Trending on Monday - July 11, 2011




1. Heidi Montag
2. Victoria Justice's boyfriend Ryan Rottman was arrested for DUI, report says
3. Artie Lange, Howard Stern's former sidekick wants to return to the radio show
4. Kate Middleton
5. Miracle of the Day - The Prayer Of The Passer Byer


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"The Hills" star has a new job: Competing to open a restaurant on the new reality-show competition "Famous Food." She told MTV that the VH1 series was "a really competitive, cutthroat show." Montag goes up against celebs Ashley Dupre, Jake Pavelka, and Danielle Staub, among others.


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Victoria Justice's boyfriend Ryan Rottman was arrested for DUI, report says

Victoria Justice's boyfriend and fellow Nickelodeon star Ryan Rottman was arrested on Friday night for DUI after spending a night out with Zac Efron in Los Angeles.Rottman, who starred on Nickelodeon's "Gigantic," was pulled over after police witnessed his car jumping a curb, E! Online reports. The actor blew a 0.19 on a Breathalyzer, which is more than twice California's legal limit.

Rottman was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of DUI. The 27-year-old actor was released from jail a few hours later.

UK newspaper the Daily Mail reports that Rottman was out drinking with Efron, who was spotted pacing nervously outside of Dillon's pub on Hollywood Boulevard when his friend was being arrested. Demi Moore's daughter Rumer Willis was also reported to be with the group.
The actor appeared on "Gigantic" opposite Meryl Streep's daughters Grace Gummer and Gia Mantegna until the series was canceled in April after one season. Rottman guest-starred on his girlfriend's show "Victorious" in April, which is when the two began dating. He broke up with actress Brittany Snow in November 2010 after dating for two years.

Justice rose to fame on "Zoey 101" and "Spectacular!" before starring her own TV series, "Victorious."

The 18-year-old actress will appear in the upcoming teen Halloween comedy "Fun Size" opposite Chelsea Handler. In the film, Justice is forced to take her younger brother trick-or-treating but loses him in the process. The film will be the directorial debut of "The O.C." and "Gossip Girl" creator Josh Schwartz.

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Artie Lange, Howard Stern's former sidekick wants to return to the radio show

Artie Lange, the comedian who was Howard Stern's former sidekick returned to radio this week and said that returning to "The Howard Stern Show" would be the "greatest thing ever."

"That would be the greatest thing ever, but listen, I was on the greatest show of all time for about nine years, and I put them in a very awkward situation, to say the least, so what am I going to do?" Lange said on Fox Sports Radio, Punchline magazine reports. "But I love them all and they were great to me."

Lange joined his friend and fellow comedian Nick DiPaolo on Fox Sports Radio, where he was guest-hosting for Tony Bruno. Lange answered questions from fans, who have missed the raunchy funny man since he went on hiatus from Stern's show in December 2010.

Lange left "The Howard Stern Show" after dealing with drug addiction and a suicide attempt. Lange told fans on Wednesday that he had been getting sober at a rehabilitation facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Lange has appeared on television series like "Mad TV" and discussed his drug use in his standup routines and book, "Too Fat to Fish."

Stern's other longtime sidekick Robin Quivers revealed in May that she would consider leaving "The Howard Stern Show" to host a TV show.

Stern's radio show airs on Sirius XM satellite radio and in March, the shock jock sued Sirius over a stock options agreement. In December, Stern signed a new 5-year deal with Sirius XM, which agreed to continue to broadcast his show and other programs on his Howard 100 and Howard 101 channels until the end of 2015.

Stern has been a radio host since the 1970s and his show has aired on television. He moved to satellite radio in 2006 following a dispute with terrestrial radio stations that had carried his syndicated show over alleged indecent programming, which led to Federal Communications Commission fines of $2.5 million.

Moments from his career and beef with the FCC and his then-boss were showcased in the 1997 comedy film "Private Parts". Stern has not disclosed his new salary that was promised in his new deal. His previous 5-year agreement had promised him $500 million.

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Kate Middleton
Los Angeles is rolling out the red carpet for the British royal couple. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are capping off their North American tour with a few days in sunny California. Will and Kate will be attending a Hollywood gala with A-list guests Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, and J. Lo.



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Miracle of the Day - The Prayer Of The Passer Byer


"One morning on my way to work with a brother from my church, I received a phone call from my wife Becky. She was crying and asking me to come home, I asked her to tell me why and what was wrong. After a moment or so, she finally told me she had been in an accident. I asked her if she was ok and she said "just come home please", and then the phone hung up. Amazingly she was talking to me from a persons cell phone in an area that there has never been service before, and never has been since. I immediatly told the brother what had happend, and we headed back the direction of home. On the way I began to pray to God for support, I was worried about my wife. When I arrived at the scene of the accident, I found out that my wife had been in an head on collision. An accident that takes several lives everyday, an accident that 97% of all people dont live through. And my wife made it, without even as much as a scratch on her body. I found out later that a young christian man whos girlfriend had been in an accident no more than 20 minutes after my wife had hers had been driving by and said a small prayer for my wife, asking God to make sure that the person would be safe. I know that it was God sending this person to pray for my wife, so she would be my miracle to remember. His girlfriends accident was not as severe as my wifes and she was released from the hospital with no problems. I thank God there are people who still pray for those they dont know. For the Prayer of the Passer Byer was heard by the God who loves us all, and so my wife was kept safe in the Masters hands."



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Trending on Sunday - July 10, 2011



1. 2 Killer Negotiation Tips From "Wall Street - Money Never Sleeps"
2. Celebrity Baby Boom: Stars Who Are Expecting
3. extreme makeover home edition
4. pineapple express - Importer: Kronic was sabotaged
5. Miracle of the Day - Healed of Emphysema

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2 Killer Negotiation Tips From Wall Street - Money Never Sleeps

In one scene of the movie, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, big time capitalists, Bretton James and Louis Zabel, are negotiating a stock bailout for Zabel’s firm, Keller Zabel Investments. In doing so, they reveal two powerful negotiating techniques that can help you secure the best deal.

James offers Zabel a measly $2 per share. “Under these conditions”, starts off James, “… [James and co] are prepared to risk $2 a share”.

“2 bucks?”, questions Zabel, breaking out in a nervous laughter shocked by the ridiculously low offer. “You're out of your mind. The stock was trading at 79 a month ago. Our building alone is worth more than 2 bucks a share. My board will never accept this. There is no way I'm going to sell for 2 bucks a share.”

The government representative steps in to back up James, telling Zabel that the government could never justify a high price for his firm and that he has no other option. If he doesn’t sell then he faces bankruptcy.

But Zabel remains unmoved. “I'll take my chances in bankruptcy court before I sell to that barracuda” angrily responds Zabel.

A blanket of silence falls over the room. It looks like the deal is off. Neither party is willing to pay the price the other is wanting.
The Defining Moment

Realising that the negotiation has reached stalemate, James decides to do something completely unexpected. While he really wants to buy Zabel’s firm and knows he is getting a great deal, he decides to walk away.

“Then we have nothing more to talk about” says James as he gets up out of his chair and turns to walk away.

But just as James reaches the door, Zabel calls out "6". It’s a counter offer.

“3 and that's it” responds James.

“5”

“3”

“Alright, we'll call it an even 4. So we don't look so god damn pathetic.”

James pauses for a moment, looks at his colleague for confirmation, who nods back at him in agreement, before taking a step forward. “3, and not a dime more,” says James and locks in the deal.

There are two key negotiation techniques used in the scene above.
Negotiation Technique 1: Use Anchoring and Adjustment

James started at $2 and Zabel started at $6. In what is called Anchoring and Adjustment (see Those Clever People at Wikipedia and a little phenomenon called anchoring) initial values, regardless of how extreme, have a strong affect on final values. In this case, James used a $2 anchor, not because he thought he would get it for such a low price but because he knew it would get Zabel to start thinking low values. To counter that effect, Zabel used a $6 counter anchor to get James to start thinking higher values.

If you are selling, start by asking a high price. If you are buying, start with a low price. The technique will subtly but strongly influence the figure the other party has in their mind, therefore allowing you to get the best price.

Despite the effectiveness of the technique, however, many people will not feel comfortable asking for an excessively high or low figure because they don't want to appear unreasonable. That is, they don’t want to risk the Zabellian response, ‘are you out of your mind?’

For those people, negotiation technique two provides for a more comfortable approach.
Negotiation Technique 2: Walk Away

Who wins in a negotiation? The one who is willing to walk away.

Guess what? Be willing to walk away. Even if you are willing to pay the asking price, pretend like you can walk away. This technique is especially useful for people who don’t see themselves as hard line negotiators.

Why? Because you do not have to haggle, you do not have to offer unreasonable figures, and you do not have to have a big mouth to use this technique. All it requires is that you risk not making the purchase on that very day, which, for most purchases worth negotiating for, is worth risking for.

Here’s How You Do It:

Next time you are negotiating with a business supplier, nicely tell the person:

“Thanks for your help but the price you’re offering is beyond my budget” (or whatever reason you want to give).

“But I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll leave you my name and number and if you can do me a better deal, then give me a call and we can take it from there."

Now if that is the best price the salesperson can do then you probably will not get a phone call, in which case you can just go back the next day or so and buy the product. But if they can do you a better deal then they will call you. After all, you have already proved to them that you are not willing to pay their asking price.

What is more, 9 times out of 10 you will not even have to come back. If the salesperson is able to do a better deal, they will usually offer it to you on the spot. It will probably be along the lines of, “alright let me try asking my manager again and see if we can do you a better deal”.

Having been on both sides of the negotiation table (as a salesperson and as a buyer), I have seen this technique work over and over for all deals great and small. It is not only one of the most powerful negotiation techniques, but also one of the easiest and comfortable to use, which makes it all the more useful in securing yourself the best deal.

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Celebrity Baby Boom: Stars Who Are Expecting


Pregnancy can certainly seem forever when you're awaiting the arrival of your brand new baby, but in Hollywood, it seems like these buns are in the oven for far longer than the average person. Maybe it's because keeping the pregnancy a secret is nearly impossible in Hollywood, or maybe it's just us, but doesn't is seem like some of these ladies (Hudson and Beckham included) have been pregnant for an eternity. The Beckham and Hudson have finally popped, and have days of diapers and pacifiers ahead, so who is next?

Let's celebrate the arrival of Hollywood's newest offspring and take a look at some other ladies who are patiently waiting for the stork to bring their brand new little boy or girl.

So, which of these ladies will be the next to have a headline welcoming their new bundle of joy?




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extreme makeover home edition




It’s easy to get drawn into watching a home makeover program. Invest a couple of minutes in getting to know a homeowner and her drab living room, and it’s hard to look away before the big reveal at the end.

And from time to time, while trying to anticipate what improvements the designers will make, it’s easy to glance around your own house and wonder what they’d make of your home’s look.

If you’ve ever wanted your home to be featured on one of these programs, read on. Below is a cheat sheet on what producers are looking for in a home — and, more importantly, a homeowner — when they make their casting decisions.
HGTV

HGTV’s lineup relies heavily on homeowners willing to let cameras into their homes, so it depends on a stream of applications received from viewers. Casting calls on HGTV.com look for people ranging from families needing help getting organized to empty nesters who want to transform their space.
Each program has different instructions on how to apply, but many applicants have been submitting videos to campaign for a makeover, said Kathleen Finch, senior vice president and general manager of HGTV. That’s where they get the first look at your personality, so make it count.

“The first thing you look at is not the home in need of a makeover, but the homeowners. The most important thing is someone who really wants to be on television,” Finch said. “We need the stories to be relatable to many people. We’re looking for people who have the dark, dank basement but really need a family room or the young couple expecting twins as a surprise and need to put on an addition.”

But when applying, it’s important to remember that not all programming has the same ground rules, she said. Budgets range by show, and not all involve a free makeover. Some require input or help from the homeowner, while others require that they give complete control to the designer — or, as in a new show, control is given to HGTV’s online community.

Makeover shows typically receive the most applications, Finch said.

One show doesn’t require any application at all. Those picked to be on “Room Crashers” are simply in the right place at the right time — they’re found shopping for home items in stores, and the host convinces them to bring him back to the house for a makeover.

But even then, fans are being resourceful in their efforts to get picked: “What we keep reading on our Facebook page and Twitter is people trying to figure out where Todd is going to show up next,” she said.
‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’

The application for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will take awhile to complete. It asks for information about your family, house and background. You’re expected to submit photos or videos of your home to make the case on why you — or a family you’re nominating — should be selected.


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Pineapple express - Importer: Kronic was sabotaged




An importer of synthetic cannabis says Kronic was sabotaged and contaminated with the anti-anxiety medicine phenazepam.

Kronic Pineapple Express was one of two brands of legal highs the government banned last week after they were found to contain the prescription medicine, which can be harmful to some people.

Eight retailers and manufacturers of synthetic cannabis met today and agreed to adopt self regulation in a bid to clean up the industry.

But the Government says it will still go ahead with law changes in the next few weeks to restrict the sale and marketing of synthetic cannabis products.

Synthetic cannabis importer Matt Bowden, who attended the industry meeting, told TV ONE's Close Up that they never never guessed that something like this was going to happen.

"Normally when materials come into the country, we do test them. We make sure that we've been shipped the right thing and we look for impurities," he said.

"But one never thought that somebody was actually going to sabotage a product by contaminating it with a restricted medicine."

Asked what he would say to parents still worried about their children using synthetic cannabis products, Bowden said: "We need to make sure that they're not visible outside stores and we need laws in place to stop them being sold to children. But to put things in perspective the products are not as dangerous as, say, alcohol."

He said alcohol results in at about 1000 deaths a year in New Zealand and cigarettes 5000.

"With these products (synthetic cannabis) we're not having fatalities.  As we look at every ingredient coming across the border and scan it specifically for medicines and drugs, I think we can be as confident as possible that it can't happen again."
The eight industry participants said all synthetic cannabis imported into New Zealand will undergo chemical testing before being made available for sale. This will protect public health and resolve any questions about the source of any contamination, they said.

That's a move consumers like.

One man said there are rules and regulations that New Zealanders have to be told what's in their food, so "why not a substance that's being consumed even by people that are under the legal age to use it?"

Bowden pointed out that the products are already covered by the smoke free laws so it is illegal to sell them to minors "and it always has been".

Marijuana 'in most schoolyards'

He said marijuana is available in most schoolyards, and the industry group is trying to restrict synthetic cannabis so it's only available to adults.

"We're saying let's have an understanding between government and industry that when someone wants to take a new psycho-active substance let's put it through the same sort of clinical trials that medicines go through."

New self regulation rules will see synthetic cannabis advertising visible only from the point of sale, there will be no further advertising on any other media and all exterior posters and other advertising will be removed immediately, the industry group said.

"All the larger operations will cease radio advertising, print advertising, will pull signage from outside dairies and from outside all retail outlets," Bowden said.
But he said a ban on synthetic cannabis would drive the industry underground.

"That's what happens right around the world with recreational substances. If you've got a huge consumer demand, if the government just says 'we're going to shut down the legitimate industry tomorrow' as they did with BZP, then these drugs go to the black market.

"You'd just be throwing away consumer guarantees, you're throwing away all that protection you can give consumers."

Those participating in today's meeting were Cosmic, retailers of Juicy Puff; Enjoi; Erox; Herbal Exports; Lightyears Ahead, distributors of Kronic; London Underground; Platinum; and Stargate.

Chris Fowlie of The Hemp Store has dealt in legal highs for more than a decade.

At his store they do not advertise, or sell to people under 18, rules he says the industry needs if it wants to avoid being wasted by new regulations.

"Just take heed of the concerns of the community that we're seeing there otherwise we are no different to alcohol sellers and other drug dealers," Fowlie told ONE News.

Fowlie decided before today's industry meeting to have his imported products screened by ESR.

"You've got to know the consequences of what you are doing. And if you don't know the ingredients in the packet then that's pretty difficult. As I say, I think the responsibility is on our side to behave ethically," he said.

'Poacher turned game-keeper'

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said the synthetic cannabis industry's "poacher turned game-keeper" offer today to suddenly self-regulate is welcome, but the Government will go ahead with law changes in the next few weeks to restrict the sale and marketing of their products.

"When any group that has for years done absolutely nothing to help keep the users of its products safe suddenly wants to self-regulate, then you know one of two things has happened - it has either developed a conscience, or it can see a drastic impact on its cash flow," Dunne said.

"Call me cynical, but I am suspecting the latter here," Dunne said, saying amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Acts will go before Parliament in the next few weeks.

"I certainly welcome their suggestions today, but I think the Government - and the public - will naturally receive them with caution of the Tui billboard variety.

"These people do not have a track record of responsible dealings. It is a shoddy industry that does not test its own products and clearly has not cared what is in them as long as they make a lot of money."

Dunne said: "My message to the industry is: yes, impose self-regulation, but the Government will also regulate you.

"And yes, test your products - but you should have been doing that all along, and in the longer term that is what this Government intends to make you do anyway.

"You will have to prove that your products are safe. We are going to back the Law Commission recommendation on that.

"The days of fast bucks, damaging young people's health and no responsibility are at an end."

Dunne told ONE News today the industry can expect severe restrictions on where the synthetic cannabis products can be marketed and distributed.

There also could be regulations on what kind of premises they can be sold at. And in the long term the government would be standing over manufacturers to stand by the promise that all of the products are safe.



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Miracle of the Day - Healed of Emphysema

"The doctor diagnoised me in 1991 with Emphysema, I had pneumonia continually,The Lord gave me a Word , That He was The Lord Thy God That Health Thee He said I was healed by His Stripes. He sent His Word and His Word Healed Me. The doctors gave me two yrs. to live, at that time I was 49 yrs. old and today I will be 63 in March. I praise God for His Healing Power. I trust Him for EVERYTHING. lord"


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Trending on Saturday - July 9, 2011




1. Monterey Bay Aquarium's new Open Sea exhibit conveys vastness of oceans
2. 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' season premiere review: Larry David enters a new period
3. Pena notches career best with 14 Ks
4. NCAA Football 12 Impressions
5. Miracle of the Day - A REASON FOR LIVING



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Monterey Bay Aquarium's new Open Sea exhibit conveys vastness of oceans

MONTEREY — Veteran sailors will often tell you that along with its stark beauty, the open ocean can often bring a certain loneliness.

They've recounted such feelings in both song and story, after all, for hundreds of years.

When you're out there, they say — far out of sight of land — you realize that you're on a sort of desert, watery but desolate.

Or so it might seem on first impression.

But a closer look reveals a whole universe of life found on the constantly changing palette of blues, grays and blacks that make up the colors of the water in a zone known as the "pelagic" (from the Greek) or, more commonly, the open sea.

So, as part of their continuing effort to give guests glimpses of things and places they've never seen before, the curators of the Monterey Bay Aquarium have opened "The Open Sea" — a unique exhibit attempting to replicate an area of the Pacific Ocean approximately 200 miles from the shores of Monterey.

It's an area they have nicknamed the realm of the "the vast and the fast," for its size and depth, and for the lightning-quick speeds of the predators that live there. What used to be known as the "Outer Bay" galleries have undergone an extensive makeover to reflect life in some of the least-explored parts of the Pacific, according to David Cripe, the aquarium's special exhibits coordinator.

"The idea behind this is to give the visitor an inkling of the life and light they might encounter way out there," Cripe said during a recent tour.

Visitors will find many of the same species in the Aquarium's premier 1 million gallon tank with its famed 54-foot-wide, 13-inch thick acrylic wall when it known as the "Outer Bay," Cripe said.

But now patrons will also see new species representative of many of the great migratory and schooling fish and other animals found where sharp winds whip up house-size swells and azure waters run deep — very deep.
Hiding in plain sight

The Open Sea exhibit, which opened July 2, also features a redesigned Ocean Travelers gallery that houses some of the ocean's most impressive long-distance swimmers and navigators, including young sea turtles and diving seabirds such as tufted puffins. One of the highlights includes a new interactive multimedia wall that's devoted to plankton, the microscopic animals that form the base of the food web in the oceans.

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'Curb Your Enthusiasm' season premiere review: Larry David enters a new period

I didn’t realize how much I’d missed Curb Your Enthusiasm until Larry David greeted a Girl Scout who asked if he wanted to buy some cookies with a genial, “I find them abhorrent but come on in!” It was as though he was beckoning us to join him as well. Back for another season of intentional insults and carefully constructed accidents that result in Larry’s agony, Curb began its eighth season with a few superb mix-ups and at least one classic moment.

Yes, Larry was still in the process of finalizing his divorce from Cheryl (Cheryl Hines). Yes, he was still hanging out with Jeff (Jeff Garlin), and putting up with Jeff’s abrasive wife Susie (Larry to Susie, entering wearing a chic camouflage print dress: “Good afternoon, General Petraeus”). Yes, Larry was still inadvertently making life miserable for Marty Funkhouser (Bob Einstein). And, yes, Larry continues to trade in stereotypes so deeply ingrained in the character that by this point, it barely seemed offensive that our hero would simply assume that discovering his lawyer wasn’t Jewish, but merely passing as a Jew was an automatic disaster. (Nice job, Paul F. Thompkins.)

But the stand-out, ultra-Larry moment in the season opener proved to be the scene in which Larry was compelled to instruct the Girl Scout, played by Justified’s Kaitlyn Dever, how to use a tampon. Everything about the scene worked. The perfectly silly but logical set-up that ended up placing the kid behind a bathroom door as Larry shouted instructions to the 13 year-old girl getting her first period was impeccable. (This was HBO’s truest blood this week.)

David’s physical and verbal fumbling throughout the scene was that marvelous combination of half-amateur-actor, half-comedy-pro performance style that can make him funnier than comic actors far more smooth and skilled.

If David can sustain the fine asperity he mustered here for the rest of the new Curbs, we’ll have a season that might match the Seinfeld reunion episodes last season, and carry Larry to new highs of lowness.

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Pena notches career best with 14 Ks

Right-hander Ariel Pena of the 66ers has always had a pretty good slider, which was his strikeout pitch on Friday.
But it was his fastball that was the key to his career-best 14-strikeout performance in Friday's 4-0 victory over the Mavericks. Pena allowed just two hits, walked three and hit another in six innings of work.

"The big thing has been his ability to command his fastball," Sixers pitching coach Dan Ricabal said. "He had been getting behind in counts with his fastball. If he's only throwing one pitch (the slider for strikes), then it's not as effective.

"The last two times (including Sunday at Bakersfield), he's been able to command his fastball, which makes his slider better."

Pena was able to throw his slider for a called strike early in the count, and get them to chase a slider out of the zone with two strikes. And you couldn't sit on the slider because his fastball was effective, too.

"I felt great," Pena said. "I had a good fastball, good slider."

Pena (7-3, 3.97 ERA) has been outstanding in back-to-back starts for the Sixers. He allowed six hits and one run while walking one and striking out four in seven innings at Bakersfield.

Pena's pitch count was over 100 at the end of six innings and it's the Angels' policy to remove starters in the minors when they get to that point, but Ricabal said Pena still looked strong.

"He was over 100, but he was stronger after six (Friday)
than he was throwing 83 pitches in seven innings at Bakersfield," Ricabal said.

In all, Sixers pitchers struck out a season-high 20 batters Friday against the Mavericks, the most in the league since 2009 and the first time the Sixers struck out that many in a game since 2007.

Not getting close

Jean Segura, the top prospect on the 66ers roster to start the season, hasn't played for the team since he was placed on the disabled list for the second time this season with a hamstring injury on May 28.
And he's not getting any closer.

At the time, the 66ers hoped Segura would be back the first half of July.

"He suffered a setback at Bakersfield (last weekend)," Sixers manager Damon Mashore said. "He was running and he wasn't 100 percent so we shut him down."

Segura was running and taking batting practice at the time, but isn't doing either now.

Mashore said it would be "a miracle" if Segura was back by the end of July, but there is no timetable currently for his return.

Friday night

Host Lancaster rallied from an early 5-0 deficit, scoring runs in every inning from the second through the sixth to record a 12-8 victory over the Quakes on Friday.

Anthony Jackson led the Quakes by going 4 for 5 with two home runs and four RBIs, while Preston Mattingly was 2 for 2 with a home run and three runs.

Jose Thompson led the way for the JetHawks, hitting two home runs and driving in seven runs.

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NCAA Football 12 Impressions

NCAA Football 12 has experienced its share of ups and downs in the lead-up to its Tuesday release. The series continues to present one of the strongest feature sets amongst sports games and comes off a well-regarded iteration. It has stumbled in the last month or so however as EA Sports committed several missteps that hampered anticipation levels and followed that with notable indications of desperation on their part to build back some excitement. After spending an extensive amount of time already with NCAA Football 12 here are my initial impressions of the offering with more coverage to follow over the coming days.

When it comes to gameplay there are no real flashy new features and it appears similar to last year but the actual experience is much more refreshing. The new tackling animation system pays immediate dividends leading to a much more wide-open feel on the field. That also results in momentum being better represented and the running game becoming potentially very effective. Considering I prefer to run downhill this is especially beneficial to that style, however getting into the open field with a shifty back or receiver can lead to more explosive plays.

Defense is certainly improved but I don’t believe NCAA 12 will be looked back upon as a “defensive year” for the series. There seems to be a fair balance between the offense and defense. One thing immediately noted was how much more often passes were being dropped by receivers when getting hit as they make the catch attempt or immediately after. The ball often gets jarred loose when hit under those circumstances forcing the QB to find receivers that are more open. That in turn that keeps completion percentages down and gives an advantage to those who find open space to place the ball.

The CPU seems to put up a better challenge than in the past but still has its share of issues. The CPU running game has been anemic and they especially struggle out of the shotgun and running the option. The QBs tend to hold the ball too long and take sacks – this seemingly having been done to cut down on the number of INTs. Coverage sacks will be plentiful.

What has annoyed me though? Two terrible animations that play all too frequently. One is a solo animation where a player runs upright in a half circle after a play ends. This can be noticed seemingly every couple plays and stands out even more in Road to Glory where the camera is always focusing in close to individuals. It’s infuriating that “I” celebrate in this fashion! There is a post-tackle animation where it looks like the player is seizing up while laying on the ground which looks bad as well. Both really need to be patched out.

The celebrations in general are completely detached and contextually rarely seem appropriate. Every player ends up on their own and overreacts to mundane plays while underreacting to the big ones. There are some cut scenes after TDs now that involve several players but they’ll sometimes happen in the wrong area of the field or involve players that wouldn’t have been there to celebrate. The proper on-field emotion is still lacking in the NCAA series.

This, along with commentary, would seem to be the presentation areas most desperately in need of complete overhauls or serious enhancements. Having played Madden NFL 12 the television style camera placement makes a big difference there and that will expose NCAA’s replays and cut scenes for being severely deficient. How many times on a TV broadcast following a play does the camera focus on random players running around in half circles or them bumping into each other constantly when just heading back to the line of scrimmage? How behind NCAA is with its post-play coverage will be realized soon enough.

The commentary is all too familiar and the addition of ‘Game Tracks’ has been a letdown. I’ve yet to have any besides the post-halftime one trigger and those have been mediocre and non-specific. It stands out that Erin Andrews isn’t saying the names of any players or coaches – instead just referring to everyone as “he” or their position. The concept is sound and it remains a welcome addition but it isn’t going to be near enough to hold off complaints about commentary or the need for more dynamic recounting of events during the game such as a halftime show.

Road to Glory is much more compelling this year….at least that is the case after getting out of high school. Though HS added the ability to play both ways and for a whole season the games take longer due to that and feel tedious – lacking any excitement or real draw. The new additions once in college though are good motivators and rewards but I feel that I may be progressing too quickly in “Coaches’ Trust”. The main downside to the mode is that it still favors positions that rack up stats. I’ll have a lengthy write-up on RTG mode tomorrow.

Online Play has not been possible due to the servers being down over most of the last few days so that will be covered in its own impressions article and/or the Hits and Misses review. I still want to dig more into Dynasty mode and play around with features such as the ‘Custom Conferences’. The Online Dynasty setup looks great bringing in all the features of offline including the ability to have coaches start as coordinators.

Random Observations
•The ‘Online Pass’ free trial is now just two days instead of a full week.
•Each game now only has save slots for three images and two highlights.
•Penalties other than ‘Holding’, ‘Offsides’, and ‘False Start” are rare (actually I’ve seen none).
•The CPU will occasionally throw the ball away instantly after a snap.
•The CPU always chooses to kick when winning the toss on the road.
•Auto saved highlights and screenshots are just as bad as ever.
•Even if set to not save those videos/screens still forced to sit through them at the end of game.
•Games played on neutral fields still give the ‘home’ team the crowd support.
•Only seen fumbles caused from big hits so far.
•CPU kickers have hit several 50+ FGs (one was a 55 yarder)


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Miracle of the Day - A REASON FOR LIVING

"In Dec. of 2000 I had a massive heart attack in my small one bedroom apartment in Michigan, I lived alone so it was quite awhile before an ambulance arrived. a lot of damage was done to the heart, which that within its self is a miracle for me to be alive. The people in Ann Arbor VA Medical Center said that there was nothing could be done because of the extent of the damage, but they forgot about JESUS, WHO sent the best Heart Surgen in the VA system who performed a double by pass, Every thing went well during surgery. While in recovery I stopped breathing, the crash cart was called, people were running in and out with blood, some were yelling with a sense of urgency, one nurse was crying. Four times I died and four times they brought me back, by THE GRACE OF GOD. My relatives were in the waiting room saw all this comotion and was praying and calling every one they knew to pray also. The doctor finally came in after they got me stable and told mother he didnt know if I would be a vegatable because I was out too long. Next morning the doctor came in and opened the blinds in my room waking me up. Everything was normal Because the GREATEST DOCTOR of all had a reason for me to LIVE, may I be worthy of his calling."

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