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|6 years ago :: Jan 23, 2012 - 1:42PM #1
Over these last 23 years of sober living, I've gradually become convinced that alcoholism was about the only thing that ever would have forced me to confront my previously denied and undiscovered innermost self. A lot of us take the steps only far enough to become better actors in the various roles we play in our lives as spouses, parents, employees, etc. And there are tangible rewards for that, because people start treating us better.
But in due time the novelty of all that starts to wear off, and then there's a thud. A lot of us conclude, often with the connivance of sponsors or therapists who are perhaps a tad too eager to get involved, that it's because we've left some crucial stone unturned in our inventories and amends. Maybe that's often true, but I think it's only part of the story, and I say that because I've known too many people who've repeated these steps, in some cases literally for decades, but the thud always comes back. So then they do what we alkies do best-- they try the same thing over and over again, each time expecting a better result.
After several such attempts, accepting and enduring the unattainability of lasting happiness eventually becomes a virtue in its own right, their (sniff) heavy cross to bear in this valley of tears, and their message is that anyone who doesn't suffer this chronic malaise is simply in denial or isn't working their program properly. Not surprisingly, these folks are often in the vanguard of sponsorship and service work, but I'll leave that aspect of it aside for the moment.
I've also come to believe that what we call stress or unhappiness is simply energy misdirected, like the sparks that fly out of short-circuited wire. I believe that each of us has within ourselves a creative potential, a dream, or if you prefer, a myth for our lives that will either save us or destroy us if we don't realize it. That's why I regard my alcoholism as a gift, a wake-up call to tap the undiscovered self, rather than a burden or having to settle for a second-rate life using one step or another to squelch any spark of joy that might arise under the notion that recovery is primarily a program of puritanical taboos and prohibitions.
Most of the people I know who've found lasting and constantly renewable happiness in sobriety are those of us who've discovered or rediscovered, nurtured and disciplined ourselves to pursue a passion for some craft, skill or art that engages us creatively in our daily lives. This impulse prodded us at first to seek, and then we soon found in our contact with the world directly in front of us, an effective way to get over ourselves by seeing and relating to the "wow in the now" rather than looking at life as an obstacle course to navigate without drinking.
I love this quote by Thomas Merton:
"It is not humility to insist on being someone that you are not. It is as much as saying that you know better than God who you are and who you ought to be. How do you expect to arrive at the end of your own journey if you take the road to another man's city? How do you expect to reach your own perfection by leading somebody else's life? His sanctity will never be yours; you must have the humility to work out your own salvation in a darkness where you are absolutely alone...
"And so it takes heroic humility to be yourself and to be nobody but the man, or the artist, that God intended you to be. You will be made to feel that your honesty is only pride. This is a serious temptation because you can never be sure whether you are being true to your true self or only building up a defense for the false personality that is the creature of your own appetite for esteem. But the greatest humility can be learned from the anguish of keeping your balance in such a position: of continuing to be yourself without getting tough about it and asserting your false self against the false selves of other people."
From New Seeds of Contemplation, New Directions Publishing Co. 1961, pp. 100-101
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|6 years ago :: Jan 26, 2012 - 2:31AM #2
Nice quote and good points. The wise man realizes his enemies are really his best friends-for it is they that allow for growth toward happiness in this world. This is what I think of based on your alcoholism discussion here. I would also say this: Sometimes I wonder if it takes utter despair, you know, boiling in the middle of hell.... to find the self. Does it take horrible suffering at the foundations of life to get us human beings to seek something more, something beyond materialism, beyond desires in general? I wonder, I hope not. While it's worth it, that suffering is a bitch and seems dangerous-just like addiction.
I would however disagree with the claim of humility in your quote. True humility is that point at which you realize you know NOTHING, and never really have.... while replaced with a glimmer of the ultimate truth. Including the realization that all those things that happened.... were caused by YOU, not "them"-that you were driving the car the whole time. With such true humility comes overwhelming hope-as you're driving the car in the present and the future too.
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|6 years ago :: Jan 26, 2012 - 8:51AM #3
OK, so let's make sure we both mean the same thing by the word knowledge. In the sense you're using it here, is it synonymous with certitude, or is it provisional and subject to change? In my own use of the word, my meaning is generally consistent with Michael Polanyi's take on it as reflected in this passage from Personal Knowledge:
"... I have come to the conclusion that the principle by which the cyclist keeps his balance is not generally known. The rule observed by the cyclist is this. When he starts falling to the right he turns the handlebars to the right, so that the course of the bicycle is deflected along a curve towards the right. This results in a centrifugal force pushing the cyclist to the left and offsets the gravitational force dragging him down to the right. This manoeuvre presently throws the cyclist out of balance to the left, which he counteracts by turning the handlebars to the left; and so he continues to keep himself in balance by winding along a series of appropriate curves. A simple analysis shows that for a given angle of unbalance the curvature of each winding is inversely proportional to the square of the speed at which the cyclist is proceeding.
And elsewhere:
"We can account for this capacity of ours to know more than we can tell if we believe in the presence of an external reality with which we can make contact. This I do. I declare myself committed to the belief in an external reality gradually accessible to knowing, and I regard all true understanding as an intimation of such a reality which, being real, may yet reveal itself to our deepened understanding in an indefinite range of unexpected manifestations. I accept the obligation to search for the truth through my intimations of reality, knowing that there is and can be no strict rule by which my conclusions can be justified...
(From Knowing and Being, p. 133). Emphasis in the original)
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|6 years ago :: Jan 26, 2012 - 1:02PM #4
I never used the word "knowledge" in my post, so your response doesn't really make sense to me. I was talking about humility rather.
However, I would point out that the problem with your new quote is the claim of "external reality". I believe there is only ONE reality, and it is not external, it is everything, including us. The problem with seeking ultimate truth outside the self is that it is a cage upon the mind. Like the elephant who has been chained since infancy-who never realizes it can no longer hold him. The truth exists within us. And what we see/experience tends to be subjective delusion-but that doesn't mean the reality isn't with us all the time, for that reality is objective.
Seeking outside the self is the root problem with the "higher power" concept. It limits us and teaches us that we cannot be free in this world, for we are at the mercy of external things. That's not true. It's not easy, but real living is when your life condition is based within, not dependent on external factors...
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|6 years ago :: Jan 26, 2012 - 1:09PM #5
To answer anyway though (even though we were not talking about "knowledge"): I don't care much about knowledge. One could know a great many things yet not be happy, ie not have knowledge of life (for that is not really "knowledge" but rather it is "wisdom"). Wisdom is all that matters. Wisdom is "knowledge" of the ultimate truth. But it is not a mental knowledge, but one that is lived. With that in mind-you also cannot own it like you can knowledge. You are either living it, or you are not, in THIS moment-the only one that matters. And life is not static, so while I may have had wisdom yesterday-I might lose it by today... It has nothing to do with age or experience or knowledge. Instead I would argue it can only be found through sincerity and humility. Clearly this has nothing to do with "knowledge" as it seems to be defined by your recent post. So again-I know a lot about a few things, economics, star wars figures, real estate, etc. But none of those things helps me live in the moment, for knowledge is not wisdom and the two have nothing to do with each other. Theory is irrelevant without faith.
This wisdom is objective-there are not different versions of it. Truth is truth. There is no such thing as your truth or mine, truth stands alone-to be found by those who seek it.
Just trying to discuss your knowledge issue as best I can in an effort to dialog with you.
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|6 years ago :: Jan 26, 2012 - 1:35PM #6
I still don't understand what you mean by knowledge here. From the way you're using the word, it sounds like you're limiting its meaning to abstract ideas with which one happens to agree. So let me ask you this question. If you see a man riding a bicycle down the street, do you assume it is knowledge or humility that keeps him from falling down?
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|6 years ago :: Jan 26, 2012 - 5:44PM #7
I certainly wouldn't call it humility, but you could call it "muscle knowledge" I suppose. Humility is not something attained from fear of pain-that's a very distorted definition which appears to be applied here.
I also would not liken humility to "common sense", as in - being careful on a cliff-that's not humility, that is the common sense even a dog has, also again called fear of death or severe injury. I've been clear about my meaning of humility-there really should be no confusion on that. And hopefully I've clarified knowledge here, although I don't see the importance of the bike riding analogy-nor that it has a thing to do with humility.
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|6 years ago :: Jan 26, 2012 - 6:28PM #8
I think we're talking about basically the same things here, but with slightly different vocabularies. I see the steps as a set of acquired skills very much like the "muscle knowledge" that is required to ride a bicycle. As a matter of fact, I've seen dozens (or is it hundreds? I forget...) of newbies come into AA, grasp the "Program" as one would a theological system, eventually get bored with it all and drink again. It's not the content of their beliefs that seems to betray them, but the way in which they engage life in sobriety. And I do have to agree with you. By their own accounts, the theists have a much harder time staying sober and report struggling to maintain a concentrated effort to stay "on the beam" 24/7. Some do indeed stay sober that way, but they never quite seem to acquire a taste for it, if I could put it that way.
To them the steps are rules to be broken under the threat of getting drunk if they don't, or at least that's how they themselves express it. Unfortunately, they also assume that the rest of us suffer from the same limitations and they lecture us accordingly. Sometimes just being minimally polite is the best I can do under the circumstances. But that too has been a learned skill, if you see where I'm going with this.
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|6 years ago :: Jan 26, 2012 - 6:38PM #9
I agree with all that. And it's nice to dialog with someone on this board :) Up til now, I've simply heard parroting of AA slogans and closed minded, narrow statements from people here who somewhere along the way forgot the rule that "everyone is your teacher" and also how to listen to others.
I was speaking with a friend of mine earlier who has what I would call a "good program" (by this I mean he has a good quality of life in sobriety) which I find very rare in AA rooms-so frankly, whatever most of them have-I don't want it. Anyway, we were talking about this and he pointed out there's more to it than "not drinking", and specifically he said (to a hypothetical, yet common AA member) "You were an asshole when you were drunk, and you're an asshole sober". That sums it up and reiterates your point as well.
I don't know if theists have an easier or tougher time. But to stop thinking definitely lowers quality of life. I also find it is common for those of us prone to addiction to of course, "switch addictions"... perhaps it's bowling, or golfing, or ... AA. Drunks at their base level are in fact fanatics. So while quitting drinking may save lives, teeth, livers and so forth-it's not much of a program if they don't practice life; if they don't improve themselves truly. So yes, this whole deal is a lot more about life to me than "not drinking".
Yet-several people on here have basically said to me that if I don't adhere to the program, I'm just dumb and belligerent and have a lousy program. Yet I've never had a "slip" (although old timers get quite excited at the concept and call it nonsense), and my quality of life has improved immensely and today my life is stable and makes sense. So they can say what they wish-but simply by making huge assumptions about my life based on my beliefs, and quickly filing me in a very small filing cabinet with apparently two folders-they tell me a lot about THEIR program and how deep, or shallow it is.
Anyway-the point of course is that yes, it's all about how we live from that point on and how we improve ourselves. I always argued that "alcoholism" is NOT the disease, sadness is. That might make an interesting topic as well-or at least get some more blood boiling from those who don't believe in "live and let live".
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|6 years ago :: Jan 26, 2012 - 7:19PM #10
Even more disconcerting than the theism itself is the overtone of parental or institutional authority that goes with it. Every theology, and indeed every anti-theology for that matter, implies a model for how society is supposed to be governed. Needless to say, the theists fancy that as spokesmen for the divine, their rightful place is at the top of the heap. But the peculiar genius of AA is that it doesn't have any oficial positions of authority to which these folks can aspire. There's no rank of bishop in AA, but for God's sake don't ever tell that to some of my dearest friends.
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kook climate denier Charles Krauthammer appeared on Fox News' "Special Report." Let's put it this way: He could have chosen his words more carefully. And don't get me started on his willful ignorance and utter disregard for the lives of every man, woman, and child on this alarmingly changing planet.
Charles Krauthammer:
I'm not impressed by numbers, I'm not impressed by consensus.
These are things that people negotiate the way that you would negotiate a bill, because the science is unstable. Because in the case of climate, the models are changeable and because climate is so complicated, the idea that we who have trouble forecasting what's going to happen on Saturday in the climate could pretend to be predicting what could happen in 30, 40 years is absurd."...
It's always a result of what is ultimately what we're talking about here, human sin with pollution of carbon. It's the oldest superstition around. It was in the Old Testament, it's in the rain dance of Native Americans -- if you sin, the skies will not cooperate.
This is quite superstitious...
He's not impressed by consensus. I'm not impressed by his offensive stupidity.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The home of Chris Grimm, Journal Star assistant news editor, was damaged during the November tornado in Washington. He is sharing his story with periodic updates about his family's experience.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The home of Chris Grimm, Journal Star assistant news editor, was damaged during the November tornado in Washington. He is sharing his story with periodic updates about his family's experience.
WASHINGTON — There was a point in the process when desperation took over.
"Look, I understand this is a job for you," I told our insurance adjustor, "but this is my life we are trying to put back together. "
There wasn't anger attached to the plea. I was begging. I was frustrated. It had been more than seven weeks since the Nov. 17 tornado carved through parts of Pekin, East Peoria and Washington. My home, though standing, was among the more than 1,000 damaged in Washington.
We were lucky. We knew that minutes after the tornado hit, and we know that now. My home is located just four houses from complete devastation. Included in that devastation are two homes owned by my in-laws. In the weeks and months since the tornado, I've watched my family, friends and neighbors go down different paths toward putting their lives back together.
Insurance adjustors are a big part of those paths.
When I met our first adjustor a few days after the tornado, the word he used most often was process. He said it numerous times. That word made sense to me. I even took comfort in it. Process to me meant moving forward.
Putting my home back together was going to be a process. Putting the homes of my in-laws back together was going to be a process. Putting my neighborhood back together was going to be a process. Putting Washington back together was going to be a process.
Since a few days after the tornado, my wife, son and I have been living in a two-bedroom apartment in Morton — an apartment we have through April. My son is still attending school in Washington and is driven to school each day.
While I realize we are fortunate to have our house, this is just an example of what one family is going through. I'm sure other central families have their own stories — some better, some worse.
The process has been slow going. It took more than five weeks to get an estimate from the adjustor. The adjustor's financial estimate was half of what the contractor was estimating.
Here it was Jan. 2, more than seven weeks since the tornado, and the deep cold we were experiencing made it feel like my home was frozen in time. The outside was beaten and broken. A blue spray-painted "OK" was still prominently displayed on the nailed up garage door. The front windows were covered with plywood. The roof had a sprawling blue tarp across it which kept blowing off. Inside, glass spread across the floors. Cracks and water damage could be seen on the walls and ceilings. It was the same house we left the night of the tornado. Nothing had changed.
What made it worse was the progress going on around us. Neighbors had crews fixing roofs and putting up siding. Windows were being replaced. Work was being done. There were even promising signs of rebuilding from houses that had been leveled.
Somehow, the process had stalled at my home.
With such a wide gap between my adjustor's estimate and what the contractor, Scott Coppejans of El Paso, was saying, the four of us had a meeting to bridge the gap. My wife and I didn't feel comfortable moving forward with the repairs until the two sides were closer in agreement.
On Jan. 2 we had that meeting. The contractor came down. The adjustor would not budge. That's when desperation took over, and I made my plea.
It didn't work.
The next day I called the insurance company and asked for a new adjustor.
For us, this was part of the process.
On Jan. 9, we met the new adjustor at the house.
His name is Dwayne Funches. When I saw him, I knew who he was. He's only a little taller than I am, but he's a mountain of a man. Up until him walking through my front door, the image of Dwayne Funches that stuck in my mind was that of an undersized forward/center battling under the basket for the Bradley Braves from 1992 to 1996.
What I remember of Funches on the basketball court is a player that continually hustled, had a nose for the ball, played hard and maximized the talent he was given.
Funches is that kind of adjustor. We spent more than five hours going through the house with the contractor. Funches had a new estimate that night. The next day he had a check in the mail.
If you were to drive down my street today, you would see real progress. New construction is beginning. Many homes that were left standing appear to have their repairs fixed.
When you get to my home, it looks much the same as it did after the tornado, but we know that there's progress on the inside.
It's easy to think you are alone in the process. It's easy to think that everyone is going at a much faster pace. I've had to tell myself several times, "It's not a race."
My conversations with neighbors, friends and family tell a different story, however.
Whether rebuilding from scratch or repairing what was left, I haven't heard a story yet where the process was smooth.
Chris Grimm is assistant news editor for the Journal Star. He can be reached at email@example.com.


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the performance was good not great
this is why medley for new songs always doesnt work
what I remember only big fat drag doing chest bump and splitting and that hot sexy dude wearing pink underwear
the performance was good not great
this is why medley for new songs always doesnt work
what I remember only big fat drag doing chest bump and splitting and that hot sexy dude wearing pink underwear
Kesha was the best performer along with pink yesterday.
Anyway I didnt like the perfo and want christina back ASAP
RELAX you guys, She will be performing Just a Fool tonight on the voice.
There was just waaay too much going on in that performance.
Also, If the clothes don't fit, STOP wearing them..
Pink and Taylor were amazing though.
I love how taylor won best country artist and then performed a pop song with wobbles in it
Not gonna lie, I'm a total Taylor fan.. but that aside, I liked it because it wasn't just her sitting there with a guitar, ya know? It was something different and the choreography was amazing!
I agree that she's not country anymore (I don't mind that!) and no, she's not the greatest singer, but i still happen to like pretty much all her songs.
Kesha surprised me too! And it's about time Pink some new awards. Seriously, she's one of the best live singers out there.
I'm so confused. I love the album but the image and the marketing have been horrible. I just wish I could have had control over her image and promotion.
SN: Pink's performance was easily the best of the night.
I'll give Tayor Swift this: that girl can write some awesome songs. l just wish someone else sang her songs. I find it ironic that after all this money she's made, it appears she can't afford a vocal coach cause she still sounds the same as the first time I heard her. No vocal progression at all.
Just a pity B2B came out way back when...would have been a massive smash if it were released today (with her not wearing ridiculously odd outfits and instead 40s-60s), riding the wave off Adele and all that jazz.
I don't like Lotus era at all. Not liking the songs, her style, her performances, even her voice of all things sounds a bit off on her recent live performances.
thought Xtina looked like Gaga in her AMA performance.
Finally listened to my copy of "lotus" and i really wanted to like it but it was too generic sounding, and xtina was bludgeoning my ears with her oversinging ( i think she knew the materials were weak thus overcompensating with her oversinging). Stripped and Back to basics were just really superior than lotus.
That being said i only liked the intro lotus, and the bonus tracks shut up and light up the sky.
a very decent performance of Just A Fool
the vocal wasnt very great but at least better from her last
and did anyone watch that episode
I read on twitter she's a lil coughing and rasping with her voice when commenting the contestants
so she's a bit sick?
if this true, well Im glad she could do a performance like that
rocketing on iTunes
I hope it can pull enough to stay there until radio release Dec 4th
The Just A Fool performance was beautiful. I loved it...I love when she tries to sound softer like that performance or the AMAs.
Oh and I'm in love with this:
I was so relieved after 'Just A Fool' and if you look closely, Christina looked relieved as well lol.
I actually bought 'Lotus' and my favorite tracks are 'Just a Fool', 'Make the World Move', 'Light Up the Sky', 'Blank Page' and 'Empty Words'.
My favorite Christina song is "Lotus Intro"
Eternal youth and endless life. I'll sacrifice everything and everyone to obtain it
Why do I get the feeling that Christina and Co. were like, 'Oh shit...this album isn't doing too good. Let's try and get as much promo in as possible!' 3 performances in 3 weeks...at least the last two have been pretty good (loved 'Just a Fool'!).
Maybe she can salvage this album...
Wow 4 performances in a week. That's a lot! She's working hard on trying to promote (a little bit too late to be honest, but I guess better late than never). I'm happy and I'm enjoying this performances but I don't see how Lotus can be saved now...She didn't do ANY promotion for 2 months since she released Your Body and now she's trying to makeup for all the wasted time...
Anyways here's the Let There Be Loved performance from The Voice, HD:
the album isnt great and its also not doing great on the charts. sad. wanted xtina to really kill it with this new cd.
So Christina debuts at #7 on the Hot 100. Bionic did start higher and with a better first week sales number too. I hope she promotes the album heavily in the coming weeks to prove my point that promotion isn't her biggest problem.
Upon sampling the songs on youtube, I'd say Just a Fool is the strongest song on the album, followed by some of the ballads. She evokes the best emotions in the ballads. "Your Body" was actually one of the worst songs on the album in my opinion (along with other Max Martin tracks).
But I'm not going to bother buying this album. Did buy Just a Fool off itunes though!
I've been playing this album non stop and I like it. A lot. I don't think it's her best album but it's a good album.
That's so... unfortunate. I was, hoping she'd make a cmeback this time, but 'Lotus' sold even LESS than 'Bionic'. Much Much Much less.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was all karma, but XTina hasn't doesn't anything to deserve that.
In an interview with the LA Times, Christina addresses the internet accusations that she has ripped off Lady Gaga's look wholesale.
"You know, that's funny that you mention that," she said.
"This person [Lady Gaga] was just brought to my attention not too long ago. I'm not quite sure who this person is, to be honest. I don't know if it is a man or a woman. I just wasn't sure."
general public seem dont know she has a new album Lotus
she should have created an awareness not just a coach on number 1 hit show only
Imma kill this hoe if she promotes her finalist Dez Duron or The Voice instead of her new album on Ellen
oh well she performs there too
The fact that she decided to take a year off The Voice to tour before even releasing Lotus shows that she & her team probably decided to cut back funds from album promotion and put more towards tour promotion because its actually usually much more profitable to tour than to just sell albums and singles.
At this point it actually makes sense for Christina to tour than to sell the album. Sure the album sales would help but the tour is where she can really pull in the $$$. The artists that tour usually earn far more than those that just sell albums and CDs. Last year, of the top 10 money makers in music (money earned through their music ventures only), 9 out of 10 were people who toured. The exception was Adele only.
So yea, Christina has a great live voice and so it would make sense for her to get Beautiful on stage than to promote more awful hot mess Max Martin tracks. Let's not forget this girl can sing people off the stage if she wants to
And for the most part her voice even if not perfect sounds like 10x better than some other artists out there
I don't really like Lotus but if she toured now I'd go just to see her perform some of her older tracks which I love.
PS: Why don't you be a dear and go revive Britard's dead thread? You can post your passive aggressive old ass shit there and I'm pretty somebody will actually find it amusing. Maybe you can even find pictures of Gaga's dick so we can stop wondering how long it is.
I like a few of the album's tracks. Lotus, Army of Me, Let There Be Love & Sing For Me. The others might grow on me I guess.
As much as I dislike her character, I do feel quite bad for her- although egotistical and pretentious, she really is passionate about her career.
all I wanna see you in is just
I miss Xtina on SNL
please Lotus era
Positive article about Xtina, makes good points about how success might not be instant:
From: http://thatgrapejuice.net/2012/11/ch...d-1-your-body/Christina Aguilera Scores Billboard #1 With 'Your Body'
It's common-knowledge that Christina Aguilera's 'Lotus' campaign has been rocked by many a speed-bump.
Indeed, its lead single 'Your Body' was never performed, which led to slow album sales, which ultimately resulted in more media muck being hurled at the singer.
However, it appears several positive facets to the project are beginning to emerge – one being the fact that, as of this week, 'Your Body' can officially be deemed a chart-topping Billboard hit.
Details below…
The Max Martin produced cut jumped #2-#1 on this week's Billboard Dance / Club Chart. And while some may scoff at the "relevance" of the said tally, anyone who's (even a little) versed in PR will know that a Billboard #1 of any sort is still a Billboard #1 – which ever way its spun.
The impressive feat comes in the week the song's video hit 30 million views on Youtube and when 'Lotus' shows evidence of staying power on the album charts. For, according to Hits Daily Double, the LP's second week run registered an impressive(ly low) 26% drop on its first week figure (75,000) – shifting another 54,119 copies.
It's imperative to underscore the fact that much of said sales are likely attributable to the album being featured in a $5.99 Black Friday deal at US retailers Walmart and Best Buy. Put simply, the true test of whether the project will ultimately sink or swim will be its performance in the weeks and months ahead.
Thankfully for Xtina, the said period seems to be just what the Promo Dr ordered. Indeed, December 7th sees her perform on 'Ellen', while she also features on Blake Shelton's upcoming Christmas TV special. Add to this the fact that The Voice coache's new single 'Just A Fool' is officially sent to radio on December 4th, and the tide seems like it's turning in the 31 year old's favour.
With The Voice drawing nearer its finale too, here's hoping Xtina and her team seize any and every promotional opp to ensure 'Lotus' maxes out its chart potential. For, echoing earlier sentiments, commercial comeback's aren't always as instant as they could or should be. Hence, from our vantage point, Gold certification (500k sold) should be the goal-post here, which -if achieved - creates a sound foundation for Platinum flavoured success with future projects.
Needless to say, we'll be keeping a close eye on how this all plays out.
Without Dez in her team, it means she's the only coach right now that has no contestants left...I hope this wakes her up and makes her realize that she needs to get off her ass and promote and make middle America like her a bit more.
I feel you Christina!
Xtina's hairdresser posted on his Twitter that he's gonna do black hair very soon. I'm too lazy to look for the tweets now but it's probably going to be full black hair and even a new haircut. Thoughts?
I loved how she looked with black hair back in 2003, she was hot!!! I am aware that in this time the Snooki comparisons are gonna be inevitable but I don't care, I love when she changes her look.
The black hair is going to be a wig:
This is my boyfriend's favorite track off Lotus
It's not that bad actually. Like I said before I feel she's strongest on the ballads on Lotus. Her voice with just the piano is so epic. I wish she would send songs like this to radio more, where its more about her voice and not the production, beats, backing track, etc.
teenage girls are scaryyyyyy.... o.O


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There's been a little bit of smoke around that for a week or so. I wouldn't be shocked if Billy Hamilton + others are traded in the next week.
And not all of Walt's traded come out of nowhere. There was smoke around Latos the offseason he came here, leading up to hard rumors that were posted here the day before it happened.


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AT&T, HTC and Facebook have teamed up to develop and launch the HTC First, the first and only smartphone built to feature Facebook Home, which puts your friends at the heart of your phone. Facebook Home is the first mobile experience designed to give you your friends' latest updates right on your home screen and messages that reach you no matter what you're doing. Here is a video that shows how the new Facebook Home new notifications work as that is the key new feature of this device!
The HTC First is available for pre-order now for $99.99 with a two-year contract, and available exclusively in AT&T stores and online starting April 12. HTC First will be available in four colors: black, white, red and pale blue. The $99 phone features a 4.3-inch glass display. Inside, the smartphone runs Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor (dual-core CPU). It 3G/4G world and multimode LTE you can get full us of AT&T's 4G LTE network.
"The HTC First will offer the best Facebook Home experience on mobile, right out of the box. That's why we're committed to this phone and making it exclusive in our stores," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility. "Because AT&T offers the fastest 4G LTE** in the nation, it's the best network for Facebook Home. And the best device for Facebook Home is the HTC First."
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WILKES-BARRE TWP. - Usually, three full periods of scoreless hockey is all a team can ask from its goaltender.
But on Wednesday night, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins needed a little bit more from Jeff Zatkoff.
He delivered it too.
Zatkoff stopped 32 shots in regulation and overtime, then turned back 6-of-8 attempts in the shootout to lead the Penguins to a 1-0 win over the Binghamton Senators at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
It was the first 1-0 shootout win in franchise history.
"Hopefully we don't make a habit of it, but it's two points," Zatkoff said. "We climbed out to .500. We put ourselves behind the eight ball there at the start but we've done a good job taking it one game at a time and getting back to .500."
The Penguins are now 5-5 after starting the season on a four-game losing streak. Zatkoff has won three straight decisions, including a pair of shutouts.
"It's been nice. Coach has shown some trust in me and I've been able to go a few games here in a row and really get into a rhythm and into a groove," Zatkoff said. "Guys have been playing well in front and we've been getting some key plays and key scoring at big times."
The only key scoring plays in this one came in the shootout. Paul Thompson and Trevor Smith converted their attempts in the regulation five rounds for the Penguins while Mika Zibanejad and Andre Petersson countered for the B-Sens.
The Penguins won in sudden death in the eighth round when rookie Tom Kuhnhackl slipped a shot between goalie Robin Lehner's pads and Binghamton's Tyler Eckford hit the left post.
Lehner was otherwise brilliant in the game, stopping 34 shots.
"I was actually scared," Kuhnhackl said. "Going in a shootout against Lehner, he's not a bad goalie. I just skated in. I saw an opening five-hole. I shot it and it went in."
The Penguins had their best chance to break the scoreless tie early in the second period.
Five seconds into a Penguins power play, Binghamton's Mark Borowiecki was assessed a double minor for high-sticking winger Eric Tangradi.
The Penguins got three shots on goal during the five-on-three advantage that lasted 1:55, not including a Beau Bennett shot off the post, but Lehner held his ground.
"I think I knew at that point it was probably going to be one that was going to win it," Zatkoff said. "I just tried to keep my focus and worry about making the next save."
Winger Bobby Farnham, an undrafted rookie out of Brown University called up from the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers earlier in the day, made an impact in his first game in a Penguins uniform.
He hustled, hit and irritated the B-Sens on every shift he got, culminating in a shot he delivered to Lehner as he drove to the net 4:40 into the third period.
Farnham was cut during the scrum that followed, and the B-Sens got a power play out of the deal, but the Penguins killed that and another minor to Brian Gibbons later in the period and ran their streak of successful penalty kills to 36.
"Penalty kill's been good," coach John Hynes said. "It starts with excellent goaltending and it comes over with the mentality the penalty kill has right now. They believe they're going to kill it off. If you look at their attention to detail and their compete level, it's been very good."


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For the second year in a row—and the third in four years—Jefferson Forest High School has been named among Newsweek magazine's top 2000 high schools in the country.
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Evergreen Nummerdor back for more at Stavanger Grand Slam
The pair faced two matches in qualifying and started with a 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) win over Austria's Tobias Winter and Lorenz Petutschnig and then followed up with a 2-0 (22-20, 21-18) victory against Chilean cousins Esteban and Marco Grimalt.
Nummerdor's last tournament was the 2013 Moscow Grand Slam, his final competition with long-term partner Richard Schuil and where the pair failed to advance from pool play.
"It was my last tournament with Richard and it was horrible because our level was going down and down," Nummerdor said.
"We weren't training enough to compete properly and Richard was done. First I doubted if I wanted to keep on going, but then this came up, a young guy, 19-years-old and the Federation was eager to see me help him and so I agreed to do it.
Nummerdor and Schuil teamed up on the sand in 2006 after previously playing volleyball and over their seven years together won nine World Tour titles, three CEV European Championships and competed in the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games.
Now he has to take on a slightly different role with one of the up and coming players of Dutch beach volleyball, starting in Stavanger.
"This is great for us, we can play three strong teams in the next few days," Nummerdor added. "He brings a lot of energy, he is young, he works hard, listens and wants to improve every day.
"He played great today, so there isn't much coaching involved, but of course we have a long way to go."
Back to the same routine
Nummerdor and van de Velde were one of eight teams to progress to the Stavanger Grand Slam main draw.
Joining them there were the USA's John Hyden and Ty Bourne, who only three days ago were celebrating their first World Tour gold medals at the Berlin Grand Slam, having gone all the way to the top of the podium from the qualification rounds.
They quickly had to put the memories from the German capital to the back of their minds, but after receiving a bye in the first round defeated Russia's Serguei Prokopiev and Grigoriy Goncharov 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) to progress to the main draw.
"It was pretty tough," Hyden said. "It's different sand than we have played at lately, it is a lot deeper, but you've just got to get used to it.
"We came not quite as ready to go as I like, but we came through at the end."
At 41 years of age Hyden is among the eldest World Tour gold medal winners, but having battled through qualification once again he and Bourne aren't planning on changing their usual routine.
"We prepare the same way as we always prepare for a tournament," Hyden added. "You've got to hit the massage therapist, do the stretching and rolling out, just take care of yourself as best as you can.
"Like last week, our goal is to win. We want to come out and win every game we can, and this is the first step in doing that. It is nerve-racking to play qualification. If you are in the main draw you got three matches to try and win, but out here it is do or die. But when you win, it is such a relief."
The double-gender US$800,000 FIVB Stavanger Grand Slam runs from Wednesday, June 25 until Sunday June 29. It is the eighth event and the fourth Grand Slam on the 2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar that features nine Grand Slams and 11 Open tournaments.
The 2014 World Tour began at the Fuzhou Open in China in April and concludes at the Durban Open in South Africa in December. Next up on the World Tour calendar is the Gstaad Grand Slam which runs from July 9-13.


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Regular price: $6.95
It always surprises everyone...that something this good could have been around since 1997 and, still, the general public hasn't even heard about it! Most people [usually] are accidentally introduced to it by someone who is, themself, an 'e-mini trader'.
So what is an e-mini? That's their first question.
Mel Hardman takes his reader/listener on an exciting journey of discovery as he describes what the e-mini is; how it resembles one BIG computer game and how anyone can now participate in the same game the stock market 'Insiders' play every day. Rather than long-term 'investing'...as all of their advertising would have you believe, they [themselves] spend their time day-trading via their computers.
E-mini traders 'scalp' the market.... in and out each trade in but a couple of minutes; never holding a trade open overnight.
Thanks to the Internet and the PC...and the e-mini the general public can now participate in the same game, turning it into their own little daily ATM-like cash-flow machine. The e-mini, in fact, was created because of the Internet...as a financial instrument with which first-timers could afford to learn to trade.
It's fun to watch their expression when people hear about e-minis for the first time. Their expression turns from being puzzled...to keen interest, then to excitement when they learn what a dramatic change e-minis can make in anyone's life. Most e-mini traders set a daily goal for themselves of $500 dollars, which is rather easy to reach. Mel's book tells you all about e-minis! He has designed a 'Road Map' for his readers/listeners.
Even if you've never thought about getting involved in the stock market before, you'll find this book about E-mini Trading fascinating. Take a couple of hours and listen as Mel describes the 'journey' of going from a total novice about the stock market...to enjoying a $500 dollar-a-day home business that can be accomplished in about 2 hours each morning.
Just let your imagination ponder on some 'what ifs'. Then, if you like what you hear and learn, you can get the whole Discover How To Trade E-minis For A Living book from Amazon or iTunes.


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BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//iCalendar export//EN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Central BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:19710101T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU TZNAME:CET END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:19710101T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU TZNAME:CEST END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:firstname.lastname@example.com SUMMARY:Application development in Linux/Unix environments. Part #1 DESCRIPTION:
In series of lectures/workshops/discussions we will discuss how to develop applications in Linux/Unix. This is very rich topic and I don 't promise we will cover everything. Every lecture done be me (Martin H) wil l be in English\, if at least one person there wouldn't understand Slovak (el se it will be in Slovak). My lectures will be focused on compiled languages (like C/C++) but much stuff is usable for others as well.
Topics for first lecture:
Examples will be provided. It's recommended to bring laptop with Lin ux/Unix system\, so you can experiment.
Knowledge requirements for fir st lecture: shell basics (I will be there since 18:00\, so I can explain it t o those people\, who want to attend but don't know shell)
BTW\, if anyo ne is interested in giving (lightning) talk as part of this series\, please w rite me e-mail: martin dot habovstiak at gmail dot comLOCATION:ProgressBar Hackerspace\, Dunajská 7495/14\, Bratislava\, Slovensko URL:https://www.progressbar.sk/en/calendar/application-development-in-linux-unix-environments-part-1 STATUS:CONFIRMED CLASS:PUBLIC TZID:Europe/Central DTSTART:20130313T190000 DTEND:20130313T220000 DTSTAMP:20130313T190000 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR


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Jose Mourinho has reportedly shown his Real Madrid players highlights of Tottenham's Europa League clash with Inter Milan - in an attempt to warn them against complacency when they take on Galatasaray tonight.
Madrid earned a 3-0 advantage in their Champions League quarter-final 1st leg tie against Galatasaray last week, and go into the second leg in Istanbul as heavy favourites to book a spot in the semi-finals.
However, according to reports in Spain, Mourinho is keen to avoid his side underestimating their opponents and slipping to an unlikely defeat, so decided to show them highlights of Spurs' almost disastrous Europa League tie against his former side Inter Milan.
Tottenham claimed a 3-0 advantage in the first leg on home soil in the last-16 tie last month, but almost threw it all away as Inter scored three times at the San Siro to take the game into extra-time.
Emmanuel Adebayor prodded home to give his side a crucial advantage but Inter came back and scored again, leaving a tense Tottenham to see out extra-time and narrowly progress to the semi-finals on away goals.
Mourinho confirmed that his side had watched a video of another European tie in preparation for their game tonight, and although he refused to name which one, confirmed the home side had won the first leg 3-0 as Spurs did against Inter.
"Hopefully there will be no over confidence," he said. "We are preparing seriously for a difficult game.
"During the meeting this morning we watched a game where a team won 3-0 in the first leg and still could have lost out."
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


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The support for in-game DLC means that developers and publishers can now sell their content from within games, rather than only on the Steam storefront.
"DLC can now be added to any game on Steam, regardless of whether it was originally purchased via Steam, at retail, or via other digital outlets," writes Valve. "It is also a feature of Steamworks, the suite of free tools and services available to game developers and publishers."
The Maw: Brute Force and The Maw: River Redirect, two expansion levels, are now available for purchase on Steam for $1.25 apiece.


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Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: (03) 9670 7113
"Are you the blogger that wrote about us?" asked a waitress at Don Too on my last visit there with Adrian, Chris, Sarah, Sandra and Ling. The waitress must have noticed me from my previous visits to Don Too. From all the photos that I was taking of the food, she probably assumed I was more than your average food lover. So I answered her question in the affirmative, to which she went away and came back with a free bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. That was nice, it's not often I get recognised as a food blogger.
While everyone else went for the Charshu ramen (extra pork), I decided to give the Laksa ramen a try as it sounded interesting. The Laksa ramen contained a massive prawn with the beautiful gooey egg as well. It was actually good, tasting like a spicy laksa mixed with a ramen. Having said that, I think the Charshu ramen is superior and would prefer that.
Another ramen that I had tried previously and love just as much as the Charshu ramen is the Asari ramen (pippis). I absolutely adore pippis so hence loved this. The broth has a much stronger seafood flavour, and may not be to everyone's liking. But for me personally, I love that rich seafood flavour and the bowl contained a lot of pippis, just look at all the leftover shells.
I asked the waitress why the owner had decided to take such a risk and open a ramen only shop with a fairly small range available, essentially 5 ramen (pork, miso, pippi, marinara, laksa) and 3 sides of salmon sashimi, gyoza and salad. The waitress said the owner felt like doing ramen as there weren't too many in Melbourne. I hope that they succeed as the ramen is good and there definitely aren't too many good ramen places in Melbourne. I'll be going back for sure.


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Match 4
No. 10 Duke (3-0) vs. Furman (1-0)
Saturday, Feb. 1 l 11 a.m.
Durham, N.C. l Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center
DURHAM, N.C. – The 10th-ranked Duke women's tennis team welcomes the Furman Paladins to the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center Saturday morning, with the match set for an 11 a.m. start. The Blue Devils return to the courts one week after an impressive Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Kickoff Weekend that saw Duke defeat both No. 51 Columbia and No. 42 Kentucky, 4-0. With the win over Kentucky in the championship match on Saturday, Duke secured a spot in the 16-team field of the 2014 ITA Women's National Team Indoor Championship, hosted by Virginia Feb. 7-9.
All regular season Duke women's tennis home events at Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center and Ambler Tennis Stadium are free to the public. General public parking is available in the Blue Zone parking lot off of Duke University Road.
Furman Series History
The Blue Devils lead the series against the Paladins, 11-0, with the two teams' most recent contest won by Duke, 7-0, on Feb. 21, 2010. Duke has faced Furman just two times in Ashworth's tenure, with the Blue Devils winning both contests by a combined 11-0 margin. In the 11 matches between the two programs, Duke has posted a combined score of 87-2.
Scouting the Paladins
The Paladins concluded the 2013 season with an overall record of 14-9 and a conference mark of 8-2. Furman's lineup includes a mix of youth and experience, with three seniors, two juniors and three freshmen comprising the Paladin team. Margaret Boyette returns as one of the top players for the Paladins, following a 2013 junior season that saw her accumulate a 10-2 singles record and a 12-8 doubles ledger. Furman returns half of the team's top doubles pair from a year ago, as Alex Moreno-Kaste enters her junior season. Paired with Lauren Kline last season, Alex Moren-Kaste compiled a 13-7 record in doubles play. The Paladins opened the 2014 season with a 4-3 win over East Tennessee State Thursday, Jan. 29. Freshman Karlee Bryde clinched the victory for Furman after outlasting her opponent, 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8).
Ashworth's Assessment
"[The success of the team this past weekend] gives us more stuff to build on and lets us see our team compete under pressure," Duke head women's tennis coach Jamie Ashworth said. "Against Kentucky, we won 4-0, but we kind of got knocked around a little bit. We have to understand that Furman is going to come out Saturday and play one of the best matches they've played all year. We have to play with that kind of pressure on us, make smart decisions, play with a high-energy level and take control of the match with tempo…[Furman's] a good team. They've made the NCAA Tournament the past couple of years and we definitely need to be prepared to play. Every team we play is going to play the best match of the year against us."
Blue Devils Ranked in ITA Polls
Duke opened the 2014 season ranked 10th by the ITA and continue to hold the position through four weeks of competition. In addition to the team ranking, three members of Duke's tennis team appear among the top-125 singles players in the country. Sophomore Beatrice Capra garnered a No. 3 ranking after a stellar fall that saw the Ellicott City, Md., native post a 15-2 mark, including a near perfect 11-1 ledger against nationally ranked opponents. Capra highlighted her fall season by capturing the ITA Regionals title. Teammates Ester Goldfeld (No. 45) and Hanna Mar (No. 49) join Capra among those ranked by the ITA. Goldfeld closed the fall with a 7-4 record while Mar posted a 6-5 mark.
Two Duke doubles pairs also appear on the ITA listings. The duo of Annie Mulholland and Goldfeld rank 14th in the nation following a 4-1 fall campaign. Mulholland and Goldfeld posted a 3-1 ledger against ranked opponents in the fall. Goldfeld also appears 27th on the list when teaming with Marianne Jodoin, after the duo saw a 2-1 fall season.
Two-Time ACC Player of the Week
Goldfeld has received ACC Female Tennis Player of the Week honors twice in the early stages of the season following dominating performances in her first two appearances of 2014. In the season opener against No. 40 William & Mary, Goldfeld helped secure the doubles point for Duke, teaming with Annie Mulholland to defeat Maria Belaya and Leeza Nemchinov, 6-3. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native returned to the courts in singles action, upending William & Mary's No. 89 Nemchinov. One week later, Goldfeld received her second player of the week honor following a strong showing at the Freeman Memorial Championship. Goldfeld won three of her four matches at the highly competitive event which boasted 12 of the ITA's top 50 singles players in the country. Goldfeld's only loss of the weekend came at the hands of the No. 1 singles player in the country, Robin Anderson. Goldfeld added two upsets to her performance over the weekend, beating UCLA's No. 37 Kyle McPhillips (6-2, 6-0) and Florida's No. 27 Sofie Oyen (6-2, 6-0).
Duke Faces Challenging 2014 Schedule
For the second consecutive year, the Blue Devils' spring schedule boasts 11 teams that concluded the previous season ranked by the ITA. In addition to Duke, which appears 10th on the list, seven ACC schools (No. 3 North Carolina, No. 9 Miami, No. 13 Clemson, No. 14 Virginia, No. 20 Georgia Tech, No. 23 Notre Dame and No. 27 Florida State) also appear in the top 30 of the ITA preseason polls.
The Blue Devil's dual-meet schedule includes opponents from numerous athletic conferences, including the ACC, the Ivy League, the Colonial Athletic Association, the American Athletic Conference, the Southern Conference, Conference USA and the Big Ten. The Blue Devils are a combined 528-109 against opponents in the seven conferences, including a perfect 21-0 against Southern Conference foes.


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Each week, DartmouthSports.com will spotlight two outstanding student-athletes - one male, one female - as Dartmouth's Athletes of the Week. Student-athletes may be chosen based upon their efforts both on and off the field of competition.
Junior men's lacrosse midfielder Rhett Miller and freshman thrower Emmaline Berg lifted their teams to new heights this past week and both earned Dartmouth Athletes of the Week honors. Miller kept Dartmouth in the Ivy League Tournament hunt with a career-high six goals and an assist for seven points in the 15-11 win over Penn last Saturday. Berg was up and down the East coast all weekend as she competed at Penn Relays and won two events in the Big Green's visit to the Yale Springtime Invitational.
Dartmouth Female Athlete of the Week:
Emmaline Berg (Holliston, Mass.), Women's Track and Field, Thrower, Freshman
Freshman Emmaline Berg was the top competitor for the Dartmouth women's track and field team both at The Penn Relays and the Yale Springtime Invitational. She place fifth overall among eastern-school foes at The Penn Relays on the first day of the event. Berg ended up with a mark at 13.71 meters (44-11.75). Her success continued as she swept the discus throw and shot put at the Springtime Invitational hosted by the Elis. Berg helped the Big Green earn seven victories at the event. Field events led the way with four of the seven wins. In the discus, she marked at 41.8 meters (137-02) for a first-place finish and in the shot, her best throw came at 13.57 meters (44-06.25).
You competed at Penn Relays and the Yale Springtime Invitational this weekend. How tough was it to go from Philly to New Haven for a couple of events in a few days?
Well, both meets were a lot of fun, especially Penn Relays. The atmospheres themselves are enough to keep you motivated and excited. I really live to compete and absolutely love doing it, so i thought it was a great experience. It was a little tiring to do both, and I was exhausted at the end, but it was totally worth it and I would do it again without question! If anything, being at the Penn Relays and being able to watch these amazing athletes got me even more motivated to do well in future meets.
You have been a welcomed addition to this year's throwers. How in your mind has your first season been with the Big Green?
Honestly, the fall pre-season was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, both physically and emotionally. It was difficult to come in not knowing anyone and to start training with a brand new coach. Once we got into the winter, though, and started to compete, I became much closer to my teammates and coach which drastically improved my attitude toward the team. I've increased my personal record in shot put by more than two feet and more than 20 feet in discus since high school. I'm in the best shape of my life and have the best friends in the world. So, I think that this season has been a huge success and I am so happy to be on this team. I can't wait to keep working hard through the next three years to become the best I can be for myself and the team.
Is there a different strategy or mindset for you going into the discus vs. the shot?
Yes and no. In both I try to be as calm and relaxed as I can be as I enter the circles so I can focus on hitting the right positions and using them. Discus wasn't my main event coming in, so I don't put quite the same amount of pressure on myself as I do in shot put. I just try to focus on doing
the motions correctly and not fouling (which I'm notorious for). As for shot put, I still try to make sure I get into the right positions, but it's a little more second nature. I just have to be myself and be explosive, while keeping in mind little details to help me throw even farther. I definitely put more pressure on myself in shot put, because I was so successful in high school and I have big expectations and dreams. In the end, though, I try to be the best that I can be in both events.
Which throwing event is your favorite and why?
I would have to say shot put is my favorite, because I have been doing it significantly longer than discus and throw it consistently well. It's something I always know I can do well, so even if I've had a bad day or something, I can go throw and give myself confidence. I also have big goals for myself in shot put, which are great to look forward to and work toward.
Dartmouth Male Athlete of the Week:
Rhett Miller (Dallas, Texas), Men's Lacrosse, Midfielder, Junior
Junior midfielder Rhett Miller had a career day last Saturday against Penn in the 15-11 win over the Quakers, which kept Dartmouth in the hunt for the Ivy League Tournament and with Harvard's win over Princeton and Brown's victory over Cornell, the idea of a tournament has become the best thing for Ivy lacrosse in recent memory. Miller netted six goals, which was the most by a Dartmouth player since 2008. His second goal was a highlight-reel tally. He made an incredible diving move and fired a shot past the Penn netminder. He finished with seven points on the day, which was one point ahead of senior captain Ari Sussman (New Haven, Conn.) on the day and he tallied 13 points in the two wins over Vermont and Penn. Miller is fourth on the team in goals with 13 on the year and fifth in total points with 17. He has set career-highs in each offensive category this season, including goals where he has scored seven more goals than his previous high of eight.
Going into the game against Penn, did the team have a feeling that this was the biggest game in a while for this program?
Going into the game, the team knew we didn't have many home games, and it was important to make the most of them, and especially on Senior Day. We kind of felt as if we let some people down by losing to Yale at home the week before. The fact that a win vs. Penn kept our playoff hopes alive was also a huge motivator going into the game.
Your second goal was a highlight reel score. Is that something that just happened while you were breaking in front of the net or was it the move you had seen prior to going to the net?
Coach Towers has said all season if people press out on us we have the green light to run right by them. It was off a dead ball so it looked like they were trying to press out and cause a turnover. I just tucked my stick and ran and fortunately it turned into a goal for us.
You struggled against Yale, but had a huge day in the win against Penn. What was the difference for you in the two games?
Between the two games, we made some offensive changes. Yale did a great job of scouting and preparing for our offense, and unfortunately for Penn they hadn't seen our new offense before. That gave us the edge and our offense had a great day.
The Ivy Tournament has elevated six of the seven teams in the league and each has a chance of making it. How does it feel to have a chance to compete in postseason and what will be a key to Saturday's game at Brown?
It feels great to have a chance to make the Ivy League Tournament in it's inaugural season. It would be great for our program and the college. The key to Saturday's game at Brown will be our team continuing to come out and playing hard like we have every game this season, and playing consistent and smart for all four quarters.


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The interesting thing about this squid stir-fry was how much squid I used: two of 'em, for two people, and although they were big-ish, the total weight was about a quarter-pound, and the dish fed two of us more than satisfactorily.
I cooked a big onion, a couple of stalks of celery, and some garlic and ginger in peanut oil until they were tender. I took 'em out, threw in cut up squid, and cooked for about a minute. I put the vegies back in, along with the basil you see here and, a minute later, a couple of tablespoons of peanuts, then a couple of tablespoons of water and soy sauce. Tiny bit of sesame oil. That was it, and over rice – we were happy.


text: It's something he does very subtle, and quiet. But whenever a caller, or someone like Sal argues with Howard and makes a pretty good point. You hear Fred in the background go "huh?" Or "what"? As if he is dumbfounded by the statement and to back up Howard. Listen carefully he does this often.


text:
New Tools to Help You Strengthen Your Servicing Performance
August 27, 2012
It is no secret that current trends in servicing emphasize earlier borrower intervention and timely workout settlements, strengthening Servicer performance, and improving servicing efficiency. Recent refinements to the servicing applications you use daily offer new tools to get you where you want to be.
New Electronic Default Reporting Edit Codes
Two new data error edit codes were recently implemented in Electronic Default Reporting (EDR) to help you further understand EDR reporting errors.
- Code 573: DDLPI must adv for Action Cd 20 – You will receive this error code if you reported default action code 20 (Reinstatement) with a DDLPI that did not advance from the DDLPI reported in the previous cycle. To resolve this edit, verify that you are reporting the correct default action code and DDLPI, then retransmit with the correct data.
- Code 574: Action Dte cannot be after cycle dte – You will receive this error code if you reported a Home Affordable Modification program (HAMP) Trial Period Start Date or Standard Modification Trial Period Start Date that is later than the current cycle date. To resolve this edit, verify you are using the correct Trial Period Start date and ensure that you begin reporting it for the correct cycle.
New Trial Period Tracking Reports
To help you track your trial period reporting data for Standard Modifications and HAMP Modifications, you can now access the following reports via Default Reporting ManagerSM.
- Standard Modification Trial Period Tracking Report – This report lists loans you reported via EDR with active, successful, or failed Standard Modification Trial Periods.
- Standard Modification Trial Over-Reported Exception Report – Lists loans that you continued to report for more than three months after a Standard Modification Trial Period Plan was successfully completed.
- Standard Modification Trial Under-Reported Exception Report – Lists Standard Modifications with inconsistent trial period reporting data. You should review your EDR Exception report to identify the edits resulting from the inconsistent reporting.
- HAMP Modification Trial Period Tracking Report – Lists loans reported via EDR with new, active, successful, or failed HAMP trial periods.
New HAMP Reporting: Best Practices Available
The Freddie Mac data about HAMP Trial Period Plans and HAMP Modifications that you report to the HAMP Program Administrator must be consistent with the data you report to Freddie Mac. Need help establishing or strengthening your internal control and quality assurance procedures to ensure you are meeting these requirements?
Refer to the new best practices job aid that we compiled using input from Servicers about how they successfully manage HAMP reporting requirements. This quick reference includes information about the inherent differences in reporting timelines across separate technology platforms, including Workout Prospector® and the HAMP Reporting Tool (IR2). Use these best practices to ensure a complete reconciliation process across all relevant systems.
Get More Information
- Download HAMP Reporting: Best Practices.
- Access the EDR Quick Reference Guide.
- Direct questions to your Freddie Mac representative.


text:
It might be a pet owner's worst nightmare – a house fire where they are able to escape, but unable to get their animals out safely before emergency responders arrive.
The smoke detector may sound, prompting the resident to immediately check the home for flames and smoke. Calling 911 and evacuating those inside would most commonly follow.
Some pets easily escape by following their owners. Others often scurry and hide, or the fire will be so severe the owner has no chance of getting them out without risking his or her own safety.
"People are attached to their pets and look at these animals as members of the family," said Ralph Webster, chief of the Woodstock Fire Rescue District. "If the pet is your loved one, once your family is safe, your attention immediately turns to saving that animal."
Emergency crews understand the bond between pets and their masters, but leaving the rescue efforts to the professionals can mean the difference between life and death, local fire experts agree. Armed with equipment and the proper training, firefighters will work to save pets whenever, and however, they can.
Woodstock fire rescue personnel save about 10 pets a year, Webster said. That includes cats and dogs during house fires, among other incidents.
When fighting fires, life safety remains the top priority, with crews first focusing on getting all parties involved evacuated from the home, he said. Once everyone is accounted for and safe, firefighters then focus on controlling and extinguishing the fire.
"We know how much these people care for their animals, but life safety and extinguishing the fire are the most important things," Webster said. "You cannot go back in. You have to let us know you have an animal, and then let us handle our priorities."
Oftentimes, the animals escape on their own or hide somewhere inside the home. In some cases, they will be waiting by the doorway when emergency responders arrive.
"Pets are pretty smart in their own right," said Ken Caudle, chief of the Huntley Fire Protection District. "We try and treat them like children: They are going to get out on their own or go and hide. When we get there, we need to know if anyone, including animals, is still in the house."
Fire officials say it's critical that pet owners fight the urge to run back into the home to try to save their pet, and be patient with firefighters, who are dealing with a multitude of situations.
"If we don't seem to be acting fast enough or seem concerned enough, it tends to put people in a tailspin," Webster said. "You have to understand that you cannot go back in."
Fire Chief Tony Huemann of the McHenry Township Fire Protection District agreed.
"You can't put your life at risk to save your pets," he said. "Just let us know where they normally stay, and we will try and get them out without putting firefighters' lives at risk."
Aiding local departments with pet rescues is specialized equipment, such as oxygen masks, that can be used on animals. Among other local departments, Woodstock, Huntley and McHenry Township are equipped with pet oxygen masks.
Many departments received the masks free as a part of Project Breathe through the Invisible Fence Brand of Northwest Illinois, which is based in Crystal Lake.
The initiative is part of a national campaign to equip every fire station in Canada, the U.S. and United Kingdom with pet oxygen masks. The group recently donated more than 250 masks to the Chicago Fire Department.
"It makes a big difference," said Joyce Brennan, owner of Invisible Fence Brand of Northwest Illinois. "All these departments have the masks and training to deal with the general emergency care of a pet."
Rescue efforts reach well beyond cats and dogs, and in rural parts of the county, also include rescue personnel having to handle horse emergencies.
Many departments also have received training for barn fires where horses are involved and vehicle accidents that involve horse trailers, Caudle said.
Some of the more interesting pet rescue efforts have included dogs being trapped on frozen bodies of water, cats getting stuck in HVAC units and even canines get their paws caught in the unlikeliest of places, such as radiators, Webster said.
"Each incident is significant to the pet owners, and we are sensitive to that," Huemann said. "We strive to do everything we can to save them."


text:
Video Is It Time to Replace Your First HDTV? (Video) 418
Robin Miller: This is Dr. Alfred Poor known to most Slashdot readers as Alfred, and he is an expert on high-definition televisions and televisions in general. Today we've rounded him up to talk about televisions and high-definitions televisions. If you're one of the many people who bought a high-definition television when they first got reasonably priced around five years ago, is it time to look at another TV. Alfred is it? Should we look at new TVs or just stick with what we have?
Alfred Poor: Well, the first thing is getting a lot of attention these days is the new higher definition sets that have come out.
Robin Miller: Right.
Alfred Poor: CES wants us to call them UHD for Ultra High Definition, but everybody is calling them 4K because that stands roughly for 4,000, which is roughly how many vertical lines of resolution they've got. In other words, they're roughly 4,000 pixels across. And that compares to roughly the 2,000 that you have in a standard 1080p television that we have already.
So essentially, if you have a 50-inch 4K display, it's the same as taking four 25-inch 1080p displays and gluing them together to make a bigger one. So it's really just a question of having more pixels. There's a bunch of problems with this; the most important one of all is that there is not all that much content available yet in 4K resolution. There's tons in standard HD, the 1080p HD resolution.
The movie theaters are using 4K, a lot of stuff is being produced for the movies originally in 4K, but not that much of it is available to consumers. Sony has started by selling a little box that it has some movies in 4K installed in it and you hook it up to the Internet and they'll be able to download or you'll be able to buy and download more movies in that resolution, but that's a pretty narrow stream of content.
The second big problem is as the Sony box demonstrates, there's not a big infrastructure to deliver this. You can't get 4K over any cable systems at this point, there may be some experiments going on with satellite, but again your standard channels are coming through in 1080 at best. A lot of cable systems end up compressing the signals so badly that you're not even getting a good quality 1080 out of it, there's no way they're going to be able to send four times that number of pixels and get you a good image quality.
Robin Miller: Mine is giving me a 720p actually, that's what I get from my cable provider.
Alfred Poor: But again, just like MP3, you can adjust the amount of compressions, and you can squeeze it so hard, you now limit the amount of bandwidth required that you start getting artifacts, and MP3 sounds bad, with some cable systems you actually can see visual artifacts as a result of all the compression.
Robin Miller: I actually can if I'm watching – I live in Tampa Bay Bucs territory, but if I'm watching a better football team that moves faster than Bucs.
Alfred Poor: So delivery of the content is a problem and also storage, I mean we've got Blu-ray which can do 1080p, but there's no 4K Blu-ray definition systems available at this point. They're in development, but we don't have them yet. So to buy 4K in order to get the higher resolution and the better looking image while it's going to be tough to find the source material, it's going to show you the better image.
Now a lot of people talk about how good the up-scaling is on some of these sets, and that's certainly true, but Robin when I can give you $2 and you can up-scale it and give me back $8, then I believe in up-scaling.
Robin Miller: And here is the thing though too and another thing, I'm old, I really am, I'm ancient, I get social security, but still, I'm not that old, I have a TV, I have a small living room, it's not huge, I watch a 42 inch TV from about eight feet away, and I will tell you very bluntly that I cannot personally tell the difference between really high quality, well-shot 480 and 720, I can't tell.
Alfred Poor: Right, at that distance you shouldn't be able to, the minimum screen for a high definition – minimum size screen for high definition at about eight feet is it really needs to be 47 or 50 inches before anyone with good eyesight is going to be able to tell the difference. So if you're not going to get a big enough screen, you're not going to be able to tell the difference. So if you're sitting more than five feet away, I mean eight feet away I'd say, and you want to get a 50 inch screen, well just physically you are probably not going to be able to tell the difference between a 4K screen and 1080p HD screen.
Robin Miller: And because of my room layout and the way it's designed, there is no real room for – before I bought it, I measured it and I said, the maximum I can put here comfortably and look good is a 42 inch. So, you know what the real big difference I see or have with Blu-ray when I get a Blu-ray piece or good high def, sound.
Alfred Poor: Well, there is that, yeah
Robin Miller: I have a – now I don't have a $1 billion sound set, I have a Logitech front and rear speaker and center, and sub woofer piece that I bought refurbed from Newegg for $40.
Alfred Poor: Wow.
Robin Miller: Yeah, and I have friends come over and say, wow, your home theater thing is wonderful, and the answer is, it's real 7.1 because I hooked all the wires up and most people don't.
Alfred Poor: Right, most people don't. Now the other thing here is the problem with the 4K is again, the majority of people out there are watching DVDs on their HD televisions and think they look great.
Robin Miller: They do.
Alfred Poor: We forget that DVD is old fashion 480p standard definition, it looks so great because it's digital and eliminates all that analog noise that we get with the VHS tapes, but the fact is that the average consumer is not screaming for more resolution. They're very happy with the low-res DVDs that they've got.
Robin Miller: I'm right there with them, I mean, I've gone up, I have a Blu-ray player and I've gone up to the redbox thing and I've paid the extra for the Blu-ray and a couple of times I've gotten the same movie, Blu-ray and DVD, and I brought them and like I said I can't tell the difference.
Alfred Poor: Yeah, well that – again, with your screen size and the viewing distance, it's unlikely that you would be able to tell the difference. Now there are somethings about the new TVs that are available now, that weren't around five years ago that might give you a reason to buy a new one. And one of that is the whole smart TV, Internet connected TV kind of thing.
Robin Miller: You mean like that little Google, little tiny device I have stuck on the back that cost me $40.
Alfred Poor: Right, so a lot of people are adding those functionalities to their existing television with the Chromecast or buying one of the local boxes or Western Digital has got them and lot of people offer these boxes that will add the Internet connectivity, but it gives you access to Netflix and Hulu Plus and Youtube and a whole bunch of kind of online sources that a lot of people want to watch. I know in our house we watch a lot of Netflix and Hulu Plus streamed right to our television.
Robin Miller: Yes, a long time ago a friend of mine in Boston said you don't have a Wii, you need a Wii and he gave us one as a gift because he had gotten a bunch of those, and so he gave us a Wii, and that gave us Netflix.
Alfred Poor: Yeah, the Wii will do that, the Xbox also is a platform for streaming. It's funny, some studies have shown that people spend as much time or more watching Netflix and other online streaming content on their Xboxes than they do playing video games.
Robin Miller: We do on our Wii.
Alfred Poor: Which is – well, the Wii is more of a family kind of device in the first place, but it's
Robin Miller: Well, we're a family people
Alfred Poor: Right, I know, but I'm thinking a lot of people think of the Xbox as being more of a hardcore gaming platform and yet people are using it to watch a lot of video content as well. So yeah, we do have the option of adding a low cost box to your existing television and getting a lot of that functionality at the same time.
Robin Miller: Well, the Chromecast thing, I'll tell you and I'm going to do a review shortly for Slashdot of it, and here is a teaser for you folks. It's nice but it hasn't changed my life. It hasn't done much that I couldn't already do with the Blu-ray, the $85 on sale, whether we buy at Target or something because I don't even remember Blu-ray little box.
Alfred Poor: Yeah, a lot of Blu-ray players also include the Internet connectivity, so that's another way you can get it. But again, if you don't have it through one of those channels, getting a new television is one way to get it. Another reason for getting a new television may well be, especially if you bought one five years ago, is you've probably bought one that was too small. And so now today the 47 inch models are from good brands are under $500. I saw a 60-inch set for $800 advertised today. So the really big ones have come down so far in price that if you bought one that's too small for the viewing distance that you have, you might think about migrating the smaller ones to some place where the viewing distance would be more appropriate or doesn't matter so much like a guest room and getting yourself a proper sized one for your viewing space.


text:
And then there were two
The Broken Bow School Board will conduct follow-up interviews with two superintendent candidates this week. Mark Sievering, current superintendent at Conestoga Schools, will interview at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Matt Fisher, current superintendent at Chase County Public Schools, will interview at 7:00 p.m. The interviews will be open to the public. "The board thanks the staff, administrators and community members who provided very valuable input following candidate interviews last week," said board president Michelle Zlomke. "The district is very fortunate to be able to choose from such a quality group of candidates." At the board's October 2011 meeting, the Nebraska Association of School Boards was approved to conduct a superintendent search on behalf of the district. The search firm selected their choices for best candidates for the position based on community surveys, public input, and a leadership profile developed by the board two years ago to help determine just what is expected of the superintendent. The board selected four candidates to interview following a closed session meeting Jan. 10, to screen all applicants for the position, which will begin July 1, 2012. The PTA hosted Meet & Greet meetings in the high school's media center throughout last week, with the public having the opportunity to meet each of the four candidates. The agenda for Wednesday evening's meeting does include a possible superintendent contract offer as an action item.


text:
Draw for the fourth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup
Hibs have the chance to avenge last season's Scottish Cup final drubbing after being paired with Hearts.
Last Updated: 05/11/12 3:52pm
Pat Fenlon's side, who lost 5-1 in the all-Edinburgh final in May, host their city rivals at Easter Road over the weekend of 1-2 December.
The draw, made at Hampden by former Celtic striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, threw up another two all-Premier League ties with Aberdeen entertaining Motherwell and Inverness making the short journey to Ross County.
The winners of Inverurie Locos and Arbroath will be rewarded with a lucrative trip to Celtic while Rangers, 7-0 winners over Alloa last weekend, entertain fellow third-division side Elgin City.
The draw:
Aberdeen v Motherwell
Partick Thistle v Dunfermline
Kilmarnock v Queen of the South
Hibernian v Hearts
Airdrie United or Raith Rovers v Deveronvale
Turriff Utd v Albion Rovers or Morton
Livingston v Dundee
Rangers v Elgin City
Forfar or Nairn County v Ayr United
Ross County v Inverness
Celtic v Inverurie Locos or Arbroath
Dumbarton v Hamilton
Cowdenbeath v St Johnstone
Stranraer or Queens Park v Dundee Utd
Stenhousemuir or Berwick v Falkirk
St Mirren v Brechin or Bonnyrigg Rose
Ties to be played weekend of 1-2 December.


text:
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Improv Group Pranks Little League Game
A group called Improv Everywhere -- which according to its website "causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places" -- had a some funny turning a little league baseball game in Hermosa Beach, CA, into a major league event. Behold...
10 comments:
- beast in 'bama said...
I've always been a Mudcat fan - it's a tradition that goes all the way back to my great-grandfather.
- April 08, 2008 11:39 AM
- dtw2phx said...
The blimp was a nice touch. Too funny!!
- April 08, 2008 12:02 PM
- KG said...
My wife asked me to become a Mudcat fan one night. I agreed but it felt well, strange and unnatural. So, I immediately went back to my Lugnut way of things and we never talked about the Mudcat night ever again.
- April 08, 2008 12:04 PM
- beast in 'bama said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- April 08, 2008 12:08 PM
- beast in 'bama said...
Il y a plus qu'à sens unique pour écorcher un Mudcat!
- April 08, 2008 12:14 PM
- Mikoyan said...
Lugnuts rule!!!
Are they still in Lansing?
- April 08, 2008 12:49 PM
- Sgt. Wolverine said...
Not only are the Lugnuts still in Lansing, but they also play in Oldsmobile park, named for a brand that is no longer in production.
- April 08, 2008 1:32 PM
- Mikoyan said...
Oh yeah, that was pretty cool of those guys. That probably made those kids lives....
- April 08, 2008 1:32 PM
- Bigasshammm said...
Hey I drive an Oldsmobile...
- April 08, 2008 5:22 PM
- Catie said...
That was one of the coolest things I have seen. How cool for those kids!
bigasshammm dear, now with kids.....you can expect to drive that olds a few more years! :)
- April 10, 2008 7:43 AM


text:
Scarlett Johansson Dolce & Gabbana Cosmetics Spokesmodel
Scarlett Johansson will be the face of the new Dolce & Gabbana line of cosmetics, the Italian designing duo has revealed.
"Scarlett is sure of herself. She's a beautiful girl, but she's really easygoing. She is very Dolce & Gabbana."
The Golden Globe-nominated actress was recently photographed for a series of sexy Marilyn Monroe-inspired print ads slated to debut on the pages of Fashion Bibles later this year.
"We see makeup as another thing for women, like a dress. We worked on the makeup line like we work on a clothing collection — you can change makeup like you can change your clothes, depending on your mood," Stefano Gabbana told WWD on Friday.
The lipsticks will be scented with rose, Gabbana explained. "We wanted to create makeup with a scent. Domenico and I remember when we were children and opened our mother's handbags — the scent of her lipstick trailed out. I observed that when women open makeup, they smell it first."
Prices will range from $20 for nail lacquer to $59 for powder foundation.
D&G Makeup will launch this Spring.


text:
Monday, February 20, 2012
Its not all Mitt's fault
Is anyone else noticing that this is an on-going search for a personality when the Republicans really should be looking for ideas?
Before we pin this problem all on the lack-luster flip-flopping campaign Romney has run, lets think about how mind-bogglingly boring Daniels was in his state of the union response. Or how Christie manages to offend one group or another any time he opens his mouth. Just imagine how long it would take for the establishment to dump them when these realities started catching up to them in the polls.
The truth is - the only way you can run a vigorous campaign is when you're telling the voters something that resonates. A good campaign team can then use an individual's personality to further that message.
So no attempt to find a personality that can spin tax cuts for the wealthy or an out-dated culture war is going to cut it.
The fact is that the Republicans are going to have to get serious about WHAT they're trying to sell and stop focusing so much of WHO.
I know...they're not going to do that. And personally, I don't care if President Obama has to beat Romney or Santorum or Daniels or Christie. But lets at least be clear about what's going on here...the old saying "all hat and no cattle" comes to mind.
10 comments:
Truthfully, SP, IMO the Repubs do not need to 'get serious on WHAT they are trying to sell' because they have nothing - nothing new, that is. From way back in the health care fight they made that quite clear when they could not produce an alternate plan. The only time I can remember them actually producing anything other than one or two pages of cobbled together gooblegock is the Ryan budget. I suggest that while GOPs can be stubbornly adamant about their proven failed 'positions', they truly do not know how to govern and shouldn't be taken seriously.ReplyDelete
Of course, ;) I could also argue that Republicans HAVE BEEN unrelentingly serious about WHAT they're trying to sell - 'all hat and no cattle' - and it behooves voters to pay close attention.Replies
Repubs do not need to 'get serious on WHAT they are trying to sell' because they have nothingDelete
My point exactly...they have nothing! This search for a WHO is pointless given that reality.
I do agree with you! I went away and came back because I realized that instead of a whole paragraph, I should just have said 'Republicans have neither WHAT nor WHO' .. and no amount of millions can change that.Delete
This is why they have to constantly promote fear.ReplyDelete
Yep. Their challenge is to find a candidate who can expound cruel and nutty viewpoints without sounding cruel and nutty. That's going to be existentially difficult.ReplyDelete
There is certainly the lure of the un-vetted candidate on the sidelines, which doesn't last much past the point when the candidate jumps into the race and starts getting vetted. Remember when Rick Perry was the Republicans' man-on-a-white-horse who was going to sweep all before him? Then they realized he was so dim he made Bush look cerebral by comparison. Gingrich seemed like the man until it turned out that his ego resembled the Hindenburg both in its overinflated size and its tendency to explode in flames. Even with Santorum, some of them are starting to realize he's too out-there to beat Obama. The same would happen to any of the other putative saviors.
- AnonymousFebruary 20, 2012 at 4:43 PM
I really get the impression, the Repubs really don't want to win this election. I think they want President Obama to get everything in shape with another term, and then come in and tear it all down in 2016. I don't see a Dem for 2016, but then I didn't see Obama either until 2007, that we even had a chance.ReplyDelete
This whole Repub primary season is unreal. I think Mittens is going to be the nominee, the Repub are good at changing the vote. Roberta in MN
Ms. Pants and Company,ReplyDelete
I bring you greeting from my chocolate grandson, currently being raised by two wonderful men in MA. We watched "Muppets 2011" tonight. You should watch it. It tells the tale of the working class.
Your forbears are proud of you. Hell, even the Puritans think you're fine. My grandson thinks you are the cat's meow. I have nothing to add.
Except that the accent still sucks.
Great minds think alike. I posted something very similar yesterday, and then came across your post today. It occurred to me that the reason the Republican race has been so volatile this year is that the party is in search of a platform. Everybody used to think that Romney was the best candidate the Republicans could come up with because the economy was supposed to be the main issue, and Mitt's business experience was supposed to help make the case on that. But now that the economy is looking better, the Republicans are just flailing around looking for a good issue, and that could be why they are flirting with Santorum.ReplyDelete
The Republicans have no hope of mounting a decent campaign if all they stand for is to be against everything Obama has done. And while part of me thinks that would be just fine since it will make it easier for Obama to win, another part thinks it would serve the country better if the Republicans could come up with some decent competing ideas.
Concentrating on the "who" is not a bug - it's a central tenet of conservative ideology. Who you are and how you were born is what grants legitimacy to conservatives. The "what" is simply unimportant.ReplyDelete


text:
Game Preview: Queens v. Cobras
Game Date: December 4, 2010
Tip-off Scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Live Webcast: http://coker.nmtvsports.com (Caleb Dunlop – Play by Play, Todd Caughlin – Color)
Live Stats: www.cokercobras.com
HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker Cobras women's basketball team will try and turn things around and grab their first win of the season Saturday night against Queens.
Coker lost their last game in OT to Belmont Abbey 83-84. Both Coker and Queens will be looking for their first conference win of the season.
Coker at Coastal: 25-78 (L)
Belmont Abbey at Coker: 83-84 OT (L)
Coker College
Home: 0-2
Away: 0-3
Neutral: 0-1
2009 vs. Queens: 0-2
Avg. points per game (Home): 72
Points: Megan Thomas (68)
Assists: Megan Thomas (27)
Steals: Megan Thomas (11), Jasmine Alston (11)
FG% (min. 34 attempts): Megan Thomas (49.2)
PPG: Megan Thomas (11.3)
FT% (min. 8 attempts): Janell Dunham (83.3)
Coker is still searching for their first win of the season and they hope to grab it here at home against Queens. During the Cobras' last game against Belmont Abbey senior Megan Thomas (Cresskill, NJ) led the Cobras with 27 points.
During the battle against the Crusaders, the Cobras held on closely all game but could not finish it out in overtime. Freshmen Shanice Cooper (Sumter, SC) hit a buzzer-beater in the second half to even the score to force OT. Sophomore Jasmine Alston (Sumter, SC) fouled out late in the second half in an attempt to keep the game close.
Turnovers and shooting percentage have hurt the Cobras this season and they look to improve on both against Queens.
Home: 0-1
Away: 2-2, 1-0
2009 vs. Coker: 2-0
Avg. points per game (Road): (65)
Points: Marissa Hudley (66)
Assists: Jessica Lewis (14)
Steals: Melissa Thomas (9)
FG% (min. 26 attempts): Dyonna Battle (51.9)
PPG: Marissa Hudley (13.2)
FT% (min. 8 attempts): Marissa Hudley (100)
In their last game senior Marissa Hudley (Charlotte, NC) had 17 points, which led both teams. Queens has scored 75 points or more in three of the last four meetings against Coker.
Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 pm at the Timberlake-Lawton Gymnasium in Hartsville, S.C.