that most children rarely have these days. The youthful hands in its jumpy road to emotional development needs time to contemplate and think, in solitude and in a team, in order to femiliarize itself with the magical working of the mind. It is this creative exploration that is the quality of all the experiences while doing the activities, be it the inward journey or that which is outward and beyond.

The duration of the ‘Summer Camp’ is 10-13 days with the timing from 9.15 am. to 1.00 pm. The announcement is advertised in local newspapers.

3-7 days

Participants' Level

Students from formal and non formal schools

Download Form

 (for the activities offered at CCRT Headquarter at New Delhi.)

 (for some of the similar educational activities at her Regional Centre(s), CCRT’s respective   RC’s may be contacted. )

Organisation |   Training Programmes |   Scholarship Scheme |   Calender of Events |   Nodal Officers |   Cultural Club |   RTI |   RFD |   Related Websites |   Tenders |   Contact


text:
Lacrosse Announces 2014 Schedule

Lacrosse Announces 2014 Schedule

The Central Connecticut women's lacrosse program has announced a 16-game regular season schedule for the 2014 campaign.  First-year head coach Laura Campbell and her squad will play nine home games at Arute Field, including the season opener on February 22.

"As a program, we are very excited for the 2014 schedule," Campbell said. "I think we have a competitive non-conference schedule in February and March that will prepare us for the challenges of the NEC in April and May.  Obviously, the opportunity to play nine home games at Arute Field is something our team is very excited about as we look to continue the growth of CCSU women's lacrosse."

Complete 2014 Schedule

Coming off the most successful season in program history, the Blue Devils open the 2014 campaign with back-to-back home games in late February.  La Salle (A-10) will visit Arute Field on Feb.  22 and Iona (MAAC) will travel to New Britain on Feb. 26.

The Blue Devils open March with non-conference road games at Hofstra (CAA), Siena (MAAC), Stony Brook (AE) and Brown (IVY).

The month closes with home games against Vermont (AE) on March 22, Lafayette (PL) on 26th and Howard (MEAC) on the 29th.

The month of April brings the start of Northeast Conference play, including four home games at Arute Field.

NEC action kicks off with a road trip to Mount St. Mary's and Wagner on April 4 and 6, respectively.

The Blue Devils then host four straight conference opponents with Saint Francis U (April 11), Robert Morris (April 13), Bryant (April 18) and Sacred Heart (April 25) visiting New Britain.

The regular season finale comes on April 27 when the Blue Devils visit LIU Brooklyn.

The top-four regular season finishers will qualify for the NEC Tournament, which will feature two semifinal games on Friday, May 2 and a championship on Sunday, May 4.  All three NEC Tournament contests will be played on the home field of the #1 seed.

The CCSU women's lacrosse program has set or tied the program record for wins each of the last four seasons.  The Blue Devils ended the 2013 campaign with a 9-9 record and the program's first NEC Tournament appearance.

*Game dates and times are subject to change


text:
About this blogger:
"Father Isaac Jogues was truly a martyr before God, rendering witness to Heaven and earth that he valued the Faith and the propagation of the gospel more highly than his own life, and losing it in the dangers into which, with full consciousness, he cast himself for Jesus Christ…" — Fr. Jerome Lalemant (writing in 1647)
Connect on Facebook:
Connect on Twitter:
"The Consilium is merely an assembly of people, many of them incompetent, and others well advanced on the road to novelty. The discussions are extremely hurried. Discussions are based on impressions and the voting is chaotic. […] Many of those who have influenced the reform […] have no love, and no veneration of that which has been handed down to us. They begin by despising everything that is actually there. This negative mentality is unjust and pernicious, and unfortunately, Paul VI tends a little to this side. They have all the best intentions, but with this mentality they have only been able to demolish and not to restore."
— Contemporary account of the Consilium by Cardinal Antonelli

Msgr. Wadsworth to help found new Oratory in D.C.
published 9 June 2013 by Corpus Christi Watershed

HE CHURCH OF SAINT Thomas the Apostle in Washington D.C. [url], which seems to be an incredibly vibrant Catholic parish, will soon have a new Pastor.  Father Richard Mullins has reported that starting 10 July 2013 he will be “planting the seeds for an eventual Oratory of St. Philip Neri” as Pastor of St. Thomas.

Helping him in this task will be none other than Monsignor Andrew R. Wadsworth, Executive Director of ICEL. Corpus Christi Watershed has written about Msgr. Wadsworth here.

This is certainly exciting news for anyone interested in the Roman Rite, since Oratorian priests are known as the “special protectors of the liturgy” in the same way the Benedictines used to be (but, sadly, are no longer).


text:
Gtrman | Blackened

Go To Artist Page

Recommended if You Like
Dream Theater Queensrÿche Steve Vai

Album Links
Official Website MySpace Page

More Artists From
CANADA - Ontario

Other Genres You Will Love
Metal/Punk: Progressive Metal Rock: Hard Rock Moods: Instrumental
There are no items in your wishlist.

by Gtrman

Symphonic Rock Masterpiece.Combining Heavy Metal / Melody and Classical Virtuosity. A truely powerful musical experience.If you’re into music that is above the norm, technical yet melodic, powerful and deeply emotional then BLACKENED is for you.
Genre: Metal/Punk: Progressive Metal
Release Date:

We'll ship when it's back in stock

Order now and we'll ship when it's back in stock, or enter your email below to be notified when it's back in stock.
Sign up for the CD Baby Newsletter
Your email address will not be sold for any reason.
Continue Shopping
available for download only
Share to Google +1

To listen to tracks you will need to update your browser to a recent version.

  Song Share Time Download
1. Prelude to War
Share this song!
7:52 $0.99
2. Platoon - Plight of Man
Share this song!
14:47 $0.99
3. Summer
Share this song!
3:04 $0.99
4. March Into Hades
Share this song!
9:58 $0.99
5. The Final Farewell
Share this song!
2:11 $0.99
6. Nobody's Hero
Share this song!
5:14 $0.99
7. Lost and the Undiscovered Soul
Share this song!
7:38 $0.99
8. The Edge of Insanity
Share this song!
5:59 $0.99
9. The Last Stand
Share this song!
6:07 $0.99
10. Blackened
Share this song!
4:53 $0.99
11. The Mariner
Share this song!
4:41 $0.99
Available as MP3, MP3 320, and FLAC files.

Album Notes
GTRMAN is Dennis Williams – Long time guitar teacher / writer / arranger / composer and the driving force behind the GTRMAN project.

BLACKENED ( the second release from GTRMAN)is a Symphonic Metal Masterpiece that boasts blazing guitar solos, mean, aggressive riffing and powerful musical moments usually only found in Orchestras or Symphony’s. It’s also filled with quiet, sombre musical moments that leave you wanting more.

Williams not only composed and played all the guitars but also played the Drums, Bass, Key Boards and Gand Piano for this Disk!!!

"Prelude To War" is one of the many highlights. A full on orchestra accompanies the big heavey metal drum section and the Marshall Stacks cranked to Eleven!!!

"Lost And The Undiscovered Soul" Is a classical Piano piece that it as beautiful as it is powerful.

"Platoon - Plight Of Man" harkens back to the days of Iron Maiden with cerebral power and aggression.

"SUMMER" is of course Antonio Vivaldi's masterpiece from The Four Seasons. Played by Williams with the flair and groove of a true disciple of Satriani.

The final product is one of immense power and grandeur...the technical proficiency is staggering, the melodies are instantly pleasing and ultimately this project stands as a masterpiece of instrumental perfection!

BLACKENED is like a work or art, something that needs to be explored many times to actually get and appreciate all the parts. If you’re into music that is above the norm, technical yet melodic, powerful and deeply emotional then BLACKENED is for you.

A progressive rock masterpiece that is sure to be a mainstay in your CD player.

to write a review

Jerry Lucky

CD Title: “Blackened”
Band Website:
Label: Independent Release GTRMAN Music Inc.
Release Date: 2008

I’ve come to realize that the musical side of Myspace is a pretty cool deal. It provides a democratic, open forum for
everyone to display their skills. Certainly for a genre like progressive rock music that has constantly been shut out of
the market by the major labels Myspace has been a godsend. Case in point GTRMAN and the disc Blackened. This is
the music and performance of one Dennis Williams based in Ontario Canada. Essentially a self-taught musical genius,
Williams performs all manner of guitar, bass, drums and keyboards to create what he’s subtitled A Heavy Metal
Symphony in the Key of “A”nger.

The eleven tracks here, all pretty much instrumental, are first and foremost quite a technical display of guitar playing.
Piano and other keyboards do show up from time to time, but this is first and foremost a guitar based CD and
sometimes it gets really heavy. But while the sounds are definitely from the prog-metal realm, the musical composition
is clearly from the classical side. The structure and musical arrangements of these compositions is quite complex and
at first you might be forgiven for thinking it’s just not going anywhere. But on repeated playings one starts to hear the
different levels of musical performance and it actually helps to know and think of this as more of a ‘metal symphony’,
because then the musical structure begins to make perfect sense.

Track 4 – “March into Hades” [9:58] reminds me of Therion with its massed choirs and dramatic opening theme. Other
times the music can be actually quite soft and reflective with Williams use of acoustic classical guitar such as
“The Final Farewell” [5:15] or the more keyboard oriented “Lost and the Undiscovered Soul” [7:39].
He also makes great use of sound effects and dialog loops to help convey the drama of the story. The second track
“Platoon/Plight of Man” [14:48] is a good example of this where you hear voice clips from the movie Platoon with some
atmospheric music in the background. Overall the more you think of this work as a symphonic piece in terms of
structure and style the more you come to appreciate what William’s has created.

Blackened – A Heavy Metal Symphony in the Key of “A”nger is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. But if you
enjoy the music created by guitarists such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, Joe Satriani or you can really
appreciate some amazing guitar pyrotechniques then this is a disc I think you’ll really get into. Whether you’re looking
for searing guitar solos, or some crunchy-double kick-drum moments you’ll find that and a whole lot more to satisfy
your cravings from GTRMAN.


text:
Joy Adler | Songs of the Troubadour

Go To Artist Page

Recommended if You Like
Jewel Mary Black Tori Amos

More Artists From
United States - United States

Other Genres You Will Love
Folk: Celtic Folk Folk: like Joni Moods: Solo Female Artist
There are no items in your wishlist.

Songs of the Troubadour

by Joy Adler

Traditional folk arrangement to honor my Irish heritage, and one of my longtime musical mentors from Ireland. My friend Jackie Hufnail wrote some of the lyrics with me. We both feel our cultural ties there, particularly when hearing his songs.
Genre: Folk: Celtic Folk
Release Date:

We'll ship when it's back in stock

Order now and we'll ship when it's back in stock, or enter your email below to be notified when it's back in stock.
Sign up for the CD Baby Newsletter
Your email address will not be sold for any reason.
Continue Shopping
available for download only
Share to Google +1

To listen to tracks you will need to update your browser to a recent version.

  Song Share Time Download
1. Songs of the Troubadour
Share this song!
4:39 $0.99
Available as MP3, MP3 320, and FLAC files.

to write a review


text:
You are here: Home / Archive / 2010 / August / Friday Matinee - Ghost Writer

Friday Matinee - Ghost Writer

When Aug 20, 2010
from 02:00 PM to 04:00 PM
Where Meeting Room
Contact Phone 319-273-8643
Add event to calendar vCal

This month we will be showing Ghost Writer rated PG-13.  There will be an encore showing on Thursday, September 2nd at 6:00 pm.  Free popcorn and beverages will be provided.  Click here for more information.


text:
Time for a fall road trip

-A A +A

Trouble in Cedar Key, Nov. 10, 2011

By Gene Benedict

Some days back, not that many, the weather chilled off in North Central Florida. This chill followed a couple of showers on the Cedar Keys. Not only did it get cold, it became windy, quite windy here on the Gulf Coast.

Lows were around fifty degrees and mid-day highs were in the sixties for several days. Even though the sun shown through, the winds created a chill that made it unbearable without covering most of the body with layers of clothing.

If you subscribe to the newspaper, you receive FREE access to all the exclusive content of the web site! Simply register to receive uninterrupted access to our award-winning and in-depth local online content!

Renew Current or Past Subscription / Register for Online Subscription

If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Cedar Key Beacon, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.

Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.

Newspaper Acct. ID:
Street Address:
(exactly as it appears on the label)

If you are a subscriber and you do not know your account ID or don't have a copy of your newspaper available that shows the information on the address label you can click continue below to search for your account.

New Subscription/30 Day Free Trial Account

If you are new to the award winning Cedar Key Beacon and wish to get a subscription or simply gain access to our online content then please enter your ZIP code below and continue to setup your account.

ZIP Code:

Create a limited access account.
Register to participate in community forums, post on the community calendar, blog etc. This registration does not give you full access to read our award winning content, etc.

Cedar Key Beacon | circulation@cedarkeybeacon.com | 352-493-4796
624 W. Park Avenue, Chiefland FL 32626
Office Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday


text:
There are 585,227 profiles on-board
788,820 relationships were tested

Francis Alfred Wilson

Daily Forecast for January 21st 2017

Francis Alfred Wilson is a male celebrity.

He was born on Sunday February 27th 1949, in Irvine, Scotland,.

January 21st 2017 finds Francis Alfred Wilson waking up to a restless morning, and after vivid dreams.

During the day - Francis might find himself distracted at work, feeling a little awkward, and even out of place.

If too distracted, Wilson is accident prone today. He should avoid social events as much as possible.

While studying the color and flavor of the day, it is a good practice to keep in mind the greater meaning of January and the master plan of 2017 in Francis' life.

You and Francis

Your Name:
 F  M
Your Date of Birth:

About Francis' Numerological Forecast & Personal Day Cycle

Just as Francis Alfred Wilson evolves through a nine-year cycle and experiences the nine-month cycle, he is also subjected to nine-day cycles, even though their impact is subtle compared to the Personal Year and even Personal Month cycles. The Personal Day cycles proceed according to the same pattern - 1 through 9 - that the Personal Year and Personal Month cycles do. The numbers within the daily cycles have a similar impact on Francis to the yearly and monthly cycles - though less pronounced.

Read more about our numerological daily forecast for Francis Alfred Wilson . . .

Other male celebrities born on the same day as Francis Alfred Wilson

Portrait of Josh Groban
An American singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer
A Director
Portrait of Peter André
A singer, songwriter, businessman, presenter and television personality
Portrait of John Steinbeck
An American author of twenty-seven books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books, and five collections of short stories, who is the winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature
A Basketball Player and Athlete
An Athlete and Baseball Player


text:
Vonda Shepard

Vonda Shepard

Born Jul 7, 1963
  • Singer, Actor, Film Score Composer
Vonda Shepard is an American pop/rock singer. She appeared as a regular in the television show Ally McBeal in seasons 1–5 in which she played a resident performer at the bar where the show's characters drank after work. Her version of Kay Starr’s Christmas classic The Man with the Bag was featur...

Vonda Shepard Stats

: Sheppard, Vonda, Vinda Shepard, Shepard, Vonda

: Singer, Actor, Film Score Composer

: 5 ft 7 in (1.727 m)

: United States of America

Date of Birth

: Jul 7, 1963 (53 years old)

Place of Birth

: New York

Vonda Shepard TV Starring Roles

  1. Ally McBeal
    Vonda Shepard

Vonda Shepard TV Guest Roles

  1. The Promise
    Vonda Shepard
    The Promise
  2. Pilot
    Vonda Shepard
  3. Compromising Positions
    Vonda Shepard
    Compromising Positions
  4. The Kiss
    Vonda Shepard
    The Kiss
  5. The Affair
    Vonda Shepard
    The Affair
  6. One Hundred Tears Away
    Vonda Shepard
    One Hundred Tears Away
  7. The Attitude
    Vonda Shepard
    The Attitude
  8. Drawing the Lines
    Vonda Shepard
    Drawing the Lines
  9. The Dirty Joke
    Vonda Shepard
    The Dirty Joke
  10. Boy to the World
    Vonda Shepard
    Boy to the World

Vonda Shepard Albums

  1. Vonda Shepard
  2. Chinatown
  3. By 7:30
  4. Heart and Soul: New Songs from Ally McBeal
  5. Live - A Retrospective
  6. Songs From Ally McBeal
  7. The Radical Light
  8. The Best of Ally McBeal
  9. It's Good, Eve
  10. From the Sun


text:
car accident Recent News

Kris Jenner Injured in a Nasty Car Crash While Driving Her New Rolls-Royce

Kit Bowen | August 3, 2016 - 6:36 pm

Bones may have been broken. More »

Kylie Jenner is a Liar, According to Other Driver in Car Crash

Jess Cohen | August 18, 2014 - 5:00 pm

Things aren’t looking good for Kylie Jenner.

We told you last week, Kylie was involved in yet another car accident. According to Kylie, a woman swerved and rear-ended her Range Rover, but that’s not what the woman is saying now. … More »

Justin Bieber Should Probably Stop Driving

Kendall Fisher | June 25, 2014 - 4:40 pm

Justin Bieber’s long rap list of car accidents, chases, DUIs, speeding and what have you only continues growing…

Just a day after getting in a car accident while trying to flee from the paparazzi, the “Boyfriend” singer is now being sued for allegedly hitting a pedestrian with his Ferrari… But this time it… More »

Justin Bieber Involved in Car Crash After Paparazzi Chase

Kendall Fisher | June 24, 2014 - 7:03 pm

Justin Bieber was involved in a car accident in Beverly Hills on Tuesday around 2:00 PM PST due to an alleged paparazzi chase.

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ the “Boyfriend” singer was riding as a passenger in an Escalade when a paparazzo car began chasing him.

More »

Paul Walker’s Dad: “I Was Proud of Him Every Single Day”

Andrea Simpson | December 2, 2013 - 5:30 pm

Paul Walker’s father is breaking his silence since the untimely passing of his son on Saturday.

As all his fans are mourning, so is the actor’s family, especially Paul Sr., who the actor was named after. And his heartbreaking grief couldn’t be more apparent in an interview he gave to CBS 2More »


text:
Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld
  • Explore Our Brands
Centara 1 Card Sign In | Join In

Superior World

Enjoy the comfort and great views of Bangkok’s skyline when staying in a Superior World room. With a living area of 32 square metres including a spacious bathroom with a glass-enclosed shower and bathtub, a plush king bed sleeping up to 2 adults and 1 child, and a work desk, all guests’ needs are within easy reach.

In-room amenities and services available at your fingertips include a flat-screen TV with in-house and pay-per-view movies, a multimedia connector, IDD telephone line, high speed wireless internet access, individually controlled air-conditioning, minibar, tea and coffee making facilities, in-room safe and hairdryer.


text:
Ald. O’Connor Speaks At Chicago City Club

By Mike Fourcher | Friday, June 24, 2011

Ald. Pat O'Connor speaking at the Chicago City Club last week. Credit: City Club video.

Ald. Pat O’Connor (40th), spoke at the Chicago City Club last week. O’Connor is Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s City Council floor leader and thus focused his 24-minute talk on what we should expect from the new Council, including, “no more stupid votes…Sorry, Joe,” a reference to Ald. Joe Moore (49th) the sponsor of the 2006 fois gras ban ordinance.

You can view video of the speech in its entirety here.

Tags: ,

Share this now!

  • Anonymous

    Love the other big “O” in Chicago!

Spread the word