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Swimming Pool Blog
by Rob Cox, July 6, 2010
New Pool Pump Installation
At the heart of your pool's circulation system is the pool pump, making filtration and circulation possible. A tireless workhorse, running in the hot sun, day after day - eventually the motor will fail. The industry average for motor life is 8 years, so it's likely that you may replace it more than once.
Many times, the pump itself won't need replacement, only the motor, and surely some of the gaskets and baskets used on the "wet end" of the pump. At times, however, the cost of repair can exceed the cost of pump replacement -or- an even better reason for pump replacement is to install a pump that is more energy efficient.
With regards to energy efficient pool pumps, most new pumps nowadays are equipped with energy efficient motors. You can take several directions:
- With careful review of the pump flow charts, you may be able to install a new pump with lower horsepower, but higher flow rates. Using a pump of a lower horsepower will draw fewer amps, resulting in lower energy consumption.
- Installing a two speed pump will allow you to operate most of the time at only 1/8 horsepower, using full speed for 3-6 hours per day. Two speed pumps utilize four wires, so you will need to re-wire and/or purchase a new time clock.
- Installing a variable speed pump, like the Intelliflo, saves money by self-optimizing it's own horsepower, and thus amp draw.
This article however, is not about Pool Pump Selection, here we focus on Pool Pump Installation. You've already done your homework, selected your new pump, and it just arrived. So, what's the next steps in replacing an inground pool pump?
Tools Needed: Large Pliers, Screwdriver, 5/16 nutdriver, Hacksaw, Couplings or Unions.
- Shut off power at the circuit breaker. If you have a timeclock, look in the viewfinder to make sure the gears have stopped turning. Or use a multi-meter to make sure that you have flipped the correct breaker.If your system is below water level, close the valves to keep water from soaking your socks!
- Remove the wiring cover on the back of the motor, and loosen all 3 wires (4 wires if you have a two speed motor). Loosen the conduit connector on the outside of the motor, so that you can pull the wires out of the motor. Your pump may also have (should have) a bare copper wire connected to the motor. This is a bonding wire, remove the wire from the bonding lug and bend it out of your way.
- Break out the Hacksaw. Choose your cut location wisely on the pipe coming into the pump, and the pipe coming out of the pump. Using unions will allow you to remove the pump for service easily in the future, or for winter storage indoors. Unions are also cheaper now than they used to be, around $5 each, compared to $2 each for regular slip x slip couplings. If using couplings, choose a cut location that will allow you to cut again in the future if needed. If there is no room to cut, without cutting out expensive and still functioning valves, consider moving the pump further back, away from the valves. Make clean, vertical cuts through the pipes, and remove any pvc burrs.
- Break out the large Channel Lock pliers, or strap wrench to unthread the pipes out of the existing pump. If these plumbing fittings were not leaking, you can reuse them. If the the pump was leaking air through the intake or leaking water from the outtake of the pump, you should replace the threaded fittings, as it is probable that the threads have shrunk. These fittings are commonly called MTA's or male threaded adapter, and can be obtained at a home store or plumbing supplier.
- Thread the MTA's into the new pump. Use 3 wraps of Teflon Tape, in a clockwise fashion, covering the threads. Adding some silicone to the threads first, or blue RTV can give a little extra seal. Thread them hand tight and then go another full turn with the wrench. Overtightening may crack the pump housing!
- Replace the wires onto the new pump. It's a bit easier to do this before plumbing the pump in, as you can stand the pump up on the front end, for easier access to the back of the motor. (make sure power is still off!) Connect the ground wire to the green ground screw. The other two power leads will go to either terminal screw A or B, doesn't matter which one. Important to NOTE: Your new pump, if it has a reversible voltage motor, 115/230, will come wired for 230 volts. If you are only using 115 volts, follow the diagram on the motor to switch from High Voltage to Low Voltage
- Line up the new pump to the existing pipes. If you have changed pump models or manufacturers, the height of the incoming pipe and the setback of the effluent pipe probably won't line up exactly. If your new pump sits lower than the old, find a brick or something solid (wood will rot eventually) to raise the level of the pump up. If the new pump sits higher than the old pump, and you cannot "lower the ground" then you will need to get creative with your plumbing with some 45's to bring the incoming pipes higher. This can be avoided during pump selection, by checking the diagrams first, try to purchase a replacement pool pump with similar dimensions.
- Make the plumbing connections. Use pvc primer first on both the fitting (union or coupling) and on the pipe. If the pipe has dirt and gunk on it, scrub it good, or use emory cloth or wet/dry sandpaper to clean it up before priming. Within 30 seconds, glue both the fitting and the pipe liberally (on one side at a time). Push the fitting on the pipe to full depth, with a slight twisting motion. Hold firmly in place for 5-10 seconds.
- Fill the pump with water. Check for leaks around the base of the pump. Open any valves that were closed before installation.
- Fire it up! Flip on the breaker first, and reset the timeclock to the correct time. Cautiously turn on the pump, if it sounds loud, or grumbly or - if it starts smoking...shut the pump off quickly. If it starts smoking or sparking, this usually means that you are connecting 230V into a motor wired to accept 115V. Might have burned it out! It could also mean that wires are crossed or touching each other in the rear of the motor. Not to scare you, this rarely happens, and if you follow these steps above, you should have no problem installing your own pool pump.
If you need some serious plumbing fittings, check out our friends over at Plumber's Surplus.


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How to Counteract the Employee Grapevine
A grapevine exists among your business's employees (every business has an employee grapevine). But you can limit the grapevine's potential for demotivating employees by feeding it accurate information.
To help manage your company's grapevine
Provide accurate information. Set the record straight by proactively communicating to all employees. Otherwise, distorted half-truths will make the rounds — so nip these destructive rumors in the bud.
Share information quickly. Your employees are more likely to trust and believe you if you don't hoard information. If you take a while to convey news, people will wonder if you have a hidden agenda.
Provide a question and answer session. If employees know they can ask questions, they'll be more likely to wait for an answer before spreading rumors randomly.
Hold periodic group meetings. Your employees should be able to count on receiving information at regular intervals. If so, they'll spend less energy looking for information elsewhere!
Avoid spin. Keep your content straightforward and concise. Everyone knows when they're hearing spin — half-truths and propaganda-like messages — and the only thing that spin accomplishes is decreased morale.
Part of controlling the grapevine is handling speculation. When someone comes to you with questions, be honest. You don't want your employees to have the perception that one group knows something that another one doesn't. Employees do understand that some things are confidential; in those cases, reveal as much as you can and then let them know that the rest of the story is confidential.


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Kristen Stewart is back on for the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel! Despite reports that the film would move forward without her, the actress confirmed to Indiewire that she would return to the fairy tale franchise after all.
RIP Jelena and TomKat! Check out the most shocking celebrity splits"Oh, it's gonna be f---in' amazing," Stewart said. "No, I'm so excited about it, it's crazy."Unfortunately, Stewart wasn't allowed to say much else. "The other day I said that there was a strong possibility that we're going to make a sequel, and that's very true, but everyone was like, 'Whoah, stop talking about.' So no, I'm totally not allowed to talk about it."Rupert Sanders was uncovered. The fling briefly cost Stewart her relationship with longtime boyfriend Robert Pattinson. The two have since reconciled.


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The candles are on my coffee table.
The candles are on my coffee table.
Very pretty MCD
'I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!' Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. 'The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh, Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees!' (Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol)
lovely, especially the window decorations.
My Christmas Blogs:
- My most popular Christmas blog: KrisKringleForSingles dot blogspot dot com
- HolidaySingleGirldot blogspot dot com
- SilverandGoldChristmas dot blogspot dot com
Improvement photo:
I found some stored ornaments and bought some Christopher Radko Shiny Brites from Menard's.
I'm still looking for a couple of things. I hope our youngest wants to go shopping with me.
Everything looks great! I really like the Baywindow and the angel with baby Jesus.
Not perfect, but here's my shelf:


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New York Islanders Dome Hockey (Deluxe) Game by Holland Bar Stool Company
Holland Bar Stool's Officially Licensed Dome Hockey game provides hours of entertainment for the hockey fan of any level. Game is badged with your favorite team's logo on the base, sides, and at center ice. Our high-performance rod assembly underneath the surface transfers your twisting motion with a 2:1 ratio onto your players for the most responsive game play, and the clutch system prevents damage to the players when battling the opposition. TPR octagonal, sure-grip handles are attached to high-tensile steel rods that are ground and plated, maneuvering ABS players who are steel re-enforced to provide you with a long lasting game. Side mounted scoring unit provides a variety of game modes, Base includes adjustable levelers. When completing your game room, show your team pride with a Dome Hockey table from the Holland Bar Stool Company.
- Officially Licensed
- Electronic scoring unit
- TPR Octagonal Sure-grip handles
- .120 high-tensile steel rods
- ABS, steel re-enforced men
includes 1 year limited warranty
With over 18 years of experience in the furniture industry, Holland Bar Stool Co. was founded on the principles of fine quality, craftsmanship, and service. As an industry leading manufacturer of upscale, commercial quality barstools, tables, and chairs, we use the finest high-quality plating grade steel and hardwood to produce our products. We distance ourselves from competitors by building our products with care and thought. We pride ourselves on having tough, durable products that are known for their quality. If you're finishing your bar or game room with a new stool, chair, or table, than do it right - with a Holland Bar Stool.


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Cops: Gunman forced way into school
NEWTOWN, Conn. -- State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance, during a morning news conference in Newtown, told reporters from around the nation and from overseas that 20-year-old Adam Lanza forced his way into the building prior to the shooting.
"I can tell you it's believed he was not voluntarily let into the school at all, that he forced his way into the school, but that's as far as we can go on that," Vance said.
He said that responding police forced their way into the school and "broke many windows."
Between the school and Lanza's mother's house on Yogananda Street, where she was found dead, Vance said there was "very good evidence in this investigation that our investigators will be able to use in hopefully painting the complete picture as to how and more importantly why this occurred."
He declined to detail the evidence.
"I just simply want you to understand that we still have Major Crime detectives and Newtown detectives working at the scene in the school," he said. "That is not completed. That probably will not be completed for at least another day and a half to two days. I'm not putting a time limit on it. It could take longer. As I explained to you at previous press conferences we've done everything we need to do to literally peel back the onion, layer by layer, okay and examine every crack and crevice of that facility and that does not exclude the outside of the building."
Vance said there are three major crime teams in the town. The Chief Medical Examiner was still in the process of identifying victims and as soon as he is finished, Vance said identities will be announced.
At least two handguns and an assault-style rifle were involved in the murders.
"The weaponry that was recovered by our investigators was discovered in close proximity of the deceased," Vance said.


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LG G2x users manually update to Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread
We've been complaining about it, we've been waiting for it, and it's now here! G2x owners have been stuck on Android 2.2 Froyo since its release date last April. A pain, we know. But LG G2x owners can now manually update their devices to Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread via the LG Mobile Support Tool. (You will need a PC).
We last heard about this update in June, but the rumored dates came and went. This morning, we finally heard more news.
Sadly it's not an OTA update, but the manual install is not as complicated as one may think. Two of our staff members (Angie and Justin) completed the process successfully and are now rocking some fresh Gingerbread on their G2x devices. Beware, root users, as it seems this update will get rid of root access. You may want to wait until developers take it apart and make a work-around for you.
If you're still willing to manually update to Gingerbread, follow the instructions below.
1. Head over to LG's Mobile Support site and download the drivers (if you haven't yet).
2. Also, download the LG Mobile Support Tool (from the same site).
3. Run the LG Mobile Support Tool.
4. Connect your device to your PC.
5. Download the update (178 MB).
6. Follow instructions and let the tool do its magic!
7. That's it! You now have Gingerbread.
As mentioned, two of our staff members have successfully done this without a single problem. You should be safe. Let us know how it works for you. Any issues? Are you liking the taste of Gingerbread?
The update software indicates that your user data will be wiped (not the data on the 'external' storage, but the data on the phone's flash memory) but that wasn't the case for me.Justin ShapcottAndroid and Me
Thanks for the tip, William!


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New to larger more advanced cross stitch projects?
Here you can get encouragement to Take the Step into this new world!
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted.
Order threads in...
Note: when sorting by date, 'descending order' will show the newest results first.
Forum Rules


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How to Describe Your Banking to Quicken 2013 or Quicken 2014
If you haven't used Quicken before or are starting from scratch, the first time you start Quicken 2013 or 2014, the program shows a home page that includes a big Get Started button in (roughly) the middle of the screen.
Clicking the Get Started button allows you to provide information about your primary checking account and its current balance. Just so you don't get confused, here are the precise steps you take:
1Identify the financial institution — usually a bank — by typing your institution's name in the text box provided.
As you type, Quicken displays a list of financial institutions that match what you've typed so far. The more you type, the shorter the list of possible matching institutions.
2Tell Quicken whether you want to download transactions directly from your bank or enter transactions manually.
If your bank provides Internet access to your bank account — and many banks do — Quicken knows. And as a result, Quicken attempts to not-so-subtly push you into just grabbing data from the bank's website. You can maintain your account manually.
If you see your bank listed and you want to use online banking, select the bank and click Next. When you click the Next button, Quicken displays another version of the Add Your Primary Checking Account window, which asks for the username and password required to access your bank account electronically.
To download transactions and account balance information directly from your bank's website, you will need to provide this information. After you provide this information, click the Connect button to test the username and password information.
If you don't want to use online banking quite yet and are happy to start slow and go manually at the beginning, click the Advanced Setup hyperlink at the bottom of the first Add Your Primary Checking Account window.
Quicken won't quite believe you're bold enough to ignore its strong advice to go digital and so will display another Add Your Primary Checking Account window that provides option buttons you can use to indicate you want to be clever and just download transactions or that you want to be ploddingly cautious and at least at the start enter transactions manually.
By default, the I Want to Select the Connection Method option is selected. But you don't want to be clever — or least not quite yet — so select the I Want To Enter My Transactions Manually option.
3Tell Quicken the name you want to use for the checking account.
You do so by typing a name in the Account Name/Nickname text box. Furthermore, if given the choice, click one of the option buttons that may appear below the Account Name/Nickname text box to indicate whether you're using the bank account primarily for business finances, personal finances, and so on.
By the way, as far as the account name goes, you can be as general or as specific as you want. But brevity is a virtue here, so be concise: Quicken uses your account name to label stuff within the Quicken window and on Quicken reports. If you use a long account name, the name may not always fit on reports and screens.
4Enter the ending bank statement date by referring to your bank statement.
After you provide Quicken with a name and general description of the account's transactions, click Next, and Quicken displays another account setup dialog box that asks about the account's ending statement date and ending statement balance. Enter the date of your last bank statement into the Statement Ending Date text box.
This date, by the way, is forward from which you will start using Quicken. Enter the date in MM/DD/YYYY or MM/DD/YY fashion.
5Enter the ending bank statement balance by referring to your latest bank statement.
This balance is whatever appears on your bank statement. This balance is also the amount of money in your account on the date you begin your financial record keeping. If you have $4.16 in your checking account, type 4.16 in the Statement Ending Balance text box.
6After you type the bank statement balance, click the Next button to continue moving through the account setup.
Ultimately, you'll see a window that provides buttons you can click to start using Quicken and to add more bank accounts and even credit card accounts.
If you have several other bank accounts that you want to set up within Quicken, repeat the preceding steps for each account. Just click the button that refers to adding another bank account.


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Double Check Double Play: Home Run Derby Puts MLB, State Farm Top Of Mind
By Barry Janoff
July 8, 2012: In baseball, there are home run hitters and there are home run sluggers, and it is that latter group that gets the spotlight in the State Farm Home Run Derby, where smashing a ball off a stadium scoreboard 475 feet away from home plate is much more desired than barely clearing a wall 300 feet away.
State Farm has been title sponsor of the event since 2007 (taking over from Century 21). Tonight's event at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City on the eve of the 2012 MLB All-Star Game seeks to build on last year, when ESPN's telecast of the 2011 Home Run Derby averaged 6,686,000 viewers, an increase of 4%, while the 4.7 rating was up 2%.
During the Home Run Derby, State Farm will break a TV spot that extends into baseball for the first time the insurance firm's "Discount Double Check" theme, popularized in a national campaign by Green Bay Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers (pictured below). The spot, which also will be a launching pad for State Farm marketing to build through the World Series, was filmed at Wrigley Field in June and uses former Chicago Cubs stars Kerry Woods and Andre Dawson and the famed Wrigley Field Ivy wall. Lead agency is DDB Chicago. (See the full spot here.)
State Farm has garnered significant brand rewards in return for its Home Run Derby support. In 2011, the company received more than $45 million in media exposure (including on-air signage, mentions and other visuals) during the event, according Front Row Analytics, the sponsorship evaluation and measurement unit of Front Row Marketing Services, a division of Comcast-Spectator, Philadelphia.
But the Derby's charitable element is also significant. Last year, based on the 95 home runs and 11 gold balls hit over the fences during the Home Run Derby at Chase Field, Phoenix, saw more than $600,000 in donations went to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and other charities. This year, each gold ball home run (supplied by Rawlings), will earn $18,000 for designated charities (a reference to the nearly 18,000 State Farm agents).
Via its "Go to Bat" program, now in its third year, State Farm encourages people to participate in an interactive version of the Home Run Derby to earn money for their favorite charities as well as a chance to win a trip to the 2012 World Series. (Full details here). The charity list consists of charities that have agreed to participate in the 2012 State Farm "Go to Bat" promotion.
The 2012 National League participants are captain Matt Kemp (Los Angeles Dodgers), Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh Pirates), Carlos Beltran (St. Louis Cardinals) and Carlos Gonzalez (Colorado Rockies).
The American League roster includes defending Home Run Derby champ and captain Robinson Cano (New York Yankees), Mark Trumbo (Los Angeles Angels), Prince Fielder (Detroit Tigers) and Jose Bautista (Toronto Blue Jays).
In addition to the Home Run Derby, the Bloomington, Ill.-based company has built a year-round sports roster via alliances that include the NFL, NBA, WNBA, college football and basketball, presenting sponsor of America's Car Museum (Tacoma, Wash.) and naming rights to State Farm Arena in Hildago, Texas. Commercials have starred the likes of Rodgers, Packers' teammate Clay Matthews and NBA star LeBron James (who also teamed with State Farm for an effort to raise awareness about kids who drop out of school).
NYSportsJournalism spoke with Tim Van Hoof, assistant vp-marketing-communications for State Farm, regarding the power of the Home Run Derby and the strategies behind the company's sports and entertainment programs.
NYSportsJournalism.com: State Farm is now in its sixth season as title sponsor of the Home Run Derby. Are you finding that you are getting more marketing return for your investment?
Tim Van Hoof: We are. People talk about the State Farm Home Run Derby almost as soon as MLB talks about the All-Star Game, so we are finding that word-of-mouth and fan and consumer interest begins almost at the start of the season. And in some ways even longer because almost immediately after one State Farm Home Run Derby is over baseball fans begin to debate about who should be in the event for the next year.
NYSJ: How important is the Home Run Derby to State Farm's overall sports and entertainment marketing strategy?
TVH: The economic and financial pressures today on our business, on MLB, on companies who make investments in sports and entertainment, is tough. You have to justify year after year what you are doing. Does it push the bottom line. This is one of those relationships where being associated with MLB and the Home Run Derby has really taken off and taken hold with fans and customers. The response has been so strong that we have been able to use the State Farm Home Run Derby as a successful case study when we consider expanding into other relationships. And I would like to believe that other companies look at it when they are considering sports or entertainment investments. When you look at the events with which State Farm is associated — NBA All-Star Saturday Night, NBA Draft, the Home Run Derby — we treat each with respect and care.
"Connecting to sports, connecting with properties such as MLB, the NBA and football adds to the excitement and energy we bring to the audience."
NYSJ: How has the company's overall sports and entertainment marketing strategies translated into a stronger brand position?
TVH: We look at State Farm as being a national brand with strong neighborhood representation and agents who know their local communities. Buying insurance is something that falls under the heading of being something you have to do versus something you want to do. It is one of those categories where people may or may not want to talk about it or deal with it. So connecting to sports, connecting with properties such as MLB, the NBA and football adds to the excitement and energy we bring to the audience.
NYSJ: Is part of the challenge trying to be patient while building long-term alliances with sports properties rather than going for a one-time splash?
TVH: It has to evolve over time. But if you do it right, and our alliance with baseball is a good example, you get more people who are looking to buy insurance to think of our brand first. Over time there is an element of association and an element of depth that we want. The challenge is how do we take MLB and our partnership there and get into the local markets, put our name in the face of people there and show that we are part of the community. But when we do things such as the Home Run Derby,we build the philanthropic arm of that and extend it into social media and gaming. The idea is to make it very local, intimate and special as opposed to just trying to have our name in front of an audience. It's good to be associated with big properties. But the goal is to personalize it and take it local, and have a philanthropic element associated with our brand.
NYSJ: Has State Farm been able to tell whether its sports efforts have translated into customers?
TVH: We can, but it's not an easy thing to measure. We know we are reaching a vast audience through these alliances. We do studies, track metrics and get feedback from our [nearly 18,000] agents nationwide. One of our goals is to reach people who don't think that State Farm is for them, and to get them to think about State Farm when they want to purchase insurance. A lot of our effort is cause-marketing, because that is something we genuinely believe in. And that builds a deeper association because people want to deal with companies who care about the things that they care about. And with the younger generation, which is deeply embedded in social media, we are expanding our sports and entertainment programs to embrace social media to leverage our programs and to try to individualize them as much as we can. So while the bottom line is ROI, the means and ways to reach people is about successful personalization.
NYSJ: How important are entertainment alliances, such as State Farm's support of Cars 2 last year?
TVH: We look for ways to get involved with entertainment and music that we see can be good places to build on our messages. Right now, using our 'Get to a Better State' theme, we look at people going to concerts and try to help them get to a better state. Parking might be a hassle, so for someone who is with State Farm we might figure out a way to get them a good parking spot or provide a shuttle for them right to the front door. If you are sitting in the back of the arena we want to bring you to a better state near the front. Ticket prices can be a little high in some markets, so we will try to get tickets at a better price to get more people to enjoy an experience they might not have had.
NYSJ: Have there been any discussions with MLB about tweaking the format?
TVH: At its core, the Home Run Derby is a great idea and is an exciting event. People like to see great home run hitters hitting the ball out of the park. But last year we added captains who would then reach out to their friends and other home run hitters in the National and American Leagues, which brought a fresh layer of interest and fan involvement to it. So even though the premise and basic elements remain, we and MLB are always open to ideas that would add to the excitement.
NYSJ: Why do you think the numbers on ESPN have been so strong?
TVH: The All-Star Game and Home Run Derby are big events. They capture the interest of sports fans and an audience that includes even casual fans of the game. People love to see players hit home runs, and this is all about hitting home runs as far as you can. People still talk about the show that Josh Hamilton put on in 2008 in [the old] Yankee Stadium when he hit 28 home runs one round, and he was putting them off the scoreboard and into the deepest parts of the ballpark. It was crazy. I can't predict what will happen this year but I expect to see a lot of home runs [at Kauffman Stadium, pictured]. Also, when you look at what's going on in the television world right now, there is less original programming on network and cable, and we are a in a bit of what you could call a lull in sports, with the NBA and NHL seasons over and still weeks until the Olympics. So baseball becomes an especially strong sport during the summer.
NYSJ: How important has it been to have home runs translate into charitable donations, anchored by the gold ball?
TVH: It has added a lot of dimension to the event and has enabled us to strengthen our alliances into the community above and beyond the Home Run Derby itself. It is inherently taking the great game of baseball and [channeling forwarding] the power of the game into charitable efforts. For us and for MLB it has become a big part of the longevity of our relationship.
"We are excited about the programs and alliances we now have, and will try to build on them while looking for new ways to reach people and strengthen our brand."
NYSJ: Have you seen guys become more intense, and perhaps a bit more nervous, in their final at-bat when they have to hit the gold ball?
TVH: I have. It's pretty cool. The crowd gets into it. And watching at home, when it is time to hit the gold ball, it becomes a big moment. When you look at the numbers that start to add up, the number of home runs, the number of gold balls that translate into hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations for Boys and Girls Clubs and local charities, it is a big moment. And for the brand, speaking unselfishly, the gold ball comes back to State Farm making a donation of $18,000 [for each gold ball home run] and has become a great brand tie-in for more serious endeavors amidst all of this fun and excitement.
NYSJ: How important has the the 'Go to Bat' activation become for State Farm?
TVH: The 'Go to Bat' element has made it not just a Home Run Derby element but something that resonates throughout the season and, really, all year long. And this year we have added an app that people can download. As part of the 'Go to Bat' program, consumers can say I care about finding a cure for autism and I want State Farm to go to bat for me. You can go to bat for the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Teach For America, the Boys and Girls Clubs and others. People who participate have the opportunity to win $18,000 for their favorite charity as well as a trip to the World Series.
NYSJ: Will sports marketing remain a key part of State Farm's strategy moving forward?
TVH: Everything costs money. So if we can continue to leverage and build our sports and entertainment associations properly, using baseball, football, the NBA and other elements to raise brand awareness and move that to consumer purchases, it will continue to be part of what we do. The Home Run Derby is a great launching pad for our marketing, our charitable efforts, the 'Got to Bat" program and to connect with people and get them talking about State Farm and the things we are doing. We will continue to review all of our programs, but we are excited about the programs and alliances we now have, and will try to build on them while looking for new ways to reach people and strengthen our brand.


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Nov. 12, 2004
Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery
Head Coach Paul Ratcliffe
"I think it wasn't the prettiest game but we scored early and we scored twice and psychologically I think that really helped us and then it was just they had a few chances, we had a few chances, it was pretty even as far as I was concerned but when you score a couple of goals early, psychologically I think the momentum really goes your way."
Senior Forward Marcie Ward
"We're used to kind of relying on the defense and then maybe getting a scrappy goal or setting something up or going into overtime or something. But I think we had the two-goal lead which created a lot more confidence in us and we didn't have to sit back and protect the goal. So we actually created a lot more opportunities I think to our advantage."
Senior Midfielder Martha West
"Maybe I get a little complacent but when I see a shot go toward our goal, I start turning and heading up the field. I'm like `Barney's (Nicole Barnhart) going to get it.' We have been a team this year where we know we're not going to get scored on and we go in with that mentality and we try to do everything we can to get our one goal or two goals. We haven't been up 2-0 I think all season. So, it's a nice feeling."
Senior Goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart
"We played well. Being up 2-0 definitely helped us... A lot of their shots were from outside which is kind of what we wanted and they couldn't really get behind us at all which is what we were aiming at so that didn't create too many scary chances."
Cal Poly
Head Coach Alex Crozier
"We were playing well. We just made two mistakes, didn't clear balls well and we paid for it. Stanford's a good team and against good teams you can't make mistakes like that. Other than that, I don't think they got a great look at goal. We got a couple of good looks, hit posts, keeper made some good saves. It could have easily been 2-0 the other way but they're a good team. We made our mistakes and we paid for it."
Senior Midfielder Stephanie Hedien
(on losing to Stanford) "I think the fact that it was Stanford again wasn't as significant as the fact that it was the first round again. The first time we played Stanford, they truly beat us. We walked off the field and it was just kind of like you know they were the better team. They won but I don't think that was necessarily the case today. And that makes it a lot harder."
Senior Forward Erin Martin
"I've never felt so pumped up from my teammates confidence-wise before we started this game. It was like we went out there knowing that we could beat this team and that we were going to win and we just got a little unlucky."


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Subscribe To Love Stinks: New Supercut Brings Together Some Of Cinema's Greatest Rejections Of Love Updates
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There are two things that people do on Valentine's Day: either they celebrate the holiday with their significant other, exchanging gifts and chewing on mystery chocolates ; or they completely ignore the date with perhaps the exception of a few pessimistic comments about how it's a holiday invented by greeting card companies . The following video is primarily for the folks in the latter category (though those in the first will probably get a kick out of it too.
In "celebration" of today's holiday Next Movie has put together a supercut featuring some of cinema's greatest rejections. Unsurprisingly there's a good amount of Woody Allen, but you should also recognize clips from Young Frankenstein, In & Out, Wet Hot American Summer, Clueless, The Blues Brothers, and Say Anything. See if you can name every title as it comes up while watching the video below.
How many were you able to get? See the full list of movies below, courtesy of Film.com
Annie Hall, Wet Hot American Summer, Mean Girls, The Mask, Clueless, The Blues Brothers Love and Death, Young Frankenstein, Heartbreakers, Bringing Up Baby, Austin Powers Love & Basketball, In & Out, Shaun of the Dead, Something's Gotta Give, Can't Hardly Wait Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Say Anything The Navigator, Woman in Red, Moonstruck, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Pretty in Pink Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Hudsucker Proxy, Shall We Dance?, Grease, Blazing Saddles Tootsie, Dead Ringers, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Only You, Wayne's World, Modern Romance
Hopefully your Valentine's Day is going a little bit more smoothly than life is for these characters.


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|Portland, Ore.
|High School:
JUNIOR 2007-08: Redshirted season due to injury.
AS A SOPHOMORE IN 2006-07: Posted a 19-13 singles record overall and an 11-8 mark in duals, playing at No. 5 and No. 6 ... played only four doubles matches, going 2-2 ... Doubles: played three doubles matches with Bobby Rasmussen at Bulldog Classic, winning twice to reach the semifinals ... played one doubles match with Jay Wong at Aztec Invitational, losing to Souza and Rebazza of Arizona State 8-4 on Jan. 14 ... Singles: in the Bronco Classic, reached the semifinals of the Flight "B", beating Oregon's Francisco Gallardo 7-6 (4), 6-2 and California's Valclav Burger 6-4, 6-2 in the first two rounds and then pulling out a three-hour thriller over Sacramento State's Anton Stryhas 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in the quarterfinals, lost in three sets in semifinals to Chris Rasmussen of Stanford ... also played in the Bulldog Classic and the ITA Regionals ... won three matches in the consolation bracket of the ITA Regionals ... started off the spring season on Jan. 13 by beating San Diego State's Billy Timu 7-5, 6-2 and Arizona State's Patrick Brogan 6-3, 6-4 at the Aztec Invitational ... lost first five dual matches against Boise State, California, Pepperdine, Arizona State and Arizona ... won first dual match on Feb. 16 vs. Gonzaga's Zach Radetzky 6-1, 6-2 to clinch a 6-1 Bronco win ... won six straight matches from Feb.16-Mar. 7 all in straight sets ... at Oregon he beat the Ducks Gustavo Loza 6-0, 6-1 on Feb. 17 ... defeated Nigel Barton of UCSB 6-2, 6-4 on Feb. 19 ... at No. 5, beat Portland's Charlie Yemm 6-2, 6-4 on Mar. 2 ... on Mar. 7 won his sixth straight match, defeating USF's Greg Hom 6-3, 6-3 ... defeated Montana State's David Kovas 6-1, 6-1 on Mar. 24 ... won his biggest match of season on Mar. 31 vs. Harvard, grinding out an 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win at No. 6 singles to clinch the match for Santa Clara; he defeated Sasha Ermakov after coming back from 1-4, 40-love deficit in the third set and a 1-5 deficit in the second set tiebreaker ... defeated USF's Rainer Nachbauer 6-2, 7-5 on Apr. 5 ... beat Nevada's Augustin Myard 6-3, 6-2 on Apr. 13 ... defeated Reyniere Roxas of LMU 6-2, 6-1 on Apr. 21 in WCC Championships in final match of year.
AS A FRESHMAN IN 2005-06: Capped off a great freshman season by posting an overall singles record of 24-11... the 24 wins by Hicks is the fourth best in program history for singles victories in one season... produced an 18-9 mark during the spring, playing primarily at the No. 4 and 5 positions... earned All-WCC Honorable Mention after going 5-3 in league action... had a five-match winning streak with straight-set wins over Jeff Fitch (Hawai'i), Gustavo Loza (Oregon), Luis Gonzalez (Portland), Shannon Morales (Princeton), and Franz Molina (Fresno State)... reached the Round of 32 at the Wilson/ITA Northwest Regional Championships... captured the singles title at the Santa Clara Bronco Classic, defeating Greg Horn (San Francisco), Casey McMakin (UC Davis), Ken Kao (Stanford), and Henri Landes (UC Davis), all in straight sets... had a 4-2 doubles record, primarily playing the No. 3 spot with Brian Brogan.
HIGH SCHOOL: A 2005 graduate of Grant High School in Portland, Ore...played for coach Scott MacDonald...team captured state championship in 2005...a four-year recipient of All-District and All-State honors...individually won league championship four consecutive years...undefeated in high school league play...state finalist as a sophomore and junior...honored as the top-ranked junior in the Pacific Northwest 18's, 16's, and 14's...finished ranked in the top-75 nationally in the 14's (No. 15), 16's (No. 41) and 18's (No. 51)...represented Pacific Northwest section at the USTA Zonal, Intersectional and Junior Davis Cup championships...member of National Honor Society.
PERSONAL: Parents are Dave and Anne Hicks...has two twin sisters, Laura and Maddy, and one younger sister, Anna...enjoys reading, traveling, movies and running...plans to pursue a career in business.
Hicks' Career Statistics
|Singles Dual
|Singles Overall
|Doubles Dual
|Doubles Overall


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Tyree: Victoria's Secret, age-appropriate fun and you
Special to the Daily
It was all a misunderstanding, an overreaction, a tempest in a teapot.
That's the official word over the recent furor surrounding the Victoria's Secret "Bright Young Things" campaign for its PINK line. Enraged parents got their panties in a wad over, well, panties. Petitions and boycotts were organized to chastise the company for allegedly targeting teenage and pre-teen girls with attire that included panties sporting racy messages such as "Call Me," "I Dare You" and "It's Now Or Never."
The company quickly responded that it was aiming the ads at the college-age and spring break crowd and that any youngsters allured by the message were merely collateral damage. It's more than a little disheartening that society has become so blase and coarsened that we accept this postponement of invitations to fornication with a sigh of relief. ("Whew! Glad to know those tuition checks are going so my daughter can put a 4.0 in Appreciation of Brand-Name Lingerie on her resume someday!")
Goodness no, Victoria's Secret would never have the audacity to sell such suggestive items to your innocent fifteen-year-old daughter right there under your own roof. No, they would kindly wait until she's out from under your supervision. ("Your baby girl: now a whopping 20 percent older and more mature.")
I know my reticence about the matter of sexual liberation brands me as prudish, old-fashioned and out-of-touch in the eyes of inhibition-challenged young ladies, since everyone knows that our Founding Fathers fought for the inalienable right to feel sexy. Why, the concept goes all the way back to the Old Testament. Surely you remember the prophet Daniel being asked to interpret The Handwriting On The Crotch.
I'm sure the flirtatious panties are just a harmless fantasy for some women, but regressing to the carefree days of fantasizing with a cardboard box and mom's high heels would be even cheaper. And less likely to lead to VD and unplanned pregnancy.
No, we're not living in an "Ozzie And Harriet" world anymore (if we ever were). Fewer and fewer girls are going to borrow a line from the "Grease" song "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee" and challenge "Keep your filthy paws off my silky drawers."
But some capitulations to reality are more easily rationalized than others. At least with free birth control, proponents can say, "You're going to be doing it anyway, so at least use protection." That has a much more convincing ring than, "You're going to be doing it anyway, so at least use mass-produced catch phrases used by a million
other girls."
I know "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," but sometimes you just have to look at the Big Picture. Two tombstone inscriptions you don't see very often: "I Wish I Had Spent More Time At The Office" and "I Wish I Had Teased More Potential Date Rapists."
One of my most trusted advisers opined that in a perfect world the sexy slogans would be reserved for older, married women. That makes sense, but I wonder if we couldn't place even stricter age restrictions on the clothing line.
"It's Now Or Never: The Early Bird Special Ends At 4:30."
"I Dare You To Buy The Economy Size Metamucil."
"Call Me An Ambulance. I've Fallen And I Can't Get Up."
Danny welcomes reader e-mail responses at email@example.com and visits to his Facebook fan page "Tyree's Tyrades". His' weekly column is distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons Inc. newspaper syndicate. For info on using columns, please email Cari Dawson Bartley at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


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Earth : Asia : East Asia : China : Macau
Macau (also spelled Macao, 澳門, Ou3 Mun4 in Cantonese, Àomén in Mandarin) [2] is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. Located across the Pearl River estuary from Hong Kong, until 1999 Macau was an overseas territory of Portugal. One of the world's most densely populated spots, Macau is best known as Asia's largest destination for gambling taking in even more revenue than Las Vegas.
As the first and last European colony in Asia, Macau has more visible colonial history than Hong Kong. Walking through the old city you could convince yourself you were in Europe - if the streets were devoid of people and Chinese-language signage, that is. The Portuguese and Macanese population continues to maintain a presence, but most of the population is native Chinese.
Besides the city itself, Macau includes the islands of Taipa and Coloane, which are connected to Macau by bridges and to each other by a causeway, now built up into the Cotai Strip. The Chinese city of Zhuhai borders Macau to the north, and the border crossing carries heavy two-way vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The Zhuhai Special Economic Zone extends south to Hengqin Island, an area west of Taipa, Cotai and Coloane; the Lotus Bridge from Cotai connects to that area. There is significant movement by the local population of both Zhuhai and Macau across the border, making the two feel like twin cities.
Macau is subtropical with hot summers and mild winters. Visitors should note that typhoons often strike from mid-summer to Autumn which could stop many activities there. Although winter is generally mild, there are occasional cold fronts which could make temperatures drop 10°C (50°F) in a day.
In the 16th Century, China gave Portugal the right to settle in Macau in exchange for clearing the area of pirates under strict Chinese administration. Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. It became Portuguese colony effectively after the treaty signed by Qing and Portuguese Government in 1887. It was also the last, when pursuant to an agreement signed by China and Portugal in 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December 1999, ending over 400 years of Portuguese administration.
China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula - Macau is officially the same country with mainland China, but maintain its own ruling systems. Like its neighbour Hong Kong, Macau still does not have a full democracy and the locals often think that there is too much control or influence from Beijing (more one country, less two systems).
In recent years, Macau's economy has bloomed rapidly due to the opening of the gambling licenses. Thousands of tourists are in Macau each day, mainly from mainland China and neighbouring regions. The standard of living in Macau has as a result grown significantly, and in many cases, on par with some European countries. The tourist industry has also diversified - instead of casinos, Macau is also promoting its historic sites, culture and cuisine.
A Macao Narrative (ISBN 0195920708) by Austin Coates. Great introduction to Macau's colourful history. You can buy this book at the museum in the Fortaleza do Monte which overlooks the Ruins of St. Paul.
Macau was geographically divided into three regions: the peninsula and two islands. However, reclamation of the area between Taipa and Coloane has created the fourth region of Cotai.
Get in
For many years, the usual way to get to Macau was to fly into Hong Kong and take a ferry across to Macau. Today, Macau is becoming a low-cost airline hub, and some are now arriving at Macau to later go to Hong Kong.
Entry requirements
Holders of a Hong Kong permanent identity card or a re-entry permit can enter Macau visa-free for up to 1 year without having to present their passport. Holders of a Hong Kong non-permanent identity card can enter Macau visa-free for up to 30 days and must present their passport.
Foreign nationals of the following countries/territories can enter Macau visa-free:
For up to 180 days: United Kingdom
For up to 90 days: All European Union member states, plus Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cape Verde, Croatia, Dominica, Egypt, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland and Tanzania
For up to 30 days: Australia, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Malaysia, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Philippines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the United States and Uruguay
In addition, all foreign visitors who intend to enter Macau for less than 48 hours for the purpose of travelling onwards to another destination via Macau International Airport are exempt from obtaining a visa.
If you require a visa, it can either be obtained from a Chinese embassy or consulate or on arrival in Macau (Macau visas are separate from visas valid for travel to Mainland China). A visa on arrival costs MOP100 (individual), MOP50 (children under 12; per person for groups of 10 or more travellers with a collective travel document) or MOP200 (family passport). A visa issued on arrival is valid for multiple entries within 30 days of the issuing date. However, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Nigerian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Vietnamese citizens cannot use the visa on arrival facility and must apply for a Macau visa at a Chinese embassy in advance or at the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong if they live there.
Deatiled information about immigration requirements is available from the website of the Macau Public Security Police Force.
By boat
This is still the main way in which most visitors get to Macau [3]. The main ferry terminal in Macau is the Macau Ferry Terminal (Terminal Maritimo) at the Outer Harbour (Portuguese: Porto Exterior, Chinese: 外港). This is a busy terminal handling most of the sea traffic between Macau and Hong Kong as well as the Chinese ports of Shekou and Shenzhen International Airport. Getting there/away: Buses 1A, 3, 3A, 10, 10A, 10B, 12, 28A, 28B, 28BX, 32 and AP1 run from the ferry terminal. The bus stop is on the main road to the right as you walk out of the building. Pick up a free bus schedule in the tourist information centre in the building. If you are heading straight to a casino or hotel, most of these establishments provide free shuttle buses. They gather to the left of the terminal building; step out of the arrival-level of the building and turn left.
There is a lesser known ferry terminal in Macau, located at Pier No. 11 at the Inner Harbour (Portuguese: Porto Interior, Chinese: 内港). This is a new ferry terminal building after its former Pier 14 site was given to developers by the Macau Government. It is very near to the Macau city centre and can be easily reached on foot. This terminal mostly services boats to Shenzhen, Jiangmen and Wanzai across the Inner Harbour in Zhuhai.
A third temporary ferry service serves Taipa, Cotai and Coloane connecting to Hong Kong and Shekou. The Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal is adjacent the Ponte da Amizade Friendship Bridge on Estrada de Pac On, and is served by bus AP1 from the city to the airport, but not the other way around (unless you go around the entire loop). There are also free shuttle buses to the Venetian, the Wynn, COD. A larger permanent ferry terminal is being constructed between the temporary terminal and the Macau International Airport, scheduled for completion in 2011.
From Hong Kong
Ferries to Macau operate from several points in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong International Airport where you can bypass Hong Kong Immigration and transfer directly into a ferry to Macau.
The price of ferry tickets differ based on the time and day of the week of the ride. Ferry departures at night (between 6PM and 6AM) and on weekends are more expensive.
Especially at the HK Macau Ferry Terminal, keep an eye out for ticket touts. Some offices here resell legit bulk tickets at a small discount, but an altogether slimier species sells unused tickets for ferries that are about to leave — you may catch them if you run, but will be out of luck (and money) if you don't. Be wary of anyone outside the elevators who enthusiastically bekons you to an agents office - and shows you tickets for future sailings, only for you to end up with tickets for ferries that are departing in the next few minutes. A few touts even pose as "inspectors" and, with practiced sleight of hand, swap your ticket. Don't let anybody not in uniform take your ticket!
From Mainland China
Several ferry companies run to Macau from mainland ports including Jiangmen, Shekou (in Shenzhen) and Fu Yong Ferry Terminal (next to Shenzhen Airport).
A more frequent and cheaper option is to catch a ferry to/from Zhuhai's Jiuzhou Port, which is only a few kilometers from the Macau-Zhuhai border. Take a short taxi ride (¥10) or a No. 4 bus from the border crossing to the ferry terminal. The bus ride should be included in your ferry ticket. Ferries from Shenzhen Shekou Port to Zhuhai run every 30 minutes. ¥90.
By car
There are two vehicular entry points into Macau from China. They are the Portas do Cerco (關閘 Guan Chap in Cantonese, Guanzha in Mandarin) at the extreme north of Macau Peninsula which connects you to Gongbei in Zhuhai, and the Lotus Bridge (officially the Cotai Frontier Checkpoint) which links the Cotai Strip with the Wanzai district of Zhuhai.
You can only enter if your vehicle (cars only, no motorcycles) has both Macau and mainland China number plates and the driver carries both Macau and China driver's licenses. Note that you have to switch sides of the road; mainland China drives on the right, Macau on the left.
By bus
You can take the coach from Guangzhou. The trip takes about 3 hours and costs around ¥80. Buses are available from the Guangzhou airport at regular intervals. The bus takes you within walking distance (200 metres) of Portas do Cerco -the usual entry point into Macau.
There is also a direct coach from Shenzhen airport and also Shenzhen long distance bus station. The trip from Shenzhen is about 3 hours.
There is also a direct coach from Dongguan city (in Guangdong province) to Macau Airport. The trip takes about 3 hours and costs around ¥100.
You can also get a bus from either place to Gongbei bus station in Zhuhai. That puts you right across the street from the border facilities so you can walk to Macau (see next section). This can save you a bit of money; the bus is about the same price either way, but food and hotels are cheaper in Zhuhai.
By plane
Macau International Airport [11] (MFM) is off the shore of Taipa Island. It has basic facilities and a couple of aerobridges, but it is possible that you will park on the tarmac and take a bus to the terminal.
Macau's home carriers is Air Macau [12]. While nowhere nearly as well served as Hong Kong, the airport is popular among low-cost airlines thanks to its low landing fees. AirAsia flies to Macau from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Penang and Bangkok [13] while Tiger [14] and Jetstar [15] serve Singapore, Cebu Pacific [16] and Philippines Airlines serve Manila and Clark, Thai AirAsia flies to Bangkok.
Bus AP1 plies a route between the airport and the Barrier Gate. Its route passes through several points on Taipa Island, and it stops at the ferry terminal on the peninsula on the way. It costs $4.20 per passenger, $3 per bag. It has limited provision for baggage, and can be very crowded (you may not even get the first bus to arrive). Change at the ferry terminal for other destinations, the frequent number 3 bus runs from the ferry terminal and passes the Lisboa, Landmark Hotel, and Holiday Inn, or catch one of the hotel/casino shuttles which go the ferry terminal. The buses do not give change, but there is a currency exchange just inside the terminal that will change foreign currency into low denomination MOP.
Alternatively, take a metered taxi straight to your destination, but there's a $5 airport surcharge plus $2 for the bridge and $3 per bag. Fares to the city center are around $40-50, the trip taking 15-20 minutes.
If you are bound for Hong Kong, Zhuhai or Shenzhen, you can use the airport's Express Link [17] special bus service to connect directly to the ferry or the Zhuhai border without passing through Macau immigration. However, the bus schedule is limited (11AM-6PM only), which limits the utility somewhat; depending on your flight, if you don't need a visa for Macau, it may well be faster to go through immigration twice. If you have a same-day ticket, you can also use this service in the return direction to transfer directly to the airport.
Connections to mainland China are no longer limited, with services to many cities (as at 2011). Air Macau flies daily to Beijing, Nanjing, Ningbo and Shanghai. They also fly several times a week to Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Nanning, Wuhan and Xiamen. Xiamen Airlines flies to Fuzhou, Hangzhou and Xiamen. Other airlines include AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, EVA Air and Spring Airlines (among others). It is usually cheaper to fly to Zhuhai and cross the border by land as flights between Macau and the mainland are considered to be international flights.
On foot
You can cross from mainland China to Macau on foot at the Portas do Cerco (Barrier Gate) crossings at the extreme north of Macau Peninsula. In fact, thousands of Macau and Chinese citizens do it daily, making it an horrendously busy crossing. Depending on the time and day of the week, expect long waits to get processed. The crossing on the Chinese side is called Gongbei. Getting there/away: The massive underground Portas do Cerco bus terminal is beneath the pretty garden in front of the border checkpoint plaza. You'll be able to find buses to most parts of Macau, including Taipa, Coloane and the Cotai Strip from here. From downtown Macau by taxi, the border is about 10 minutes and $30.
As most people crossing the Barrier Gate are either mainland or Macau residents, foreign passport holders may get a short queue at the Zhuhai immigration clearance as they do not pass through the same counters as Chinese nationals. However, Macau's immigration divides entrants only into Macau residents and visitors, without further differentiation, and foreigners have to queue with an overwhelming number of mainland residents.
There are money changers at the Barrier Gate that give very good rates so you can change your money into Chinese renminbi before crossing the customs.
Although you are not allowed to walk on the Lotus Bridge between Wanzai and Cotai, you can board a bus to cross it.
By helicopter
The Sky Shuttle [18] helicopter service operates every 15-30 minutes between Macau's Terminal Maritimo and the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier in Hong Kong, as well as five times a day to/from Shenzhen airport. The trip takes just 16 minutes, but weekday/weekend tickets cost a whopping HK$3700/3900 one-way.
Get around
On foot
This is arguably the best way to get around the Macau Peninsula, which is small, compact and full of things to discover. Many roads are also one way so there is quite a chance that it won't be slower than to take road transport which may need to make a long loop to reach the destination. Most streets have a pedestrian sidewalk making walking easy, although you will have to fight the crowds going in all directions. Traffic rules are not very well adhered to, so ensure that you look both ways before crossing. In and around the Senado Square, the pavements will be made of hand-laid limestone pieces made into simple designs, something that will surely catch your attention. Macau is also hilly, be prepared to struggle up and down steep lanes and steps.
Especially in the old city, the city streets do not seem to run in any particular pattern and you'll most likely get lost at some stage, which is part of the fun of exploring Macau.
Don't bother trying to get around the Cotai area on foot though, as the huge long streets with nothing much on them except the outside edge of new hotels and giant building sites will eat up time you could better spend elsewhere in Macau.
By bus
Macau and its districts are served by three bus companies - Transportes Urbanos Macau (Transmac) [19] and Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos de Macau (TCM) [20] and since August 2011, Sociedade de Transportes Públicos Reolian (Reolian) [21]. The bus system in Macau can be difficult to use. It is often difficult to gauge which direction the bus is heading and the routes through the city center are very curvy, making a long ride out of a short distance. Bus drivers usually only speak Cantonese, very little English or Mandarin and certainly no Portuguese at all. Most bus stops contain no English, although you can sometimes figure out the destination from Portuguese words.
Nevertheless, the websites of all three companies have good route guides. The TCM website [22] is only in Chinese, while the Transmac website [23] depicts routes schematically. The Reolian website [24] is the best as it has English pages and all Macau bus routes, including those not operated by Reolian, as well as bus stops are clearly shown using Google Maps.
There is a flat fare of $3.20 for rides within the Macau Peninsula, $4.20 between the Peninsular and Taipa, $5 between the Peninsula and Coloane village, and $6.40 between the Peninsula and Hác Sá (Coloane). But like the buses in Hong Kong, your fare is according to the bus stop you board, not by the length of the journey. Fare are displayed next to the fare box, so get your destinations written in Chinese if you need to tell them where you're going. You need the exact fare as drivers do not give change. Macaupass, a debit card similar to Hong Kong's Octopus Card system, is now widely used by Macau citizens as it provide discounts on paying bus fare. However, it may be hard to purchase one as the distribution points are limited. Buses accept Hong Kong coins (but not the $10 Hong Kong coin).
By scooter
Scooters are a very economical and fun way to see the sites of Macau, they are also the primary mode of transport for locals due to Macau's narrow streets and lack of car parking space. Macau Scooter Hire [25] provides scooters for rental from a few dollars. Licenses from most countries covering mopeds or motorcycles are accepted.
By shuttle bus
If you've got more time than money on your hands, you can travel around Macau for free simply by hopping on and off the complimentary shuttle buses operated by all major casinos and hotels. Virtually all serve the Terminal Maritimo, with buses every 5 to 10 minutes, while the big boys (Venetian, Wynn, City of Dreams, Galaxy etc) also shuttle to the Border Gates, the Taipa Ferry Terminal and the airport. The buses to Hotel Lisboa, for example, drop you off just a few blocks from Largo do Senado. You generally have to be at least 18 years old to use them. You may have to get a ticket from Lisboa Casino in order to leave the casino by shuttle but most of the casinos offer totally free to take their shuttle buses.
By taxi
Starting from September 2008 taxi fares start at $13. Largo do Senado to the border is about 40MOP. The longest possible taxi ride (from the Border Post at the extreme north of Macau to Coloane in the south) would be well under 200MOP.
It is a good idea to have your destination written in Chinese as most taxi drivers are monolingual in Cantonese. Some of them may speak a little Mandarin or English, though it is not wise to count on your luck, and almost none speak Portuguese. Most taxi drivers carry with them a list of casinos and other important places, so in case there's a communication gap, just look for it on the sunguard of the front passenger seat. Should you leave from a casino/hotel, a bilingual English/Cantonese speaking employee will generally be there to tell the cab driver where you want to go.
Like in Hong Kong, every bag placed in the boot of the taxi will have an additional surcharge.
Many taxi drivers are off duty at Sundays and use their cars privately. Those taxis have a red sign in the front window. Expect some waiting for a free taxi on Sundays.
By cycle rickshaw
As in Hong Kong, cycle rickshaws (triciclo or riquexó) are a dying breed, although a few still lurk around tourist haunts like the ferry terminal and Hotel Lisboa. Prices are negotiable, but a few hours of city touring by triciclo might cost around $200.
By car
Car rental is not a popular option in Macau given the territory's high population density and small size. Avis [26] provides car rental services in Macau and you have the option of renting the car with or without a driver. Roads are generally well maintained and directional signs are in both Chinese and Portuguese. Unlike in mainland China, international driving permits (IDP's) are accepted in Macau, and traffic moves on the left side of the road with most cars being right-hand drive (largely due to influences from neighbouring Hong Kong).
If you wish to drive a mainland China, your vehicle must have a second set of number plates issued by the Guangdong authorities, and you would need to carry an additional Mainland license, as the Chinese government does not recognise Hong Kong, Macau or foreign licenses. You would also need to change sides of the road at the border.
Cantonese is the most commonly spoken language of Macau (88%, 2001 census). Mandarin is not widely spoken, though most locals are able to comprehend it to some degree. Staff working at major hotels and tourist attractions will usually be reasonably competent in Mandarin.
English is spoken by most front-line staff in the tourism industry. Nearly all museums and casinos have some staff with excellent English, as do many hotels, shops and restaurants, especially the up-market ones. However, English is not as widely spoken as in Hong Kong, so outside the main tourist areas, especially in establishments catering to the average working class, you will find that most people are not conversant in English. This includes most bus and taxi drivers, so be sure to have staff from your hotel write down the names of your destinations in Chinese to show the taxi driver, and get your hotel's business card in case you get lost. If you have to ask someone on the street of directions in English, your best bet is to approach a young adult who is likely to be a college student or having graduated from it (which is not difficult to find given the fact that more and more young people in Macau are now entering universities).
Speakers of Portuguese won't find it very useful when talking to local residents as it is no longer compulsory in schools, but it helps a lot in understanding place names and signs. As Portuguese continues to be an official language of the SAR, government offices are required by law to have Portuguese-speaking staff on duty.
All official signs in Macau are bilingual in traditional Chinese and Portuguese. Note that under the "one country two systems" policy, Macau continues to use traditional Chinese characters and not the simplified Chinese characters used in Mainland China.
Although best known for gambling, Macau is extremely rich in attractions and oozing with atmosphere, thanks to hundreds of years of fusion between European and Chinese cultures.
Macau is a fascinating place to just walk around as the place is packed with churches, temples, fortresses and other old buildings bearing an interesting mix of Portuguese and Chinese characteristics. Besides buildings, there are also hundreds of narrow alleyways forming a maze in the old part of Macau where the people of Macau carry out businesses and work. If the sheer density of humans get to you, take a break and enjoy several pretty gardens or head to the island.
One of the interesting things to see in Macau is a statue of the Bodhisatta Avalokitesvara (known as 觀音 kwoon yam in Cantonese) located next to the sea near the Sands Casino and MGM Grand. Despite being a Chinese deity, the statue is distinctly European in design and resembles the statues of the Virgin Mary you can find in Europe.
And if history is not your thing, there is the Macau Tower of awesome views and adventure sports, or Fisherman's Wharf to enjoy some theme-park activities and shopping.
You'll find most of the attractions in Macau Peninsula, but Taipa and Coloane, each with a pretty village, also draw hordes of visitors. Visit the Cotai reclaimed land area to see its transformation into the "Las Vegas Strip of the East". The Venetian is the most famous with its Venice-styled shopping mall with rivers running through, and is also currently the largest casino in the world.
The City of Dreams is a giant casino with high end fashion shops, a free video 'bubble' show, three hotels and the world's most expensive theatre show. The 'House of Dancing Water' cost US$250 million and the stage holds five olympic swimming pools worth of water. Ushers give the front few rows of the audience towels. Free shuttles from the main ferry terminal leave constantly.
A large section of Macau Peninsula has been designated a Unesco World Heritage site and 25 buildings and sites within the area have been deemed to have cultural and historic significance. One of the best ways to cover the sights is to do the Macau Heritage Walk circuit. The heritage Buildings, the Sao Paulo Cathedral, the Fort and the Macau Museum are all adjacent to each other and can be conveniently seen individually even if one cannot catch the Heritage walk timing.
Macau has several museums. The "Macau Museum Pass", which gives discounted entry to most of these, is currently off the market. The main museums, such as the Macau Museum, are in Macau Peninsula although there are two museums on Taipa - the Museum of Taipa and Coloane History and Taipa Houses Museum.
Gambling is Macau's biggest industry and busloads arrive daily from mainland China to try their luck. In addition, many Hong Kongers arrive on weekends with the same aim. For many years, the Casino Lisboa was the most famous and a landmark well known to people outside Macau, but it is being eclipsed by Sands Casino which opened in 2004. Nevertheless, the original Casino Lisboa is still worth a visit as its halls contain many original antiques on display from the private collection of gambling tycoon Stanley Ho.
Most casinos are located along the waterfront on the southern side of Macau Peninsula. North of the Lisboa is a strip with many smaller casinos, a number of hotels and bars, and quite a few restaurants. This can be one of the more interesting areas of Macau; among other things it has quite a good Indian restaurant and several Portuguese ones. However, parts of it are also fairly sleazy, with lots of hookers and touts, so some caution is in order. New casinos have also opened in the area called NAPE south of Avenida de Amizade, including Wynn Macau and Sands Macau.
All this is going to be overtaken by the new development on the Cotai Strip, which is being made into "The Las Vegas Strip of the East". The biggest casino in the world, Venetian Macao, opened its doors in August 2007 and the not-much-smaller City of Dreams followed in 2009, with many more still to come. There are also several casinos on Taipa, including the Crown Macau.
There are ATMs available at either casino as well as Forex facilities to change your money. Gamblers are required to be at least 18 years of age to be allowed to play. Interestingly, local civil servants are not allowed to enter the casinos with the exception of the first three days of the Chinese new year.
For the full listing of casinos, see the respective district pages.
Greyhound racing
Another popular form of gambling in Macau is greyhound racing, where people bet on dogs in the same way that many people in other countries bet on horses. The minimum bet is 10 patacas and payouts can be made in both Macanese Patacas and Hong Kong Dollars.
Canidrome is your spot for great Greyhound racing. It is located on Avenida General Castelo Branco. Greyhound races are held at Canidrome on Monday, Thursday and Friday plus weekends - racing starts at 7:45PM with 16 games each night.
$10 admission fee (redeemable when betting) to get in. Box seats are $80 for non-peak days and $120 for weekends and holidays. There is off-track-betting available for Canidrome at Jai-Alai Palace, Hotel Lisboa and Kam Pek Casino.
Go Karting
Currently CLOSED to public
Adventure Activities
At a height of 233m, the bungy jump from Macau tower, maintained and operated by A. J. Hackett is the 2nd highest in the world. Along with the bungy, one can also try the Sky jump, that is somewhat like a jump but is more protected and doesn't involve a free fall, and a sky walk, that is a protected on a platform running around the circumference of the floor. Bouldering and sport climbing activities are also conducted at the tower's base. See the Macau Peninsula page for details.
Macau's two beaches - Hac Sa (黑沙 - black sand) and Cheoc Van (竹灣 - bamboo bay) - are located on the southern side of Coloane island. They are very popular and are frequented by locals and visitors, especially at the weekend.
Besides beaches, there are several public swimming pools all over Macau. All high-end hotels also have swimming pools.
There are opportunities for hiking and cycling on the relatively rural islands of Taipa and Coloane.
There is a bowling centre of international standard which was constructed in 2005 for the East Asian Games at the Macau Dome (澳門蛋) in Cotai area. There is also a bowling alley in Macau near the Camoes Garden/Protestant cemetery.
The currency of Macau is the pataca (MOP), which is divided into 100 avos. Prices are shown as $10, for example (10 patacas).
The pataca is pegged to the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) at 1.03 patacas to 1 dollar. Hong Kong dollars are accepted by most businesses on a 1:1 basis, but most businesses will endeavour to give you change in HKD if you pay in HKD, if they have them. Occasionally, however, a business might give change in MOP notes and HKD coins or the other way around. The HK$10 coin may not be accepted because of numerous recent forgeries. Chinese renminbi (RMB, less often CNY) are also accepted in some areas and can easily be changed for either patacas or HKD. In casinos, the HKD is the preferred currency, and gamers with patacas may actually be required to exchange to HKD (or HKD-denominated casino chips) before playing. Transactions made at government offices though will require you to pay in patacas.
Getting money is quite easy as there are banks and ATMs on nearly every street. Holders of a debit card on the international networks will have no issues withdrawing money. Holders of Chinese Union Pay cards will not have trouble either withdrawing local currency from their accounts. ATMs usually dispense in MOP (100 and 500 bills) and HKD (100 and 500 as well) and some will also dispense in Chinese currency.
Changing your currency into patacas outside of Macau is just about impossible and pointless. Change enough HKD to tide you over, and then change the rest into patacas after arriving. The money changers at the Barrier Gate provide good exchange rates, and you can also change the HKD you are holding into patacas.
On the other hand, try not to leave Macau with a lot of patacas. Unlike the HKD, they are quite hard to exchange in most countries. Even if you try to exchange them in Hong Kong, money changers may charge high commission thus giving you fewer HKDs than for what the MOP is worth. Therefore because of the 1:1 acceptance between the HKD and MOP and the difficulty exchanging between the two currencies outside Macau, you are advised to use HKD as much as possible for commercial transactions.
Visa and MasterCard credit cards are widely accepted in major restaurants, stores and the ferry terminal but some merchants may require a token minimum purchase amount, usually $100.
Tipping is generally not practised, though bellhops may expect about $10 or so for carrying your bags. In full service restaurants, a service charge is usually imposed and that is taken to be the tip. However, you should know that the 10% service charge does not go to the actual people who served you, rather it is used by the owners to pay the salaries of said employees. If you wish to give a tip, you should give it in cash directly to the person you wish to reward for their good service. Taxi drivers also do not expect tips, and would return exact change, or round it in your favour if they can't be bothered to dig for change.
Quite frankly, the shopping options in Macau don't hold a candle to Hong Kong. While the newer megacasinos have introduced Macau to the joys of sterile franchise-filled malls, the city center streets around the older casinos are still a bizarre monoculture of ridiculously expensive watch, jewelry and Chinese medicine shops (with an emphasis on herbal Viagra-type cures), all aimed squarely at liberating lucky gamblers from their winnings. Finding tasteful souvenirs can thus be surprisingly challenging, although the touristy streets between Largo do Senado and the ruins of St. Paul's do have a scattering of antique shops.
Bargaining in the small shops can be done, but usually working on the principle of the shopkeeper quoting a price, the buyer making "hmmm" sounds and the shopkeeper lowering the price a bit. A full-fledged haggling match is quite rare, as most antique shops sell precisely the same thing at precisely the same prices.
Macau is famous for excellent restaurants, unique cuisine and mellow bars. Above all, the city is famous for two cuisines: Portuguese and Macanese.
Portuguese food (cozinha portuguesa), brought in by its Portuguese colonizers, is hearty, salty, straighforward fare. While many restaurants claim to serve the stuff, fully authentic fare is mostly limited to a few high-end restaurants, especially the cluster at the southwestern tip of the Peninsula. Typical Portuguese dishes include:
Macanese food (comida de Macau) was created when Portuguese and Chinese influences were mixed together with spices brought from Africa and South-East Asia by traders, and many restaurants advertising "Portuguese" food in fact serve up mostly Macanese dishes. Seafood and barbecue specialist Fernando's on Coloane's Hac Sa Beach is probably the best-known Macanese restaurant.
All that said, the food of choice in Macau is still pure Cantonese, and a few aficionados even claim that the dim sum and seafood here beat Hong Kong. The streets of central Macau are littered with simple eateries offering rice and noodle dishes for under $30 (although menus are often only in Chinese), while every casino hotel worth its salt has a fancy Cantonese seafood restaurant where you can blow away your gambling winnings on abalone and shark's fin soup.
The greatest concentration of restaurants is in the Peninsula, where they are scattered throughout the district. Taipa is now a major destination for those going for Portuguese and Macanese food and there are many famous restaurants on the island. There are several restaurants in Coloane, which is also home to the famous Lord Stow's Bakery, which popularized the Macanese egg tart. Yummy!
Reasonably priced Portuguese wine is widely available. A glass in a restaurant is around $20, while bottles start from under $100, and a crisp glass of vinho verde ("green wine", but actually just a young white) goes very well with salty Macanese food. As elsewhere in China, though, locals tend to prefer cognacs and whisky. Macau Beer is passable and widely available. There is also a wine museum which you can have the opportunity to taste over 50 variety of wine.
There is a buzzing nightlife in Macau. There are a variety of bars and clubs along the Avenida Sun Yat Sen close to the Kum Iam Statue and the Cultural Centre where you can have a good night out. Locals, especially among younger people, prefers meet up with their friends in western style cafes or places that serves 'bubble tea'. 'Bubble tea' are usually fruit flavoured tea served with tapioca balls and can be served either hot or cold. The shops in town centre (near Senado Square) often open until late at night and are often crowded. The casinos have also become a big hit for entertainment, offering performances of international level (advance booking advised) and comprehensive shopping malls for those less interested in trying their luck with the machines. For ladies who want to pamper themselves after a shopping spree, there are Spas available in almost all respectable hotels. Note that these are different to "saunas", which are thinly disguised brothels (prostitution is legal in Macau), but these can be easily distinguishable by their shop appearance.
The bulk of Macau's hotels are on the Peninsula, although there are also many options - including high-end ones - on Taipa and, increasingly, the Cotai Strip, which is challenging the Peninsula to become Macau's premier casino area. Coloane, which offers fewer and much quieter options, has accommodation ranging from the famous Pousada de Coloane to Macau's two beach-side youth hostels.
Hotel rates are most expensive on Friday and Saturday nights, because demand is higher with tourists coming to Macau to gamble over the weekend. Try to make a booking through a travel agent, even if for the same day, as the rates can be substantially lower than walk-in rates. If you are coming from Hong Kong, book through an agent at the Shun Tak ferry pier for the best deals. Getting a package deal including return ferry tickets gives you the best price.
In the Inner Harbour area, many of the pensions and two star hotels are also the place of business for many of the mainland PRC prostitutes that work in Macau, and most hotel "saunas" are in fact thinly disguised brothels.
Hotel listings are in the individual district pages. Budget accommodation is one that carries a 2-star rating or below, a mid-range place has a 3-star rating, and a splurge place has a 4-star rating or above.
Macau has 12 tertiary education institutions. Besides some smaller and more specialized schools (Security Forces School, Tourism School, European Studies Institute, etc), the ones of importance are:
Non-residents who wish to take up employment in Macau, including those from Portugal or China, need to obtain a valid work permit and are then issued the so-called Blue Card (officially called Non-Resident Worker's Permit). The process takes approximately a month to receive a work permit, at which time employment may begin, and another 1-2 months to receive the Blue Card.
As illegal employment has over the past decades been a problem plaguing Macau, the authorities do crack down severely on any offenders (both worker and employer) caught. Visitors are therefore advised not to engage in illegal employment.
Stay safe
Severe weather
There is a risk of typhoons, mainly between July and September. A system of typhoon warnings is in place that are issued by the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau [31] and are broadcast widely on television and radio:
The typhoon warning system is basically a copy of the system used in Hong Kong.
During a number 8, 9 or 10 typhoon everything in Macau shuts down. People stay home and it is not advisable to venture outside as there is the risk of injury or worse from flying debris.
It should be pointed out that compared to many other cities in the world, Macau is relatively safe to travel. The standard of living of the local Macau residents is general good (one of the best in Asia). In addition, as a city geared towards tourism, the Macau government is keen to "clean up" the city and its image. For example, the police in Macau is now seen by the public as more effective than it used to be.
The following points should be noted when you travel to Macau.
Stay healthy
One unexpected cause of sickness in Macau is the extreme temperature change between 35°C (95°F) humid summer weather outdoors and 18°C (65°F) air-conditioned buildings. Some people experience cold symptoms after moving between the two extremes often; it is not unusual to wear a sweater or covering to stay warm indoors, and it is therefore usually good advice to carry a long-sleeve item of clothing when expecting to visit air-conditioned places for extended periods of time.
Whilst tap water is technically safe to drink (taste aside), most locals boil or filter their water or buy inexpensive bottled water which you are also recommended to do so.
Because of the region's history battling SARS (as well as later dealing with avian flu (H5N1)), good personal hygiene is strongly advisable.
There have been some cases of Dengue fever in recent years. The government has pro-actively sprayed insecticide in areas where there is the potential of mosquito breeding, so this risk is largely contained. However it is best to avoid being bitten by using mosquito repellent and/or wearing long clothing, especially at dusk.
People in Macau are general friendly to foreigners (given the fact that Macau had hundreds of years of Portuguese colonial rule, the locals even the older population are used to live side by side with Westerners). However, do not assume the locals speak English (or Portuguese) and a few essential Cantonese phrases are always helpful.
When visiting Chinese temples basic respect should be shown, but taking photos is usually allowed and you don't need to ask for permission as long as there isn't a no-photography sign posted.
Binge-drinking or drunken behavior is not tolerated in Macau.
Macau's international dialing prefix is 853.
The tourist information offices on Largo do Senado and at the jetfoil terminal have maps, information on museums and events, helpful English-speaking staff, and at the Largo do Senado office free Internet access. You may have to queue for the Internet, since there are only a few machines.
Chinoy Express, Rua De Mercadores. A cheap and fast internet cafe ($5/hr) right near Rua De Felicidade. Serves cheap snacks and right across the road is a Filipino bakery with cheap and tasty breads and very large bottles of San Miguel ($6).
Mobile phones
Macau has excellent mobile phone coverage. Macau has both GSM 900/1800 and 3G 2100 networks. Check with your operator. Phone plans stemming from the Mainland require proper set-up for use outside of the Mainland.
Get out


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What To Watch For
1. AFC North-mageddon
When the folks made the NFL schedule over the summer, they couldn't have hoped for a better scenario heading into Week 17. Steelers-Browns and Ravens-Bengals with the division title and a wild card spot on the line. The Ravens have the inside track on the division crown, and will get to give John Harbaugh another gatorade bath if they beat the Bengals. The Bengals can still sneak into the playoffs if the Ravens beat them, but they need a bunch of other teams to lose. For the Steelers, it's straight-forward. Our playoff spot is locked up. We have to beat the Browns to have any chance at the division title. With a win over the Browns and a loss by Baltimore, we will win the division and get a first round bye. If both Baltimore and New England lose, we will have homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
2. 2010 not 2009
Last year, we went into Cleveland and kicked the living snot out of them. The Steelers need this game to follow the track of their 2010 trip to the worst city in the country rather than the 2009 version. The Browns are a pesky team that has hung around with almost everyone they've played this year. The Steelers need to get up big early and keep their foot on the gas. Don't let the Browns hang around.
3. 5 for Hines
Hines is 5 catches away from 1,000 career receptions. As I mentioned in my game recap last week, the Steelers are 8-1 in games where Hines has more than 2 receptions. Let's get it done for Hines.
4. Keep Ben Safe
Ben is expected to start and the patchwork offensive line, which will likely feature Trai Essex somewhere (center or guard) and possibly Chris Kemoeatu if Essex has to play center, must keep Ben safe and not give Cleveland the opportunity to knock him out of the game. This point includes the coaching staff, which needs to realize that Ben is not as mobile as he normally is so they will have to adjust the playbook by giving him extra blockers and utilizing shorter passes where Ben can get the ball out quick.
5. Seneca Wallace
Wallace will start in place of the still-concussed Colt McCoy. He has never started a game against the Steelers but has appeared on 3 occasions, throwing a grand total of 5 passes. He has completed 3 of those for a total of 20 yards and no touchdowns. Obviously, the Browns will lean heavily on their rushing attack so the Steelers will need to be sound up front. But if they can get pressure on Wallace and force some bad throws and turnovers, this game could get out of hand quickly.
By 7:30pm tomorrow, the Steelers could be anywhere from the top seed in the AFC to the #5 seed. Here we go.
Hope everyone out there had a great 2011. Looking forward to an even better 2012. Happy New Year everyone!


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Liquid Indian Ink
This water-based solution of traditional Chinese stick ink is the standard lettering ink for calligraphers. It provides a less intense black than Black Indian Ink and has a brown undertone. It is non-waterproof and can be applied with brush, pen or airbrush.
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Wide choice of Alicante flights
Experience the vibrancy and year-round good weather of Alicante. We operate twice daily flights to Alicante from London Gatwick (LGW) as well as a weekly flight from Manchester (between May and October) to this thriving Spanish destination.
Alicante also serves as the ideal gateway to the Costa Blanca or 'White Coast'. Whether seeking family time on the beaches of Benidorm and Torrevieja or exploring the historic streets of Altea, there's something for everyone.
With our choice of airports and frequent flights, booking Alicante holidays with British Airways couldn't be easier.


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Subscribe To Cowboys & Aliens Stole My Idea, Claims Texas Comic Writer Updates
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As if Cowboys & Aliens wasn't already enough of a disappointment for Universal, here comes some more bad news. TMZ reports that an Austin-based writer named Steven John Busti has filed suit against DreamWorks, Universal Pictures, and producer Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, claiming that they stole the idea for the summer tentpole movie from a comic story he wrote back in 1995.
Here's how it all breaks down: Busti says he had the idea for a story about cowboys squaring off against aliens back in 1994, then actually published a story called "Cowboys & Aliens" in a 1995 issue of the comic Bizarre Fantasy. If that was the extent of it, you could easily chalk it up as a case of parallel development or coincidence, but Busti claims there's more to it. He points to a 1994 issue of Comic Shop News that ran a feature story about his Cowboys & Aliens story...in the same issue that they ran an interview with producer Scott Mitchell Rosenberg.
Rosenberg is the head of Platinum Studios, a media company that specializes in creating independent comic books, which it then attempts to leverage into movies, TV shows, games, etc. Back in 2006, Platinum published the graphic novel Cowboys & Aliens written by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley. That, eventually, became the summer would-be blockbuster starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. That's a pretty large span of time for Rosenberg to have allegedly sat on the "cowboys & aliens" concept without doing anything with it, but you never know. As is typical for this type of lawsuit, Busti also claims that the film and graphic novel bear "striking similarities" to his story.
These lawsuits pop up all the time in Hollywood, so who knows if Busti's lawsuit has any truth to it or not. Still, if he is just fishing for a settlement, he might have picked a more profitable movie. With a $163 million budget, Cowboys & Aliens only earned $175 million worldwide. I realize that's one hell of an "only," but we're talking in Hollywood terms here.


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It went from bad to worse for the Houston Dynamo on Monday. The club got word that midfielder Geoff Cameron will miss the remainder of the season to undergo surgery to repair a torn PCL.
Cameron -- who had just started to begin to look comfortable as the team's attacking midfielder -- was expected to log heavy minutes for the Dynamo this year. Now, several players will likely be asked to step up in his absence.
While the team has already indicated it will search for a midfielder to add to the roster, the obvious short-term solution would mean more time in central midfield for Brad Davis. Last year, Davis showed he was more than capable playing centrally when he filled in for Stuart Holden. However, Davis' service on the left will be sorely missed if he is forced centrally.
If Davis does shift inside, Corey Ashe seems the obvious replacement on the left. Ashe has been filling in for Brian Mullan on the right side of the Dynamo midfield as Mullan has started at forward.
As a result, it seems likely that Cameron's injury will immediately open the door for the return of Luis Ángel Landín to the starting lineup. Houston's designated player has struggled since his acquisition, though, and failed to contribute offensively as a substitute in the team's last game against the Fire.
If Richard Mulrooney returns from injury, he or Adrian Serioux may provide the Dynamo a less preferred, but more defensive option to Davis. While Serioux struggled in his first extended minutes in midfield this year, he has shown himself capable in MLS play, unlike Sammy Appiah and Francisco Navas Cobo.
Navas Cobo has improved tremendously over his first two months as a professional, as evidenced by coach Dominic Kinnear's recently rewarding the youngster with his MLS debut. But to expect the Dynamo academy product to contribute as a starter at this time may put too much pressure on the young midfielder.
Still, significant minutes off the bench seem much more likely for Navas Cobo, Danny Cruz and Serioux.
For a Dynamo team already reeling from a list of walking wounded that includes Mulrooney, Cam Weaver and Brian Ching, losing Cameron for the year further exasperates Houston's already lengthy injury woes. Houston have continued to field a competitive team week after week despite these injuries and other injuries in years prior.
The good news for Houston is the 2010 roster might be their deepest ever and the club has some flexibility to add additional players or trade some of its depth in other positions for a midfielder. The bad news is the team's depth is at its thinnest in midfield. Cameron's injury may just expose that fact until reinforcements arrive.
Dwain Capodice is a contributor to MLSsoccer.com. Questions or Comments can be sent via email to email@example.com.


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Oetken: What are you smoking?
In reference to the article in a recent paper about the avalanche near Vail Pass by Lauren Glendenning, I felt it was very disrespectful to the victim and those involved and truly poor journalism on her part to include the irrelevant information about the members of the party being "under the influence" of marijuana. I do not have a degree of any sort in journalism and maybe that is why I do not understand, but I find Lauren's decision to mention that in her article absolutely pointless. I doubt the avalanche released on them due to the fact that they were high. Was she insinuating that being high caused them to make a poor decision? Either way it was tasteless of her to mention that bit of information, hopefully she will think twice next time before being so disrespectful with such a low blow about such a tragic event. Was she on some Dead Head OG kush when she wrote the article?
Jonathan Oetken, Breckenridge
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