kimblr.com

FORT DRUM, N.Y. - The U.S. Army’s Fort Drum sprawls across frigid northern New York, just miles from the Canadian border and directly in the path of fierce arctic winds that blow in unrelentingly from the north, laden with endless snow and ice.
At least that’s the impression many 10th Mountain Division soldiers have when they arrive at this upstate New York Army post _ an image possibly perpetuated by the post’s weekly newspaper, “The Fort Drum Blizzard.”
But no more. The newspaper is changing its name as part of a redesign and Fort Drum officials decided to run a contest to pick a new one.
“We received some comments recently that calling our newspaper `The Blizzard’ may reinforce old stereotypes about Fort Drum, that it’s always cold and snowy,” said Karin Martinez, Fort Drum’s command information chief.
On Thursday, the paper published its five finalists _ plus a commanders’ wild card choice: “The Summit,” “The Fort Drum Patriot,” “The Northern Post,” “The Pinnacle,” and “The Mountaineer.” The wild card choice is “The Mountain View.”
The post has published a weekly paper continuously since 1957, when Fort Drum was still called Camp Drum, said editor Lisa Albrecht.
The Fort Drum Blizzard is published 50 times annually and has a circulation of about 10,000, she said. Its news and editorial content are controlled by the Army. Otherwise it’s not much different from a civilian community weekly, providing Fort Drum soldiers with news and announcements along with articles about Army and defense department initiatives and career, family and personnel issues.
The paper was called “The Sentinel” from its first edition until September 1998, when it was changed to “The Blizzard” to pay tribute to the 10th Mountain Division’s World War II soldiers, who first trained as an alpine unit in Colorado and eventually made their fame in the mountains of Italy, Albrecht said.

newsday.com

Dollar Giant is gaining popularity, as the stores and president were recently featured in BC Business Magazine.
Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) June 8, 2008 — Dollar Giant, a single priced point retail store that offers various goods at $1, was recently featured in BC Business Magazine. The monthly magazine is British Columbia's foremost business authority and the most widely read business publication in the province. By focusing exclusively on business in British Columbia, BC Business Magazine provides behind-the-scenes coverage, chronicling major deals and putting faces to the major players.
The article, titled "Guys and Dollars," profiles Dollar Giant's owner Joe Calvano. The article begins with Calvano's search for a new job venture, history in the retail business and how Dollar Giant was created. "Calvano begins creating his vision of what a dollar store should be: bright, with aisles wide enough to accommodate shopping carts, merchandise organized in departments and, most importantly, filled with everyday items - greeting cards, Band-Aids, plastic containers, toothpaste, salt and pepper, tea and coffee, light bulbs, screwdrivers, mouse-traps, artificial flowers, candles, craft and scrap-booking supplies, and some genuine surprises among the 10,000 items every store carries, such as sunglasses and headphones," wrote BC Business writer Myles Murchinson. "And there's only one price: everything is a dollar."
Dollar Giant operates over 50 corporate stores from British Columbia to Ontario and offers various items such as house wares, seasonal items, food, and beauty care.
For the full article, go to http://www.bcbusinessmagazine.com/bcb/search?filter0=Guys+%26+Dollars.
For more information about Dollar Giant, visit www.dollargiant.com.
About Dollar Giant:
Dollar Giant was founded in 2001 and has since become one of the region's best single priced point retailers. Dollar Giant offers quality items including house wares, seasonal goods, candy and food, toys, health and beauty care, gifts, party goods, stationery, books and personal accessories and they continue to bring new and exciting items every week. Dollar Giant is a corporately owned and operated retail chain. Dollar Giant operates over 50 corporate stores from British Columbia to Ontario in strip centers, malls and freestanding locations.

emediawire.com

WITH sweeping canyon views, gated access and nearby homes owned by the likes of Britney Spears, Ed McMahon’s house above Beverly Hills looks like the symbol of a life well paid.
That is why it came as a shock when Mr. McMahon, best known as Johnny Carson’s sidekick, confirmed this month that he was facing foreclosure.
He quickly became a national symbol of an overspent borrower struggling with the mortgage crisis. But Mr. McMahon had an advantage over the average homeowner: he could go on “Larry King Live” to talk about his plight.
“If you know where the money is, would you let me know?” Mr. McMahon joked during an interview in the six-bedroom, five-bathroom Mediterranean-style mansion he and his wife, Pamela, have called home for nearly 20 years.
In his case, he added more seriously, the troubles were not about a subprime loan or ballooning adjustable rate mortgage, but simple overspending. “I made a lot of money, but you also can spend a lot of money,” he said.
At 85, Mr. McMahon appears to be his jovial self. But he is in the twilight of a successful career, as a broadcast announcer, professional pitchman for brands like Alpo and Budweiser, and television host for shows like “Star Search” and “TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes.” He also drew income from acting, radio and writing books, and from serving as a celebrity spokesman for the sweepstakes sponsored by American Family Publishers.
His house is the one product he has not been able to sell. In the two years the 7,000-square-foot property has been listed on the market, currently at $6.5 million, he has not received a single offer, he said. The recent publicity is turning that around. By the end of last week, there were two offers for the house, said his real estate agent, Alex Davis.

nytimes.com

By The Associated Press – 11 hours ago
DALLAS (AP) — James A. Baker. a former Texas Supreme Court Justice known as a devoted scholar of appellate law, died Sunday. He was 77.
He died in his sleep, the Texas Supreme Court said. Baker was diagnosed last year with cancer, which spread through his lungs, legs and spine.
Before serving on the Supreme Court, Baker served from 1986 to 1995 on the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas. Then-Gov. George W. Bush appointed Baker to the Texas Supreme Court in 1995. Baker was elected to a full six-year term the next year.
He retired in August 2002, partly because he would have reached mandatory retirement age midway through an additional term.
Baker then became a partner at Hughes & Luce LLP, now called K&L Gates. He worked on appellate matters, arbitration and mediation at the Dallas law firm.
Baker continued to work despite his illness. His last day in the office was Friday, the high court said.
Baker earned his bachelor’s degree and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) — Bryan Baptiste, the mayor of Kauai who championed affordable housing and opposed gated communities, died Sunday. He was 52.
Baptiste suffered cardiac arrest at home, the mayor’s office said in a statement. Paramedics tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at a hospital.
A former county councilman, Baptiste was first elected mayor in 2002 when he edged rival Ron Kouchi in a runoff. The Republican was elected to a second four-year term in 2006.
Baptiste’s father served as Kauai’s mayor about 50 years ago.
As mayor, the younger Baptiste championed the building of more affordable housing, put together programs to fight drug abuse and supported legislation to protect public beach access.

ap.google.com

The Woodlands’ Laura Wilkinson, a 2000 Olympic gold medalist in the platform, scored 362 total points in the preliminaries of the women’s 10-meter platform at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Ind., Wednesday.
Wilkinson’s point total was less than two points ahead of Haley Ishimatsu of Indianapolis who finished in second place with a total score of 360.70.
Wilkinson’s best dive of the competition was a reverse 3 1/2 somersault tuck in which she scored an 81.6.
The 30-year-old is trying to make her third trip to the Olympics after finishing fifth in the event at the 2004 Games.
Wilkinson’s The Woodlands teammate Jessica Livingston finished day one in third place with a total of 358.4.
Montgomery’s Michelle Cabassol, the youngest participant in the event at 15 years old, finished sixth with a score of 303.95.
Conroe’s Vennie Dantin finished in 11th with a score of 232.65.
On the men’s side The Woodlands Diving Academy was also well represented with three participants in the 10-meter platform prelims including Drew Livingston (466.55) and JJ Kinzbach (428.4) who finished in third and fourth place, respectively. Spring’s Harrison Jones rounded out the list of local divers with a total of 397.3, good for eighth place.
The men’s platform semifinals will take place today at 6 p.m. while the women’s semis are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday.
The women’s 3-meter springboard prelims will begin at noon today.
The winner of each event gains an automatic spot on the 2008 Olympic team. The top six in each event at the Olympic Trials will travel to a selection camp in July where the remaining Olympic team spots will be announced.

hcnonline.com

Wednesday’s UIL baseball semifinals
(at Dell Diamond, Round Rock)
CLASS 2A SEMIFINALS
San Angelo Grape Creek (30-6) vs. Salado (30-6), 10 a.m.
Corsicana Mildred (30-6) vs. Buna (22-6), 1 p.m.
CLASS 4A SEMIFINALS
Corpus Christi Calallen (40-1) vs. Friendswood (27-9), 4 p.m.
Waxahachie (31-8) vs. Birdville (32-10), 7 p.m.
(at Disch-Falk Field, UT-Austin)
CLASS 3A SEMIFINALS
Castroville Medina Valley (36-2) vs. Texarkana Pleasant Grove (24-8), noon
Snyder (33-6) vs. Hutto (27-7), 3 p.m.
(at Disch-Falk Field, UT-Austin)
(at Dell Diamond, Round Rock)
(at Dell Diamond, Round Rock)
CLASS A SEMIFINALS
Flatonia (24-5) vs. Seymour (17-12), 10 a.m.
Pineland West Sabine (26-7) vs. Bosqueville (19-6), 1 p.m.
CLASS 5A SEMIFINALS
Plano West (38-2) vs. Laredo United (32-7), 4 p.m.
Houston Bellaire (39-8) vs. Carroll (22-18), 7 p.m.
(at Dell Diamond, Round Rock)
SOFTBALL ALL-DISTRICT TEAMS
MVP — Hannah Schnebly, Jr., Weatherford
Off. MVP — Brandi Heath, Jr., North Crowley
Def. MVP — Randi Tongate, Jr., Weatherford
Co-Pitchers of the Year — Jamie Lambert, Jr., Burleson; Morgan Rodgers, Sr., Mansfield
Newcomer of the Year — Sydney Kramer, Fr., Summit
Coach of the Year — Mark Strickland, Granbury
Ashleigh Jimenez, Sr., Burleson; Taylor Bankston, Soph., Burleson; Baillie Trumble, Jr., Granbury; Courtney Dews, Sr., Granbury; Shelby Poe, Jr., Mansfield Legacy; Audrey Phillips, Sr., Mansfield; Courtney Hoeppner, Jr., Paschal; Megan Askew, Jr., Weatherford; Chelsie Miller, Sr., Granbury; Shawna Henderson, Jr., Weatherford; Kayla Gritt, Soph., Summit; Katelyn Potts, Fr., Legacy; Megan Ayala, Jr., North Crowley; Hopie Perez, Sr., Weatherford; Emily Spicer, Jr., Summit; Megan Crawley, Jr., Mansfield; Malorie Wakefield, Jr., Weatherford.
Kari Fry, Jr., Burleson; Chelsie Lopes, Sr., Granbury; Rachel Ward, Sr., Legacy; Brooke Taft, Jr., Mansfield; Alexa Sheridan, Sr., North Crowley; Paloma Sanchez, Jr., Paschal; Jillian Montano, Sr., Summit; Katie Monreal, Jr., Burleson; Eli Torres, Fr., Summit; Kassie Salazar, Soph., Timberview; Chelsea Lee, Soph., Weatherford; Ashlee McDonald, Soph., Burleson; Porsha Parks, Sr., Timberview; Hailey Naifeh, Sr., Granbury; Brandy Bonner, Jr., Granbury; Elizabeth Cornwell, Sr., Mansfield; Christina Gallant, Jr., Summit; Jacqueline Torres, Jr., Paschal.

star-telegram.com

Channel 4’s digital time-shift service Channel 4 +1 pulled in its highest audience since launching in August last year when more than 700,000 viewers tuned in to the Big Brother highlights show last night, Thursday June 19.
The episode, which included coverage of Big Brother housemate Alexandra De-Gale’s removal from the show on Wednesday evening for allegedly threatening behaviour, brought 703,000 viewers and a multichannel share of 4.4% to Channel 4 +1 between 10pm and 11pm, according to unofficial overnight figures.
The time shift channel benefited from viewers switching over from the end of ITV1’s coverage of the Euro 2008 quarter final match between Germany and Portugal, which ended at 10pm, clashing with Channel 4’s Big Brother broadcast.
Channel 4 +1’s previous highest rating was also for a Big Brother episode first broadcast against Euro 2008 football on Channel 4 on Thursday last week. The Channel 4 +1 repeat scored 530,000 viewers in the 10pm hour.
Big Brother’s first showing last night on the main Channel 4 service attracted 3.5 million viewers and a 15% share between 9pm and 10pm.
On Channel 4 the dramatic instalment held its own against ITV1’s Euro 2008 match, with the reality show peaking at 4.4 million viewers for the 15 minutes from 9.45pm.
Wednesday night’s Big Brother picked up 3.2 million viewers and a 20% share in the later 10pm hour, with a further 238,000 watching an hour later on Channel 4 +1.
ITV1’s live coverage of the Euro 2008 game, which saw Germany progress to the semi-finals, winning 3-2 against Portugal, peaked at 8.3 million viewers and a 36% share for the 15 minutes from 9pm.
Live match coverage attracted 7.3 million viewers and a 33% share between 7.45pm and 9.45pm – the highest rating so far for the tournament.
The event’s previous high came with the France v Italy match on BBC1 on Tuesday, which attracted 6.8 million viewers for live match coverage.

guardian.co.uk

The flesh-eating plants in the cult film “The Day of the Triffids” reminded me of gigantic lilies. I hadn’t seen the movie for decades — and had forgotten all about the monsters — until last summer, when I walked into my wildly overgrown backyard after just three weeks away on vacation.
The tomato plants had reached the Triffid-like height of five feet. A rapacious climber that had crept in from a neighbor’s yard was busy covering the kitchen window and racing up the rear wall of the house.
Egged on by freakish bursts of rain and heat, the rampaging plant life seemed more appropriate to a jungle in South America than to a Brooklyn garden.
I didn’t know what to expect when I surveyed the garden for spring planting this year. Then I noticed that the herb planters were bristling with green, as though the winter had never happened at all.
Stay tuned for more of the same. As the National Wildlife Federation noted in a report last year, gardeners are experiencing global warming in ways that nongardeners are unlikely to notice. People who pay attention can see that warmer-weather plants are moving northward, along with invasive species eager to usurp new zones.
The heat has already changed what I plant. Some varieties of impatiens are out; they melt like ice cream, even in the shade. The big questions of the moment have to do with the northern trees. Will they adapt to the heat? Or will disturbances in the dormancy cycle cause them to die?
The warming has changed my attitude toward shade gardening and the two 60-foot locusts that loom over my yard. In previous years, I was happy to hack away during their periodic prunings. As a philistine on these matters, I rejoiced when the eastern locust lost a mammoth branch, letting in more light than the yard had probably seen in decades. Recently, I’ve begun to imagine how hot the yard would become if we were to be left treeless and at the mercy of an increasingly merciless sun. The answer is very hot indeed.

nytimes.com

Long experience has taught me to be leery of new software. It’s much better to wait and let everyone else find the bugs before even thinking of changing my set-up.
In the case of Mozilla Firefox 3 I made an exception, spurred in part by the hype surrounding its attempt to set a one-day download record. (Mission accomplished.)
After nearly a day living with the new Firefox, it’s very nice. Very, very nice.
I must admit that Firefox 2 often frustrated me, crashing at inopportune moments. (I can break anything.) So far (knock on wood) Firefox 3 is sailing through like a champ.
One thing I often do is bring up a host of tabs while writing a story, as many as two dozen. Firefox 2 hiccuped badly. Firefox 3 seems to handle it.
Firefox 2 would sometimes forget that I like big text for these old eyes. Firefox 3 hasn’t forgotten yet. (This is now called the Zoom feature. It used to be called increase or decrease text size.)
One reason I was reluctant to be a beta-tester for Firefox 3 was because I have add-ons, some of which I paid for, and the beta versions did not support them. It took me five minutes to get them working in Firefox 3.
There are new security settings on the Advanced tab under Tools, which are very, very nice. I especially like being warned if the page tries to re-load — a favorite phisher trick foiled.
You can customize the controls on toolbars through a single screen accessed from the View menu. The Page Source under View is also very clear now — makes it easy to see how pages are made.
Entering unfamiliar Web pages is now easier. As soon as you start entering an address, the new Firefox starts guessing at your meaning. Keep typing and it’s bound to guess right, so you click on that entry and don’t go wrong.

blogs.zdnet.com

By Matthew Piechalak
The Oak Lawn Park District has revived its plans to build a dog park and may be close to securing a site near Oak Lawn High School
Park district officials have been in contact with Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 about leasing school district-owned property near the northeast corner of 93rd Street and Kilbourn Avenue. The location, adjacent to railroad tracks about one block north of Advocate Christ Medical Center, would be a good location, according to park district officials.
The park district presented the plan to the District 229 board of education at a meeting earlier this month, School District 229 Superintendent James Briscoe said in a phone interview. Briscoe declined to comment on the likelihood of a deal because the school board plans to discuss the matter in closed session, he said.
The park district hopes to speak with the school district after graduation about the possibility of establishing a lease agreement.
"Hopefully we can get some type of agreement worked out in the next month," Park Board Commissioner Mary Margaret Wallace said.
The park district has allocated $30,000 in its capital improvements fund for the creation of a park for dogs and their owners. Wallace describes the plans as "pretty simplistic" and "in-line" with other dog parks complete with a double-gated entry, closed garbage bins and benches with kiosks. The park district would be responsible for maintaining the park and would assume all costs.
Oak Lawn and Hometown residents who wish to use the park would be charged a $40 annual fee, while non-residents would pay $100.
News content published by The Reporter. Copyright 2008
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

thereporteronline.net