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Jon Hurst ('91) Wins VSGA Mid-Amateur Title
By ODU Athletics
(From the VSGA)
POWHATAN –– Former ODU golf standout and Hall of Famer Jon Hurst ('91) shot a final-round 1-under-par 71 to post a two-stroke victory as the 37th Virginia State Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship concluded today at The Foundry Golf Club.
The only competitor in the field to register three under par rounds, Hurst finished with a 7-under 209 aggregate (70-68-71). Charlottesville-area golfer Vincent Nadeau (Gordonsville) returned a final-round best 3-under 69 to place second (5-under 211). Local Jordan Utley of Richmond had 2-under 70 on the last day and finished four back at 3-under 213. Northern Virginian Scott Shingler (Haymarket), the 2010 event champion, logged 71 and was one of four competitors to finish in red numbers at 2-under 214. The championship is open to golfers 25 and older.
Hurst posted three wins in various events throughout the commonwealth over the past few months, but he admittedly claimed the most significant victory of his VSGA career with his Mid-Amateur triumph.
"The older you get, the more nervous you get. It always feels good to win—no matter what you win, because you come up short more than you win in golf," said Hurst, 44. "It feels great. I hit the ball really well the last three days."
Hurst began the final round with a three-stroke lead, but that advantage dwindled to a single stroke at the turn over the 27-year-old Utley, who shot 3-under 33 on the outward half.
Hurst started to steady himself with a birdie at the par-5 10th to get to six under for the event, but Nadeau, playing in the same grouping with Hurst, made consecutive birdies at Nos. 10 and 11, knocking in putts of 10 and 12 feet, respectively, to move to five under and within a shot of the lead.
At the demanding par-4 12th, Hurst, short of the putting surface, faced an awkward chip and sent the shot 10 feet past the hole. On the tough, downhill putt, he showed a great touch in sinking the par chance to retain his one-stroke lead over Nadeau.
"That was huge. That was a very big putt—and that wasn't the easiest of putts," Hurst said "I was not trying to hit the ball past the hole. That might've been the turning point for me. That putt kind of felt like a birdie and maybe got me a little more motivated."
It showed as Hurst regained his trademark steady play returned and he didn't miss a fairway or a green the rest of the way. Nadeau flew his third shot over the green at the par-4 13th, but played a terrific flop shot off hardpan to tap-in range. The bogey, though, dropped him two shots back of Hurst.
At the par-5 16th, Hurst played probably his best shot of the day. Facing a downhill lie, Hurst drilled his 3-wood second shot and the ball curved on an ideal left to right flight to a tough front right hole location, clearing a guarding left greenside bunker before the ball settled 12 feet left of the hole.
"That set up well for me. I hit that club well taking a little off and cutting it into holes. I actually hit it better when I hit soft rather than hard," Hurst said. "It felt good. I knew I could cut it off that lie and I knew it was the right distance. All I had to do was hit the shot."
Both players had chances at birdies on the second nine. Hurst crumpled to the ground, barely able to watch as his 12-footer for birdie at No. 14 nearly fell in. For his part, Nadeau's 45-foot birdie chance at the par-4 15th hit the top lip of the hole and somehow stayed out. Later, his birdie chance at the par-3 17th narrowly missed on the low side.
Known for his precise placement of shots, Hurst was rewarded on a course that demands accuracy. Hurst also negotiated the layout's slick and undulating putting surfaces.
"I didn't put myself in position to have a lot of makeable putts today, but I rolled the ball really well," Hurst said. "I made a lot of good lag putts today, so that kept me in it."
Fellow-competitors know Hurst as one of the top players in the commonwealth. He won last year's VSGA Public Links title and it seemed only a matter of time before he picked up his first VSGA 'major' (regarded as a victory in the VSGA Four-Ball, VSGA Amateur, the State Open of Virginia or the Mid-Amateur).
"This is a pretty strong field—one of the stronger ones of the year. It's good to beat these guys—once," Hurst said with a smile. "I had a lot of fun today. I come out here to have fun, so if I don't, I haven't done what I wanted to do."
Players have taken note of Hurst's stellar play, especially this season. His victory moved him to third among points' leaders in the VSGA player rankings.
POWHATAN –– Results following the final round of the 37th Virginia State Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship at The Foundry Golf Club (6,901 yards, par 36-36—72) on Sunday, Sept. 22.
Jon Hurst (Fredericksburg), 70-68-71—209
Vincent Nadeau (Gordonsville), 72-70-69—211
Jordan Utley (Richmond), 71-72-70—213
Scott Shingler (Haymarket), 68-75-71—214
John Rosenstock (Midlothian), 74-72-72—218
Matt Chandler (Hardy), 77-70-71—218
Ben Campbell (Cleveland), 67-74-77—218


text:
This Thanksgiving evening – the turkey eaten, the dishes washed, the football game on and the tryptophan kicking in – my wife smiled and gave me the "vroom-vroom" sign.
Now, before you jump to any saucy, salacious assumptions, let me explain.
Since her stroke three years ago, my wife has been robbed of speech –vocal, written or typed. But that doesn't mean she can't get her point across in other ways. Although her right side is paralyzed, that expressive left hand of hers speaks volumes. And one of her favorite gestures is the one I call "vroom-vroom."
She makes a fist, bends her elbow at a right angle, and pumps her arm back and forth like the metal arm on the wheel of a steam engine.
"Vroom-vroom?" I ask, and she smiles and nods.
It is the gesture she uses when she wants to go somewhere, and it might take 20 questions to figure it out. Get in the car and go out to dinner? Hop in the wheelchair and go for a roll 'n stroll? Check out the theater listings and go see a movie?
But this was Thanksgiving evening. The only vrooming I had on my itinerary was a slow slide toward Sleepyland on the sofa.
"You can't seriously want to go somewhere right now, can you?" I asked.
She shook her head and pointed at the TV, which was showing a commercial advertising Black Friday sales. Or maybe it was a scene from a "Grand Theft Auto" video game. They looked about equally inviting to me as I lay on the peaceful sofa struggling to keep my eyes open.
Panic welled in my chest as I watched the dire images flash on the TV screen. "Are you saying you want to go shopping tomorrow, on Black Friday, the craziest shopping day of the year?" I asked.
She nodded. Vroom-vroom.
For the record, my wife was once the George Patton of Black Friday operations. She would huddle with our daughter days in advance and plan their assault like a military campaign. They would invite other friends and relatives, and they would have T-shirts printed up to commemorate the occasion. One time they were even featured on the nightly TV news on Black Friday evening.
Weeks in advance, they would study floor plans of shopping centers, aisle configurations of department stores, MapQuest directions and travel times from strip mall to strip mall. As the turkey roasted and the pie cooled on Thanksgiving morning, they would organize their coupons, stapling them together and stacking them onto a clipboard in the order in which they would be used once the assault began.
And then, as Thanksgiving evening wound down, they would nap until near midnight, when they would bundle up for a long wait in a parking lot and grin like lunatics as the madness began.
And as they would roar off into the night, I would snuggle deep into the blankets and shudder at the horror of the thought. Given the choice between a Black Friday shopping trip and a Paleolithic vasectomy, I would have to think long and hard before making a decision.
Since her stroke, though, I have had to add Christmas shopping to the growing list of chores that now fall into my domain. It isn't too bad, though, because some saint came up with online shopping. As it turns out, buying Christmas presents in your underwear is sort of fun. But Walmart probably has a policy, so it's the Internet for me.
But this Thanksgiving evening, as the Land of Nod whispered in my turkey-numbed brain, my wife was grinning and vroom-vrooming about Black Friday commercials on TV.
"Oh, hell, no!" I said. "I'll go online tomorrow and get the Christmas shopping done. But there is no way you're getting me to take you out to hit the stores on Black Friday!"
I felt bad about being so firm with her, but sometimes a guy just has to put his foot down, firmly and finally.
So anyway, the next day, as we drove home from a morning of Black Friday shopping with the back seat of the car looking like a post-tsunami harbor, I had to admit watching my wife transform from angelic honey to Attila the Hun was a sight to see.
She had me wheel her up the toy aisle, which kept her left hand free to snatch toy after toy from the shelves and drop it into the basket. She worked at a feverish pace.
"Are you even looking at what toys you're choosing?" I asked. "Do you even have a grandkid in mind when you pick something out?"
She flipped a petulant wave as if shooing a mosquito. "Quiet, I'm concentrating," the gesture said.
And then, suddenly, it was all over. She smiled, gave me a thumb up, and pumped a vroom-vroom. "We're finished," the gesture said. "Let's go home."
When we got to the checkout aisle, I made a mental tally of which kid might get each gift. A chessboard for Jack. A doll for Olivia. A dress for Natalie. One by one, they all made sense. What is more, there were four gifts for each grandchild, and they all added up to about the same amount of money spent on each kid.
And best of all, we got out of there without my having to wrestle some blue-haired lady for the last doll on the shelf as my wife vroom-vroomed her encouragement.
That afternoon, we wrapped each gift and stuffed them into a cardboard box, ready for mailing. My wife's face glowed with the pride of a veteran commander waging yet another campaign against a foe that never stood a chance. I didn't dare think too deeply about who that vanquished foe might be.
When we were finished wrapping and packing, my wife smiled, flashed me a thumb up, and kissed my hand. "That was fun," her gestures said. "Thanks."
And me? My brain says "Never again," but my heart says my day of greatest thanksgiving fell on a Friday this year.
• Tom "T. R." Kerth is a Sun City Huntley resident and retired English teacher from Park Ridge. He can be reached at email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Is Weight Loss Surgery a Good Idea?
Aug 10, 2001
I have been HIV+ for seven years. I've also been very healthy, and continue to be. I'm not currently medicated as my viral load is still only about 1,100. The thing is that I have also always been fat. Healthy and fat, my whole life.
I recently had to switch doctors and when I went in for my quarterly check, the doctor began pressing me about weight loss surgery, telling me I could halve my body weight, and possibly have better luck with pregnancies.
At this stage I am more worried about the HIV needing medication, and then wasting. Could elective surgery as invasive and as radical as gastrointestinal bypass REALLY be a good idea? I can't imagine voluntarily putting my already compromised system through that. Is there any evidence to suggest that this might be a good idea?
Response from Dr. Fisher
Tough question. I don't know of any info on wt loss surgery in a person with HIV. Your concerns seem very well founded to me. Also wt loss surgery is very difficult and associated with numerous nutritional problems post-op. Indeed the surgery works by forcing your body to starve. So I would be very wary of this in someone with HIV. AF
Baby that has wasting?
Immune boosting Prescription drugs and Diet interaction with production of Antibodies.
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text:
GENEVA – Several homeowners reported damage to their Christmas lawn decorations – including the destruction of 21 plastic lighted candy canes – Nov. 26, according to Geneva police reports.
The candy cane ornaments, valued at $63, were on the lawn of a house in the 1200 block of Herrington Road when they were smashed, according to reports.
Also, Christmas lights valued at $15 and strung on a fir tree in the yard on the 1200 block of Shoop Drive were reported cut Friday.
And a cord to a holiday light display was reported cut Nov. 25 on a lawn in the 1200 block of Lencioni Court. The cord was valued at $10.


text:
I am Back!
It's taken me quite a while to get onto this new site. Turns out my user name and password were changed. But now I'm back.
yes I'm done with school, yes I'm still here.
I have a co-op in RIT's Human Resource department, specifically doing faculty recruitment. I really enjoy the office. Although it has nothing to do with Fine Art, I did spend a large portion of my time at RIT holding leadership positions in my sorority, many of which involved member recruitment. I also worked for the Undergraduate Admissions office and this job has many similaritys. Instead of recruiting Seniors in highschool, I am tracking PhD student's in their last year. And istead of inviting them to Open Houses on campus we are preparing for RIT's Future Faculty Career Exploration Program.
I am pretty interested in a Masters in Higher Education or Arts Administration. Although I love the fine arts, I have found myself to be stong in leadership positions. I love organizing people and goal setting. I haven't applied for any Masters programs this year, which means next fall is very much up in the air. This summer too for that matter. I would like to stay on campus and continue gaining experience in university life, but I really need to job hunt. Time to start paying the bills- specifically the student loans. BLAH.
If any of you faculty/staff members out there are looking for an assistant this summer... you know where to find me! (Resume available upon request )
Technorati Profile


text:
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW)__Council members and the Mayor began the session by unanimously approving an issue 10-0 that would allow the Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority to continue the current mill levy cap of 4.2 mills for 2014. The TMT believes the increased mill will add revenue for future projects.
Councilmembers also approved an issue called the citywide 50/50 Sidewalk Repair Project.
The project allows for $60,000 to be used to improve Topeka residents' sidewalks and this year the program, which has homeowners and the city split the cost for sidewalk improvements, will extend beyond cement.
"Brick sidewalks will also be included as well as other sidewalks. What happens is the city will inspect the area and the first thing that is offered to the homeowner is the 50/50 program, where the city pays half and the owner pays the other half up front before the work is done," said City Finance Director Pam Simecka,
She also says the program is not limited to certain council districts but with just $60,000 available, you need to act fast.
Simecka says, "Contact your public works and let them know of the problem, they will come out and put you on a list based on priority and severity, but you have to do it fast and give them a call.
City Manager Jim Colson also urged all Topekans to attend Saturdays Neighborhood Summit, which will be held from 10 am-2 pm at the Ramada.


text:
The Goddard Center will have its first annual Raku Rendezvous Saturday at the Goddard Center Art Studios. The event will be a demonstration of firing raku pottery, a unique technique that fast fires pottery. The pieces are pulled from the kiln still glowing hot and are cooled and finished quickly to reveal the glaze, which can often be surprising to the artist and the viewer. Raku results include a full spectrum of color, smoke, dramatic black crackles and lusters.
High school and college students are welcome to attend from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a one-on-one opportunity to learn from and interact with professional artists performing their craft. From 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. the general public is invited to view the firings. The Raku Rendezvous provides the opportunity to exchange ideas, techniques, glazes and other information while also being an interesting and unique way to spend an afternoon.
Artists performing the raku demonstration include Steven Phillips, Allan Burris, Freeman Loughridge, Jack Ousey, and Robert Ostman, who together have over 120 years' experience in ceramics.
In addition to the demonstration, the public is welcome to view the All Schools Exhibit featuring area high school and middle school artists from area schools.
Students and schools who plan to attend should register with the Goddard Center by calling (580) 226-0909. The Goddard Center Art Studios are located at 425 1st Ave SW.
The Raku Rendezvous will take place in the back parking lot.


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The humanities have destroyed themselves over the past 30 years… Through an obsession with European jargon and a shallow politicization of discourse, the humanities have imploded… There's hardly a campus you can name where the most exciting things that are happening on campus are coming from the humanities departments… I think the entire profession is in withdrawal at the moment. This is a national problem. It's not just a Harvard problem.Amusingly, Open Source did a general search for a creative commons photo of Camille Paglia and ended up using one that I took. I've appeared on Open Source Radio more than once -- here and here -- but this was just a coincidence. It's also funny because Paglia actually got mad at me for taking her picture (because I accidentally set off the flash). Here's my old post about Paglia's appearance in Madison.
February 28, 2006
"This is a national problem. It's not just a Harvard problem."
55 comments:
- knoxgirl said...
Camille's right. I thought all that stuff was so cool when I was in college, now I regret that a lot of the great novels I read were interpreted so cheaply (ie politically) by my profs.
- Squiggler said...
Years ago I asked my Mother for Camille Paglia's latest book as a Christmas present. I can remember so well her reaction ... one of shock. She said, "are you sure, do you know anything about her?" "Of course," said I. Now, to set the stage, I was very active in Republican politics and very pro-life and not very supportive of the feminist movement that was in full swing at that time. My Mother, on the other hand, was a ground breaker for women's rights going back into the 1930s and an avowed feminist. We rarely saw eye to eye on anything when it came to feminism. But, I got the book. It didn't change my mind about the feminist movement as it was being promoted at that time, but it made me a fan of Camille. I'm off to find that book on my bookshelf, because right this minute, the title escapes me.
- Dave said...
I read a lot of the so-called "great" novels in college but miraculously was spared (most) politicizations of them.
I only had, as I recall, one overtly liberal professor, and, in fact I had at least one professor who was an avowed Catholic.
I went to a mainstream university and majored in English.
Either I was unusually lucky in this regard, or the pervasiveness of curriculum politicization is vastly overstated by put upon conservative students.
I don't really know what the true situation is. (I am also willing to consider that perhaps I have become so inured to liberal ramblings that those of my professors went in one ear and out the proverbial other.)
- Eli Blake said...
I think you may be right that it is overstated. They can always find the most egregious examples, like the Ward Churchills, but I work at a college, and I am a Liberal activist, so I'd be a prime candidate for this stuff, except that as a professional, I check my politics and religion when I walk in the door (granted I teach math, so there is little political that I could talk about even if I was unprofessional). I think that most of my colleagues are the same, we teach our classes and don't get overtly political. I did once hear a professor in a video classroom I had to go into to leave some documents in a folder talking about Reagan (yes, from a liberal viewpoint) but the class was Political Science, and since it was about a thirty second 'random sample' of his lecture, I can't say if he was giving his own opinion or a 'this is what liberals said about Reagan' demonstration for the discussion.
But on the whole, I think the whole topic is overrated-- using the one in a hundred who eschews professionalism in teaching a topic as the 'typical professor' is like pointing to pedophile priests as the 'typical clergyman.'
- Dave said...
Of course you can politicize math. Just look at the post-structuralists and post-modernists who assert that objectivity is a manmade construct. According to them, a multicultural approach to math entails that two plus two need not equal four in all places at all times.
This, of course, goes against all the rudiments of number theory (to say nothing of science and empiricism) and it is these radicals which conservatives (and moderates) object to so much.
I don't doubt these types of professors are out there--see Michel Foucault and his apologists--but I don't know how pervasive they are.
There's a difference between being a liberal and being a post-modernist or -structuralist. Most liberals, I would aver, do not dismiss the idea of universal, mathematical truths.
- Jacques Cuze said...
objectivity is a manmade construct. According to them, a multicultural approach to math entails that two plus two need not equal four in all places at all times.
But, objectivity is a manmade construct. See Heisenberg, Planck, Lorentz, Einstein, Riemann et. al. for clarification. NB: The Anthropomorphic principle, Schrodinger's Cat, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, etc. Two plus two need not equal four. A triangle need not have angles that add up to 180 degrees. It depends upon your surface, your metric, your axioms, your group operations. This is in perfect accordance with number theory, science and empiricism. This is Basic Algebra, really.
Maybe your beloved straw-conservatives do not understand that which you would have them complain about.
Would you please find me someone who thinks that two plus two need not equal four in all places at all times for multicultural reasons?
- PatCA said...
I completely agree with her. Obsession with America's--and only America's--failures in race and gender is institutionalized by curriculum requirements. It's like a Maoist Cultural Revolution swept in a Ward Churchillian world during the '70s, and now we are undergoing another phase of creative destruction...I hope.
- Johnny Nucleo said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- Johnny Nucleo said...
"Two plus two need not equal four."
You don't really believe that, do you, Quxxo? If you do, why are you so certain of your point of view? If objective truth does not exist, then what the hell are you so mad about? You hate Bush, I like Bush. You like chocolate ice cream, I like vanilla ice cream. It's all good. No truth is more true that any other.
- Dave said...
Re: two plus two equaling four...
If you use a base 10 number system, then it needs to equal four. Not so if you use another number system with a different base.
But this is irrelevant to my earlier point about multi-culti approaches to mathematical truths.
- Jacques Cuze said...
But this is irrelevant to my earlier point about multi-culti approaches to mathematical truths.
Your point is nonsense until you cite an actual multi-culti approach to mathematical truths.
- ShadyCharacter said...
Dave and Eli, two self-professed liberal activists, are confused as to this so-called liberal bias others recognize in the academy.
It's like a pig-farmer saying, what smell?
Or the Wizard of Oz saying, I don't know what you're talking about, that doesn't look very green to me!
Though Dave's horizons were expanded by his experience with "an avowed Catholic" professor! Can you imagine such a thing???!!!
- dick said...
I don't know about all the schools, but back in the late 1950's at a private liberal arts university in Ohio the LLL was very definitely alive and well. I also was majoring in English for a time and if the analysis of any book was not politically leftist you might just as well forget the grade. I had a friend who turned in a paper criticizing the NHS in Britain and he got an F because the paper was not telling the truth. He got the facts in the paper from his father who had been a doctor under the NHS in Britain while the professor had spent a vacation there after the NHS was set up. You had better write that Sacco and Vanzetti were innocent victims of the capitalists and that socialism was the only possible method of government or it was all over.
I only had one English professor who was not a totally whacked LLL moonbat and he left to teach at a Quaker school (Earlham).
- Dave said...
Shady: How do you conclude I'm a "self-professed liberal activist"?
I made no such comment.
Yours is a stupid comment.
- AlaskaJack said...
Quxxo, one question: is it objectively true that there is no objective truth?
While you're spending the rest of your life trying to answer this question, please take a philosophy course and spare us your sophomoric gibberish.
- ShadyCharacter said...
No YOU'RE stupid. Er, I mean, your comment is stupid… =)
Yeah, yeah, it was only Eli who said, quote, "I am a Liberal activist." You did not say that explicitly. I doubt you'd deny that you were very liberal though.
Looking back at your post you do write: "I am also willing to consider that perhaps I have become so inured to liberal ramblings that those of my professors went in one ear and out the proverbial other."
So which is it, Dave? You never encountered liberal politicization in college or it was so pervasive you could no longer distinguish it from the background noise? Almost like a pig-farmer might be inured to the smell of his charges, or the Wizard of Oz in his Emerald City might be desensitized to the color green?
I can't believe the sagacity of my comment eluded you!
Who's stupid now??
- lindsey said...
quxxo, Google "anti-racist math". And then start clicking.
- Icepick said...
Dave, 2 + 2 = 4 has nothing to do with using base ten. 2 + 2 = 4 even if you're using base two, it just looks different. (10 + 10 = 100) Quxxo is discussing equivalence classes and modulo arithmetic. All the bases do is change the representation, and has nothing to do with the underlying value.
And for you math-phobes, don't worry. 2 + 2 = 4 in the real number system and using the standard operations, which is all 99.9999+% of humanity ever uses.
- Icepick said...
(And Quxxo, don't you go scaring the nice math-phobes by telling them that I lied about how many of them use modulo arithmetic.)
- Ruth Anne Adams said...
In the comments to your Paglia link, you said to RLC, asking for an ancient typewriter:
Richard: I need to move out of my house just to rid myself of the accumulated clutter. I just don't have the incentive to throw anything out. So, yes, I do have the typewriter (and another one too and numerous computers). And I do still have my old "Maggie Mae" paper, which I ran across recently and read with a combination of shame (at myself) and outrage (at the institution that should have forced me to become educated).
9:05 AM, April 28, 2005
The seeds of your upcoming move have been around a long time it seems.
- XWL said...
No need to make up absurd false absurdities when the real life absurdities are absurd enough.
Click on the syllabus link here (can't seem to link to the syllabus directly) and tell me that this class wouldn't be exactly what Paglia is on about.
(And I pick on Princeton only cause it's also Ivy and you can have access to the syllabi, I'm sure there are worse examples out there)
- Henry said...
Paglia tears into Summers as well. In fact, in typical fashion, she just tears into everyone:
"The entire educational system in the United States is deranged. It's absolutely deranged. It's a terrible hamster wheel."
Interesting that Lyden mentions that his kids were home schooled. He tells Paglia "good for you" for trying to reform the system, though with Paglia, declarations of war always preempt the plans for reform.
- Slopoke said...
I thought a couple of her comments were great and have gone uncommented upon ... "sheik nihilism" - NO KIDDING!! I also think this speaks to Anne's point about how she is treated by liberals and conservatives with respect to her posts.
2nd comment: "erudition is not a value" in recruitment...how could it be if you already know you are right ... you have to hire the nihilists
Finally: she mentions the media and suggests they could be used to question the PC status quo in universities (maybe I heard her wrong), but she doesn't strike me as that out to lunch so how does she think the media is capable of this?
I have taught at several universities and I am currently at two in the midwest. I know very few of the liberals who check their politics at the door; in fact, they believe it their duty to not do so because the skulls of mush need them to not do so.
- Robert said...
Two plus two equals four for sufficiently broad values of two and four. Here's a joke that will separate the aged from the youthful:
Engineering prof to engineering student: You! What's two plus two?
Engineering student (fiddles with slide rule for a while): Let's see...three point nine nine nine nine...nuts, let's just call it four.
- Ann Althouse said...
"sheik nihilism"
It must have been "chic nihilism," right? But "sheik nihilism" amuses me.
- Slopoke said...
To be perfectly honest, I was having a brain fart moment on "chic" and I guess I had other news of the week on the brain. At least I know better than to post late at night.
- Jacques Cuze said...
I am not saying there are no facts. I am saying that you cannot separate measurement of a phenomena with the phenomena itself.
I am saying the facts demonstrate that Bush lies.
I am saying that no matter how many happy pills he/she takes, a Supreme Court Justice and Newspaper Reporters are silly and wrong when they make the claim they can measure/decide/report on cases in a neutral and objective manner.
There are only two professions left these days that claim this magical ability to be objective, and that's journalism and judging. Why is that?
Even the basis behind the beloved dialectic understands that objectivity is not possible. If one judge can objective measure the facts, why bother with prosecutor and defense?
And the founders knew there was no such thing as objectivity: why call for nine seats on the Supreme Court and not just one?
Oooh, oooh, oooh, the mere process of becoming a judge transubstantiates an advocate into a magically marvellously measurably objective judge. Sounds like papal infallibility to me. Sounds like pap. Eat it up, yum.
- altoids1306 said...
But, objectivity is a manmade construct. See Heisenberg, Planck, Lorentz, Einstein, Riemann et. al. for clarification. NB: The Anthropomorphic principle, Schrodinger's Cat, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, etc. Two plus two need not equal four. A triangle need not have angles that add up to 180 degrees. It depends upon your surface, your metric, your axioms, your group operations. This is in perfect accordance with number theory, science and empiricism. This is Basic Algebra, really.
If you would be willing to find a tall building, and leap off the roof, I would be willing to demonstrate that gravity is a quite objective construct.
- altoids1306 said...
But, objectivity is a manmade construct. See Heisenberg, Planck, Lorentz, Einstein, Riemann et. al. for clarification. NB: The Anthropomorphic principle, Schrodinger's Cat, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, etc. Two plus two need not equal four. A triangle need not have angles that add up to 180 degrees. It depends upon your surface, your metric, your axioms, your group operations. This is in perfect accordance with number theory, science and empiricism. This is Basic Algebra, really.
If you would be willing to find a tall building, and leap off the roof, I would be willing to demonstrate that gravity is a quite objective construct.
- Jacques Cuze said...
So I googled anti-racist math and came up with lots of interpretations of one Newton Massachusetts math program. Read and still had no idea what anti-racist math is.
It is absolutely clear that no one is teaching kids that 2 + 2 != 4.
The best discussion comes not from the wikipedia page on anti-racist math, but from the wikipedia discussion page on the wikipedia page on anti-racist math:
If anything anti-racist math is a watered down math program where teaching the fundamentals is not the priority as much as teaching different cultural approaches to teach math is. Sounds like a great course, but doesn't sound great in the grade schools.
As I said, no one is teaching that 2 + 2 = 5. How can you nutcakes possibly think that would be so? Did Osama scare you that much? Are you that insane?
- altoids1306 said...
Schrodinger's's Cat was the way Schrodinger demonstrated the absurdity of measurements determining outcome. It's an argument against subjectivity, not for it.
Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle? Are you serious?
delta(x)*delta(p) >= hbar/2
It has nothing to do with objectivity. It's an invariant principle that explains, among other things, why electrons don't spiral in and crash into their respective nuclei. It's a probablistic statement, but that doesn't mean it's not objective, anymore than a die is not objective.
Seriously, if you want to invoke quantum mechanics, you should consider the risk that you might encounter someone who actually understands quantum mechanics.
The self-destruction of the humanities, Exhibit A.
- Jacques Cuze said...
Hey deltoids, stop with the steroids and the factoids and google Copenhagen Interpretation.
Here's the Straight Dope's Epic Poem on the subject
Here's James Schombert, professor of physics, who puts it better than I:
For centuries, scientists have gotten used to the idea that something like strong objectivity is the foundation of knowledge. So much so that we have come to believe that it is an essential part of the scientific method and that without this most solid kind of objectivity science would be pointless and arbitrary. However, the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics (see below) denies that there is any such thing as a true and unambiguous reality at the bottom of everything. Reality is what you measure it to be, and no more. No matter how uncomfortable science is with this viewpoint, quantum physics is extremely accurate and is the foundation of modern physics (perhaps then an objective view of reality is not essential to the conduct of physics). And concepts, such as cause and effect, survive only as a consequence of the collective behavior of large quantum systems.
- Bruce Hayden said...
The other thing that quxxo talks about is that while mathematics appears, in our frame of reference, to result in 2+2=4, it is because of our localized point of reference.
Two, somewhat interrelated instances of this come to mind. He mentioned non-Euclidian geometries (one of the most fun classes I had in college). We assume that we live on a plane. But, of course, we don't. On a plane, two parallel lines never intersect. But we live on a somewhat spherical body (i.e. the earth), where parallel lines do intersect, and the sum of the angles of a triangle don't add up to 180 degrees. You just have to look at the longitude lines to see that parallel lines do intersect.
Another example he mentioned, relativity. If you have two objects moving apart from each other, each at 9 mph, they will be separating at 9+9=18 mph. Ditto for .9 M (speed of sound). But not so, for .9 C (speed of light). Here is a table of the effect of relativity as the velocity of each of two objects traveling apart goes from .1C to .9C.
Thus, at .1C, 1+1=1.9802, while at .9C, 1+1=1.1050
- altoids1306 said...
Wow quxxo, I'm glad you can google. And rhyme.
Seriously, if you want to debate quantum mechanics, I'm your man. On the shelf next 4 inches behind this computer screen, I have both Griffiths and Shankar, the two standard texts for undergrad QM. Next to those are Jackson, the standard graduate text, and Kittel, a oldie-but-goodie for solid-state physics. I have read all of them. On the table, next to my keyboard, is Lundstrom's Fundamentals of Carrier Transport, which I am reading now. I have such an overwhelming advantage as to make debate with you barely enjoyable.
The Copenhagen interpretation is just that - an interpretation. There are realist, orthodox, and agnostic stances to the metaphysical question of what is.
Assuming you have intellectual curiosity beyond 10 minutes of googling, please read the afterword of Griffiths' text, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (pp 374-385 in 1994 edition). This textbook is easily found in any university library.
- Jacques Cuze said...
I have both Griffiths and Shankar, the two standard texts for undergrad QM. Next to those are Jackson, the standard graduate text, and Kittel, a oldie-but-goodie for solid-state physics. I have read all of them. On the table, next to my keyboard, is Lundstrom's Fundamentals of Carrier Transport, which I am reading now. I have such an overwhelming advantage as to make debate with you barely enjoyable.
Oh goody, you have 9 uncut inches of books! I only have 6 inches (H&R Vol I &II and my 20 year old diploma) in this dick fight of yours.
Uh, except I note that when you whipped out your inches, you forgot to refute Schombert or anything I said, excepting to puff up your inches by yourself and say that well, there are other interpretations. Yeah, there are other interpretations, but which one is by far the dominant interpretation and the one taught to all? I'm not saying that the Copenhagen Interpretation is the be all and end all, but you are making out like it's one of dozens of others equally good.
The point being that if you have read those shelf-inches and not just stroked them, you know I am correct: there are facts, but the scientific process insists you must take measurement of those facts into account along with the measurements themselves. Objectivity is a man-made construct.
- altoids1306 said...
If you actually read Griffith's afterword, you will find, in my opinion, a very comprehensive treatment of the Copenhagen interpretation, as well as descriptions of some of the more "fun" experiments done over the years, like EPR and Quantum Xeno paradox, which directly address the issue of observation and non-locality.
The reason it's in the afterword is because the Copenhagen interpretation, like all other metaphysical interpretations, is not science. It is not the dominant interpretation (most physicists simply don't care - it's a non-issue, since it's not science - they're agnostic), but I'll submit that it is a commonly used pedagogal tool. And, if you actually understand the mathematical basis behind what the Copenhagen interpretation is trying to interpret, it really has no bearing on objectivity. The collapse of a quantum particle to a spin-up or spin-down state happens in a probablistic fashion. Again, probabilty is just another type of determinism, not subjectivity.
So not only is the Copenhagen interpretation not science and just a interesting metaphysical mental exercise, even if it were universally accepted as true, it would have no bearing on the question at hand.
I'm not going to get drawn into this. I can't have an conversation with you if you don't even understand the terms by which the question is framed. This isn't a matter of inches, it's like barking back at a dog. If you want to argue that I have been ignoring your statements, well, I invite any reader to scroll up through these comments to see who has been ignoring whom.
My intention has never been to convince you. The insane don't know they're insane. My intention was to disabuse any rational bystander of the notion that objectivity is a man-made construct. It's bad enough that Bush pushes intelligent design as science. It's infinitely worse when someone pretends to know something about science to buttress some ridiculousness about no objectivity.
As I said before and as you ignored, I invite you to test the objectivity of gravity by jumping off the roof of a tall building.
I'm done here.
- Smilin' Jack said...
quxxo said...
Objectivity is a man-made construct.
We physicists get really tired of hearing relativity and quantum mechanics invoked to support that kind of crap. The opposite is true...if physics were man-made, it would be Newtonian. Relativity and QM are very counterintuitive, and we only believe them now because objective reality has forced us to. That reality has decisively refuted our subjective, intuitive concepts of the way the wrold should work.
E.g. nuclear weapons are designed in precise accordance with the principles of relativity and QM, and if you happen to be in the vicinity of one when it goes off, you will be objectively, as well as subjectively and multiculturally, dead.
- Ross said...
In college, I took three courses from history professor Richard Berthold at the University of New Mexico, who won nationwide notoriety on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, for telling a classroom full of Roman history students "anyone who bombs the Pentaon is OK in my book" or somesuch.
It was obviously an idiotic thing to say, and I believe he retired shortly after (he was around the right age anyway).
Anyway, despite being an over-the-top campus radical (though also one who, if memory serves, had no patience whatsoever for PC nonsense), he gave the best lectures of any professor I had in my five and a half years as an undergrad. He was incredibly passionate about his subject and spread that passion to hundreds of students in his packed classes every semester.
People are way, way more interesting than their politics.
- knoxgirl said...
I had a history professor in college I thought was great too. Problem was, she assigned books by people like Todd Gitlin, without telling us who he was and just exactly what (radical leftist) point of view he was coming from.
It amuses me that so many liberals say the problem is overstated or that it doesn't exist. It is true that very few profs probably actually get up and start pontificating about how bad Reagan sucked. Thing is, it's not what your prof gets up and says. 99% of the time--as the above little anecdote illustrates --it's what's *left out* of the discussion that's telling.
It's a cliche at this point, but it really bugs me that liberals are for "diversity" but they are so blase about the fact that faculties are so uniform in their political viewpoint. And they try to act like it's silly to even suggest that such an unbalanced situation has no effect on how students are taught.
- David said...
The joke was fine - even though slightly wrong. The engineering student was asked 2 * 2, not 2 + 2. (You do multiplication on a slide rule, not addition.)
- a psychiatrist who learned from veterans said...
quxxo seems to paraphrase Heisenberg to say that 'objectivity and subjectivity are both properties of an event and I have determined, correctly should you care to disagree, both. Class may continue. Please do not be so grandiose as to ask anything but questions derivative of these assumptions (also those noted before).' Thanks though, altoids, for speaking out of school. Did somebody say something about a reductio ad absurdum?
- Bezuhov said...
"I am saying that no matter how many happy pills he/she takes, a Supreme Court Justice and Newspaper Reporters are silly and wrong when they make the claim they can measure/decide/report on cases in a neutral and objective manner.
There are only two professions left these days that claim this magical ability to be objective, and that's journalism and judging. Why is that?"
You're conflating being with becoming. If I recall my philosophy, the ontological with the teleological. Even if perfect objectivity is impossible, it is a useful goal for producing the sort of social harmony currently so sorely lacking.
I would contend that it would be helpful to stop calling the bias plaguing academia "liberal", as true liberals will be essential in rectifying it. "Chic nihilism" is deadly accurate.
- JFP said...
1. Is it objectively true that global warming is occurring? If not, then why bother worrying about it?
2. My wife is a professor, and I have been a professor, too. While we leave politics out of the classroom, we hear other professors talk about what they tell their students, and it is horrible.
3. I've also worked in a college bookstore, and the books used are very indicative of the mindset of those teaching. I seldom saw titles like "The Battle of the Bulge" or "Brazil," but saw instead things like -- these are my own imaginary titles -- "Gays and Women in WWII" and "Marginalized in the Amazon."
4. Finally, if the Ward Churchill's are the exceptions, why is it that they are so reluctant to boot him out, even though he's a known plagiarist?
- Matt said...
you said, "And the founders knew there was no such thing as objectivity: why call for nine seats on the Supreme Court and not just one?"
Actually, the Constitution makes no specification as to the size of the Supreme Court. That is at the discretion of Congress. The Court originally had five justices, if I remmeber corectly. FDR's "court-packing" scheme was an attempt to get congress to increase the size of the court (so that he could appoint new justices). Congress would be well within its authority to reduce the size of the court to one (although it would take a while, as they could not give any current justice the boot without impeachment).
- P. Froward said...
If Ward Churchill's such a rare exception, why was the lady who replaced him even crazier?
That having been said, it's worth remembering that Churchill taught a Mickey-Mouse pseudosubject. Academics in "soft" fields veer a lot more to the left than academics in real fields like science and engineering, where you the results are either reproducible or they aren't, where your theory has predictive value or it doesn't, where your algorithm is O(log n) or O(n**2), and it's not a matter of "opinion".
Left-wing physicists may waste some of their students' time with rants, but they're not lying about physics in their papers or in the classroom, because they'd get caught. Furthermore, the kind of students who show up in serious physics classes might actually complain if the prof wastes too much of their time. The poor losers in the fuzzy subjects are there because they want to waste their time — or else because they're too muddle-headed to tell whether their time is being wasted or not.
Should we care? No. We should not care. Liberal arts education in this country was a disaster long before the New Left ever existed. Why? We are Americans and we simply don't give a damn about liberal arts. Can you harvest grain with it? Build a bridge with it? Blow stuff up with it? Can you even produce art or literature with it (Remember what Truman Capote said about John Barth)? Nope! Yawwwn! We never took it seriously, we never did it well, and we didn't much care when the idiots took it over, because it's worthless anyway. A coup in the Mickey Mouse Club is not front-page news.
In our modern economy, we have a glut of the sort of folks who were intended by nature to plough furrows or go into domestic service. Sociology and English Lit departments are a humane way to keep these knuckleheads busy and out of trouble. Don't make it out to be any more than it is.
Intelligent people have more important things to worry about.
- pst314 said...
"Just look at the post-structuralists and post-modernists who assert that objectivity is a manmade construct."
Some books that explore (and eviscerate) various post-modern nonsense about science and mathematics and objective knowledge:
Higher Superstition, by Paul Gross and Norman Levitt
The Flight from Science and Reason, edited by Paul Gross and Norman Levitt
A House Built on Sand, by Noretta Koertge
Intellectual Impostures, by Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont
It is a favorite claim of the post-modern left that there is no such thing as objective knowledge, only self-interest and power.
Perfectly disinterested objectivity is something that no human being can achieve, but to assert that there is no such thing as objectivity is sophistry.
- pst314 said...
"We physicists get really tired of hearing relativity and quantum mechanics invoked to support that kind of crap."
What he said.
- AST said...
The fact that anybody takes Camille Paglia seriously is part of the problem. Anything radical, shocking, offensive or anti-american is wonderful. Anything else is treated with scorn, then repression, then suppression.
My label for it is PoMo Crap.
This whole thing reminds me of the warnings in the 50s and 60s about the undermining of freedom by radicals. It was said, They talk about freedom for themselves, but when they get power, there will be none for anyone else.
- Bezuhov said...
"1. Is it objectively true that global warming is occurring? If not, then why bother worrying about it?"
The question is too broad (i.e. involving too many variables and uncertainty regarding model validity) to be meaningful.
Many attempting a good faith objective representation of some of the variables involved are convinced that it is enough of a possibility that prudence would dictate taking some measures to prevent it; just as it was prudent to remove Saddam Hussein despite the lack of 100% objective certainty that he would pass WMD's on to terrorists.
- Bezuhov said...
p. froward,
It is just the sort of ridiculous cluelessness you've revealed here that keeps the liberals we need to save asademia allied with the nihilistic leftists destroying it in a misguided defensive crouch.
Thanks for nothing.
There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
- P. Froward said...
Bezuhov, you don't mean "academia". You mean "humanities departments".
If you can give me one good reason to believe that we suddenly can't live without the efficient functioning of humanities departments, I'd like to hear it, because we never missed it before.
Are we in danger of forgetting Faulkner? "Danger" is not the word I would use.
But seriously. Some of the unspoken assumptions underlying this discussion could use a little fresh air.
- Yevgeny Vilensky said...
quxxo- Since you are apparently an expert on mathematical physics, would you mind at least writing down the idea behind the proof of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle? Maybe even give some indication as to what it refers to? Let me just tell you, it has NOTHING to do with reality being subjective.
If you want politicization of science, just google the Sokal Hoax and go to Alan Sokal's (Physicist-NYU) webpage. He's a lefty, but discusses the politicization of science. Read especially his piece in Lingua Franca where he reveals the hoax. Funny thing is that the politicization is not by scientists, but by humanities people who don't know their a** from a hole in the ground.
Oh, and while you're at it, please tell me what all of those people in those very expensive labs are doing if reality is subjective? I mean, how do they know that the petrie dishes contain a particular kind of bacteria rather than another kind. After all, it could be just, their phenomological perception of reality, or better yet, a product of their cultural upbringing. Seems like a giant waste of time, it seems to me.
You know how to throw around terms. At least you were _somewhat_ substantive in this thraed. As much as I refrain from personal insults on blogs, I don't think Prof. Althouse will mind me saying that you really are an idiot.
- knoxgirl said...
P Frow-- your rant is a bit weird. Someone used the term "nihilism" to describe lefties. You're getting dangerously close yourself!
I mean, you can't be serious.
- pst314 said...
Yevgeny Vilensky, thanks for correcting my failure of memory by mentioning Alan Sokal's webpage. It has enough documents and links to keep somebody busy for days.
- Bezuhov said...
"P Frow-- your rant is a bit weird. Someone used the term "nihilism" to describe lefties. You're getting dangerously close yourself!
I mean, you can't be serious."
No, he's just missing a right brain. Decent left one, evidently; perhaps there's hope - mine showed up late.


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Alumni Interview with Emily Shackelton-James
Name: Emily Shackelton-James
Major at Berklee: Songwriting
Graduation Date: 2007
Professional Title: Singer/Songwriter
Employer: Liz Rose Music/Warner-Chappell
What are some of the accomplishments you're most proud of in your career thus far?
Making a living in this crazy business is, in my opinion, an accomplishment in and of itself, and I'm grateful every day that I get to go to work and write songs. That being said, I'm so thankful for a few standout moments I'll never forget: making my record, Late Bloomer, this past year and seeing the songs come to life has been a lifelong dream come true. Winning the John Lennon scholarship through BMI while in my last semester at Berklee was an incredible opportunity and experience. Hearing my songs on television (David Cook singing "Dream Big" on American Idol; Hayden Panetierre's character singing "Love Like Mine" on ABC's Nashville; The Voice winner Cassadee Pope singing "Proved You Wrong" and "Secondhand" at an internationally televised benefit concert) never gets old! Tate Stevens (winner of The X-Factor) recorded my song "Ordinary Angels" and spoke about it being his favorite song on his record in Rolling Stone magazine—that was a real trip! And just last week, one of my all-time favorite producers played me "Can't Stop," a duet I wrote that he just cut on Sara Evans and the Fray. It sounded so good I started crying! Cross your fingers, it will be my first major-label single on the radio.
What are the most challenging aspects of your current job?
Climbing the ladder is a never-ending process. When I was at Berklee I thought, "If I could just move to Nashville, then I will be happy." When I moved to Nashville I thought, "If I could just land a staff songwriter position, then I will be happy." When I was signed to my first publishing deal I thought, "If an artist would just record my song..." It goes on and on, and the truth is, it will go on forever if you let it. I've seen many friends come off the high of having their first No. 1 song on the radio and plunge into a deep depression, desperate for another taste of success, and I've seen writers who have had 25 No. 1's who behave exactly the same way. I believe the biggest challenge (in songwriting, but also in life) is to find happiness in the now. I spent so much time dreaming about how great the future was going to be that I don't think I really enjoyed the moment my first few years in Nashville. I'm practicing being grateful for every minute I get to be a part of this crazy town and the music that comes out of it.
Other challenges include trying to stay ahead of the curve of what's hip right now, trying to stay fresh with ideas and melodies, and just trying to stick it out. They call Nashville a 10-year town for a reason. It is my sixth year here and I feel so lucky to have had a few small successes, but the truth is, it's a long process and it's easy to let the voices in your head talk you out of believing that your time will come; I have to shut them out every single day.
What would you say are the top requirements (skills, mind-set, etc.) for someone entering this line of work?
I think you need to have a strong independent work ethic, a real love and passion for your craft, a desire to continue to grow, stretch, learn, and get better, and enough drive to get you through the long nights waiting tables and then hoofing it to an open mic night, living on Wendy's value menu, sleeping on thrift store mattress on the floor. Being independently wealthy, having a benevolent family member, or marrying a rich old man would be the ideal scenario when trying to break into the music business, but I did none of those things and my story has turned out okay thus far. Check back in 10 years!
What is a normal day like in your line of work (assuming there is such a thing as a normal day)?
I normally get up at about 7:30 a.m., workout for about an hour, eat breakfast, and check my calendar and email for the day. At 10:30 a.m., I head to either my cowriter's office or to my personal office inside of Liz Rose Music, and spend the day writing and sometimes recording what we do. Sometimes my day is done (around 3:00 p.m.), but usually I then will head over to the studio to work on a session or prepare for a writer's round I'm performing in. The nights when I'm not working, you'll usually find me out at another writer's night or performance in town. There is always good live music happening somewhere and my friends and I are all really supportive of each other, and sing on each other's rounds, so there's always something to do!
What would be a reasonable salary range to expect if I entered this field? What is the long-term potential?
The short-term potential is overwhelmingly bad. I didn't let that stop me and it shouldn't stop you either, but I want to make it clear that it is hard to sustain a life on a songwriter's salary the first several years. I didn't come to town at all prepared for the life I was about to live. I had three part-time jobs that I worked my first year in Nashville, running myself into the ground and then trying to be creative. Pat Pattison finally sat me down nine months in and challenged me: if I really believed in myself, then why couldn't I take that leap of faith and devote myself full-time to songwriting and trying to land a deal? Bless him ... I signed my first deal less than two months later. It was a hard decision and my husband was a champ, taking on extra financial burden in the meantime to make rent.
I believe the average publishing deal is about $18,000 to $22,000 per year. That salary, plus student loans, was just about impossible for us. I supplemented my income by singing demos whenever I could and playing at a little piano bar in town. Any good entertainment lawyer will help you negotiate raises each year that you're kept and those can add up nicely. But truly, it's when you start getting royalty checks from your performance rights organization (PRO) that life starts looking up. It's a nice gift to receive every three months.
This industry has changed dramatically in the past five years. What have you seen from inside your company? Where do you think the changes will happen in the next five years?
I get this question a lot and I feel like I'm not the right person to answer it. I came to town after the big change started happening; downloading was already replacing record sales, nobody was getting publishing deals, and no one was getting cuts unless they were writing with the artist. I hear stories all the time about the glory days of this biz, but this is all I know. It's certainly not perfect, but I love a good challenge and I think there's always room for a new, fresh perspective. Who doesn't want to be a pioneer?
How has your Berklee experience prepared you for what you are doing today?
I loved my time at Berklee. It feels like forever ago and yesterday at the same time. The songwriting department was amazing and my time spent within those classes really prepped me for writing in so many ways: starting from a title, starting from a melody, only writing with four chords, writing a rap, writing poetry, and cutting out 25 percent of your lyrics in your song. Pat, am I giving away your Advanced Lyric Writing curriculum?
If you could offer just one piece of career advice to students, what would it be?
I wish I had some amazing piece of advice about Nashville or about songwriting, but if I could only offer one bit of wisdom it would be this: cherish your time where you are now. I sound like an old woman, but I would give anything for one more day walking down Mass Ave., late for another conducting class. You'll never get this time back again. Don't get me wrong, I worked 40 hours a week while at Berklee, but it's still the last few moments before adulthood truly kicks in, so be a kid. Dream recklessly, wildly, and live in the now. You won't regret it.


text:
Gallery: What I Learned From Cowboys & Aliens
Cowboys & Aliens is the greatest movie mash up of our time. Not really. But it is good fun, unless you focus too much on the pointless details like I tend to do.
Here's a quick plot summary. Daniel Craig is a badass cowboy who wakes up in the middle of the desert with a weird bracelet and can't remember anything. He kills some dudes and heads to a nearby village where the sherriff realizes that Craig is a wanted felon. Also at the village is Harrison Ford, a racist cattle owner with a deadbeat son (Paul Dano) and a surrogate Native American son (Adam Beach). (There's a conflict of interest there.) Then aliens attack, kidnap some townspeople, and a group led by James Bond and Indiana Jones, who bicker like the Odd Couple, set off the fight the aliens. Olivia Wilde is there too and she isn't always wearing clothes. And no, I never bothered to learn any of the character's names.
In sum, I learned so much from this movie.
Joanna Arcieri blogs regularly about movies and occasionally sasses The Gloss' editors. This post originally appeared on Joanna's blog For Cinephiles by a Cinefille. You can reach Joanna on Twitter.


text:
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Thanks to Arian Foster, the Houston Texans are still undefeated — but they very nearly let this one slip away.
Foster ran for 152 yards and a touchdown, and the Texans are 5-0 for the first time and defeated the New York Jets for the first time in team history, hanging on for a 23-17 victory Monday night.
With a chance to lead the Jets on a winning drive, Mark Sanchez was intercepted by Kareem Jackson on a pass that tipped off the hands of Jeff Cumberland with 1:51 remaining.
"You got to give yourself a chance to win and we did that tonight," Sanchez said.
The Texans (5-0) joined the Atlanta Falcons as the NFL's only teams without a loss.
"Arian stepped up and played huge," quarterback Matt Schaub said. "We're very excited to be 5-0 and get a win on the road."
The Jets (2-3) were heavy underdogs after coming off a 34-0 loss to San Francisco last week, but made a game of it. Backup quarterback Tim Tebow got the crowd fired up at times throughout the game, including running for a first down on a fake punt, but had little impact otherwise.
Houston overcame a 100-yard kickoff return by Joe McKnight that cut the Jets' deficit to 20-14.
Schaub was 14-of-28 for 209 yards and a touchdown to Owen Daniels, winning his ninth straight game — the longest active streak in the NFL — dating to last season. Daniels finished with four catches for 79 yards for the Texans, who have just their second five-game winning streak in team history.


text:
Tuesday New Year's Daddy
New Year's Daddy
Is anyone else getting a maleware warning on this page besides me?
I am too, it's buggin me out :/
I'm pretty sure it has something to do with one of the pictures of Kevin Nash I posted, I just reported it to the mods asking if they could remove it, hopefully that'll fix the problem.
But anywho, Saturday.
No problems here, however one time just coming to the site was block for me because my AV said it had malware or something like that.
Btw Dokkaida nice pic
ok..got it. Thanks @ sfcollegeguy :]
Sunday Daddy
Sunday Daddy.
Monday Daddy.
Tuesday Daddy.
Wednesday Daddy.
Wednesday Daddy
Thursday Daddy.
Friday Daddy.
Friday Daddy
Saturday Daddy.
Sunday Daddy.
Sunday Daddy
agreed pokemaniac agreed
Monday Daddy.
Ummm . . . what Santa Claus looks like when he is not wearing his Santa Suit?
Tuesday Daddy.
^^^^^ He is GORGEOUS!!!!! Thanks, SWR!
Thursday Daddy.
Friday Daddy.
Saturday Daddy.
Sunday Daddy.
Saturday daddy looks mighty fine to me. Fur and beard make him a winner.
Monday Daddy


text:
December 14 2013
Someone *other* than SMG as Buffy? Natasha Lyonne of "Orange is the New Black" has hinted in the past that she had been given scripts for "Buffy" and turned them down. Could she have been our Slayer?
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text:
Italy plunged deeper into political chaos this weekend after Beppe Grillo, the quixotic former comedian who holds the balance of power in parliament, suggested that the country may have to abandon the euro and return to the lire.
By Nick Squires, Rome, and Andrea Vogt in Bologna
8:30PM GMT 02 Mar 2013
The rebel comic's warning came amid a growing rebellion among grass-roots supporters of his Five Star Movement, with 150,000 signing a petition calling for him to open up dialogue with the centre-Left Democratic Party, the biggest force in parliament.
With the country in political paralysis, there were also questions over his eccentric behaviour, after the surreal public appearance of a man, either Mr Grillo or one of his supporters, with his face obscured by a zipped up puffer jacket and a pair of ski goggles.
The bizarre figure, resembling a human fly, waved at photographers from the deck of Mr Grillo's beach house at Marina di Bibbona on the coast of Tuscany.
Read More>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...from-euro.html
The Euro should never have been, it turned out to be one massive wealth redistribution program and rather than use the wealth to their benefit the takers squandered it.
where will it end, the entire world is on a road to nowhere, there is really nowhere to go.


text: It's easy to get to the centrally located Lake of the Ozarks. It's just 175 miles from St. Louis, 165 miles from Kansas City, 125 miles from Branson and less than a day's drive from practically anywhere in the central United States. Now that the Lake Area has the new expressway and 242 Highway, getting around the Lake is even …Read More »


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Was wondering if there's any feedback on the raw tren ace, test prop, test e, sust250 or var powders? Anyone that's brewed with any of these I'd love to hear your input/tips. Am definitely tempted to put an order in for these bits but am always dubious about changing who I'm with.
Not bothered with sob stories of poor shipping times or sub standard customer care just direct experience with the compounds from these gentlemen and how good they are - or not perhaps?
Would really appreciate the help so thank you in advance.


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Disgraced author raised eyebrows during Madison visit
Madison - A felon who specialized in the theft of presidential documents, including some being returned to the Connecticut Historical Society, raised flags with his behavior during a July 2008 visit to the Madison Historical Society, the group's president said Wednesday.
Barry Landau, who during the visit gave a presentation and signed copies of a book he authored, was sentenced in June to seven years in prison after admitting to stealing items from several museums. His assistant was sentenced last week.
"We don't believe he took anything from us," Lynn Friedman said of Landau.
Friedman, who was the Madison society's vice president at the time of Landau's visit, said she began closely monitoring the Landau story when news of his arrest broke in 2011.
"I immediately contacted everyone who had anything to do with him that day (in Madison)," Friedman said.
She also contacted the FBI in response to a plea for information about Landau, and provided the agency with a lengthy statement.
Friedman said Landau's Madison appearance grew out of contact he initiated with the historical society. His book-signing, for "The President's Table: Two Hundred Years of Dining and Diplomacy," was arranged in conjunction with R.J. Julia Booksellers, the Madison bookstore.
"He acted very strangely," Friedman said, recalling Landau's visit to the historical society's headquarters, the Allis-Bushnell House on Boston Post Road. "He told us he wanted space to do an exhibit. We're now realizing that was because he wanted access to the building. When he came, he didn't bring anything. But he started going around the house and rearranging everything."
The only item in the society's possession that might have interested Landau, Friedman said, is a letter in which the wife of Madison native Cornelius Bushnell describes having met Abraham Lincoln. The letter is kept with archives in a separate building that Landau never accessed, Friedman said.
The Hartford Courant reported Wednesday that the Connecticut Historical Society is recovering dozens of rare documents stolen by Landau and his assistant, Jason Savedoff, who was sentenced last week to a year in prison. The items include letters by George Washington, Marie Antoinette and Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Day published a feature story on Landau on July 13, 2008, several days before his Madison book-signing. A reporter and a videographer from the newspaper interviewed Landau in his Manhattan apartment, which FBI investigators later raided.
Landau's downfall figured prominently in an Oct. 28 segment of CBS' "60 Minutes."
See the theday.com video
at http://bit.ly/QHAs9f
Day video: History expert pleads guilty to stealing documents
Three decades later, Desiree Michaud's friends and family still seek closure
Vice President Mike Pence's 2018 Commencement Address to the United States Coast Guard Academy


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BESIDES a 60 mile bike and some Dave Scott Bricks (10/2 x 3), there was the Oak Barrel/Jack Daniels half marathon thrown in for good measure last weekend. Our intent was simple, go out faster than training pace, slower than race pace and negative split it….and be ready for Sunday's workout bright eyed and bushy tailed. Done, done and done. I finished in 1:56 which is ~10 minutes off my PR pace but I am perfectly happy with it. It started out in a down pour and you couldn't get any wetter. Soaked to the bone for most of the run, listening to the symphony of sloshing shoes. I got to meet MCM Mama on the start line. How she found me, I'll never know! Visit her for her race report from a non-Tennessean. Anyway, cut to the chase – great race, well organized, nice Jack Daniels technical shirts and 'medals' made out of Oak Barrels and still smell like whiskey, Brunswick stew and corn bread as our finishers meal and that was the day. Double thumbs up and do it if you're ever in the area. Yes, hilly but it's Tennessee, it's just pretty much hilly here….it was pretty, even through the wet.
Where have I been?! Yes, holy crap. I have not had 30 minutes to pee, I swear it. It's been one helluva training cycle for both me and Gunnar. In the end, hubs takes the brunt of it all, me falling asleep at 8:00pm and the extra puppy details. Thankfully, we are getting close, close to Triple T, that is and I know I'll be ready. How do you know you're ready for something you've never done before? I'm not sure but mentally, I'm going to crack soon, physically, I feel as fit as ever and those are my two signs. Mentally, I start getting mushy in the head, another week and a half and I get a recovery week to sharpen back up.
This week, 9000 swim, 150 bike, 30 run and I don't feel like I'm close enough to those goals for it being Thursday and all. I'll make it, always pull it out of my ass somehow. How does one 25/7 brick in the a.m. and another 25 ride later in the afternoon grab ya? Add in an 80 mile hilly ride the next day and that will be my weekend. Yeah, Triple T training is WEIRD.
These two slay me…..


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08.23.13The Dow Chemical Company inaugurated its new Northeast Technology Center (NTC) in Collegeville, PA.
A world-class, state-of-the-art 800,000 square foot facility, the NTC is a global research and development hub of modern lab and office facilities providing a fully equipped, collaborative space for more than 800 employees and contractors. One of the largest sites of its kind in Dow's global network, the NTC will play a pivotal role as an innovation hub for many businesses in Dow's Advanced Materials portfolio – a business unit headquartered in Philadelphia, which brings differentiated solutions to customers in key end-markets including electronics, consumer and lifestyle, infrastructure and transportation and energy.
"The Northeast Technology Center is yet another example of Dow's continued commitment to innovation and collaboration," said Andrew Liveris, Dow chairman and CEO. "Working at the intersection of the sciences, Dow scientists and technologists are bridging the gap between chemistry and technology to develop solutions to some of the world's greatest challenges."
Dow Executive Vice President and Advanced Materials Portfolio Leader Howard Ungerleider noted Dow has a heritage of innovation in the Delaware Valley: "More than fifty years ago, this region saw the invention of water-based acrylic emulsion technology, an innovation that revolutionized the way we make paint and became a national historic chemical landmark," said Ungerleider. "Today, as we gather in this new space, we can only imagine what kind of milestones we will reach in the next 50 years. It is exciting to know that this will be the point of discovery for many new innovations to come."
Dow in the Delaware Valley employs approximately 2,000 people, generates $1 billion in customer sales annually and has had a presence in the region for more than 100 years. Dow employees in the region play a significant role in innovative chemistry that betters lives and contributes to the quality of life in the tri-state area and its local communities. Products developed locally include: acrylic technology for paints, coatings and construction materials; products used to fabricate electronic chips; polymer technologies for personal care, as well as technologies for enhanced water purification and laundry care. Dow has already started moving employees from its Spring House Technical Center to the NTC and will continue the transition through 2014.


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today's feature goes to this darling vintage polka dot party via stlye me pretty & justin marantz photography. i was in love the second i saw it. so, so adorable. how fun are the pies and the coca cola?! i just love all the colors and the vintage feel.
hope you enjoy!


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Ja Rule Faces Disciplinary Action In Prison! –Tha Wire
Ja Rule is currently incarcerated and began serving a two year bid as of last June. Unfortunately enough for him, he was convicted of weapons charges relating to a 07' arrest. On top of that, a month later he was handed


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Lennon delivers grim economic warning
Former Labor Premier Paul Lennon is warning Tasmania's unemployment rate could return to double-digit figures without a major development like a pulp mill.
Mr Lennon has returned to Parliament House after an absence of four years for the unveiling of his official portrait by Tasmanian artist, Geoff Dyer.
He told a ceremony to commemorate his tenure that he regrets leaving politics before the pulp mill project in the Tamar Valley was realised.
"And my goodness don't we need it now," he said.
"Back in the period 2006 to 2008, there were many people in Tasmania who thought we didn't need any more development, we had enough, we were right for the rest of our lives.
"I think we've found out different now, that if we're not careful we'll be back where we were in 1998 very quickly."
Mr Lennon says he has a simple message for Tasmanians, and that is to support the development of the pulp mill pioneered by the collapsed timber company Gunns.
"If we don't I have great fear for manufacturing in this state and for our ability to attract ability from outside of the island," he said.
The Premier, Lara Giddings, says her most pressing concern is the threat of a Tony Abbott Government and his plans to redistribute the goods and services tax.
"Let me say, we're not where we were in 1998."
The Premier says Labor still supports the pulp mill.


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MRR Review: "Contracted"
on 2013-12-03 18:00
MRR Review: "Contracted"
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 78 minutes
Release Date: November 22, 2013
Directed by: Eric England
Genre: Drama / Horror / Thriller
Body horror films play on a particularly effective set of fears. Unlike the adrenaline-fueled fear of the relentless stalker or the existential horror of the end of humanity found in zombie apocalypse films, body horror films are about a primal fear all humans share: that one day, the body that has served a person so faithfully will rebel, fall apart, and fail. Eric England's film "Contracted" plays on this fear, tying it in with the reckless sexual promiscuity and predation that still leads to so many real-life consequences today.
"Contracted" follows Samantha (Najarra Townsend), a young woman who falls victim to a predator at a party—an all-too-real possibility for many members of the audience. After B.J. (Simon Barrett) drugs her drink and takes advantage of her in his car, Samantha wakes up the next morning, hung-over and conflicted about the previous night's events. She dismisses what happened as just another mistake in a life full of bad decisions, but things soon turn much darker when she begins to experience the aftereffects of her encounter.
Samantha tries to rationalize away the early symptoms of her illness, writing them off as the effects of the drinking and the residual chemicals in her system. However, when lethargy and nausea give way to bleeding and skin discoloration, she begins to suspect something is seriously wrong. Her doctor can't identify the source of the problem, suggesting it's some sort of sexually transmitted infection, and as her symptoms quickly worsen, her mind rebels at the horrifying possibilities. As her body falls apart, she searches for answers, not knowing if her disease is going to kill her, or perhaps do something even worse.
The central theme of the movie is Samantha's struggle with what is happening to her, so the movie focuses most of its attention on the protagonist. Her circle of friends remains mostly in the background during the story, allowing the horrific effects of the disease to remain in the forefront of the audience's attention. The interactions the film does depict paint Samantha as a troubled and slightly shallow person, and most of her friends come off little better. Samantha's mother (Caroline Williams) hints at unexplored character development, suggesting a checkered past that may shed some light on the events of the film. Samantha's one likable friend, Riley (Matt Mercer), suffers greatly as Samantha takes out her frustrations on him in a particularly horrible way.
"Contracted" dances with the idea of becoming a darkly humorous send-up of youth culture and excess in Los Angeles, ground zero of the rootless youth of America, but it never quite manages to bring the message home. On one level, so many of the characters seem too self-absorbed to realize what's going on with Samantha and comprehend the true gravity of her situation, but the film never really seems to capitalize on this. The behavior of Samantha's friends comes off less as a statement about perception and empathy, and more resembles a hole in the plot: the characters don't seem to notice their friend rotting away in front of them until things have progressed far beyond the norm. Likewise, Samantha herself seems to take some alarming physical symptoms for granted, covering up and heading to work when any sensible person would be dialing 911 or calling for a priest.
Where the film succeeds—stunningly—is in the depiction of Samantha's rapidly progressing condition, culminating in the gross-out payoff in the third act. For this low-budget feature, the filmmakers scored a great coup in landing makeup artist Mayera Abeita, whose effects manage to be uniformly horrifying: on the edge, but never quite crossing the line into ridiculousness. As things slowly get worse for Samantha, the effects emphasize the gradually disintegrating state of her physical form, and even the most jaded horror fan will likely be cringing at some of the film's more disgusting moments.
Najarra Townsend's performance also helps carry the movie. Samantha is difficult to like, especially when she takes certain actions towards the film's unrelenting finale, but Townsend allows audiences inside the head of this woman, whose life and physical form are slipping away from her after one chance encounter. The depression and rage she feels at every bodily violation help give the film its emotional impact, drawing viewers into a world of revulsion and despair. Ultimately, "Contracted" serves its purpose, giving an unflinching look at what happens when a young woman confronts her own unexpected mortality and instead of finding nobility in her approaching end, lets the horror of the situation overwhelm her.
Rating: 3 out of 5


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Ray Farmer is a Dolphins general manager finalist but unlike most folks eager to take their second interviews for the job, Farmer is at this writing uncertain.
Farmer told me over the phone he is not certain whether he is going to take the interview or not. He told me a decision on the matter would be coming soon.
Meanwhile, John Wooten who runs the Fritz Pollard Alliance -- an organization dedicated to advance the cause of diversity within the NFL's coaching and executive ranks -- spoke to Farmer even as Farmer had me on hold. And Wooten tells me he is recommending to Farmer to absolutely interview with the Dolphins.
So what's the big problem?
Simple ...
"He has reservations about the structure of the Dolphins," Wooten said. "He's not certain who would be running things, whether it would be him or someone else. I told him the only way you can find out is to take the second interview and get the answer."
Wooten believes Farmer is strongy considering his recommendation.
This is highly problematic for the Dolphins because, obviously in Farmer's mind, they conducted an interview with a candidate so qualified as to be a finalist in their search for a new general manager ... and during that interview that took multiple hours, they did not clearly explain to Farmer what the job is exactly.
And if they explained it, Farmer still came away uncertain.
As Vince Lombardi once famously asked, "What the hell is going on out there?"
By the way, CBSSports.com and NFL Network already reported Farmer is not taking the interview. He was not so decisive with me on the phone.
I told him those are the reports out there and he declined comment. I told him it sounds like he's staying in Cleveland and he said, "I'm not saying that at all."
The Dolphins are interviewing finalists this weekend, as I reported Wednesday. Lake Dawson is also a Dolphins finalist, as I reported Thursday morning.


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ANCHORAGE — After five moose were gored to death trying to jump over some decorative fences, officials in Alaska's largest city are considering regulations to make the gothic-style fences safer.
The Anchorage Assembly on Aug. 5 will hold a public hearing on proposed regulations for metal palisade fences that have spiked, pointed tips.
The fences stand between 4- and 6-feet tall and usually encircle private residences for both security and aesthetic reasons, the Alaska Dispatch News reported. But state wildlife biologists say moose get caught up, or gored by the tips when they try to jump over them.
The proposal from Assemblywoman Jennifer Johnston would outlaw such fences shorter than 9 feet unless the tips are removed or the spikes capped. She said constituents asked her to draft the proposal after seeing news accounts of the moose deaths.
Of the thousands of miles of fences in Anchorage, there are few of the metal palisade style. However, that number is on the rise, according to an April resolution passed by the Watershed and Natural Resources Advisory Commission, which supports the measure.
Likely the most prominent use of the palisade fence is at the historic Atwood mansion in Anchorage, where a number of moose impalements has prompted criticism.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Biologist Jessy Coltrane shot down two moose calves impaled on the mansion fence on the same day about five years ago.
"It's pretty gruesome and horrible for all parties involved," said Coltrane, who referred to them as "impalement fences."
The moose are either gutted by the fences when attempting to jump over them, or the animal's skinny ankles get caught in the fence and they hang upside down until they die.
The Atwood Foundation has placed a flat bar across the top of the fence to cover the spikes at the mansion. Officials at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson also moose-proofed a fence at the base.
But Coltrane said even though homeowners and business owners are typically horrified and remorseful when the moose are caught by private fences, she has seen little action to repair or improve them.


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"Education is the best provision for old age" Aristotle. In order for our lives to be better & for us as kids in our old age to be useful, innovative & creative, we need quality education, irrespective of our ethnicity, race, gender & geographical location. Boys, girls, we all deserve quality education.
Member since July 6, 2013
1 Post


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But in the short term, things are very bleak and the Jets are not making things better by knowingly creating a two-year turmoil period when it easily could just have been one.
Not all 30 years of the PSL timeframe are going to be fun, we all get that, but I'm not sure who wants to go see this mess next season.
At this point the argument has more than run its course I think, i'm done with it.
Personally, I would take Gruden if he is available as he has scouted all the team with the Monday night gig. But I am in favor of keeping Rex with a new off coach who has experience scoring points. No more Tebow, and if they acquire anyone in the off season, it should be RB, TE and WR and that is it. A trade like the Thomas Jones trade would be great. The rest can be filled from the draft.
Great thread! You guys can get pretty comical.
I expect the Jets to have many defaults on the PSLs they financed before the next renewal date. I personally feel the Jets will choose to not pursue legal action against the defaulters as they don't need any more negative PR. I wonder how the Jets will handle the resales of these PSLs? Will they establish a current market price for them? I have to believe there will be some attractive buying opportunities coming. Just like the stock market, you want to buy low. I would think the best time of the year to buy would be after the second pre season game? Perspective?
We're in this for the 30 year long haul. Those who default will do so because of unfortunate circumstances like losing a job, relocating, illness, etc. Every year since 1975 the Jets have seen 2-3% turnover every year for these reasons. No different now.
There is an easy out for PSL owners should they choose to take advantage of it. Sell the 4 good games for profit, sell the 2 average games for break-even, attend the last 4 for free or perhaps a loss of 20%. If you simply must sell your PSL's, follow this strategy for a few years until we're hyped contenders again and then sell your PSL's at the high, not the low. Point is we're not talking about someone losing $4000 of his $5000 worth of season tickets; worst-case, he loses $1000. Certainly someone spending $60,000 per decade to see live NFL games can expect that in a down-year.
Jets really cant sell directly reduced PSLs while their are outstanding balances as that would just cause more defaults. Not to at least five years from that last big sale of LLEZ seats at 2.5K so most are paid off.
Jets should, in my humble opinion give first dibs to PSL holders in any given section on buying PSLs in that section that open up or let us buy season tickets.
For instance my friend has two psls in 142 and 5 in family. He has no interest in buying anymore PSLs in section at 10K each or putting down anymore money out of pocket. I think he would gladly purchase 3 season tickets in section and I think he would gladly pick up the remaining balance on 3 psls in section. Jets should try that first. It would add value to the PSLs and make folks happy and less likely to default.
Me for instance I know three rows behind me 15 seats to left a person I know has not decided if he wants seats. He did the last 2009 zero down deal but has made a few payments including the 11-1-12 payment. I dont want to buy them off him. But if he defaulted I would be ok with Jets adding his remaining balance to my account and I pick them up. As long as Jets agree not to go after me if I default on them. But odds of that are low as I got them cheap and in payments the portion that is principal really picks up after first few payments. I think plenty of us folks have four or five in family and only bought two psls. They should hit us up first.
Oh yea that team that just started selling season tickets in those PSLs sections did not do financing.
Jets has a very unique PSL issue as Jets is pretty much only team to do financing. Giants did no financing.
Other teams if they sold 70% of stadium cash and got stuck with other 30% unsellable they can turn around and say no more psls we are selling season tickets in those seats without risking defaults as everyone owns their seats.
Team can say you got best 70% of seats so you still got value.
Jets have superbowl this year in stadium so can market you are in lottery and we can market out draft picks and new GM and offensive coordinator to boost sales in 2013. But if we have a bad 2013 there is no way to spin 2014 into ticket sales.
See below for a summary of the sales data over the last six months:
Seating Area Six Month Average (Price Per Seat)
Touchdown Club Sideline $6,250
Touchdown Club Corner $2,088
Lower Level Sideline $6,500
Lower Level Goal Line $6,750
Lower Level End Zone Corner $6,250
Lower Level End Zone $1,738
Most interesting part of data in speadsheet of last six months PSL sales is seat selection.
For instance. Nov 12 2012 section 101 LLEZ row 44 PSL seats sold for $1,075 each for around a 60% loss.
Meanwhile same sections 101 in December 2012, (when jets were even worse off), sold for $7,250 each a gain of almost 300%.
Both PSLs were priced at $2,500 each. Some might argue with me. But I think the row one seats in secondary were a better deal. If I was a small business, I lay out 29K in a one shot deal and have seats with a face of $120 each to give to clients which have a huge wow factor. The cheap psls in row 44 are good seats for a actually fan to us cover, elevation, near exit. But for a business, you aint selling nothing giving away row 44 seats.
Nov-12 2 Lower Level End Zone 101 44 -- $2,150 $1,075
Dec-12 4 Lower Level End Zone 101 1 -- $29,000 $7,250


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The Kenai River Brown Bears defeated the Wenatchee (Wash.) Wild 4-2 on Saturday at the Soldotna Sports Center to complete a three-game sweep of the Wild.
Wenatchee lost its seventh straight to complete a winless six-game trip in Alaska. Kenai River has now won 5 of 6.
The Bears improve to 26-24-6, while Wenatchee stays one point behind Fairbanks in the race for first place in the North American Hockey League West Division. Fairbanks lost to Fresno (Calif.) on Saturday.
Kenai Central product Zack Zulkanycz notched the game-winning goal with just 11 seconds to play.
With only a few seconds left on the power play, Jake Davidson got the puck to the net, resulting in a mad scramble for the puck. Zulkanycz was able to get the puck on his stick and bury it.
Then, with one second left, Davidson iced the win with an empty-net goal.
Zac Lazzaro and Alec Butcher also scored for the Bears.
Brown Bears coach Oliver David said Zulkanycz was the player of the game, and assistant captain Davidson deserves credit for a great last minute of the game.
Brown Bears 4, Wild 2
Wenatchee 0 1 1 —2
Kenai River 1 1 2 —4
First period — 1. Kenai River, Lazzaro (Bushinski, Duwe), 2:55. Penalties — Wenatchee 3 for 16:00; Kenai River 2 for 4:00.
Second period — 2. Wenatchee, McHugh (Kerr, Jones), 18:06; 3. Kenai River, Butcher (Jackstadt), 18:52. Penalties — Kenai River 2 for 4:00.
Third period — 4. Wenatchee, Kuchera (Redmond), pp, 12:27; 5. Kenai River, Zulkanycz (un.), pp, 19:49; 6. Kenai River, Davidson (Deal), en, 19:59. Penalties — Wenatchee 2 for 4:00; Kenai River 3 for 16:00.
Shots on goal — Wenatchee 12-10-11—33; Kenai River 11-12-12—35.
Goalies — Wenatchee, Nichols (34 shots, 31 saves); Kenai River, McCarthy (33 shots, 31 saves).


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67 WALL STREET, New York - April 19, 2013 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Investing in Energy, MLPs and Other Strategies Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This special feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with Portfolio Managers. The full issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.
Topics covered: Value Investing, Long-Term Investing, High Quality Companies, Investment Strategies, Large Cap Investing, Investing in Energy, Oil and Gas
Companies include: Cardinal Financial Corp. (CFNL), Community Bank System Inc. (CBU), Esterline Technologies Corp. (ESL), Kaman Corp. (KAMN), Hub Group Inc. (HUBG), Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings I (AAWW), Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK), inContact, Inc. (SAAS), Exterran Holdings, Inc. (EXH), International Business Machine (IBM), Oracle Corp. (ORCL), Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) and many more.
In the following excerpt from the Investing in Energy, MLPs and Other Strategies Report, a portfolio manager discusses his investment philosophy and his portfolio-construction strategy:
TWST: What are the two or three best reasons a long-term investor should take a close look at Anchor and your Small-Cap Value Strategy?
Mr. Pohl: If you look at the performance of various asset classes over long periods, the small-cap and small/midcap value are tops in terms of absolute performance. A more nuanced observation about our process, as I mentioned, is that we have been told by third parties that given our low turnover and deep fundamental focus, we are almost private-equity-like in the public market space. The reason for that is, as we discussed, our turnover is remarkably low for a small-cap manager, but in fact one validation of our process has been the number of strategic takeovers that have occurred in the portfolio, which can be compared to liquidity events for private equity investors, are disproportionately high.
To wit, of the 65 to 70 takeovers that we've had out of our portfolio, a high number of those have been taken over by sophisticated buyers, such as IBM (IBM) and Oracle (ORCL) on multiple occasions, Johnson Controls (JCI), Norsk Hydro (NHY.OL), Bayer (BAYN.DE), and various private equity buyers. That prompts us to conclude that we do a fairly good job of sniffing out some of the strategically relevant entities before the strategic buyers do, which justifies having exposure to our process.
TWST: Is there anything else you wanted to touch on, anything else investors should know about the strategy?
Mr. Pohl: We are in the midst of a comprehensive marketing effort, which really hadn't begun until the last 12 months. In a capacity-constrained arena, that has significance for a lot of people. We are open for business...
For more of this interview and many others visit the Wall Street Transcript - a unique service for investors and industry researchers - providing fresh commentary and insight through verbatim interviews with CEOs, portfolio managers and research analysts. This special issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.