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Courtesy of @TheAHL.com
After playing the Rochester Americans and then the Rochester Americans (no, that's not a repeat), in back-to-back games, the Utica Comets couldn't wait any another day play a game.
Immediately after finishing their game last night the Comets jumped on a bus and drove the four and a half hours to Toronto to partake in their third contest in three days, as they took on the well-rested Marlies.
Read on past the jump for a recap of another 2-1 victory.
The Background
The Toronto Marlies (28-16-2-2) are the AHL Affiliate of the.. wait for it.. wait for it.. Toronto Maple Leafs. They're currently ranked 3rd in the AHL West and 22nd in AHL Puck Possession. This game marked the second time these two teams have played this year, with the Comets losing to the Marlies back on January 4th.
The Marlies were the much more rested team coming into this game having only played one game in the past week. During the AHL All-Star Break the Marlies played an exhibition game against Farjestad BK of the SHL, but wound up resting many of their key players. They also dressed the vampire and ex-Canuck, Mike Duco, in today's line-up. It's good to see that he's still kicking around somewhere.
Injuries continue to mount for the Comets as they are basically having as much luck on that front as their parent club these days. Now joining O'Reilly, Tommernes, and Andersson are both Lepine and Ferriero. They weren't a very deep to begin with, but they've somehow managed to keep trucking along.
Starting the game between the pipes was Cannata, who most recently made 6 of 8 stops in a relief effort on Friday night. In his last 4 appearances he has stopped 102 of 108 shots, good for a .944 save percentage. That's a big step up from the rest of his season, as he appears to be turning a corner.
Here's a period by period breakdown of how the game went down:
The Rundown
Most of the game can be summed up with the following all-encompassing line: "the Comets are on the penalty kill again". You'll notice that it's a recurring theme in the paragraphs to come.
The first period was fairly even in terms of puck possession with a few chances being traded back and forth. There was a lot of neutral zone play, with some physical stuff mixed in. Archibald had a monster hit on Dylan Yeo, which most certainly isn't his first big hit on the year.
After a Mike Duco penalty put the Comets on the power play, Jeremy Welsh smacked the puck right out of mid-air (but just below the cross bar) and into the put. That put Utica up 1-0 to end the opening frame, with the shot count going to the Marlies by a close 11-10 margin.
In the second period it seemed like every other two minutes the Comets were back on the penalty kill. Many of the calls were fairly loose and quite boderline, with some questionable calls coming off of what appeared to be legitimate hockey plays. In total, two minutes were given to: Corrado (Holding), Pelletier (Slashing), Marshall (Tripping) and Sauve (interference). Magically the 7th ranked power play of the Marlies was only able to score on one of their attempts.
There were a couple of moments where individual Comets were hit fairly hard and there was concern if they were going to be okay. Mullen was shook up pretty bad; for the Comets to lose another defenseman at this point would've been bad news bears. Jensen got hit into the boards with his face hitting the glass and he was taken to the dressing room for examination.. but returned in the third.
Hopefully these guys are okay and no surprise injuries arise on the way back home. The Comets could go a few days without having to hand out another PTO.
Anyways, the score was tied at 1 after 40 minutes, with Toronto holding a narrow 22-20 shots on goal advantage. As I mentioned above, they did well to get out of this with only the one goal against.
The penalty onslaught unfortunately continued early in the 3rd, with the Comets quickly going a man down. Three more penalties were given to the Comets (a total of 9 in the game), but they managed to once again hold the fort and avoid giving up anything to a potent Marlies PP unit.
With the game drawing closer and closer to the end, it was clear that both teams were trying to bring the game to OT where they would get at least the one "loser" point. The Marlies were trapping it up playing the 1-4-0 formation, preventing anything from getting past the neutral zone. With 34 seconds left and OT looking to be all but a guarantee, Pelletier redirected a Biega shot past the Marlies netminder to win the game for his team.
Just for poetic justice, in the final thirty seconds of play the Comets were down a man again as the Marlies had pulled their goalie to give Toronto a 6 on 5 attack. Joe Cannata stood tall, continuing his strong string of appearances.
The Conclusion
The Comets goals were scored by Welsh and Pelletier. The assists were given to Stuart, Huskins and Biega. Final shots on goal were 28-24 in favour of the Comets with Cannata making 25 of 26 saves and earning a quality start. The Comets were able to score on 1 of their 3 power plays, and despite Toronto's top ranked PP and plethora of chances the Marlies were only able to convert on 1 of the 9 power plays.
Given that the Marlies had 9 power plays, it's a testament to how well Utica played that they were limited to only 26 shots on net. The Comets thoroughly outplayed Toronto despite being exhausted from a busy weekend of action.
Welsh really stood out in this game for the Comets. He had a number of great chances throughout the game and was the one to put the Comets first on the board. Jokingly Pelletier brought the puck on his goal to Welsh after he scored his first goal on the season, after having played 23 games with Utica.
It was a good game for Cannata who has generally had an unimpressive year. I still firmly believe he should be in the ECHL as a starter to earn big minutes and have a better chance of developing. On the year he was .894 heading into this game, but obviously saw those numbers rise. In his last three starts he has been 3-0-0, 1.30 GAA and a .962. Not sustainable but something positive to build off of.
With this win the Comets are now at the highest ranking they've been all year (at least temporarily). They are currently ranked 13th in the West and are 24th in the league. They are also only 4.5 games out of a playoff position. With a bit of "puck luck" Utica could be in the Calder Cup this year, but in the next twenty-some games that's a steep mountain to climb.
This has been a tough weekend for the Comets, with three games in three days, against two tough teams. They did well to pull 4 points out of it, to say the least. It will not be the last three game weekend for the Comets as they look to repeat the same next weekend with Friday, Saturday and Sunday games at Syracuse, Binghamton, and Albany.
Until next weekend!


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Rescooped by
David Hain
from Blue Sky Change
onto Business change
Here is the thing: any project that is on-time, on-budget or that has shiny deliverables coming out of our ears will not guarantee that the change from the current state to the future state has been accomplished. And even less of those project-characteristics will guarantee that the change will be sustained when the project is adjourned. None of them.

subset: commoncrawl


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BRONSON�� The Coldwater Mickey Mantle team won its first game this season, a 15-3 victory in four innings of Game 2 against Bronson in a Border League game Sunday. Coldwater dropped a 3-2 decision in Game 1.
In the second game, Connor Covert collected three hits (two doubles, single), drove in five runs and scored two more; Jacob Osbourne added two singles and three RBIs and Andrew Richar produced two singles and a RBI. Other hits came from Caleb Letendre (single, three runs, three walks), Sean Printke (triple, RBI, walk, three runs), Colin Torrey (double, RBI) and Eric Bach (double, RBI).
Torrey was the winning pitcher after allowing three runs and three hits in four innings. He struck out seven and walked five.
In the first game, Bronson edged Coldwater 3-2 despite a solid pitching effort from Eric Roberts, who gave up three runs and three hits in four innings. He struck out six and walked five.
Printke smacked two singles and drove in a run. Osbourne and Letendre each added a single.
Coldwater (1-4-1 overall) returns to the diamond Wednesday, when it plays Mickey Mantle game versus the HBF Maroons at Morrison Field in Battle Creek's Bailey Park.
UCM place second at Homer
HOMER�� The Union City Maroon Sandy Koufax team placed second in the Homer Tournament on Sunday.
The Michigan Outlaws (Jackson) used a 10-0 count to defeat Union City Maroon in the title game Sunday. Union City shut out Napoleon 2-0 to advance to the championship contest. On Saturday, Union City Maroon split a pair of games by defeating Napoleon 7-1 and falling to the Michigan Outlaws 6-4.
On Sunday, Union City managed two hits and committed five errors in a 10-0 loss to the Michigan Outlaws, who scored one run in the first, three more in the third, four tallies in the fourth and two runs in the fifth.
UCM pitcher Blade Gordon struck out two in 3 1/3 innings, while Grady Kever also fanned two in 1 1/3 innings.
Against Napoleon, Gordon and Colton Johns each collected an RBI as Union City Maroon scored single tallies in the second and third innings.
Kever tossed three innings and struck out six for the victory.
Kever had a hit and Hayden Kreger drew a walk.
On Saturday, Union City Maroon routed Napoleon 7-1 behind the hitting and pitching of Gordon.
Gordon recorded three hits and a RBI, while working three innings and striking out two. Kreger also threw three innings and struck out three in the process.
Johns and Austin Mosher each drew a walk, while Garrett Mead drove in two runs for Union City Maroon.
Union City Maroon rallied from a 3-0 deficit to force a 3-3 tie against the Michigan Outlaws, who went on to score single tallies in the third, fourth and fifth innings. UCM added a run in the sixth.
Mosher led Union City Maroon with two hits and a RBI, while Mead and Garrett Korn each drew a walk and Johns pitched in a RBI.
Johns struck out four in two innings pitched, while Mosher had one strikeout in three frames.
Union City Maroon is 6-3 overall.
Coldwater earns first win
BRONSON�� The Coldwater Mickey Mantle team won its first game this season, a 15-3 victory in four innings of Game 2 against Bronson in a Border League game Sunday. Coldwater dropped a 3-2 decision in Game 1.


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For many Beatles fans, 1967's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band represents the pinnacle of the Fab Four's achievements. Densely textured, sublimely arranged and packed with some of Lennon and McCartney's best songs, the disc remains a touchstone for every pop band that puts a premium on melody and craftsmanship. Incredibly, however, as writer Philip Norman and even Sir George Martin have pointed out, The Beatles' psychedelic masterpiece might have been even better, had some grievous missteps not occurred.
On February 17, 1967, "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" were released to the record-buying public, on what has since been described as the greatest 45-rpm record ever produced. Martin, who was complicit in the decision to issue the double-A-sided single, has since called that decision "the biggest mistake of [his] professional life." The factors behind Martin's regret are two-fold. First, as dictated by the customs of the day, releasing "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" as a single precluded the inclusion of either song on The Beatles' forthcoming album, which, at that time, was envisioned as a spectacularly ambitious concept disc of a different sort than Sgt. Pepper's.
Martin later explained in The Beatles Anthology: "The only reason that 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Penny Lane' didn't go onto the new album was a feeling that if we issued a single, it shouldn't go onto an album. That was a crazy idea, and I'm afraid I was partly responsible. It's nonsense these days, but in those days in was an aspect that we'd try to give the public value for money. Brian [Epstein] came to me and said, 'I must have a really great single. What have you got?' I said, 'Well, I've got three tracks – and two of them are the best tracks [Lennon and McCartney] have ever written.' So, we put them together …."
A second, more heartrending reason the decision was regrettable is that the concept album Lennon and McCartney had in mind would likely have been an even greater artistic triumph than Sgt. Pepper's turned out to be. Exhausted by the madness of Beatlemania, and having therefore given up touring, The Beatles were, in Martin's words, "generally fed up with their lives." With two magnificent songs to serve as lynchpins, the era's two finest songwriters envisioned crafting a collection of autobiographical songs that would take a kaleidoscopic view of their earliest memories, drawing inspiration from people and places in Liverpool that figured prominently in their childhood.
"We were in another phase of our career," McCartney explained, in The Beatles Anthology, remarking on the sense of freedom and imagination that had taken hold in Lennon and himself. "We didn't have to be performing every night, so instead we could be writing or chatting with our mates, or visiting an art exhibition. Having the time off gave us time to come in [to the studio] with crazy ideas. We were all opening our minds to different areas, and we [were] sharing it all with one another. There was a lot of cross-fertilization."
Of course, in retrospect, the album The Beatles eventually did come up with wasn't exactly shabby. McCartney's "When I'm 64," which was written and recorded during the sessions for the proposed "childhood" disc, became a high point of the Sgt. Pepper's album. Furthermore, songs such as "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "A Day in the Life" were nearly on par with "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane," and certainly occupied similar stylistic terrain. Still, the album suffered from weak moments, and even Lennon later concluded it was preposterous to call Sgt. Pepper's a concept disc.
"It doesn't go anywhere," Lennon said. "All my contributions have absolutely nothing to do with this idea of Sgt. Pepper and his band. [The album] was not put together as it sounds, except for Sgt. Pepper introducing Billy Shears, and the so-called reprise. Every other song could have been on any other album."
Ringo Starr concurred in that assessment, saying the overarching intent to record a "show" album got derailed. "It was going to run like a rock opera," he said. "It had started out with a feeling that it was going to be something totally different, but we only got as far as Sgt. Pepper and Billy Shears. We thought, 'Sod it! It's just two tracks.' We kept the title and the feel that it's all connected, but in the end we didn't actually connect all the songs up."
Despite the disc's flaws, Starr went to on to describe Sgt. Pepper's as The Beatles "grandest endeavor," not just because of the richness of the material, but also because the group was working in a spirit of supreme cooperation. Unbeknownst to Starr, however, Lennon was already mired in a quandary, having decided during the filming of How I Won the War, in 1966, that his time in The Beatles must soon end. Henceforth, until the band at last broke up in 1970, Lennon relinquished much of his leadership role in the group to McCartney.
One wonders, however, if things might have been different had Lennon and McCartney been able to follow through on the conceptual masterpiece they originally had in mind. As The Beatles' best biographer, Philip Norman, writes in Lennon: The Life: "The premature release of 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Penny Lane' took all the steam out of the Liverpool concept album idea, leaving George Martin to wonder remorsefully forevermore how great an album it might have been."


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Off the bustling main street of this erstwhile Gold Rush boomtown, up a lane from the B&Bs and renovated brick storefronts and flocks of tourists, a bulky and aged factory looms like an elephant at a tea party, its windows cracked and its corrugated steel roof long ago overtaken by rust.
For better than a century, the industrial menagerie inside Samuel Knight's iron foundry stirred and shaped the community.
Back in the day, the mammoth blast furnace belched flame and spit out molten metal, its smokestack singing like a pipe organ. Built in 1872, the foundry predated electricity. Water piped from a Mother Lode flume spun old-fashioned turbines, the biggest nearly 4 feet across.
Balanced like a watch, a system of shafts and buffalo-hide drive belts transferred that locomotion throughout the factory, 60 different machines gyrating in a symphony of industry.
Knight Foundry is America's last water-powered 19th-century ironworks. Closed for the last decade, its machinery silent and its blast furnace moldering, it teetered toward demolition, the sad end for so many industrial heirlooms.
But a few folks, true believers in the faith and labor of pouring iron, are working hard to see Knight Foundry sing again. They yearn for the return of the old-time ironmaster. Russ Johnson might be the last of that line.
He landed a job at Knight Foundry toward the end of the run, back in 1989. Burly and bearded in his 20s then, Johnson had already dabbled in heavy construction, hanging Sheetrock and hefting concrete. He figured cast iron was a natural next step.
"The work just kept getting heavier," he says with a laugh.
His arrival came long after Knight Foundry had already become an industrial anachronism.
Small-town foundries were once as pervasive as potbellied stoves on the Sierra's west slope, transforming iron into things big and small: pickaxes and ore carts, cable car parts and fancy streetlight poles.
As other foundries faded away, an unbroken line of owners and employees at Knight kept finding jobs requiring specialization that the 20th century's big automated factories couldn't muster. "Onesies and twosies," Johnson called them -- reproductions of long-defunct Model A parts and ornamented pillars for the California statehouse. The sort of stuff, he said, that a modern foundry won't touch "unless it's an order for 10,000."
When Johnson slides open the big wood front door of the old foundry, remembrances of his first day still rattle the walls for him.
Men were swearing and sweating. Water-powered machinery hummed gleefully. Johnson loved it.
"I could cuss and get dirty and produce something that at the end of the day I know is going to last a long, long time," he said.
Cobwebs now hang from dark corners. Dust coats the rafters. Pigeon droppings speckle the floor. But gloves and tools rest waiting, suspended in time as if work stopped yesterday.
Johnson learned his craft from old-school workers, some in their 90s, who had manned the foundry for half a century. Retirees like molder Wendell Boitano and master patternmaker Ernie Malatesta often showed up as if they were still punching a clock.
While shooting the breeze, they passed along tricks of the trade -- the secrets of shaping a three-dimensional pattern out of sugar pine or mahogany, the delicate craft of creating a perfect mold and war stories about iron pours gone sweet or sour.
Such men were Johnson's link all the way back to Samuel Knight, the Gold Rush and the last days of the Wild West.
A ship's carpenter from Maine, Knight came west in 1863 with a head full of ideas. He took the hydraulic principles of the gold fields and applied them to industry, creating a new type of water turbine, the Knight Wheel. Dozens of curved cups at the wheel's edge tapped the high-pressure force of flowing water to produce enough horsepower for a whole factory.
His foundry manufactured much of the Mother Lode mining equipment. Soon, smaller versions of Knight's water wheel were powering industry and small appliances.
If he had been good at promoting his work, Knight might have been rich and famous. Instead, competitor Lester Allan Pelton grabbed history's limelight, perfecting an even better turbine.
Knight stayed at his Sutter Creek factory, running it for four decades.
Before his death in 1913, Knight willed the foundry to his employees, starting a practice of blue-collar inheritance that lasted generations.
That line of succession finally broke when the last of the employee-owners died in 1970. That was when Carl Borgh, an aerospace engineer from Southern California, came in to have some parts cast and ended up buying the factory. He vowed to run the foundry just as it had been run for a century.
Borgh also took on human rehabilitation. He often hired men who were down on their luck, assembling a devoted crew from a motley mix of guys who had trouble with the law, the bottle or both.
That's when Johnson found his way in the door. He became the cupola tender, heading the pour of white-hot liquid iron.
"This is my office," Johnson announced on a recent day as he strolled into the blemished section of the factory where the two blast furnaces stand.
Today, Johnson is a father of four. At 46, he sports a Santa Claus beard and is training to operate nuclear surveying equipment for an excavation company. But he still yearns for the pour.
That process never changed at Knight Foundry.
Master craftsmen like Malatesta, who turned to foundry work to avoid the danger of the gold mines, worked the front end of the ritual, carving original patterns out of hardwood. The final shape emerged with the help of lathes, saws and planers, all turned by water power.
Stacked wood frames called flasks formed a box for each mold. Journeymen packed fine white sand around the wood pattern inside. Guarded ingredients went into the mix to solidify the sand -- sea coal, bentonite clay and pitch.
"Secret Squirrel stuff," Johnson calls the ingredients. "It's like making sandcastles."
Workers split the mold into a top and bottom and removed the wood pattern, leaving a hollow impression in the hardened sand to be filled with iron.
They poured every Friday, a day that Johnson jokes was "like working on a chain gang."
As cupola tender, he kindled the fire and shoveled the furnace full of coke and scrap iron. He loved the "whoop, whoop" of the air compressor and the thundering moan as the blast furnace fired up.
"It'll rattle the fillings in your teeth," he said.
Even in winter, the furnace drove building temperatures toward 115 degrees, Johnson said. He'd sweat through his sleeveless shirt, bib overalls and bandanna. He gave up bothering with gloves after one caught on a piece of scrap metal he was tossing into the furnace, almost pulling him into the flames.
As if it were yesterday, Johnson swings a wooden crane into action, its massive chain clanking like a medieval drawbridge to lower a bulky iron bucket used in the pour. The crane's hardwood girders still bear vestiges of the past -- a tiny foundry-made statue of Babe Ruth and a yellowing 1932 election poster for a long-gone candidate.
As the furnace's temperature soared past 3,000 degrees, liquid iron poured out like maple syrup. Spills were the enemy. Moisture in the concrete floor would explode, sending shards of hot iron and rock flying. Tiny craters pockmark the concrete, a road map of past mishaps.
When the iron casting cooled, employees cracked open the form and a finished product emerged -- a mortar and pestle, perhaps, or a decorative acorn for a building fresco.
The foundry's last pour came in 1996. Later that year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation put Knight Foundry on its list of endangered sites.
After Borgh retired, the foundry tried to survive as a museum, offering roped-off tours and weekend ironworker workshops. But insurance costs and a lack of paying production orders eventually shut that down.
Borgh died in 1998, leaving Johnson lower than low. He lost a father figure and most of his hope that the foundry -- put up for sale by Borgh's estate -- would survive.
Soon, like hot iron filling a mold, good Samaritans stepped into that void.
Andy Fahrenwald, a documentary filmmaker, had come to Sutter Creek to shoot a movie about the foundry. Afterward, he simply stuck around.
For years, Fahrenwald had been fleeing his own family's blue-collar history in Chicago's foundries. But the cause of Knight Foundry captured him.
He took on the job of championing the preservation of the foundry and the disappearing skills of men like Russ Johnson, helping to set up the nonprofit Knight Foundry Corp., recruiting volunteers and soliciting donations.
As the clock continued to tick on the foundry sale, another set of benefactors stepped in. Richard and Melissa Lyman, who had made a career of restoring old Victorian homes in Sacramento, put up money to buy the foundry in 2000. They promised to hold it until the nonprofit raised enough to step in.
Over time, the Lymans grew worried that some hidden toxic legacy could saddle them with a huge cleanup bill, even after a sale. Seven years passed with no deal.
The foundry sat -- the machinery silent and the front door padlocked. Johnson came by to keep an eye on things, making weekly visits as he might to a favorite uncle in a rest home.
Finally, this spring the city of Sutter Creek stepped in to buy Knight Foundry. The contract left the nonprofit footing much of the bill in exchange for the keys to run the factory. To complete the $1.3-million sale by a mid-2008 deadline, the property will need a costly environmental cleanup.
Johnson and the nonprofit are busy trying to raise money -- a total of nearly $6 million to cover the purchase, cleanup and restoration of the factory as a working museum. In a town of 2,945, that's a big price tag. Historical preservationists are watching.
"It needs to be preserved," said Robert Johnson of the Society for Industrial Archeology. "There's nothing quite like the Knight Foundry."
Even now, Russ Johnson won't allow himself too much optimism. After waiting a decade -- getting another job, watching his children grow up and seeing the factory fall further into neglect -- he's not banking on anything.
If it works out, Johnson will be the once and future ironmaster of Knight Foundry -- supervising the pour, educating tourists, tutoring apprentices.
He loves the old factory, but it's the skills he wants to pass on. People say it's a lost art. Johnson likes to say it isn't dead or dying or gone. Just sleeping.


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Aggies Set for UNCW Volleyball Classic
North Carolina A&T (1-6) at Hilton Garden Inn Mayfaire UNCW Volleyball Classic
Dates: Sept. 13 vs. UNC Wilmington, 2:30 p.m.; Sept. 14 vs. Western Carolina, 10:30 a.m.; Sept. 14 vs. UNC Asheville, 5 p.m.
Facility: Hancock Hall
Probable Starters: MB Aleena McDaniel (5-10, Sophomore, 2.62 kills/set), RS Maris Kellar (5-8 Sophomore, 0.42 blocks/set), S Liz Martino (5-7, Freshman, 4.50 assists/set), OH Brooke Stamnes (5-9, Sophomore, 2.60 kills/set), MH Jade Boone (5-7, Freshman, 0.47 blocks/set) and OH Jillian Nobles (6-0 Freshman, 1.00 kills/set)
Aggies Overview: North Carolina A&T is heading to their third tournament of the season, the Hilton Garden Inn Mayfaire UNCW Volleyball Classic. The Aggies picked up their first win, a 3-2 victory over Alabama State in the opening match of the Ashford Suites Aggie-Spartans Invitational last week. It was their first non-conference win since Sept. 25, 2010. A&T also registered a match-high 53 kills in the win. Stamnes and McDaniel have been A&T's heavy hitters so far this season and have recorded three matches each in double-digit kills. McDaniel is coming off her best hitting performance of her career (.316) where she tallied a team-leading 15 kills against Murray State.
Tournament Overview: A&T will face host UNC Wilmington (4-2) on Friday as the Seahawks make their home opening debut. Christi Laite leads Wilmington in kills, cranking out 4.04 kills per set. Morgan Kline (2.21 kills/set) has also been a consistent player for Wilmington and also has a team-leading 12 service aces. As a team, the Seahawks average 3.04 blocks a set and have held their opponents to just 1.25 per set. Western Carolina (6-2) is coming off a 3-1 loss to Gardner-Webb. Cristina Nazario has averaged 10.28 assists/set and lined up Jordan Timmermann to dish out 2.97 kills/set. Caitlin Piechota is second on the team in kills (2.93 kills/set). Morgan Cochran heads the defense and tallies 6.10 digs/set. The Catamounts' only other loss is a 3-0 setback to UNC Asheville who has posted a 5-3 record this season. The Bulldogs are led by Christine Lakatos in kills (3.29/set). Anna Moore also adds 2.90 kills/set. Asheville has had the upper hand over its opponents in blocking this season where it has recorded 81.5 blocks and limited its opponents to 52. The Bulldogs snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Chattanooga on Sept. 7.
Potential Star: Stamnes was on a three-game streak where she tallied double-digit kills. She registered 13 kills against Winthrop (Sept. 3), 17 vs. Alabama St. (Sept. 6), and 12 vs. UNC Greensboro (Sept. 7). In her last match against Murray St. she tossed in eight kills but if she continues to deliver for the Aggies she will play a big role in the upcoming tournament.
News & Notes:
- In the Ashford Suites Aggie-Spartan Invitational, McDaniel earned all-tournament honors after finishing with 38 kills, 21 digs, and a pair of blocks. It was her second consecutive all-tournament team honor this season after being named to the Radford all-tournament team on Aug. 31.
- A&T registered a match-high 53 kills against Alabama State.
- Stamnes is currently fifth in the MEAC in service aces, averaging 0.40 aces per set.
From the Coach
"We'll pretty much use our entire bench this weekend. These tournaments are great opportunities to see everyone perform, especially the freshman." A&T head volleyball coach Hal Clifton


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10-day Festival Celebrates Clearwater's Sugar Sand Beaches and Features Iconic Movies
(Feb. 7, 2014—Clearwater, Fla.) Sunsets at Pier 60 Daily Festival and the City of Clearwater are unveiling the festival theme "Beach Walk of Fame" featuring iconic Hollywood movies for this year's Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival, which will be April 4-13, 2014. The sculpted areas inside the Sugar Sand Walk Exhibit will feature iconic movie characters and scenes. The Sunset Cinema will extend from its normal weekend hours and play iconic movies like Jaws, Harry Potter and Back to the Future for ten nights.
Located just south of Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach, 1,000 tons of Clearwater Beach's world famous sugar sands will be creatively carved into the Sugar Sand Walk Exhibit, an artistic walk-through display in a 15,000-square-foot tent. The ten-day festival will also include a variety of free activities on Clearwater Beach including a professional sand sculpting competition, sand sculpting clinics, speed sand demonstrations, a children's play area, extended hours for Sunsets at Pier 60, and entertainment.
New to the festival this year will be The Frenchy's Sand Bar, where beer and wine will be available for sale daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. There will also be a Beach Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 13 at 2 p.m.
Cost of admission will be $8 for adults, $4 for students 6 to 17 years old, and $5 for seniors (55 & up), military, police and firefighters. Children 5 & under are free when accompanied by a paying adult. This year's ticket cost will include entrance into the Sugar Sand Walk Exhibit and a commemorative 8-by-10 inch souvenir photo for each guest.
The 10-day festival will highlight and celebrate Clearwater's sugar sand and show why readers of USA Today named Clearwater the Best Beach Town in Florida. The festival will also welcome back Team Sandtastic, the master sand sculptures who created the sand art exhibit last year. The event organizers expect more sculptors to be participating and competing as the event grows. The inaugural event welcomed more than 25,000 attendees, and hotels and restaurants reported a boost in sales during the festival.
The event title sponsor is the Sunsets at Pier 60 Daily Festival, and presenting sponsors are Bright House Networks, CCM Photobooks, Fun n Sun Festival, Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort, and Clearwater Gas Systems.
The 2013 Sugar Sand Festival won the Silver Adrian Award from The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International. The HSMAI Adrian Awards honor creative best practices in hospitality, travel, and tourism-related marketing. The competition has evolved into the world's most renowned and prestigious advertising, public relations, and digital marketing competition specifically tailored for the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries.
About City of Clearwater's Fun N Sun Clearwater
The City of Clearwater has hosted the Fun 'n Sun Clearwater for 61 years. This annual event was originally created to keep tourists and snowbirds in the area longer. Currently, it's a celebration of Clearwater and its many destinations. This year's event takes place April 26 to May 4, 2014. The two-week festival includes a Blast Friday event, minor league baseball, two concerts, and the Sugar Sand Festival. For a detailed list of events, go to www.funnsunclearwater.com
About Sunsets at Pier 60
Clearwater Beach's Pier 60 Park is home to The Sunsets at Pier 60 Daily Festival, a year-round nightly sunset celebration which operates from two hours before sunset to two hours after sunset, weather permitting. This free, family friendly event features artisans, crafters, street performers and musical entertainment. On Friday and Saturday evenings, a free family friendly movie is shown under the stars at the Sunset Cinema.
The Sunsets at Pier 60 Society was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 1994 and officially began on March 17, 1995. The festival originally ran from Thursday through Monday evenings until June of 1998 when it expanded to seven nights a week. In 2005 the festival celebrated its 10th anniversary of providing locals and visitors with Clearwater Beach's only free form of family entertainment. As a result of its growth and continued success, Sunsets at Pier 60 now operates 365 days per a year weather permitting. The Sunsets at Pier 60 Society is in partnership with the City of Clearwater.
The purpose of the Sunsets at Pier 60 Daily Festival is to promote Clearwater Beach and Pinellas County as a prime tourism destination. The festival strives to enhance the guest experience by encouraging longer stays while providing visitors additional evening entertainment options following their days spent relaxing on our beaches. The Sunsets at Pier 60 Daily Festival aims to increase the knowledge, beauty and style of artwork indicative to Florida.
Team Sandtastic Background
Mark Mason's passion for sand sculpture began more than 25 years ago when he competed in the Sand-Blast competition in his home town of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Sand and snow sculpting has been Mark's full-time job for the past 16 years and has taken him and his team around the world, including the Caribbean, Hawaii, South Africa, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, the Middle East and throughout the United States. His projects and creations have drawn extensive media coverage and public interest. In his extensive career, Mark has worked for shopping centers, conventions, fairs, festivals, and theme parks. With countless sculptures behind him, some extraordinary ones stand out, such as the sand castle platform created for a couple's wedding, accommodating all 200 guests within its walls.
For more information on the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival, visit the festival's Facebook page, call 727-449-1036, or go to www.sugarsandfestival.com.


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Not that it matters, but Alden will be reading this article too.
Ohio Running Back Alden Hill Offered by Michigan
Ohio running back Alden Hill (6'2", 220 lbs) planned on going up to Michigan's camp to prove to the coaches he was worthy of an offer. He was happy with his performance and so were the Michigan coaching staff. Hill called me today to let me know that he spoke with the coaches and they have offered him a scholarship. Here's a look at his film and what he said about the offer.
TOM: What did the coaches say?
ALDEN: I talked to Coach Hoke and he said that I have an offer to Michigan.
TOM: Did they tell you what role you would be playing, or what position you would have on the team?
ALDEN: They want me as an all purpose back, a full back and running back. Someone they don't have to change personnel if they switch plays out of the two back system. I'm definitely good with that role, it's good for competition. I actually just got an offer from Iowa too, so the Big Ten is starting to come in now.
TOM: What's next for you then, are you heading out to any other camps? Are you going to try to make it out to Iowa?
ALDEN: I haven't been to Iowa yet, but I'll be at Ohio State on Saturday. I'll go up there and workout because I know there will be other coaches there too.
TOM: What do you want your timeline to look like? How is your recruitment going to play out?
ALDEN: I'll probably make my decision early to mid football season, I'll have it done by then. I'll have it narrowed down by the time my season starts up.
TOM: With this Michigan offer now where does that put the Wolverines? Are they in your top group?
ALDEN: Oh definitely. They're in my top five with Illinois, Boston College, Vanderbilt, and Iowa now.
TOM: You have a few teammates that are also being recruited. I know Zach Higgins is committed to Michigan State and 2013 ATH Dymonte Thomas has a Michigan offer. Are you close with them?
ALDEN: Yeah, we are real good friends. I have been friends with Dymonte before he came to our school through sports. Dymonte, Zach, and I all stay close through this recruiting process because we can all relate in this unique situation. We would love to play together, not too many guys get to play with their teammates from division three high school to a division one college.
Alden looks like a bruiser that Michigan teams have always prided themselves on.
Any info on his relationship with Dymonte and Dunn? I hope Alden commits and then convinces his buddies to do the same.
I added his comments on Dymonte to the end of the interview.
so you know, the Angry Iowa Running Back Hating God (AIRBHG) was destroyed in the great Marchifornication of 2011 and it is now safe to enroll there.
good for him....would love to have Mr. Hill don the winged helmet!
I don't get this recruiting thing. Is this a "commitable" offer? Meaning, the numbers are getting crunched here -- assume best-case scenario with Kalis, Pipkin, Keil, Dunn, Wormley, etc. -- and there isn't room for a guy like Alden particularly if Dunn and/or that Utah FB commits.
So, my question is, could Alden immediately say "yes" to this offer? (From your interview I assume its hypothetical only, he is still lqqking around.) Or is it like, Hoke said to him, you have our offer but let's talk before you accept it.
The Pitman situation comes to mind. Pitman calls up to say I'm accepting, and the UM staff goes, not so fast? So every offer is not, of course, completely open. Is that how it works with Alden too?
Just stop.. Alden Hill is a very good football player. We're probably going to take a FB and a RB, because we NEED a FB. So we can take Dunn and Hill. He's an extremely versatile runner, and I was impressed with the highlight reel. I'll be very happy if he comes to AA
The coaches want a rb and a fb so we'll definitely take Dunn if he commits. As for fb, whoever out of Hill and the Utah fb commits first, I guess. Don't know much about the Utah guy so I'm hanging my hat on Hill. Another scenario could be Dunn not committing to us (no one wants that, except osu). In that case we'll probably take both since Hill plays rb too.
P.S. not the best time to bring this up.
The coaches obviously really want a full back. It would be great to see him and his teammate in the Michigan backfield at the same time.
I like how he is a versatile back that can be utilized in many ways. How is he catching the ball out of the backfield? His film pretty much only showed handoffs.
We could use some 220 backs pounding through the line...
Could be part of a great 1-2 punch in this class. If we can get Hill and Dunn in this class with Thomas in 2013, then Big Ten domination is only a matter of time.
in 2013
and add thomas...our RB arsenal would be incredible.
I mentioned this in the other thread about Alden's offer, but I think we're recruiting Dymonte as a Safety.
But, that being said, I'd love a RB corps with Dunn, Hill, Shallman, Rawls, Hayes, Hopkins.. That's some talent right there.
I dunno, I've seen as many people say we're looking at him as a RB then as a safety but who knows the truth. He'd be a big-time player at either position. We can figure which he's better at if/when he commits.
is a stud of a RB. I was suprised to see him get only 3 stars from Scout. Would love to see him go blue.
underrated then you should watch Sione Houmas footage and then rate his star. Pretty much the same story. Houma has more speed and gets 10 yards after contact regularly. Only rated a 2 star to Scout but I'd prefer him to any other FB at this point, ratings or not.
It seems like FB is one of those positions where the recruiting sites tend to be stingy on stars, kind of like kickers but maybe to a lesser extent.
Alden is a very, very good player and a tireless worker. Imagine BJ Askew with more speed. It would be a great get to have Alden be a Wolverine especially because I suspect his offer list will heat up as he attends more camps....
Seems like a solid human being as well which may matter only to me, but I love to see that in recruits ...especially Michigan recruits.
Askew was a workhorse willing to do anything for the team. If Alden is anything like that I will be more than pleased. I'm not sure if Alden is faster, but i'm certain I could beat both of them is a foot race. However, I do not posses their awesome 220lb truckingness....
Pleses see Lerory Hoard. Cris Perry, B.J. Askew, Jarred Bunch, Anthony Thomas and Tyrone Weahtley. Hope to see you soon.
Nothing against Mr. Hill. But Ty Wheatley was a once-in-a-decade type of elite athlete. 220 lbs. and true track speed.
He's a bit of an outlier on that list there.
Quit harshing my buzz man.
Leroy Hoard and Jarrod Bunch were the first two names that popped into my head after watching his video. Big bruising back that doesn't go down easy.
Kinda kid that'd have Bo saying "now THAT's a football player!"
Do you think he will bulk up and play more FB than RB? I also think this is telling WRT to the Dunn offer - I can't see us taking a RB and FB in this class - one or the other.
If Dunn wants in, we'll take a RB and a FB.
3 o line
2 d line
2 rb
1 safety
1 wr
Congrats to him on getting an offer! Hoke and Co. must've seen something special in him at camp, and from the looks of it we got an offer in just before his offers list really starts filling out!
Many offers have conditions - whether intentional or not - due to the number of students who receive offers and when. Still, I think the coaches are doing a good job. It only appears thus far that Pittman and possibly Wayne Morgan have been squeezed from what I can see, and not being an insider.
I do like the dual use back recruiting that the coaches are using here. This guy is already 6-2, 220 so he will be someone who can be plugged in as an FB. On top of that, we don't have a lot of FBs right now so I think its a good choice even in light of our other needs at DT and on the OL. Most of the remaining commits will have to be for the trenches, but the coaches really need to have some offers out to some good FBs for what they want to do with this offense.
I think he deserves it his highlight film is great and he reminds me of that power back that we used to have and will wear down the defense throughout the game. he reminds me a lot of current michigan TB Stephen Hopkins.
Yea but to me he looks like he has more acceleration and speed than hopkins does
power back who doesnt go down on the first tackle
from these clips, looks like Alden has great vision/instincts -- can find the openings, follow blockers, etc. Stuff you can't teach. I like a big guy that can do that
I'm definitely down for a combo FB/RB. A lot of schools just use walk-ons as fullbacks, so I like that Hill is versatile enough to play both positions. That seems a judicious use of scholarships. A little trickeration in the backfield is never a bad thing. It sounded like he had a great camp too, and really impressed. He's a big kid, and I heard he's really fast for his size, which is great. I like that we got in ahead of Iowa... other B10 schools probably won't be far behind.
I love the way this kid hits the hole....great technique! Congrats on your Michigan offer Alden!
Well deserved
This kid reminds me a lot of BJ Askew. I would love to bring him in.
Alden, congrats on the offer and best of luck to you with the decision and your college career
Alden Hill, COME ON DOWN!
Congrats to Mr. Hill on the offer. I look forward to seeing him on the field in the future. Hopefully, he is on our side and not the opponent's. Looks like a kid that knows how to play and works hard. Thats good in my book.
is that he is not a "hot dog" or "showboat". He is a Barry Sanders type of player that plays hard and give the ball to the Ref in the end zone. Awesome kid.
All I want is a RB with nice speed that cannot be tackled just by looking at his ankles. I miss those days. If he fits that criteria then welcome.
I really like that he already possesses some very good ball habits, two hands on the ball in traffic or running through the line, switching the ball away from the defender, and he does carry the ball high and tight.
Congrats on your offer Alden, and enjoy the recruiting process.
One positive one kind of negative from his film. On his first run I kept waiting for him to switch the ball to his outside hand, my thought was big ten tacklers will attack that if you run down the sideline with it in the inside arm.
Second one, will I guess second and third so call it three points, I was suprised at how fast he looks for his size. Kid looks like he can move. And that last run, where he sheds like three tackles...I love the balance.
Overall I really liked what I saw and the whole wrong arm thing is really very very minor, and something that can be coached up in about 30 seconds. Color me impressed.
So I rewatched his film again and I have to say that I really like this kid. My gripe above about the wrong arm seems to have been fixed already, as every other run he has it tucked in the safer arm and sometimes double covers it. Really hoping he goes blue.
I like the way he runs hard and how he conducts himself on the field after he scores. A competitor who doesn't show any arrogance, that's what we're all about. Nothing wrong with big backs who know what to do with the ball -- no dancing around, just bust it up in there. Alden would look great in a winged helmet.
he reports out running Thomas in track (more often than not). This news makes me happy.
Sounds like a very nice guy -- would love to have him at Michigan!


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Mixed Greens Salad with Pears, Goat Cheese, and Fig Vinaigrette (Adapted from CL)
For the Vinaigrette
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 dried Black Mission figs, stemmed and coarsely chopped
3 1/2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the salad
6 cups mixed salad greens
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced, cored Bosc pear
1 ounce crumbled goat cheese
salt and fresh cracked black pepper
To make the vinaigrette
In a small saucepan, add vinegar and figs - bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 4 or 5 minutes. In a food processor, add the fig mixture, water and lemon juice - process until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a small bowl - stir in shallots, thyme and garlic. Whisk in oil and salt until well combined.
To make the salad
In a large bowl, toss together greens and vinaigrette until well combined. Evenly divide pears between 4 plates and top with the dressed greens. Sprinkle with goat cheese, salt and fresh cracked black pepper to serve.
Makes about 4 servings.
Just found the recipe? Click here to see where we talked about it!
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Mixed Greens Salad with Pears, Goat Cheese, and Fig Vinaigrette
2 comments:
I made this and it was absolutely delicious - company worthy! I cut the vinegar to 1/4 cup and use 2 tablespoons Adriadic fig spread instead of the dried figs. I like to boil it a little longer until it gets thick. Wonderful! Thank you Joe!ReplyDelete
Lauren - Nice changes! Thanks for the feedback!ReplyDelete
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text: Home > Sports Division-leading Ravens fire offensive coordinator Reuters Posted at Dec 11 2012 09:27 AM | Updated as of Dec 11 2012 05:27 PM Share Save Facebook Twitter GPlus LinkedIn The American Football Conference's (AFC) North division-leading Baltimore Ravens fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron following two consecutive defeats, the National Football League team said on Monday. In an unusual move for a 9-4 team poised to clinch their division title, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he elevated quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell to offensive coordinator and relieved Cameron of his duties. "It's not about fair or unfair, right or wrong," Harbaugh said in a statement. "My responsibility is to the whole team and what's best for them right now. We need a change. Our plan and our goals are to win games, win our division and get to the playoffs." Despite losing their last two games, a 31-28 overtime loss to the Washington Redskins on Sunday that followed a 23-20 defeat by the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens hold a two-game lead in the AFC North with three games left to play. The Ravens rank 18th out of 32 teams in overall offense and ninth in points scored. Caldwell, who formerly was head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, has never served as an offensive coordinator or called the plays, tasks he will now take over, according to Harbaugh. "My charge - our responsibility as a coaching staff - is to maximize the opportunities for our team to win, and we can still reach all of our goals for this season," Harbaugh said. "What's important now is to find ways to get better, win the AFC North and advance to the playoffs." Baltimore, holding a two-game lead over the Steelers and Bengals, host the Denver Broncos (10-3) next week, followed by the New York Giants (8-5) before closing the regular season at Cincinnati (7-6) on Dec. 30. Cameron, who was in his fifth season with the Ravens, has often come under criticism for the lack of consistency of the offense and for play-calling that seemed to frustrate quarterback Joe Flacco and all-purpose running back Ray Rice. Harbaugh said making the late-season move was difficult for him to do on personal terms. "There is a very human side to this," he said. "Cam is my friend, he taught me a lot about coaching, and he is an outstanding coach. Personally, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do as a coach." (Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Frank Pingue) Share Save Facebook Share on Twitter GPlus LinkedIn Read More: nfl Baltimore Ravens AFC North /video/news/05/24/18/mga-bakwit-hangad-na-makabalik-sa-marawi/video/news/05/24/18/misis-na-naiwan-sa-giyera-sa-marawi-dumaranas-ng-trauma/video/entertainment/05/24/18/zsa-zsa-malapit-nang-mag-i-do/video/news/05/24/18/ilang-grupo-nanawagan-na-tanggalin-ang-batas-militar-sa-mindanao/video/overseas/05/24/18/7-menor-de-edad-na-magtatrabaho-sana-sa-saudi-nasagip


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A federal appeals court ruling Tuesday could delay the Energy Department's plan to open the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump after conflict of interest charges were leveled at the law firm that worked on the government's permit application.
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. sent the case back to U.S. District Court to determine if the Energy Department had ruled out any conflict of interest before it hired its legal counsel, Chicago-based Winston & Strawn,
The law firm, which spent two years preparing the department's application for a Nuclear Regulatory Commission permit, withdrew as counsel in November 2001 after the allegations were raised. The firm had done work for a Yucca Mountain contractor and also lobbied for a pro-nuclear group.
If a judge finds the Energy Department didn't consider the potential conflict, it could award the contract to another law firm, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
That could mean a delay in the project because all of Winston's work could be reviewed, said Washington attorney Joe Egan, who works for Nevada on its opposition to the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
"This is amazing," Egan said. "This is a blow-out victory for Nevada."
The court's ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by LeBoeuf, Lamb, Green and MacRae, a law firm that had bid and lost the contract.
The appellate court rule the Energy Department must provide evidence that the law firm was qualified to bid despite the conflict. If it cannot, the court could award the contract to LeBoeuf, the judges said.
The Energy Department, which has been without a legal counsel since the law firm left, plans to submit its application by the end of 2004, and hopes to open Yucca Mountain by 2010.
Energy Department spokesman Joe Davis declined comment on the ruling, but said it should not delay the Yucca Mountain project.
"We are reviewing the court's decision," Davis said. "Our plan remains to submit a license application to the (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) by the end of 2004."


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News from the Department
Launch of 'Food Security in Asia – A Report for Policymakers'
12 March, 2013
On 11 March 2013, the Centre for International Security Studies (CISS) officially launched 'Food Security in Asia – A Report for Policymakers'. The launch included an introduction from the Centre's new Director and Michael Hintze Chair of International Security Studies, Professor James Der Derian.
The culmination of two years' research by a multidisciplinary project team and funded by the Macarthur Foundation Asia Security Initiative, the report addresses how food-related policies in the region intersect with local and regional food security dynamics and impact upon local communities and across a wider region.
This project, which has been ongoing since 2011, illuminates the poorly understood and inadequately researched nexus between underlying issues shaping the dynamics of food demand and supply on the one hand and political and human insecurity on the other.
At the event, the project team presented its key findings and recommendations to regional academics, policymakers and stakeholders. The event finished with an engaging Q&A session with the project team.
The Centre looks forward to presenting the report to the Macarthur Foundation at the end of March.
To read the report click here.
Contact: Centre for International Security Studies
Phone: 02 9351 2054
The project team and Professor Der Derian: (from left to right) Professor Alan Dupont, Dr Monika Barthwal-Datta, Professor James Der Derian, Chris Baker, Ben Shepherd, Tim Siegenbeek van Heukelom and Professor Peter Curson
Director of CISS Professor James Der Derian and project team member Dr Monika Barthwal-Datta
Professor Alan Dupont, former Director for International Security Studies and project team member


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Win Streak Down The Toilet
The Phillies lost the game tonight after 5 wins in a row, but at least Jamie Moyer had a quality start. He did give up 3 runs, but went 6 innings and this was a huge improvement over his last several outings. And although Moyer kept them in the game, the offense did not score and Chad Durbin gave up another 2 runs in the 7th inning. That was pretty much the nail in the coffin.
The only score of the day for the Phillies was a solo home run by Raul Ibanez, his 14th of the year. But while Ibanez continues to hit consistently, the rest of the line-up took a nap today.
Since this game was a tad depressing, here is some comic relief: According to the New York Post, a Mets fan got her hand stuck in a toilet bowl at Citi Field on Tuesday. Perhaps she thought David Wright was down there? Either way, there would be plenty of flushing in Flushing that day. No one is sure how long she was left screaming for mercy before the plumber arrived to "relieve" her, but the action drew a crowd of curious fans around the bathroom.
As it turns out, the Mets fan had dropped her gold tooth into the toilet and reached in to try to recover it. Seriously? Would you ever actually put that thing back in your mouth after it had been in a public toilet? All I can say is, it was a Mets fan. :O)
So tomorrow afternoon, the Phillies will try to get a series win against the Reds. Game time is 12:35pm and Joe Blanton will pitch; he will also try not to totally suck like he did the last time out! Fingers crossed…
So, here is your daily reminder to keep VOTING for your Phillies All-Stars! VOTE up to 25 times per day, per email address! And please, avoid putting any limbs into toilet bowls…consider that my public service announcement for the day.
Photo by Jenn
***Visit the Phillies Phollowers Online Shop today!***
(Store is non-profit, but lots of fun! I hope you enjoy our artwork!)
*Read more about the Phillies at MY OTHER HOME PAGE! Phillies Phollowers has joined forces with Phightin' Phils Phorum! Remember also to check out the homepage, My Team Rivals and my very own Miami Dolphins page, The Dolphin Pod!


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Originally published on June 6, 2013 7:02 am
Detroit's Masonic Temple Theatre was headed to foreclosure until an anonymous donor paid off its $142,000 in back taxes. That donor is now revealed: former White Stripes singer Jack White. He has performed there nine times and hung out there as a kid. His mom was an usher.


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Main Site - :: Why Won't God Heal Amputees? ::
Welcome aboard baw. I hope you enjoy your time here and stick around awhile.I was a christ follower, disciple, christian, believer, whatever for over 30 years, so it is important to kind of let us know some details of your version of that... hardly any two are alike. But never fear, hardly any two "atheists" here can define our atheism exactly the same way either - so we will all learn together, eh?Oh, this post put me over the dreaded 666, so I am apparently not he antichrist.


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Harden, Asik help Rockets down PistonsNov 11, 2012 - 5:09 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - James Harden scored 20 points and Omer Asik added 14 points and eight rebounds, as the Houston Rockets crushed the winless Detroit Pistons, 96-82, at Toyota Center.
Marcus Morris and fellow reserve Toney Douglas chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the Rockets, who snapped a three-game slide and won their first home game of the young season.
"We're going to start putting things together," Harden said. "I think defensively we've played really well and offensively we need to get a feel for each other."
Kelvin Sampson served as Houston's head coach after Kevin McHale took a leave of absence from the team to attend to a personal family matter.
The Pistons, who nearly went a full 12 minutes without making a field goal in the second half, fell to 0-7 for the first time since the 1980-81 campaign. Greg Monroe recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Brandon Knight netted a team-high 16 points in defeat.
Detroit was within four, 60-56, midway through the third quarter but only managed one free throw the final 5:28.
Harden converted a three-point play to start the quarter-ending 12-1 run, then hit a 3-pointer after Chandler Parsons also made one from behind the arc.
Detroit's first successful field goal of the fourth came on a Knight jumper with 6:03 to play, but by that time Houston's advantage ballooned to 82-57 and the Rockets cruised from there.
"There was no offensive energy out there at all. We didn't even give ourselves a chance during that run," Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank said.
The Rockets scored the final eight points of the opening quarter to build a 20-15 lead and were in front by as many as 16 in the second.
The highlight of the frame came when Terrance Jones set up a fastbreak by blocking a driving Rodney Stuckey. Harden and Jeremy Lin executed a perfect give-and-go in transition, with the former throwing down a monster two-handed slam for a 43-27 cushion with 4:06 remaining in the half.
The Pistons rallied with nine consecutive points to end the half, pulling within 47-41 on Monroe's buzzer-beating layup.
Game Notes
The Rockets have won five straight meetings ... Lin totaled seven points and eight assists ... Houston had 16 more points in the paint (44-28) ... The Pistons head home after their six-game road trip and face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday ... The Rockets host the Miami Heat on Monday.
Nov 10 10:20 PM
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Pistons vs. RocketsJul 27 6:02 AM
Related News
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- Olynyk, Dragic lift Heat past Pistons, 111-104 Jan 3
- Houston's Harden out at least 2 weeks with hamstring injury Jan 1
- NBA Note - Houston Rockets Capela, Clint Jan 1
- NBA Note - Houston Rockets Ariza, Trevor Jan 1
- NBA Note - Houston Rockets Paul, Chris Jan 1
- NBA Note - Houston Rockets Harden, James Jan 1
- NBA Note - Houston Rockets Paul, Chris Jan 1
- Paul helps Rockets to 148-142 win over Lakers in double OT Dec 31
- NBA Note - Detroit Pistons Drummond, Andre Dec 31
- NBA Note - Detroit Pistons Kennard, Luke Dec 31
- NBA Note - Detroit Pistons Bullock, Reggie Dec 31


text:
The strong, compact blade on the Revolution™ small spatula is ideal for
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SelectScience Members can achieve membership status by writing product reviews. This helps other members to better understand the Reviewer's experience and expertise.
Status: No. Reviews Published: Member 0 1-4 5-14 15+ By Invitation
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ReviewerMembership Status
Member since: 2015
Organization: Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
I am very satisfied with this instrument, which allows me to obtain the data we sought. A significant period of training and basic experimentation is mandatory to allow for the full use of the system in order to obtain valuable data.
Application Area: I use this equipment for animal imaging.
"I have used the IVIS imaging system for several years. It is used for the subcutaneous visualization and quantification of bioluminescent tumor cells in nude, NOD/SCID and NSG mice in the presence or absence of chemopreventive agents. "
Member since: 2009
Organization: BARROW NEUROLOGICAL INST.
"Great for in vivo monitoring."


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Donna Rose, 73
Donna J. Rose, 73, of South Whitley, went to be with her Lord on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, following a single-car accident in southwest Whitley County.She was born Feb, 9, 1939, in Whitley County, a daughter of Dwight "Dave" and Dorothy L. (Owen) Goff.On Feb. 8, 1957, she married Frank Rose. They made their home in Michigan and later Wabash. Following Frank's death in 1981, Donna moved to South Whitley.She retired from Dana Weatherhead in Columbia City with many years of service.A member of Collamer First Church of God, she was active in the church with the many activities, groups, choir and W.H.O. (Women Helping Others). She was an avid sports fan and loyal supporter of Whitko High School football, boys basketball and girls basketball.Surviving relatives include three children, Carol (Steve) DeLong of Lagro, Mary Richardson and John Rose of Markle; two stepsons, Toby (Sharon) Rose of Uniondale and Rick Rose of Fort Wayne; seven grandsons; seven stepgrandchildren; several great-grandchildren; two sisters, Alyce Hackworth and Gayle Hull, both of South Whitley and two brothers, Carl Goff of New Haven and Joe Goff of South Whitley. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by two sisters, an infant and Joyce Loe.The funeral service will be held at noon Friday at Smith & Sons Miller Chapel, South Whitley. The burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw. The visitation will be from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.Preferred memorials are to Collamer First Church of God.Condolences may be sent to www.smithandsonsfuneralhome.com.


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Give me some tips. I'm a beginner. I've been drinking it for about a year now. I've tried Johnny Black and Red (which I both loved). I'm now trying Cutty Sark (yeah I know, I was in Kroger late one night and it I liked the name). My goal right now is to just expand my palate of Scotch and then eventually become a serious Scotch guy and critiquing it.
Anyway, I need some more recommendations on some other brands.
How would you go about getting some variety? More single malt? I feel like I've got so many questions that I don't know where to begin.
EDIT: Yowza. MODS, this needs to be moved. (Sawry)


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My first post on the well respected 'Old Red Guard'...Hello all...As everyone knows on the 'Deck' my family is very close to Scott & Nikki Rolen...& of course I would never discuss them personally....I have to say after reading that he decided to possibly be available but didn't take the offer, I think is the right decision...Scott is the most dedicated athlete I've ever heard of & absolutely loves the game of baseball...He is also the hardest working & one of the finest human beings I've ever met in my 59 yrs of life...I think Frazier will do a good job at third & feel strongly that his strong enthusiastic voice is exactly what this team needs...Scotty is not one to sit in a chair in retirement & my dream is that he would take a possition with the team I've loved since I attended games as a young girl at 'Crosley Field'...I will always love the years I watched him do things at third base that I didn't think was possible....So excited for the season to start!!! Let's do this thing Redlegs!!!
Chip R (02-14-2013),Red in Atl (02-13-2013),_Sir_Charles_ (02-13-2013)
Jeeze Rem, tell us what you really think.
"But I do know Joey's sister indirectly (or foster sister) and I have heard stories of Joey being into shopping, designer wear, fancy coffees, and pedicures."
Nasty_Boy (02-13-2013)
Guys, before we pile on Scott, isn't it possible that maybe the Reds strung Scott along? There's two sides to every story.
As far as we know, Scott and Walt probably talked as soon as the season was over.. maybe they mutually decided to wait and see what came up?
Eventually the Reds got Hannarhan, Donald, minor infield depth which impacted what the Reds really needed. Heck, even Choo impacted the roster design.
So before we trash Scott, let's at least consider the possiblity that maybe the Reds have been giving Scott a "maybe" this whole time. Walt always just said "Well, we're talking and figuring out what to do".
If Scott was truly going after one last payday, he would've signed with LA months ago. Sure, we can speculate on many things, but I doubt Scott was purely motivated by money. My guess is that his heart wanted to come back as a Red one more time.. but a combination of his body wearing down and/or lack of roster space means that he couldn't come back..
Sorry, but it kind of bugs me a bit to see several people on this thread assuming Scott is some kind of drama queen. I don't think that's the case.
"One person has a more positive outlook [about Dick Williams], and I would guess that was meant as a joke." RedsTeamGo
Nov. 13, 2007: One of the greatest days in Reds history: John Allen gets the boot!
Thanks for returning professionalism and a winning attitude to the Reds organization, Scott. I have not had favorite players, but I will always root for a guy who walked the talk on the field AND positively influenced the next generation of ballplayers, both on the field and off.
Which tells me that the evidence for Rem's take on the situation is very unlikely.
Last edited by traderumor; 02-13-2013 at 11:29 AM.
Can't win with 'em
Can't win without 'em
Red Raindog (02-13-2013)
I've had the reply box open for quite some time trying to articulate how I feel on this issue but I have been unable to because everything seems ranty and childlike.
So I can sum my feelings up by saying that the overall presumption on this board that Scott Rolen held this franchise hostage this offseason and was selfish and all that crap is borderline offensive to me. It angers me.
How in God's Holy Name did Scott Rolen hold this team hostage?
Do you people seriously believe that Rolen and the Reds were not in somewhat consistant contact all winter long?
This winter undid everything good Scott Rolen did in a Cincinnati uniform????? Seriously?????
"Strickland Propane... Taste the meat, not the heat." - Hank Hill
The Giants had Brandon Belt, Gregor Blanco, and Brandon Crawford in the starting lineup last year in the playoffs. Championship team.
When David Freese won the World Series MVP in 2011,
he had a .791 regular season OPS.
Frazier is still young, he may sink or swim, but he certainly is capable of being a regular on a championship team.
And while Frazier doesn't have Rolen's credentials, he is far more likely to be available on a consistent basis. And he has Hannahan, a good backup, to round out the position.
Third base is fine.
Last edited by Kc61; 02-13-2013 at 12:29 PM.
New Fever (02-13-2013),Revering4Blue (02-13-2013),Screwball (02-15-2013),Tom Servo (02-13-2013)
"But I do know Joey's sister indirectly (or foster sister) and I have heard stories of Joey being into shopping, designer wear, fancy coffees, and pedicures."
Seriously, when did Scott Rolen turn into Brett Favre? The Reds had their answer at 3rd base and named him the starter early in the offseason. They also signed Hanrahan. He didn't hold anybody hostage. It's not like the Reds have a hole at 3rd base now that he decided to not come back.
I truly believe the best thing for the Reds would have been if Rolen came back and accepted a bench role. He's better than almost anyone the Reds currently have on the bench. I can understand why he wouldn't want to come back to ride the pine poney, though.
Fact: at the end of the season, Rolen was a free agent.
Fact: the Reds let it be known they were open to him returning.
Fact: the Dodgers were also interested and made inquiries.
Conjecture: At least on my part... Rolen played most of last year injured, in fact most of the last two years. Does anyone think he wanted to wait as long as possible to see how his body felt before hitting ST? Also, in his statement he doesn't say retired. Perhaps he would prefer a Pedro/Oswalt like half season allowing his body to recuperate and get stronger.
I don't think he is stringing anyone along, just coming to grips with age, health, economic and familial realities.
just my two cents.
"There was like a softness to it, a glow to it. I felt... I felt warm."
-- Joseph Daniel Votto 7/10/2017
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


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No. 21 Memphis beats Southern Mississippi 89-73
- Article by: CLAY BAILEY
- Associated Press
- February 23, 2013 - 2:22 PM
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Chris Crawford and Shaq Goodwin scored 19 points each and No. 21 Memphis claimed its second straight Conference USA regular season title by beating Southern Mississippi 89-73 on Saturday afternoon.
Five Tigers finished in double figures as Memphis (24-3, 13-0 Conference USA) won its 18th straight. D.J. Stephens scored 16 points, and, like Goodwin, was 6 of 7 from the field, while Joe Jackson had 15 points. Adonis Thomas scored 12 for Memphis, which shot 50 percent for the game, including 46 percent from outside the arc.
Dwayne Davis, who carried Southern Mississippi (21-7, 10-3) in the first half, finished with 28 points, while Jerrold Brooks added 16 points, including 11 after halftime.
Jonathan Mills scored 11 for Southern Mississippi, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
Memphis, which led by 16 at the break, extended the lead to 23 as the Tigers continued to connect from long range. Memphis converted four 3-pointers in the early stages of the second half.
But Davis continued to score, and started getting help from Mills, through the middle stages of the second half. The Golden Eagles made it 72-60 when Norville Carey scored inside near the 8-minute mark.
Memphis responded with next six points, and eventually built the lead back to 20 on Jackson's 5-foot baseline jumper with 4:09 left.
That was enough for Memphis to hold a double-digit advantage the rest of the way, earning the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
Southern Mississippi tried to show it was not going to be intimidated on the Tigers home floor, where the Golden Eagles haven't won since 2000. They were barking, pushing and trying to stake their claim to the momentum.
Officials tried to make sure they gained control early, issuing double technicals at one point, handing out warnings and cautioning players about trash talking. The approach worked through much of the first half. The Golden Eagles were within 28-27 with 4:35 to go in the half after Davis hit a 10-footer in the lane.
It was their last field goal of the half, and Memphis closed the half on an 18-3 run to carry a 46-30 lead into the break.
© 2018 Star Tribune


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Yes, it's really, really cool. I'm a choir director, and we performed this piece a year or two ago. It's incredibly ambitious to even think of doing something like this across social media - it's not an easy piece to conduct, so it wouldn't be easy to keep the singers synced with each other. You can hear a bit of that any time there's an ending consonant (e.g. on "lux" throughout the piece). Nevertheless, he's created some amazing art with this already great composition.
And, to echo someone else's sentiments below - the piece is "Lux Aurumque", not "Sleep".
I think niconico would take offense... oh wait, "made with youtube", yeah, that's probably a first.
I would not have thought of to do it that way. What an elegant way to compose all the videos. Bravo!
Pro musicians have been recording tracks asynchronously for ages. The difference is that instead of having a tiny video likeness of themselves put on a YouTube video, they got paid.
If you're into music at all check out some of his compositions. I'm a band person (director), but his choral stuff is amazing. He's also transcribed many of his pieces (including this one) into band works and written a number of orchestral pieces. (October is by far my favorite)
Normally I flinch at new choral / orchestral music from the past 100 years or so, because it's struck me as avante gard and distonal compared to Beethoven et al.
But this performance is just beautiful. I love it.
Eric Whitacre really knows his stuff, which is what makes his music fun to sing and listen. Some stuff he does really well:
- Create a sort of choral shimmer using notes that are really close to each other. That's a technique that's been really developed in the last 100 years.
- Use the lower registers of the voices. A lot of composers go with faster-higher-louder to create excitement, but Whitacre has no problem dropping the basses to their low register for something completely different.
- Choosing his words carefully, and matching them to his musical intentions.
- Making his lines fairly easy to sing, so the singers have a good chance of really nailing their parts.
And if you've skipped most of the last century's worth of orchestral and choral music, you've missed a lot of really [youtube.com] interesting [youtube.com] styles [youtube.com]. The way to think about it is that there was a lot of experimentation, and some things worked and a lot of things didn't work. Interestingly, now that composers know more about what doesn't work, they've been recently doing more of what does work.
the atonal mess
Some of us like this stuff. Try playing top 40 stuff over and over to help make it through college. Anyone with a brain will eventually want to hear some fresh and unusual ideas. Schoenberg, Bartok, Webern, Ligeti.
the atonal mess
the atonal mess that largely dominated the mid-to-late 20th century
I'd like to know how much the audio was manipulated. There's no way you could get that many YouTube videos together and not hear air conditioners running, dogs yapping, babies crying, TVs playing, dishes clanging, microphone hits, etc. whether incidental or not. Add to that the differing audio quality between each person's rig and you'd expect a lot more of a cacophonous result.
This is an old trick, just record in studio (people's homes) and then put it all together for the final mix.
How dare you! This isn't just a bunch of separate studio takes stuck together, this is a virtual choir! Oh wait...
Not technically "real-time" but certainly live...a few years ago I attended a live music performance in Second Life where the trio were around the world, one in Tokyo, one in Georgia, one in a city in Canada doing vocals/harmonica, keyboard and guitar all together.
They used software that allowed the subsequent performers to hear the first's stream and mix them together for the next. They also had themselves on video (ustream) so you could choose your own camera and watch them all separately from their avat
Matter cannot be created or destroyed, nor can it be returned without a receipt.


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Entries Due March 3 for Nature Center Photo Contest
May 25, 2010
The John T. Huston - Dr. John D. Brumbaugh Nature Center is holding its seventh annual photo contest.
Those wishing to submit nature photos for the contest should do so by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3. Entry forms can be picked up at the Visitors Center or downloaded from the website at www.mountunion.edu/nature-center.
A photo exhibit reception and open house will be held on Friday, March 6 from 7-9 p.m. The photographs will be on display in the Visitors Center through April 6. People's choice nominations will be open through March 22, with the winners on display beginning March 24.
The Nature Center is located six miles south of Mount Union College on Daniel Street, just off Route 183. Call (330) 823-7487 for more information.


text: Wow, the two cats on the couch look just like my situation bringing a new little cat into a one cat household; mine do the same thing on the couch. Maya, you will come to realize that a friend in the house with you will not turn out to be a bad thing; eventually you will keep each other company and become friends. Happy COTD to you.


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Date: Mutually agreed upon date & time between February – July 2013 (Excludes Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays)
Includes: The WIP Morning show will do a live remote broadcast at your business
- Winner must have the appropriate broadcast line installed
- Broadcast site winner must be within 25 miles of WIP Studios located at 400 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA19106 (Per Google Maps)
Payment: All sales are final. Please ask questions before bidding. All questions can be emailed to email@example.com. Do not bid unless you are 100% committed to paying for this item in a prompt manner. Payment must be received within 7 days unless other arrangements have been made. Item will not be rendered until payment is received in full. We accept Paypal, credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover), or checks (made payable to City Year).
All proceeds are split equally between two great charities – City Year Greater Philadelphia and Eagles Youth Partnership.


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The City of Lexington Business and Community Development Office will partner with like-minded agencies to achieve some of its first-year goals of supporting existing businesses, developing entrepreneurs and recruiting businesses.
The City of Lexington Business and Community Development Office will partner with like-minded agencies to achieve some of its first-year goals of supporting existing businesses, developing entrepreneurs and recruiting businesses.
At the Lexington City Council Retreat on Wednesday, Tammy Absher, director of business and community development, gave an update on the office's activities for its first year in existence.
"If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say 'we need more retail stores, entertainment choices and restaurants' or 'why doesn't the city do its own economic development?' or 'why don't we have a blank (inserting what the citizen wants here)?', we would be rich," Absher said.
In addition, another common concern among citizens was driving to neighboring cities, like Winston-Salem or Salisbury, for a product Lexington doesn't offer. To address those concerns, Absher said the council established the business development office to grow economic and business development within the city.
Absher made a clear distinction between economic development, which refers to industrial companies, and business development, referring to commercial, retail, entertainment and restaurants. But as several organizations such as the Davidson County Economic Development Commission, Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce, Davidson County Community College Small Business Center and ElectriCities were already conducting business and economic development, Absher wanted to partner with them to create the best opportunities possible for the city.
"These agencies are already active in the community, and we don't want to duplicate them," Absher said.
So over the course of several weeks representatives from these organizations worked together to create a business development consortium strategic plan. The four main points of the plan are supporting existing businesses, assisting local entrepreneurs in start-ups, developing a business-friendly environment and recruiting new businesses.
Under supporting existing local businesses, Absher noted the chamber and the EDC were responsible for providing workshops for marketing business and social media while the city, along with the EDC, needed to conduct a needs assessment study for expansion opportunities. The city and the EDC also needed to create networking opportunities.
"Economists predict 80 perfect of economic growth in the next decade will come from locally owned businesses. So supporting existing and new local business is critical in making endeavors successful. This is not as flashy as recruiting businesses into Lexington, but it has more substance and it is going to help the community more in the long run," Absher said.
As first-year goals, Absher also listed entrepreneurial development. Under this category, the city will identify entrepreneurs willing to take on targeted businesses, utilize incentive programs and identify new business opportunities through market studies.
"If you get a franchise here, you need to have someone local to operate that business, and some of these franchises have pretty hefty up-front expenses," Absher explained.
This also blends into the third goal of business recruitment. Absher will contact and recruit appropriate retail businesses and restaurants and manage demographics to provide them. Another role for the office will be the marketing and promotion of businesses and the city. Already attacking part of this goal is the chamber with its "Buy Local" campaign.
"I've seen the signs Buy Local, I think we also need to educate the public on the advantage of local first," said Linwood Bunce, councilman.
"We need to educate our retailers, too, particularly the mom and pop stores so they can increase sales," said Newell Clark, mayor, noting that Lanier's Hardware moved its nuts and bolts, the staples of a hardware store, to the back of the business so customers have to pass by more products to reach what they came for. Clark added that this approach has been proven to grow sales within a business.
As one of the final points, Absher said it was important to tell Lexington's story as the untold is the unsold.
"We have tremendous interstate and highway access. That needs to be one of our selling points," Absher said.
Selling the city as a potential business location is done through many avenues, one being web-based marketing, Absher added.
"We need to be selling ourselves when we're asleep; we need to be selling ourselves when we're doing other things, and this is a way we can do that," Absher said.
In addition to Absher's presentation, Terra Greene, finance director for the City of Lexington, recapped the financial history of the city as well as projected the financial situation for the next five years.
No property tax increase is factored into the five-year plan at this point, but the city's wholesale electric rates will increase by 5 percent through 2016. In the water/wastewater and natural gas departments, no rate increases are included in the plan at this time.
Even though sales tax has declined more than $626,000 in the past four years, projections indicate a rebound of 1 to 2 percent in future years.
Rebekah Cansler McGee can be reached at 249-3981 ext. 228 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Americans have always feared secret cabals.
In three successive decades in the mid-20th century, a "Brown Scare" swept through this country, followed by a "Red Scare," and finally a "Lavender Scare," Jesse Walker tells us in his bold and thought-provoking new book, "The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory."
Americans heard so many stories that described Nazis, communists and homosexuals nefariously and secretly trying to take over our government, our minds and our bodies, they began to see them everywhere. In an earlier era, they feared murderous slaves and libidinous Native American kidnappers. And more recently: UFOs and satanic nursery schools.
"This is a book about America's demons," Walker writes. "Many of those demons are imaginary, but all of them have truths to tell us. A conspiracy story that catches on becomes a form of folklore. It says something true about the anxieties and experiences of the people who believe and repeat it …"
Walker wrote "Rebels on the Air: An Alternative History of Radio in America" and is an editor at Reason magazine. He doesn't debunk conspiracy theories per se in this book. He doesn't weigh in on the Kennedy assassination, for example, and he takes it for granted that you believe President Obama's birth certificate is genuine: "Birthers" make only the briefest of cameos in his book.
Giving the reader an "exhaustive" history of all conspiracy theories is not Walker's mission. Instead, "The United States of Paranoia" is an oddly entertaining exploration of the roots of "paranoid" thinking across several centuries of American history.
Not only do Americans believe conspiracy theories, they also believe their fellow citizens are more susceptible to conspiracies and manipulation by "elites" than they really are, Walker writes. Take, for example, the myth surrounding Orson Welles' 1938 radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds." In the years after Welles' broadcast, a few writers spread the idea that it had induced a mass panic.
"The truth was more mundane but also more interesting," Walker points out. In fact, only a few people truly believed aliens had invaded the East Coast. A famous Life magazine cover photo of a farmer with a pitchfork ready to fight the aliens was staged. Walker argues that the story of the purported "panic" fed the notion that Americans could easily be manipulated, that they were a many-headed "robot" easily controlled by skillful artists using the mass media.
Americans fear mobs: They are the dark force lurking inside "Enemy Below" conspiracy theories, one of several categories of "primal myths" Walker explores. Over time, blacks, immigrant laborers and Jewish radicals have all been the protagonists in imagined "Enemy Below" conspiracy theories. A mythical group of black intellectuals called "The Organization" was said to be behind the 1965 Watts riots, Walker writes.
In his influential 1964 essay "The Paranoid Style in American Politics," historian Richard Hofstadter contended that it was social outsiders or "marginal" movements that most often embraced this kind of conspiratorial thinking. Walker quickly demolishes that argument. It wasn't true in the 18th century, when Federalist leaders and their Jeffersonian rivals both spread conspiracy theories, he says. And it certainly isn't true in the modern age, when the mainstream media and political leaders in both parties have spread paranoid narratives.
The book argues convincingly that the mainstream media, following the lead of groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center, exaggerated the threat of right-wing militias after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 — even though neither bomber Timothy McVeigh nor his accomplice, Terry Nichols, was ever a member of a militia. Of course, with the radical right also embracing conspiracy theories of its own — "Enemy Above" myths about "the One-World Government" and the like — it became easier to portray them as dangerous, fascist wackos plotting a coup d'etat.
All those images of militia men began to seep into America's collective subconscious. Something similar happened after the 9/11 attacks, when Americans were "semiotically aroused," Walker writes, quoting a phrase coined by historian Richard Landes.
To be "semiotically aroused" is to fall under the influence of signs and symbols. A few weeks after the 9/11 attacks, the constant broadcast of images of Islamic extremists caused such a spell to overcome several otherwise rational people in Tyler, Texas, according to Walker. An object made with wires and duct tape was found in a mailbox. Believing it was a weapon of mass destruction, the authorities called in the bomb squad. An entire neighborhood was evacuated. The object turned out to be an 8-year-old boy's homemade flashlight, built for his science class.
"The most prevalent form of paranoia after 9/11 was the mindset that allowed officials to mistake a harmless school project for a jihad," writes Walker.
It's all too rare to come upon a writer willing to attack the sacred cows of the right and left with equal amounts of intelligence and flair. Walker is, thankfully, that kind of writer and a tireless and thorough researcher to boot. He also states an obvious fact many skeptics are unwilling to accept: Behind just about every conspiracy theory there is also, more often than not, a grain of truth.
Yes, Al Qaeda staged the 9/11 attacks. But in a "paranoid" retelling after the attacks, the Al Qaeda movement became a centralized organization controlled by one man, a fact contradicted by most intelligence reports. In the American imagination, Al Qaeda became something akin to "the global networks of mayhem found in James Bond movies," Walker writes.
Instead, years later, when American forces actually reached Osama bin Laden's last hideout, they found not a "Goldfinger" or a "Dr. No" but instead a pathetic and lonely man who colored his beard. He didn't even have cable TV or a cellphone.
It was a truth that was more mundane but also more interesting.
The United States of Paranoia
A Conspiracy Theory
Jesse Walker
HarperCollins: 448 pp., $25.99