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Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>
----------------- Message requiring your approval (75 lines) ------------------ The TRANSLATION SERVICE of the EUROPEAN COMMISSION wishes to recruit 3 temporary officials (grade LA7/LA6 ) for its Development of multilingual tools and Informatics units. Applicants must be nationals of one of the Member States of the European Union. Applicants should hold a university degree and have a thorough and proven knowledge of computational linguistics. A minimum of three years' experience managing projects in fields relating to the posts is required. Applications should be sent no later than 10 March 2000 (the postmark serving as proof). Applicants may apply for several posts, provided they complete a separate application form for each post and attach the necessary supporting documents to each form. Post 76T/SdT/99 Translation Service, AGL Directorate (General and Language Matters), Unit 04 (Development of multilingual tools): machine translation team. Task : developing the language pairs of the Commission's machine translation system. Requirements: detailed knowledge of the Internet, programming languages (C/C++, Perl, Java, etc.) and markup languages (HTML, SGML, XML, etc.). Knowledge of the technologies used for representing multilingual data on different computer platforms. The European Commission has acquired development licences for the Systran machine translation (MT) system. Every Commission official has access to the system via e-mail or through a Web interface. 18 language pairs are offered (of which 2 on a test basis), and the level of quality varies. Language pairs with English, French or Spanish provide the best results. The service enjoys great success - it translated some 600 000 pages in 1999. Since the old MT server is to be phased out within the next few years, the SdT undertook in 1999 to migrate the existing EC Systran system by building on the techniques, experience and results gained during Systran S.A.'s migration of the commercial system developed at La Jolla, California, several years ago. A Luxembourg-based contractor is in charge of this migration, which has just entered its final phase. We want one specialist to join the team which monitors this project and works on the development of new language pairs. He/she must have a good knowledge of machine translation systems as well as a solid technical and managerial profile and a good team spirit. Place of employment : Luxembourg Contact: Dimitrios.Theologitiscec.eu.int Poste 77T/SdT/99 Translation Service, AGL Directorate (General and Language Matters), Unit 04 (Development of multilingual tools): terminological tools team. Task: development of terminological tools (acquisition, management and provision of terminological data). Requirements: as in post 76T above, plus knowledge of database management systems (Oracle, Oracle-Context, Fulcrum, etc.) and search engines. The specialist we are looking for is to join a parallel team developing terminological tools for the Translation Service. He/she shall have good knowledge in the field of language engineering (automated terminology management, linguistic databases and translation memoris). Tasks will cover: follow-up of the migration of the EC's Eurodicautom terminology database to a Unix platform; collaboration on an interinstitutional terminology database; follow-up of the development/implementation of new access interfaces to terminological resources (e-mail, Web browsers, terminology editor, and integration with word-processing systems); evaluations, tests and technology watch; analysis of user feedback. Place of employment : Luxembourg Contact: Dimitrios.Theologitiscec.eu.int Poste 78T/SdT/99 Translation Service, Unit 02 (Informatics) Tasks: development of multilingual documentation and translation aids, management of multilingual documentation. Requirements: as in post 77T above. Place of employment: Luxembourg or Brussels Contact: Francisco.Garcia-Morancec.eu.int General information: A perfect command of one of the official languages of the European Union as well as a thorough knowledge of at least two other official languages is required. One of the three languages must be French or English. The maximum term of a contract is 3 years, with one possible extension of up to one year. A request for further information regarding this notice does not exempt you from submitting a duly completed application form, together with the necessary supporting documents, by 10 March 2000 (the postmark serving as proof). An application form is attached below. EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPLICATION FORM SELECTION OF TEMPORARY OFFICIALS Selection 1. Surname: ....................................................................................................... Forenames: .................................................................................................... 2. Address for correspondence and for the invitation: Street and number: ......................................................................................... Town/region: ................................................................................................. Postcode: ............................ Country: ........................................................... Telephone No: ............................................................................................... Fax No: .......................................................................................................... All correspondence will be sent to you at the above address. Please inform us immediately of any change of address. Name and telephone number of a person we can contact in your absence: .. ........................................................................................................................ 3. Date of birth: .................................................................................................. Nationality: ............................................. Sex: .............................................. 4. Language knowledge: ................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................ Please attach a curriculum vitae in English or French, copies of diplomas required for admission to the selection, and any documents proving the quality and duration of your professional experience and send, before 10 March 2000, to: European Commission Translation Service - SdT 01 - JECL 4/29 Ref. Selection 76T/SdT/99 or 77T/SdT/99 or 78T/SdT/99 Rue de la Loi 200 B - 1049 Brussels Status: ROMail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue

subset: commoncrawl


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Goodbye, Good Health Care
To The Reader's Forum:
It is blatantly obvious to the most casual observer that we currently have the BEST healthcare in the world. That's why we see people from all over the world, flying to America (at great expense) to have the privilege of utilizing our health care system.
Well, you can say farewell to that beautiful system as we trade it off for a new one. "Obamacare" is about to break that which isn't broken. There are plenty of exemptions in this new system; Corporations (Obama's campaigning enemies, now buddies), Congress itself is fleeing from this disaster (if it was any good they would be begging to get on board). Also consider those extra millions YOU will soon get to pay for: illegals, prisoners, welfare, migrant birthers and etc.
That's OK, you've got it to spend! No more $350 a month for insurance premiums, soon it will be $650- $950 for LESS coverage. Plans will be having $3,000-$5,000 deductibles. Long lines are coming. Waiting rooms will be bigger; packed with patients. Across the nation and here in Jamestown employers are already cutting back to 29 hours in effort to dodge this train wreck. There are also cut backs of personnel and businesses even closing their doors (this in mere anticipation of the new federal folly).
Why is this happening? Actually it involves 2,700 pages of taxes (much of which have nothing to do with healthcare). Example: 4 percent tax to feds if you sell your house! New taxes will appear on medical appliances, etc. All are burdens to be applied to the WORKING people of this great nation. It is a money grab, plain and simple. It is crazy, costly, confusing, and prejudicially unconstitutional. Understatement of the year, "TRAIN WRECK." All of this to help create a third world America and usher in a One World Government! (Not to mention an attempt to get some cover-up money to hide the astounding $8 trillion new indebtedness.)
Dr. Donald Erickson,


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A Winery in Winter
Our new cover crops keeps the vineyards green all winter long.
Here's what the next few months holds for us:
The vines have done their work for this year. We'll let them rest while performing some clean-up work in the vineyards, removing dead brush from the trellis systems and cutting all the canes just below the first catch wire.
The main activity in the vineyards is the growth of our cover crop, a mix of clover, vetch, and oats, which we planted a few weeks ago between the vine rows. It may be wintertime but this mix of flora is bursting bright green out of the dark, rocky soil.
As a cornerstone of our sustainable agriculture, cover crop does double and triple duty. It prevents erosion during this rainy part of the year and it controls weed growth. This unruly vegetation also creates a habitat for beneficial insects such as spiders and ladybugs, which prey on vine pests such as leafhoppers and blue green sharpshooters.
Next spring and summer the cover crop will compete with our vines for water and nutrients, thus choking back the vigor of the vines and driving their roots deeper into the soil. And when the cover crop dies it enriches the soil with nitrogen and other great nutrients.
In the cellar things are quiet. We're putting to bed the wines from the 2008 harvest – doing final blends, getting them into barrels. And we're starting to plan for bottling the almost-finished wines from previous vintages in the coming months.
We'll finish cleaning our trellis systems and hold off until next month for the final pruning. The decision of when to prune is critical, in part because as soon as you do it, you trigger new growth. With the danger of frosts looming between now and the first of April, we don't want too much growth during this dicey period.
The bigger concern is to avoid a fungal disease called eutypa dieback. Essentially, pruning briefly creates an open wound on the plant making it susceptible to the airborne eutypa spores.
In the old days, 20 or 30 years ago, vineyard crews would start pruning the day after Thanksgiving. In that way, one worker could prune an entire vineyard over the course of the winter. But with the onset of eutypa, it became necessary to wait until the vines were emerging from winter dormancy when the pruning wounds would heal much more quickly.
In the cellar we'll be racking the 2014 reds, which means we'll move them from one barrel to another as a means of gently ridding the wine of sediment.
"In the last week of the month our winemaker, Elias Fernandez, will be at the winery at 5 a.m. for quite a number of days starting up the bottling line. The first wine in the bottle this year will be 2013 Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay.
Elias gets to the bottling line two hours before it's started up so that he can personally steam clean every fitting and hose that will come in contact with the wine. He calls the bottling, "second crush," because it's so critical to the outcome and quality of the wine.
Bottling continues. Elias doesn't catch much of a break as we head right into bottling of 2012 Relentless.
In February we start our final pruning, which will take us into March and April. In one day, a skilled vineyard worker can prune about 300 vines. With just over 1,000 vines per acres on our 200 acres it's easy to see why it takes a good deal of time to do this job right.
Later in the month, on Saturday, February 21, falls another big auction -- Premier Napa Valley. This an auction for the wine trade that features one-of-a-kind wines sold in barrel lots to buyers from around the world. It's a great opportunity to spend time with friends in the trade who we haven't had the chance to see for some time.
-- Doug Shafer
As of the first of March we're facing three months of heavy-duty vineyard work. It's the season when you're behind before you start. The vines are emerging from their winter slumber and their buds are ready to burst open. We're about another two weeks away from first budbreak and the first varietal out of the starting gates will probably be our Merlot. The other varietals will follow in fits and starts over the next month.
Budbreak signals the exciting start of another growing season. The down-side is that if buds start cracking early in the season, our vineyard guys lose sleep thanks to frost potential.
We monitor temperatures with thermometers that are stationed throughout our vineyards. These little high-tech gadgets are miracles of the wired age. When temperatures drop to 33 degrees (Fahrenheit), they automatically call our vineyard guys David Ilsley and Alfonso Zamora-Ortiz on their cell phones and beep a frost alarm. This usually means David and Alfonso have to climb out of their warm beds and drive to the vineyards to monitor the temperatures and humidity. (The lower the humidity, the greater the potential for frost damage.) If temps dip to 32 degrees, it's time to crank up the wind machines.
The wind machines are super-sized versions of any fan you might have at home. They tower 40 feet over the vineyard and their huge spinning blades circulate a layer of warmer air, which usually hangs anywhere from 15 to 30 feet above the ground. This movement of warmer air raises the temperature around the vines three to four degrees – just enough to avoid frost damage.
While it's no fun getting up at one in the morning to monitor the weather from your pick-up truck, the one comforting thing is that lots of other growers are doing the same thing. On a frost night in Napa Valley, you'll see vineyards everywhere weirdly illuminated by the flashlights and headlights of vineyard guys on frost duty. If you head to 7-11 for coffee, you're likely to find fellow growers looking for a dose of caffeine themselves.
The end of frost season is, as a general rule, May 1.
During daylight hours – sleep? Who needs sleep? – David and Alfonso work with a crew of about 15 guys who perform a great deal of skilled hand work in the vineyards. They mow cover crops (sometimes by hand using sickles), tie or train vines to the trellis systems, and plant new vines to replace those that are dead or diseased. Once the buds break open, out come the first shoots, the early leaf growth and the flowers that'll become grapes. Our vineyard team will remove extra shoots and leaves and other greenery to ensure that the fruit will receive a good mix of sunlight and air.
Visit again in the future for a slice of life in June, July and August.
-- Doug Shafer
Thanks for stopping by this part of our website where we offer a snapshot of life here in the Stags Leap District.
The season we're entering was once a relatively slow time in the vineyard. By now pruning was finished, frost season was over, and you would have sprayed the vineyard floor with heavy duty herbicide, so you didn't have a single weed to deal with for months.
The days of sitting back and watching your vines grow are gone forever. Today, for example, we control weeds by mowing, by hand sickling, and by choking them out with aggressive planting of beneficial cover crops. We spend 40 percent more man hours on weeds alone than we used to in order to farm in ways that are environmentally friendly.
During the past 20 years, vineyard life has changed — certainly for the better. And today the
summer months are some of our busiest of the year.
If you're reading this, you may have some interest in learning the language of the vineyard. Here's some vocabulary that will give an idea of the scope of work we're now doing:
Tucking — Right now the vines are growing rapidly and if left to themselves, they would sprawl out in all directions. To avoid this kind of unworkable chaos we train the vines on extensive trellis systems, ensuring that the main branches move upward through the trellis wires. This gives the fruit optimum exposure to sunlight and offers beneficial access to the cool temperatures in the late day and evening hours. So at this time of year we move through the vineyard and tuck each of these branches inside the system of wires keeping the vines moving onward and upward.
Suckering — This refers to pulling off the small extraneous shoots or "suckers" that grow from the main laterals, or branches. Eliminating extra foliage allows the vine to focus its efforts on fruit development.
Leafing — This would more accurately be called "de-leafing," but when you're working quickly in a vineyard the fewer syllables the better. When leafing we remove leaves by hand largely to give the fruit the right mix of sunlight and shade. Too much foliage on the vine will leave the fruit's color unevenly developed at harvest. Too little will result in overexposure to the sun, which results in the same kinds of things that happen to you and me — sunburn and raisining.
Sulfuring — To control mildew, we spread powdered sulfur throughout the vineyard two or three times each month. This practice, approved for organic farming, is a way to control one of our greatest challenges.
Green harvest —To help achieve concentration of color and flavor in our fruit, we start removing clusters and even individual grapes that we know won't make the final cut. Not only does this eliminate middle-of-the-road grapes, but it also allows the vine to devote more of its vitality to the remaining fruit. About 80 percent of the way through veraison (around the first of August when the fruit softens and takes on color) we start thinning the crop. Drive up to the winery at this time of year and you'll find clusters of fruit lying on the ground because we've trimmed away anything that would give us inferior wines. The fruit we "green harvest" isn't a complete loss. It will return to the soil, enriching it and becoming part of a future growing season.
Throughout the season, we visit each of our vineyard blocks evaluating the fruit and the foliage, deciding when things like leafing and thinning need to happen. Each block ranges from one to nine acres, so you can imagine how much time it takes to tend some 200 acres located here in Stags Leap District and south through Oak Knoll and Carneros.
By the time harvest comes around we have examined these vineyards, branch by branch, leaf by leaf, cluster by cluster and in some cases grape by grape, all to ensure that what we bring to the crush pad will be the best Mother Nature has to offer.
-- Doug Shafer
Harvest at Shafer
By this time of year, the wait is over – harvest starts. By the first couple weeks in September we're headlong into the circus of picking, crushing and fermenting.
Our day at Shafer starts before sunrise checking that day's weather forecasts. Just like the wine we make, we're hoping for a balance. Too much heat can make the sugars in the fruit rise drastically and cause raisining. We may have to scramble to irrigate whole or partial vineyard blocks. Cold weather, rain, too much humidity - all of these can all trigger a variety of responses from our vineyard team.
We're in the vineyards at first light sampling fruit. Sugar levels rise and fall throughout the day, so we sample in the early morning hours, which is the same time of day we'll eventually be picking. On these sampling walks we're looking for a balance of elements. Are flavors going to peak in a day? Two days? A week? Are sugar and acid levels where we like them?
Beyond those things, we look for physiological ripeness. How does the berry separate from the stem? It should come off easily. What does the seed look like? In ready-to-pick fruit the seed is brown and crunchy and doesn't hold on to much of the pulp (think of Grape Nuts cereal). This kind of seed will impart softer more mature tannins to the wine. An underdeveloped seed is hard, green and bitter and will transfer those qualities to the wine.
During harvest we will taste and examine fruit from more than 100 vineyard blocks that range in size from one to 10 acres in size.
While we're performing sensory evaluation of the fruit, we also collect berries at random throughout the vineyard and take them back to our lab. Here we put on our chemists' hats. We squeeze the fruit taken from each block, strain the juice into a beaker and test it for Brix (sugar) level, total acidity, seed profile and other markers.
The decision of when to pick is often not clear cut. Sometimes we'll get a mixed reading. The sugar level we tasted in the vineyard doesn't always match up with the numbers we're getting in the lab. So we go back and do it again.
The goal, of course, is to pick the fruit at the peak of ripeness. We check and re-check, taste and re-taste. Because once the grapes come off the vine, they can't go back.
Typically by early- to mid-September we'll start bringing in the first bins of fruit; in some years it's a race between Merlot and some of our younger Cabernet to see which variety is ready first. In other years Chardonnay will be the first that's ready to go.
The picking crew is the same team of guys who've been tending the vines throughout the year, so they know these vineyards backwards and forwards. They start before the sun shoots its first ray over the Stags Leap ridgeline.
The fruit arrives at the crush pad in small white bins and goes onto a shaker table that moves the fruit toward the destemmer. As the table gently shakes the fruit, it gives the crush pad team a chance to visually inspect the fruit and then by hand remove any remaining bits of foliage or underdeveloped grapes. After the stems are removed the berries go to a second moving table that allows us to remove any lingering stem pieces or remaining immature berries. Finally the berries go through our optical sorter, the last step in our quality control approach. This high-tech computer-based equipment allows us to program in the size, shape, and color of the berries we want to keep. As the fruit flies past a scanner, the sorter rejects any grape that does not fit the profile of the fruit we have created. Only the ripest, most beautiful fruit is crushed. A big day for Shafer means we crush 60 to 80 tons. A more typical day is between 20 and 40.
Throughout harvest, the cellar is a logistical circus. The red must (the crushed grapes - juice, skin and seeds) goes right away into tanks for fermentation, where most will stay for seven to ten days. The juice from Chardonnay - pressed gently in whole clusters - goes into tanks for settling for several days, then into individual 60-gallon barrels for fermentation.
As time goes on a game of shuffle-the-tanks begins. Those tanks needed for one new must/juice/wine, are now needed for the newly harvested fruit coming in day by day. Every hose, every pump, every fitting is put into service. Our work orders, in which we map out what happens to the avalanche of fruit, must, and wine on a given day, can stretch to ten pages. And the day can last 16 to 18 hours.
By mid-October the fruit will be in. In November the sound and fury of harvest will be officially over. We'll be doing some racking and preliminary blending. Otherwise the wines will have finished fermentation and will be "put to bed" in their barrels. The reds will be racked again - a process of sediment removal - and the lees on the whites will be stirred weekly to increase softness. And in 14 months to three years, depending on the wine, it will be ready for bottling.
-- Doug Shafer
Harvest Video


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Cellphones Are Ruining Society
To the Readers' Forum:
Cell phones, I-Pads, I-Phones, digital cameras are all so small that I refuse to torture myself by using one. I would have to hold it in my hand, lose it from a pocket, lose it in a purse, drop it or lose it by setting it somewhere. I would be tied to it and have to take it everywhere. No thanks!
In the grocery store, I see men with a wee phone on their ears saying, "Hey Dear, should I buy the detergent with the purple label or the green?" Good grief, make a list!
Because of these phones, English, punctuation and spelling are going down the drain. You have to buy minutes and stop talking when in a certain zone. You have to buy another phone when this one breaks of becomes obsolete. It becomes a major expense.
Being older, I cannot read the phone's screen or push the buttons correctly because they are so tiny. And, I would dread having something bad happen if my personal information leaked.
Therefore, I do not intend to buy these products that people think are so essential. Using a cell phone for an emergency might be the only reason to own one. But, what if you were in "the zone?"
Patricia E. Moniot


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The cast of Broadway Across America's "White Christmas" had a white rehearsal week. The practice schedule for this musical stage production's current tour was cut short two days because of Hurricane Sandy's rain and snow.
Not to worry, though, said one Central Ohio dancer whom the "White Christmas" tour is bringing home for the Thanksgiving holiday.
"This is a very professional, energetic group and definitely a well-established show," said Darien Crago, a 23-year-old Westerville native.
This is ensemble dancer Crago's first tour with "White Christmas." In fact, this is Crago's first big performance since moving to New York in January.
"Never in a million years did I think a role like this would be possible this year," Crago said.
Her mom even sent her the Broadway Across America schedule earlier this year as a joke, asking her to please get on one of the bills so they could watch her in Columbus.
Crago admitted, though, a lifetime of hard work has gone into her burgeoning career. She started dancing at 2, taking lessons from New Albany Ballet Company, and completed her high school classes online so she could spend more time studying dance.
Landing a spot on this particular tour was like getting snow on Christmas.
"I grew up watching this movie," Crago gushed.
"White Christmas" is based on the 1954 film about a song-and-dance team that falls in love with a pair of sisters as they all try to save a suffering inn.
The stage adaption features plenty of Irving Berlin classics, such as "Blue Skies," "How Deep Is the Ocean," and, of course, "White Christmas." There are energetic dance numbers galore. Take, for example, the start of act two's dance to "I Love a Piano."
"It's an extraordinary production number of tap dancing," Crago said.
Plus, the show is capped by a theatrical snow fall that will make the entire theater look a lot like Christmas.


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Bobcats fill All-Red Rock Conference wrestling squad
After a remarkable team season where Wabasso/Red Rock Central wrestled its way to a 27-1 overall team record, the Bobcats were rewarded with eight All-Red Rock Conference wrestling selections and four honorable mentions.
Jordan Schroepfer went 38-4 as a sophomore at 182 pounds for the Bobcats this year to earn his all-conference nod, while senior Tanner Rohlik went 40-5 and captured third place at the state meet before being named all-conference.
Joining Rohlik and Schroepfer were seniors Blake Altermatt and Mitchell Schroepfer, as did juniors Alex Schroepfer, Spencer Jenniges, T.J. Fulton and Derek Christians. Jenniges, Fulton and Alex Schroepfer were also medalists at the Class A state meet.
Wabasso/RRC's honorable mentions were Brady Bierl, Mitchell Fulton, Dominic Ourada and Josh Altermatt.
Also named all-conference from the area was Ben Loosbrock and Brian Behrends of Fulda/Murray County Central. Teammate Clayton Hartle was an honorable mention.
The Adrian Area Dragons, who competed as a team in the Class AA state tournament, had six all-conference selections and five honorable mentions.
Windom/Mountain Lake Area had three all-conference picks and one honorable mention.
Jesse Slater, Adrian; Tony Lynn, Adrian; Ryan Elias, Adrian; Skylar Hieronimus, Adrian; Matthew Slater, Adrian; Adam Garms, Adrian; Ben Loosbrock, F/MCC; Brian Behrends, F/MCC; Jared Willaby, Windom/MLA; Vince Johnson, Windom/MLA; Jake Junker, Windom/MLA; Tanner Rohlik, Wabasso/RRC; Spencer Jenniges, Wabasso/RRC; Alex Schroepfer, Wabasso/RRC; TJ Fulton, Wabasso/RRC; Jordan Schroepfer, Wabasso/RRC; Blake Altermatt, Wabasso/RRC; Mitchell Schroepfer, Wabasso/RRC; Derek Christians, Wabasso/RRC.
Honorable Mention
Ben Mulder, Adrian; Nate Loosbrock, Adrian; Hunter Heitkamp, Adrian; Michael Preuss, Adrian; Logan Rogers, Adrian; Clayton Hartle, F/MCC; Hunter Quiring, Windom/MLA; Brady Bierl, Wabasso/RRC; Mitchell Fulton, Wabasso/RRC; Dominic Ourada, Wabasso/RRC; Josh Altermatt, Wabasso/RRC.


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Headed for Auschwitz
A change in government infrastructure taking place would not be necessary in order for America to fall under Obamunism.
Now plainly established is the fact that the institutions of government, from the local police up to highest levels of the armed forces, as well as Congress, the Senate, and the Supreme Court, will unhesitatingly exercise their sanctioned roles in the imposition of dictatorial rule when required.
As we have seen, when violence by a handful threatens the complacency of the flock of sheep, democratic paradigms cannot persevere lest media (bad shepherd) spawned haywire and chaos ensue.
Boston was the testing ground for Obama's police state and it has proven to be a major success.
The constitutional rights of over one million people were so easily trampled on.
Of course this is no wonder when not only the rights, but the human dignity as well, of over one million unborn are blatantly ignored each year.
Respect for human rights has long gone out the window. Once the rights of one class are lost, the rest easily follow suit.
There is no strength in numbers when the numbers are blind and rattling in fear.
What do sheep do when scared?
They stampede and squash each other until rescued by their messiah. I wonder how many in Boston would have gotten on the bus when told to do so for their safety.
Unbeknownst to them, the bus was headed for Auschwitz.
I can take comfort in the fact that I will never live to see this country when it is not free.
I will be dead before that happens.
Joshua Kaplewski
Florence, Wis.


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More:Interactive Travel Map | Photos | Background Briefing
On October 19, 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made an unannounced visit to Kabul, Afghanistan. Earlier today, the Secretary met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and participated in a roundtable with civil society leaders.
Following her meeting with President Karzai, Secretary Clinton underscored four points. First, the United States remains focused on the shared goal of a stable, sovereign, independent, and prosperous Afghanistan and a region free of al-Qaida and extremists who would try to undermine the progress that the people of Afghanistan have made.
Second, the United States remains committed to an inclusive Afghan peace process that ends the conflict, protects the gains the Afghan people have achieved in the last 10 years, and helps bring greater stability and prosperity to the wider region. Third, Afghanistan's future is tied to the future of the entire region both politically and economically -- that is why the United States is working with Afghanistan to secure commitments from all of its neighbors to respect Afghan sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to support peace in Afghanistan. The United States has also embraced a vision of Afghanistan at the heart of a New Silk Road, which will increase cross-border trade, investment that creates jobs and opportunities, and leads to broad-based prosperity. Secretary Clinton then outlined her fourth point, stating:
"...And the final point is that all of this work advances the plan for transition that Afghanistan and NATO agreed on at the summit in Lisbon. The transition to Afghan-led security has already begun, and we are identifying the next group of districts that will be ready to be handed over to the Afghans. This process will conclude by 2014, when Afghans will have full responsibility.
"But I want to be clear: The United States is making an enduring commitment to the people of Afghanistan that will not end in 2014. We will not abandon Afghanistan. We continue to make progress toward a new Strategic Partnership Declaration that will provide a framework for long-term cooperation between the United States and Afghanistan. We hope that this agreement and the clarity it brings will bolster Afghan and regional confidence that this country will not again become a safe haven for terrorists or an area for competing regional interests. Our work depends on an ethic of shared responsibility. The United States will do our part.
"Now, over the years ahead, our role and our military presence will change significantly, but we will remain committed and engaged. And we will look to work with our Afghan partners. We know that ultimately all of this depends upon the people and leadership of Afghanistan. And so let me just end by saying a word directly to the people of Afghanistan -- men and women from every ethnic group, every geographic area, every part of the political spectrum: The time has come for you to choose what kind of country you want. America cannot make that choice for you. Even your president cannot make that choice for you. It must be a choice by the people of Afghanistan with the leadership of Afghanistan working to make it a reality.
"I am confident, given the strength and resilience of the Afghan people, that you will make a choice for a future of peace, prosperity, and stability, where every Afghan boy and girl has a chance to live up to his or her own God-given potential."
You can read the Secretary's full remarks here, and follow her travel here on www.state.gov.
Nancy in California writes:
Thanks for all you do, Hillary. I LOVE YOU.
Ashim C. in India writes:
The recent statements from Mrs. Clinton to the effect that Pakistan must choose whether it wants to be with US in war agaist terrorism following General Kayani's warning to US that Pakistan is a nuclear power and that US shoould think ten times before it interferes in safe havens of terrorist in Pakistan are an indication of atleast fast deteriorating security environment in South Asia. In delivering the warning to US, one hopes, Gen. Kayani may have tried merely to assuage the anti US sentiments in Pakistan, but the ve4ry fact an important leader of Pakistan's ruling elite can nurture thoughts and express them reveals what it takes for Pak leaders to satisfy fundamentalist terrorist given the present level of intensity of anti Americanism. It shows Pakistan may have been officially professing officially it's support to US in it's war against terrorism but Pakistan leadership has done little to justify this policy and position to the nation.
Now that the truth about Pak theory of non state actors as perpetrators of terrorism is becoming clear to US, Pakistan is naturally showing it's agressive intentions against US as a nuclear power. Mrs. Clinton is a very skillful in diplomatic language and one hopes that she will leave Pakistan giving the world and region creating an impression that things are not as bad in Afpak region after her talks with Pak leaders, but if that will change the fundamentals for US-Pak relation and implication of that not only for Afpak region but the rest of South Asia is doubtful. General Kayani's statement indicates that military establishment it has a need to be in jingoistic mode which may make Pakistan escalate terrorist or even it's millitary activities in Kashmir and other western Indian border states even as Pakistan and India are engaged in peace building process. In these efforts Pakistan in all possibilities has China to encourage it. Without this being openly acknowledged, one is affraid, US policy of withdrawal from Afpak region will not work out. US has to engage itself in South Asia through SAARC system with Pakistan included in it the same way as US is engaged in South East Asia and pacific region through ASEAN and then integrate SAARC with ASEAN economically, politically and strategically.
Palgye in South Korea writes:
Before talk, Successfully finished the whole thing, going to a new era that will be a celebration. Risk, but everyone enjoyed the time I think.
However, the
Libya as a springboard for independence from Samsung can we do about it?
Frankly speaking, I would like to leave alone in the wilderness Samsung. Samsung in Korea, using bribes, like a servant to a judge dealing with their own tests, which politicians, even todays, this idea will be deepened.
only say to here....only today.
Beverly writes:
I read in parade about the haircut . I cut mine and was sorry I did. Please tell Hillary not to cut her hair.
Sue in California writes:
Now that the State Department has taken over Walter Reed Army Medical Center, I would like to make a suggestion. Would the government donate the gazebo that is on the Walter Reed property to Knollwood Army Distaff Retirement Center? Many of the residents at Knollwood were stationed at Walter Reed during their military career and are very fond of the gazebo. The structure would make a wonderful addition to Knollwood's extensive grounds.


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Tarragon-Cream Chicken and Polenta Pot Pies
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 ribs celery with the greens, chopped
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 3 cups chicken stock, divided
- 1 cup cream, divided
- 1/2 cup quick cooking polenta, plus more, if needed*
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 6 sprigs fresh tarragon, stripped and chopped, 3 to 4 tablespoons
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
DirectionsWatch how to make this recipe.
In a deep skillet heat 2 turns of the pan extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and lightly brown, 3 minutes, add carrots, onions, and celery as you chop. Season with salt and pepper and cook 10 to 12 minutes to soften.
Preheat broiler. Set rack in middle of oven.
Bring 1 cup chicken stock and 1/2 cup cream to a boil, stir in polenta and whisk, 3 minutes. Turn heat low, stir in Gruyere cheese and reserve.
*Cook's Note: You may need up to 3/4 to 1 cup of polenta to fill the tops of your soup bowls or use some more of the remaining stock.
Scoot meat and veggies off to side, melt butter and combine with flour 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups stock and combine, stir in 1/2 cup cream and bring to a bubble. Stir in Dijon, tarragon, peas and adjust salt and pepper and transfer to soup bowls. Set soup bowls on baking dish. Form tops to your pot pies with the polenta and cheese mixture. Set under broiler and brown 2 to 3 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray, 2007


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One of the tasks involved in getting a flying job—and many other jobs as well—is that of getting a reference or a letter of recommendation (LOR). Airlines are big on the LOR, because it's one of the few avenues that they have to find out a little bit about you and whether or not you will fit in. If they choose, they can contact the writer and have a fairly candid conversation about you.
When it comes to asking for a letter, there are some points to consider. Keep a running list of people who know you personally as well as professionally. Some of those who know you professionally may not necessarily be people who have seen you fly. They could be your old boss, a secretary, a mechanic, et cetera.
Then there are those who have flown with you. Throughout your career, you should keep tabs on pilots with whom you have flown, because these pilots can vouch for your skills. The more you have flown with them, the better. If you were in an emergency situation with them, definitely keep in touch with them, as they might be willing to talk about how you handled a real-life pressure situation.
The best folks to have in your corner are those in positions of authority or responsibility: chief Pilots, check airman, sim evaluators/instructors, et cetera. As you move up the chain—especially at the regionals—these relationships become key, and you need to cultivate them. That means you need to make an honest effort to keep in touch. But, they need to be able to attest to your overall flying and decision-making skills.
When the time comes, asking politely is the proper form. Do not just say, "I need a letter…" The chances are that if you think enough of someone to ask them, others do as well. Check airmen and chief pilots are constantly being asked to write letters, and each one takes time.
Ask politely, by saying, "If you don't mind, I am applying for a position with XXX, and a letter of recommendation from you would sure mean a lot to me." Once that nicety is over, ask if the writer would mind taking a few minutes to recopy the letter into a generic one. That way, you won't need to go back and ask for one for every job you are applying to. When I am asked to write LORs, I always provide several generic, non-specific signed copies for the individual to use at multiple organizations.
Recognize as well that the content of the letter is only part of the battle. The quality counts just as much. If you have a letter that simply says, "Billy is a good pilot and a nice guy," it's not the same as one that goes into some depth about specific flying examples, your character, your personality, and your work ethic. The deeper the letter, the more effective—and rest assured that HR departments everywhere know how to read between the lines.
It's perfectly OK to ask someone if he or she would mind being a reference in the future, especially if you are still working toward making yourself competitive for the job you want. Being asked to write an LOR is flattering, so most folks are happy to do it. Just make sure that you allow that person ample time to do the job for you.
LORs can have a huge impact on your ability to get a job. Start early, get many, pick the best, and pay it forward.—Chip Wright
Tags: airline jobs, airlines, career advice, career flying, career pilot, professional pilot


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How to Decorate a Dorm Room
Student decorating can be tough due to a number of obstacles: money and space are just a couple. Some dorms do not allow painting or other such changes, and so putting a personal stamp on your space is hard. Fortunately, there are a number of inexpensive and simple solutions that can maximize your room. To add color to your space, try changing up your window coverings. Or, if you are allowed to paint, stick to muted tones like gray, taupe and light green as they help students relax and stay focused on their studies. In this video, WatchMojo.com gets a few tips and tricks from Home Depot that you can use to cheaply and easily decorate your dorm room.


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Man found dead in Duane woods
Searchers found the dead body of 45-year-old Christopher Moore of Malone Thursday evening in the town of Duane.
A search was initiated for Moore at 12:30 a.m. Thursday after his family reported him missing.
Moore planned to go fishing and was dropped off Wednesday afternoon on Franklin County Route 27 in Duane. He was supposed to be picked up later that day in the same location. When he did not show up, his family called state police.
An extensive search ensued, including a state police K-9 unit, forest rangers, volunteers from the Duane Volunteer Fire Department and federal Homeland Security aviation.
At 6:45 p.m. Thursday, Moore's body was found on private property in a wooded area near Route 27.
An investigation to determine the manner of death is still ongoing.
State police spokeswoman Jennifer Fleishman said "foul play" is not suspected.


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Vehicle Importation
Vacation Planning
Online Travel Resources
Mexican Law & Rights
Business Directory
Spanish Guide
Real Estate
Tourist Services & Contacts - US Consulate Services
Many American citizens are not aware of what the US consulate can do for an individual, traveling or living abroad. A consulate office can be very helpful with the following travel related situations:
Lost or stolen passports
Logistics and communications assistance in case of severe injury or illness of a traveler
Logistics and communications assistance in case of death of a traveler
As American citizens, the US Consulate serves as a frontline representative for those in trouble and detained by law enforcement or military of a foreign country.
Assistance to Detained American Citizens
The U.S. Consulate, when notified by local authorities of the arrest of an American citizen, will visit the detained person within 24 hours and at least once every quarter during his incarceration. Upon learning of an American's arrest, the Consulate seeks to visit the citizen to insure there has been no abuse or mistreatment, inform him of his right to legal counsel, provide him with a list of attorneys from which he may select legal counsel at his own expense, and to obtain personal data which will assist the Consulate in communicating with family or friends who may be able to provide financial and other assistance.
Proof of U.S. Citizenship
In order to receive consular services, each prisoner must prove that he/she is a U.S. citizen. This can be most easily accomplished by presenting to the visiting consular officer or having relatives send the Consulate a certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate and original identification, or U.S. passport, certificate of U.S. citizenship or U.S. Naturalization certificate.
Some of the things the Consulate
assist with if detained in a foreign country:
Provide a list of local attorneys or contact an attorney selected by the accused.
Contact relatives or friends to notify them of the citizen's case, if authorized by the prisoner.
Relay requests to family and friends for money or other aid.
Write to relatives about a citizen's well-being.
Accept funds as a trust fund deposit and dispense them as instructed by the citizen or the remitter.
Work with prison officials to ensure fair and humane treatment consistent with that granted to nationals of that country and ensure Americans are afforded due process under THAT COUNTRY's law.
Protest mistreatment of a detained American
Some of the things the Consulate
help you out with (you're on your own!):
Represent a U.S. Citizen at trial, give legal advice or pay legal fees and/or fines with U.S. Government funds.
Intervene with the due process of law.
Provide medical treatment except in cases of dire emergency.
Run errands for a prisoner.
Assist with Immigration related matters
Tourist Services & Contacts - US Consular Agency in Cozumel Closed in January 2014
Consular offices around the world open and close based on need and the U.S. Federal budget. At a meeting held in February of 2014, Merida Consulate representatives explained that decisions were made some years ago to close several Consular agency offices and the Cozumel office was the last of 4 offices in Mexico to close in 2014.
Until January 2014 the US Consular Agent in Cozumel was Ms. Anne Harris who has since retired. Currently the Cozumel Consular Agent Position is Vacant and Merida Consular Human Resources department is now searching for a part time replacement person to be on call for emergency needs which are defined as those incidents whereby a United States Citizen ~
gets arrested
is hospitalized with a medical emergency
loses all his or her identification and money or
dies while out of the US on vacation
As this Consular Agent position is filled, contact information will be provided here.
Meanwhile, the Consular Agency of Playa del Carmen will be handling any U.S. Citizen emergency needs until the part time Cozumel Consular Agent position is filled.
In addition, since Cozumel's office will not reopen, from this point forward all routine services will be handled by the Playa del Carmen office by appointment only. Routine services consist of ~
General information
Notary services
Death Certificates
Passport renewals and cards
Tourist Services & Contacts - US Consulate Office - Playa del Carmen, QRoo Mexico
The Consular Agency in Playa del Carmen is open for walk-in services
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
but works by appointment only for routine services.
Office Location:
U.S. Consular Agency Playa del Carmen
The Palapa Calle 1 Sur, Entre Avenidas 15 Y 20
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico 77710
At any time, for a life or death emergency involving a United States citizen, call:
Phone Numbers:
Dialing from the US:
011 52 984 873 0303
Dialing from within Mexico or Cozumel via land line:
01 984 873 0303
Dialing from within Mexico or Cozumel via cell phone:
984 873 0303
U.S. Vonage phone:
202 370 6708
Dialing from the US their Cell Phone:
011 52 1 984 807 8355
Dialing from within Mexico or Cozumel via land line to their Cell Phone:
1 045 984 807 8355
Dialing from within Mexico or Cozumel via cell phone to their Cell Phone:
1 984 807 8355
Dialing their Cell Phone from within Playa via land line to their Cell Phone:
044 984 807 8355
Dialing from within Playa via cell phone to their Cell Phone:
984 807 8355
To set up appointments for routine matters utilize the phone numbers above or send an email request to
Website of US Consulate Office in Merida
Website of US Embassy in Mexico
Tourist Services & Contacts - US Consulate Office - Merida Yucatan Mexico
U.S. Consulate Merida
Calle 60 No. 338-K x 29 y 31
Col. Alcala Martin Merida, Yucatan, Mexico 97050
Dialing from the US:
011 52 999 942 5700
Dialing from elsewhere within Mexico:
01 999 942 5700 ext. 5722, 5723, or 5752
Dialing from within Merida:
In the case of a life or death emergency involving a United States citizen occurring after close of business, please call the switchboard number above to be connected with the duty officer.
Tourist Services & Contacts - US Consular Agency Cancun
The Consular Agency in Cancun is open for walk-in services
Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
U.S. Consular Agency Cancun
Plaza Caracol II, 3er Piso No. 320-323
Km 8.5 Blvd. Kuculkan,
Zona Hotelera Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico 77500
At any time 24/7, for a life or death emergency involving a United States citizen, call:
Dialing from the US:
011 52 998 845 4364
Dialing from elsewhere within Mexico:
045 998 845 4364
Dialing from within Cancun:
044 998 845 4364
In Case of Crisis Abroad Involving American Citizens
When a crisis occurs abroad, such as a natural disaster, transportation accident, civil or political unrest or a terrorist incident, the Department of State and the U.S. Embassy abroad utilize a variety of means to communicate with the American public.
If You Are in a Foreign Country Involved in a Crisis:
Monitor the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs home page and the home page for the U.S. Embassy in the foreign country for up-to-date information about the crisis.
If a crisis occurs in a country you are visiting, contact your family in the United States to reassure them of your whereabouts and safety.
Contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate if you need help.
Be sure to register with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate on-line, by phone, email, fax or in person.
Registration helps consular staff contact you if necessary and allows you to receive situation updates. Monitor Voice of America and BBC broadcasts for announcements.
If You Are In The United States with a Family Member Traveling in a Crisis Affected Country
Families in the United States whose U.S. citizen relatives abroad may be directly affected by the crisis can contact the Department of State through our Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management at the ~
Hotline for American Travelers in Crisis Countries: 202 647 5225.
Tourist Services & Contacts - US Ambassador to Mexico
Who is the US Ambassador to Mexico Now - Effective August 2011 - Present
Earl Anthony Wayne
was born in Sacramento, California in 1950 and grew up in nearby Concord, where he graduated from High School in 1968. He earned a Bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley (1972), Master's degrees in Political Science from Stanford University (1973) and Princeton University (1975), and a Master's in Public Administration from Harvard University (1984). While at UC Berkeley, he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon. Known as "Tony" to friends and close acquaintances, he married and had a daughter and a son.
A career diplomat since 1975, he was first posted overseas as a political officer in Rabat, Morocco, after serving as a China analyst in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the State Department in Washington, DC. He was assigned to serve in the Executive Secretariat at the State Department under Secretaries of State Cyrus Vance and Edmund Muskie, in 1980. He was asked to serve as Special Assistant to Secretaries of State Alexander Haig and George Shultz, from 1981 to 1983, and was named First Secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, 198487, where he followed French politics and encouraged counter-terrorism (CT) cooperation between the US and France.
Wayne then took a leave of absence and worked as the national security correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor for two years. He returned to Foreign Service as the Director for Regional Affairs for the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Counter-Terrorism, from 1989 to 1991, during a period marked by the Gulf War as well as expanded CT cooperation with the countries of the former Warsaw Pact. He served as Director for Western European Affairs at the National Security Council from June 1991 until mid-1993, as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to the European Union until 1996, and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe and Canada (199697).
His appointment as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European Affairs in 1997 gave Wayne broader responsibilities including in the management of U.S. relations with the European Union, the OECD, the G-8, regional economic and global issues, and Nazi restitution issues. He played an important role in organizing the Stability Pact Summit for South West Europe in 1999. These experiences led to his appointment as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs (EB) from June 2000 until June 2006, during which he was promoted to Career Minister (2002).
In EB, he oversaw work on post-conflict economic assistance, economic sanctions, international debt, development and economic reform policies (including the creation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation), combating the financing of terrorism, international energy policy, trade, intellectual property and investment policies, international telecommunications policy, international transportation policies, support for U.S. businesses overseas, and efforts to end trade in "conflict diamonds". He also had a leading role in coordinating reconstruction assistance and pledges to countries hit by the 2004 Asian tsunami and to Pakistan, after the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir.
Wayne served as Interim Under Secretary for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs in 2005, during which he also served as U.S. Foreign Affairs "Sous-Sherpa," helping prepare the Gleneagles G8 Summit, in addition to his duties as Assistant Secretary. By serving as Assistant Secretary from 2000 to 2006, Wayne became the longest serving Assistant Secretary since the inception of the Economic Bureau.[3] President George W. Bush nominated Earl Anthony Wayne Ambassador to Argentina, in 2006, and he presented his credentials as Ambassador to Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana on November 6, 2006.
Earl Anthony Wayne accepted the U.S. Ambassador to Argentina post during a period of tense relations between the center-left President of Argentina, Néstor Kirchner and President Bush. He maintained a policy of close communication with the Argentine Government and of a more lively cultural involvement of embassy with its host country. He championed interaction between US musicians and other well known cultural figures with Argentine youth, as well as increased embassy outreach activities to needy Argentine communities and with worthwhile Argentine Non-Governmental Organizations. His public outreach events included a "voters day" during the 2008 US Presidential Election at the US embassy with music and American food for the several thousand U.S. nationals living in Buenos Aires who were eligible to vote via absentee ballot.
That year, he received the Paul Wellstone Anti-Slavery Ambassador of the Year Award for his work against trafficking in persons. Wayne had worked closely and successfully with several Argentine NGOs, Argentine legislators and officials to encourage stronger laws and practices to fight the trafficking in persons, especially women and children He has also received the Department of States Distinguished Honor Award and Presidential Distinguished Service and Meritorious Service Awards.
President Barack Obama nominated Vilma Socorro Martínez as the new U.S. Ambassador to Argentina in June 2009, upon which Ambassador Wayne accepted a post as Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he oversees all U.S. government non-military assistance to that country.
Secretary Clinton recognized Wayne's work in Afghanistan by granting him the Cordell Hull Award for Economic Achievement by Senior Officers in October, 2010. The award recognized Ambassador Wayne's leadership in reorganizing, reforming, redirecting, and reinvigorating U.S. economic, development, and governance policies and programs in Afghanistan. In late 2010, President Obama nominated Wayne and two other veteran diplomats to the rank of "Career Ambassador", and the Senate gave its approval in December.
In late May, 2010, Wayne took over the position of Deputy Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. In that role, under Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, he oversees all Embassy programs and staff, works closely with the Afghan government, coordinates with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and other elements of the International Community and Afghan society. On May 24, 2011, President Obama submitted Wayne's nomination to be the next US Ambassador to Mexico, to follow Carlos Pascual who departed in March following Wikileaks disclosures. On August 2, 2011 Earl A. Wayne's nomination was approved and he became the most recent US Ambassador to Mexico.
Who was the previous US Ambassador to Mexico 2009 - 2011?
3/19/11 - The ambassador of the United States in Mexico, Carlos Pascual, presented his resignation on Saturday in the middle of diplomatic frictions resulting from cables leaked by Wikileaks where Pascual's office described the inefficiency and the internal conflicts of the Mexican police forces.
The resignation happened less than two weeks after the president Barack Obama was meeting Caldron in the White House and it seems to be one of the strongest aftereffects for the filtration of thousands of confidential documents of the diplomatic American service. Clinton said that she and Obama accepted the request of Pascual's resignation. He added that both asked him to (Pascual) to remain in Mexico to assure a tidy transition.
President Obama nominated Carlos Pascual as the next United States Ambassador to Mexico in June 2009. The United States Senate confirmed the nomination on August 7 and Ambassador Pascual presented his credentials to the Mexican government on August 9, 2009.
Ambassador Pascual has had a 23 year career in the United States Department of State, National Security Council (NSC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He served as coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization at the U.S. Department of State, where he led and organized U.S. government planning to help stabilize and reconstruct societies in transition from conflict or civil strife.
Ambassador Pascual was Coordinator for U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia (2003), where he oversaw regional and country assistance strategies to promote market-oriented and democratic states. From October 2000 until August 2003, Ambassador Pascual served as U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine. From July 1998 to January 2000, Ambassador Pascual served as Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, and from 1995 to 1998 as Director for the same region. From 1983 to 1995, Ambassador Pascual worked for USAID in Sudan, South Africa and Mozambique, and as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia.
Most recently, Ambassador Pascual was Vice President and Director of the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution. Ambassador Pascual received his M.P.P. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1982 and his B.A. from Stanford University in 1980. He has served on the board of directors for the National Endowment for Democracy, Freedom House, and the Internews Network. He has also served on the Advisory Group for the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.
From the US Embassy website
Who was the US Ambassador to Mexico 2002 - 2008?
FORMER Ambassador Antonio Oscar "Tony" Garza, Jr. (born July 7, 1959, in Brownsville, Texas), an American lawyer and former county judge in Texas, was the United States Ambassador to Mexico from 2002 until January 2009.
In a ceremony June 9, 2009 in Mexico City, Mexico bestowed its highest honor available for foreigners to former U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza: the Order of the Aztec Eagle.
Mexico's Foreign Relations Secretary Patricia Espinosa indicated that Garza was recognized for his work in helping to strengthen ties between the two countries. Espinoza's statement also said that thanks to Garza's work, Mexico and the United States are working together "to face and overcome important challenges such as organized crime."
Garza, the grandson of Mexican immigrants to the U.S, graduated from Saint Joseph Academy in Brownsville, the seat of Cameron County on the Gulf of Mexico coast in far south Texas.
Antonio O. Garza, Jr. was named U.S. Ambassador to Mexico by President George W. Bush in the summer of 2002. He presented his credentials to Mexican President Vicente Fox on November 22 of that year and took charge of one of the largest diplomatic missions in the world. At the time, he was the United States youngest Chief of Mission serving abroad. Announcing the appointment, President Bush said, The United States and Mexico share not only a border, but a rich history of common economic and cultural interests. Tony Garza has an in-depth understanding of the relationship between the United States and Mexico and its impact on the people of both nations. During his tenure, Mr. Garza has focused his attentions on American interests abroad, as well as the law enforcement and counterterrorism aspects of this most important, and indeed unique, bilateral relationship.
Before being sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Mr. Garza served from 1999-2002 as Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, a statewide regulatory body charged with overseeing Texass then-$60 billion energy sector. With his election to the Commission, he became the first Hispanic Republican elected to statewide office in Texas history. As Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Garza was a strong advocate for the protection and responsible stewardship of Texass natural resources and was hailed by the states leading newspapers for bringing balance to an otherwise industry-dominated commission. During this time, Mr. Garza also served as vice-chairman on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, which brings together 39 oil- and gas-producing states. The Commission seeks to promote responsible energy policy and adoption of best practices in the United States.
Prior to his election as Railroad Commissioner in 1998, Mr. Garza was a partner in the Austin office of Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P. (now Bracewell & Giuliani), a Houston-based law firm.
In 1994, George W. Bush, shortly after being elected Governor of Texas, made Mr. Garza his first nominee, naming him Secretary of State and Senior Policy Advisor. During his tenure, Texas was the first state to provide Web-based election results on-line and in real time. Mr. Garza also advocated for the passage of legislation aimed at increasing voter participation and decreasing election fraud. As Governor Bushs lead liaison on border and Mexico affairs, Mr. Garza worked on issues as diverse as free trade, the environment, and public health.
In 1988, Mr. Garza was the first Republican elected to countywide office in traditionally Democratic south Texas. Mr. Garza served six years as Cameron County Judge, the countys top executive. He aggressively worked to provide water and sanitation services to lower income areas called colonias and pursued healthcare partnerships aimed at new immigrants and indigent and marginalized populations. Regarded as a fiscal conservative, Mr. Garza also led Cameron Countys efforts to raise its bond rating with industry leaders. Cameron County was, at that time, one of only two U.S.-Mexico border counties to enjoy an A rating. In 1990, the Texas Jaycees named Mr. Garza one of their Five Outstanding Young Texans, noting not only his government service but also his work in the community. As Cameron County Judge, Mr. Garza also worked closely with his Mexican counterparts at the state and federal levels and was instrumental in the permitting and construction of two international bridges linking his community to Mexico. He has also been recognized for his work in the region by the Rio Grande Valley Chamber of Commerce and was named Border Texan of the Year in 2003.
Mr. Garzas public service highlights his faith in the power of education. Texas Governor Rick Perry appointed Mr. Garza to his Special Commission on 21st Century Higher Education. Mr. Garza was a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Exes, the alumni association for the University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves on the Advisory Boards of the George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University the SMU School of Law, and is a member of the SMU Board of Trustees. In 2004, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, which provides support for young Hispanics to pursue higher education, honored Mr. Garza as a member of its Alumni Hall of Fame for demonstrating the power of higher education and mentorship. Mr. Garza has delivered commencement addresses at the Universities of Texas at Austin, Edinburg, El Paso, and San Antonio, as well as SMU, SMU Law, Texas A&M and Austin College.
Mr. Garzas commitment to democracy and free and fair elections has been evident throughout his career. In 2005, the University of Denver recognized this commitment when it presented him with its Distinguished Diplomat Award. Earlier in his career, as a member of then-President George H.W. Bushs official delegation, Mr. Garza observed federal elections in El Salvador, later leading a delegation to observe voter registration drives in Nicaragua. In 1993, Mr. Garza also participated in a program to study emerging democracies in Hungary and Poland.
Mr. Garza often points to his time as a volunteer coach of age-group soccer and J.V. basketball at St. Josephs Academy as the most gratifying experience of his career. Mr. Garza is a past President of Rio Grande Big Brothers/Big Sisters program and served as a director of the Boys and Girls Club, the United Way of Southern Cameron County, and the Brownsville Adult Literacy Council, as well as participating in H.O.S.T., a Brownsville Independent School District Program aimed at mentoring disadvantaged youth. The Rio Grande Council Boy Scouts of America recognized him as Distinguished Citizen of the Year in 1996. Mr. Garza has made security one of the key focal points of his tenure as Ambassador to Mexico and has also served on a number of law enforcement commissions, including the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission. In 2005, the Greater Austin Crime Commission honored Mr. Garza with the Joe Kilgore Award.
Mr. Garza cites the Marist Brothers as particularly influential in his life, in particular Brother Joseph Scanlon, Mr. Garzas high school religion teacher, who inspired him to lead a life devoted to serving the public. Brother Josephs focus on an individuals need to live purposefully shaped Mr. Garzas future endeavors, instilling in him the belief that public service is not a career but rather a calling. In 1999, Texas Tech University presented him with their Distinguished Public Servant Award in recognition of his years of service to the people of Texas.
Mr. Garza received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1983 from Southern Methodist University School of Law. He was chosen as one of the Outstanding Young Texas Exes in 1989 and received the SMU School of Laws Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001. In 2007, Mr. Garza was honored to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at both the University of Texas and SMU. Most recently, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Austin College in May 2008.
Mr. Garza is married to María Asunción Aramburuzabala. A native of Mexico City, she serves as President of Tresalia Capital and also serves on a number of Mexican corporate boards. Mrs. Garza is considered among the countrys leading business people. The couple resides in Mexico City with her two sons.
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Comeback Game - Page 2
It may seem like a bad idea, to keep a running list of races in my head where I nearly crashed and burned. To relive the dread and pain of near death in the mountains or on a track in the oppressive heat. But, to me, it's all a head game. It makes perfect sense. Knowing that I have survived a tough race in the past gives me strength to draw on during a tough race. I can nearly always convince myself that "this isn't so bad" and "I've done this hundreds of time before." After that, though, it's just a matter of finishing.
In this particular case, my thoughts kept wandering over to how my search-and-rescue textbook (I'm halfway through an intensive two-month training period) had rated "positive mental attitude" above all else on the list of survival necessities. Next on the list were the things you would expect: water, shelter, food. I kept thinking about it as I nearly crawled up that road. I decided the authors were right (no, I knew they were right) and turned my thoughts to ice baths, endless gallons of cool water I could dunk my head in and ... just finishing the damn race!
I've always been a proponent of breaking things up into small, manageable tasks. A marathon isn't 26.2 miles, its groups of four miles run consecutively until the finish line. Finding something I can wrap my head around is the best way for me to successfully complete a task. It all goes back to training my mind to accept what I'm about to do. This goes for anything—an arduous task at work, a particularly tough workout or getting through a long, busy day.
As I trudged through the race's last six miles, I had lots to think about to keep me going. The three races of death flashed through my mind: the steaming hot 10K on the track in Austin, Texas, when the official got confused and told me I had one more lap to go and then realized his error with a smirk as he told me he was "just kidding, you have another lap." I may or may not have apologized to him after the race for being ruder than I intended when I finally did cross the finish line. Or the eight-mile race straight up the side of a ski mountain which was my welcoming reception to trail running in Colorado. We were running past resort signs with the names of various runs and arrows clearly urging us to go down the mountain, not farther up! I spent the night curled into the fetal position on the floor with altitude sickness; I fully intended to never run again. Or, finally, the wretched 5K during college cross country when 300 pounding racers ran through two feet of mud with no respite the entire way. To this day, I still shy away from notoriously muddy courses.
Luckily, I haven't had to update my list in many years. Despite the steep hills and technical rocks and occasionally long intervals between aid stations, the Desert Rats 25-Miler in Fruita, Colorado, was strikingly beautiful. Following brutal climbs, we were rewarded with canyon views and the high rock formations shielded us from the intense sun for much of the first half of the race. Next April will find me back for round two. I am always interested to see how I handle a course I know vs. one I don't. I suppose both come down to one thing: a positive mental attitude.
Jen Burn is the Subscriptions Manager at Trail Runner. She will run her first 50-mile race, the Silver Rush 50, in Leadville, Colorado, this summer.


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Celestron FirstScope Telescope
The FirstScope Reflector by Celestron International is a great beginner telescope . User-friendly with minimal set up and maintenance, this FirstScope features great optical and mechanical quality, so instead of fussing too much with the equipment, you can enjoy the view. Using a system of mirrors to produce images, this FirstScope reflector is excellent for faint deep sky objects like remote galaxies because of the larger aperture. They provide the brightest view per dollar spent.Features & Benefits:
Ships to the U.S. including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
Availability: In Stock
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Super Great and easy! I read the reviews and thought I would give it a try, not really expecting much, but boy was I wrong!!! LOVE IT!
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Comments about this product:
I got the telescope to introduce my daughter to astronomy.
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by Anton Shilov
At a special stockholder meeting held late last week, the stockholders of Palm approved the agreement and plan of merger dated April 28, 2010 among Palm and Hewlett-Packard.
Such approval occurred by way of the affirmative vote of a majority of the holders of the outstanding shares of Palm common stock, Series B preferred stock and Series C preferred stock at the close of business on the record date, May 24, 2010, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis, and holders of the outstanding shares of Palm common stock not beneficially owned by Elevation Partners, L.P., or its affiliates.
Palm, the innovator in the field of personal digital assistants (PDAs), was acquired by U.S. Robotics in 1995 and became the part of 3Com in 1997 as a result of 3Com's takeover of the modem maker. In turn, 3Com made Palm independent in the year 2000. It is noteworthy that HP acquired 3Com in 2009 and will become the owner of Palm in the following days.
The transaction is expected to close on Wednesday, July 1, 2010. HP buys Palm in order to leverage its technologies from mobile devices to different ranges of products.


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- 88% nylon, 12% spandex
- Machine wash according to care label instructions
- Made in USA
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
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Ruffle Collection Bed Skirt
- Overview
A single row of ruffles finishes the bed with subtle frill that little girls love. Choose from a range of colors, or white, for an easy match with many bedding styles.
- Pure cotton sateen.
- Pure cotton decking.
- Tailored with split corners for easy placement around bedposts.
- Machine wash.
- Imported.
- Dimensions & Care
- Three-sided skirt fits around the sides and foot of the bed.
- Twin: 39 x 76"
- Full: 54 x 76"
- Queen: 60 x 80"
- Drop Length: 16"
- Machine wash in warm water; gentle cycle.
- Use only nonchlorine bleach, if needed.
- Tumble dry on low heat; remove promptly.
- Warm iron as needed.
- Shipping & Return Info
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At Pottery Barn Kids, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction is our priority. We carefully inspect your order prior to shipment; upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage. We will arrange for a prompt replacement. If, within 7 days for Quick Ship upholstery and 30 days for all other products, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value.
If your return for Merchandise Credit Cards is greater than $10,000, we will issue $10,000 in Merchandise Credit Cards to you that day, and then mail additional Merchandise Credit Card(s) for the amount in excess of $10,000 to you.
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For returns of items purchased from your Pottery Barn Kids registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later.
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Cary P Gross, MD
Professor of Medicine (General Medicine) and of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases)
Research Interests
Chronic Disease; Epidemiology; Health Policy; Internal Medicine; Ethics, Research
Research Organizations
Internal Medicine: Center for Outcomes Research & Evaluation (CORE) | General Internal Medicine | Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program: National Clinician Scholars Program
School of Public Health: Chronic Disease Epidemiology
Cancer Center: Cancer Prevention and Control | COPPER Center
Research Summary
The over-arching theme of my work is the disconnect between evidence generated from clinical research and the needs of members of patients in the "real-world" setting, outside of clinical trials. Ongoing investigations focus on the comparative effectiveness of different approaches to cancer screening and treatment, the complex interplay of factors affecting the value of cancer care, and the abandonment of low-value approaches to cancer care. Bioethics and research integrity are also a major interest; my work has focused on the scope and impact of financial conflicts, as well as identifying and overcoming barriers to sharing research data as part of the YODA project at Yale (http://yoda.yale.edu/ )
Specialized Terms: Cancer policy; Health policy; Comparative effectiveness; Cancer outcomes; Research ethics and integrity
Extensive Research Description
I am the Director of the COPPER Center at Yale, which aims to improve cancer care and to decrease the burden of cancer on individual patients and society, and to increase equity and patient-centeredness in cancer care. The Center is comprised of researchers and clinicians from across the Yale Schools of Medicine (General Medicine, Geriatrics, Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Dermatology, and Pediatrics), Public Health, and Nursing. We also provide training and mentorship to the next generation of cancer policy and outcomes researchers. Please see the COPPER website for a full description of the team and our work ((http://copper.yale.edu/).
I have received NIH-funding from 2002 through the present time, with grants supporting the investigation of barriers to clinical trial enrollment, the impact of non-cancer illnesses on older persons with cancer, and the dissemination of new approaches to cancer screening and treatment into clinical practice.Currently, my collaborators and I are recipients of an NCI Provocative Questions grant, which aims to apply the concept of "social contagion" to cancer practice, shedding new light on the role of physicians and physician patient-sharing networks in the adoption of unproven technologies and the abandonment of proven ineffective treatments in cancer care.
Our recent grant through the American Cancer Society will examine patterns of Gene Expression Profile (GEP) use among women diagnosed with breast cancer at the population level. We will specifically look at the adoption of the Oncotype Dx test, and other tests coming into the market during the study period. Through this grant we will assess independent patient and hospital factors associated with adoption, if these newer technologies are contributing to disparities in breast cancer care, and if GEP testing follows current guideline recommendations.
I am particularly interested in cancer in older persons. Cancer is an aging-related disease, and elderly cancer patients tend to have worse outcomes than their younger counterparts. This is likely due, at least in part, to the myriad of non–cancer problems that tend to accrue with age. To provide greater clarity for patient and provider decision-making, we are exploring the manner in which non–cancer chronic illnesses and geriatric syndromes affect the care and outcomes of older patients with colorectal cancer. We are using a large population-based cohort of patients with cancer derived from administrative data, and in a separate study, COPPER is participating in a prospective cohort study of older patients with cancer as part of the Cancer in Aging Research Group (CARG: http://www.mycarg.org/home).
Selected Publications
- Gross CP, Long JB, Ross JS, Abu-Khalaf MM, Wang R, Killelea BK, Gold HT, Chagpar AB, Ma X. The Cost of Breast Cancer Screening in the Medicare Population. JAMA Internal Med. 2013 11;173(3):220-6.
- Greysen SR, Johnson D, Kind T, Chretien KC, Gross CP, Young A, Chaudhry HJ. Exploring Standards for Online Professionalism: A national study of state medical board propensity to investigate reported violations. Ann Internal Med. 2013;158(2):124-30.
- Yu JB, Soulos PR, Herrin J, Cramer LD, Potosky AL, Roberts KB, Gross CP. Proton versus Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer: Patterns of Care and Early Toxicity. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013;105 (1):25-32.
- Vashi AA, Fox JP, Carr BG, D'Onofrio G, Pines JM, Ross JS, Gross CP. Use of hospital-based acute care among patients recently discharged from the hospital. JAMA 2013;309(4):364-71
- Soulos PR, Yu JB, Roberts KB, Raldow AC, Herrin J, Long JB, Gross CP. Assessing the impact of a cooperative group trial on breast cancer care in the Medicare population. J Clin Oncol. 2012, 30:1601-7
- Makarov DV, Desai R, Yu JB, Sharma R, Abraham N, Albertsen P, Krumholz HM, Penson D, and Gross CP. Appropriate And Inappropriate Imaging Rates For Prostate Cancer Go Hand In Hand By Region, As If Set By Thermostat. Health Affairs. 2012, 31: 730-740
- Raldow AC, Presley CJ, Yu JB, Sharma R, Cramer LD, Soulos PR, Long JB, Makarov DV, Gross CP. The relationship between clinical benefit and receipt of curative therapy for prostate cancer. Arch Intern Med. 2012, 172:362-3.
- Gross CP, Andersen MS, Krumholz HM, McAvay GJ, Proctor D, Tinetti ME. The Relation between Medicare Screening Reimbursement and Stage at Diagnosis for Older Patients with Colon Cancer. JAMA 2006 296:2815-2822.
- Gross CP, McAvay GJ, Krumholz HM, Paltiel AD, Bhasin D, Tinetti ME. The effect of age and chronic illness on life expectancy after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer: Implications for screening. Annals of Internal Medicine 2006 145:646-653.
- Smith BD, Haffty BG, Buchholz TA, Smith GL, Galusha DH, Bekelman JE, Gross CP. Effectiveness of radiation therapy in older women with ductal carcinoma in situ. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2006 98:1302-1310.
- Falit BP, Gross CP. Access to Experimental Drugs for Terminally Ill Patients. JAMA 2008;300:2793-2795 (Commentary).
- J Natl Cancer Inst. 2014 Jul 16;106(8)
- JAMA Oncol. 2015 May 1;1(2):185-94.
- Zhou Y, Abel GA, Hamilton W, Pritchard-Jones K, Gross CP, Walter FM, Renzi C, Johnson S, McPhail S, Elliss-Brookes L, Lyratzopoulos G. Diagnosis of cancer as an emergency: a critical review of current evidence. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2016
- Health Aff (Millwood). 2016 Jul 1;35(7):1309-15. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1490.


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Alright, here's what I got ...
1. Floyd Mayweather - I hate this prick. But god damn is he good.
2. Miguel Cotto - I expect him to beat the shit out of Sugar Shane next week and cement his spot in this top five. Love watching Cotto fight.
3. Joe Calzaghe - Alright, alright ... I'm a believer! Seen his last three fights, all flawless anihiliations of Lacy, Manfredo, and Kessler. Impressive.
4. Juan Manuel Marquez - Right after the Calzaghe fight got a chance to tune over to Showtime and watch Marquez destroy Rocky Juarez, a very solid fighter in his own right. Please, please, please let us see the rematch with Pacqiauo. The two fought to an amazing draw in '04.
5. Manny Pacqiauo - Speak of the devil. A bad ass that takes big fight ater big fight. Beat Barrera again a month ago. There's few better. few funner to watch, and a win over Marquez would have him #2 on this list.
6. Kelly Pavlik - The middleweight king and a fighter on the rise after dominating wins over Miranda and Taylor. Tough to fight as he keeps coming at you, throws bombs, and has the heart of a fucking lion. Few have him this high on these lists, but another win over Taylor in the spring at the odd weight of 166 will do it.
7. Ricky Hatton - Fighting Floyd on Dec 8th in what is likely the biggest welterweight scrap since Oscar/Tito about ten years ago. 43-0, and has destroyed Kosta Tszyu, Collazo, Urango, and most recently Jose Luis Castillo to ascend to the top ten lb for lb lists and start to win over American fight fans. Gritty, hard hitting, busy ... and a pain in the balls to fight.
8. Bernard Hopkins - Back from the dead. Looked like Hopkins was about done after B2B losses to Jermain Taylor, but rebounded with a convincing win over Tarver and a surprising win over Winky Wright. Waiting on his next scrap. Says he wants to fight Calzaghe in Yankee Stadium. How great would that be?
9. Israel Vasquez - His rematch this summer with Rafael Marquez (after losing to him in March) was one of the greatest fights I've ever seen.
10. Rafael Marquez - He and Vasquez are the kings at 122, and I wouldn't mind seeing these guys fight two times a year for the next half decade. Ring Magazine (the bible) ranks these two #5 and #7 lb for lb.
11. Jermain Taylor - Spoons boy.
12. Marco Antonio Barrera - What a career.
13. Mikkel Kessler - Could prolly whip anyone but Calzaghe at 168.
14. Wlad Klitschko - Sadly, hard to tell just how good he is.
15. Paul Williams - Looked great in beating Margarito, fights Cintron in Feb.
16. Oscar DeLaHoya - Is he done? Showed vs Floyd he could still fight.
17. Winky Wright - Lost tough decision to Hopkins, no next fight scheduled. Last three fights have all been so so performances.
18. Shane Mosely - We'll see what hes got left next Saturday.
19. Juan Diaz - Lightweight king. 33-0. Wanna see him fight Casamayor.
20. Antonio Margarito - Fought hard in loss to Paul Williams.


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Slow Pitch Softball
I played fast pitch for years when I was younger. Now 10 years later I've decided to play on a church co-ed team. Well slow pitch batting is way different than fast pitch and I need some help.
Fast pitch you want a level swing and that helps generate power. Since slow pitch balls drop you can't always hit the ball by just swinging level. I'm good with making contact but I have no power. And oddly in the batting cages I pull to the left (3rd base line) almost every time but when a person is pitching to me I hit all over the place. I was taught in fast pitch to point you front foot towrds the direction you want the ball to go. So instead is keeping you feet pointing straight towards the plate you would angle it out to get more turn out of your swing basically. But you had to swing a bit faster for that to work. Thing with slow pitch is it well SLOW. A ball that's a strike my get tossed up really high and take a while to drop.
Then I've got my husband tell me how to generate power. First I don't like thim telling how to do anything. I feel like he's talking down to me even when he's just trying to help. I read that with slow pitch the best thing to do is just stand however you are comfortable since there are not a lot of technical things to do to get a more powerful swing but by using a comfortable stance you can focus more on hitting with power.
And I had a batting cage owner tell me to line my middle knuckles up and hold the bat losely for the best control of the bat itself. It feels weird but it works. But agian I'm so focused on how I'm holding the bat I don't focus on hitting with all my strength.
So tips on any of these areas of batting please! I'm not about to play and go out there and stink it up. if I can't be a good player I won't play at all.
A lot of slow pitch leagues will consider any ball that lands directly behind the plate a strike (as long as it achieved correct height range). Position yourself in a way that lets you hit a ball dropping into that area. Don't worry about it coming over the plate horizontally like it does in fast pitch. I typically stand further back in the box than I would in baseball.
Patience. Because the ball is moving so slowly it's easy to get anxious and swing too soon. Then you're lunging for the ball or chopping up at it. I like to hit it when it's about waist or even knee high. It's more of a golf swing than a baseball swing.
Of course, practice a lot to help get the timing down.
[QUOTE=County Mike;127032]
Patience. Because the ball is moving so slowly it's easy to get anxious and swing too soon. Then you're lunging for the ball or chopping up at it. I like to hit it when it's about waist or even knee high. It's more of a golf swing than a baseball swing.
Exactly! It's very odd to me to swing low because that got you laps in fast pitch. And I'm 6' 1" (or just 6' even depending on who's measuring) so the women that pitch don't get the ball nearly high enough and some of the men don't either. Plus the umps forget that strike zones are different based on the person. The knee to waist on some people is mid shin level for me. And since the balls drop you really never know where to stand in the plate. Most good pitches would land right behind the plate but if it touches the plate at all that's a strike. I think Im going to need a lot of practice on learning to adjust to a variety of pitches.
I agree with Mike, you really gotta wait on it. Also, realize that you're not playing with a bunch of athletes, so a ball that hangs for a bit in the air isn't a gauranteed out like when you were younger. The outfield generally plays deeper since the pitching style lends itself to longer pop-flys, so "crushing a ball" isn't always the best idea. A "little league" as it sounds, just making good contact is usually the best idea. And believe me, if you practice pulling the ball to the right, your on-base percentage will be great. The 1st base(wo)man typically isn't agile & certainly isn't expecting the ball, so even a line-drive can usualy catch 'em napping & get past, plus the right fielder is usually out there praying that the ball doesn't get hit in their direction (speaking from experience, here! ). The combination of surpise that the ball's coming to them, relative lack of skill, and performance anxiety pretty much gaurantees a single & can often give you a good shot at extra base(s) on an over-throw.
i would love to give you some advice, but we have a strike out/case of beer rule in our league .. you strike out and you have to bring a case of beer to the next game ... so i swing at the first pitch everytime, good, bad or ugly ...
Besides... who strikes out in slow pitch? (except maybe for the foul ball as 3rd strike rule)
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Food and sustainable food systems
Creating a system for producing, processing, distributing, and consuming food that is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable is a City priority.
In fact, one of the main goals of the Greenest City initiative is to become a global leader in urban food systems by 2020.
To achieve this goal, the City has started a number of major food initiatives. Council is working to:
- Establish partnerships with private businesses, non-profit groups, and volunteers
- Develop innovative new policies and regulations to create a sustainable food system
- Increase public awareness of the link between local food and a healthy environment
- Invest in urban food projects through grants and funding
- Increase city and neighbourhood food assets by 50%
You can help, too. Learn how to create a healthy, sustainable food system that benefits people, the local economy, environment, and development of our city.


text: Indoor videos Two Crippling Lacrosse Fights Thomas Alford / July 24, 2012 Two lacrosse teams engaged in a fight July 20, which ended with one player getting knocked out. Two days later - keep up - the same two teams played AGAIN and a fight ensued. The first game was an apparent Continue Reading Share


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In Munich's legendary Restaurant Tantris, Hans Haas's purist cuisine is classic, mouthwatering and cooked to the highest standard.
Tantris, the birthplace of Germany's culinary miracle, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2011. After Eckart Witzigmann and Heinz Winkler, Witzigmann's former sous-chef Hans Haas, who took up the mantle in 1991, has made his own mark whilst continuing to steer the restaurant on its stellar course. With its original 70s interior, impeccable service and dazzling wine list, Tantris is a work of art. The restaurant is almost always fully booked for lunch and dinner, with Hans Haas's team creating remarkable dishes to an amazing standard. His approach epitomises the art of omission, resulting in a classic produce-centred cuisine that is pared-down and almost purist in style and which places great emphasis on flavours, comes straight to the point and is free of diversions on the plate.
One legendary Haas dish is his low-temperature cooked wild salmon with leek purée, caviar and beurre noisette, whose sensational succulence and almost raw texture has inspired a great many of his pupils. This is a totally uplifting salmon experience, wonderfully framed by the herbal notes of the leek purée, the iodinous caviar with its intrinsic acidity, and a piquant touch of beurre noisette. Comparatively simple but then why complicate good food? Haas is also the go-to man for goose liver dishes, be they exquisitely crafted terrines or a pan-fried/poached approach such as lukewarm eel with beetroot and poached goose liver. In essence, this is the epitome of classic, pared-down cuisine, cooked with just a hint of a knowing smile by Tyrolean chef Hans Haas.
© Prof. Dr. Ingo Scheuermann
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Topic: Beth
CP+B Creative Director Makes Short Film About Kiss Song 'Beth' From Her Point of View
Bob Winter turns the tables
By Andrew McMains on Apr. 24, 2013 - 11:24 AM EDT
A classic rock ballad, "Beth" by Kiss, that inspired a thought balloon—"Wouldn't it be funny to hear Beth's side of the story?"—is now a short film. The four-and-a-half-minute piece from…