Alec Baldwin marries yoga instructor in NYC

Bride-to-be Hilaria Thomas enters the rectory of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in New York to prepare for her wedding on Saturday, June 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano)

Bride-to-be Hilaria Thomas enters the rectory of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in New York to prepare for her wedding on Saturday, June 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano)

FILE - In this Feb. 4, 2012 file photo, host Alec Baldwin speaks during the inaugural NFL Honors show in Indianapolis. A New York City news photographer says he was punched by Alec Baldwin outside a marriage license bureau in Manhattan. The Daily News reports that Marcus Santos was snapping images of the "30 Rock" star with his fianc?e Hilaria Thomas Tuesday, June 19. Santos told the paper that Baldwin grabbed a second news photographer, then started shoving Santos and hit him in the chin. He then walked away. Photos on the newspaper's website appear to show Baldwin shoving the photographer. No police report has been filed. A call to the newspaper's public relations office wasn't returned. (AP Photo/Marcio Sanchez, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Alec Baldwin and his yoga instructor fiancee tied the knot Saturday in a New York City church, with a guest list that included family and famous Hollywood pals.

Baldwin, 54, and Hilaria Thomas, 28, married at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in a Catholic ceremony performed by the Rev. George Deas. His "30 Rock" co-star Tina Fey, as well as director Woody Allen and Baldwin's actor-brother, Stephen, were in attendance.

Thomas wore a silk magnolia Amsale gown with cap sleeves and a keyhole back neckline accented with crystal buttons. Baldwin's suit was designed by Tom Ford.

The two began dating last year and became in engaged in April. Baldwin was previously married to actress Kim Basinger; they have a daughter, Ireland, who attended the wedding Saturday in a slate silk chiffon gown also designed by Amsale.

The reception was being held at New York University's Kimmel Center.

The "Rock of Ages" actor warmly received congratulations from well-wishing fans on his way in for the service, said his friend and publicist, Matthew Hiltzik.

Hours before the ceremony, Baldwin tweeted lines from an Emily Dickenson poem. One read: "Was bridal e'er like this? A paradise, the host, And cherubim and seraphim The most familiar guest."

The wedding came about a week after Baldwin and a news photographer got into a scuffle outside of a courthouse where the actor was believed to have been picking up a marriage license. Baldwin and the photographer traded barbs over who shoved whom; no arrests were made.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-06-30-People-Alec%20Baldwin/id-08ce0ee3a9fe47a5a18d43cadae5b850

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HelloGiggles ? Why does nobody on The Bachelorette look like me?

First off, let me wholeheartedly declare my love for The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and yes, even its more dysfunctional spin-off, The Bachelor Pad. I even l love The Bachelorette so much that I wrote a blog post about why, despite my love for the show, I would make a horrible contestant.

Like what I assume must be hundreds of thousands of other young women my age, I too engage in the Monday night ritual of watching The Bachelorette, which, for those of you who don?t know, usually involves a few bottles of wine with your girlfriends, hurried and impassioned conversations during commercial breaks and of course, the most important part of the evening, the ?post-screening summit? ? a discussion whose energy would rival that of a G8 summit any day.

Though I am both aware and interested in the many cultural implications that a show like The Bachelor/Bachelorette exposes in our society, there is one particular issue as of late that has my interest especially peaked. As of April 2012, two former African-American cast members are currently suing ABC?s hit television franchise for what they deem to be ?racial discrimination?.

While normally I don?t take the criticisms leveled against The Bachelor/Bachelorette too seriously, claims such as the ?absurdity? of finding a spouse on television or accusations that we are propagating a ?fairy-tale ending? that doesn?t really exist, I strongly feel that the current issue being brought up about racial discrimination on The Bachelor/Bachelorette is one that should be discussed, rather than ignored.

There are a few reasons I feel more strongly on behalf of this particular concern than some of the more tried and true apprehensions regularly surrounding reality-dating shows. First, I myself am a woman of color. Full disclosure: I?m a Cuban, Korean, Filipino first-generation American woman, and my purpose in writing this article is not in hopes of speaking for entire groups of people, but rather to offer a personal narrative about how reality television is currently affecting my own little worldview.

The second reason is a bit more complex. You see, for the most part, I believe that when people choose to watch shows like?The Bachelorette?or?Million Dollar Matchmaker or any other reality television dating series, they kind of know what they are getting themselves into. We expect some sense of suspended reality; in fact, that?s part of the reason we love watching these shows, because even though we know it?s probably not going to work out in the end, we still love watching people ?fall in love?.??However, the danger in giving into that unrealistic ?reality? is that we begin to believe it?s real. Whether we know it or not, everything we read, watch and listen to contributes to our larger ideas about how society works. It gives us our lens by which to frame our real realities. So what does this have to do with racial discrimination?

More than you think. By consistently having not only a majority, but an almost exclusively white cast on The Bachelor/Bachelorette, we are saying, whether intentionally or not, that it is only white people in this country who deserve to have a shot at finding true love.

What?! Some of you maybe reading this and find what I said to be completely absurd? of course that?s not what ABC is trying to say. This may just be to you another classic example of issues of race being blown out of proportion by the media, but I am not attempting to write on behalf of the entire liberal media. Rather, I write on behalf of myself and how the media I watch affects me.

It is strange to grow up in a country like America, so rich in its racial and cultural diversity, and yet find a shockingly lacking picture of that history reflected in our media. If you are not a woman of color, chances are you know someone who is, maybe it?s your co-worker, your neighbor, or even your best friend. Put yourself in our shoes for just a minute and imagine what it?s like to turn on the television and not see a single person that looks like you pass by for ten minutes, thirty minutes, and hour, or even two hours, Though it may not always be on the surface of your mind, a part of you takes note of that, reminding yourself that in many ways you are invisible, and the invisible cannot be beautiful, why they?re not even being seen.

Sometimes when I am watching The Bachelorette and my heart is getting swept away by the building music, the exotic destinations and the 25 beautiful men standing nervously in their suits waiting for a moment to talk to Emily, I try and imagine what it would be like to be in her shoes, but it?s very hard. It?s hard to hear man after man say to the camera that Emily is the most beautiful woman they?ve ever met, when she is actually the complete physical opposite of who I am. She has blond hair, blue eyes, a tiny waist and southern charm, and though I do not count myself an ugly woman, it is hard to think these men would step out of a limousine and lose their words over me. To be honest, it?s even harder to imagine being on The Bachelor than The Bachelorette, where at least I would be making all the calls. While all my friends talk about what their chances would be as contestants on The Bachelor, I can only picture myself being sent home after the first rose ceremony, the only woman of color amongst a sea of beautiful white women.

So you see, at least for me this issue is not one that can be taken lightly, as it is not something that I have the luxury of ignoring. Though invisible to the world of modern American media, when I look in the mirror, I am sure I exist, and I can no longer pretend that not seeing myself on the shows I love and watch is not a disheartening thing. If we want to raise a generation of young, confident women who believe they are beautiful, worthy and capable, then we must make sure that all women, no matter their race, ethnicity or sexual orientation are given an equal opportunity to shine in both the modern media and the real world outside of reality television.

What I am proposing is not an easy fix; it cannot be done overnight or likely even within the next decade, but it is one that starts with people like you, people who read things on the internet, share them with their friends and make their voices heard about the things they care about. Even if you personally are not a woman of color, or even a woman for that matter, you can still help the cause by supporting media that supports others. Whether it?s something as small as reposting this blog, writing ABC or even just making an effort to watch shows that do their best to represent peoples of all colors and all walks of life, then we are one step closer than we were before, and that?s one step closer to making things what they should be.

You can read more from Ashley Perez on her blog.

Featured image via.

Our readers send in some great things like videos, short pieces of fiction and personal essays. Want to see your piece featured? Send your articles to info@hellogiggles.com and we might be in touch!
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Source: http://hellogiggles.com/why-does-nobody-on-the-bachelorette-look-like-me

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The Theatre Behind All Engagements - Leadership Lessons From ...

Theatre can teach us much about how we can live our lives. After all, Shakespeare wrote, ?All the world?s a stage, and we are the actors?? Life is full of its moments of drama, and this makes us engaged with them. The dramas involve conflict, relationships, how we relate to each other, and whether we resolve the conflict. In comedy or suspense, tension is followed by relaxation. Taking the director?s blueprint for shooting a film or directing a stage-play, we can cleverly apply it to our athletic pursuits. The four elements listed below describe how you can direct yours session with purpose and premise.
Scene: In the living-room (as per set-up).

Setting: Training for cycling (day or night); mindful that it is not noisy if it is in the late-evening.

Characters: You, the time-crunched athlete. Who else is around you, who may render assistance (get you another towel, fill your water-bottle, or watch out for your safety).

Situation: Training for a triathlon, and the weather is inclement. Need more bang-for-buck for each training session. Your training menu for the session is your script, so stick closely to your script.

Source: http://lead2tri.blogspot.com/2012/06/theatre-behind-all-engagements.html

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NFL notebook: Kickoff times pushed back for doubleheaders

New York ? Tim Tebow was leading the Broncos on yet another improbable last-minute comeback, and fans in New York, Dallas and other football-mad television markets didn't get to see the end.

NFL officials announced a scheduling change Thursday aimed at preventing such moments. The league is shifting the start time of the second game of its Sunday TV doubleheaders by 10 minutes to ensure fewer fans miss any of the action on the field.

The late afternoon matchups on CBS and Fox will kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET instead of 4:15. Late games not on that week's doubleheader network will still start at 4:05.

Because of the networks' contractual obligations, fans in the past would sometimes miss the end of the early telecast or the beginning of the late one if the 1 p.m. game ran long. The broadcasters must switch to the start of the second game in the home teams' cities even if the day's first televised contest is still going on. For fans in other markets, that overlap means they don't get to see the opening of the late game.

During the 2009-11 seasons, 44 games lasted long enough to require part of the audience to be switched. Under the 4:25 kickoff, that number would have been reduced to 15.

On Dec. 4, Denver beat Minnesota on a field goal as time expired on Fox, the Broncos' fifth straight win as Tebow-mania swept the country. The game ended at 4:19 p.m. ET, so hometown fans of the Packers, Giants, Cowboys, Cardinals, Rams and 49ers ? whose teams played in the 4:15 game ? missed the final seconds.

NBC officials said they would not change the way it produces its Sunday night pregame show, which starts at 7.

Extra points

Pro Football Hall of Famer Len Dawson is being honored again in Canton as this year's recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.

The former Kansas City quarterback has served as a color commentator for the Chiefs Radio Network since 1982. He was an analyst for NBC from 1976-82. Dawson also hosted HBO's "Inside the NFL" from 1977-2001.

The Rozelle Award recognizes "long-time exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football."

Dawson will receive the award Aug. 3 during the inductees' gold jacket dinner.

? Saints third-round draft choice Akiem Hicks have agreed on four-year contract.

Hicks, a 6-foot-5, 324-pound defensive tackle, was the top overall draft pick by the Saints, who traded this year's first-round choice in 2011 and who lost their 2012 second-round pick in connection with the NFL's bounty investigation.

Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120628/SPORTS0101/206280485/1126/rss14

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Ashton Jojo, 11-Year-Old Girl, Dies Of Electrocution While Playing Mini Golf In Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A medical examiner says an 11-year-old New York girl was electrocuted while trying to retrieve a ball from a pond at a time-share resort's miniature golf course near Orlando.

Orange County deputies say Ashton Jojo cried out in pain Wednesday afternoon as she stepped into the 2-foot-deep pond, according to the Associated Press. Orange Lake Resort guest Christopher Burges of Alabama heard her screams and tried to rescue her. He was also injured.

The girl died shortly after arriving at Florida Hospital Celebration.

The resort released a statement reporting that a third guest was also injured, adding, "The miniature golf facility where the incident happened is closed and will not re-open until further notice. Our thoughts and prayers are with the guests, their families and friends during this time," Reuters reported.

A building safety department official told WKMG that the electrocution may have been caused by a possible faulty pump connected to the wrong circuit breaker.

The station also reported that the resort's golf course was connected to several electrical code violations.

Authorities say the Latham, N.Y., girl turned 11 on Friday. She was visiting Orlando with her parents and brother.

Unrelated Video Of People Mini Golfing At Orange Lake Resort:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/28/ashton-jojo-dies-while-playing-mini-golf_n_1635952.html

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Big Time Rush, 'Windows Down' -- New Song

Columbia

The new single from Los Angeles boy band Big Time Rush, hit digital outlets earlier this week. 'Windows Down' is the first single off the bands upcoming third studio album, which is still currently untitled. The song reached number 62 on the iTunes sales chart within six hours of the songs release.

After the release of the music video for 'Windows Down', fans (and new listeners) instantly could tell that 'Windows Down' was meant for the summer. With the band shooting the music video in Maui, Hawaii, everything about the song screams to fans that it's summer and it's time to have a good time. 'Windows Down' samples 'Song 2' from English rock band, Blur. The song was originally intended for use by pop singer, Ke$ha, for her song 'Woo-Hoo', but was then passed from her over to BTR. Using the catchy chorus from 'Song 2' to their advantage, Big Time Rush adds into the chorus and creates their own unique twist that makes the song's chorus just as catchy. "Woo-hoo! All the windows down. Woo-hoo! When I'm rolling through your town. Woo-hoo! Saying yeah, yeah. Woo-hoo! Saying yeah, yeah." The band also provides electronic aspects to the track to make the song into more of a dance song instead of a normal pop song. With the lyrics, high-tempo dance beat, and some sample help from one of the most well-known rock songs in the past 15 years,

'Windows Down' has potential to be a huge summer song this year. 'Windows Down' is available on digital outlets now. There is currently no scheduled release date for Big Time Rush's new album. Catch BTR on tour this summer with Cody Simpson and Rachel Crow. Fans can hear 'Windows Down' on AOL Radio's Teen Pop by Cambio Radio station.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AolRadioBlog/~3/dnHrWXPT6Yk/

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Small business Networking and Advertising and marketing Ups and ...

The last couple of days happen to be gorgeous, the climate near excellent and a few of us are suffering from spring fever whilst others are just having difficulties together with the pollen amounts. This time of your yr reminds me that summer time is coming and things are about to sluggish down -in networking. I would prefer to consider only a second and discuss this pattern and what I believe may be the result in of it.

Let us begin within the drop. At this time from the yr we?re operating feverishly attempting to procure new business enterprise simply because we understand that about the holidays points will sluggish down. As December attracts near, a few of us come to be preoccupied with factors like parties and shopping and our consideration turns from making our enterprise. Others find it increasingly tricky to produce get in touch with as people begin extended holidays.

Then the holidays pass. We place our advertising and networking efforts into substantial gear, likely to several meetings a week, trying to get factors cranked up once again. The outcome is increased small business and elevated profits. Have you ever noticed that within the earlier portion of February that issues start to pick up virtually in a maddening pace? When this occurs, unless we?re prepared for development, we start out to back off on our promotions as we scramble to total the perform that has been produced by our marketing attempts.

In impact, we quit networking. We shed contact with those we have been making and requesting referrals, and they begin to really feel as though we?re not enthusiastic about them any longer. When this occurs, they could appear for someone else to refer when that concentrate on prospect will come alongside.

By early to mid summer, we?re beginning to crawl out from beneath the workload and we again look for opportunities. Unfortunately, the vacations have started out again as children are launched from school for the summer time. Thus it?s very hard once once again to locate the contacts that were out there just prior to our company picked up once more late final winter.

By mid August, school is back again in session and people today are coming again out in to the networking planet once more. Not surprisingly we are viewing a few of the identical individuals that were there before, but you?ll find also plenty of new faces at the same time. Due to the fact we experienced slacked off from our advertising attempts, we had been not there to greet the new faces as they started out their new small business. Hence the folks who have a well balanced networking and promoting method are there to greet them.

They are the people who have corporations that appear to be expanding. They have a marketing and advertising and networking plan that is consistent yr round. When many companies are experiencing that new organization rush inside the spring, these enterprise owners are able to soak up the new small business with new staff or temporary support. They comprehend that to keep development indicates to be prepared for just about any upswing in the economic climate that could propel their enterprise to the next degree.

So how can we achieve this? 1st program for development. Have a technique ready for when you have more company than you?ll be able to deal with so that there is assist you to can contact. This really is managed by making relationships with temp companies, headhunters, and placement companies. Hire individuals on a contractor foundation if important. This protects dollars on positive aspects and salaries when issue are a bit slower. In addition, it reduces the quantity of paperwork in terms of payroll processing and taxes.

Subsequent, create a program for networking that is certainly manageable. Set an aim for the amount of conferences that you simply would attend when organization is simply Ok and stick to it when organization will get greater. Go to features year round, even for the duration of the holiday seasons.

Program holidays when required, but don?t presume that absolutely everyone is happening vacation simply since it is actually summer time. Most people have to accommodate the schedules of other people and complete providers typically do not go on trip simultaneously. Discover that larger corporations normally have staff available to complete enterprise when an employee is on vacation. Also take note that massive firms tend not to quit advertising simply because it is the month of July or December. They are consistent year spherical.

The lesson right here is that, if you?d like to grow into a sizable provider, take a look at what big businesses do. Emulate them if they may be successful and you could possibly be capable of duplicate their good results. You should be constantly marketing and advertising, networking and promoting to make sure constant enterprise yr round. If you determine to slack off now because organization is great, I assure that when autumn will come you are going to be operating 2 times as difficult to obtain items likely again. If, alternatively, you preserve on regularly advertising the way you probably did when instances had been slow, you need to be able to experience the growth of each your company and your financial institution account during the entire year.

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Health ruling to end campaign mystery, unleash ads

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney campaigns at Carter Machinery Company, Inc., in Salem, Va., Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney campaigns at Carter Machinery Company, Inc., in Salem, Va., Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

A view of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. Saving its biggest case for last, the Supreme Court is expected to announce its verdict Thursday on President Barack Obama's health care law. The outcome is likely to be a factor in the presidential campaign and help define John Roberts' legacy as chief justice. But the court's ruling almost certainly will not be the last word on America's tangled efforts to address health care woes. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Barack Obama speaks during an campaign fundrasising concert at the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater, Tuesday, June 26, 2012, in Miami Beach. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Barely four months before the nation votes, one of the biggest factors in the fight for the White House still is a mystery. That will change on Thursday.

The Supreme Court's expected ruling on President Barack Obama's sweeping federal health care law will shape the contours of the presidential campaign through the summer and fall. Both Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney are primed to use the ruling ? whatever it is ? for political gain.

Obama expresses confidence the court will uphold his signature legislative initiative. But he won't be shocked if a conservative majority overturns the most controversial provision, those familiar with his thinking say. Romney aides say the Republican candidate will get a political boost if the court strikes down the measure. But they don't want celebrations that could alienate voters who could lose health care benefits through the decision.

Neither candidate has any direct influence over the decision. The court may uphold the health care law, strike it down or deem the requirement that most Americans carry health insurance unconstitutional while keeping other aspects in place.

The ruling is expected to be followed almost immediately by a barrage of advertisements and fundraising appeals from Democrats and Republicans, with both sides trying to cast the decision in the most advantageous light for its candidate.

Romney, running on a pledge to repeal Obama's overhaul as a costly federal power grab, has focused more than usual on the Supreme Court ruling this week. In campaign appearances in Virginia, New Jersey and New York, he offered supporters and donors a preview of his likely response to the decision.

At a Tuesday evening New Jersey fundraiser, Romney declared that if the Supreme Court lets the law stand, "it will make it very clear to the American people that they must elect someone who will stop it." If the high court overturns the law, "then the first three and a half years of the Obama administration will have been entirely wasted, because that's where he devoted his energy and passion," the Republican said.

Romney's campaign also is running new ads this week in Virginia, North Carolina and Iowa promising he would move to "repeal Obamacare" on his first day in office.

Obama, while recently avoiding mentioning the impending court ruling directly, has vigorously defended the overhaul as critical to the public's health and well-being in his own campaign events this week.

"I think it was the right thing to do. I know it was the right thing to do," he told supporters in Boston.

The White House also published a blog post Wednesday touting the benefits of the overhaul, including free preventive services for people on Medicare and health insurance rebates for nearly 13 million Americans.

Both Obama and Romney were scheduled to be in Washington on Thursday. Romney planned to comment on the ruling during an event on Capitol Hill, and Obama was certain to address the decision as well.

Obama advisers say the Supreme Court showed reasonableness earlier this week in a ruling on an Arizona immigration case, and they see it as a hopeful sign for how the court might rule on health care.

If the court upholds the law, Obama could get an election year gust of wind at his back, with his vision and leadership validated. If the court strikes down the overhaul, the White House would seek to cast the decision as detrimental to millions of Americans by highlighting popular elements of the law that would disappear, such as preventive care and coverage for young adults on a parent's plan.

Romney, who as Massachusetts governor signed a health care law on which the Obama's federal law was modeled, is expected to use the health care law ? or what remains of it ? as a defining issue going forward in the presidential contest, regardless of which way the court's ruling goes.

Aides say that that Romney will hold up the law either as a symbol of Obama's ineffective leadership or as federal overreach that only the Republican can stop.

The campaign has coordinated its response directly with the Republican National Committee and House Republicans, who have agreed not to "spike the ball" ? as one Republican put it ? should the law be struck down. Romney's campaign worries that an over-celebratory tone may turn off voters affected by the decision.

Still, both sides will use it to raise money and motivate supporters. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued a fundraising appeal for a "health care rapid response fund," telling supporters in an email Wednesday that however the court rules, "Democrats are in for a tough fight."

A flood of advertisements is also expected from outside groups. The conservative group called Concerned Women for America pre-emptively launched a six-state, $6 million advertising campaign this week claiming Obama's overhaul results in delayed and denied care, as well as skyrocketing costs.

___

Associated Press writer Ben Feller contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Steve Peoples at http://twitter.com/sppeoples

Associated Press

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How Not to Speak Finnish by Jim Thompson | International Crime ...

I?ve posted a pronunciation guide of some Finnish names, words and phrases to be found in my Inspector Vaara series, on my website, courtesy of she of the lovely voice, Maritta Hakola. I?m frequently asked how long it took me to learn to speak Finnish. The answer: I?m still learning and always will be.

I have a minor in Finnish from the University of Helsinki, but learned the language in nightclubs, in which I worked, for the first several years I lived here. That learning method caused all sorts of problems. I learned like a child, one word at a time, matriced English grammar on top of Finnish language, often was uncertain whether a word was Finnish or Swedish, the list is long, and it led to all sorts of bad habits, I?ve un-learned most of them, but never managed to get many of them out of my speech. Still, my Finnish is functional and gets me through the day. Additionally, there are so many dialects of Finnish that although many cite ?book? Finnish as correct, I don?t believe there is a right or wrong way to speak the language. Word order isn?t particularly important. It?s even acceptable to create words. To me, if people manage to carry on a conversation, their Finnish is fine, but I?m writing this in the hopes that, if you?re trying to learn the language, I can make it a little easier for you.

It?s often said, although I know of no measure by which such a thing could be quantified, that Finnish is the world?s second most difficult language, behind Mandarin Chinese. In contradiction, it?s also said that the rules of the language are 100% consistent, and is always pronounced exactly as spelled, so that if approached methodically, Finnish is an easy language to learn. I take exception to this. When studying at the university and on occasion asked an instructor why a word didn?t bend according to the rules, her answer was ?just because.? A simple truth. There are some differences in spelling and pronunciation, largely loan words. And even if this claimed consistency were true, learning the rules seems futile when there are about 100,000 of them (an exaggeration, but thousands, far too many for my tiny brain to absorb). In the end, I found that the key was to not worry about the rules or to ask questions, but to approach the language with simple acceptance. With seventeen noun cases and six verb conjugations, which many times render the root word unrecognizable, it works better for me to memorize than theorize.

So-called ?book Finnish??proper written Finnish?is taught at the university, and a great deal more emphasis is placed on writing than speaking (despite two years of study, my written Finnish remains abysmal). This is problematic. Properly written Finnish is nearly a separate dialect from colloquial spoken Finnish in its other many dialectic forms. Foreign students often earn degrees in Finnish language, believing it will make them fluent, and this sometimes leads to disappointment. They graduate, discover that they can write and even translate Finnish, but can?t hold a conversation. I co-authored a textbook, Steps Into English 3 (part a series of I think four books), meant to teach English to Finnish adult learners. It?s earned surprisingly good royalties over the years and so must be popular with teachers in the classroom. So I hope that gives me some credibility with you as proof that I have a clue what I?m talking about. I?m writing this from memory, no resources, so if you find a mistake, feel free to correct me in ?comments?, for the further edification of readers.

As an English speaker?and this essay is largely geared toward English speakers who face the same problems I did and do?there are concepts difficult to grasp. To name some major ones: no articles; no gender marker; no future tense; rather than hyphenating words, they?re simply strung together, sometimes to make a word upwards of twenty letters long; no accenting of syllables, so the language is spoken in a monotone; some sounds don?t exist in English and are similar, e.g., recognizing the difference between Y (a vowel in Finnish) and ? was difficult for me; when letters are doubled in a word, they?re both pronounced. AA?pretend you?re at the doctor, ?let me here you say aaaa;? consonants, like TT and KK can?t be elongated an a vowel can, so the result is a sort of snapping emphasis and full stop (you need a language tape or Finnish friend to grasp it).

The language has many hard sounds, and this, along with the combination of the noted difficulties, may make the beginner feel that they?re only hearing akkkakkakkakkakkaa, and are unable to differentiate where one word ends and the next begins. Most of the above obstacles disappear, with exposure, over time, even the overwhelming length of words. You just get used to it.

When I reached the point that I could get through my day in Finnish, people still often looked at me like I had three heads, as my accent screamed foreigner. I hated drawing that attention to myself. Finnish and English not only don?t translate well, but Finnish spoken with an English accent is grating, truly a butchery and hard to listen to. I learned how to cure this problem in one day, through a lecture at the university on how the sounds produced in Finnish are physically made, as compared to the way sounds are produced in English. Once I practiced and learned these physical skills, although my accent remains soft compared to a natural born Finn, I lost two of my three heads and stopped attracting attention when I spoke. I?ll share some of those tips.

English is a nasal language. When speaking Finnish, don?t let air come up through your nasal passage. It?s that nasal twang that grates. The New England accent?think Robert F. Kennedy as an extreme example, can reach up to 4000 HZ. In Finnish, it hurts. A Finnish male voice can sink to as low 40 HZ, so low that the voice begins breaking up like a radio that needs better tuning to a station. If I speak only Finnish for a few weeks on end, my voice will get lower and lower and eventually will do that. Incidentally, I?ve always been fascinated because Finns, especially women, can continue speaking while inhaling without pause. I haven?t a clue how it?s done.

Finnish is spoken from a different part of the throat than English. Put three fingers on your throat and start talking. Move the top finger to where you feel the main vibration as you produce sound. Continue speaking and force the vibration lower, until sound is generated from where your lowest finger rests. Lower if possible. Voila! You may have reduced your tone by an octave, your grating on the ears of others is over. It sounds difficult, but after you get the hang of it, speaking in this way requires much less effort and is more comfortable than your higher pitched English accent. You?ll draw far less attention and go back to having one head instead of three in public.

Aspiration. I still sometimes have trouble with this. Don?t do it. When you make, for instance, a P sound, don?t let air pass beyond your lips. The combination of all I?ve mentioned will likely, for a time, make you feel as if you?re holding your breath while trying to talk. It will come to feel natural over time.

The: the TH sound. It?s made by touching the front of your tongue to your front teeth and pushing air out. You no longer need this sound, and remember, you shouldn?t aspirate anyway. Make a similar sound required in Finnish by putting your tongue to the back of your front teeth. The result is more DA or TA sound. You may find you feel like you?re faking a Brooklyn accent and it make stick in your English speech as well. That?s just the way it goes.

And lastly, the all-important rolling of Rs. Touch your tongue to the top front of your upper palate. Force air through that point until you?re able to make a low-pitched trill. You may want to do this in privacy to avoid feeling silly. A few Finns have a speech impediment that won?t allow it, so they use the same tactic, but with the back of the tongue against the back of the palate, in effect, rolling Ks. I even met a guy who had, through lifelong practice, managed to eliminate all words with the letter R from his speech. But, it?s really not that hard to roll an R. You?ll find a way.

And here endeth the lesson for the day. Go forth and jabber Finnish!

James Thompson
Helsinki, Finland
26.6.2012

James Thompson is an established author in Finland. His novel, Snow Angels, the first in the Inspector Vaara series, was released in the U.S. by Putnam and marked his entrance into the international crime fiction scene. Booklist named it one of the ten best debut crime novels of 2010, and it was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Strand Critics awards. His second Vaara novel, Lucifer?s Tears, released in March, 2011, earned starred reviews from all quarters, and was named one the best novels of the year by Kirkus. The third in the series, Helsinki White, was released on March 15 to critical acclaim.

?

www.jamesthompsonauthor.com

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Twitter: tassu15

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 27th, 2012 at 9:00 am and is filed under Jim Thompson. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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94% Marley

Director Kevin MacDonald and co-producer Ziggy Marley bring forth the most definitive look back at the life of Bob Marley, in the new documentary "Marley". From the formation of "The Wailers" and the comings and goings of different members of the band (including Peter Tosh and Jimmy Cliff), to Marley's dealings in Rastafarian and how it bled into his Reggae music; and also from his controversial lifestyle punctuated by being a "womanizer" (eleven children from seven different women) to his humanitarian nature, this in-depth (two and a half hour) documentary will immensely satisfy fan and novice alike. I, like many other younger American non-Rasta's, had grown up knowing Bob Marley for his more commercially catchy hits and from his countless depictions on a multitude of shirts worn by numerous Bay Area potheads. But, being a novice, going into this film I wasn't particularly interested in seeing a two and a half hour movie about the life and times Bob Marley. A story I thought I knew, and had heard, countless times before. But that notion changed rather abruptly within the first few minutes of this movie. And by the end, due to the brilliant investigative journalistic nature of MacDonald which elevates "Marley" from an average movie to a MUST SEE documentary, audiences who see this film will walk out with an in-depth appreciation for the man who wrote some of the most poetic and revolutionary lyrics in music history. "Marley" is the no holds barred dissection of a particular subject (or subject matter) which fans of great documentaries will crave (and in fact, was nowhere to be found in the films of 2011). And for a documentary that was originally supposed to be directed by Martin Scorsese, after seeing what MacDonald has accomplished here, it would be hard to imagine "Marley" being more perfectly executed in anybody else's hands. What truly sets "Marley" apart from other bio-documentaries and A&E specials is how, in a very PBS way, MacDonald uses a seemingly endless amount of archival footage, as well as interviews with almost everybody (still alive) who had anything to do with Marley's upbringing and his life as a world famous musician, as the narration. It was quite apparent that MacDonald had full access to any and all information he wanted, and as far as I could see, he thankfully took complete advantage of this fact. As audiences, we hear from Marley's family and peers about how as a young boy he was an outcast because of his mixed-race. We also hear from notable Jamaican artists and record executives, who saw his maturation into a musician that worked to bridge the gaps, not only in Jamaica (during times of war) but nationwide as well. In this way, MacDonald enables audiences to intimately know Bob Marley on every level (get your mind out of the gutter). But all the pure information aside, what MacDonald does very well here is not creating a documentary which totally sanctifies Bob Marley, much as many movies (tributes) do when celebrities with checkered pasts die. MacDonald captures recollections of Marley from both those who loved the man and those who thought him to be nothing more than a womanizing zealot, who was sadly not as politically motivated as he should have been. Final Thought: Overall "Marley" is a brilliant example of an archetype onto how all biographical documentaries should be made. Grade "A" filmmaking, in conjunction with a larger than life subject (subject matter) is what elevates "Marley" into one of the most entertaining two and a half hour documentaries I have ever seen. If you are at all a Bob Marley fan (casual or otherwise) and if you are able to, see "Marley", any way you can, before Hollywood makes a more commercialized (legacy ruining) feature film version of his life in a few years; starring Mekhi Phifer no doubt. Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland Please visit my page on Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/x-52464-San-Jose-Indie-Movie-Examiner and leave any comments you have about this or any review. The more hits I get the better. Thank you. Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus

May 29, 2012

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Kaize my cat goes to be a blood donor - Shannon's Pet-Sitting

Posted by Shannon's Pet-Sitting on Jun 27, 2012 in The Twilight Bark | 0 comments

Kaize my Tuxedo

I was all excited! I had met the staff of the Animal Emergency Treatment Center of Grayslake at the Family Pet Expo at Arlington Race track this past?March. They needed Dogs & Cats as blood donors for their blood bank.

What are the Requirements?

CATS:

*Greater than 10 pounds, 1-7 years of age, current on vaccinations and Feline Leukemia/Feline Immunodeficiency Virus negative, indoor only, in good health, no history of breeding or previous blood transfusions, and must have a good disposition.
?

My 4 year old cat Kaize is the ideal candidate for it! She is just as sweet & social as can be. ?She is 4 years old & in purrfect health! ?I figured it was a great way to ?Give Back? & help out other peoples pets. ?So I signed her up for the program.

?

How Do We Thank You?
?
Our blood donors are heroes and deserve special treatment!? They receive the following:

• $25 credit towards AETC hospital services for each donation
• ID tag and?bandana?letting everyone know he/she is a blood donor
• Annual screening bloodwork?until retirement at our expense
• Complete physical examination?and RBC count at each donation
• Blood products at no charge for the donor?s lifetime
• All the?cookies?and?hugs?your pet can handle
• Most importantly, the satisfaction that you and your pet are?saving lives with each donation!

?

At our first scheduled visit Kaize was to get a physical exam, blood typed & blood screen panel done. ?The technicican came into the exam room, explained how the screening process works, gave me a hand out on it with information & took Kaize in back. ?She returned about 10 minutes later with Kaize and told me she has Type ?A? blood. There is Type ?A? (Common), Type ?B? (less common) & Type ?AB? (rare). ?However, Kaize didn?t pass the physical exam portion because the technician told me they heard a 2/6 grade heart murmur. The only way she can continue the screen process & be allowed in the donor program is if she is screened & cleared by a cardiologist which I?d have to pay for.

I love my cats to death ? they are my kids. I?d do anything for them & only want the best for them. But thanks to my medical training I know that this news is nothing to panic or freak out about. ?I never saw or even met the veterinarian who supposedly heard the murmur. I?ve seen it first hand ?where one vet hears something & another doesn?t. I?m not about to run out & spend in upwards of $500+ to have her referred & seen by a cardiologist so she can be cleared to be a blood donor for a clinic that is 45 minutes away based on the opinion of a vet I never saw or met!

Kaize was just seen by her vet in April for her annual exam & vaccinations. She was given the all clear. So I made an appointment to have my vet see her & get their opinion. I?m willing to bet even if they do hear something they are going to just keep an eye on it & monitor it themselves. As she is only 4 years old & asymptomatic. If my vet recommends Kaize see a cardiologist I will make an appointment with one. So much for trying to do a good deed huh? LOL

So the following morning I?called AETC to find out of a report of last nights exam & findings will be sent to my vet. I was told they talked to the technician and a report was not written & nothing was typed up because it was found upon physical exam & the screening didn?t go any further. But they could give me the details over the phone. REALLY!? Free or not an animal is in your clinic, gets blood typed & has a physical exam but you don?t put in a report or type anything into your system about your findings?!

A heart murmur is an abnormal heart sound caused by the vibration of turbulent blood flow. Normally, blood flow is laminar and very quiet. Having a heart murmur is not itself an illness or disease. It is a characterization given to an abnormal sound heard upon auscultation over the region of the heart. Cats of any age, breed or gender can be born with or later develop heart murmurs. Many affected cats show no outward signs of having heart murmurs. In fact, most murmurs are detected incidentally during routine veterinary check-ups. When heart murmurs do accompany clinical signs, generally there is something more serious going on with the animal?s heart and the murmur is a consequence of ? not a cause of ? that underlying condition.

Murmurs are a clinical finding that cannot be ?prevented? or even ?treated? in the normal sense of those terms. The underlying cause of the murmur must be found. Many heart murmurs will never require medical or surgical management, even if they are very pronounced. Minor murmurs can often be managed with exercise and/or dietary change. Surgical procedures may be available for cats with more serious heart conditions causing their murmurs, although presently surgery is more commonly done in dogs.

I?m very interested to see what my veterinarian has to say about all of this when we see him Saturday July 7th!

Click Here to Contact Shannon's Pet Sitting

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My Story: Using Soccer to Teach Life Skills in Developing Countries ...

Brian travels the world and works with local NGOs to teach their coaches and players how to better use football for social development.

In the United States, sports are mostly for recreation and entertainment. They keep us healthy and also teach us basic lessons on teamwork, leadership, and fair play. But in many developing countries sport has a much greater value: education. More specifically, sports are being used to teach important life skills such as female empowerment, health & wellness (including HIV/AIDS behavioral change), conflict resolution, social inclusion, and financial literacy. NGOs (non-government organizations) exist worldwide and many of them use sports as a vehicle for social change.

I have the luxury of working with one such group, Coaches Across Continents. My full-time job is to travel the world (9+ months a year) working with local NGOs to teach their coaches and players how to better use football (soccer) for social development. In short, I get paid to travel the world and play football.

Former child soldiers in Pader, Uganda.

When I first volunteered in 2010 I?ll admit that I was a bit of a skeptic. How can playing football change behaviors and enact meaningful change in communities? The answer is quite simple. Sports are fun. People flock to play sports and are thoroughly engaged, sometimes not even realizing the lessons they are learning. At Coaches Across Continents, our award-winning curriculum focuses on always using a football. Our exercises must also involve laughter, even with our more serious topics of HIV/AIDS and conflict resolution. It is this element of fun that exists in sport which enables learning to happen.

Our football-based games create a specific environment where learning can occur. In our conflict resolution games, we create games that are designed to cause conflict and monitor the problem solving solutions that come out of them. In our female empowerment lessons we use games that highlight why it is essential that women play sports and foster respect between the genders. And in our HIV/AIDS games, we teach very serious behavioral lessons with footballs, laughter, and smiles to a populace who is still being ravaged by the disease. When our local partner coaches and players are exposed to this curriculum which all occurs on the field with a football, they cannot help but to learn and have fun which is essential for behavioral change.

Liberian amputees playing football.

Evidence of the success and power of sports are easy to find. In Kigoma, Tanzania there is a girl?s soccer league where just four years ago it was a struggle to get any girls to participate because of cultural traditions. In Monrovia, Liberia the African Champion National Amputee team is heading to this summer?s World Cup in Russia ? restoring a sense of belonging to a group of young men who lost limbs to landmines and civil war. And in Northern Uganda former child soldiers from Joseph Kony?s LRA are becoming life skills teachers using football to reintegrate into a society that is still healing from the atrocities that they themselves were forced to commit.

I have been lucky enough to work with our partner programs at all of these locations and see first-hand the power of football. My job is not a great job because of the travel or that I get to wear shorts and a t-shirt to my outside office every day. My job is terrific because I see the change occurring through sports. ?Brian Suskiewicz

The power of football in Tanzania.

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Bits and Pieces

The pictures I'll be sharing will most likely all be done in pencil... since I hate the messiness of charcoal and don't paint as of yet.

The first few are going to be from my drawing class I took just last year, please don't hate me for lack of color.

Lightning from Final Fantasy 13.

I'd put more pictures in a post but... They're fairly large.

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Widening sex scandal rocks Texas Air Force base

SAN ANTONIO?? From a chapel pulpit on Lackland Air Force Base, where every American airman reports for basic training, Col. Glenn Palmer delivered his first order to nearly 600 recruits seated in the pews: If you're sexually harassed or assaulted, tell someone.

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"My job is to give you a safe, effective training environment," Palmer said firmly.

What the colonel did not mention directly in his recent address was a widening sex scandal that has rocked the base, one of the nation's busiest military training centers. Allegations that male instructors had sex with, and in one case raped, female trainees have led to criminal charges against four men. Charges against others are possible.

Related: Documentary film takes on military sexual assault 'epidemic'

The most serious accusations surround an Air Force staff sergeant scheduled to face a court-martial in July on charges that include rape and multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault. The other three defendants were charged with lesser crimes ranging from sexual misconduct to adultery. All of the defendants were assigned to turn raw recruits into airmen in eight weeks of basic training.

A two-star general is now investigating alongside a separate criminal probe, which military prosecutors say could sweep up more airmen. Advocates for female service members and members of Congress have started taking notice.

"It's a pretty big scandal the Air Force is having to deal with at this point," said Greg Jacob, a former Marine infantry officer and policy director of the Service Women's Action Network. "It's pretty substantial in its scope."

Yet there are signs the Air Force still doesn't have a handle on the full depth of the problem. Staff Sgt. Peter Vega-Maldonado pleaded guilty earlier this month to having sex with a female trainee and struck a plea deal for 90 days' confinement. Then he acknowledged being involved with a total of 10 trainees ? a number previously unknown to investigators.

On Friday, after months of embarrassing disclosures, the head of the Air Force's training command ordered Maj. Gen. Margaret H. Woodward to lead an independent investigation. That same day, the Air Force gave reporters rare access to Lackland's instructional headquarters in an effort to show there was nothing to hide.

The headquarters facility is where Lackland trains the people who train recruits. Inside one small classroom, three women and two men were lectured on the importance of having a moral compass while watching a slide presentation titled "Integrity First."

Lackland has about 475 instructors for the nearly 36,000 airmen who will graduate this year. That's about 85 percent of what Lackland would consider a full roster of instructors, a demanding job that requires airmen to work longer hours than most for four years, at the expense of family and personal time. The Air Force recently launched a smartphone app to help recruit instructors. Topping a page of frequently asked questions is whether the divorce rate for instructors really is higher. (The Air Force says no.)

Palmer said that a slight shortage in instructors has not lowered the standards for applicants. In response to the allegations, he said instructor training is being revamped and that he was accountable for problems within the training wing.

Leaders of the instructor program, however, said the responsibility falls on the accused.

"A person sitting in that seat, they're going to do what they're going to do when no one is watching," said Master Sgt. Greg Pendleton, who oversees the training. "That's across the board. That's just them. When we're outside this door or outside these walls, there are individuals that have their own personal values."

So widespread is the fallout that Lackland halted operations for an entire day in March to survey about 5,900 trainees about whether they had seen or been a victim of sexual misconduct.

Video: Film exposes rape in the U.S. military (on this page)

It was a highly unusual move for a vast 15-square-mile base that runs with relentless efficiency. A new class of airmen graduates every Friday for 50 of the 52 weeks in the year. At first, Palmer, commander of the 737th training wing, said he wasn't sure that halting training was even possible.

Airman Andrea Madison, a new graduate who was in basic training at the height of the investigation at Lackland, said she never felt uncomfortable with her instructors.

"They want to make sure no foul play is happening, no one is taking advantage of us," said Madison, of Columbus, Ohio.

Last week, one commander of a Lackland training squadron caught up in the sex scandal was dismissed after the Air Force lost confidence in his leadership. Col. Polly Kenny, 2nd Air Force Staff, said the dismissal was not directly related to the sexual misconduct investigation.

Nearly three dozen instructors at Lackland have also been removed in the past year, but the Air Force will not say how many lost their jobs as a result of the investigation that began last fall, only that the majority of dismissals were unrelated.

The first sexual misconduct allegations at Lackland surfaced a year ago against Staff Sgt. Luis Walker, who is charged with 28 counts.

Walker, the only instructor who has been accused of sexually assaulting another airman, faces life in prison if convicted. His civilian attorney, Joseph Esparza, has declined to speak with reporters and did not return multiple calls for comment.

Sexual assault victims are reassigned and can apply for a "humanitarian discharge" from the military, but Lackland civilian spokeswoman Collen McGhee said she did not know whether those affected by this case had done so.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Reference Librarian, Locke Lord LLP ? Chicago Association of Law ...

Locke Lord LLP, an international law firm with over 600 attorneys, seeks a Reference Librarian for the Chicago office with hours from 11 A.M. to 7 P.M.?? To qualify one must have an MLS and 3-5+ years of experience in providing research services in legal, business or other disciplines utilizing print and electronic resources such as Lexis, WestLaw, etc. Other qualifications include experience with an ILS (SirsiDynix or EOS a plus), SharePoint and an understanding of information architecture concepts.

Responsibilities include:

Perform library research utilizing print and electronic resources for firm and client matters in assigned offices.

Provide summary reports and analysis of research when appropriate.

Design and maintain the Information Services portal pages using SharePoint.

Lead the Information Services training team in planning and development of programs for continuing education and for new hires.

Provide needs-based and planned training to new and existing attorneys and staff.

Remain current on new features and technologies as they affect legal research resources.

We offer competitive salary/benefit package and an opportunity to work with a talented team of professionals.

Please send resumes to:

Locke Lord LLP
recruiter@lockelord.com

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Shailene Woodley Channels Her 'Inner 'Glee' ' For 'Secret Life'

Star tells MTV News there 'might be some singing and dancing' on the show's 'shocking' 100th episode, airing Monday on ABC Family.
By Jocelyn Vena

Shailene Woodley
Photo:

It seems that on the milestone 100th episode of the "Secret Life of the American Teenager," everyone will have Amy and Ricky's wedding on the brain. Everyone is excited, that is, except the blushing bride, who is still dealing with the very adult decision to marry her baby daddy.

"Tonight's episode... the 100th episode? We kind of, I like to say, were channeling our inner 'Glee'," the show's star Shailene Woodley (who plays Amy) told MTV News on Monday (June 25). "There might be a musical number. There might be some singing and dancing by some of the characters on the television show."

"There's a lot of shockers," she continued. "And at the end of the episode, I think some fans are going to be confused as to a decision Amy and Ricky made. There's gonna be a shocking revelation about the wedding."

While the ongoing saga of Amy and Ricky might leave fans salivating for more from the young couple as the season chugs along, Woodley notes that the most surprising thing about the episode, to her at least, just might be that teased musical moment in the show. "I think that's big," she said. "We've never done anything like that on 'Secret Life'."

Woodley notes that when she signed on to the show all those years ago, she wasn't sure they would make it to 100 episodes. "Reflecting back on 100 episodes, I think that there's been so many exciting moments for me," she said. "A quarter of my life has been spent on 'Secret Life.' I'm 20 and I've been doing it for five years, so I think the best moments have been when all the castmembers get to work together and we get to collaborate and share experiences. We all grew up together.

"I think we were all surprised it has lasted this long," she continued about the show's successful run on the network. "None of us had ever done television before and I don't think any of us knew what to expect. And the fact that it has lasted this long continues to be a shocker. I think that the themes that we deal with, although they are exaggerated, I think the themes at their core are very relatable."

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Video: Beaches suffering from receding sand line

>>> back now with a growing problem at america's beaches where a lot of folks have spent this first weekend of summer, the sand is disappearing at an alarming pace. our chief environmental affairs correspondent anne thompson explains why.

>> reporter: on the beach in atlantic city , you'll find children building in the sand, and adults doing the same on this new jersey barrier island. one of many battles to preserve america's beaches, under assault from coastal storms and rising sea levels , fuelled by climate change.

>> 0 to 90% of our beaches are eroding, from a few inches a year up to 50 feet a year in louisiana, which is the erosion hotspot in the united states .

>> reporter: erosion issues are closing south carolina 's polly beach county park . in san francisco , they're debating whether it's worth the effort to try to save ocean beach . the beach is where we like to play.

>> you can clear your mind.

>> reporter: it plays a critical role in our natural defense.

>> the beach is nature's protection against storms for the island and everything behind it.

>> reporter: here it means atlantic city 's famous board walk and hotels and casinos, so the beach is being fortified with this project. 1.3 million yards of cubic sand will be dredged, filtered and spread alongshore line.

>> can you just put the sand anywhere?

>> no, we want to put the sand where it's going to do the most good.

>> reporter: including at the brand new revel resort.

>> i think it will be very important, that's what we're selling. we're selling a beach front experience.

>> reporter: critics say this is just another example of man's folly, trying to replenish what the ocean is so determined to reclaim. but it can work. look at miami's south beach .

>> if we let the natural erosion proceed, we wouldn't have any beaches in south beach , miami beach or large parts of ft. lauderdale.

>> reporter: a chance no one here in atlantic city wants to

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Romney flexes muscles as huge week looms for Obama

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Los Angeles Is Tron's World [Video]

You can argue that using a Daft Punk soundtrack would make any timelapse of any city to look like Tron's world. But no, Tron's world clearly has to be Los Angeles, with its never ending traffic flow zooming through its infinite grid of light. Watch till the end and you will see what I mean. [Thanks Jordan!] More »

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