Clayton Kershaw is set to become the highest-paid player in baseball history. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw have agreed on a seven-year, $215 million contract, according to ESPN.com citing sources.

The Coupon would give Kershaw an average annual salary of $30.7 million, the highest in baseball history.

He could also opt out of the contract after five years, according to ESPN.

L.A. general manager Ned Colletti did not return a text seeking comment.

The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner and the Dodgers had been negotiating an extension on-and-off since last spring, and the urgency was increasing as he approached his final season before free agency.

Kershaw, who turns 26 on March 19, was one of 146 players to file for arbitration Tuesday, a list that also includes such stars as Max Scherzer, Chris Davis, David Price, Aroldis Chapman, Freddie Freeman, Craig Kimbrel and Giancarlo Stanton.

None has been as decorated as Kershaw, who has won the last three NL ERA titles. Now he will eclipse Justin Verlander's seven-year, $180 million deal with the Detroit Tigers that was a record for a pitcher, although Kershaw is still considerably short of the largest total contract ever, trailing Alex Rodriguez's $275 million contract with the New York Yankees.

Kershaw went 16-9 and established career bests with a 1.83 ERA and a 0.915 WHIP last season, when he led the NL in strikeouts for the second time in three years. He has a lifetime record of 77-46 with a 2.60 ERA.

The Dodgers have also expressed interest in Japanese free agent Masahiro Tanaka, who has until Jan. 24 to sign with a major league team.

Landing Tanaka would give L.A. a rotation featuring two Cy Young winners in Kershaw and Zack Greinke, along with Tanaka (24-0 in Japan), South Korean lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu (14-8 as a rookie in 2013) and either Dan Haren or Josh Beckett.

Kershaw, Greinke and Tanaka are represented by the same agent, Casey Close.

Read the original story: Report: Kershaw, Dodgers agree to record $215M deal

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Fargo, ND -- ( SBWIRE) -- 01/08/2014 -- One of the leaders in direct-check industry, Checks Unlimited was founded in Colorado Springs in 1986 with a vision to allow people to express themselves with every check they sign. The company, which now features a web based store and offers checks in over 70 designs along with a complete range of designer checkbook covers and other check-related accessories, once was the first major direct mail check printer. The company is known for its customer satisfaction, while its licensed range of designs features numerous American icons. Users can order their checks in customized designs and fully express themselves with the check-design range available on the online store. The store features several designs in its catalogue from the range of Animal Checks, Classic Checks, Deposit Slips, Disney Checks, Garden Checks, Photo Checks Recreation Checks and Warner Bros. Checks among several others, while the users can also select check types on this web based store. Business Checks are also available on this e-store, while some of the checkbook covers and accessories available here are a huge hit throughout the United States of America. Here are few things one would love to know before ordering a check design at this online store.

- ChecksUnlimited: Click to Save 70% off Coupon Code

- ChecksUnlimited: Click to BOGO Free Promo Code

- ChecksUnlimited: Click for Free Shipping Promotion

- ChecksUnlimited: Click and See All ChecksUnlimited

How to place an order?
The store features an easily accessible user interface, which is also protected by the 128-bit SSL encryption, which secures personal as well as credit card information of the user. After selecting the product users have to hit the "Continue" tab provided alongside the product description on the web based store, which will redirect them to the space provided to add Bank Information and then to the checkout window of the e-store.

What is the shipping policy?
The store takes outmost care for the satisfaction of its customers; hence it prints the checks only after the order is placed. It might take up to 10 business days for the package to reach the customer once the order is placed, however shoppers can expedite the process of printing and shipping by selecting different shipping modes offered by the store at the time of checkout.

Is there any return policy offered by the store?
No. The store works on on-demand basis; hence none of the product ordered at the online store can be cancelled, returned or exchanged once the order is processed. Therefore users are advised to select the particulars carefully, before checking out of the online store.

Are there any shopping deals or coupons available for Checks Unlimited?
Yes. You can find numerous shopping deals and coupons applicable on this online store throughout the year on OoHey.com. OoHey updates these shopping deals regularly so that none of them is missed by the shopper.

OoHey is an American web based archive, which allows shoppers to avail marvelous discounts on their online shopping, with its amazing Amazon Deal coupons and shopping deals applicable on almost all online stores operating in the States. Shoppers can find the most popular coupon releases under the "Popular" section on the home page of the website, while the latest coupon entries for all famous stores can be found under the "New Release" section on the home page of the website. Users can find all active coupon releases for the store of their choice by searching for it in the search box provided at the top of the home page of OoHey. The coupon code of the coupons available on the website has to be copied back to the space provided to add promotional coupons on the checkout page of retailer's website and the affected price would reflect instantly in the final cart value. Shoppers can also find numerous shopping deals on OoHey for almost all web based stores shipping to the United States of America. The website asks for no membership fee and the services are completely free to use, while users can also get regular updates about latest coupon releases directly at their email by subscribing to the newsletter of the website.

OoHey features numerous shopping coupons for this online store, among which the Item Sale Coupon is the most popular one. This coupon allows customers to buy 1 box of checks at $5.50; 2 boxes at $11 or 4 boxes at $16.50. Another coupon available on OoHey reduces the total order value by 50%-70% on bulk orders and also waives off the shipping charges on the same order. Shoppers can also purchase a box of checks at $5.50 and avail free shipping and free custom lettering on the same order with another coupon available on OoHey. If the shoppers intend to buy Duplicate Check boxes along with Single Check boxes, they can get it at a per box price of $7.50 for Single Checks and $8.50 for Duplicate Checks with another coupon available on OoHey. The Business Checks Coupon available on this website allows users to save 30% on Business Checks, while shoppers can make 30% savings on their order value with another coupon featuring on OoHey. With the Free Address Labels Coupon, shoppers can get Free Address Label when they purchase 2 or 4 boxes of checks. The coupon codes for all these coupons have to be copied to the space provided to add promotional coupons on the product description page of the online store and the discounted price would reflect in the final cart value instantly. There is a lot more one can avail with OoHey.com, so hurry up and find what OoHey has to offer.

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Offshore receipts of OAO Rosneft and OAO Surgutneftegas fell last week, extending their discounts versus Moscow shares, as Russian equity markets open after a four-day holiday.

Global depositary receipts of Rosneft, Russia's largest oil producer, slipped 2.5 percent in London last week, extending the Deal Today to the company's Moscow stock to 2.9 percent, the widest gap since January 2009. American depositary receipts of Surgut, the third-largest oil company, slid 3.7 percent to trade 3.2 percent below the local equity, the biggest gap since May. The Bloomberg Russia-US Equity Index fell for the first time in three weeks.

Oil, which together with natural gas accounts for about half of Russia's budget revenue, dropped the most in 19 months last week as a U.S. government report showed that inventories of gasoline and distillate fuel climbed. Rosneft's exports plunged 15 percent in December compared with the prior month, data from the Energy Ministry showed Jan. 2. Markets in Russia shut for national holiday Dec. 30 and are set to reopen today before closing for Orthodox Christmas tomorrow.

"The question is how much further oil prices will decline and that is what investors are concerned about as Russia's dependence on oil and commodity prices remains strong beyond doubt," Ivan Manaenko, the head of research at Veles Capital in Moscow, said by phone Jan. 3.

Veles Capital expects Brent oil will average about $100 per barrel in 2014, Manaenko said. That compares with $108.7 per barrel in 2013, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Oil Exports

Total Russian oil exports via OAO Transneft, the country's oil pipeline operator, fell 1.9 percent in December from the same month a year ago, Energy Ministry data show. Surgut's exports slipped 2.5 percent compared with a year ago.

In November, total Russian exports had risen 2.8 percent.

Crude for February slipped 1.6 percent to $93.96 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange for a 6.3 percent weekly slide, the biggest since June 2012. Brent for February settlement decreased 0.8 percent to $106.89 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

Supplies of distillate fuel rose 5.04 million barrels to 119.1 million last week, U.S. Energy Information Administration said Jan. 3. Gasoline inventories increased by 844,000 barrels to 220.7 million in the week ended Dec. 27. Fuel demand tumbled 7.2 percent, the biggest drop since January 2012. Crude supplies fell for a fifth week as refiners on the Gulf Coast curbed deliveries to reduce local taxes.

ETF Sinks

The Market Vectors Russia ETF (RSX), the largest dedicated Russian exchange-traded fund, retreated 2.7 percent to $27.76, the biggest weekly drop in four months. The Bloomberg Russia-US gauge slipped 1.7 percent to 99.88 last week, the lowest level since Dec. 20.

OAO Lukoil, Russia's second-largest oil producer, slipped 1.2 percent in New York last week, trading at a 0.5 percent discount to the company's Moscow stock, the widest gap since Nov. 20.

VimpelCom Ltd. (VIP), the wireless carrier with 219 million customers in 15 countries, had the biggest slide in seven weeks as it dropped 4.4 percent to $12.40. The stock was the worst performer on the Bloomberg-Russia gauge.

To contact the reporter on this story: Halia Pavliva in New York at [email protected]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tal Barak Harif at [email protected]

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Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images

If Stephen Curry continues his hot shooting touch he'll be looking over his shoulder at the rest of the NBA. This week he lifts the Golden State Warriors all the way to No. 5 in our rankings.

It's not very often - heck, it almost never happens - where there is a game when LeBron James is merely the second-best player on the basketball court.

But we saw it unfold on Thursday night down in Miami when Stephen Curry led the surging Warriors to a win over the Heat. The Warriors' guard amassed 36 points and 12 assists - becoming only the third player all-time against Miami to score at least 35 points and hand out a dozen assists in a game.

The other two? Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson.

The Warriors' seven-game winning streak and road victory against the two-time defending champs has propelled the Warriors into fifth place in our weekly NBA power rankings, up from 12th place. Curry has a lot to do with their rise.

"He's been spectacular all year long and this is the level he has played at," Mark Jackson said after his team racked up breast cancer christmas cards points, the most against the Heat this season. "I am so blessed to coach this guy because he is a better person than he is a basketball player. This guy is just an all-time great shooter, and when it leaves his hand, night-in and night-out, every possession, you're shocked when he doesn't make it. It's just a thing of beauty."

Curry finished making eight 3's - as many as the Heat's entire team - and got a lot of help from ex-Knick David Lee (32 points, 14 rebounds). But the night belonged to Curry.

"He controlled the tempo of the game," James said afterward. "He's one of the best shooters the NBA will see. The light he has is more than green - it's fluorescent."

High praise indeed from the four-time MVP.

Here's how we see the NBA shaping up, from top to bottom:

1. Portland (26-7) - Last week: 1
The Blazers have cooled off a little, but they're likely to heat right back up as they're in a stretch in which they play six straight games vs. teams with losing records, with five of those games in Portland.

2. Indiana (25-6) - LW: 2
The Pacers won 25 of their first 30 games, a franchise first, and get to play six of their next eight games at home, where they have already had 10 sellouts to match last season's total.

3. Oklahoma City (25-7) - LW: 3
After winning their first 11 games at home, they've dropped three of their last four in OKC. There is no question about it, the loss of Russell Westbrook drops them down a level.

4. San Antonio (25-8) - LW: 4
When the Spurs allow themselves to get pushed around, which isn't often, they end up losing to a team like the Knicks. "We should be embarrassed about how soft we played," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after his team lost its first game of the season to a team with a losing record.

5. Golden State (21-13) - LW: 12
After their best win of the season, against the Heat, the Warriors go for their eighth-straight win Friday night in Atlanta. This is a franchise that hasn't won as many as eight straight games since 2004-05.

6. Miami (24-8) - LW: 5
After getting shredded by Curry, the Heat get three very winnable games (vs. Orlando, Toronto and New Orleans) before heading up to New York to play the Knicks and Nets next week in back-to-back games.

7. L.A. Clippers (22-12) - LW: 6
The Clippers still haven't had a losing streak of longer than two games - a first in franchise history.

8. Houston (21-13) - LW: 7
Kevin McHale's team will try to break out of a two-game funk and back-to-back losses to Sacramento and Oklahoma City tonight vs. the Knicks.

9. Dallas (19-13) - LW: 8
The Mavs won three straight on the road (at Chicago, Minnesota and Washington) to go six games over the .500 mark for the first time this season.

10. Phoenix (19-12) - LW: 10
The Suns were supposed to tank the season, but they've been the surprise of the NBA, with a winning road mark (8-7) and a 6-6 mark against teams with winning records.

11. Atlanta (18-14) - LW: 14
You've really gotta feel for Al Horford. The heart and soul of the Hawks is gone for the season after tearing his right pectoral muscle. He previously tore his left pectoral muscle two season ago when he played in just 11 regular-season games.

12. Minnesota (16-16) - LW: 11
The Timberwolves have scored 120-plus points in six games, already matching a record for a season, set in 2010-11 and 1991-92.

13. New Orleans (14-16) - LW: 17
Only 7-14 against Western Conference rivals, the Pelicans will see if their luck changes against the East on their three-game trip that starts Friday night in Boston. But their two games after that are killers - at Indiana on Saturday and in Miami on Tuesday.

14. Toronto (15-15) - LW: 24
Maybe these Raptors are for real. They've gone 9-3 since trading Rudy Gay to Sacramento and have reached the .500 mark for the first time since Jan., 2010, when Chris Bosh was finishing out his career in Toronto.

15. Denver (14-17) - LW: 9
Brian Shaw has lost the magic touch. His benching of Andre Miller triggered an emotional outburst from the veteran guard, right on the bench, as the Nuggets had their season-high losing streak extended to eight games with a bad home loss to the Sixers. It also resulted in a two-game suspension for Miller.

16. Washington (14-15) - LW: 16
Twice this season the Wizards have flirted with going over the .500 mark for the first time since the 2009-10 season and twice they've failed.

17. Detroit (14-19) - LW: 13
December was looking great for Mo Cheeks' team, as they won seven of their first 11 games and looked like they might emerge as the East's third-best team. But they closed 2013 with a 1-5 mark, including some disturbing losses to Charlotte, Orlando and two defeats to Washington.

18. Memphis (14-17) - LW: 19
It's hard to believe this team went to the West Finals last spring, but Marc Gasol's knee injury has weakened them at both ends and accounted for their recent slide (5-9 in their last 14 games.

19. Charlotte (14-20) - LW: 18
The Bobcats are in the midst of a season-high five-game losing streak. That's not all. Heading into Saturday night's game in Sacramento they've lost 18 straight road games vs. Western Conference foes, by an average of more than 20 points per game.

20. Sacramento (10-21) - LW: 27
With Rudy Gay, the Kings have recently shown some promise, defeating Miami in OT at home (albeit with the Heat missing Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen and Chris Andersen) and then winning in Houston.

21. Utah (11-24) - LW: 28
The Jazz has been two different teams this season. Without Trey Burke, they lost 13 of their first 14 games. With their new playmaker, they've been respectable, going 6-5.

22. Nets (11-21) - LW: 21
Jason Kidd has to hope that the Nets' last-season win in Oklahoma City on Joe Johnson's buzzer-beater turns the season around, just as the Nets' win in OKC turned it around last season when P.J. Carlesimo was the coach.

23. Knicks (10-21) - LW: 25
2014 couldn't have opened on a better note, as Mike Woodson's team produced its best win of the season, over the Spurs in San Antonio.

24. L.A. Lakers (13-19) - LW: 15
The Lakers hit rock bottom with recent losses to Utah, Philly and the NBA-worst Bucks. If they're getting Andrew Bynum in a deal in the next few days, it means Pau Gasol will go to Cleveland. It will also mean the Lakers are in official tank mode, as they'll ax Bynum to save more than $20 million in payroll and luxury taxes.

25. Boston (13-19) - LW: 22
Sunday marks the start of a killer five-game road trip over only seven days for the Celtics, with games at Oklahoma City, Denver, the Clippers, Golden State and Portland.

26. Chicago (13-18) - LW: 23
It comes as no surprise that the Bulls have failed to crack the 40-percent shooting mark in 13 of their first 30 games, going 1-12 in those contests.

27. Philadelphia (11-21) - LW: 29
Thaddeus Young wants out of Philly and you can't exactly blame him, even if the Sixers have won three straight games.

28. Cleveland (11-21) - LW: 20
These are bad times in Cleveland. The grand Andrew Bynum experiment was a colossal failure and Kyrie Irving has been KO'd by a knee injury.

29. Orlando (10-22) - LW: 26
After playing the Heat in Orlando tomorrow night, the Magic take to the road to face the Clippers, Portland, Sacramento, Denver and Dallas. That stretch won't help coach Jacque Vaughn's won-lost
record.

30. Milwaukee (7-25) - LW: 30
These days out in Milwaukee, it's all about Aaron Rodgers and whether the Packers can beat the 49ers on Sunday in their NFL wild-card matchup.

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<apple christmas cardsp>In addition to the encrypted PINs, customer names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates and the embedded code on the magnetic strip on back of the cards were stolen from about 40 million credit and debit cards used at Target stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

Security experts said it's the second-largest theft of card accounts in U.S. history, surpassed only by a scam that began in 2005 involving retailer TJX Cos.

"We remain confident that PIN numbers are safe and secure," spokeswoman Molly Snyder said in an emailed statement Friday. "The PIN information was fully encrypted at the keypad, remained encrypted within our system, and remained encrypted when it was removed from our systems."

However, Gartner security analyst Avivah Litan said Friday that the PIN numbers for the affected cards are vulnerable, and people should change their codes since such data has been decrypted, or unlocked, before.

In 2009 computer hacker Albert Gonzalez pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and other charges after masterminding debit and credit card breaches in 2005 that targeted retailers such as T.J. Maxx, Barnes & Noble and OfficeMax. Gonzalez's group was able to unlock encrypted data. Litan said changes have been made since then to make decrypting more difficult, but "nothing is infallible."

"It's not impossible, not unprecedented (and) has been done before," she said.

Besides changing your PIN, Litan said shoppers should instead opt to use their signature to approve transactions because it is safer. Still, she said Target did "as much as could be reasonably expected" in this case. "It's a leaky system to begin with," she said.

Credit card companies in the U.S. plan to replace magnetic strips with digital chips by the fall of 2015, a system already common in Europe and other countries that makes data theft more difficult.

Target Corp. said it has been working with the Secret Service and the Department of Justice to investigate the breach.

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An opening reception for our January shows will be held Saturday, January 4, from 6 - 9 P.M. as part of the Nashville Downtown Partnership's First Saturday Art Crawl. Each exhibition will run through February 1.

Broadway Gallery & Ethel Smith Gallery: New Members Show Artwork by TAL's dozens of new members with exciting subjects rendered in a variety of new and interesting mediums. Award-winning artists specialize in fields such as portraiture, landscape art, wildlife and Nashville's vibrant music scene.

Featured artist - Dina D'Argo: Dina's world has always been about creativity, animals, and a spiritual connection to the Earth. She began drawing and painting at a very young age, and was encouraged to pursue a career in art and design. After earning her degree in Fashion Design and running a successful design and manufacturing business in Los Angeles, Dina yearned for greater creative freedom. She continued to draw, paint and create her mixed-media sculptural works as a side project until a serious horseback riding accident became a life-changing experience. Her recovery from brain and spinal injuries inspired her to return to her artwork, with a commitment to making that passion her priority.

While she has experimented with a variety of media, Dina currently chooses to concentrate on her acrylic paintings on canvas. Her style has gradually evolved into a dynamic mix of representational and abstract. With loose, bold brush strokes, lush colors and textural effects, she captures the grace and power of her subjects. While her subject matter varies widely, horses are an eternal favorite. Dina's horse images are dramatic metaphors for the human spirit; an unbridling of our desire for our own personal freedom and power. "As an artist, I have the privilege of creating my own reality on the canvas. Rather than simply presenting an image, I hope to engage the viewer in a way that asks them to use their imagination to complete the story."

Dina's work has been featured in galleries and private collations in Europe, Canada, southern California, Colorado, Oregon and Hawaii, among other places. Originally from coastal San Diego County, Dina now lives south of Nashville. Image attached: Law of Attraction, 30″ x 96." Acrylic and mixed media on canvas.

Featured artist: Dolly Gode (Dolly G) Dolly G is a traditional artist from Sofia, Bulgaria who currently lives in Tennessee and works in her home studio. She studied fashion design and marketing. In Europe she has worked as a designer, illustrator and marketing consultant. Her drawings have been published in books for children and featured in the special edition of "Amazing Pencil Portraits". Her paintings won "Best Exhibit Art Award" for 2008-09 in Texas and the Army Arts and Crafts Contest for 2012. Image attached: Yellow Bird, 10″ x 10." Acrylic and mixed media on canvas.

Featured artist: Amy Stielstra Amy Stielstra is an artist, illustrator, designer, set designer and graphic facilitator. She works as a "scribe" at the Vanderbilt Center for Better Health where her art facilitates a process designed to help organizations innovate and create strategic solutions and action plans. An award-winning visual artist, Amy's work has appeared in books, magazines and national advertising. In addition to commercial art, Amy also creates and shows fine art in a variety of media. Interactive pieces she produced while serving as the first artist in the Arts Council of Williamson County's Artist in Residence program were featured in the Tennessean (Nashville's major daily newspaper.)

In addition to her commercial art, Amy enjoys giving back by serving with the YMCA Art Embrace program and Kids On Stage Fine Arts Camp to teach art to school children throughout middle Tennessee. Amy also designs and builds sets for StarBright Childrens Theatre and Williamson County Schools. Amy has a Bachelor's degree in art and design from Central Michigan University. Amy Stielstra is a graphic designer, illustrator and fine artist with an eclectic range of styles and abilities. She works in various media including; pencil, pastel, watercolor, oils, acrylics and computerized illustrations and across styles ranging from abstract to cartoon to near-photographic realism. Image attached: Untitled (Red bird), approx. 14" x 14." Encaustic and mixed media.

TAL Members' Gallery Artwork by TAL's membership at large. Many mediums will be featured - oil, pastel, watercolor, acrylics, and pen and ink, as well as selected sculptures.

Featured artist: Cindy Billingsley Franklin, TN artist Cindy Billingsley is rare in that she can both sculpt and paint. To her these mediums are like speaking in two different languages - she might be able to express an idea better in one than the other. She spends her time working in bodies of series in both Wildlife and issues in society like Alzheimer's disease. With her art she wants to try and make a difference in the world, to bring awareness, to communicate and bring about change. Her sculptures have a real lifelike quality, especially her animals in clay. They look as though they could just get up and walk off. She prefers to capture the spirit and gesture of an animal in as few a details as possible.

She has been a painter from a very young age. Her love of animals drew her to the more unusual ones and solitary ones like the Okapi, and octopus. The artist spends most of their time alone in the studio and she found it interesting to be drawn to these types of animals. She has created work for national exhibitions, public art, and commissions. Cindy hopes that one day art will bring enough awareness that animals will always have a revered place in the world. Image attached: Chambered Nautilus, approx. 24" x 28." Fired ceramic & mixed media.

Poston Gallery: Laura Hudson, who lives in Nashville, has exhibited her work as part of Room in the Inn's Healing Arts Program community art exhibits since the project started in 2004. She uses color to bring her ideas to life as she draws with agility and confident speed. She likes to put a lot of detail in her artwork and let her pictures tell a story. Her subjects have included beautiful flowers, tropical island scenes, Victorian era scenes, and rural farm scenes. Many pictures show activity around a australian christmas cards or body of water. Pirates appear in some of these pictures. Her jungle pictures include lush tropical growth with creatures that inhabit the jungle.

She has had two of her artworks chosen for the conference theme of the annual Tennessee Disability MegaConference. She believes her artistic ability was gifted by the Creator! Image attached: Abstract Birds, marker on paper, approx. 14" x 18".

TAL Gift Shop: TAL's facility on 5th Avenue includes a vibrant storefront gift shop, featuring hundreds of unique and handmade artisan wares from local artists and craftspeople. Items include sculpture, woodworking, jewelry, wearable art, pottery, notecards, prints and small paintings, and holiday-themed decor. Pieces run from only a few dollars, up to investment-grade artwork. This Christmas, avoid mall crowds and buy quality goods made by Tennessee artists! All major credit cards are accepted.

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<Nikon D5300 Buy Cheapp>You can now download firmware for a number of Sigma lenses that should correct the problems Nikon D5300 users may experience with its lenses

UPDATE 22/11/13:

Sigma has released firmware to fix the problems with the following lenses:

・35mm F1.4 DG HSM A012 NIKON
・17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM C013 NIKON
・30mm F1.4 DC HSM A013 NIKON
・18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM A013 NIKON
・120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM S013 NIKON

The update should make these lenses fully functional with the Nikon D5300. See here for more information and the download link.

ORIGINAL STORY 19/11/13:

In a statement on its website, Sigma has said that the current firmware of its Nikon-fit interchangeable lenses 'may not work properly with the Nikon D5300's OS and Live View Auto Focus functions'.

Though it hasn't released specific details, Sigma has said that the problem occurs specifically with Nikon-fit interchangable lenses that incorporate an internal motor.

Sigma will be releasing a free firmware update tomorrow (November 20) that it says should correct the problem. You can contact your nearest Sigma dealer in order to receive the update; Sigma provides a full list here.

See Sigma's website for the full statement.

--

We recently completed the What Digital Camera review of the Nikon D5300

Source: Whatdigitalcamera

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<Nikon D5300 Cyber Monday Dealimg src="http://cdn.stupiddope.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/nick-nikon-undercovers-ep1.jpg">

You should be familiar with Nick Nikon, no he isn't a household name yet, but you really should be familiar with this young man. Today Nick returns with a brand new set of visuals for our viewing enjoyment, unleashing the clip for his track "Put It On Me", off his project, UnderCovers.

The video finds Nick doing his thing, hitting the studio to showcase his sounds, and gives us a dope clip that coincides with the dark, ballad sounding track. This shit is too damn dope, as is his latest project. Check out the video after the jump and speak your mind down below.

Signed, Jesse James

Short URL: http://stupidDOPE.com/?p=257615
Source: Stupiddope

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ePHOTOzine's Micro-Site Roundup - Find out what's been happening on our five Micro-Sites.

Posted:

Here's a roundup of the exclusive content we've got for you to have a read of on our five micro-sites this week:

On PENTAXPORTAL this week, you can take a look at some top tips for photographing seals with your Pentax camera, and check out some top Pentax sunset photos. Plus, the brand new K-3 DSLR has been reviewed on site this week, and there's news of new images from Ricoh Imaging brand ambassadors.

Over On EIZO ColorZone, you can learn how to perform a monitor viewing angle check and find out why ColorNavigator software is a great tool for aiding calibration. Plus, there's news of a new 3D CG colour management handbook that's now available.

Meanwhile, on Olympus Image Space this week, there are techniques on how to use blur creatively, and there's news on Olympus workshops taking place over the coming months with Damian McGillicuddy and Steve Gosling. Plus, news on the Olympus Impressions 'Fall' competition, and £100 accessory cashback when you buy an Olympus OM-D E-M1 camera have also gone live.

On Totally Tamron this week, you can learn some top tips for taking better photos of ice with your Tamron lens, plus there are some top Tamron portrait photos for you to take a look at. Don't forget to take a look at David Pritchard's blog the days zoom past, too, as he's been out-and-about with his newly acquired Tamron 24-70mm lens.

Last but not least, on Nikon Nation this week, you can check out some ideas and tips for on location portrait shoots, get creative with colour balance and lots more. Plus, don't miss the Nikon D5300 Deals DSLR review and news of ono-to one training with Nikon School in December.

Make sure you check back to the Micro-Sites regularly, as new and exclusive content is posted weekly!

Source: Ephotozine

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<Nikon D5300 Cyber Monday Dealp>

Nikon D5300 accessories
Mark Peters : October 24th 2013 - 14:50 CET

Nikon D5300 camera accessories : Nikon introduces Nikkor lenses and accessories for the new D5300. One of the D5300's greatest advantages is its compatibility with Nikon's wide range of Nikkor lenses and powerful system accessories. Combine the Nikon D5300 body with such versatile partners, and your creative options become limitless. Nikkor lenses are renowned across the world for their superior optical performance, and the new D5300 is compatible with the full range of DX-format lenses. From compact zoom lenses that are perfect for general use or travel, to fast prime lenses that enable beautiful 'Bokeh effect', as well as wide-angle and micro lenses, there is a lens for every photographic situation.

Nikon D5300 accessories
In addition to theNikkor lenses , Nikon Speedlights like the SB-400 and SB-700 open up opportunities to get creative with light, and optional wireless remote control devices like the Nikon WR-R10 and WR-T10 let you control key camera functions from a distance, even if there are obstacles between yourself and the D5300. Whichever you choose, you can enjoy the precision and flexibility to make the most of the camera's 24.2 megapixel resolution and capture pictures with amazing vivid colour and striking contrast, or experiment with great cinematic effects when shooting Full HD movies.


Nikon camera tools
For even more possibilities, a range of in-camera tools put creative techniques conveniently at your command. Enjoy optimum results in high-contrast situations with HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode or quickly capture perfect shots in various situations using any one of the 16 scene modes. When you want to explore different ideas, let your creativity run wild with the D5300 in-camera tools of special effects for photos and HD videos; evoke a certain mood by isolating specific colours, or create a retro look-and-feel with the Toy Camera effect. Visit the official site for more product information and availability of optional Nikon D5300 accessories.

Nikon D5300 accessories


Source: Letsgodigital

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<5s iphone cases otterbox black\/pink defender case iphone iphone 5s & 5sp>OtterBox's Commuter Series Wallet Case is now available for the iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy S 4. The protective wallet case is equipped with a sliding drawer that can hold up to three cards and extra cash. The drawer features an audible click closure system so you'll always know that your personal items are safely secure.

The case also includes an interior slip cover to protect against bumps and falls, a sleek exterior shell that easily fits into your pocket, and a self-adhesive screen protector that guards against scratches and smudges.

The OtterBox wallet case for the iPhone 5s and Galaxy S 4 is now available from OtterBox.com for $45. It is comes in black, glacier and primrose.

Here is a video of the case in action.

Source: Iphonefaq

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Asked during Apple's last earnings call if he feared the higher end of the smartphone market was nearing saturation, CEO Tim Cook said he did not. "I don't subscribe to the common view that the higher end, if you will, of the smartphone market is at its peak," Cook said. "I don't believe that."

Turns out Cook had good reason to take that view. In September, Apple launched a pair of new iPhones, the flagship iPhone 5s iphone cases otterbox black eyed susan and the mid-tier iPhone 5c, and a new analysis by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) shows that the higher-end 5s has been outselling the lower-priced 5c.

According to CIRP's survey of consumers who purchased Apple's latest iPhones during the last days of September, the 5s accounted for 64 percent of total iPhone sales following its launch that month. Meanwhile, the the 5c accounted for 27 percent, with the legacy iPhone 4S making up the remaining 9 percent.

So not only is the 5s outselling the 5c, it's outselling it more than two-to-one.

Welcome news for Apple, since cannibalization of the 5s by the 5c was a potential commercial risk for this iPhone cycle. CIRP's data suggests that the company has so far avoided it - though that's hardly surprising at this early stage. After all, the iPhone 5c was intended as a mainstream smartphone, the iPhone 5s as an enthusiast one - a "forward-thinking" device for forward-thinking folks. And enthusiasts are often early adopters.

What's more surprising is the iPhone 5c's sales performance relative to that of the iPhone 4S's following the debut of the iPhone 5. Despite the 5c's newness and its colorful design, it's not selling that much better than the 4S did when it was demoted to legacy iPhone by the flagship iPhone 5.

According to CIRP's analysis, the 5c accounted for 27 percent of iPhone sales during the time period surveyed - just slightly more than the 23 percent captured by the 4S during the same period last year. Remember, the new 5c is this year stepping into a role similar to the one the old 4S served last year: The $99 iPhone. But Apple has attempted to improve its value proposition, tricking it out with a new plastic chassis and color options.

Also worth noting: The iPhone 5 appears to have had a slightly more successful debut than the iPhone 5s, capturing 68 percent of new sales compared to the 64 percent captured by the 5s.

So, at launch, the iPhone 5s has proven more popular than the iPhone 5c. Will it continue to be into the new year? Or will sales slow a bit once the early-adopter binge has concluded?

"The relative performance of all three iPhones is generally in line with the performance of the similarly priced phones following the launch of the iPhone 5 in 2012," CIRP co-founder Josh Lowitz told AllThingsD. "Over time, the lower-priced phones have tended to gain share versus the flagship phone, after the initial rush of dedicated upgraders to the newest device. So we expect that the 5c will account for a higher percent of total U.S. iPhone sales in the coming months, but the design changes may alter that dynamic. The iPhone 5c may appeal to different buyers than the legacy 4S did last year, or the new 5s will this year."

Source: Allthingsd

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Every writer knows that at some point, there comes a time to write The End.

For us, this is it. After more than four years and nearly 1400 posts, the Longstockings have decided to close up shop on this blog. We've loved sharing our opinions, triumphs, failures, favorite books and more with you, but we feel that the blog has run its course.

We'll all still be online at our individual websites, blogs, twitter accounts, etc., if you miss us. And who knows, we might run into you at an event somewhere. Thank you for reading our posts, and for all of your thoughtful comments over the years.

Happy writing!

THE LONGSTOCKINGS

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If you're in the DC area, I wanted to let you know that author Jennifer Allison and I will be hosting a
Mother/Daughter Books & Tea event at Politics & Prose bookstore on Sunday,
October 10th at 4pm. We'll be discussing all things books, writing, and tweens!


The price of Admission is $6.00 per person, which will include tea, lemonade,
cake, and cookies. Attendees will also receive goody bags with a 20% off coupon
to purchase copies of our books if they should wish. Reservations can be made in
advance online here. (Hmm, this link isn't working for some reason, so click on the "Books & Tea" event link up above)

You can also walk in on the day of or phone the store for reservations at 202-364-1919.

I hope to see some of you there!

*caroline

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Yes, it's that time again! This is your opportunity for feedback from all of us on your WIP. Here's the scoop:

To enter, just send one email to [email protected] with the subject line: September Workshop. We'll be accepting entries through the first week of September.

The Longstockings will select one lucky writer (at random, from the emails we receive) to submit a maximum of 25 pages from their teen, tween, or middle grade novel. We'll all critique the writer's piece and a few weeks later, that writer will receive a document compiling the helpful notes, suggestions, and praise from The Longstockings!

*some fine print*
Contest winners agree to allow The Longstockings to share/discuss snippets of their submission on our blog. No part of The Longstockings critique can be used in any professional capacity, including blurbs and endorsements. Winners can choose to remain anonymous.

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To enter, just send one email to [email protected] with the subject line: September Workshop. We'll be accepting entries through the first week of September.

Quick wrap-up of how this whole thing works:
The Longstockings will select one lucky writer (at random, from the emails we receive) to submit a maximum of 25 pages from their teen, tween, or middle grade novel. We'll all critique the writer's piece and a few weeks later, that writer will receive a document compiling the helpful notes, suggestions, and praise from The Longstockings!

*some fine print*
Contest winners agree to allow The Longstockings to share/discuss snippets of their submission on our blog. No part of The Longstockings critique can be used in any professional capacity, including blurbs and endorsements. Winners can choose to remain anonymous.

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Apparently Emma Thompson, actress extraordinaire, will be writing a new Peter Rabbit book to be set in Scotland. It's due out in 2012.

Normally I would have a stomach ulcer over an actress writing a follow on book for a beloved, classic series, but I have this feeling Emma can pull it off. I LOVED her adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. I also loved Gregory Wise in it. Hello, gorgeous.

Where was I was? Oh yes, looking forward to the new Peter Rabbit!

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I had a lot of fun looking through this! But it is sadly lacking any YA, middle grade or picture book characters. Who would you nominate? My first vote goes out to FANCY NANCY!

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Taking reading breaks!

I know we've all heard this before, and usually the reason is to get away from your manuscript, read what's fresh and new on the market, be inspired by beautiful writing, etc.

But I'm suggesting it for a different reason. When you're a writer, you not only spend a lot of time revising your own writing, you tend to mentally revise other people's writing as well, especially if they're writing in your age group and genre.

So I'm suggesting you take a REAL break from writing and revising by reading something totally unrelated. I write contemporary MG and YA fiction, so I'll choose an adult biography, or some poetry from an anthology left over from my college days, or even a copy of Business Week. Anything that you can consider "restful reading," which allows that writing brain to turn off for a few days and recharge.

Go to it!

*caroline

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Against my better judgment, I read the new THEODORE BOONE, KID LAWYER by John Grisham.

Sigh. There is so much wrong with this book. First, a 13-yr-old law wiz? Second, an extremely cheesy, out-of-date narrator who actually uses phrases like "old-timers" and states that "13 year old boys want nothing to do with girls and girls feel exactly the same way." Um, excuse me?

I could overlook those things if the plot were exciting and suspenseful. It's not. I'll save you the read and just tell you -- nothing eventful happens. There is a central case Theo is following and it plays out precisely the way he thought it would on page 1. Yes, he gets involved and does influence the case, but nothing SURPRISING happens. And the adults end up swooping in and saving the day. And don't get me started on the best friend he never sees or talks to who just gets plopped in here or there as a side plot line.

Mr. Grisham, you are a successful adult thriller writer. Now stop patronizing young readers, do some research on the genre by reading CURRENT books, and then write a book for kids!

Judge's ruling: In contempt of court!

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Starbucks now has free Wi-fi!! Woot, woot, I say. That basically means it wants writers to come and hang out all day, yes?

So get ye to your local 'bucks and thank them for making us more welcome!

*caroline

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When I first decided to write a book under a pen name, I wondered what it would be like to do stuff in the persona of my alter ego. Would my status updates reflect my life or should she have totally different things happening, like all night salsa dancing fests and long weekends in Paris? (These are the things my regular ego dreams about and I figure what good is an alter ego if she doesn’t live out some of these dreams?) When people contacted the alter ego (aka Lila Castle) for interviews, should I mention that yes, I was Lila, but I was also Daphne? And when I did appearances as Lila, would I forget that Lila was me and look around expectantly when her name was called? It was all kind of fun to think about, except the forgetting I was Lila part, which made me a bit anxious.

The Star Shack has been out seven weeks now and while I don’t have it all figured out, I am making choices as I go. I decided to keep status updates that reflect my life- anything else just felt like a lie. In general I don’t mention that I am Daphne when I do blog interviews- it doesn’t seem relevant. I did a radio interview a few weeks ago and was unsure how to handle it there, but in the end decided that if there was any point where it felt like I was lying to answer as Lila, I’d mention being Daphne. But it never even got close- I answered questions about writer’s block and what my story was about, things that had nothing to do with my name. And so far so good on remembering I am Lila. I did a Barnes and Noble reading and was right there when Lila’s name was called. And I was very careful when signing books to sign Lila and not Daphne (this was a fear I hadn’t considered until I was signing books at a book fair back in June).

There may be pitfalls ahead but so far I am enjoying my double life!

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To enter, just send one email to [email protected] with the subject line: August Workshop. We'll be accepting entries through the first week of August.

Quick wrap-up of how this whole thing works:
The Longstockings will select one lucky writer (at random, from the emails we receive) to submit a maximum of 25 pages from their teen, tween, or middle grade novel. We'll all critique the writer's piece and a few weeks later, that writer will receive a document compiling the helpful notes, suggestions, and praise from The Longstockings!

*some fine print*
Contest winners agree to allow The Longstockings to share/discuss snippets of their submission on our blog. No part of The Longstockings critique can be used in any professional capacity, including blurbs and endorsements. Winners can choose to remain anonymous.

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The twins are back! And they're estranged!

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Waaay back in June, The Longstocking read and critiqued a wonderful YA novel-in-progress as part of our Monthly Workshop Contest. There was a lot to praise in this novel, and we're all certain we'll be seeing this book in stores one day soon!

Miss June started her novel right in the middle of all the action -- lots of action! Then in Chapter Two she went back a few months, to the real beginning of the story, to what led the main character on the path that ended in that crazy situation!

Our main writing advice for Miss June was to begin at the beginning.

While beginning at the crisis scene can seem very exciting, the reader hasn't had a chance to know the main character yet, so we don't really feel connected to her. Starting at the beginning lets the reader go through the events of the story along with the main character, and when all hell breaks loose, we'll feel like we're right there with her! And we'll care because we know this girl and we want her to succeed.

Here's what Miss June had to say about her critique:

"When I received my feedback from the Longstockings, I was so impressed by how hard they worked to thoughtfully critique my piece. Everything they suggested was spot on. It is so helpful to, not only have fresh eyes read your WIP, but professionals who know what works. This experience has helped to jolt me out of habits that slow down my pacing. I feel rejuvenated, focused, and ready to tackle the rest of my novel! Thank you!!"

No, thank you, Miss June! We really enjoyed your submission. Good luck with it!
:-)

The Longstockings

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