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There is no doubt that Our boy Troy needs to be signed to an extension. IMO,the FO would have usually sign a guy like this before he enters the last year of his contract but I'm sure Big Al is playing a part in the Delay Factors.By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
What a sight Troy Polamalu must have been, relaxing in the hot tub on that cold January day.
Talk about a great place, a fabulous resort, to just get away to for a few days after the Steelers played their final game of the Bill Cowher era. A whole season of 8-8 frustration, not to mention an awful lot of aches and pains, were going up with the steam from the soothing water. Polamalu's wife, Theodora, was off being pampered, getting a massage. He had a few quiet moments to himself and was at peace. It's not hard to imagine him sitting back, closing his eyes, drifting away ...
"Then this old man comes walking up," Polamalu said.
The two chatted, as people tend to do at a hot tub.
"I asked him where he's from," Polamalu said. "He said he lives all over the world. I say, 'No, seriously. What do you do?' He says, 'I own this place.' "
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa.
It was Joe Hardy.
No, there was no sign of Hardy's 22-year-old bride-to-be.
Just in case you were wondering.
"Listen, they're having a surprise 84th birthday party for me today. How would you like to come?" Hardy asked.
So that's how the Polamalus ended up as special guests at Hardy's table, along with Robin Williams, Gov. Ed Rendell and Tom Ridge, listening to Bette Midler and Christina Aguilera sing and watching all the beautiful people at the party of all parties, even if it wasn't much of a surprise for the very wealthy man of the hour.
"A pretty amazing weekend," Polamalu recalled last week. "We didn't even have clothes with us. We had to buy everything there."
It was pricey, but Polamalu can afford it.
One day soon, presumably with the Steelers, he will sign an enormous contract. Maybe it won't pay him Hardy-like money, but it will make him the highest-paid player on the team.
Don't you wish, Alan Faneca?
The Steelers might be able to get by losing one All-Pro after the coming season. That would be the unhappy Faneca, who made such an ugly scene at minicamp last weekend when he went public with his contract conundrum. But the team can't afford to lose a second great player. It has to find a way to do a new deal with Polamalu, who also will be a free agent after the season if he isn't re-signed.
If it's an either/or situation, Faneca or Polamalu, the Steelers have to go with Polamalu, who's right behind Ben Roethlisberger at the top of their most-indispensable-players list.
"He's our playmaker, our star," Steelers linebacker Larry Foote said at minicamp. "We run a lot of stuff in our defense that's just for him. We can't let him go."
It's nice to think new coach Mike Tomlin has gone to the Rooneys with that same message. (maybe I just might like this guy)
Much has been said and written about the type of defense Tomlin will coach. Will he stick with the 3-4, zone-blitz scheme that Cowher preferred? Or will he slowly convert to a 4-3, cover-2 defense that he learned under Tony Dungy? It's a fascinating topic, but the bottom line never changes: Tomlin needs great players to make either defense work.
The Steelers need Polamalu to be a great defense.
"He's the best player I've ever seen at safety," Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. said last season. "He's phenomenal." (What! Coming from this egotistic *******,I'm impressed)
It was in the game at Cleveland last year that Polamalu left no doubt that he's one of the NFL's special players. On a three-play sequence in the fourth quarter, he used his incredible closing speed on first down to run down Browns quarterback Charlie Frye for a sack in front of the Steelers' bench; displayed his toughness on second down by slicing through a mass of humanity to tackle running back Jason Wright after a 2-yard gain; and showed his marvelous football instincts on third down by pulling up on a blitz and leaping to bat down Frye's pass intended for Winslow. The Browns punted, and the Steelers scored a late touchdown to win, 24-20.
That's why Foote said of Polamalu that day, "I've been playing a long time, and I've never seen anyone make plays like he makes."
And that's why Foote says now, "His presence alone out there makes you better. Playing next to him breeds confidence. Knowing he's next to you makes you stronger."
Polamalu is saying little about his contract situation. He says little about just about everything and says it very quietly. "I don't know what's going on. I'm just living. ... Only God knows what's going to happen." But Polamalu did add, "Definitely, I'd love to be here. This is home. I live here year-round. I don't think I have to make a case for that."
Surely, you like reading that more than Faneca's startling promise: "This will be my last year as a Pittsburgh Steeler." But the reality is, neither statement means much at this point of the negotiating game. To keep Polamalu, the Steelers are going to have to come up with a very big number on a contract. He might not be paying attention to the negotiations, but his agent certainly is.
Polamalu seemed more interested in what's happening with Faneca. "He's somebody everyone on this team looks up to." Like the Steelers' other veterans, he's wary that Cowher left, that linebacker Joey Porter was released, that Faneca appears all but gone. "I think everybody is a little unsure about the direction of the team."
Don't take that the wrong way, though.
In the next breath, Polamalu said, "I think it's good that things are shaken up a little. Everybody's got to work to establish themselves again. ... There's always apprehension when there's change. I went through it at USC when coach [Pete] Carroll came in. All of us were unsure about what was going to happen. That turned out pretty well."
Carroll won big and still is winning big because of great players.
Tomlin needs great players to be successful.
The Steelers want to give their new coach a fair shot? They have to do a deal with Polamalu.


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Urban Ink Presents: Maino "5 to 15" (Speaks On His Tattoo's & Jail Time)
Maino discusses his tattoo's and being in jail. Maino's debut album If Tomorrow Comes... is slated for a June 9th release date.
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Between 1992 and 1995, the entry-level position for the Porsche model lineup was filled by the Porsche 968 sports car. It was created by Porsche designers to take over from the Porsche 944, which terminated production in 1991. The Porsche 944 had been in production since 1981, and had been updated twice during its production run.
The last update took place in 1989, and at the same time, the engineers and designers at Porsche began to develop a new upgrade. By the time the latest Porsche 944 upgrade design was finished, the majority of its mechanical components were either replaced or significantly modified. Because very little of the Porsche 944 was left for this third upgrade, the executives at Porsche decided to launch the upgrade as a new model, and the Porsche 968 came into existence.
The Porsche 968 Club Sport version of the Porsche 968 was available from 1993 to 1995. It was a lighter-weight version of the Porsche 968, and was aimed at those drivers who were looking at improving their speed, handling, and track performance. The options list for the Porsche 968 Club Sport model was severely stripped down, so that very few of the luxury options remained. Even standard features were reduced to its base level, such as using less sound deadening material within the car and having manual crank windows instead of power ones. All of this resulted in the Club Sport version of the Porsche 968 weighing 110 pounds less than the original version.
In addition to reducing the weight for the Porsche 968 Club Sport version, Porsche optimized the suspension of the sports car. The Porsche 968 Club Sport was lowered by 20mm to reduce drag and improve track times, and 17-inch wheels replaced the standard 16-inch wheels found in the original version.
When the Porsche 968 was unveiled, it shared about 20 percent of its parts and components with the Porsche 944, which was its predecessor. Although the Porsche 968 was continuing a line of sports cars that started with the Porsche 924 in the mid-1970s, it was completely redesigned inside and out. Compared to the Porsche 944, the Porsche 968 had significant mechanical upgrades. The interior and exterior were redesigned to give it a more luxurious feel inside, and a more modern and streamlined look outside. To further separate the two models, Porsche moved production and manufacturing of the Porsche 968 from the Audi plant where the Porsche 924 and 944 were produced to its own factory.
In addition to many modifications and upgrades that were made under the hood, the design and style of the Porsche 968 was also updated. The overall style of the Porsche 968 was based on the Porsche 944, but features were taken from the Porsche 928 and added to the Porsche 968.
Noticeable style elements borrowed from the Porsche 928 included the pop up headlights and the rear fascia. The reason behind these stylistic changes was that Porsche wanted models to resemble one another across its line-up. The interior of the Porsche 968 was very similar to the Porsche 944, but there was an extensive list of luxury options available, which included a wide range of colors for the paint and upholstery, partial leather front seats, heated seats, and a CD player.
The Porsche 968 was a two-door sports car that came as either a coupe or a convertible. It had a front engine, rear-wheel drive layout and was powered by a 3.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 236 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. When the Porsche 968 was released with this updated engine, the engine was the second largest and most powerful four-cylinder engine found in any production vehicle at that time.
Drivers could choose between a six-speed manual transmission and a four-speed automatic transmission. This was the first time that Porsche offered an automatic transmission coupled with a four-cylinder engine in any of its vehicles since 1989. The automatic transmission was a dual-mode Tiptronic automatic transmission, which made the Porsche 968 one of the first production vehicles to be fit with this type of transmission. The manual transmission was the standard transmission, and the automatic transmission was available as an option.
The powertrain was fitted with the VarioCam variable valve timing system, which was new from Porsche. The Porsche 968 was the first vehicle produced by Porsche to include this new variable valve timing system. The addition of this new system meant that the Porsche 968 produced lower emissions but had increased horsepower and torque. Other modifications included the addition of a dual-mass flywheel, optimized exhaust systems, and an updated engine management system. All of these changes were made to improve the performance and handling of the Porsche 968 in comparison to the Porsche 944 and 924.
1995 Porsche 968
Convertible, Coupe, Sports
The 1995 Porsche 968 is available in both a coupe and a convertible version.


text: "I wrote my whole thesis on Burma," Kim Kardashian claims in this public service announcement about the country's political plight. "It just makes me think: A few months ago I had no idea about the problems of Burma... and now I am simply devastated," Kim writes. Watch as she tries on clothes and talks about Myanmar elections at the same time! [OfficialKimKardashian.com]


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Laundry: Coin Operated Laundry on Site
Linens: Linens can be furnished upon request
Amenities: Rental unit includes Pillows, Blankets, TV, Kettle BBQ, Coin Laundry, Complete Kitchen
1 parking space
Contract is faxed, emailed or mailed within 1 day of reservation, a 50% deposit of the entire contract amount is due within 7 days of receiving the contract. The remaining balance must be paid in full 30 days prior to your move in date.
All Units Rent Friday to Friday During the Summer.
Friday to Friday - Check In at 4pm, Check out at 10am. Deposits are not refundable.
Newport Beach Summer Rentals, Newport Beach Vacation Rentals, Newport Beach Rentals
4412 Seashore Drive Unit B Upper Unit - One House From the Sand
5 Bedrooms / 3 Baths - Sleeps 10
1 Car Parking
(scroll down for more photos)
Click "Availability" above for Calendar
Newport Beach Luxury Summer Rental!!!
5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, sleeps 10, Large Ocean View Deck
4 King Beds, 2 Twins
1 house from Newport's Best Sandy Beach, white water ocean view, Super Granite and Marble Kitchen and Bathrooms, very nicely furnished, Large HD Flat Screen TV in living room, Flat Screen TV's in all 5 bedrooms, several upgrades, Hi-Speed Internet access, Beautiful new bathrooms with granite throughout. Ride your bike or walk to the Pier, Park, Tennis Courts, Grocery Store, Shops and Restaurants. Great Location!!!! This home is a duplex. The property advertised is the 5 bedroom / 3 bath upper unit. The lower unit is also available and is a 3 bedroom / 2 bath unit. Please call Newport Beach Rentals for more information. 949-413-7852
Vacation rentals in Newport Beach, Beach rentals in Newport Beach, beach rentals Newport Beach California,
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Newport Beach House for rent, beach rentals Newport Beach CA
2018 Summer Weekly Rates
6/1 - 6/15 $3000
6/15 - 8/17 $4500
8/17 - 9/7 $2800
All Units Rent Friday to Friday
Check in 4pm & Check Out is 10am


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Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Transitions and Change
Hi readers. I have decided to change things up just a bit. I will be moving all my blogging over to Mulholland Homestead. I hope you will follow me over there. You can read all about the details and changes over there now. You will continue to see more of the same things you saw here but also some new things as my interests have changed slightly over the years. Hope to see you over at Mulholland Homestead.
1 comment:
- _Shane said...
You have had a great run and I'm excited to see where your new ventures lead you!
- September 6, 2011 at 1:51 PM
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Want to make a statement with your new home? Then your search is over! The stunning design of this four bed starts with your arrival into either the carport or garage then you can choose whether to go in through the front door into an unbelievable open plan living space complete with bifold doors onto the garden, or perhaps access the master bedroom private terrace via it's own external spiral staircase - specific plots only, please ask our Advisors for details.
Use this tool to compare two floorplans of available properties on this development
Use this tool to compare two floorplans of available properties on this development
Symphony contemporary Linear range encompassing both function and form with many utilities tall units to allow eye level double oven, soft close doors and drawers
A+ rated Bosch fully integrated appliances including fridge freezer, dishwasher, oven and gas hob
Low energy lighting to the underside of the units
Hansgrohe mixer taps
A contemporary finish of white painted walls and ceilings
White satin skirting boards and door frames
In the master bedroom sliding wardrobe with a choice of door finish subject to stage of build
White sanitary ware by Roca
Full height stylish Saloni tiling around the bath plus half height to walls with appliances
Chrome towel rail
Shaver socket
Recessed low energy spotlights
Turf or planting to the front of your home – plot specific please speak to your Sales Advisor
Rotovated and top soiled rear gardens
Outside tap
Low energy downlighters to the cloakroom, kitchen, bathroom and ensuite
BT and Sky+ points fitted to the living room and master bedroom – Sky+ subject to subscription
Mains operated smoke, heat and carbon detectors
Gas fired A rated condensing boiler providing heating and hot water
Call us 01793 279125
'My Crest' Portfolio makes searching for your dream Crest Nicholson home so much easier.
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| Sikhote-Alin Iron Meteorites For Sale
Thumbprints or regmaglyphs are what make iron meteorites look so distinctive in museums. Sikhote Alin individuals have this characteristic in miniature and make impressive collection specimens. Naturally sculptured by their passage through the atmosphere these iron meteorites are real beauties.
Copyright © 1996–2019 The Meteorite Exchange, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The Meteorite Exchange Inc., 1121 West Valley Blvd, Ste. I #165, Tehachapi CA 93561
Users online: 682 anonymous customer(s)


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P.O. Box 1406 Newport, WA 99156
Web Site http://www.povn.com/rdows E-mail US rdows@...
Blog http://rdows.wordpress.com E-mail List http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rdows
Cherie Graves, Chairwoman, WA, (509) 447-2821
Judy Schreiber-Dwornick, Assistant to the Chair, Director at Large, rdowsdirectoratlargegmail.com
Hermine Stover, Secretary, Press Liaison, CA, email@example.com
Arkansas Director, Roger Schnyer firstname.lastname@example.com
California Director, Jan Dykema email@example.com
Illinois Director, Elizabeth Pensgard firstname.lastname@example.com
Indiana Director, Charles Coffman firstname.lastname@example.com
Iowa Director, Leisa Boysen firstname.lastname@example.com
Mississippi Director, Dan Crutchfield email@example.com
Nevada Director, Ken Sondej firstname.lastname@example.com
Ohio Director, Tiffany Skotnicky email@example.com
Oklahoma Director, Jade Harris email@example.com
Tennessee Director, Gina Cotton firstname.lastname@example.com
Texas Director, Alvin Crow firstname.lastname@example.com
1. Dogs are Personal Property
(a) The (city) (county) (state) of _____________ recognizes that dogs are valuable personal property.
(b) No city, county or state authority shall restrict, or prohibit the ownership of dogs by breed, by size, by weight, or by intact status.
(c) No breed specific ordinances enacted in _________ shall stand.
(d) The (city) (county) (state) of _____________ recognizes the right of the people to own any breed of dog in a responsible manner.
(e) It is the right of the dog owner to make informed medical choices concerning spay, neuter, or microchipping of his/her dog.
(f) Dogs are valuable property that shall be taxed by the city, or county against their assessed value, or the annual cost of care and/or maintenance, which ever is applicable.
2. Containment
(a) All dogs shall be securely contained to their owners premises. The dog owner shall protect the public from his/her dogs. The assumption of liability is upon the dog owner.
(b) All dogs shall be securely leashed when off of the owners premises, and under the of a supervision of a person who is physically capable of controlling the dog.
(c) Parents who allow their child to lead a dog in public access areas, assume all liability for any accident, harm, or injury caused.
(d) Dog owners who allow a child to lead their dog in public access areas, assume all liability for any accident, harm, or injury caused.
(e) Owners walking their dog(s) in public areas are required to pick up, and properly dispose of stool waste deposited from their dog(s).
(f) Owners of dogs found at large by animal control authorities must produce documentation, upon demand, of the dog's immunizations as required by the state.
(g) Nothing in this section shall apply to dog owners whose dogs are off lead for training purposes in public areas designated for dog training classes.
(h) It is the responsibility of the owner to be able to prove identification of his/her animal through any appropriate, non injurious means of his/her choice.
3. Standard of care
(a) It is the responsibility of each dog owner to provide for their dog(s)for the entirety of the dog(s) ownership. If the owner is unable to provide for the dog, it is the owner's responsibility to;
1.) Find the dog a new owner.
2.) Pay for euthanasia by a licensed veterinarian.
3.) Pay a local animal shelter to provide for the dog until a new owner can be found.
(b) Nurture
1.) Nutrition on a regular daily basis, and clean potable water readily available
2.) Housing appropriate to the climate
3.) Containment to the owners premises
4.) Training, socialization
5.) Immunizations as required by state law, and veterinary medical treatment as necessary for maintenance of health
(c) Failure to meet any of the standards of care are violations. The owner(s) shall be charged with either/or negligence, criminal negligence, or cruelty to animals depending upon the severity of the situation.
1.) If found guilty the Court shall fine the owner, and/or order or jail time commensurate with the harm done to the animal.
2.) The Court may remove the animal from the custody of the owner.
3.) The Court shall cause the property of dog owners who have been found guilty, to be posted with warning signs that are clearly visible on all perimeters that state, "IRRESPONSIBLE ANIMAL OWNER".
4.) The signs may be removed after five years with no violations.
4. Noise Nuisance
(a) It is the responsibility of the owner to prevent his/her dog from causing a noise nuisance by barking. Incessant barking indicates lack of care.
1.) Owners may be ticketed for noise nuisance, and fined.
2.) This section does not apply to dogs barking to alert their owners.
5. Dogs At Large
(a) Any owner who allows his/ her dog to run at large shall be fined one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the first violation
(b) The second violation shall incur a fine of two hundred dollars ($200.00)
(c) The third violation shall incur a fine of four hundred dollars ($400.00)
(d) The fourth violation by the owner shall cause the dog to be confiscated by the Animal Control Authorities and, after evaluation of temperament by qualified personnel, either placed into a responsible home, or humanely euthanized.
(e) Nothing in this section shall pertain to owners hunting with dogs.
6. Owner Liability
(a) A dog owner will be charged with negligence for any property damage, or harm, or injury done by his/her dog when the dog was at large, off of the owners premises, and out of the owners immediate control. If the dog's owner is found guilty in a Court of law, then he/she shall be held liable. This liability shall include remuneration, fines, and/or jail time, at the Court's discretion, and depending upon the severity of the damage, harm, or injury done by the dog.
(b) A dog owner shall be charged with negligent homicide, whose dog kills a person when accidentally at large, off the owners premises, and out of the immediate control of the owner. The dog shall be confiscated by the authorities, and humanely euthanized, and tested for rabies at the cost to the owner.
(c) Any dog owner who has been repeatedly cited for dog at large whose dog while at large, inflicts severe bodily injury upon a person shall be charged with attempted manslaughter.
(d) Any dog owner who has been repeatedly cited for dog at large whose dog while at large, causes the death of a person shall be charged with manslaughter.
(e) A dog owner shall be charged with reckless endangerment, whose dog injures a person, or causes an accident while at large, off the owners premises, or out of the immediate control of the owner. The dog shall be removed from the owners custody, and be evaluated on temperament by qualified personnel, and either be placed in a responsible home, or humanely euthanized.
(f) A dog owner shall be charged with aggravated nuisance should his/her dog menace a person when at large. The owner shall be fined five hundred dollars ($500.00) and placed on probation for six months, during which time if any violations occur he/she shall lose custody of the dog. The dog shall be evaluated by qualified personnel, and either be placed in a responsible home, or humanely euthanized.
(g) A dog owner shall pay remuneration, and fines, if found guilty of negligence in a Court of law, when his/her dog being at large, and out of the owner's control, trespasses upon another's property, and injures, or kills an animal, or animals belonging to that person(s) whose animal(s) were contained to their property. The dog owner shall be placed on strict probation for the period of one(1) year, during which time should any further violations occur, the dog shall be removed from the custody of the owner. The dog shall be evaluated by qualified personnel, and either placed into a responsible home, or humanely euthanized.
(h) Any dog owner, by whose violations has caused his/her dog to be removed from his/her custody, shall not be allowed by the Court to own another dog for a period of ten (10) years.
(i) No dog owner will be held liable if the dog bites, injures, or kills an intruder, a burglar, a trespasser, or anyone who threatens the owner, or his/her safety while on, or off of the owner's premises while the dog is under control of the owner.
(j) Any person who is bitten as a result of having teased, or tormented a dog that is contained to it's owners premises, or who is bitten while teasing, or tormenting a dog that is contained to the owner's premises shall have no legal recourse for damages.
(k) Any parent whose child is bitten, or mauled by a dog, due to the parent's inattendance to his/her child shall be charged with reckless endangerment of a child.
(l) Any parent whose child dies as a result of a dog mauling, due to the parents inattendance, shall be charged with negligent homicide.
7. Dog Abandonment
(a) Any person who is found guilty of abandoning a dog, or dogs by dumping it/them alongside any thoroughfare, or by moving away and leaving the dog, or dogs shall be subject to a one thousand dollar fine ($1,000.00)per dog, and three months jail time, or a one thousand dollar ($1,000.00) per dog fine, and community service not to exceed six months, per dog abandoned, at the discretion of the Court.
8. False Reporting
(a) Any person who makes a false, or malicious report to Animal Control shall be charged with a gross misdemeanor.
9. Criminal Activity
(a) Any person who uses a dog as a weapon during the commission of a crime against a human being shall be charged with a class A felony.
(b) Any person who is not under threat of injury or death, or a member of law enforcement, who orders a dog to attack a person with the intention of causing great bodily harm, or death shall be charged with a Class A felony.
(c) A dog owner shall be charged with aggravated nuisance, and animal cruelty if he/she is found facing off dogs in any public area with the purpose of simulating a dog fight, or promoting a dog fight, or planning a dog fight, and fined five hundred dollars ($500.00). The dog owner shall be placed on strict probation for the period of one (1) year during which time if any violations occur, the dog owner shall be fined one thousand ($1000.00), and he/she shall lose custody of the dog, and any other dogs occupying the premises of the violator. The dog(s) shall be evaluated by qualified personnel, and either be placed in a responsible home, or be humanely euthanized.
(d) Any person who causes an animal harm, injury, or damage for the purpose of training, or engaging in dog fighting shall be charged with a Class A felony. This does not include any legal surgery such as earcropping, tail docking, or dew-claw removal performed by a licensed veterinarian


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Leica M hands on I was very fortunate to be able to go to a Leica event and get my greasy little mitts on the new series of Leica cameras. And I have to admit it, I was impressed. But was I actually impressed enough to buy one?
Tag: monochrom camera
Camera Geekery
Leica Monochrom scoop!2 min read
Leica Monochrom scoop! I was contacted recently by a chap who said he had some info about the new Leica Monocrom, specifically how it came to exist. Well, I was certainly interested. So after a meeting in a darkened car park basement, the swapping of briefcases and stealing into the night (e-mail chat), I found […]


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Dr. Bruce White
Professor and Chair of Department of Physics
Office: S2-258; SN 2207
Phone: 607-777-2843
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Dr. Bruce White's Homepage (Work in Progress)
Dr. White's research interests are in the areas of carrier transport in nanostructures, lattice vibrations of nanostructures and development of novel electron devices for information processing and energy generation.
He received the BS in physics from Binghamton University in 1990 and the MS and PhD degrees in condensed matter physics from Cornell University in 1993 and 1995, respectively. He joined the Physics Department faculty in August 2007.


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In the year 1998 Anton Kraft had the idea of creating watches that are different from anything else ever seen: LED Displays and a new time reading system that will revolutionize the watch market. Despite the non-existing technical resources or opportunities at the time he registered for a legal protection of his ideas.
Because of the initial time reading system being based on the IT code for all computers - the binary code - with the numbers 0 and 1, the brand name was born.
Considered the leading name in design & fashion orientated watches, the brand has been a pioneer of innovation and style since the beginning. The company is present in 20 countries world-wide. Instead of following the –so called- trends on the watch market, the main objective is to create something unique and different.
Anton Kraft`s idea was to create a watch line perfect for independent people who follow their own unique path in life and trend-setters who express their individuality by the way they dress. From the very beginning, Anton Kraft ignored style-dictators and consumer forecasts of the fashion or watch establishment.
And this is just the beginning...
Join the evolution.
Selection of 01 The One Watches available to buy at Geeks Buy Gadgets here


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Hey Guys,
as mentioned above i'm trying to fire an application every time i insert an audio cd. ...and yes, you assume right: i want to rip cds by simply putting them into the laptop. I'd like to use ABCDE.
Thanks a lot in advance
From the Main Menu, go to Settings, Removable Drives and Media. One of the tabs is Multimedia. Select Play audio CDs when inserted, and select ABCDE as the Command, including any switches and/or options you need. I've not tried it, but it should work. In either case, let us know.
Registered Linux user #470359
Permanently recovered BOFH
Any advice in this post is worth exactly what you paid for it.
Hey Sideburns,
thanks for your quick in really useful solution! It worked perfect for me


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Busy cyclocross weekend coming up in Seattle – The Seattle Cyclocross Series #1 is on Sunday the 30th in Snohomish (directions) and promises to be a great event.
If you're looking to do a bit of brush up before the race you can get some tips from Jonathan Page and Frank McCormack on Friday (28th) and Saturday (29th). Herriott Sports Performance and Cascade Bicycle Studio will be hosting the Jonathan Page Cyclocross Weekend, including two 3 hour workshops on Saturday and a evening presentation and auction on Friday. Page is America's premiere cross racer and the best American in history in this discipline. Great chance to see a master at work!


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Infused with essential oils.
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Wouldn't it be nice if one size really did fit all? Continuous fragrance for any size room is just an outlet away with the Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil Warmer. Simply plug in this warmer for long-lasting fragrance that's adjustable to fill any room in your home with your favorite Glade® fragrances.
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Add lasting and continuous fragrance to your living room, bedroom, busy bathroom, kitchen and other rooms! Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil delivers adjustable fragrance settings to meet your needs. Enjoy a variety of luxurious fragrances infused with essential oils.
Create your own custom fragrance experience with the Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil Customizables™ warmer. The warmer allows you to use any two of your favorite Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil refills and alternates between the fragrances daily, providing constant delight for you and your family. And the design is beautiful and will blend into your home decor.
To use, rotate warmer's electrical plug, if needed. Unscrew cap from fragrance bottle and insert into warmer. Insert warmer UPRIGHT into outlet. Adjust warmer intensity to desired setting.
When empty, replace fragrance oil bottle with Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil refills only. Do not use any other refills in Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil Warmers.
Fragrance oils may collect on warmer unit over time. To clean, remove warmer unit from electrical outlet and wipe with dry cloth. Wash hands after handling.
How do I know when to replace the fragrance oil bottle?
Each see-through oil bottle provides long-lasting fragrancing. When empty replace the fragrance oil bottle with Glade® PlugIns® refills only. All Glade® PlugIns® refills work in all Glade® PlugIns® warmer units.
I have read postings on the Internet alleging that Glade® PlugIns® products have been involved in fires. Is this true?
SC Johnson is aware that there have been postings on the Internet that have claimed that our products were involved in fires. It is important that you know that all of our PlugIns® products are safe and will not cause fires. We know this because PlugIns® products have been sold for more than 15 years and hundreds of millions of the products are being used safely.
Because we are committed to selling safe products, SC Johnson thoroughly investigated these rumors. First, we confirmed that no one had contacted SC Johnson to tell us about these fires or to ask us to investigate them. Additionally, we had a leading fire investigation expert call the fire department representative who is identified in one of the Internet postings. That fireman indicated that he has no evidence that our products had caused any fire.
We suspect this rumor may be associated with a past SC Johnson voluntary recall of one of its air products, a Glade® Extra Outlet Scented Oil product that was sold for a short period before June 1, 2002. After discovering an assembly error in a small number of that product, SC Johnson implemented a voluntary recall and provided extensive information about the product to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). After revising the manufacturing process and thorough testing for proper assembly, the Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil Extra Outlet product returned to store shelves on June 3, 2002. SC Johnson has no knowledge of any credible reports of fire related to this product.
We also know that our products do not cause fires because all of our PlugIns® products have been thoroughly tested by Underwriters Laboratories and other independent laboratories and our products meet or exceed safety requirements. SC Johnson continues to work closely with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate allegations involving PlugIns® products.
As a more-than-100-year-old family-owned company, SC Johnson is committed to providing top-quality products that can be used safely in homes, and we want to reassure you that PlugIns® products can be used with complete confidence.
Can I clean the warmer?
Fragrance oils may collect on the warmer unit over time. To clean, remove warmer from electrical outlet and wipe the warmer with a dry cloth. Wash hands after handling. These instructions are also included on the back of the warmer package.
What if the fragrance is too strong?
The fragrance will be stronger the first 3 days and then will level off. You can control fragrance intensity by adjusting the control on the front of the unit. A lower setting provides less fragrance, while a higher setting provides the most fragrance.
What if the fragrance is too light?
First, check to make sure the outlet is operating properly. This can be done by simply plugging in an appliance such as a lamp or radio to make sure it is operating. If using the fan unit, make sure the warmer unit's electrical plug is in the locked position with the arrows on the back of the unit aligned. The warmer unit should be plugged into the outlet in a vertical or upright position.
Which Glade® PlugIns® refills will work with which warmer unit?
All Glade® PlugIns® refills work with any Glade® PlugIns Scented Oil Warmers.
I can't remember what fragrance I used. Is there a way I can find out?
On each refill bottle, there is a code that indicates the fragrance.
Code | Fragrance
What's the refill made of?
The bottle is plastic and is filled with fragrance oil.
Can I use this refill and the old refill at the same time in a dual warmer?
Can I refill my bottle?
No, the refill bottles are not intended to be refilled. The Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil fragrance is specially formulated to be safely used with the Glade® warmers.
Wax Melts Warmer
Glade® PlugIns® Car


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The film was amazing, James Franco performed it very well! A movie that has never been done is worth watching! On my boxing software, I always find such premieres.
It was simply hilarious
James Franco's portrayal of Tommy Wiseau was Oscar worthy. A must see for anyone who liked The Room. (It has us wanting to revisit that old Room DVD asap.)
The entire cast was perfectly hysterical.
Original story, well told, wekl acted. You cringe and smile continually.
Fantastic flick! I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish .A very funny movie ,the whole theater clapped at the end .
This film about the making of a cult film is going to become a cult film. James Franco is brilliant as the quirky Tommy Wiseau. The movie is funny, and it's fun.............89/100 gurubob
This was a great movie, thought provoking and interesting how the original movie was made. James Franco was great portraying the original person, Tommy with a little bit of heart. A dream that can come true!!!
TRIBUTE where are you getting your info from? The room was made on a extremely overpriced budget of 6 MILLION not THOUSAND lol. To this day it remains a mystery how Tommy Wiseau actually got the funding for the movie.
The budget of THE ROOM was not $6000; it was $6000000.
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Indigestion is discomfort in the upper abdomen or chest. It is often linked to nausea, belching, or bloating.
The exact cause is not known. Most often, the condition is linked to a number of unhealthy lifestyle factors. These factors can result in poor digestion.
Risk Factors
The following lifestyle factors increase your chances of experiencing indigestion:
- Overeating
- Eating too quickly or at irregular intervals
- Eating greasy, high-fat, or spicy foods
- Drinking caffeine, alcohol, or soft drinks in excess
- Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (eg, aspirin , ibuprofen )
- Smoking
- Psychological stress
Indigestion is characterized by a variety of symptoms, including:
- Pain or burning sensation in the upper abdomen or chest
- Nausea
- Abdominal bloating
- Belching or regurgitation
When Should I Call My Doctor?
It is common to have indigestion occasionally. If the episodes worsen or happen more frequently, make an appointment to see your doctor. If you have indigestion, important reasons to call your doctor include:
- Having trouble swallowing
- Vomiting with most episodes
- Experiencing weight loss
- Being aged 55 or older
- Having a family history of cancer
When Should I Call for Medical Help Immediately?
Call for medical help or go to the emergency room right away if you have:
- Severe abdominal pain
- Blood in your stool or dark black stool
- Blood in the vomit
- Trouble breathing
- Chest pain
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. Indigestion is diagnosed mainly on the symptoms listed above.
Tests may be ordered if your symptoms worsen or you have more serious symptoms, like severe abdominal pain. Examples of tests that may be ordered include:
- Laboratory blood work
- Barium x-ray —a chalky solution is used to highlight the upper digestive tract in an x-ray
- Ultrasound —high-frequency sound waves a used to view and examine the organs of the abdominal cavity
- Endoscopy—a long, thin tube affixed with a light and camera is inserted into the throat to examine the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of the small intestine
- Gastric emptying study—food containing a small amount of radioactive material is tracked to help determine the rate at which the stomach empties of food
Your doctor will suggest a plan based on the severity of your symptoms. Treatment options may include the following:
Dietary and Lifestyle Changes
Your doctor may advise you to:
- Reduce your intake of fatty and spicy foods.
- Eat smaller meals throughout the day (instead of three large meals).
- Reduce your intake of alcohol, caffeine, and carbonated beverages.
- If you smoke, quit.
- Avoid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- If stress is related to your symptoms, find ways to manage stress.
- Lose weight if you are overweight.
- Exercise regularly.
Medicines your doctor may recommend include:
- Antacids (eg, Rolaids , Maalox Advanced Regular Strength, Mylanta)—to help neutralize stomach acid
- Acid suppression agents (eg Zantac , Pepcid , or Prilosec )
- Prokinetic agents—to help the stomach empty its contents more quickly
- Antidepressants—to treat the pain associated with indigestion
- Antibiotics—to treat a bacterial infection ( Helicobacter pylori) (only used if tests confirm that you have this infection)
If the discomfort persists, your doctor may order tests to determine if the symptoms are related to a more serious condition, such as:
- Gastritis
- Peptic ulcer
To prevent indigestion:
- Avoid overeating.
- Eat slowly and regularly.
- Avoid greasy, high-fat foods.
- Limit spicy foods.
- Do not smoke.
- Drink coffee, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages in moderation.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Exercise regularly.


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Latest WFMU show
D:O RadioTune into D:O Radio every Monday 12-3pm EST, on one of WFMU's internet streams, Give the Drummer Radio. New, live shows every week. OUR SHOWS ARE ARCHIVED OVER HERE. Have a listen!
What?An mp-free jazz blog focusing on rare or out-of-print music. We generally publish once a week. Songs will be available for a limited time, and are for evaluation purposes only. Attend concerts. Buy music.
Who?Chilly Jay Chill (aka Jeff Jackson) and Prof. Drew LeDrew (aka Jeff Golick). Requests, rants, and rights issues to: destination.out [ at ] gmail [ dot ] com.
How?Just be yourself.
- Jean Michel Van Schouwburg said hello i saw a copy of Funk Dumpling in a Brussels...
- Emiliano said I had the pleasure to be in Verona on 1987 at 17 &...
- Eigil said Congratulations, Peter F.!
- pof said Much Love to FMP!
- marten512 said Its all gone very quiet . . . too quiet . . .
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SUMMER RE-UP: Pas Faux
Originally posted 29 January 2007 BIG HEART FAT HOUSE The Lounge Lizards Big Heart – Live in Tokyo Island : 1986 John Lurie, alto sax; Roy Nathanson, tenor sax; Curtis Fowlkes, trombone; Marc Ribot, guitar; Evan Lurie, piano; Erik Sanko,… Continue reading
Category Lounge Lizards Tags Curtis Fowlkes, Dougie Bowne, E. J. Rodriguez, Erik Sanko, Evan Lurie, John Lurie, Marc Ribot, Roy Nathanson


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A while back, when Google announced its innovative interactive glasses, we were beyond excited. Sure, they're not the most fashionable creations, but they're beyond cool, and really fun. But, to be completely honest, we have to admit: at the end of the day, for now, they really are likely just going to be an expensive toy that no one really needs.
So you can imagine how excited we got when we got wind of another innovative pair of glasses that actually serves an amazing function. Engadget reported that Second Sight, a technology company, just got FDA approval for the manufacture and sale of its Argus II retinal prosthesis. These amazing glasses have proven to help restore some vision to those suffering from blindness caused by retinis pigmentosa.
It's a fairly rare disease, only affecting around 100,000 Americans, so don't expect to see these glasses on the street every day. (Not to mention, of the low number of Americans that suffer from the disease, only a fraction will be able to afford such a cutting edge new technology.)
The glasses work by using a camera that is mounted between the lenses, which captures images and transmits them to an electrode that will have been surgically implanted onto the retina of the user. Though the images won't be as perfect as someone with 20/20 vision, it will be a vast improvement for those with retinitis pigmentosa.
It's taken quite a while for Second Sight to get approval to sell these glasses. They first introduced their creations almost ten years ago, but weren't able to get the green light to sell in Europe until just two years ago.
We can't help but hope this is just the first step in vision correction, and that one day we'll see cures for all types of blindness.
Editors' Recommendations
- Illuminate the dark: Pixel 3's Night Sight vs. Mate 20 Pro's Night Mode
- Did Newark airport incident really involve a drone? DJI isn't so sure
- Once again, a drone has reportedly caused a shutdown at a major airport
- Google exec sparks controversy with Pixel 3 vs. iPhone XS photo tweet
- Apple Music encourages subscribers to give friends a free 1-month pass


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The One Foundation Award
CW's accounts receivable team exemplifies attributes of One Foundation principles
Colonial Williamsburg President Colin Campbell presented the Foundation's accounts receivable team with the One Foundation Award Friday, July 8 at the Williamsburg Lodge. The One Foundation Award recognizes individuals or groups that model the One Foundation attributes of guest focus, communication, collaboration and stewardship/accountability. The One Foundation Award is particularly special because awardees are responsible for nominating the next recipients. Last summer, Richard Tate, director of special events and executive assistant manager of the Williamsburg Inn, was presented with the award. This summer, Richard had the opportunity to nominate a colleague or colleagues. He provided specific examples of how the accounts receivable team exemplifies the One Foundation attributes:
- Guest Focus. The accounts receivable team consistently exhibits uncompromising quality in all of their interactions. They deal with guests and internal clients with professionalism and a genuine sense of courtesy. If they need to ask uncomfortable questions of the staff or guests, they do so with diplomacy but also with a sense of control when they deliver the message. The world of finance and accounting is usually black or white with little left to question. Given the nature of their work, the accounts receivable team could easily brush aside inquiries by simply saying "the rules are the rules," but they don't. Instead, they take a problem-solving approach: what do you need and how can we help?
- Collaboration. They work with the business operators to help monitor accounts and tweak processes so we can do our jobs while still meeting the end objective of collecting monies for the Foundation. They are tireless in helping us achieve our financial goals. The accounts receivable associates are patient but handle with aplomb the sometimes difficult telephone calls they have to make. They never shy away from the difficult task. The implementation of the V1 software was a combined effort between accounting and operations and helped various departments understand both what operations needs to succeed, and what accounting needs to create timely and accurate statements, maintain records, and analyze trends in pricing. The refining of the V1 computer software and the collaboration with accounts receivable continues, and helps facilitate a seamless interaction across division lines to achieve a common goal.
- Communication. When there is a question with an account or an invoice, guests are encouraged to go directly to their accounts receivable associate for answers. Accounts receivable associates are accomplished and adept at dealing with any question the guest or client may have. They know the account, understand how bills are created and can explain it clearly so the client can understand. When you call an accounts receivable colleague with a question, they are quick to respond. Their staff practices active listening and handles inquiries with a sense of urgency. They are gentle and dignified dealing with those of us in operations and with our clients.
- Stewardship/Accountability. The service that accounts receivable provides Colonial Williamsburg is the cornerstone of solid business processes. Bills leave the Foundation within 48 hours. In many cases, the accounts receivable team has been involved early enough in the booking and planning stage of some of our events to actually set up a method to collect funds in advance of the events. The accounts receivable team is unrelenting in their development of process improvements to speed the receipt of funds. They are talented partners that keep the mechanism of business running smoothly.
The accounts receivable team will display the plaque for the next year and will have the honor of presenting their nomination to the officers charged with oversight of this important award.
Past recipients of the One Foundation Award include: Dave Gregory, Products; Conference Services and Banquet Set-Up Teams; Support Maintenance Team; Robert Jones, Collections, Conservation & Museums; Larry Christian and Sandra Wiggins-Elliott, Facilities Maintenance; Greenhow Lumber House Ticketing Staff; Coach Drivers/Interpreters; Landscape Staff; Susan Zarecky, Purchasing Department; Jo Brooks of the architecture and engineering department of the property planning and management group; and Richard Tate, director of special events and executive assistant manager of the Williamsburg Inn.
CONTACT US: [email protected]


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Federal law makes Medicaid reimbursement available for health-related services that schools provide to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities. By law, Medicaid claiming for Individualized Education Program (IEP) services cannot affect the student's Medicaid eligibility or benefits. Approximately 140 Indiana public school corporations claim Medicaid reimbursement for covered IEP services (such as physical therapy, nursing and audiology) subject to parental consent. Additionally, nearly 100 public school corporations participate in school-based Medicaid Administrative Claiming to recover costs of administrative activities that school staff perform to help address students' unmet healthcare needs. Federal Medicaid funds from both programs help local schools defray costs associated with administrative activities as well as equipment, supplies, professional development and specialized training required to comply with the federal Special Education mandate.
General Information
- School Corp Medicaid Reimbursement Report – State Fiscal Year 2018 Year End Data: IEP Services (pages 1-10) & MAC (last 4 pages)
Announcements, Bulletins and Topic-Specific Questions/Answers
- Medicaid Claims Announcement for Medicaid-Participating School Corporations - March 2011
- Medicaid Speech Coverage Policy Q&A
- Memo to Special Education Directors concerning Medicaid PERM audits - January 2008
- National Correct Coding Initiative Q&A
- Indiana MAC Time Study Participant Manual - Updated July 2016
- Medicaid Billing Guidebook - Updated December 2017 - The Guidebook is a high-level overview of Medicaid claiming for school-based health services and related administrative activities in Indiana.
- Medicaid Billing Tool Kit, 20th Edition – Updated December 2018 – The Tool Kit discusses Indiana Medicaid billing requirements for covered health-related services in a student's IEP. It includes general billing guidelines for all IEP services, as well as coverage limitations, Medicaid provider qualifications and other billing details applicable to each type of Medicaid-covered IEP service.
- Update Log for the 20th Edition of the Medicaid Billing Tool Kit – Updated December 2018 – The Update Log identifies what changed from the previous edition of the Medicaid Billing Tool Kit.


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T-Shirt 100% cotton
Camouflage with White print
Design: Spiral Drip
The Camy Spiral represents the progressive path we are all on in life to be the best we can be.
Continue to find your true potential!
Orders are processed and shipped within 2-3 business working days. You will then receive an e-mail confirmation order number. We ship using a recorded service via The Royal Mail / Parcel Force for larger and international orders.
Please allow 3-5 business working days for delivery once shipped.
Up to 14 days for international orders.
Items must be returned within 30 days in the same condition received (Not worn or washed and in the original packaging with tags attached)
We reserve the right to refuse a refund / exchange if the items have any sign of wear or misuse.
If you believe an item is defective or the wrong order please email firstname.lastname@example.com stating the issue and to receive the return address.
You should return your items via a secure and insured delivery service such as Royal Mail Special Delivery, as Camy Clothing cannot accept responsibility for goods not received. A proof of signature is required to confirm receipt. We recommended you keep your tracking number until your refund or exchange has been processed. Please note that all return postage costs are your responsibility along with exchange requests to resend items. When returning an item please write a note with your details, reason for returning and the order number / receipt.


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|Home > Maps > Santa Rosa City and Local > New York, 1940
1940, New York, Florida. Detail view from a General Highway and Transportation map of Santa Rosa County, Florida prepared by the Florida State Road Department, Division of Research and Records in cooperation with the Federal Works Agency, Public Roads Administration. Key to Florida highway maps.
|Home > Maps > Santa Rosa City and Local > New York, 1940
Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers
Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology,
College of Education, University of South Florida © 2004.


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Death of Fannett 4-year-old ruled as accidental
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has ruled the death of a 4-year-old Fannett girl as accidental.
Autopsy results revealed Kayden Haynes died from asphyxiation.
Deputies were called to the 11300 block of Wiggins Road Tuesday morning for a child who was not breathing, a release from the department states.
Members of the Labelle-Fannett Volunteer Fire Department, Hamshire Fire Department and Acadian Ambulance Service attempted to revive the child, but were unsuccessful, the release states.
The child was pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace Ray Chesson.


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by Rich McIlhenny
We were thankful that things had settled back in to normal after our dogs Moses and Mickey escaped from our yard last weekend. While Mickey returned after 30 minutes with the hair on his back raised up, Moses was gone for the better part of two days before he was found with the help and care of the wonderful people in our Mt. Airy community. It was a great relief to us after much worry and lack of sleep before he was back safely in our home.
We spent the first week after they escaped arranging for the installation of a higher fence and also replacing our gate that Mickey, the largest of our three dogs, has been trying to knock down and open since we got him. He has a routine of running full speed towards the gate and pushing both of his paws into it in an attempt to dislodge the latch, so he and Moses and Matty can go off exploring the neighborhood.
When letting the dogs out in the yard this past week, we have been trying to keep an eye on them to make sure they weren't up to any shenanigans or figuring out another way to get loose. Ever since we adopted Mickey at the Garden Festival two years ago, when offered an open back door, he has led Moses in a mad dash that begins with a futile attempt to catch one of the several squirrels that would rush up a tree or over the fence in the nick of time. Then it's back to barking at the squirrels or a neighbor's dog and then off for another lunge at the lower part of the gate.
As I was upstairs the other day looking up some real estate properties for a client, my wife Marissa had just come home from work at the same time that Duane Large, our sons Jesse and Daniel's music teacher, had arrived to give the boys drum and guitar lessons. Meanwhile, our 18-year-old Chinese exchange student, Rudy, was rooting through the refrigerator for a pre dinner snack.
Marissa let Moses and Mickey out for their usual routine and then tried to coax Matty, the matriarch of the doggy family (and who went missing for 30 days some years ago) to go outside with them. While Matty growled, Marissa looked up to see Moses and Mickey in the yard, playing tug of war with one of their stuffed animals, which they then tossed back and forth to each other. She smiled softly at the adorable sight when she suddenly caught a glimpse of two cartwheeling arms with little claws reaching out to her and a face with a little open mouth, bucked teeth and terrified eyes looking at her in desperation.
After all of these years of chasing, the dogs had finally caught a squirrel. As I stopped working and got ready to come downstairs, I heard Marissa and the boys screaming in terror at the top of their lungs. I rushed down the steps, and all I could make out was "RICH!!! MOSES!!!!BLOOD!!! MICKEY!!!SQUIRREL!!!DAD!!!"
As I ran into the kitchen to find everyone looking out into the yard screaming over and over, I worked my way through them and ran into the yard to see one of the most bizarre sights I have ever encountered in my life.
There Moses and Mickey stood, side by side, facing me. I first looked right towards Mickey, who was sporting his usual happy-go-lucky, always-on-the-verge-of-getting-himself-into-trouble grin, which was now mixed with a gloating triumph at having finally caught one of the squirrels he had chased approximately 2700 times, according to my math of five times a day for a year and a half.
My gaze then shifted left to Moses, who stood completely still with a look of terror on his face and blood dripping from his left ear onto his white coat and leg. And there with its teeth clenched into the pretty red bandanna that a groomer had tied around Moses' neck hung a juvenile squirrel, panting heavily with its eyes half-shut in exhaustion. As the world stopped and I could no longer hear the screaming behind me, I focused on the front of Moses and thought, "Moses is wearing a squirrel tie."
I quickly realized it was no tie and that it was alive, and the screaming suddenly came roaring back into my ears. As I rushed towards the dogs, the squirrel let go of the bandanna and took off for the back of the yard. Mickey gave chase and scooped the poor little rodent up in his mouth, and I was chasing them both screaming at him to drop the squirrel, which he suddenly did.
I shouted at the top of my lungs, "GET ME A BAG AND A TOWEL!!!!" and turned back to find that the squirrel had affixed itself to the left leg of my running pants, which caused Mickey to try and leap at him over and over, while Moses wandered in a daze back towards the house. A still screaming-at-the-top-of-her-lungs Marissa stopped 10 feet short of me to throw no fewer than seven paper shopping bags and four of her best dishtowels at me, all of which landed about nine feet short.
She continued to scream at the sight of Moses, who was now dripping blood on the kitchen floor, and I felt the squirrel jump off my leg as I yanked Mickey back towards the house. I got them all inside and locked the door before scooping Moses up to rush him to Mt. Airy Animal Hospital. They determined he had a hematoma of his ear, where the squirrel had bit him causing internal bleeding.
As we sat in the waiting room and Moses growled at seven dogs that came and went and that were about the size of 50 squirrels each, Jesse called to see how he was doing. I explained to our 10-year-old that Moses had a hematoma, which he then shouted to Marissa, who immediately got on the phone and screamed in my ear, "HE'S IN A COMA???!!"
When I came home that night after leaving Moses there, Marissa told me that Mickey had run to the back of the yard and was pawing at what was probably the dying squirrel, who was hiding behind a piece of roofing slate. I went back inside and brought out a broom, a dog carrier and a towel and tried repeatedly to capture the squirrel and get him in the carrier, only to have him run up the tree each time with me trying to knock him down and grab him with no success.
Finally I was able to get the towel around the squirrel, and pry his claws off of the side of the slate with the end of the broom and quickly threw him into the dog carrier. I was happy that he was safely away from my maniac dogs and in a warm place for the night. The next day I took him to The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education's Wildlife Rehab in Andorra, and the saint that is Rick Schubert took the squirrel and got it started on liquids. He said the squirrel was about six weeks old and was already injured or sick if the dogs had been able to catch him. I then headed back to Mt. Airy Animal Hospital, where I picked up Moses, who was sent home with an Astro Jetson head cone that he has used to knock over plants and furniture with and about 23 prescriptions, ointments and lotions that we will both forget to give and apply on a daily basis for the next two weeks.
Soon we will have our new fence and gate; the squirrel will be healthy (Rick Schubert says the squirrel is doing much better and will eventually be released back into the wild); Mickey will stop leading a cone-less Moses into terrifying situations; Marissa will stop screaming, and I will get some rest.


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Welcome! I'm glad you're here. Join me in finding our way to a happy and healthy lifestyle. We don't have to have it all figured out to learn more. I will share successes, failures, tips and tricks to enjoying the journey!
Showing posts from February, 2015


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Does God Have a Tim Tebow Complex?
Sure, the almighty can play, but did He rack up ninety-seven TDs in the past two seasons? Did He win the Heisman as a sophomore? Is He going for his third national championship in four years? No matter. Tim Tebow has faith in Him, and so He has faith that Tim Tebow will one day be a great pro quarterback. If only there were more believers in the NFL
He's a quarterback. He knows it. If anyone's going to question it, it's going to be other people—people who mistake Tim Tebow for a jock instead of an influencer, a Christian missionary trying to send a broader message through the medium of America's most popular game.
"My whole life, my dream has been to be a quarterback," Tebow's saying, his voice firm and loud as he paces the stage of this darkened arena in Jacksonville, Florida, a microphone in his hands. "And one day, I want to be a quarterback in the NFL. But ever since I was young, people have said, 'You know what? You might be a better linebacker. You might be a better running back or tight end.' "
It's a humid evening in May. Four months ago, Tebow led the Florida Gators to their second national championship in three years, which explains why this Night of Champions, a $15-a-head "outreach event" for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, has drawn a crowd of 6,200. The phones and cameras of the congregants spark and pop to capture his image. Tebow is six feet three and 245 pounds, all thick polygons and smooth flat planes and inescapable corn-fed handsomeness. He's wearing a billowy white shirt and loose-fitting jeans that somehow only underscore the solidity of his bulk, like a tarpaulin draped over a concrete pylon. You can see why coaches have always wanted to deploy his body as a battering ram.
But one day, when he was 11, his coach told him to get down on one knee and throw the football as far as he could. It was just an ercise, a drill to build his upper-body muscles. He was a linebacker then. But Tebow did as he was asked. He got down on one knee. He gripped the ball with his left hand and reared back. He swiveled his hips and swung his chest. He released the ball with a slightly sidearm motion, yet the ball flew far and true. His coach watched it go and go—thirty yards, clear downfield. After that, every other position was inferior from Tebow's point of view, because no other position gave him the control that quarterback did. He had the ball in his hands on every play. And Tim Tebow wants the ball.
More than the ball itself, though, he wants the burden of having the ball, and it's that burden that Tebow's speech is now trying to tease out. "I didn't want to be like everyone else," he says. He presses his lips together, sets his jaw, and frowns. "I wanted to be_ better_. If I did what everybody else did, then why would you look up to me? Why would I set an example?"
The stage that Tebow's commanding is usually reserved for the likes of Toby Keith and Jamie Foxx. But tonight the performers are Tebow, his family, and a procession of Christian comics, singers, and retired athletes. The speakers just prior to Tim were his parents, Bob and Pam Tebow, who told the story of Tim's birth. Bob and Pam are missionaries. At the time of Tim's conception, they were living in the Philippines. Bob, a tall, lanky man with sun-bleached hair, said, "I was up preaching in the mountains of Mindanao…and I prayed: God, if you want another preacher in this world, give me a Timmy. Give me a son and I'll raise him to be a preacher." (In the Bible, the apostle Paul writes a pair of letters to a preacher named Timothy.) "And so that night, I asked God to give me Timmy by name."
A few feet away from Tim, his Heisman Trophy rests on a pedestal, its bronze faceplate glinting in the light. He won it as a sophomore, the first person ever to do that. In mid-January, Tebow announced that he would return to Florida for his senior year rather than enter the NFL draft. He frames that choice in moral terms, like he frames everything else in his life. He says he stayed "to be loyal—to Coach [Urban] Meyer, to the University of Florida, to the fans, to finish what I started."
But before that, in December, he did ask the NFL to give him a rough idea of when he might be drafted. He hasn't revealed the league's projection, but if it was anything like the unofficial projections of draft analysts, he would have been crazy to leave school just yet. Last winter, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., the dean of the armchair seers, projected Tebow as "probably a third-rounder." To Kiper and his ilk, the kid was too mechanically weak, too reliant on his ability to run, too huge a risk. He didn't look anything like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady or Drew Brees—guys who sit in the pocket and fire missiles all Sunday long. What he looked like, actually, was Vince Young. Or Alex Smith. Both strong, fast, rushing quarterbacks. Both flameouts. Perhaps Tebow could switch positions.…
There it was again: the external doubt that has always clung to him. Which is why he sees this season as a chance to shoulder an awesome new burden—the burden of continuing to dominate as a college quarterback while showing the world he can be a great quarterback in the NFL. These are potentially non-overlapping goals. By trying to shape himself into a pro QB, he could screw up what makes him great in college. And he'll be trying to pull this off with an entire football nation watching over his shoulder, taking notes about his every throw. Then again, no one has ever yearned so devoutly to be judged.
"When you die," Tebow booms, "there's gonna be a tombstone, and on that tombstone there's gonna be a name, and there's gonna be a date. And for me, it's going to be 1987, and then it's gonna have a dash.… I want that dash to mean something. I want that dash to be special. I want that dash to represent that Tim Tebow finished strong." He pauses, scans the crowd, sucks in a calming breath, and the wild screams and cries nearly drown out his next line: "And most importantly, when I get to heaven, I want Jesus to say, well done, my good and faithful servant."
He looks smaller in person than on TV or on a stage. Something to do with the geometry of his body, the relentless blockiness; distance turns Tebow into a cartoon. Close-up he's rounder, reassuringly 3-D, wearing a sea blue T-shirt and long ivory shorts. He grabs a hard-boiled egg from a bowl at the dining commons. With exquisite casualness, he tosses it back and forth from hand to hand without cracking the shell. It's 7:45 a.m. on a mid-March weekday, and the commons is desolate. He walks slowly—walk is really the wrong word for the regal slowness with which Tim Tebow moves; glides? drifts?—back to his seat, his plate heaped with three sausage patties, a syrup-drenched waffle, and five hard-boiled eggs. "Can I get you anything to drink?" he asks, and pours me a glass of orange juice.
His chin is stubbly. He smells strongly of deodorant, and his thick-lashed eyes are impressively serene, considering that a mere forty-five minutes ago, back in the Florida weight room, Tebow was grunting next to a painted slogan that read pain is weakness leaving the body, doing calf raises with a 300-pound offensive lineman sitting on his shoulders. (In the weight room, Tebow wore a blue spandex shirt with an orange flame crawling up the sleeve; everyone else was in gray.) He peels an egg, and I ask about his recent spring-break trip to his father's orphanage in the Philippines. "It is just the most amazing place on earth. My favorite place to go. We went into schools, hospitals, marketplaces, and, um, preached and even played a basketball game versus the town, and I preached at halftime, and it was just a great trip. Not like a great trip—it's a work trip, but"—laughing—"it's a lot of fun."
Tebow has been living in a media bubble for so long now—during his senior year of high school, he and his family were tailed by a crew from ESPN, which produced a documentary titled Tim Tebow: The Chosen One—that he has learned to answer questions like a famous person does, with a brief, dutiful, good-natured quote followed by a karate-like return to a neutral "ready" stance. He is professionally unflappable and proud of it; months later, in July, a reporter at SEC Media Days would ask Tebow if he was a virgin, and Tebow would say, calmly, "Yes, I am," provoking bedlam in the press room, at which point he'd say, "Y'all can't even ask a question. I was ready for the question, but I don't think y'all were." He has that ability of many highly successful people—George Clooney, Obama, Oprah—to flash a sideways grin so crisp and face-transforming it's basically a weapon.
I ask him what it feels like to preach. "Great," he says, sawing his waffle into triangular chunks. "It's special. When I do it, I feel like I can do it with so much passion and enjoyment and boldness, because I know how much it's changed my life and gave me peace and passion and purpose for life."
I don't get the sense that he's trying to stay on-message. It's more like the message is all there is. Not in a shallow PR sense, but in a deep and radical sense of Tebow taking this role-model thing perfectly literally. "Obviously, your goal as a speaker is to be larger-than-life to your audience," he tells me, perking up when we start talking about the theory behind his rhetoric—the theory of influence being his main intellectual passion, aside from the strategic aspects of football. "You know? That's your goal. So they're into you. Okay, listening."
When we're finished eating, Tebow buses my tray and we head back outside. The sky this morning is dark and heavy, sort of misting. He looks up at Florida's 88,000-seat Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, a.k.a. the Swamp. "It's a great stadium," he says, and flashes that grin. He hops onto a stone statue of an alligator, strides across it without looking down, hops back to the pavement, and soul-shakes the security guard. "What's up, primo!" he says, bumping shoulders with the guard. "God bless."
We stride through the glass doors of the James W. Heavener Football Complex, a $28 million palace lined with mahogany-colored walls. In the lobby, we stand at a brushed-steel video kiosk and watch a highlight reel of last year's SEC championship game against Alabama. Tebow is cross-armed and expressionless, crunching ice from his orange-juice cup, until he sees a clip of one of his touchdown passes—he had three that day—followed by a shot of a scowling Alabama fan. He bursts out laughing. "Did you see that? She said, 'I hate Tebow.' " He juts out his right hip and cocks his head in a sassy pose. "I hate Tebow," he repeats, giggling.
His feats as a Gator strain belief. They began when he was only a freshman, playing backup to the senior Chris Leak. Urban Meyer mostly used Tebow that year as a red-zone runner, a pure brute. In Florida's 2006 game against LSU, Tebow took a snap from LSU's twenty-yard line, sprinted through the secondary, ran over two safeties, and came out clean on the other side. "Look at that," the announcer shouted. "LOOK AT THAT." Later in the game, with the ball on LSU's one-yard line, Tebow lunged at the line of scrimmage like he was going to smash through the pile but then suddenly pulled back, leapt two feet in the air, double-clutched, and lobbed a pass on the woozy arc of a three-point shot. The ball seemed to hang there forever…until his receiver, Tate Casey, finally pulled it in for a touchdown. This was the first of Tebow's now legendary jump passes (see YouTube), and there was something simultaneously retro and fresh about the play, a vibrancy that gave you permission to indulge in cornball emotion: Yes, this is awesome, this is new.
"After my freshman year, when I just ran a lot and did trick plays, they said I couldn't throw," Tebow tells me. "So the next year, I proved I could throw." Sure enough, Tebow threw for thirty-two touchdowns in 2007, and his passer rating was second in the nation. That alone would have made for a monster season—but Tebow also ran for twenty-three TDs. This was around the time when Tebowisms started showing up on the Internet: When Tim Tebow wants popcorn, he breathes on Nebraska. Tim Tebow can get breakfast at McDonald's after 10:30 a.m. God has a Tim Tebow complex. "And then after [my sophomore] year," Tebow says, "it was, 'Well, he can throw a lot of stats, but he can't win a championship.'" So in 2008, Tebow led the Gators to a national championship. He racked up thirty more TDs in the air and ran for twelve, breaking Emmitt Smith's school record for total rushing touchdowns. Emmitt Smith, one of the greatest running backs in the history of the NFL. "The real question isn't 'Is Tim Tebow the best college football player of 2008?' " wrote Allen Barra in The Wall Street Journal. "It's 'Is Tim Tebow the best college football player of all time?' "
This is where things get complicated. We're supposed to be living in a post-Moneyball meritocracy, where statistics take the true measure of a player's worth and some scout's idea of natural "talent" is therefore far less important than hard work and focused practice. Tebow would seem to be a man for our time—the hardest-working kid in college football (he almost broke his shoulder during his freshman season while running "suicides," diving over the finish line to beat Chris Leak: "I gotta win," he said) and a statistical behemoth, the football equivalent of a Michael Bay movie: Everything's exploding, everywhere, all the time.
But scouts want to see a quarterback's firepower more narrowly contained. At Florida, Tebow plays in a "spread" offense, where the backs and receivers fan out across the field and the quarterback stands back in the shotgun and can read the defense before the center even snaps him the ball. But in most pro offenses, the quarterback takes the snap from "under center" at least half the time, drops back, scans the field for a second or two, and releases the ball before the oncoming body of a 300-pound lineman eclipses the sun. This is why pro scouts pay less attention to a quarterback's stats than they pay to his mechanics, which relate directly to his ability to release the ball quickly. And Tebow's mechanics have always been weird.
One day in April, I drove to the North Jersey home of Russ Lande, a former NFL scout who is now a draft analyst. Lande popped in a DVD of last year's Florida–Ole Miss game, and there was Tebow, looking laid-back and comfortable in the shotgun, waggling his ass like a tennis player waiting for a serve. He took the snap, reared back, jerked his head, and overthrew his receiver. Incomplete. "Yeah, he does a windup," Lande said, taking a sip from a fifty-two-ounce Bubba Keg of diet cream soda. "That's an extra second. He's got a little hitch." As we moved through the game, Lande seemed to whipsaw between admiration and agony, sometimes on back-to-back plays: "He has the physical tools, jeez… Didn't put enough zip on it… Oh, oh, look at this. God damn." It was clear that Lande disliked Tebow's mechanics, but the mechanics weren't the main issue. The major question remained Tebow's ability to adjust to the sped-up complexity of an NFL-style offense, and that was probably unknowable; without a better sense of Tebow's intelligence, Lande couldn't even venture a responsible guess. So that's what Lande was dying to know. That's what he asked me as I walked out the door, knowing that I had already met the Chosen One: "Is the kid bright?"
In the Tebows' church, the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, there's a pool. It's encased in Plexiglas and positioned high above the pulpit and the 300-person choir and the live orchestra and the two JumboTron-sized screens. Its purpose is serious—it's where the actual baptisms happen—but the pool at First Baptist is all about jaw-dropping spectacle. The house lights go down, focusing attention on the pool, which glistens in that special shade of chlorinated green-blue, a color that you swear you can smell, the pungency of the public pool of your youth, only jazzily, brightly lit, so that each wave sloshes a zebra pattern onto the ceiling and the wall. The candidates for baptism enter from the left, move toward the pastor, get dunked, and make way for the next person—a slow, hypnotic conveyor belt of piety. On the Sunday I visited First Baptist, the baptisms were followed by a sermon about circumcision, delivered atop a long, broad slab of dark granite chiseled with the many names of God. almighty. the lawgiver. king of the ages. Tebow circumcised a few kids on one of his trips to the Philippines. He said afterward that it was nerve-racking but it had to be done. Those kids needed the surgery. So he just held the knife and cut.
Tebow's self-confidence is so deep, so profound, that it's hard to get a read on what's powering it. It could simply be stunning arrogance. Or it could be arrogance's cousin, earnest ignorance. It could also be sheer slow-wittedness, but I don't think so, because I had a chance, in a borrowed coach's office in the Heavener, to fire a bunch of questions at Tebow about quarterbacking and God.
What do you pray for when you pray? "Oh man. Everything. Gosh. I don't know. Everything that's on my heart. You know, everybody thinks prayer is this crazy thing. Prayer is just talking to God.… I mean, to me, it's just like talking to my father. So I'll talk about all sorts of things. I'll pray during a game. 'Lord, help me with this play.… I want to give You the honor and glory.' "
God is present during a football game, then? "Absolutely. Yeah."
How do you know He's present? Tebow smiles and furrows his eyebrows. "Well, I know He's present because He's there with me."
There's no ego or defensiveness in his response, just slight perplexity at the question, at my misunderstanding of this most basic premise of the evangelical tradition—God is a personal God. But no problem. Tebow's ready to explain it. Evangelicals expect to meet with resistance and confusion, and they're well armored for it—the Tebows more than most. "I read them Scripture in the womb," Bob told me. "Kids in the womb, they hear, they feel."
First Baptist is a hard-line megachurch; the pastor, Mac Brunson, has said that September 11, Hurricane Katrina, and the recession are evidence of God's wrath against a sinful nation. But the Tebows' evangelical style is miles away from fire and brimstone. They speak of love, not hell. When Tim and his two brothers, Robby and Peter, were old enough (15), Bob started taking them on trips to the Philippines. They'd set up shop in some village, string a bedsheet between a couple of coconut trees, and show a movie about the life of Jesus, translated into the Tagalog dialect. Then Bob would stop the movie and preach, and so would the kids. "They were nervous the first time, and probably many times after that," Bob says. "But it's like riding a bicycle. Put 'em on it, push 'em, and let 'em fall down."
In the Tebow family, it was natural: You went to the Philippines, and you preached the Gospel to foreign people, and you watched your dad go out into the mountains, and you hoped he wouldn't die if some rebel pulled a gun on him. (Bob once told a newspaper reporter that if he were killed while preaching, it would be "the best thing that could ever happen.") And then you measured your own commitment to your life and your faith by the yardstick of a father who didn't just admit the possibility of martyrdom but actively dreamed of it.
If Tim is the most competitive of the Tebow kids, it's partly because he had the most to overcome. Pam was sick with amoebic dysentery when she was pregnant with him; the doctor recommended an abortion, Pam refused, and Tim was born runty and weak. He grew up hearing the story of how he was almost aborted. He became obsessed with being strong. His brothers would go looking for him at night, when he was supposed to be in bed, and they'd find him out in the family's barn, among the cows and chickens, lifting weights. When he played T-ball, the league didn't keep score in the games, but Tim kept score in his head. He had to win. But it wasn't enough to just win. He had to be a crucial engineer of the victory. In high school, he spent his freshman year at Trinity Christian, a football factory in Jacksonville. He was a starting linebacker and the backup QB. Trinity won the state championship. Tim was miserable. Why? The coach ran a traditional run-oriented offense, and he had no plans to change it. So Tim left. He went to a public school that had gone 2-8 the year before—Allen D. Nease, in Ponte Vedra—and became an instant star at quarterback, setting every major offensive record in the state. In his senior year, with the ESPN cameras rolling, Nease went 13-2 and won the state championship.
This is the thing about Tebow: He runs on doubt, on his own sense of his life's adversity. In September 2008, after Florida lost a bitter game to Ole Miss by one point, 31–30—the same game I watched with Russ Lande—Tebow sat at his locker, crying and praying. Then he walked into the press area, answered a few questions, and said, "And, uh, I just want to say one more thing. To the fans and everybody in Gator Nation, um…" He paused to compose himself. "I'm sorry." His voice dissipated himself. "I'm sorry." His voice dissipated like he'd been punched. "I'm extremely sorry.… I promise you one thing. A lot of good will come out of this. You will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season.… God bless." (Barack Obama later praised Tebow for the speech, saying, "That's the kind of leadership that you want to see from all our young people—taking responsibility, challenging yourself and others, rising to the moment.") The Gators won the rest of their games in 2008, including the BCS championship against Oklahoma, sealed by a Tebow jump pass with three minutes left. He played that day with the Biblical citation john 3:16 painted in the ovals of eye black on his cheeks; during and after the game, "John 3:16" was the top search phrase on Google. "Millions of people lookin' up what's under my eyes," Tebow says, shaking his head. "That's amazing, the platform that football gives you."
It's fair to say that Tebow's social intelligence, at least, is off the charts. He's a people pleaser; an influencer has to be liked before he can influence. He understands the endearing power of a big guy acting goofy. He gets onstage at country concerts and grabs the microphone from the likes of Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley and sings, tunelessly, horribly. (Again, see YouTube.) And because his parents never taught him to be afraid of pop culture, since one day he might have to use pop culture to reach people, he's not a scold. In the weight room, I saw Tebow mouthing the words to the aggressive hip-hop that gets piped in, and he mentioned to me later that he recently saw the movie Taken, a torture-heavy revenge flick starring Liam Neeson as an ex–CIA agent on a mission to save his daughter from being deflowered by an Arab sheikh. "Yeah, it's awesome, it's crazy," Tebow said.
All these humanizing details tend to take the edge off the fact that Tebow's entire role-model persona doesn't work unless he can convey that, fundamentally, he's better than you: stronger, more capable, more at peace, just basically happier. This is what the people who make fun of Tebow are skewering—his cult of personality. When Obama invited the Gators to the White House earlier this year, the sports blog Deadspin ran a picture of Tebow's "steely-eyed Manshake" with the president under the cheeky headline our two greatest leaders make a pact to save the world.
But in Gainesville, in close quarters with 52,000 other students, where there's already a statue of him, seven feet tall, carved from an oak tree—"Tim Treebow"—he's universally adored. I try to find people to talk shit about him. I fail. Out of sheer desperation, I spend a few drunken hours at a local bar called the Swamp, sticking a microphone into the faces of plastered students. A sampling:
"I think he's fuckin' Superman. He's got an S on his chest."
"He's a cool-ass, respected fuckin' guy."
"I ran into Tebow one time, out on the sidewalk. He was with all his friends, and I asked him if I could take a picture with him. But my batteries died. I said I had some batteries in my truck, can you wait here? He said, Yeah, no problem. I came back ten minutes later. He was sitting here, by himself, waiting for me to take a picture. Any other person would have just left with their friends.… Then he offered me his number so when I got it developed he could autograph it. That's Tim Tebow."
Of all the people I talk to, nobody praises him more highly than his coaches. "Yeah, um, he's changed my family's life," says Urban Meyer. "It's much deeper than football with this guy. The way I look at things is completely different.… I had strong beliefs. But never to the point where…" Meyer pauses. "There was a reason that Tim came to Florida."
In 2005, when dozens of coaches were recruiting Tebow, Meyer spent countless hours with Bob and Tim, talking about the spread offense and Jesus Christ. In Meyer's office today, there's a blowup of him and Tebow standing together at the 2007 Heisman ceremony. "I can't go a day without communicating with him," Meyer says. "I call it vitamin Tebow." But this coming season will challenge the strength of their bond. Meyer is already taking a lot of crap from sports bloggers who want to know if Meyer will "ruin" Tebow for the NFL just like he had "ruined" Alex Smith, an athletic QB he once coached to collegiate glory. Smith was the number one pick in 2005, with the 49ers, where he promptly went bust.
During my interview with Tebow, Meyer had popped his head into the room, shot a quick glance at me, and then turned back to Tebow and said flatly, "Is this going to help us win any games?" Tebow laughed. Meyer didn't. Meyer closed the door slightly, like he was going to leave, but then he reopened the door and said to Tebow, "They've been workin' since seven [in the morning]." He meant that the team had been down in the weight room, lifting. Of course, Tebow had been there, too. But he corrected his coach in the gentlest way. "I've actually been workin', too," Tebow said, "a little bit." It was hard to tell if Meyer was kidding about any of this, but my sense was: no.
So that's the context for my exactly ten-minute interview with Meyer, which takes place at a conference-room table lined with glossy photos of Meyer hoisting the crystal BCS trophy. He's going to autograph these as he talks to me. Multitasking. Meyer's slim and wiry, and his gray hair is closely cropped. I ask him if he thinks Tebow can be a quarterback in the NFL. His lip curls into a wry, crooked smile. "Well, he certainly doesn't have the skill to play quarterback in some franchises," he says. "'Cause they're not very good." His voice is dry and deep and excruciatingly quiet. He's either subtly enjoying the interview or he's about five seconds away from erupting into a plume of rage. Meyer continues, "He's certainly got the skill to play for the New England Patriots. Their head coach is a very, very dear friend of mine." (Indeed, Bill Belichick, who runs an offense similar to Meyer's, has said, "It's going to be very interesting to see what happens when Tebow comes into this league." Nobody is saying that Tebow would challenge Tom Brady for his job; that said, any quarterback is one blind-side sack away from retirement, and the 32-year-old Brady did spend the 2008 season on the bench with a torn ligament.)
Meyer seems to relax into his line of thought. "I visit NFL teams every year. There's certain ones I won't visit, because I don't care. I watch 'em play. There are other ones that are at the highest level, they win Super Bowls. Man, they're doin' stuff. Those other ones, I won't walk across the street. Because there's just no creativity. They draft people that maybe are of questionable character. They draft people who aren't winners. But they run fast. So can Tim play quarterback? Sure. Just like, Can Matt Stafford [the 2009 number one draft pick, who went to the 0-16 Lions] play quarterback? Absolutely. I'm still convinced that Alex Smith can be a great quarterback. But can they play quarterback on really bad teams that haven't drafted well? No."
Meyer adds that he's obligated to get Tim "so-called ready for some franchise that's really important to him." Meyer hired a new quarterback coach in January, and the new coach has been teaching Tebow how to take snaps from under center. At the same time, Meyer says, "I don't know if we're going to utilize it in the fall." Meyer has a system that works beautifully as is. Pretty soon Tebow will be gone, but Meyer will still be here, and so will the Heavener, its six-foot-high glass panels selling gator excellence to the next crop of slack-jawed recruits.
At the end of one of my days in Gainesville, I walk out of the Heavener with one of my press minders, Steve McClain. To our left, two guys are standing on a ladder, pounding a plaque into the building's wall with the butt end of a hammer. I get closer and see that the plaque is the text of Tebow's Ole Miss speech, etched into the steel in capital letters. At the top, it says the promise, and at the bottom, it says god bless.
"Urban's really into the pageantry of college football," McClain says.
A word that Tebow uses a lot is special. It's special to preach. It's special to give a small gift to an orphan, or to win a state championship. God's plan for each of His children is special. Everything that's good is special, apart; everything that's special is good and justifiable and worth fighting for.
The NFL has been unkind to players who enter the league proclaiming their specialness. But this is perhaps Tebow's greatest gift, his most relevant evangelical skill. He has a record of influencing not just his teammates but whole systems; he convinces people that he is, always and forever, a special case. He was a special case as a 15-year-old, when he was allowed to handpick the team he wanted to play for while being homeschooled by Pam; now there are "Tim Tebow laws" under consideration in the legislatures of at least three states, spelling out the rights of homeschoolers to play sports. And now he's asking the NFL to consider him, again, a special case—a player who won't succumb to the same pressures or limitations as similar players who failed before him.
Some will call bullshit. Are calling bullshit. "He's going to be the most debated guy in ten years," Russ Lande says. "It's going to be a circus with this kid. Oh, my God." But Tebow has this way of making you feel like there's no relevant history to contend with. Like you can just sweep all of that aside—the hand-wringing about Young and Smith, the statistics and the metastatistical arguments about what the statistics aren't capturing. He manages to convey that, in some intangible but very real sense, he won't even be breathing the same air. Which is, of course, absurd. He's human. Prick him, he bleeds. Sack him, he gets up gingerly. It's only the aura that's different. It's only the intangible and maybe irrational sense that, of all the men who've made this same promise before, Tebow will be the one to keep it.
"Jesus said, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any one man hear my voice, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me."
This is Tim's father, Bob Tebow, wrapping up the Night of Champions. Tim has just finished speaking and has sat down in the front row, listening to Bob close the deal. "He wants to make you God's child," Bob's saying. "He wants to forgive your sins. He wants to give you eternal life." The night's program has run long, and soon Bob goes beyond his allotted minutes. The venue's employees take flanking positions around the stage. The house lights click on. Bob extends his hand to the crowd and gives a beseeching wave. "Give me a few minutes. You come, right now, moms, dads, boys, girls… You come."
The venue people cut off his sound.
Bob sets his mike down, turns to the sixty or so people who have come close enough to hear him, and speaks to them in his unamplified voice. "I want you all to know," he says…and I can't hear the rest, because he's drowned out by a loud rock song on the PA system and also the noise of a crowd dislodged and freed, in motion, pulled toward some large force gliding across the floor. It's Bob's son Timmy, warping the gravity of the arena as he makes his way back to his dressing room in a throng of Gators fans, signing programs and miniature footballs, tossing them blindly and casually behind his back. Soon enough, Tim Tebow will have a far bigger microphone within his grasp. He will stand at the door of the NFL and knock. And he will be ready to come in, if any team has faith enough to ask.
jason fagone _is a Philadelphia-based writer. This is his first story for _gq


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