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how our Tackles won't dominate their exterior D-linemen for a big game offensively. Further, I think Funchess will be a nightmare for their D to match up with. I'd give us at least another touchdown in this contest.
2013 Opponent Preview: UConn
The narrative so far:
- Week 1 - Michigan plays an easy breezy beautiful home opener against Central Michigan. We find out whether Shane Morris will lose his redshirt. Prediction: he does.
- Week 2 - Notre Dame comes to town, chaos ensues under the lights, we awake Sunday morning in a stranger's backyard and discover that we are missing a shoe.
- Week 3 - Fitz Toussaint and Derrick Green each rush for 100+ yards.
Last year
Since this is part 2 of a home-and-home, I think we should go back a few years to get the proper context.
Michigan and UConn agreed to play a short series with each other in 2009. At the time the matchup was intriguing because of three things: Rich Rod's ties to the Big East (and undefeated record against Randy Edsall), UConn's apparent emergence in being okay at football (8-5 in 2008), and the basketball team's own series with the Huskies. In addition to the fact that the 2010 game would be a home opener in a freshly renovated Big House, the anticipation for part 1 of the home-and-home was significant because none of us really thought the Wolverines, still smarting from a 5-7 season, would do all that well.
That was until Brock Mealer, Denard, and 60 minutes of domination happened. You can relive the best moments here:
The pure awesomeness on display (and the awesomeness the following week) is the sort of thing that makes you think Michigan would play in the Rose Bowl, Denard would win the Heisman, and Rich Rod would be our coach forever and ever.
By the time we realized none of those things would come true, UConn and 2013 seemed a million years away. When your fandom devolves into stalking Dave Brandon while listening to songs by the Smiths on repeat, you're not in a place to properly consider other people, or the future.
Did you know that the Huskies actually went on to win the Big East that year?
They did (or at least a share of it) and had a better resume than anyone else in that conference, so they got the auto-bid to the Fiesta Bowl, where they were summarily executed by No. 9 Oklahoma. Edsall bolted for Maryland pretty much the next day, and he has since been spending a lot of time there designing uniformz and losing. See you next year I guess.
So UConn hired Paul Pasqualoni, a former Syracuse head coach who lost his edge in the early '00s, left Syracuse, and floated around the NFL for a couple years. After taking over the Huskies, he's led them to back-to-back 5-7 seasons. Rebuilding, yes, but the outlook does not appear to be bright.
Had Edsall stayed in Storrs, the rematch with Michigan would have been a lot more intriguing, and the game would probably be a lot more competitive. Now it's just kind of sad.
Last year
Okay, the real recap part. Let's keep this brief: last season the Huskies were an unpredictable outfit that beat Maryland, Louisville, and Pittsburg, but lost to nearly everyone else, including Western Michigan. Defensively they were okay, limiting opponents to under 20 ppg. Offensively they were horrible, scoring 17.8 ppg. If the Big East were the Big Ten, UConn would be Michigan State.
Being horrible on offense is what usually happens when you break in a new quarterback. Whether he's sufficiently broken in or just broken, he's likely to be the guy Michigan will see on Sept. 21.
A/S/L: Chandler Whitmer, junior QB. Not much of a runner, not much of a passer. Last season he completed 57.6% of his passes for 2664 yards, 9 TDs, and 16 INTs. This year he'll have back his leading receiver, junior Geremy Davis (44 rec, 613 yards, 1 TD). Junior Deshon Foxx is another name to be on the lookout for. Reports from their spring game say that he caught a bunch of 70-yard bombs and was the only player to score in a 6-0 affair.
The run game was also pretty disappointing last season. Lyle McCombs, the team's top running back, will return as a junior and try to make things better. McCombs is a durable but limited guy. He's small -- listed at 5-8, 169 lbs -- and not all that quick or speedy, which kind of defeats the point of being small. Regardless, he's got good enough vision and takes the bulk of the handoffs, which has earned him the "workhorse" monikor. In fact, he's one of a small collection of FBS players to combine for more than 500 carries over the last two years. Last season he got 243 carries for 860 yards, which comes out to about 3.5 yards a carry. Not bad but not great, considering he broke the 1,000-yard mark as a freshman.
The offense will probably improve. Most of the line is returning, and UConn picked up a new offensive coordinator in T.J. Weist from Cincinnati. Weist had been with the Bearcats since 2010, and his pass-happy offense there led the conference in a bunch of categories. I doubt they'll find their rhythm by the time Michigan rolls into town, however. Either way it'll be interesting to see what Mattison thinks of Weist's offense.
Free hugs.
The narrative here is kind of opposite that of the offense: really good last season but not returning a whole lot of guys. Of UConn's top 10 tacklers in 2012, more than half of them were seniors.
At least the top tackler is coming back. The name to know here is Yawin Smallwood, a 6-3, 244-lb middle linebacker who was named the Defensive Scout Player of the Week as a redshirting freshman right before the 2010 Michigan game. Smallwood had 120 tackles, 15 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks last year. He's pretty high up on draft boards, so his production is likely not just a byproduct of "plays in the Big East."
The Huskies' defensive line is fairly experienced in the interior, less so on the outside. DT Shamar Stephen was a solid contributor last year with 26 tackles, 2 for loss, and Angelo Pruitt looks like he'll probably slide inside (he played end last year). For what it's worth, these guys aren't small. Stephen is 6-5, 320 lbs, and Pruitt is 6-3, 300. That could be a problem for Jack Miller and whoever the two new guards are. At end, UConn is getting a sixth-year rush end back from injury, and they have another guy on the strongside who is 6-5, 301. Again, not small. At least their athleticism won't be nearly as terrifying like Notre Dame's line is, so Lewan and Schofield should be able to handle them without too much trouble.
Things are a little fuzzier in the secondary. From what I can tell it looks like UConn is set at safety, at least. They bring back three guys with varying degrees of experience and a hefty collection of career tackles. The cornerback situation is not good though (when is it ever? I mean, seriously). I think at this point they still have no idea who's going to start, so they're move their most experienced safety, junior Byron Jones (87 tackles, 1 INT), to corner while the other guys figure themselves out. Best 11, I say.
The Huskies' defense will probably be pretty competent even with six new starters, but they'll be imminently beatable. In 2012 they put five of their guys on the all-conference roster, and when a defense produces multiple honorees that usually means the coaching staff is doing something right. Will they simply reload in 2013, or must they rebuild? I guess we'll find out!
This team is kind of like: A rock.
Is it too early to bring out the rock? Maybe, but I glanced at Michigan's B1G schedule and no one else fits the bill.
Vs. Michigan: Michigan's non-conference slate is awfully reminiscent of the one they played in 2011. If so, UConn is this year's version of San Diego State, with major differences being only that the game is away and Hoke didn't coach any of these guys.
The Wolverines shouldn't have much trouble stopping the Huskies offense. Whitmer, if coached properly, will probably top out around where Ryan Lindley ended up. That kind of development takes a while though. When Michigan visits he'll probably struggle with Mattison's nefarious schemes, and once the Wolverines pass rushers break through it'll be game over. The Heininger Certainty Principle says that Frank Clark and/or Taco Charlton will have a good game.
Offensively Michigan will probably struggle with Smallwood. Hoke and Borges seem to prefer a safe, run-heavy approach on the road, and against that defensive line I can't see any of the Wolverines interior offensive linemen getting to the second level on a consistent basis. If Michigan's defense plays well, it won't matter. Borges can keep running his new toys up the middle until the game ends at 14-6.
2008 Wisconsin
2009 Western & Notre Dame
2010 UConn & Notre Dame
Especially in the UConn game, I remember the 1st three-and-out for UConn had me hoping the defense had finally turned the corner and the "oh wide open" to T. Robinson had me believing we were finally going to see Richrod's offense start to befuddle people
Sadly neither happened.
The first half was one of the worst games of football I had ever seen a Michigan team play (at least up until then). I looked at the box score--Threet ended 12 of 31 for 96 yards and about half of our rushing yards came on two plays (Brandon Minor's touchdown and Threet's long run). Despite the win it was pretty clear it was going to be a long season.
I agree completely about those 2009 and 2010 games, though. I thought we'd turned the corner both years (sigh).
That was the first game I'd ever went to, on my 13th birthday no less. Needless to say, I'll never forget it.
I actually don't remember my first game. I was much younger than you were at your first game, though (probably 5 or 6).
The rest of that year, though...
I wasn't aware we played any games after that./denial kicks in
I'll bite. My first game was the 2004 season opener against Miami of ohio. True freshman Chad Henne got the start for Gutierrez(sp?). We started slow but eventually routed them I think 43-10.
Sadly. However, my first game was the win against Wisconsin, which was an amazing experience to be at despite the team and yada yada. Then Toledo....Toledo..... Then Michigan State where we made Blair White look like Steve Largent. However, I got to see PSU the following year and Denards first play the year after that. Oddly enough, haven't made it to a game other than the down years
Then two weeks later we gave up 37 to UMass and I knew it was all a mirage.
...and was the only player to score in a 6-0 affair
I would say the does not bode well for their offense this year. They're like a poor man's Michigan State...yeesh. What monstrosity will we find in Storrs?
He's gotta be tough for all that trash talk you know he gets.
I forgot how incredible Denard looked early in the season in RR's offense. I'm also surprised to see how effective Michael Shaw was in some clips. It may not seem like much to some of you, but living on the East Coast I rarely have the chance to see UM play outside of a once in a while visit to PSU. This game I will be at and am quite excited to see our guys first hand for the first time since we lost at PSU in 2010. Since I will be attending with my friends that are unfortunately UCONN fans, albeit not the sort of fans we are all on this board, I am really hoping to rub it in their faces how vastly superior we are in college football. I hoping for at least one insane Funchess catch, Fitz & Countess looking ready, Green steamrolling some 170lbs DB, Frank Clark decleating Whitmer, a glimpse of the freak that Charlton will become, a strong push from the likes of Kalis/Miller/Braden, Cam Gordon being servicable, Darboh contributing, Gallon being Gallon, Q-Wash & PeeWee knifing through every play, Ross acting like a human missle throwing himself at anything that dares carry a football in front of him, and Devin showing off why he will be the B1G offensive player of the year. Is that too much to ask for in one game???
Not enough. You forgot at least one INT for Best Michigan Safety in Years Who Isn't Jordan Kovacs Thomas Gordon.
With everything you said. Insane Funchess catch...love it!!!
Several 70 bombs and only one score? Yikes.
Yeah, that caught my eye as well. Did they turn it over on the next play after each of those bombs?
If only we could play Big East defenses all the time, we'd dominate forever.
Sadly in the 30 years or so I have been a fan I have never seen them play. Since UConn is only 5 hours away(where as A2 is 16) I just might finally be able to see my beloved Wolverines in person. Maybe I'll bump into you MGoStrength. We could have a beer and rub it into your friends that we are vastly superior in football.
I definately plan to be vocal in my support of UM so it won't be too hard to find me, although UCONN football fans aren't like the fans you see in the B1G. They don't have the same sort of school pride in thier program and it doesn't help that the stadium is not on campus. I don't know if you've ever been to Rentschler Field before, but it only seats about 40,000. There aren't really any bad seats, but there are currently only 468 tickets available according to Stubhub (starting at $136) and I'm guessing this one will sell out.
Nice to know that there isn't a bad seat in the place. Makes my decision to go that much easier.
There isn't a bad seat in a sense, but it is right across from a Cabellas and the highway, so let's say the ambiance isn't anything to write home about.
The stadium for our CFL team holds only 20 000+. It's on the top of a hill behind a University and next to a hospital. I am very acustomed to no ambiance. As long as I finally see them play I could care less about where they play.
There is no atmosphere because it's too far from campus and you don't get the feel of a college atmosphere. It was never really intended with UCONN as it's main focus as it was originally planned as the Patriots stadium and was going to be in downtown Hartford until they decided to create Gillette Stadium, then it was scaled back, moved, and used primarily for UCONN among others. I personally like the stadium itself in terms of comfort and view of the game, but in terms of feeling like a college football atmosphere...it does not really. But, it's all we got in Connecticut and there's not much north of PSU for good college football.
...it'd be interesting b/c we'd suck and face a team from the Suck (Big) East... To assume Edsell would have taken UConn to a new level would be the same as Rich Rod taking UM to a new level.... Wait, Rich Rod did take UM to a new level. My bad.
Technically, the Big East doesn't exist as a football conference any longer. It is now the American Athletic Conference and as bad as the Big East was it is even more pathetic now. Almost every team in this new conference was in Conference USA within the past 7 years. I assume that they will not be getting an auto BCS bid any longer...not that it matters much with this being the last season of the BCS and all.
Louisville will probably go undefeated in the regular season and will not have beaten a single Top 25 caliber opponent along the way.
I'll be the guy in the UConn student section wearing all maize and blue.
That really speaks to UCONN football! Is the student section still on the far corner between the end zone and the visitors side? The three times I went I was always either in the opposite end zone, which was actually pretty cool because the dance team or cheerleaders were only a few rows in front of us, or on the home side sorta near that same end zone. My buddy got us tickets and I hope we are on visitors side this time. Good for you rocking the UM gear in your own student section!
The student section is now the entire endzone and one corner. It usually doesnt fill up, but its really not the students fault. The stadium is in Hartford which is between 30- 45 minutes depending on traffic . Lots of students will usually just go to tailgate because the parking situation is pretty good as its just one enormous grass lot and tickets to the games are only $5 with ID.
We had hopes of being a better football school and it seems like Edsall was on the path to taking us there along with a truly amazing on campus football facility worthy of a top 10 national program, the thing is really impressive. However, after he left it really has been all downhill from there except for producing a decent amount of NFL draft pics. We are truly only a basketball school and if people are football fans their loyalties usually lie elsewhere so I am not really worried about getting heckled. (I was a Michigan fan before I moved to CT)
Another thing I'm not going to name any names but I have a good friend who is on the team who will actually be rooting for Michigan to win. That is saying something about our fan base and students.
I am not originally from Connecticut, but have lived there for about 7 years. I was born in AA, but have lived all over the place and in the Northeast for almost 20 years. But, you're right, not only is there not a lot of loyalty for UCONN football, football fans in the Northeast don't really follow college football. Until you get down to PA, football fans in the Northeast are much more interested in the Patriots, Jets, or Giants. It blows my mind, but it's an argument I have been having for years. They just don't get it because there is no big time program for them to hang their hat on. You know it's a sad state of affairs when women's hoops is more popular than football.
What do you think the scalping situation will be like on gameday? I'm going to be travelling to the game with my girlfriend and a couple of my east coast buddies from Boston. The prices on Stubhub are doable but I'm a little trigger shy because of my last two away games (Sugar Bowl & Jerryworld) tickets could be had for way less than I paid for them outside the stadium. Any guidance will be much appreciated. I know a sellout is anticipated but it seems like the draw is really for the UM fans and there will be plenty available on gameday?
You'll be fine. I'd say you would end up paying $70 max.
Cool, thanks for the insight.
Do you think there will be many tix available on game day? I really don't want to drive 5 hours to have to watch the game in a bar because there were none available. Thanks.
...I really can't see the logic behind the 14-6 projection. Truthfully, one does notice that Borges is more conservative on the road. Part of that might be because he didn't trust Denard's arm. Factually, Borges let Gardner air it out against Minny and South Carolina. If you want to say Minny was just that bad...well...UConn isn't THAT much better. It's not really enough to say their linemen are big and their Mike is elite. BC had Luke Kuechly, after all, that was never enough.Really, a 14-6 prediction for an away game is almost projecting a tossup. All it would take is one careless pick-6 or the like, and the game is in the air.
I mean, statistics don't always tell the tale. The idea of UConn's defensive quality, based on points per game, really should be filtered through a quality of opposition caveat. Playing in the Big East with a soft non-conference schedule is going to skew things wildly. I mean, that takes into account a shutout of UMass, which is still functionally an FCS team, and the normal squad of hapless Big East punching bags like South Florida and Temple.And I'll give you the fact that they held Louisville to an abusrdly low score (maybe Bridgewater was injured that day?) and did well against Rutgers (who were very up and down with Nova), but they also gave up 40 points to Nassib and Syracuse and 34 to Cinnci, and even 30 to Western Michigan....and after losing five starters, including several NFL draft picks, you think Gardner and Co. can't put up gaudier numbers than 14 points? I just don't see it.
Even if our offense sucks it up for some reason, I still think UConn's offense could be bad enough that our defense puts us in great position for a few easy scores
A sarcastic prediction? I gotta think michigan wins convincingly even if its not a total blowout. I'm thinkin 31-10
I'm thinking 31-7. We call off the dogs in the 4th, and allow a late TD because we're sporting.
14-6? Come on. I know we still need to prove ourselves against tough opponents on the road, but this is anything but a tough opponent. I could maybe understand 14-6 at the half, like Gardner just gets off to a slow start. But if I were a betting man, I'd say this game will be over by halftime.
35-7. Green/Fitz will have at least 150-200 yds between them, and Gallon will go for 150 yds and 2 TDs.
of Denard in the groove with the spread offense. Was looking for but did not see our man Lloyd Brady in the highlights from the stands. The game at UConn this year should be a nice preparation trip for BIG road games later in the season.
A2 Torch & Pitchfork won't be able to keep up with demand for their Al Borges Special.
Judging solely on strength of opponent (rather than drama or rivalry), the 2010 UConn game was probably RichRod's biggest win. And also kind of an outlier in many respects.
Unusual for the time, the defense got some stops but that was probably because the offense was a grinding, third down converting, mistake free juggernaut. Rather than relying on big plays, they ground out 28 first downs on 8 possessions behind 19/22 for 186 and no INT passing from Denard.
Until maybe the end of the 2011 regular season, Denard never really achieved that level of accuracy and efficiency as a passer again.
The whole game was very weird in retrospect.
UConn fan here. UConn alum and son of a varsity Ohio State alum.
I think 14-6 is a little generous to UConn - I think we're looking more like a 23-0 or 19-3 (some odd score involving a lot of Michigan field goals).
UConn is an enigma in the Pasqualoni era. A couple times a year they "show up" and beat a Louisville on the road or first-place Rutgers two years ago. I haven't decided if this year will be a disaster or an improvement over the last two years of sub-mediocrity. During the Edsall era, sub-par talent (especially on the offensive-side of the ball minus the running back position) overachieved. The talent may be better now than it was (he's already recruited 4 QBs equal or better to the best QB Edsall ever had - Dan Orlovosky) but the team just doesn't show up sometimes. Case in point, their chance to make a bowl game last year, coming off a road win over a Louisville team that went on to be Florida, they were blown out at home by a good, not great Cincinnati team.
The defense wasn't just "good" last year, it was great... but it was on the field too much. The three best teams they faced last year (Louisville, Rutgers and NC State) all struggled to score against them. NC State's only points came on a busted play with a back-up CB on the field while their best CB was on the bench getting a concussion check - NC State put up 30+ points vs. Tennessee the week before. That being said, a lot of that defense is gone - 4 drafted players. They do get Graham Stewart back this year (originally a Florida recruit, had a touch down vs. Ohio State in the bowl game 2 years back on a blocked punt) and some other good young linebackers. The D-Line backups last year were solid, and by the end of the year the DB 2nd string played enough not to be humiliated. Michigan would be smart to go against the 'run on the road' strategy, and air it out early and test the secondary. The longer this game is close, the more anxious it's going to be for Michigan. The Rent is a small facility but it's loud (RGIII called it the most difficult stadium he played in in college). The seats are right on the field and UConn is a markedly better team at home (sans last year's louisville and cincy results). UConn fans will already be nuts because the hype for the Michigan game is pretty big here, and it's the week after UConn plays Randy Edsall's Maryland squad.
And everyone who said UConn can't score against this Michigan defense is right. The offense was a train wreck last year. Traditionally UConn's O-Line is better than last year. I think the receivers are actually stronger than most would give credit, but the QB is dreadful (watch him throw 2 times more picks than TDs this year) and a QB controversy will erupt because there are a RS Freshman and 2 Freshman who were all brought in to be the "QB of the future".
I hope it's a good game, obviously not rooting for Michigan (sorry) but I think this is going to be a snooze fest, not quite a laugher, but never in doubt for Maize Nation. UConn will be very "up" to face Edsall the week before - if they lose there (which is possible - Maryland set the NCAA record for bad breaks last year; they have to be better) they are going to be flat. They could be flat off a win. Or they could be the team that beat Louisville last year (I can only hope).


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Turning over and preserving family history from one generation to the next.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
NGS Conference - BCG Education Fund "Putting Skills To Work"
I guess I am spoiled. My only visits to the Family History Library have been in December and July when things are fairly quiet. It is pretty busy but I brought my new camera to try out by photographing microfilm and was able to avoid standing in line to make copies to my flash drive. It seems to be working out great. I was able to stay in my cubby, take pictures of deeds and be fairly productive.
Today, Tuesday, was the BCG Education Fund's "Putting Skills To Work." It started with Kip Sperry's session on "Reading Early Handwriting" which was excellent. I feel like I really struggle with this subject and after this morning, I am much more comfortable and competent in reading what previously often looked like a foreign language to me.
At lunch, the table that I sat at got into a really good discussion about various genealogy education routes to take and the certification process. There were lots of different experiences from the group to draw from and it was a group of really nice people to spend an hour or so with!
After lunch, Pamela Boyer Sayre presented "Sunchronized Research and Reporting" where I picked up a lot of really good methods and tips.
After a quick trip to the library and then the grocery store, I am beat and it's only day one! But it's been a very good day.
© 2010, copyright Michelle Goodrum
4 comments:
Sounds like a great day Michelle, I envy youReplyDelete
Glad you are settled in and enjoying all the company. You found a grocery store?? Do share in email or here.ReplyDelete
Michelle, I enjoyed reading your post about your first day at the NGS conference. Sure wish they would think about doing some type of video conference for these things then those of us who can't physically get there would be able to participate remotely. Hope the rest of your adventure is as productive for you.ReplyDelete
Mary, Barbara, Jo - Thanks for the comments! Barbara - the Plaza has a van that will take you wherever you want to go. So, yes I found a grocery store. I can have breakfast in my room! That means more sleep!! And I've stocked up with some healthy snacks as well.ReplyDelete

subset: commoncrawl


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Vestal, New York - The Mike Martin coaching era at Brown successfully tipped-off this afternoon at the Events Center with the Bears rallying for a 58-49 victory over Binghamton, with the Bears' new emphasis on defense holding the Bearcats to just one point in the last seven minutes on 0-of 10-shooting. Junior Matt Sullivan scored 18 points and junior Sean McGonagill added 16 points to lead the Bears attack.
Martin was part of the most successful class in Bears' basketball history, graduating in 2004, and is the fourth Brown graduate to guide the Bears' basketball program. He certainly brought that intensity to the Bears' play on the court.
"I can't praise our senior leadership enough," said Martin of Sullivan and Tyler Ponticelli. "Any time you take over a program that hasn't won a lot of games, you look to establish a tradition of winning. We have a lot of work to do, but this is a good start."
Martin became the first Brown coach to capture his debut game since William H. Dye in 1941.
Sullivan's 18 points came on 7 of 15 shooting from the field, while adding four treys. He also pulled down six rebounds. McGonagill had three treys and also pulled down six rebounds.
Bears' 6-8 freshman forward Cedric Kuakumensah, a product of St. Andrew's in Barrington, earned a starting nod on the Brown front line. He immediately made a contribution on the backboards, grabbing a game high nine rebounds.
Despite first half foul trouble, the long awaited playing debut of 6-8 sophomore forward Raphael Maia didn't disappoint as the Brazilian standout proved to be an inside force with rebounding and a nice touch by the basket. He finished with seven points and six rebounds. Maia was ruled ineligible last year due to an NCAA technicality.
Binghamton was led by Taylor Johnson and Rayner, who chipped in with 14 points each.
A long trey by sophomore Longji Yiljep and a lay-up by senior Matt Sullivan gave Brown its biggest lead of the first half, 25-17, with 4:14 remaining.
Two treys by Taylor Johnson sparked an 8-0 Bearcat run to end the half to knot the score, 25-25 at intermission.
The Bearcats opened the second half with consecutive treys to open up a 31-25 advantage in the first three minutes of the half. But back-to-back treys by Sullivan and McGonagill got the Bears back in the game, trailing, 33-31, at the 16-minute mark.
Brown took control of the game with a 15-3 run and built a 46-38 lead with its own three-point barrage. Sophomore Joe Sharkey, McGonagill and Sullivan all had treys, with Kuakumnsah pulling down four rebounds and blocking a shot in the spurt.
The Bears are back in action again on Thursday, November 15, traveling to New Britain, Connecticut to face Central Connecticut. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m..


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Finding workers to fill the abundance of oilfield and marine jobs is one problem that south Louisiana companies have been having. Finding workers who can pass drug tests and show up on time is another.
Finding workers to fill the abundance of oilfield and marine jobs is one problem that south Louisiana companies have been having. Finding workers who can pass drug tests and show up on time is another.
The stories abound: Companies spend thousands recruiting employees into paid training programs only to have half or more drop out, show up late or flunk drug tests.
South Central Industrial Association Executive Director Jane Arnette wants to see public schools teach soft skills, such as how to interview for a job, work ethic and employee etiquette.
"Soft skills aren't being handed down from parents the way they used to be," Arnette said during a meeting Wednesday where educators, business people and government officials discussed the issue.
Arnette told the story of one local company that needed several newly hired workers to split weekend shifts. Of nine scheduled to work a weekend shift, three did not even show up.
"Are those three going to see any ramifications for not showing up?" Arnette said. "No, they're going to get a slap on the wrist because these companies can't find workers."
Others say schools may not be able to help.
Terrebonne Parish Council Chairwoman Beryl Amedee describes the problem as cultural, societal and out of the realm of public education.
"The problem we are discussing is the lack of soft skills, including the ability to simply pass a drug screening," Amedee said. "That is a societal problem. That problem has not been caused by our education system, but it has been exacerbated by our education system."
Locally nearly half of all failed drug tests are due to marijuana, according to Frank Bonvillain, manager at MMSI Services.
Bonvillain, who has been in the drug testing business for 17 years, said employers may be having difficulty due to the lack of overall availability of workers.
"Our unemployment is 4.9 percent, the lowest in the state," Bonvillain said. "Part of the problem is that many of those unemployed, who are looking for jobs, they may not have jobs because they failed drug tests."
Chris Naquin, a manager at Houma-based recruiting firm Hutco, agrees.
"A lot of them we are getting, we are having issues with them passing" drug tests, he said. "I had three of them pass this week out of maybe five or six."


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Frank Lampard will draw on past experience to see off the competition for his place in Chelsea's midfield.
The 34-year-old regained favour at Stamford Bridge last season when Roberto Di Matteo replaced Andre Villas-Boas as manager, but his position remains under threat. Chelsea are well stocked in midfield with Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel, Josh McEachran, Oriol Romeu, Ramires, Raul Meireles and Yossi Benayoun also present.
Lampard welcomes the competition, though, and insists he is ready to hit the ground running when the new term begins. He told the club's official website: "Every year it gets harder because every year we bring in players. But I remember being 25 and we brought in four or five midfielders one summer."
Copyright (c) PA Sport 2012, All Rights Reserved.
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As a Senior (2013): Drafted in the 39th round of the MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers ... had 35 career sacrifice hits, the most in school history ... went 2-for-5 in game one against Virginia (3/9) ... was 3-for-4 in a three-game series against Florida State (3/15-17) ... drove in two runs with his first double of the season against James Madison (3/19) ... had four hits in eight at-bats in two games at UNC (4/6-7) ... at George Mason (4/10), notched two hits and two RBI ... drove in two runs in a win over Miami (4/14) ... hit his second career home run and first of the season against Liberty (4/23) ... went 2-for-4 with a two-RBI double in a 7-2 win in game one at Clemson (5/4).
As a Junior (2012): Led the team with a .319 batting average overall and a .415 average in Atlantic Coast Conference games ... played in 46 games with 37 starts ... his .415 average in league games would have led the ACC but he was 10 plate appearances shy of qualifying ... an excellent defensive catcher, throwing out 16 of 31 runners attempting to steal ... committed just five errors in 294 chances, a .983 fielding percentage ... had a team-high eight sacrifice hits, ending the season with 24 in his career which is tied for fourth in school history ... went 1-for-2 with a RBI double against Navy (3/7) ... went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored against St. Peter's (3/14) ... hit an RBI single in his only at bat on March 17 against UNC ... went 2-for-3 and had an RBI against Boston College (3/31) ... finished the series against BC 3-for-6 ... had a two-run double while going 1-for-3 against Duke (4/14) ... went 9-for-12 in the Clemson series (4/20-21), recording three hits in the first game, a career-high four in the second and two in the finale ... went 1-for-3 with a run scored against Towson (4/24) ... had an RBI and a run scored while going 1-for-2 against Virginia Tech (4/28) ... scored a career-high two runs while going 3-for-3 with a double, RBI, walk and HBP against Virginia (5/17) ... went 3-for-4 with a run against Virginia (5/18) ... finished the UVA series 6-for-10 with four runs, a RBI, two HBPs and a walk.
As a Sophomore (2011): Played in 33 games with 23 starts and hit .247 (18-for-73) on the year ... drove in 11 runs, scored 11 and also had three sacrifice hits ... went 2-for-4 with a RBI against Navy (2/23) ... drove in two runs and went 2-for-5 against Army (2/25) ...had back-to-back two hit games against Canisius on 3/4 and 3/5, including two RBIs on 3/5 ... at Georgia Tech (3/13) went a perfect 3-for-3 with one double ... went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and one RBI against Boston College (3/19) ... against Virginia Tech (4/24) went 1-for-2 with a RBI double.
As a Redshirt Freshman (2010): Started 54 games on the year ... posted a .275 batting average, fourth-best on the team ... led the team with 13 sacrifice hits and eight HBPs ... had 20 RBI on the year, along with 47 hits ... had a .975 fielding percentage ... went 3-for-3 with two RBI in his first career game (at FIU 3/19) ... recorded at least one hit in 10 of his first 12 games ... went 2-for-5 with two RBI in a 10-0 win over Virginia Tech (3/12) ... reached base three times with two hits and a walk, while also scoring a run vs. VCU (3/30) ... recorded his second three-hit performance of the season vs. North Carolina (4/4) to go along with a run and a RBI ... 2-for-3 at the plate vs. West Virginia (4/7) ... went 3-for-5 vs. UMBC (4/14) ... went 2-for-4 at the plate vs. NC State (4/17) ... had a career-high four hits in four at-bats vs. NC State (4/18), including two doubles and two runs... went 2-for-4, scoring one run and driving in three against Wake Forest (5/22).
As a Freshman (2009): Redshirt season
At James River: Played two years for back-to-back Virginia AAA state champions, hitting over .400 both seasons for the Rapids ... team went 47-7 in two years ... honor roll student.
Personal: John Michael Cleary ... son of Michael and Christine Cleary ... has two brothers, Thomas and Brendan ... enjoys playing golf and ping pong ... chose Maryland for the baseball program ... also recruited by Virginia, UNC Asheville and Longwood ... enrolled in College of Letters and Sciences.


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We the taxpayers must have Gov. Corbett not just adjust this great pension package both the teachers and politicians receive from us the taxpayers but eliminate it. I was talking to a teacher who was bragging about her condo in Florida. She makes over $110,000 a year not counting her great health care package. People are being forced out of their homes because we are unable to pay our taxes. Why must we suffer so they can all live the great life?
I see in the paper where Montco requests bids for Schuylkill spillway bridge. How about the Keim Street bridge? When are they going to get together with Chester County and replace that? That's been out of commission for too long. It's about time. Stop spending money on other things when you've got stuff already in the pipeline that needs to be fixed.
For the people who have been mentioning Goodwill and ambulance bills, in the paper the other day it stated that annual memberships are available — $60 for individual and $120 for a family and that will guarantee you will never see thousand dollar bills. Goodwill is the best thing that ever happened to this town. They're great people and most of them are volunteers.
A Pottstown pastor and wife were helpful to a needy senior not of their church, but they ignored him when he wouldn't come to their church. Would Jesus have acted like this?
This is in reference to Vince Fumo who's in prison right now where a lot of these politicians should be. He supposedly might need bypass surgery. This guy's a millionaire and he's in prison for wrongdoings. I don't think the taxpayers should have to pay for it. If you break the law and go to prison and you have the money, you should pay for it yourself or reimburse us. The free ride's over.
Thanks to Hillary Clinton for her years of service. She did an excellent job.
Just heard on the news another killing of an innocent child by an assault weapon. When is Congress and the NRA going to wake up?
In reference to Tim Anspach of Spring-Ford School District's comment that he is comfortable with next year's budget, I am not comfortable with my taxes being raised. They need to look within the district to save money. Three years ago they picked on the custodians and the assistants in the district. Maybe this year they need to look at the high paid administrators and people in the maintenance department to save money.
I live across the street from the Franklin Elementary School in the North End. On Tuesday when frigid temperatures were forecast for the elderly and young children, I noticed around noon they were outside for recess. It was freezing out. On Wednesday I was happy because they weren't out for recess but it looks like they had a fire drill and half the children were out there with no coats on. Come on Franklin, you're better than that.
This goes out to the Midnight Rider. There is absolutely no comparison to an assault rifle that kills 20 innocent first graders and the choices we make to have abortions or drink alcohol. That is why we want these guns gone.
If you have any doubts what kind of secretary of state John Kerry will be, I ask you to read "Unfit for Command." This excellent read copyrighted in 2004 portrays John Kerry's naval record during and after the Vietnam War. Is this the type of person you want in charge of the state department?
I voted for Obama two times. I have a gun but I agree with his gun controls. Only the police need assault guns. I don't want a war here.
Has anyone else besides me noticed how people with no life keep sticking their nose in your business starting trouble? Why don't they worry about what goes on in their own home?
I see where certain schools are arming their security teams with assault rifles. I just wonder why they haven't thought about using taser guns or something less deadly just to take somebody down if somebody comes into the school instead of putting another weapon of destruction like that into a school setting.
Republicans are supposed to support American business and American enterprise. So what does Republican Gov. Corbett do? Turn over the Pennsylvania state lottery to a firm from Great Britain. Isn't that just a really nice thing? I give up.
I recently read the government is changing the name of Social Security check to "Federal Benefit Payment." Watch your politicians closely now. When a government body starts to change the names of programs, it means they have designs on it. Remember, benefits can be taken away.


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University News
Supply Chain Management at WIU-QC March 5
March 1, 2013
MOLINE - Western Illinois University's Department of Management and Marketing will host Supply Chain Management Day in the Quad Cities Tuesday, March 5, as a networking opportunity for supply chain students.
The programming, in partnership with Black Hawk College and Eastern Iowa Community College, will be held at the WIU-Quad Cities Riverfront Campus in Moline, IL.
Corporate partners can meet with students from WIU and the community colleges, as well as present about career and internship opportunities. Companies attending the event include ADM, the Rock Island Arsenal, Trinity Logistics, ULINE, Cobham Mission Systems, Group O, the HON Company and Colony Brands Inc. The local chapter of the Institute for Supply Management, NAPM-QC, will also be present.
Supply Chain Management Day in the Quad Cities begins at noon with lunch for corporate and educational institution participants. A discussion and presentation of supply chain management and logistics education programming in the Quad Cities region will be held in rooms 103 and 104. The event runs from 1 to 4:30 p.m. in rooms 103 and 104 and in the Al and Elaine Goldfarb Grand Atrium.
Dinner with company representatives, students and faculty and staff, followed by NAPM-QC sponsored speaker, Maxine Brand, begins at 5:15 p.m. at the Stoney Creek Inn, Moline.
Undergraduate supply chain management majors and minors, pre-business majors and MBA students and community college logistics degree students interested in related careers are invited to attend.
There is no cost to attend the event, but registration is required by contacting Audrey Adamson, WIU-QC Career Services at email@example.com.
Posted By: WIU News (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Office of University Relations


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A decadent tea bread speckled with tart cranberries, crystallized ginger, and white chocolate chips.
If that's not enough to thoroughly entice you then maybe the rich cream cheese frosting slathered generously over top will.
When you bake fresh cranberries most of their overwhelming tartness is subdued leaving a sweet berry behind.
The same goes for the zingy candied ginger too, the sharpness mellows out allowing a wonderful sweet and subtly spicy flavor to shine through.
If any intense flavors do remain they are tempered by the sweetness of white chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting creating a perfect balance of deliciousness, all working together in perfect harmony.
Tempting and irresistible.
If you happen to have a rare bag of cranberries left from the holidays or kicking around in your freezer this is a worthy way of using them!
If not, you can substitute chopped dried cranberries, although you probably want to cut down on the amount a bit. Blueberries would also be good.
- ¼ cup canola oil, plus more for pan
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup sour cream or plain low-fat yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
- ¼ cup crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a standard loaf pan. On a baking sheet with side spread the oats out and toast about 10 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool and then pulse them in a food processor until finely ground. Add the oats to a large mixing bowl along with flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir together.
- In a separate bowl whisk sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla together until just combined. In the center of the dry ingredients make a well and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix by hand until just combined. Stir in cranberries, ginger and chocolate chips.
- Add the batter to the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center. If the bread is browning too quickly place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over top. Remove pan to wire rack to cool 15 minutes then turn out and continue cooling on wire rack before frosting.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat together the butter and cream cheese. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Continue beating on low speed 3-4 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Frost cake and sprinkle a handful of chopped dried cranberries over top if desired. Store cake in refrigerator.
©Copyright Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice by Reeni Pisano All Rights Reserved


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|2012-10-17, 22:09
|Link #81
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 60
Since the settings are high school, these often portray a guy/gal in their first romance. They are simply going to make a lot of mistakes and slack should be cut
Now, if they're 30-something and still dense as mud - then its much easier to throw tomatoes. However, in Spice&Wolf (a 30-something example) - we see the guy make mistakes but he's much more savvy in handling them.
In high school, I just started walking with this one girl after math class to our next class. I was paralyzed with actually trying to ask her out. She ended up asking me out ("I need an escort to my club dinner, want to go?"). After that, it got easier.
|2012-10-18, 00:17
|Link #82
( ಠ_ಠ)
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep
It's orignated from the appeal of galge (including eroge) carried over to the animation medium.
"wish fulfillment" and "self injection (or self representation)".
Whereas, majority of such manga before that era focused on either the glamour or purely the comedic side of it.
Last edited by aohige; 2012-10-18 at 01:59.
|2012-10-18, 02:11
|Link #85
( ಠ_ಠ)
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep
But there are few that manages to be successful while deviating from those typecast.
Hakuoro from Utawarerumono, and Captain Ohgami from Sakura Taisen franchise comes to mind.
They both share a similar trait of being goofy, and allowing himself to be in a tug-of-war amongst many heroines.
But the difference from typical submissive reactionary harem protagonist was the fact that they were mature.
Within reason, they allow girls to push them around, due to their mature, high tolerence.
But they know when to set foot down when appropriate, with a commanding presense of a leader and a firm conviction.
Unfortunately children protagonists are just that, children.
They don't have the developed maturity of grown men like these two.
I find these guys very awesome and ideal harem heroes for my taste though.
I guess personally being able to relate to age-wise does play a large role.
Aaaand totally 180 turn from those, I also like the complete utter magnificient bastards like Dark Schneider and Rance, because well you know, they just don't give a f***.
|2012-10-18, 03:59
|Link #86
Pretentious moe scholar
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Age: 31
I'm a 25 year old currently working on a fairly prestigeous degree (already have my undergrade), so I don't really "self insert" and to be honest I don't think I ever did in the first place.
However, I do remember what it's like not being the cool guy and feel a certain kinship with younger guys in that position.
That said, I'm kind of picky about who I like. Renji from EF: A Tale of Memories (not a harem show, but targetted to a similar audience) is my personal favourite example of the - his whole shy bookworm shota thing is really endearing. My support is not only demanded but given freely!
Shingo from Mashiro-Iro symphony is another favourite - I liked his diplomatic ideals, which I connected to in the way I can't really connect with extremely masculine protagonists despite considering some of them a riot to watch.
In contrast... well, Sumeragi mentions Amagami. Junichi definitely was not a favourite, as much as the show did a decent job detailing how he won over the girls he still came across to me as far, far from the best there is among quiet, seldom noticed guys. Plus, I found him too moppy.
|2012-10-18, 04:19
|Link #87
Senior Member
Frankly, that invalidates your argument here, imo.
Most people don't like being treated like doormats, so why would we want to identify with a guy that's being treated that way?
|2012-10-18, 04:29
|Link #88
reading #hikaributts
Join Date: Feb 2009
As for SAO selling well, i don't think it's by definition a harem serie. Otherwise you can even call Fate / stay night and Accel World a harem serie.
Personally I think it's popular because of it's own settings and how it's portrayed, not primarily because of the "harem elements"
Of course you don't have to be an alpha male to like something, but you can easier relate with someone if they resemble you more.
You won't likely see situations that you find in harem series happen every day in real life. So i don't think using the "realism" argument would work here.
Last edited by hyl; 2012-10-18 at 04:57. Reason: typo
|2012-10-18, 05:02
|Link #89
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 35
I was going to say this earlier, but it may be worth thinking of three separate sorts of shows that could all loosely fall under the "harem anime" banner:
1. There are shounen romantic comedy "harem anime" that are basically about "one average guy + lots of attractive females = fanservice!".
2. There are shounen action series with a strong harem element, that sort of split their focus between the hero getting stronger, and the many girls that surround him.
3. There are shounen/seinen romantic comedies/dramas based on visual novels where the harem element is partly a necessity caused by converting a branching story into a linear narrative. (In the original game, it may really be 4+ separate love stories that branch from the same starting point.)
The first type is most likely to have a "weaker" male lead, because that's a key element of the comedy and hijinks.
The second type is most likely to have a male lead that's physically strong (or has some special abilities) because that's necessary for the action plot.
The third type is more of a wildcard, and could fall at any end of the spectrum depending on the tone of the original work and the way it gets adapted into anime.
People who have a strong dislike of the "weak" and "uninteresting" male leads would probably be advised to avoid the first type of show, and instead focus more on the second. Thankfully for them, there are a number of light novels that fall in the mould of the second type, and many of these have been adapted recently.
|2012-10-18, 05:26
|Link #90
Criminal Unrequitor
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Jul 2010
It's not just in anime that we have this. . . i mean this is a usual literary tactic/cliche. The normal boy is supposedly there for the reader to relate and envision himself (same vice versa) in that position. I personally think that such technique should be abandoned already (well of course unless the "normal boy/girl" archetype fits the story) since it really degrades the essence of a main character.
|2012-10-18, 05:50
|Link #91
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: InterWebs
Think the old Tokimeki Memorial game for why the "bland male character" kept persisting in vn-type stories. In there, the main character exists in name only (and even that is changeable). Everything he is depends on what you choose for him. At the very least, I think this is where the "bland main character" were rooted at.
|2012-10-18, 05:54
|Link #92
Senior Member
You, my friend, were the person to put the emphasis on Japanese otakus. Fair enough. And Japanese otakus apparently have no problem in supporting harem anime (or action-adventure anime with strong harem elements) that have an alpha male lead. The proof is in Sword Art Online.
Now, that doesn't mean that Japanese otakus totally reject the doormat harem anime male leads either. But it does mean that having an alpha male as your harem anime male lead is not necessarily commercial suicide.
In other words, arguing in favor of doormat male leads purely on the basis of economics is a very flimsy argument.
If an alpha male lead can sell just as well as a doormat male lead, then choosing one or the other (or somebody between the two) should rest on something other than economic considerations.
|2012-10-18, 06:19
|Link #93
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: InterWebs
For example, as a man, I admire Kamina's bravery so much, but I can't really identify with how he stupidly charge blindly into everything.
|2012-10-18, 06:29
|Link #94
Senior Member
But one thing I want to point out here is that you can do an "average guy" without him having to be an outright doormat. A good example of this is, imo, Yuichi from Kanon (Kanon 2006 sold very well, by the way).
Yuichi wasn't a kickass action hero, really, but he did have a certain style and finesse to him and his interactions with the girls/women in his life. I think he was close enough to your "average guy" for viewers to identify with him, but he was also "above average" enough so that it was easy for me to accept him attracting all these girls to him.
I do find that my appreciation for a harem anime (or a series with strong harem elements) goes up considerably when I feel that the question of "Why is this guy attracting so many girls to him?" has a good answer to it. The answer doesn't have to be "alpha male", but if it's "doormat", then that's not a very good answer imo.
|2012-10-18, 08:02
|Link #97
reading #hikaributts
Join Date: Feb 2009
Plus the "doormat harem lead" is pretty common in LN's and VN's. So you actually have to blame those media instead of the anime who is merely adapting them.
That's why their later works did not have any eroge elements in them.
|2012-10-18, 08:34
|Link #98
Speaking about tsundere, i dont' like tsundere girls. More accurately, i hate them. They always treat people around them in crappy ways. People keep saying that tsundere are cute and adorable, but that's totally wrong. If anything, they're cruel and inhumane. They're not treating other people in crappy ways because of trauma nor mental illness but merely because of their own trashy personalities. Tsundere is the worst, and violent tsundere should just spend the rest of their life alone.
|2012-10-18, 08:42
|Link #99
reading #hikaributts
Join Date: Feb 2009
I have no idea what your actual defintion of tsundere is, but mine is much broader than the violent ones who ended up loving the main character.
My short definition is that they are people who are initially not honest to their own feelings and later up ending warming up. They have a tsun side now that will change to dere dere later. (also i joked on the last page with a screenshot of IroSeka when Kyou said that the golden ratio of tsunderes are 90% tsun and 10% dere )
They don't have to be the violent and i have seen many of them who don't resort to any kind of physical violence (like Mio from Irotoridori no sekai, who was also seen on the screenshot on the last page).
Also the charms of a tsundere lies in the fact it's a form of "gap moe" (eventhough it's milder than kuuderes and yanderes)
|2012-10-18, 08:56
|Link #100
Disabled By Request
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Nintensalem
For some reason I don't know how this 'silly' thread become so popular. First let's answer the OP's question:
Why does most harem anime tend to have uninteresting male leads?
The answer: Because that's how the market wants!
Let's see its shoujo counterpart. It just as silly as shounen ones like a plain-looking, unpopular girl who had few or no friends at all, never in relationship before ends up with some bishies. However only one of them is her 'true love', the one she ends up with in the end.
I also smelled some double-standard here. I see most shoujo romance shows also have boring, uninteresting "heroine" and yet they sells. Because market wants to!!
Back shounen and its evolutionary cousin seinen, some of the male harem leads have evolved. We already have some horndogs like *ahem* Makoto(School Days), that guy from High School D x D(Don't know his name and don't care about it either) and perhaps Haruka from Yosuga no Sora. In comparison to some earlier harem leads like Keitaro(Love Hina), its many steps ahead.
|Thread Tools


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Just when it looked like the door was closing on Bill Smith's service representing Homer on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, passage of Ordinance 2011-24 may make another three-year term possible.
An initiative passed by borough voters in 2009 limited the amount of time an assembly member could serve to two consecutive terms, with any portion of a term considered a term. Smith served the third and final year of Deb Germano's three-year term representing Homer after Germano resigned from the assembly in 2007. Smith was re-elected for a full, three-year term in 2008. Under current code, Smith would be limited out at the completion of his term this year.
However, the Aug. 2 passage of Ordinance 2011-24 on an eight-to-one vote - only Brent Johnson of Kasilof opposed the action - redefined "term" to include a full, rather than a portion of a three-year term of office for an assembly member. The ordinance takes effect Oct. 14 or upon preclearance by the U.S. Department of Justice, whichever occurs last.
The Oct. 14 date complies with state statute that "we cannot change the effect of an ordinance adopted by initiative within two years of its effective date," said KPB attorney Colette Thompson. "The voters approved the term limits initiative in the October election of 2009. That was certified Oct. 13 of 2009."
Laws that change any voting qualifications or prerequisites to voting must be precleared by the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., according to Section 5 of the Voting Records Act.
"If they do not submit an objection within 60 days, then its considered legitimate to proceed as though there was no objection," said Thompson.
The results of the Oct. 4 municipal election will be certified by the assembly at its Oct. 11 meeting. Should Smith decide to run for re-election and win voters' approval, he could not be sworn in before Oct. 14 or upon the preclearance of Justice, whichever comes later, according to the ordinance.
Homer would not be without representation in the interim, said Thompson, because "the term of office of assembly members basically continues until the successor qualifies."
In other words, Smith, if re-elected, would continue to serve until he could be sworn in.
McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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I've started using Potion of Concentration on some of the more difficult fights more out of necessity than anything else. That additional ~10000 compared to the standard issue mana potions offer a sizeable advantage. The catch is that you need to find a time during the encounter where you can spare the time. Although you can interrupt it anytime, don't do it. Maximize the gain. There were times where I've cheated and took a tick or two of needless damage to squeeze out as much drops as I can out of these potions.
Heroic Magmaw? Any of the head phases.
Heroic Maloriakk? I use it during the first part of any Dark phase.
Nef? Once I'm on a pillar.
Cho'gall? Any part where there is no abomination (Or whatever its called) up.
I'm not sure if I can find a spot for it consistently on other bosses. I've only recently started using it. It's going to take a bit of trial and error until I find the perfect sweet spot on encounters like heroic Chimaeron, Atramedes, and Theraliona.
Also, ding guild level 25! It took us about 4 months but we did it!


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U.S. News
California: Health Department Promotes the New Female Condom for Valentines
February 11, 2011
Adapted from:
San Francisco's Department of Public Health is launching a citywide campaign to promote the new FC2 female condom that will target not only women, but also men who have sex with men. On Monday, staff at DPH's STD and HIV prevention sections will be at Civic Center Plaza to kick off the campaign. "The Teacher Bus," a mobile classroom, also will travel throughout the city that day to distribute FC2 condoms, mints, and chocolates. Ads promoting FC2 on city buses are planned. Public health officials say that in addition to protecting females from STDs and unplanned pregnancy, the FC2 condom can be used by gay men during anal sex.
San Francisco Chronicle
02.10.2011; Heather Knight
This article was provided by CDC National Prevention Information Network. It is a part of the publication CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update.
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Saturday, April 22, 2006
Chinese civil nuclear plans
Reuters had an interesting blurb on the subject datelined April 21, 2006. Chinese leaders view nuclear energy as a counter to increased reliance on hydrocarbon imports, not to mention the environmental pollution in Chinese urban areas. China intends to quadruple civil nuclear capacity by 2020. And yet, this would only provide 4% of Chinese energy needs. Opponents warn of challenges that include waste disposal and the steep cost of new generators.
China had opted to rely on a mix of American, Canadian, French and Russian civil nuclear technology designs. The objective was to keep China up to speed on the latest development in the technology realm in different countries. However, the nine nuclear reactors currently in operation barely contribute 2% of the nation's power today. This is a mere one-eight of the global average. The plan is to raise this to 4% over the next 15 years by building 30 new reactors. Many doubt whether this target could be met given the difficulty in constructing 2 major reactors each year. The reliance on fossil fuels is thus set to remain.
The Chinese are moreover pursuing designs that use less uranium as international uranium prices have tripled since 2004. The financial challenge ahead is daunting and China hopes to tap into the power utilities listed in its share market to help fund the nuclear expansion. This would be an interesting development to watch.
10 comments:
- cynical nerd said...
Jaffna: I might add that for the latest contract, China is most likely to choose the American Westinghouse's AP-1000 reactor over France's Areva EPR reactor. Apparently the reason was due to the high level of technology transfer which the Chinese asked - the French did'nt want to part away with their tech knowing that the Chinese might re-engineer the same pretty soon!
Thank you for posting this, Jaffna. There has not been any significant analysis of the Chinese agreement or how it compares with the Indian one in India's national media. In fact, the apalling apathy of the Indian media and the casual treatment it has received by intellectual lightweights has astounded me.
The contrast between India and China could not be clearer than this. China took its time, strategized, played hardball and out-negotiated the Americans. Basically, China used the lure of its markets - essentially exercising its rising economic power which continues to impress the Americans over a decade - to end its post-Tianamen international pariah status. China held the carrots and Americans gave up the sanctions stick. Compare this with India : Americans lured India with the false carrot of fake energy secutiry to create a sanctions stick! Shrewd Indian negotiation would have, instead, followed the same strategy as the Chinese. India should have held out the economic carrot - billions of purchasing power on Boeings, arms and nuke reactors - to force entry into the NPT as a full-fledged NWS without any obligations towards IAEA or US Congress thugs. In fact, India had two more levers than the Chinese : the threat of a rising trade with China - China is now the second largest trading partner of India - which could've been used to threaten the Americans, and the huge PR value (for Americans) of getting in bed with a stable democracy that has a large moderate Muslim population.
The proof of poor negotiations is in the results. China : negotaites from 1985 to 1998, and comes out ahead inspite of starting from a weak position of post-Tianamen pariah status and being an evil, oppressive, Communist state. India, on the other hand, gives away the farm inspite of being the subject of a global infatuation at the moment and having everythingn going for it.
The mind just boggles at the stupidity of the whole thing. How can we get into this such a losing situation inspite of having committed more dollars to purchase Boeings and nuke reactors from the Americans than the Chinese!! How much more idiotic can this get?
The implications of this deal are far-reaching. For example, who'll take India's bid to become a permanent member of the UNSC seriously if it's a crippled, second-class, nuclear state? How can India ever negotiate anything favourably from the Chinese or the Pakis without possessing the threat of an overwhelming power to annihilate them with nukes? How credible is a Blue Water Navy without a nuclear submarine fleet against the Chinese force projection?
THe immediate problem is also in foreign policy : America is not exactly the best ally to get in bed with from an international perspective. How much will our opertaing freedom in foreign policy on issues such as accessing Iran's energy resources be curtailed by American influence? For context, China also happens to be largest importer of oil from Iran : they recently signed the world's largest energy deal ever worth about $80 nillion US wherein Iran committed to supply oil to Iran over the next few decades! Did you hear a peep out of the Americans against the Chinese for this deal? No. But India gets slapped around for buying gas or having relations with Iran.
God save us from this mess. Let's hope that US COngresscritters are even more stupid than Shyam Saran and his band of negotiating Indian clowns, and that they will be too dense to understand how good this deal is for the US inspite of Condi Rice trying to drill it into their heads. The delicious irony is exactly this : for once, if the nuclear ayatollahs in Wachington DC succeed in scuttling the deal, they may possibly do the greatest favour to India's interests.
- Jaffna said...
Cynical Nerd: Many Thanks for the info. Useful for future posts :-)
Anonymous: Brilliant and thoughtful insights. Thank you for sharing.
Let me refer you to an article published today (April 22, 2006) by Brahma Chellany in the Deccan Herald. Cynical Nerd had alerted me to the piece.
Best regards
Nuclear double standard: India is not equal to China.
Stagecraft & Statecraft By Brahma Chellaney
Two major decisions will come to haunt India in the years ahead. At a time when the future of the crisis-torn, US-led non-proliferation regime looks uncertain, New Delhi has lent full support to it, even though India will never be accepted as a legitimate nuclear power. India will remain a non-nuclear State as long as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty survives. Furthermore, India has agreed to a formal second-class status in this regime through still-sprouting arrangements under the nuclear deal with the United States. This is best exemplified by its concurrence to international inspections of a kind applicable only to non-nuclear States — perpetual, enveloping and irrevocable.
Having openly accepted an inferior status and pledged support to a regime that has targeted it since its inception, India has undercut its leverage and put itself on a weak wicket. This has important implications for the negotiations that have just begun with the US on a bilateral civil nuclear cooperation agreement and with the International Atomic Energy Agency on India-specific inspections (euphemistically called "safeguards").
Anyone seeking proof of how India is being taken blindly onto a slippery route need look no further than the Prime Minister's own admission in Parliament that because "a safeguards agreement is yet to be negotiated, it will be difficult to predict its content." As an international body operating on the basis of legal instruments, the IAEA will insist on enforcing invasive inspections and a stringent "Additional Protocol."
NPT's credibility today stands severely dented. Yet India has embraced the US fallacy that the NPT can be immutably preserved. More ominously, having railed for years against international discrimination in all its manifestations, including in the form of "nuclear apartheid" as represented by the NPT, India has now willingly accepted discrimination against itself.
Paradoxically, India has begun to sound more Catholic than the nuclear Pope — America — on non-proliferation just when the NPT's problems are becoming acute. The problems have been symbolised not only by the Iran and North Korea cases, but also by the stunning failure of the 2005 NPT review conference to produce any consensus and the non-reference to disarmament or non-proliferation in the final document of the World Summit last September. India should remember what Charles de Gaulle said: "Treaties are like roses and young girls. They last while they last." Some in the West are already calling for reflection on a new, equitable, transparent and truly universal NPT.
America's national-security strategy, however, is pivoted on upholding the NPT regime. Such is the centrality of non-proliferation in US policy that all the major US departments and agencies pursue this mission from different war fronts. America's policy and law will always treat India as a "holdout" to its venerated NPT.
A nuclear deal cannot alter that fundamental reality. Nor can New Delhi become a true beneficiary of a regime whose structures and mechanisms exclude and target India. Even if the deal takes effect, the overly rigorous US export-licensing policy on India is not going to be disbanded. Yet the difference between spin and reality is getting blurred in India. With gushy expectations having overwhelmed reasoned realism, obfuscation has come handy to authorities to mould public perceptions, as negotiations on various fronts compel India to cede more and more ground. The net effect is that despite a zealous public-relations campaign, India is looking less of a nuclear power and more of a non-nuclear State.
The government is now seeking to lock the stable doors after the nuclear horses have bolted. It has widely advertised its reluctance "in preliminary discussions" to accept a unilateral test-ban obligation in the proposed bilateral civil nuclear cooperation agreement — a copy of which was prepared by the US and dutifully accepted by India as the basis of negotiations. In publicising such reluctance, however, New Delhi has made no reference to the fact that Section 1(d) of America's deal-related waiver bill holds India to a perpetual test ban.
Indeed, the Indian foreign secretary has publicly rationalised Washington's use of a waiver bill to enforce seven separate good-conduct conditions on India. Not a single such provision exists in the legislation that brought a comparable US-China nuclear deal into force. Yet the foreign secretary has justified the treatment of New Delhi as less than Beijing's equal on the ground that "China is a nuclear-weapons State" and India is not.
First, this claim is astonishing because the July 18, 2005, nuclear deal is premised on India acquiring "the same benefits and advantages as other leading countries with advanced nuclear technology, such as the United States." Now the foreign secretary is suggesting that the deal's central plank is just a charade, or that New Delhi is discovering the hard way the wide gap between what America promises and what it sets out to do.
Two, the claim misconstrues the legal basis of the US-China accord. China was not even an NPT signatory when the US Congress in 1985 passed legislation to permit full nuclear cooperation with Beijing. A nuclear-weapons State under the NPT is a country that has conducted a nuclear test before 1967 and acceded to the treaty. In 1985, China was merely a de facto nuclear-weapons State, as India is today. It joined the NPT only in 1992. In 1985, it had refused to lend even outside support to the non-proliferation regime. As the top US arms-control official, Kenneth Adelman, attested at that time, China was "a cause for concern" because it had spurned "non-proliferation norms."
Three, the assertion also debunks another premise of the deal — that actual behaviour, not formal membership or hollow commitments, should determine a country's position in the non-proliferation community. New Delhi is now learning that US rhetoric does not translate into reality and that India's spotless non-proliferation record counts for little in securing tangible benefits.
Four, the foreign secretary blithely announced last July that under the deal, India was assuming the same rights and duties as the other nuclear-weapons States, "no more, no less." Now he has become wiser, having discovered "US law" that blocks such no-more-no-less business. For example, he has found "a law in the books of the US for many years" that, according to him, accounts for America's move to rope India into a perpetual test ban through waiver legislation.
What he has left unsaid is that such US law only applies to a non-nuclear State, a status India is assuming willy-nilly. And that there is not one US law but several that could make things uncomfortable for India.
In fact, there are multiple US laws relating just to one issue — a non-nuclear State acquiring or exploding a nuclear device. They include the 1994 Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act (which defined for the first time in US law the term "nuclear explosive device"); the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act as amended by the 1978 Arms Export Control Act; the 1978 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act; the 1954 Atomic Energy Act; and the 1945 Export-Import Bank Act. Most of these laws also cover any violation of an accord.
If the deal takes effect, the US President will have to submit an annual report to Congress on India's nuclear-weapons programme under Section 601 of the NNPA. That will put the spotlight on Indian strategic plans, and every technological advance India makes, such as an Agni test, will draw congressional flak. Despite the administration's move to waive Section 128 of the AEA, Congress could still retain oversight to review nuclear exports to India on an annual basis. Reviving memories of the ugly public hearings in the Seventies on fuel shipments for Tarapur, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission will consider every application to licence an export to India. Such hearings will see the high priests of non-proliferation in full cry.
Even in the best-case scenario, the Indian dream will sour. But by then the Indian dream merchants would have departed from the scene, bequeathing the mess to successors to clean up. To the US, upholding the sanctity of the NPT regime matters more than ensuring that strategic-partner India is treated not less favourably than China. It signed the nuclear deal with China to entice Beijing to join the regime.
The agreement — America's first civil nuclear cooperation agreement with a communist-ruled State — was speedily approved by US Congress despite official testimony that China was covertly assisting Pakistan's nuclear programme, with Chinese technicians still at work at Kahuta. The deal took effect only in 1998, after a sanction imposed in response to China's brutal Tiananmen Square crackdown was waived. President Bill Clinton, in his certification, said the accord's implementation had been delayed for almost 13 years "because of continuing questions about contacts between Chinese entities and elements associated with the Pakistani nuclear-weapons programme."
Now fast-forward to the heady talk in recent months that the US offered the kind of deal it has signed with New Delhi because of India's impeccable record. India has transferred its nuclear technology to no one, yet the US is not willing to grant it any of the favours it accorded China in the 1985 accord — a lax, elastic and unverifiable framework of cooperation.
While that accord specifically excluded the application of IAEA inspections to US exports to China, with Article 8(2) stipulating that safeguards "are not required," the US has imposed on India everlasting inspections that are to extend to more than two dozen indigenous facilities, including power reactors, heavy-water plants, fuel installations and premier research institutions. It has also forced India to agree to what an opaque China will never do — a watertight civil-military segregation of its nuclear programme.
If India is willing to honour the NPT's central provision, despite the treaty's intrinsic inequity, and also vote against Iran at Washington's bidding, why would the US seek to propitiate a country that makes a virtue out of staying on the "right track"? When India is willing to uphold all the norms of a regime that sneeringly regards it as a non-nuclear State, how can anyone realistically expect the US to accommodate New Delhi as a nuclear-weapons State?
When the foreign secretary publicly boasts of New Delhi having assumed "NPT-plus" obligations, is it any surprise that the US insists on India bearing with the burden of its gratuitous responsibilities without securing the real benefits it dreams of? In fact, the Indian attitude only encourages the US to hold India to standards holier than those it accepts.
This is manifest from the unique civil-military separation plan it has inflicted on India, even as it merrily produces tritium for its nuclear weapons in commercial reactors of the Tennessee Valley Authority. It is also evident from its waiver bill holding India to CTBT-plus obligations.
The US is now negotiating a new bilateral civil nuclear agreement with India even before the issues left over by the earlier pact signed in 1963 have been resolved. India faces major safety and environmental concerns over the accumulating spent fuel at Tarapur, with the US refusing to either take back the discharged fuel or allow India to reprocess it under international safeguards.
Imagine a very different situation where India has not extended one-sided support to the NPT regime, and is actually asserting its lawful rights. Instead of planning to squander billions of dollars to import uneconomical power reactors, it has set aside just $1 billion for a crash programme to build an intercontinental ballistic missile. And instead of staying in the "grovelling plus" category, it has quietly begun helping Taiwan to defend itself from China through a nuclear-deterrent shield. In strategic terms, Taiwan is to India what Pakistan is to China. In such a scenario, the Americans would come running to offer New Delhi a deal on India's terms.
The present deal is on US terms and has been designed to ensnare India in a web of capability restraints in order to inhibit its emergence as a full-fledged nuclear power. By pandering to India's weakness — craving for international recognition — the deal is helping to achieve what the decades-old US technology controls could not do.
they recently signed the world's largest energy deal ever worth about $80 nillion US wherein Iran committed to supply oil to Iran over the next few decades
Sorry, that shold read "they recently signed the world's largest enery deal ever worth $80 Billion wherein Iran committed to supply oil and gas to China over the next few decades."
Here's the China deal:
This article valued the deal at $70 Billion, but since then the oil and gas prices have skyrocketed so I think that deal may be worth anywhere near $100 Billion today.
You know why India went for such a bad deal? Indians do not understand the American psyche at a very fundamental level. Let me paraphrase Larry Ellison who is once reported to have said that not only must he win everytime, his opponent must lose. See this, for example:
America, in general, is just as obsessed with winning every time - and more importantly - trying to ensure that the other side loses. Everything the US does is driven by this singular desire, including flattering India about building it as a democratice counterweight to China. If you ever deal with America, or indeed any American in any context without this fundamental understanding of their nature, you are bound to make just as many costly mistakes as the Indian negotiators did. You can trust a venomous rattlesnake a lot more than the smiling and complimenting American in his suit sitting across the table working a deal with you. Not that they are personally evil : he may be the nicest guy in the evening when you share a drink, but business is business and regardless of the personal relationship with you, he will drive to maximize his gain at the bargaining table.
Thank-you for allowing me to express my opinion-
as one who lives in biggest concentration of PCBs in the world because of Westinghouse (WEC), largely from dumping reject capacitors, I learned about all the manufacturing boo-boos of this company-including the escalator that ate the woman, and defrauding the Filipino people with Marcos, WEC wanted to use experimental technology here to remedy only 6 of perhaps as many as 2000 sites, not even including their contaminated plant property. And they wanted to charge us taxpayers the tipping fees for this incinerator, which would have made us the only Superfund community PAYING the polluter to clean up their mess. Then, of course, I remember helping stop WEC from "cleaning" up Love Canal, because they said we couldn't use Plasma Torch here for their PCB sites because these sites were in soil, and the torch was only for liquid hazardous waste. Funny thing- Love Canal is in soil, too, so I told Lois Gibbs this, and no more WEC cleaning Love Canal. Then, in order to convince another community to let them build and operate an incinerator for them- they told them we just loved our incinerator In Bloomington, Indiana... But it had never been built- which an audience member knew and blurted out. They also pulled out of state nuclear waste dump construction bidding in Illinois because they refused to accept liability.
My point is- I don't trust WEC for anything, and most certainly not with anything nuclear. And, of course, it seems wrong for WEC to share any info with China, especially while Bush is concerned over their military buildup. Bush has no leverage at with China because we now owe them a scary amount of money. Just for the record, I'm opposed to nuclear deals with India, too, and any else for that matter. A Lakota creation story tells that when Creator was making the races, eac was given a responsibility. The White People were given the responsibility of FIRE. Instead of respecting Fire and honoring it for keeping us warm and cooking our food, they disrepected Fire and dishonored Fire by turning it into nukes.... and besides- there is still no solution for equipment/human error or to properly deal with the waste-whic is piling up as fast as unremedied Superfund sites across the USA.
Again- thank-you for allowing me to express my opinion.
thanks, Sneaker180 - the Lakota story was interesting and all the other information on corporate america - the likes of Westinghouse and Halliburton.
isn't Toshiba in talks of buying Westinghouse? It might be interesting to see if the deal goes through. A Japanese company then supplying nuclear reactors/technology to China - fat chance.
A nice post on chinese nuclear energy plans deteriorated into a comparison with the india US deal. The two are entirely separate.
- Jaffna said...
Anonymous - 5
You are indeed correct that the post itself was a simple narrative of Chinese plans in the field of nuclear energy and that the discussion in the comments thread had moved to the inevitable comparison with the proposed United States-India nuclear deal.
However, the subtext of my post was a bit more devious :-). I had intended as a layperson to question what the entire fuss was about civil nuclear energy when its immediate returns in terms of energy supply were not that apparent. The objective then was to raise issue with the speed at which the proposed United States-India nuclear deal is being concluded.
So the post and the discussion on the comments thread were not unrelated after all.
Best regards
Blog Archive
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Clyde Allbright, 83
Claude Wayne Allbright, 83, of Lexington, died Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013,at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Claude was born June 28, 1930, near Anselmo, in the Keota Community, to Alpha Morgan and Violet May (Deal) Allbright. Keota is where Claude attended school for eight years. In 1943, the family moved to a place east of Broken Bow. Claude finished the 8th grade there at the Dutchman Valley School. Claude joined the U.S. Navy in October 1947. He received his training at R/SUSNS, San Diego, Calif. After a brief leave at home he was sent to Guam where he participated in the following action with the United Nations Forces in the Korean area from July 1950 to December 1950. He participated in shore bombardments on the East Coast of Korea, in providing anti-submarine protection for cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers; in rescuing a downed Navy Pilot, in delivering ammunition and gasoline to United Nations ground forces in Korea. He received his discharge Oct. 24, 1951. May 23, 1953, he married Audrey Jean Holcomb at the First Presbyterian Church in Broken Bow. They began their married life farming in the Broken Bow area. In 1958, they moved to Kearney, Claude began a new career in carpentry and cement finishing up to his retirement in 1992. The family had located to Lexington in 1968, where he lived until his death. In April 1999, the Nebraska Department of Education announced a joint project with the Nebraska Department of Veteran affairs. This project was called Operation Recognition. The objective of Operation Recognition was to present a high school diploma to honorably discharged WW II veterans, who for whatever personal reasons, did not return to school following the war and complete their education. November 12, 2001, Broken Bow Public Schools recognized Claude Allbright as a recipient of a Broken Bow High School Diploma. Claude enjoyed hunting, fishing and being outdoors, camping and spending time with family. Survivors include his wife, Audrey of Lexington; two sons, Robert Allbright and Richard (Tammy) Allbright, both of Cozad; three daughters, twins - Bonnie Allbright of Omaha, and Barbara Allbright of Kearney, and Cindy (Dan) Bussiere of Marquette, Mich.; one sister, Dona (Norman) Daharsh of Eugene, Ore.; 11 grandchildren; Eric, Douglas, Matt, Nathan, Christopher, Robert, Jr., Karen, Callie, Emily, Andrea and David; one great-grandson, Aiden. Claude was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Marcella and Mary Katherine, and one brother, Charles. Funeral services will be Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013, 10 a.m. at Reynolds-Love Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Caroline Vickery officiating. Burial with Military Honors will be at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Broken Bow Cemetery at Broken Bow. Memorials are suggested to The Wounded Warrior Project: P.O Box 758517 Topeka, KS, 66675. Reynolds-Love Funeral Home in Lexington is in charge of arrangements. Please forward online condolences to the family through: reynoldslovefuneralhome.com Published in Custer County Chief, Aug. 29, 2013


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- Lotus news
Boullier confirms Maldonado talks
Eric Boullier admits Lotus is in negotiations with Pastor Maldonado about a potential seat at the team in 2014.
The decision about who will replace Kimi Raikkonen next year has yet to be made, with Boullier expecting to be able to retain Romain Grosjean for a third season. Asked by Sky Sports News if the team had spoken to Maldonado about the drive, Boullier confirmed he is a candidate.
"We had discussions with him, yes, it's true," Boullier said. "They are still going on."
However, speaking to the official Formula One website, Boullier said Nico Hulkenberg is his preferred choice.
Asked who is the next best thing to Raikkonen, Boullier replied: "Nico Hulkenberg ... I would love to [sign him]. This is the recommendation that I gave to my board."


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Dutch wrestlers receive two top seeds for AAA tourney
The St. Marys Area Flying Dutch wrestlers received two top seeds for Saturday's District 9 Class AAA individual tournament being held at Clarion University's Waldo Tippin Gymnasium.Receiving the top seeds were Joe McLaughlin at 189 pounds and Kevin Hoy at 285 pounds.Those receiving second seeds were Evan Smith at 119 pounds and Jimmy Antonelli 215 pounds.Two St. Marys wrestlers received third seeds. They were Alex Coudriet at 125 pounds and Sam Miller at 140 pounds.Receiving fourth seeds were Bill Gabor at 130 pounds, Allan Gursky at 145 pounds and Michael Brennen at 160 pounds.Four Dutch wrestlers received fifth seeds. They were Trenton Bowers at 112 pounds, Darren Lyon at 135 pounds, Alex Feldbauer at 152 pounds and Alex Geitner at 171 pounds.At 112 pounds, Bowers, a senior with a 17-12 record, will meet Joel Bowers, the fourth seed from Punxsutawney, a freshman with a 16-13 record, in the quarterfinals.At 119 pounds, Smith, a junior with a 20-7 record, will meet third seed Luke McMurtrie of Bradford, a junior with a 19-9 record, in the semifinals.At 125 pounds, Coudriet, a sophomore with a 17-13 record, will meet second seed Matt Busatto of DuBois, a senior with an 11-16 record, in the semifinals.At 130 pounds, Gabor, a freshman with a 4-15 record, will meet fifth seed Dylan Zimmerman of DuBois, a sophomore with a 1-9 record, in the quarterfinals.At 135 pounds, Lyons, a senior with a 4-7 record, will meet fourth seed Troy Danver of Clearfield, a senior with a 13-16 record, in the quarterfinals.At 140 pounds, Miller, a junior with a 12-6 record, will meet second seed Andrew Hill of Clearfield, a senior with a 15-12 record, in the semifinals.At 145 pounds, Gursky, a sophomore with an 18-12 record, will meet fifth seed Josh Corignani of Bradford, a sophomore with a 6-18 record, in the quarterfinals.At 152 pounds, Feldbauer, a freshman with a 5-11 record, will meet Cody Lansberry of Clearfield, a junior with a 9-10 record, in the quarterfinals.At 160 pounds, Brennen, a senior with a 14-13 record, will meet fifth seed Cody Hepfer of Clearfield, a junior with a 3-1 record, in the quarterfinals.At 171 pounds, Geitner, a senior with a 4-11 record, will meet Rod Hilfirty of Bradford, a junior with a 6-13 mark, in the quarterfinals.At 189 pounds, McLaughlin, a sophomore with a 19-9 record, received a first-round bye to the semifinals.At 215 pounds, Antonelli, a senior with a 22-7 record, will meet third seed Tyler Titus of Punxsy, a junior with a 6-21 record, in the semifinals.At 285 pounds, Hoy, a senior with a 23-10 record, received a first-round bye to the semifinals.Class AA wrestling begins this Friday at Clarion University, with the preliminary round set for 3 p.m., followed by the quarterfinals and the first and second-round consolations.Class AAA wrestling begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with the quarterfinals. They will be followed at 10 a.m. by the Class AA semifinals and the third-round consolations. The Class AAA semifinals are scheduled for a noon start, with the AA and AAA semifinals to follow.The AA and AAA consolation finals are scheduled for a 5 p.m. start, with both the AA and AAA finals and parade of champions scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students per session. For the series, the cost is $15 for adults and $6 for students.The top three wrestlers in each weight class advance to their respective Northwest Regionals, scheduled for March 5 and 6. The Class AAA regional will be held at Altoona while the Class AA regional is set for Sharon High School.


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Intrade is a fascinating website for those who like to speculate. Specifically, Intrade is a prediction market that allows individuals to bet on the outcome of hundreds of real-world events. To make a prediction, users buy and sell shares on the outcome of real-world events defined as a Yes/No proposition, such as, will Barack Obama be re-elected in 2012?
Buying shares indicates you believe the event will happen, while selling (i.e., short selling) indicates you believe the event will not happen. If the event happens, each share is valued at $10.00. If the event does not happen, shares are valued at $0.00. Shares are bought or sold at a price between $0.00 and $10.00, depending on the probability of the event happening as determined by the market. Moreover, there are no transaction fees or commission charges on Intrade. Rather, users are charged a $4.99 monthly fee, which allows them to make an unlimited number of predictions. If there is no money in your account, the fee is not charged.
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In order to guarantee payment, Intrade freezes the maximum amount individuals can lose whenever they make a prediction. If you cannot cover your maximum potential loss, you cannot buy or sell the shares. Although users can buy and sell shares early (i.e., before the event occurs or expires), which means they will not experience the full gain or loss, they still must be able to cover the maximum loss when taking a position.
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