text:
Correction: An earlier version of this article used an incorrect name for a retired judge from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is James Robertson, not John.
A proposal to give federal judges a direct role in the nation's drone campaign gained new momentum this week with a signal from senior lawmakers that they intend to consider creating a special court to oversee the selection of targets for lethal strikes.
But the idea — cited by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), among others, as a way to impose new accountability on the drone program — faces significant legal and logistical hurdles, according to U.S. officials and legal experts.
Among the main obstacles is almost-certain opposition from the executive branch to a dilution of the president's authority to protect the country against looming threats. Others include the difficulty of putting judges in a position to approve the killing of individuals — possibly including American citizens — even if they have not been convicted of a crime.
In more practical terms, U.S. officials expressed concern that a judicial review would lead to delays that might erode the country's ability to preempt terrorist attacks.
The idea "is politically and practically difficult and, therefore, unlikely to happen in the end," said Robert Chesney, an expert on national security law at the University of Texas. "But it seems more likely today than it did just a few weeks ago."
That is largely because comments from Feinstein and others during a confirmation hearing Thursday on the nomination of John O. Brennan to serve as CIA director made clear that the idea of a special drone court has gained new backing on Capitol Hill.
Feinstein, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the panel would evaluate having judges review targeting decisions much like a special court scrutinizes certain federal wiretapping operations in the United States.
The drone panel, Feinstein said, would be "an analogue of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court," a panel that meets in secret and rules on government requests to wiretap terrorism suspects inside the United States without traditional court warrants.
A congressional aide said that the Senate committee has not drafted any legislative language and has only begun to consult with legal experts.
The administration has been considering ways to establish an independent review of counterterrorism actions, "including a possible judicial review," for more than a year, an administration official said on the condition of anonymity.
"We have identified a number of ways . . . some executive, some would require legislation," the official said, adding that deliberations were ongoing.
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) endorsed the idea of a special court at Thursday's hearing and cited growing discomfort with the way the Obama administration has carried out hundreds of strikes through a secret process sealed off from other branches of government.
"Having the executive being the prosecutor, the judge, the jury and the executioner all in one is very contrary to the traditions and the laws of this country," King said.
Brennan, who served as Obama's top counterterrorism adviser for the past four years, responded lukewarmly, saying that preempting a terrorist attack is fundamentally different from determining after the fact whether someone is guilty or innocent of a crime.
"That is an inherently executive-branch function," Brennan said, although he allowed that the idea is "worthy of discussion."
Some judges have already indicated that they would resist such a role.
At a law conference last year, former judge James Robertson, who retired from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2010, referred to the 2011 drone strike in Yemen that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born Muslim cleric accused of plotting attacks with al-Qaeda.
"That's not the business of judges . . . to sign a death warrant for somebody who is on foreign soil," Robertson said. "If you brought that case to me, I would put that case back on the wheel and send that to another judge."
Civil liberties groups also cited concerns, including the fact that the model being touted — the FISC — deliberates in secret, hears only the government's side in each case and is often regarded as a rubber stamp for government requests.
"There is no reason to create a new court," said Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. Jaffer said a better way to make the administration accountable would be to use existing courts and allow suits that challenge the legality of past strikes, similar to wrongful-death actions against police departments.
Some proposals have centered on using a special court to evaluate cases in which a U.S. citizen might be targeted. Proponents argue that would help ensure the targets' constitutional right to due process.
But that narrow approach would address only a tiny fraction of the drone campaign. Most attacks now are "signature strikes," in which targets are selected based on suspicious patterns of activity and the identities of those who could be killed is not known.
Chesney said the argument that prior court review would lead to dangerous delays is contradicted by the way target lists are generated now, through a series of meetings and reviews involving multiple intelligence agencies.
"It looks positively judicial already," except that it excludes the judicial branch, Chesney said.


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Earlier this year someone asked if I had the little site logo as a large file to make T-shirts, caps etc. Well would you believe that that little logo was created at exactly the size it appears by the tech team in London back in May 02 at the birth of the site, and no one can find either the original, or that image of the Z8 used. It's obviously a PR shot of the Bond car, with a UK plate, but it isn't a shot I have in my extensive archive, which includes all BMW's released press shots!
So, what that means is I picked through over 2,000 images to try to find the shot that was closest to the one we know and love, and really shows the Z8 at its best, and this is the one I came up with. The only problem of course is it is my car, with the BMW Motorsport rims. Still, I think it looks really good, what are your thoughts, comments and ideas?

subset: commoncrawl


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Spoils Late Yale Comeback
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Greg Carey's power-play goal with 2:35 left in overtime gave St. Lawrence a 4-3 ECAC Hockey win over Yale before 3,500 at Ingalls Rink.
Carey's goal came immediately after the Saints (9-15-3, 5-9-1 ECAC) went on the advantage, which resulted from an Antoine Laganiere boarding call in front of the visitor's bench. It was not the kind of penalty call anyone expected in OT. The winner spoiled a late, two-goal Bulldogs comeback to send it to extra hockey.
Yale (9-11-2, 6-8-1) outshot SLU 34-33 but went scoreless on four advantages. The Saints' only power play tally (on 5 chances) came on the game-winner and made Matt Weninger (31 saves) the victor in goal.
Nick Maricic, the Elis' junior goalie who surrendered a 3-1 deficit, finished with 29 saves, including some amazing stops, but couldn't prevent the Blue from falling for a third straight time at home.
The Bulldogs, who had three power plays (9 shots) in the opening period, had an early opportunity to do some damage with nearly a minute of 5-on-3 hockey but could not find the right shot. Yale still managed to take a 1-0 lead on a nice move by Laganiere, who took the puck from behind the SLU net, after Kenny Agostino took a defender off the puck. Laganiere, who had a two-point night, skated to the edge of the circle and then lifted a nasty wrister over Weninger's shoulder at 11:09 for his eighth of the year.
The Saints tied it almost eight minutes later with sustained pressure on Maricic. Kyle Flanagan followed up his own shot by picking up the rebound and skating around the net before flicking it in with 3:34 left in the first.
Yale had the edge (14-12) in shots over the first 20 minutes, and both goalies needed a few great saves to keep it at 1-1. Maricic stopped a mini-breakaway by Jacob Drewiske by coming out to cut off the angle and gobble up a blast. Weninger stole a Nick Jaskowiak one-timer out of the air that was ticketed for the upper corner on Yale's third advantage.
Drewiske got revenge for the Maricic save in the first by hitting the net from just inside the blueline 2:14 into the second. Chris Martin's goal at 10:15 sent the Saints into the second break with a 3-1 lead after SLU put 14 of the 19 shots on target in that frame.
"We weren't any good in any facet of the game in the middle period," said Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach. "
The home team applied the pressure in the first half of the third, showing desperation to cut the lead. Yale had the first seven shots in the period and finally got one back with a pretty connection between Kevin Limbert and Chad Ziegler. Limbert saw his linemate heading for the lower slot and put a perfect pass on his stick. Ziegler, seeking his sixth of the year, one-timed the feed top shelf at 8:06 to make it 3-2.
Charles Brockett was called for holding with 6:44 left, and the Elis had to make a big kill that would leave very little time to get the last shot at an equalizer. St. Lawrence did a great job of keeping the puck in the Yale end as the clock ticked under a minute to play. The Bulldog netminder had to stay in his crease until there was 40 seconds left.
Maricic came out just as the puck was getting banged around outside the SLU blueline. Laganiere grabbed it along the right boards, skated 15 feet in and then sent it across the ice to Agostino. The pass hit the sophomore winger in stride in the left circle and he had a few feet to decide what he would do with puck before snapping home a rising shot that zipped under the cross bar with 34.2 seconds remaining.
"His teammate (Laganiere) made a nice pass to him (Agostino)," said Allain of the equalizer. "He hit the net high on the short side."
This was the second straight game Agostino, who had two points, scored with just under 35 seconds left. Last week at Dartmouth he scored with 34.8 to give Yale a 5-4 win.
This game was a microcosm of Yale's weekend trip to the North Country last month. The Elis erased a 3-1 deficit at Canton to earn a 3-3 OT tie before falling to Clarkson the next day on an OT power-play goal.
Laganiere's penalty came with 2:51 left in the OT. Sixteen seconds later, Carey one-timed a Flanagan feed from the point with a shot that went inside the near post.
Bulldog Bites: Kevin Peel, who was hit from behind along the boards near his own net, suffered an injury and was helped off the ice with about seven minutes left in the third period… The Bulldogs host Clarkson Saturday at 7 and tickets are still available.
filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director
Nick Maricic image by Nicholas Carlino


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by Toni Boyko
|15 Bags of Zuke's
to Each Twitter Party Winner
Made without wheat, corn or soy, Zuke's treats are much less likely to cause allergic issues in your dog. Further, they are made right here in the U.S. where we watch our quality control better than the treats made in China. This is clear from all the recent recalls which scare us to death. Why purchase anything edible made outside of the U.S.?
Zuke's has endeavored to go about the business of making healthy treats while also encouraging a green lifestyle among its employees. Check out this infographic that explains some of their cultural efforts:
Today we're highlighting the 4 Zuke's product lines that are being featured in the upcoming #FueltheLove #BarkFriday Twitter Party, hosted by Event Barkers. You can RSVP to join the fun by clicking the link. Here are the products you'll be seeing in the prizes at this event:
- All 6 Mini Naturals flavors to include Peanut Butter, Salmon, Rabbit, Duck, Chicken and Pork. These tiny, low-calorie treats are soft and perfect for training.
- Each of the Z-Filet flavors: Grilled Venison, Chicken and Beef are loved by dogs all over.
- The 3 Hip Action flavors: Peanut Butter and Roasted Chicken and Beef. With 300 mg of Glucosamine and 50 mg of Chondroitin, you'll be helping to protect your dog's joints from issues as he ages.
- And finally, the 3 newest members of Zuke's line, the Skinny Bakes Crunchy treats in Pumpkin 'N Sweet Potato, Cherry 'N Berry and Peanut Butter 'N Banana. If your dog enjoys a crunchy treat, these low-cal treats are perfect. We also like that they include a score so that you can easily break them in half to use while training.
One more important feature of the Zuke's treats is the whole food goodness they build in by using lots of delicious ingredients that add anti-oxidants for healthy snacking. You can learn more about their nutritious recipes by watching this compelling short video.
To make sure you're eligible to win and have not missed any opportunities, don't forget to visit these Internet sites to enter for your chance to grab 15 bags of Zuke's:
To make sure you're eligible to win and have not missed any opportunities, don't forget to visit these Internet sites to enter for your chance to grab 15 bags of Zuke's:
- RSVP for one prize package drawing
- PreTweet these one-click messages to be included in the PreTweet drawing
- Enter the Social Media giveaway at the widget here for multiple options of entry, and up your chances of winning.
- You'll find a variety of additional giveaways (can you believe it?!!!) at the Zuke's #FueltheLove Blog Hop, also hosted by Event Barkers. Enjoy this mini-mall of terrific giveaways, educational videos about Zuke's and fascinating information on their culture, charity efforts and ingredients.
- Finally, don't forget to mark your calendar and join us for the Twitter Party after your early morning Black Friday shopping spree. Grab your laptop and your pup to snuggle up for the fun: Friday, November 29, 12 PM ET.
Event Barkers is working with Zuke's to help them gain online exposure and share the news of their new products. These Event Barkers events are hosted by DogTipper.com and AllThingsDogBlog.com.
Note that due to shipping regulations, the prizes in these events are only available to U.S. addresses. Thank you for your understanding.


text:
Like Us on Facebook and you are automatically entered to win a free gourmet meal delivered to your home.
Gift Certificate Redemption Notice: IF YOU RECEIVED A HOLIDAY GIFT CERTIFICATE PLEASE EMAIL YOUR NAME, REDEMPTION CODE, AND CHOICE OF MENU TO firstname.lastname@example.com. WE WILL SHIP GIFT CERTIFICATE ORDERS EACH WEDNESDAY.
If you are seeking entrees a la carte, we have an excellent selection. Our International Meal Gift allows you to mix & match entrees from all 5 menus. Or select protein specific entrees like pasta or pork. Visit our blog for serving tips.
Select from our line up of high quality pasta dinners. Each pasta dinner gift includes delicious sauce and side veggie. Only 30 minutes in the oven is required.
Our pork chops are an elegant French cut and some are stuffed like the Bayou pork chop. All beef dishes are slow simmered in unique sauces, like Beef Marsala.
Whether you are seeking chicken, turkey or duck, our poultry entrees make an elegant food gift. Entrees arrive in individual containers ready to heat in 30 minutes.
From premium crab cakes to Grouper St. Jacques to Bayou catfish, our offering of seafood dinner gifts is bound to please your gift recipient.
For your gourmet gift recipient that enjoys a non-meat diet, consider our vegetarian offerings. Each entrée arrives in individual container ready to heat & serve in 30 min.


text:
Van's RV-4
Image #1482
Taken: EAA Southwest Fly-In New Braunfels 16th - 17th May 2003
More pictures: Event: Previous All Next Type: Previous All Next Reg: Previous All
All images are the property of and copyright © 1983-2012 Jo Hunter unless stated otherwise. Please ask before using content from this site. Unauthorised reproduction of these photographs is forbidden.


text:
|2010-12-17, 11:58
|Link #19861
Join Date: May 2009
People are apparently unable to distinguish between facts as evidence and testimony as evidence. There is a huge and essential difference between "x is true" and "this person says x is true." There is also a huge difference between "this person says x is true" and "this person actually believes x is true."
Hypothetically, if Bern knew (or personally believed) the ep7 TP wasn't true, would she still have motive to tell Ange it was? Of course she would. I get the strange sense people are not used to unreliable narrators or untrustworthy witness accounts, and Umineko is clearly full of those.
These themes exist whether Ryukishi intended them to be there or not, and whether he specifically addresses them in the end or not. Excercises in trust and doubt, and in reading in what was meant behind what was actually said, are essential elements of a literary interpretation of this story. It's perfectly rational to wonder where to draw those distinctions.
|2010-12-17, 12:46
|Link #19862
Miss Kimi
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Residing as the 18th guest of Rokkenjima
Age: 23
Wow. You guys are really taking this seriously, huh? Absolutely no offense (as in, don't get mad at me D:], but please cool it, take some chill pills, aren't we just supposed to discuss theories and what-not? Let's just talk normally, okay? Umineko is just a game, I don't want everybody arguing about the ways they think and speculate. I know I'm sounding so cheesy right now, just calm down, people...
|2010-12-17, 14:48
|Link #19864
The True Culprit
And also, Kanon only received his reward in the Golden Land. Which they said was an option from the beginning. Everyone is fighting for the right to have their love fulfilled in the real world.
|2010-12-17, 14:58
|Link #19865
Join Date: May 2009
It might have other meanings, but in the context of Kanon and Shannon character development, it basically wouldn't matter unless two people named Kanon and Shannon actually existed on R-Prime... which I don't think is anyone's thesis at this point, and if it were, would require an entirely different sort of reading.
If it metaphorically represents a conflict Yasu actually had, that's fine too. I'm just not specifically addressing that, as with respect to Kanon and Shannon as fictional characters (regardless of any "true" existence in whatever form), they serve as representatives in the metaphor, rather than the actual aspects of the conflict itself. Which is to say, they don't matter as concerns the two servant characters as they appear in the fictions we've read, which is where they've gained development and "become human." It's like asking what Erika's disappearance means about the fate of Furudo-Prime. It's two different discussions that we'd have to examine thematically. Which I haven't done.
|2010-12-17, 15:50
|Link #19866
Miss Kimi
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Residing as the 18th guest of Rokkenjima
Age: 23
What if one day a girl named Yasu decided to write a mystery novel? She loved it so much she decided to add magic? Then she went crazy and began to imagine herself in the story. People she knew of were were ones characters were based on. To escape her horrible life, she "put" herself in the story as a woman named Beatrice. I bet at the end of EP8 Yasu will be in a mental hospital, trapped in her own "logic error".
I will literally laugh if that is the case.
|2010-12-17, 16:05
|Link #19867
Thought Being
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Canada
This is one general problem I've found with putting everything into one 'speculation' thread, but that's a different issue.
|2010-12-17, 16:16
|Link #19868
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
And Episode 5 was meant to be incredibly easy as well, wasn't it?
|2010-12-17, 16:54
|Link #19869
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: InterWebs
What I said with
|2010-12-17, 17:28
|Link #19870
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
I've never understood the whole difficulty rating in Umineko, it starts as "just watch" to "just surrender" and gets progressively "easier" until EP7 where it goes back up. I have a general idea that its the amount of hints given out on those arcs would make it far easier to solve the previous arcs and the people that already had solved it or had a good idea of how the events where really being played out where just corroborating what they already new. How did EP7 change that?
|2010-12-17, 17:42
|Link #19871
Mystery buff
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Gone Fishin!
Episode 1's difficulty was "standard" and it went on to episode 2 by being "first rate" which is probably the highest difficulty.
Episode's 5 was 'fairly easy' and it went to episode 6 by having absolutely no difficulty at all.
Episode 3 was made "equal" as in fair for both sides to make it gradually easier for the readers to come to conclusions. Episode 7's difficulty was risen for the opposite reason because you don't need it to be any easier.
Episode 4's difficulty "depended entirely on the player". But episode 8 is not stated to be an opposite of this. So I don't beleive it's a breakdown. The interview states it has choices that some of them will be difficult probably depending on the reader. So rather than being a reflection I think it will be the same difficulty as episode 4.
|2010-12-18, 01:27
|Link #19872
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: forever lost inside a logic error
Wow this could be the start of a new trend: "Don't get the wrong impression! It's not like I hate you or something, Geez!"
Whatever is its true meaning what we have seen is its realization in the metaworld.
So how can this be a surprise? Of course the metaworld is by itself a metaphorical world. So the fact that it happens in the metaworld means as much as the statement itself, you must interpret it in a certain way. But whatever is your interpretation it must work for both.
Like for example the importance of semantic in this story: the fact that the actual meaning of a word could have important implications.
And you can't really say that you didn't know that, not after Battler in various occasions asks for the definition of certain concepts. Not after the "names are not exclusive" argument was brought up. Not after Battler declared in red that he would kill Beatrice.
Denying this would be more insulting for your intelligence than for mine.
|2010-12-18, 01:57
|Link #19873
The True Culprit
Puts up a front about not hating you, but totally does.
|2010-12-18, 02:41
|Link #19874
rule 63, pl0x
Join Date: Aug 2008
To be honest, I think Jan-poo is just looking for a fight. She's being contrary and combative for the sake of being contrary and combative.
Anyways, I agree with Renall on most of his points about themes, narratives, and especially that segment on Kanon and Shannon.
The narrative in Umineko is shaky at best, and as per knox rules, it's only the detectives perspective (Battler & Erika's) that should be trusted.
Aren't we given the whole "cat box" routine with every episode anyways? I'm not sure what Jan-poo is trying to argue with since the narrative in Umineko is something that's only subject to interpretation rather than taking it to heart.
|2010-12-18, 03:54
|Link #19875
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
I think she (?) is rightfully pressing some points that Renall was either unclear, or unsatisfactory on. From a dramatic standpoint, I can't accept a dismissal of the love duel, even though it makes sense in the context of his theory. Ultimately, the mystery of this story is the concrete, real events that happened on R-Prime. The duel could be a clever Author thing-a-ma-jig, but without concrete relevance to the mystery, I can't see it being as important as Ryukishi says.
I agree with what Renall is saying, for the most part, but I want to see it more integrated into core Rokkenjima. Assuming it's the truth -- how do we interpret it in context of the mystery? I think the love duel holds relevance in this sense, as well, and we shouldn't handwave this aspect of it.
|2010-12-18, 04:26
|Link #19876
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
What is it that can't be allowed to occur at the same time? Kanon and Shannon's existence off the island, or just their relationships?
We all know it's the latter, so let's look at it from a different perspective, here. The love duel isn't about Shannon and Kanon personally, but rather, it's about the nature of the relationships they're trying to pursue up until the events of the massacre. One can happen, while the other is doomed to failure.
We already understand the fact that "Shannon" does not exist. We are assuming that "Kanon" is similar in that regard, hence the Shkannon interpretation. Only one can get off the island and live a full life with their loved one. Naturally, this can also mean that, if we discard Ninja Master Yasu as a possibility, the only other interpretation that's applicable would be a more literal one.
Namely that only one of the relationships presented, or even individuals from those relationships, have a chance at surviving the events of the explosion. If we pursue this line of thought, it leads us back to the George-culprit theory (George would kill to be with Shannon, etc etc), which renders Shkannon pointless, and renders "Kanon" as little more than a better developed Genji, in regards to his overall relevance to the actual mystery.
We are told that Yasu and the Love Duel are key. Yasu is a sneaky as hell method of getting past Dine, but you have to really ignore the spirit of Knox in order for her to be the culprit.
On the other hand, Yasu provides motive for Shannon to act in the manner required to set up the events the way she did. Essentially enabling someone she had taken into her confidence to hijack the plan and commit actual murders. The true culprit. This means that either one of her usual prankster confidants (i.e. the servants) would be the result of things going awry (a violation of Dine), or rather, someone else (Jessica or George, for example).
The Love Duel demonstrates that under natural conditions, Jessica does not possess the capacity to kill another human being. George does demonstrate that.
Ugh. Basically, no matter how you approach Yasu and the Love Duel together, the logical conclusion is a George-culprit theory. Rudolf and Kyrie have no bearing on the Love Duel, so unless it's there purely for the sake of beating us over the head with Shkannon (which would be heavy-handed and a blatant insult to readers), it logically has to have something to do with the actual motives for the murders.
Man, that was a lot of rambling. Essentially, all roads lead to George.
|2010-12-18, 04:50
|Link #19878
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
So ultimately, it doesnt really make a difference how Ryukishi intended for us to take the love duel or Yasu, in the end, George is the culprit despite shitty red herrings.
|Thread Tools


text:
Wealth management about 'trust and confidence'
November 30, 2012
Managing money can seem like a daunting task at times. Between income statements, tax filings, new laws and provisions and planning for the future, the list of variables is a long one. It's a fact that Robert Vonderharr, a partner of Vonderharr Wagner Associates, understands.
As a Certified Professional Accountant, Vonderharr has spent more than 30 years in the world of finance, serving as an auditor, a financial analyst and, more recently, an investment, tax and business consultant.
"I was never born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but I'm thankful that God gave me a brain," Vonderharr said, who said he had only $28 to his name when he moved the Utah more than 30 years ago. "But I figured it out."
He moved to Park City six years ago, buying a home and commuting to the main offices in Salt Lake City, but before long Vonderharr started meeting with local clients. That was six years ago. Since then, Vonderharr still works in Salt Lake City, but is adding to the growing list of clients from the Park City area.
"Our view is that Park City is underserved," Vonderharr said. " Our attitude is that the best qualified financial adviser is one that is independent and objective."
"My product is service," he added. "I don't sell anything."
Recommended Stories For You
Vonderharr decided to start the partnership with a colleague, Richard Wagner. The two started the firm as a way to shift the focus of their careers, adding financial advice to tax preparation for incoming clients. For Vonderharr, he hopes to work with the retirees, the physicians and other professionals seeking financial services, centering the business on high income earners who may not always know the how, when or where of financial investments.
"We primarily advise people on taxes and retirement and estate planning," Vonderharr said. "People need advice today because people are concerned if they have enough to retire on."
Even helping his neighbors with their portfolios, he has been hard at work integrating himself and getting to know the community. Another neighbor had several investments in properties around the country, and with Vonderharr's help, he was able to create an entity that included his children in ownership of the properties.
It is a model of specialized service for every client, moving away from the big-box style financial planning and accountants.
"Maybe you want to set up gifting programs for your grandchildren," Vonderharr said. "Maybe you don't want to spend $150,000 in income taxes. Maybe you are ready to retire. What it comes down to is simple, trust and confidence. That's what we want to show people, that we know how to help them with their life savings, their financial lives."
For now, Vonderharr is working from his referrals, meeting clients around town, in his home or in the Salt Lake City location, but in the near future, he hopes to expand the business by creating an official second branch in Park City.
"What we do for our clients is the very thing we do for ourselves," he said. "We get returns on investments. All of us want our money to work for us rather than us working for it."
Vonderharr Wagner Associates


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Israel News - Stay Informed, Pray Informed
The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Monday voted overwhelmingly in favor of recognizing "Palestine" as an independent state.
The vote makes "Palestine" an official member state of the UNESCO General Assembly, and puts it one step closer to overall UN recognition.
Voting against the motion were the US, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Israel, along with nine other nations. One hundred and seven nations voted in favor, including Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa, Austria and France. Notable among the 52 abstentions were Britain and Italy.
Following the vote, the Obama Administration froze US funding of UNESCO, and Canada announced that it would reconsider its membership in the body.
The US, Canada and a handful of European nations have firmly supported Israel's campaign to stop the Palestinians from obtaining unilateral recognition by the UN.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas officially petitioned the UN for membership status for "Palestine" back in September. The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on Palestinian statehood later this month, but the US has threatened to use its veto power to squash the motion.
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text:
Falstaff 2005
After having staged six of Giuseppe Verdi's dramatic works, it is with great pleasure that the Göteborg Opera presents his comic opera, Falstaff, for the first time.
"A musical cascade, a cascading performance – this production exudes a clear and unmistakeably British exuberance". SR Kulturnytt
"A production that more than well deserves to play to a full house every evening". Hallands Nyheter
In staging the opera Falstaff the Göteborg Opera would like to thank three people. Firstly of course, Giuseppe Verdi who wrote the opera in 1893. Secondly, Shakespeare who, nearly 300 years earlier, wrote the plays on which the opera is based (The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry IV). And finally, Adrian Noble, the former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, who is responsible for this Göteborg Opera production.
The opera's central figure is Sir John Falstaff, a thoroughly self-righteous character, who makes the mistake of sending love letters to two women at the same time. The two women soon realise what he is up to and decide to teach him a lesson. Together Shakespeare, Verdi and Noble have created a comic opera with scenes bursting with life, fantastic costumes and – for once – a happy ending! Falstaff you just have to see.
"The conductor, Anthony Bramall, leads a thoroughly vocally accomplished ensemble through Verdi's intricate musical web." SvD
"The orchestra lives up to its reputation as Sweden's best opera orchestra." Borås Tidning
Anthony Bramall
Finn Rosengren
Sir John Falstaff
Anders Lorentzson
Åke Zetterström
Thomas Lander
Peter Lodahl
Dr Cajus
Iwar Bergkwist
Ingemar Anderson
Peter Loguin
Mrs Alice Ford
Carolina Sandgren
Henriikka Gröndahl
Mrs Quickly
Susanne Resmark
Mrs Meg Page
Pia Svorono
Mikael Simlund
En servitör
Björn Thudén
GöteborgsOperans Orkester och Kör, barnstatister
Med reservation för eventuella ändringar
Anthony Bramall
Finn Rosengren
Adrian Noble
Scenografi och kostym
Christopher Oram
Rörelse och koreografi
Sue Lefton
Alan Burrett


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Research and Special Learning Facilities
The Adan E. Treganza Anthropology Museum
The Adan E. Treganza Anthropology Museum maintains ethnological and archaeological materials from Africa, the Americas, the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Guinea. In addition, the museum contains an audio-visual collection of diverse ethnomuseological materials, tapes, and records. The museum tries to represent the diverse cultures of the San Francisco Bay Area in its collections and exhibitions.
The museum collections serve as resources for classroom lectures, and exhibits developed by faculty, staff, and students. Exhibits are mounted in the Hohenthal Gallery, located in SCI 388, next to the museum storage facilities. The Department of Anthropology accepts exhibits from graduate students as Creative Work Projects for the M.A. degree.
The museum collaborates with programs within various colleges of the University, including the College of Ethnic Studies, the School of the Arts, the College of Liberal & Creative Arts, and the College of Education. It also collaborates with other educational institutions, including middle and high schools and regional museums, within the San Francisco Bay Area.
The museum publishes field research of students, faculty and graduates of the Department of Anthropology in the Treganza Anthropology Museum Papers.
The office is located in SCI 381, telephone 415-338-1642, fax number is 415-338-0530, email firstname.lastname@example.com. The Treganza Anthropology Museum web page contains information concerning the history of the museum as well as announcements of current and upcoming exhibits and a list of past exhibits: www.sfsu.edu/~anthro/treganza.htm.
American Language Institute
The American Language Institute (ALI) is a center for teaching English as a second language (ESL) and is closely allied with the Department of English and its program for training teachers of ESL. The ALI provides a full-time, academically focused curriculum in ESL that gives students both language and study skills necessary for academic success in the United States. There are four levels of instruction ranging from a low intermediate level (TOEFL scores of 325 and above) to an advanced level (TOEFL scores of 520-600). Students must enroll for a full session (twelve weeks in the fall and spring, ten weeks in the summer), which involves 22 hours per week of classroom instruction. Students are expected to regularly attend classes and maintain good academic standing to continue in the program. Part-time study is not permitted. All applicants must be graduates of a recognized high school or secondary school and must be 18 years of age or older.
In addition to language instruction, the ALI provides special assistance to students who want to attend San Francisco State University but do not have the required language skills. Undergraduate students can apply through the ALI to the University even when other enrollment deadlines have passed. Qualified undergraduate applicants from ALI can be admitted to SF State with a 475 TOEFL. The ALI also offers other student services which include: workshops in cultural adaptation, orientation to the academic community, immigration advice, assistance in selecting universities for further study, and social activities.
Furthermore, the ALI serves as a training institute for selected graduate students in the English Department's Master of Arts in English: Concentration in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Those graduate students become instructors in the ALI under the supervision of the full-time, permanent ALI faculty.
For further information about ALI programs and future session dates, please contact the American Language Institute. The office is located in HUM 101, telephone 415-338-1438; fax 415-338-1717; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com. See also the ALI web site for more detailed program information at http://www.sfsu.edu/~ali/.
The Geography Map Library
The Geography Map Library offers the University and the San Francisco community a unique and varied collection of maps. The Map Library aids faculty and students in the selection of maps that best fit their needs in the classroom and in research.
The collection maintained by the Map Library includes the University's Wall Map Collection, a regional flat map collection with world coverage, the AMS Series for Southeast Asia and a diverse collection of maps of California and the San Francisco Bay Region.
The Map Library also functions as an Official USGS Map Depository for the Western States Region. The Map Library houses a collection of nearly three thousand of the latest USGS Topographic Quadrangles for California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska. These collections are open to the public during the regular business hours of the Map Library, located in HSS 289.
Centers and Institutes in the College of Business
CampusIT Solutions
The purpose of the center is to prepare students to assume effective and responsible careers in information technology. Campus IT Solutions is focused on delivering professional mentoring and augmenting classroom education with "real world" hands-on experience to students who aspire to careers in information technology. The mission of Campus IT Solutions is to support industry in improving the value and quality of information technology solutions.
Center for Electronic Business
The mission of the Center for Electronic Business (CEB) is to promote interaction among students, faculty, and practitioners that results in the sharing of knowledge, experience, and expertise in electronically-based business activities, and to foster cooperation and collaboration among participants through joint applied research, sharing of best practices, student internships, and related programs. The CEB views electronic business as all business activities conducted electronically, and as such it supports all areas of a business including finance, marketing, accounting, production/operations, human resource management, and management. Among its activities the CEB sponsors conferences and workshops, organizes research seminars and presentations, sponsors research projects, publishes research results, and coordinates student internships in electronic business.
Ohrenschall Center for Entrepreneurship
The purpose of the center is to study and promote the enterprising activities of individuals. Such enterprising activities include risk taking, the formation of new businesses, innovation, entrepreneurship, championing, organizing, and creativity. The center supports efforts in the College of Business to expand courses and programs in entrepreneurship and works with faculty from other colleges to develop courses and programs involving entrepreneurial facets of specific disciplinary perspective that involve faculty from across the University.
The Marian Wright Edelman Institute for the Study of Children, Youth and Families
The Marian Wright Edelman Institute for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families at San Francisco State University brings together faculty, community members, and students to address the ever-changing needs of children, youth, and families. The institute serves as a powerful tool of outreach, advocacy, and research. The mission of the institute is:
- To offer an interdisciplinary degree program in child and adolescent development.
- The Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development program concentrates on children and youth within their family and social environments, with special attention to historical and multicultural perspectives. Concentrations are offered in the areas of young child and family, school-age child and family, youth and family, and research and public policy. Courses are taught by faculty from five SF State colleges: Liberal & Creative Arts, Graduate College of Education, Ethnic Studies, Health and Social Sciences, and Science and Engineering.
- To promote collaboration among faculty, and to create public outreach, social advocacy, and other partnerships between SF State and the community.
- The Child Study Center on campus offers a focused child development program for 2-3 and 3-4 year olds. In this setting, expert faculty provide student interns with experiences that strengthen their knowledge and skills in a variety of disciplines related to the growth and development of children. The Marian Wright Edelman Institute also provides a flexible structure that promotes systematic collaboration among campus departments, programs, and schools; and collegial collaboration and partnerships among faculty with wide ranging research agendas. The institute promotes and facilitates community outreach and partnerships with individuals, agencies, and institutions to improve the quality of life for children, youth, and families through education, social services, and health delivery projects.
- To foster research and scholarly work.
- The University's long, productive history of attracting grants and contracts related to the study of children, youth, and families has included funding from government agencies and private foundations. Through innovative partnerships between the community and the University, and by bringing together SF State colleges and departments, the institute enhances San Francisco State's prospects for continuing creative research and civic engagement.
For further information about the institute, contact the institute office at 415-405-3564.
Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism
Founded at San Francisco State University in 1990 by former Department of Journalism Chair Betty Medsger, the Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism believes that accurate and responsible journalism reflects the changing demographics of the society it serves. The center develops programs and conducts research aimed at recruiting, retaining, and revitalizing journalists and journalism education. It seeks to make journalism more inclusive from the classroom to the newsroom.
CIIJ does this by connecting youth, University students, and professional journalists in efforts to reach common goals. CIIJ works with local community colleges to increase transfer rates and collaborates with the Journalism Association of Community Colleges to increase interest in journalism careers. In addition to annual summer journalism workshops for Bay Area high school students, school visits, and high school fairs, CIIJ also coordinates a Coaching Program, in which a broad network of professional journalists work with the department's students on a weekly basis. CIIJ coordinates a job fair and a number of other career services for SF State's and other college and University journalism students.
CIIJ's major goals include:
- Increase ethnic diversity in the nation's newsroom and in journalism education programs by developing innovative recruiting, training, and retention programs in the department.
- Improve students' journalism skills and multicultural sensitivity so that they will excel in the multicultural newsroom.
- Conduct research about diversity and the news to benefit journalism students, educators, professionals, and the community.
- Create innovative programs that will reinforce existing high school journalism programs or replace those that have been lost; address declining writing skills, meet the special needs of bilingual/bicultural students and other under-served or under-represented groups.
CIIJ is the nation's most recognized University-level institute that addresses the complex issues confronting the news media in serving, covering, and reflecting an increasingly diverse American society. Expanded research on media coverage of ethnic communities, new efforts to track students' progress and retention, plans to strengthen the Bay Area's community and ethnic press, and new training for high school journalism advisers rounds out its sweeping approach to achieving diversity in news media.
CIIJ is funded entirely by SF State and private grants, primarily from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the McCormick Foundation, the Miranda Lux Foundation and the New York Times Company Foundation. CIIJ plays a critical role at this point in U.S. history. The twenty-first century compels news organizations to understand issues of immigration; demographic and lifestyle trends; and social, political, and economic pressures. These issues have combined to make diversity an overriding concern for the news media in everything from the integration of the staffs of newsrooms to the integration of the content of news pages and broadcasts. CIIJ hopes to help the news media fulfill its important responsibilities as gatekeepers for information, ideas, and voices that help shape public opinion and policy.
Center for Modern Greek Studies
The purpose of the Center for Modern Greek Studies is to promote the study of Modern Greek language, literature, and history in relation to the ancient Greek and Byzantine civilizations. The Center coordinates courses offered in Modern Greek Studies as well as cross-listings with the Departments of Anthropology, Classics, Comparative and World Literature, Creative Writing, English, and History, and offers an interdisciplinary minor in Modern Greek Studies.
Courses presently available include:
|Modern Greek I
|Modern Greek II
|Contemporary Culture of Greece
|Greece and the Balkans
|Modern Greek III
|Greek American Literature
|Modern Greek IV
|Modern Greek Literature
|Introduction to Modern Greek Literary Texts
The Center also presents an array of lectures, concerts, film festivals, and other events focusing on contemporary Greece and the Greek American experience. In connection with the Center, an endowed chair in Modern Greek studies has been established, the Nikos Kazantzakis Chair, to provide support for curricular development and cultural programming. The Kazantzakis Chair is the only endowed professorship of Modern Greek literature in the California State University system and one of only several such academic chairs in the United States.
For information about the Center for Modern Greek Studies, please contact Martha Klironomos, director, HUM 577 (415-338-1892); e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; web page: http://moderngreekstudies.sfsu.edu.
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) hosts and administers an interdisciplinary Master of Science Degree in Marine Science for seven California State University (CSU) campuses: Fresno, East Bay, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Monterey Bay and Stanislaus. Although primarily a graduate program, MLML offers a range of courses for undergraduates as well. MLML courses are intended for students majoring in either the biological or physical sciences whose objectives include further graduate study, teaching the sciences, or conducting research in the marine sciences.
Juniors, seniors, and graduate students may take courses at MLML and receive credit toward their degrees at San Francisco State University. Please note that students must reserve space at MLML prior to registering at San Francisco State University; registration and course confirmation at the University alone does not assure the student of space at the laboratories. San Francisco State University students at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories must continue to follow University enrollment regulations and use San Francisco State University Marine Science course numbers.
MLML offers full-time course work in biological, chemical, physical, and geological oceanography, marine invertebrate zoology, marine birds and mammals, reptiles, ichtyology, phycology, and benthic ecology.
MLML maintains a full research library, a scientific diving program, a fleet of research vessels, and nearly 100,000 square feet of lab, office and classroom space. Internationally recognized affiliated researchers complement the interests of MLML faculty. More information can be found at http://www.mlml.calstate.edu.
For additional information, please contact either the chair of the Biology Department or the chair of the Department of Earth & Climate Sciences at San Francisco State University or the Graduate Program Assistant at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.
The Poetry Center and American Poetry Archives
The Poetry Center was founded in 1954 on the basis of a small donation by W. H. Auden (he surrendered the honorarium paid him when he read his poetry to celebrate the opening of the new—and current—San Francisco State University campus). Today, The Poetry Center at SF State is one of the most long-lived and nationally renowned literary arts institutions in the United States. Having celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2004, the Poetry Center initiated its pioneering reading series under the direction of Ruth Witt-Diamant, with advice and encouragement from local poets Kenneth Rexroth, Robert Duncan, and Madeline Gleason among others. Since then, The Poetry Center has presented over one hundred continuous seasons of outstanding contemporary poets and writers, reading from their works. With its companion project, The American Poetry Archives, the center has amassed nearly 3,000 original audio and video recordings of poets and writers reading from their works, representing an irreplaceable collective record of the past half-century of American literary accomplishment. The Poetry Center presents an extensive reading series, on and off campus, during Spring and Fall semesters. It houses a reading library (HUM 512), which doubles as performance space and Creative Writing student lounge. The Poetry Center is open to visitors, Monday through Thursday, and its recordings are available for sale, and for loan to SF State students, faculty, and staff. Offices located in HUM 511, telephone 415-338-2227. For archives recordings please leave a message at 415-338-1056. Web site at poetry.sfsu.edu.
Romberg Tiburon Center
The Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies (RTC) is located on San Francisco Bay a few miles outside of the town of Tiburon in Marin County, approximately 25 miles north of the main campus. The 34-acre site is also the location of the Bay Conference Center which is operated by RTC.
The Romberg Tiburon Center was founded in 1978 to serve as a multidisciplinary instructional and research facility for the study of the natural environment of the San Francisco Bay and the central California coast. RTC provides a unique opportunity for faculty, students, and researchers of diverse disciplines to work together on regional and global environmental issues in areas of marine and estuarine science.
The Bay Conference Center (BCC) opened in 1987. Overlooking San Francisco Bay and the surrounding hills, it contains four meeting rooms, including a main room with seating for 140 people. University groups, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private industry utilize the Bay Conference Center for meetings, educational programs, and conferences. The Ohrenschall Guest Center opened in 2001 and provides short-term overnight lodging in a beautiful renovated Victorian-era home. Seven bedrooms are available for use by University guests, affiliates, and Bay Conference Center conferees.
Several University departments offer courses at the RTC each semester, including the summer term. Courses offered at RTC encompass the areas of benthic ecology, biological oceanography, limnology, marine conservation biology, marine microbial ecology, molecular tools in marine biology, fisheries biology, food web structures, physical oceanography, remote sensing and GIS, and restoration and wetlands ecology, in addition to others. Courses are offered at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, and opportunities exist for graduate research projects. Students should check the Class Schedule or call the center for information on course offerings.
San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is a partnership among National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), San Francisco State University, California State Parks, Solano Land Trust and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Its headquarter is also located in RTC. The San Francisco Bay NERR serves as a living laboratory for on-site staff, visiting scientists and graduate students. Since the inception of the nationwide NERR system, a main goal of the program has been to ensure a stable environment for research through long-term protection of reserve system resources. The reserves serve as platforms for long-term research and monitoring, as well as reference sites for comparative studies.
For information on RTC or BCC, see http://rtc.sfsu.edu or contact:
Administrative Assistant
Romberg Tiburon Center
3152 Paradise Drive
Tiburon, CA 94920
For information on SF Bay NERR, see http://www.sfbaynerr.org/ or contact Administrative Coordinator 415-338-3759.
Sierra Nevada Field Campus
The Sierra Nevada Field Campus provides a mountain forest setting for instruction and research in the environmental sciences and other creative disciplines. The field station is located adjacent to State Highway 49 on the North Fork of the Yuba River at an elevation of 1,675 meters. Facilities include two cabins and a dining hall on nine mostly forested acres within the Tahoe National Forest. Presently the facility supports a summer and weekend course and research program which utilizes a variety of vegetation types, land forms and aquatic habitats near the field station. Other unique sites occur within two hours drive, including Sierra Buttes, Sierra Valley, Gold Lakes Country, Mt. Lassen, Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, Eagle Lake, and Mono Lake.
For information about courses, scheduling programs, and accommodations, please see www.sfsu.edu/~sierra/ or write to:
Sierra Nevada Field Campus
College of Science and Engineering
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA 94132
Sierra Nevada Field Campus
Star Route, Sattley, CA 96124.
Sutro Egyptian Collection
The Sutro Egyptian Collection, under the auspices of the Museum Studies Program, College of Liberal & Creative Arts, consists of approximately seven hundred artifacts from ancient Egypt, spanning 5,000 years, from Pre-dynastic to Greco-Roman times. A beautifully painted, triple-nesting mummy set is one of the highlights. The Museum Studies Program makes use of this unique collection to give students first-hand learning experiences in curatorial activities, museum exhibit design, restoration, conservation, and authentication. The Sutro Egyptian Collection is used in two extensive outreach programs to elementary and middle schools in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. Students in the Museum Studies Program develop educational programming, teachers' workshops, and school tours of the Sutro Egyptian Collection. These programs reach over 1,000 children each semester.
Students at SF State can work with these ancient Egyptian artifacts—pottery, jewelry, mummies, funerary model boats, statuettes, scarabs, and many other objects of daily life. The collection serves as a basis for several courses, such as the following courses, which are open to all students, offering opportunities to do research and to design and produce the yearly public exhibitions.
|Museum Education and School Outreach
|Museum Exhibition Planning and Design
|Museum Conservation and Restoration
|Preservation of Natural History and Cultural Collections
|Museums in the Digital Age
Visiting scholars, Bay Area students, and faculty use this unique collection for study and research. The Sutro Egyptian Collection is located in the College of Liberal & Creative Arts. For information, call 415-405-0599.


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Welcome Parents and Families!
Whether you are a "first-timer" or an experienced college parent…whether you live across town or across the country…wherever you find yourself and whatever your circumstances…you are a valuable member of the Colorado College community. You, after all, have nurtured and raised the bright, enthusiastic, and capable young adults we are proud to call CC students!
Colorado College offers a wealth of opportunities for your child, both in the classroom and through our extensive co-curricular program. Sometimes the array of choices and resources can seem overwhelming. The parent and family relations office is here to support you and to help you stay connected to your student as you journey with them through their college experience.
Connect to Our Website
If your student calls you with a question and you're not sure where to turn, visit Resources for Parents or Parent FAQs for helpful links.
Connect Through Social Media
We're on Facebook! Like our official Colorado College Parents and Families page for occasional articles and updates. If you'd like to have a conversation or share information with other parents just like you, join our CC parents' Facebook group. You can also like the Colorado College Facebook page to keep up with goings-on around campus.
Connect With Publications
As a CC parent, you are automatically subscribed to a variety of publications which are both informative and entertaining. The CC Bulletin, our news magazine, is published and mailed three times a year. Family Connections, our e-newsletter just for parents, will arrive in your e-mail inbox once each block, along with President Tiefenthaler's e-newsletter, which is sent each block break. Check out some of our other campus publications, as well as President Tiefenthaler's occasional blog, for interesting articles and perspectives.
Connect With the CC Network
At Colorado College, you are more than just a parent; you are part of the global CC network. In collaboration with the Office of Alumni and Family Relations, regional alumni and parent volunteers plan events across the nation and around the world to connect and engage members of the CC network. We encourage you to participate in these regional alumni/parent activities by attending an event, hosting an event, serving on a regional chapter volunteer committee, and, most importantly, spreading the word about Colorado College in your community. For more information about being involved near you, please contact the Office of Alumni and Family Relations at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Debra Zarecky, Director of Parent and Family Programs
(719) 389-6103
Brittany Almeida, Assistant Director for Student and Family Programs
(719) 389-6817


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If you ever wanted to get inside Omar's head, here's your best shot.
Actor Michael K. Williams, who played everyone's favorite gay hitman on "The Wire," has just shared with New York Magazine the songs that he'd play to get himself in the Omar mood.
It's hip-hop heavy, for sure. But what else would it be -- Barry Manilow?
"Music is always a part of my characters' make-up," he told New York. "All my characters have playlists."
Williams told the magazine he carefully curates the list, making sure he picks just the right tunes for each character.
"Music for me is a portal," he told the reporter. "Once I've gone to that dimension and I'm there, whatever got me there, I just loop those songs."
Here's the songs he listened to to transport himself to Omar and the streets of Baltimore:
Tupac, "Unconditional Love"
Nas, "Let There be Light"
Young Jeezy, "Dreamin'"
Mary J. Blige, "My Life"
Lauryn Hill, "Oh Jerusalem"
Jay-Z, "You Must Love Me"
Tupac, "So Many Tears"
Biggie Smalls "Suicidal Thoughts"
Young Jeezy "Bury me a G"
Jay-Z, "Oh My God"
Biggie Smalls, "Who Shot Ya"
Tupac, "Against All Odds"
Biggie Smalls, "Everyday Struggle"
Nas, "One Mic"
Lauryn Hill, "War in the Mind"
Common, "It's Your World"
Lauryn Hill, "Mystery of Iniquity"
Meshell Ndegeocello, "Akel Dama (Field of Blood)"
Lauryn Hill, "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind"
Tupac, "Dear Mama"
Sun Tan, "Sunscreen"
And if you have Spotify, you can listen to the whole thing here.
@BaltInsider on Twitter


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Cowboys Extra Points: Tackles and Trash Talk
Gerald Sensabaugh has been fined by the NFL for a horse collar tackle during last Sunday's game.
Josh Ellis reports,
Safety Gerald Sensabaugh received notice Wednesday of a $5,000 fine for a horse collar tackle in the second quarter of Sunday's win over Tampa Bay.
Though no flag was thrown, the league's official review concluded the first-year Cowboy had illegally pulled down Bucs running back Cadillac Williams from behind. Sensabaugh said he thought it was a legal tackle because he had grabbed Williams' jersey, not the inside of his pads.
I clearly remember the play, and I even questioned if it was a horse collar during our live game chat. Seems a little harsh to fine someone $5,000 when no penalty was called, and no one was hurt.
* * *
Tony Romo has been nominated for the NFL's FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week Award. You can vote up until Friday at 11 a.m. CST. Place your votes – http://www.nfl.com/partner?partnerType=players-air-and-ground. Romo is up against Drew Brees and Joe Flacco.
Oddly enough former Cowboy Julius Jones is up for the 'Ground' award, along with Thomas Jones and Adrian Peterson.
* * *
Linebacker Stephen Hodge had microfracture surgery on his left knee while linebacker Brandon Williams is expected to have his reconstructive knee surgery within the next couple of weeks.
* * *
Felix oh Felix! Please stay healthy!
Felix Jones was limited in play during last Sunday's game due to a bruised thigh, and will possibly be limited this week as well. Here is what has been posted on the Cowboys official website.
RB Felix Jones – quad (9/13) – Although he continued to play, Jones was limited after suffering a quad injury during a big tackle in the first quarter. The Cowboys held him out of some third-down plays and replaced him in the second half with Miles Austin on one kickoff return.
* * *
Have you heard what Brandon Jacobs said yet?
"No question," he replied. "I hate the Cowboys with a bloody passion."
I asked him what the difference between a "regular passion" and a "bloody passion" was.
"You want to go into the game as being assassins," he said, referring to the feelings of bloody passion, "instead of tough football players in a game like that."
He most likely heard what DeMarcus Ware said, "I hate those New York Giants!"
Nothing like some good old fashioned division rivalry trash talk! Bring on those Giants!


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In this water-loving corner of Seattle, you'll find dragon boats, historic ships, and kayaks.
Photo credit
Photo: Terry Donnelly/Alamy
What to do in the Emerald City after you've zoomed up the Space Needle and been serenaded by Pike Place fishmongers? Follow the locals to Lake Union, north of downtown. Stroll paths to gaze at sleek sailboats or paddle your own craft to a café. Start at the lake's north end. Area code is 206.
- Watchless in Seattle? Your own body becomes the gnomon (indicator) on a beautifully crafted sundial at Gas Works Park, beloved as much for its awesome city views as for the picturesque rusted remnants of a 1906 coal gasification plant on its grassy slopes. 2101 N. Northlake Way, seattle.gov/parks.
- The quirky combo of tacos and kayaks makes sense at the waterfront Agua Verde Cafe & Paddle Club. Rent a kayak and glide past Seattle's colony of floating homes (glimpsing the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat on the west side), then reward yourself with smoked salmon on fresh corn tortillas. 1303 NE Boat St., 545-8570, aguaverde.com.
- The Center for Wooden Boats celebrates the lake's tradition of watercraft built the old-fashioned way: with wood. Bring children for free Sunday boat rides, tours of historic ships, and kids' stories on the wood-hulled Arthur Foss, star of the 1933 movie Tugboat Annie. 1010 Valley St., 382-2628, cwb.org.
- Explore Lake Union Park, a dozen acres with paths, waterfront steps, a footbridge, and a pond for sailing model boats. 860 Terry Ave. N., atlakeunionpark.org.
- No experience is necessary to join a paddling crew on a 45-foot dragon boat. Meet at Kenmore Air next to Lake Union Park. Monday and Wednesday 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m., Sunday 3 p.m. First three trips are free; ages 12 to 17 welcome with a parent. 523-4518, seattleflyingdragons.org.
- Ahoy, landlubbers! Circling the lake (5.9 miles) is easy on a bicycle rented from Recycled Cycles. Stop for a break at the blue-and-orange Fremont drawbridge at the lake's northwest corner to listen for the honks and whistles of tall-masted boats signaling the bridge tender. 1007 NE Boat St., 547-4491, recycledcycles.com.
This article was first published in March 2011. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.


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Personally, I'd like him back in the same role next season, but I have to wonder.
Takahashi is a free agent this winter and wants to be a starter, and those starts against the Yankees and Phillies only reinforce that thought in his mind. His numbers are superior coming out of the bullpen than as a starter. However, they are representative numbers that could improve if he worked at that role. He gave the Mets just under six innings when he started, which undoubtedly would improve if he's stretched out.
The soon-to-be-departed regime likes him out of the bullpen, and whether he stays or goes could be dependent on what the incoming regime believes. If the new GM and manager are adamant with Takahashi out of the bullpen, I can see him bolting for the bucks, and with the year he's had, he'll get them.
However, if the new team is willing to try him as a starter and promises him a shot in spring training, the Mets might be able to retain him.
Personally, I agree with Minaya and Manuel and like him out of the pen. He's excelled in every role the Mets have tried him at and he's uniquely valuable. He gives the Mets a versatile presence they haven't had since Darren Oliver, who was one of the most important members of the 2006 staff.
When he started he usually was strong the first time or two through the order, but the opposition figured him out. That's Manuel's concern and it is a valid one.


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- Inside Athletics
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After struggling offensively for the first month of the season, ETSU pounded out 12 runs on 14 hits, and converted the majority of its opportunities, stranding only five runners and posting runs in four of the five innings runners reached scoring position.
The Bucs (9-3) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, plating their first run on senior Justin Aughey's (
Glafenhein (4-0) made sure two runs were plenty, allowing only three runners past first base while scattering five hits and striking out three in his seven innings of work. Tom Dolan gave up five runs, only three earned, in his six innings of work, falling to 1-1.
Leading 5-0 in the seventh, the Bucs broke the game open with four runs, highlighted by junior Anthony Russell's (
The Bucs pitching staff has thrown 20-consecutive scoreless innings, the most since the 1992 squad notched three consecutive shutouts. Combining with Glafenhein in the streak have been senior Tony Lombardi (


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E. Ness "The Loch Ness Monster" Talks Down On Chopper City! "You B*tch a$$ Nicca. Stop Wearing Make Up. You Whore"
E Ness speaks To Polk DVD. Purchase Polk DVD Vol. 5 to watch the full interview and more
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Browse by Author
Group by: Creators | Item Type | No Grouping
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Number of items: 1.
Book Section
Ball, J. M. (2002) Some open problems in elasticity. In: Geometry, Mechanics, and Dynamics. Springer-Verlag New York, New York, pp. 3-59. ISBN 0387955186
This list was generated on Thu Feb 21 10:14:46 2019 GMT.


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PORTLAND, Ore. — In the last week Vanessa Ogden could speak, she was telling everyone the story of how she herded customers into a storeroom as a gunman stalked the Clackamas Town Center mall.
The 29-year-old clothing shop manager had barricaded the door as shots rang out in the nearby food court, and when a police officer knocked and said it was time to come out, Ogden insisted on going out alone to make sure it was safe.
"She's a real take-charge person. She doesn't panic. She's pretty level-headed in any situation," said her mother, Vicki Porter.
Days later, Ogden, who was seven months pregnant, suddenly became listless, spending hours at a time lying on the couch. She gradually stopped speaking. In repeated visits to doctors, Douglas Ogden was told his wife was probably suffering from post-traumatic stress connected to the Dec. 11 shooting, which left three people dead, including the gunman, and injured a third. Since then, he learned it was worse: Ogden had suffered 60 to 70 small strokes, with resulting brain injury that soon left her unable to walk or speak.
Doctors say she suffered a neurological ailment possibly brought on by an unknown infection. Did the stress of the shooting leave her body more vulnerable? Ogden thinks the timing is hard to ignore, and on the Facebook page he's set up to document his wife's mysterious affliction, he calls her "a silent victim" of the Clackamas mall shooting.


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This glass screen protector was designed for iPhone 5, 5C and 5S. The screen easily fits over the original glass of an iPhone to provide protection from scratches, cracks, and breaks caused by regular handling or accidental dropping. This screen adheres to the iPhone without creating bubbles or leaving gaps, and will crack into small, dull pieces that are designed to stick together in the event of breakage. Screen clarity and touch sensitivity are not affected with its application.
This tempered glass screen application is compatible with iPhone 5, 5C & 5S.


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Just got all the mri's back from tci. they said they weren't going to see Heidi because they couldnt see anything unusuall on the imiging. She has a neurogenic bladder, She has no or very little feeling on her R side, her headaches are up there very high on the pain scale, her lower back is always hurting. any suggestions would be appreciated. weve seen her normal NS, a couple spine surgeons a couple neurologists and nobody will even give us a hint of what the problem is.
Take care


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Courtesy the Pendleton family
Hadiya Pendleton during her trip to Washington for President Obama's inauguration.
A week after Chicago teenager Hadiya Pendleton was shot dead, her killer is still on the loose -- but her family says they are confident they will see justice.
"It's just a matter of time when this person is turned in," said Shatira Wilks, a cousin of the 15-year-old whose death made headlines across the country, focused attention on Chicago's murder rate and became part of the national debate over gun control.
Pendleton was gunned down while hanging out with friends in a park near her well-regarded school, just days after she performed with a marching band during President Barack Obama's inaugural festivities.
Police suspect she was the innocent victim of a gang member who mistook the teens for rivals on his turf. A reward for his capture has grown by the day, and cops said tips are still coming in.
"This bounty is now $40,000," said Wilks, who is acting as the family spokeswoman while Pendleton's parents prepare for her funeral Saturday.
"I think the family member or friend of the person sheltering him is viewing it as a lottery ticket, watching it go up so quickly," she said. "And I believe that at some point, they are going to turn this person in for the money."
She said whoever raised the shooter failed society by not teaching him right from wrong and is now compounding it by letting him dodge responsibility.
"How can you allow parents to suffer like this?" she asked.
Pendleton's mother, Cleopatra Cowley, and her father, Nate "Anthony" Pendleton, are facing the nightmare of burying their only daughter this weekend. A thousand or more people are expected to attend Friday's wake and the funeral the next day.
"She has a large following in death, as well as in life," Wilks said. "And we are already seeing change in Chicago as a result of her death."
She pointed to the city's decision to remove 200 cops from desk duty and put them on the streets to fight crime and several anti-crime marches and vigils that have been held since the murder.
- Handful of Chicago neighborhoods see most murders
- Chicago marchers ask Obama for help over gun violence
Chicago teenager Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed last week. Her death is inspiring people around the country to push for change to gun laws. Hadiya's mother Cleo Cowley shares her story with Rev. Al Sharpton.


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Not long ago Bruce Fernie contacted me to let me know he had created a website to celebrate the career of his father, the illustrator John Fernie. I've come across Fernie's work on several occasions and really liked it. Below are three examples I found in various mid-1950s issues of Cosmopolitan magazine.
Now there's a place where you can read about John Fernie's life and see some great examples of his work!
Visit the John Fernie website for more.


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(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
Contact us for information about using this image.
There is currently no available "Beginner" label. The following is the default level label: This glass bottle is quite large, nearly 18" high and 16" wide. It is a demijohn, which is a very specific type of bottle used to transport wine or vinegar. It usually was encased in wicker or rushes that formed a kind of basket for the bottle with handles on either side. The bottle's glass is very rough and the quality is quite poor: although it is not very visible in this photograph, the glass has swirls of un-melted material in it. The word "demijohn" comes from a common 17th century French phrase, "Dame Jeanne," used as an affectionate term. Because of the wide use of demijohns in international trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, the word "demijohn" has entered a number of languages ranging from Portuguese to modern Arabic.
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Obama: Ready To Do 'Tough Things' For Fiscal Deal [VIDEO]
President Barack Obama says he is prepared to do "tough things" for a "fiscal cliff" deal and says there is no reason for the talks to fail.
The president said he remains optimistic that a deal can be done, even though talks have reached a standstill.
Negotiations between the White House and Boehner's office on a deal to raise revenue and cut spending have stalled since House Speaker John Boehner decided to seek a vote in the House on a narrow bill that would raise taxes on taxpayers earning more than $1 million.
Obama has proposed raising the top tax rate for those earning more than $400,000 along with savings and spending cuts of $1.2 trillion.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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The Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The Commission provides the General Assembly and ECOSOC with high-level advice on relevant science and technology issues.
UNCTAD is responsible for the substantive servicing of the Commission.
At its first meeting on 17 December, the composition of the Working Group on the Internet Governance Forum was agreed, as follows: twenty-two Members States, plus five representatives each from civil society; the business sector; academia and the technical community; and intergovernmental organizations.
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|{This unknown variety of caterpillar was found in the snow today.}
My thoughts ran along the lines of Who knows where he came from? Perhaps he was hibernating and we happened to unearth him? Maybe he is better off left where he is? And then, What could possibly be alive in the snow in Michigan in February?! Surely nothing good. His unfortunate brownish-gray coloring plus the implausibility of finding him alive in the first place made me think that it had to be something truly vile that we wouldn't even want to try to keep alive. Still I wondered, Is this going to turn into a moth or a butterfly? Then the niggling part of my brain kicked in again, suggesting, It's probably something awful like a larval parasite ... Better not take the chance.
Then, thinking my mind was made up, I set the caterpillar back down in the snow. Mia seemed very sad at the thought that he would die there. Cue the mom guilt here. I decided that I would rather my kids remember "the time we tried to save the caterpillar we found in the snow" instead of "the time that Mom left that caterpillar to die in the snow."
You can probably guess what happened next. I am not sure exactly what sort of caterpillar this is, or how well it will fair at our house. I do know that he has a lovely new residence: a glass jar with some tulle netting held on with a rubber band. (It turns out that a lid punched with holes not only provides inadequate ventilation, but it can also injure the caterpillar, according to my quick Google search "how to keep a caterpillar alive in a jar." Also, I now have a lid with holes punched in it, so this jar may not have too many future uses.)
The same Google search informed me that our new caterpillar was likely doomed since they are reportedly picky eaters. This site claimed they would sooner starve than eat the wrong food, and suggested that we offer the plant it was found on since that is the preferred food. Great idea, except that this guy was in the snow. He had no food anywhere nearby that I could see. Even though I tried to find pictures that even remotely resembled our new caterpillar, I had little luck identifying him. This meant that he was offered the leaves from some celery and some romaine lettuce since those were the only leafy items available at our house. It turns out that our caterpillar is not a picky eater, after all. Romaine lettuce suited his tastes just fine, at least for now.
That just reinforces my belief that he is a mutant who is going to turn into something gross if given the chance. Thankfully, he has no name. Yet. He is currently burrowing in the lettuce leaves, which Mia says are his blanket. She is getting attached, so I hope that he at least makes it through the night. I'm reminding myself that this will be a good childhood memory: "Remember that time Mom let us keep the caterpillar and it turned into a gorgeous butterfly..."
|{See, Wikipedia, you're wrong. Our mutant is quite fond of Romaine lettuce. Maybe he senses that I went against my better judgment to keep him around. Or, maybe I'm just that awesome at caring for wild things. Handy for a mom, don't you think?}


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BRISTOL, Tenn. – For the second consecutive season, the King University men's cross country team will travel to the NCAA Championships to compete for a national title. With four All-Region performers and a second-place finish at the NCAA Region Championship on November 9, the Tornado will look to improve upon last year's 27th-place result at the national meet in Spokane, Wash on Saturday. In the women's race, the Tornado will be represented by senior Hannah Witt.
King's strongest asset has been its ability to run in a pack and score points in bunches. Each team's first five finishers are awarded points based on their final overall position, and the team with the lowest total score is the winner. Pack running allows a team to score in a group and prevent runners from other teams from receiving low scores, and the Tornado have been stellar at the strategy this season. King's five point-scoring positions have been separated by no more than 1:18 in any race this season, and saw just a 39.5 second spread over the 10 kilometer NCAA Regional Championship two weeks ago.
Headlining the Tornado in 2013 has been senior Spencer Frantom, a Morristown, Tenn. native that has been King's top finisher in every race this season. He ran the second- and third-fastest eight kilometer times in school history, and of his career, in the Royal Cross Country Challenge and the Conference Carolinas Championships last month.
Frantom also holds the all-time King record on a ten kilometer course, the length of NCAA regional and national championship events. Frantom's time of 30:31.3 at last year's national championship meet in Joplin, Mo. stands as the fastest ever at King, and he paced the Tornado with a time of 32:10.8 at this year's NCAA Regional Championship.
One of the Tornado's biggest contributors has been Bristol, Va. native Brent Swiney, a sophomore who has made a major impact in the second half of the season. After finishing in the fifth and final scoring position in King's first competition, Swiney has spent the last three races as the Tornado's No. 2 runner and has posted personal best times for both course lengths in each of his last two races.
Like Frantom, Swiney was named to both the all-conference and All-Region teams, and finished just 2.3 seconds behind his teammate for 16th place overall in the regional meet. In last year's NCAA Championship, his time of 33:27.8 was good for 226th position, a mark he will look to improve upon in 2013.
Freshman Tanner Cook, who hails from Abingdon, Va., has been a solid performer this season. He finished third at the NCAA Region Championship on his way to being named to the All-Region team and has finished in the top five for the Tornado in every race this season. Cook is best known for his consistency, with his fastest and slowest 8K times this season coming within 41.1 seconds of each other.
Both Cook and Swiney are adept at conserving energy in a race's early stages to make a late charge. At the Region Championship two weeks ago, the duo picked up 31 positions over the middle third of the race, helping to lift the Tornado from a tie for the third and final NCAA Championship-qualifying position into second place.
Junior Jordan Noe will continue his decorated career with the Tornado on Saturday in Spokane. A Morristown, Tenn. native, and high school teammate of Frantom, Noe was named 2012 Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year after winning the conference championship meet and has been steady for the Tornado in 2013. He is an All-Region performer this season and ran the second- and fifth-fastest 10K times in school history at last year's NCAA Championship and Region Championship meets. He finished in 111th position in last year's national championship event.
Naidi Hills, Kenya's Dickson Kurgat has been a consistent performer this season for the Tornado. In five races on eight kilometer courses this season, four of Kurgat's times are among the top 25 in school history, including a personal record time at the Royal Cross Country Challenge that ranks eighth on King's all-time list. He has finished between the second and fifth positions for the Tornado this season and is an all-conference performer.
Adams State University and Western State University, winners of the last five national titles, are the favorites to claim another championship this season. Adams State is the current No. 1 ranked team and has won four titles over the last five years, while second-ranked Western State won the national championship in 2011.
While the women's cross country team did not qualify for Saturday's NCAA Championship, King will be represented by Mountain City, Tenn. native Hannah Witt, who earned a spot in the national title meet by winning the NCAA Region Championship.
The senior has been virtually unbeatable this season after missing all but one race in 2012 due to injury. She has yet to finish behind an NCAA Division II runner this year, falling behind two NCAA Division I athletes and two unattached non-collegiate runners while winning four of her six competitions. In addition to owning the fastest time at King in both five and six kilometer races, she now owns four of the top 5K times and the top two 6K times in program history.
In every race this year, Witt has been nothing short of dominant. In the four races she has won, her smallest margin of victory was in the Mountaineer Open on October 4, which she won by 5.28 seconds over Virginia Tech's Sarah Rapp. No NCAA Division II runner has finished within 25.8 seconds of Witt all season. She was named Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year after winning the conference championship meet, and her victory at the NCAA Region Championship earned Witt the title of Southeast Region Athlete of the Year from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Witt's only prior appearance in the national finals came during the 2010 season as a part of King's first team in any sport to compete in an NCAA championship event. She finished the snow-covered course in Louisville, Ky. in 24:15.6 as the fourth King runner across the line, giving her a 141st place overall finish.
Last year's individual national champion was a senior, but six of the top ten finishers from a season ago return in what is considered to be a wide open field. The top 40 overall finishers are named All-Americans, a goal that Witt will look to attain in her final race in a King uniform.


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The Supersonic Xpress USB 3.0 flash drive brings the speed and performance of USB 3.0 at an affordable price. Featuring a stylish cap-less design that hides the USB 3.0 connector when not in use, the Supersonic Xpress works like a pen to reveal the USB connector. Transfer data in a flash with speeds up to 60MB/s read and 25MB/s write when connected to a USB 3.0 port. No USB 3.0 port? The Supersonic Xpress is backwards compatible to USB 2.0/1.1 and comes with a 2-year limited warranty.
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A sinkhole swallowed three cars in the South Deering neighborhood on Chicago's Southeast Side early Thursday morning.
One person was taken from the hole, at 9600 South Houston Avenue, to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious-to-critical condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
The fire department responded to the scene around 5:30 a.m. when two cars were inside the hole. A third one slide into it after crews arrived.
Since the hole opened, it has expanded to about 40 feet wide. There is fear that it will get bigger as it continues to rain.
Crews with Chicago's Water Management Department say they are pumping water out of the catch basins right next to the sinkhole to alleviate the pressure in hopes that it will prevent the sinkhole from growing.
Ald. John Pope tells WGN that an 8-inch water main was leaking through the night, and that leak coupled with the weather and soft ground caused the sinkhole.
On Thursday afternoon, crews were working to remove the cars from the sinkhole. Then, they will repair the water main leak.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.


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Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Ladder to Mastery
In any field, domain, or endeavor, there are unavoidable steps in achieving a high level of success. It all begins with the learning process. At the bottom rung is blind incognizance, a state of total unawareness, i.e., not knowing what you don't know. The next rung is awareness without any clue of what needs to be done. The third rung is declaring yourself a beginner: a beginner is someone who doesn't know something but has the desire to learn...and willingness to learn depends on an open mind. As a new student, you enter the realm of barely competent, i.e., you know the basics and rudiments but nothing more. The following rung is competence, wherein the basic skills have been mastered and results are produced. The competent are self-directed but still seek guidance as needed. Next up this ladder is "highly competent"--the stage of the beginner teacher. This candidate not only performs at a high level but ably shares knowledge with others--and this is where most students get bogged down, never passing this phase of the learning hierarchy. And too often, these same people pass themselves off at a higher level than they've rightfully earned. They are typically the best in their local group and isolated and otherwise insulated from other higher level practitioners. This is often by design, since this someone at this level tends to fear--and is intimidated by--practitioners at higher levels of competence. These are the proverbial big fish in a small pond and they may remain stuck at this level for years.
My friend, Mike Mahler, in his latest news letter, made a great point about experience: Just because a person can boast many years of experience in a domain doesn't automatically indicate equal a high level of success. The majority of experienced people in any given field are merely competent (or highly competent) and content with coasting and collecting an adequate paycheck.
Back to our ladder! Near the top end is virtuosity--and the virtuoso is an outstanding performer. These are the champions--or at least highly ranked performers--in athletics. Their skills can be extraordinary and these individuals are often mistaken as masters, but masters they are not. The virtuoso performer is typically mediocre as a teacher and coach because he is unable to break down and analyze his own prodigious skill set in order to teach others. Further, he can be impatient with beginners, capable only of teaching other virtuoso, or highly competent, students. I've seen this time after time: the teacher with amazing personal skills coupled with poor coaching skills.
The acme of the success ladder is the master. The master isn't just a virtuoso performer--he gives back to the body of knowledge. He is a co-creator in developing the art or skill in which he's involved. The master adds new twists and developments to his chosen art or profession. The true master is also a master teacher--able to explicate to--and teach--the novice. A excellent analogy for this is my chosen avocation of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Someone doesn't know it even exists, then they hear about it and decide to check it out. Entering a few beginner classes as a white belt, they're typically confused about the goings on, but eventually things start sorting themselves out and our player gets the basics of the game. A year or so later, he's promoted to blue belt, indicating basic competency. A few years after that, he is highly competent at the purple and brown belt levels. Eventually, he may achieve virtuosity, winning championships and titles at the brown and black belt levels. Yet only a very few acquire true mastery--incredible skill doesn't equal genuine mastery in the game of jiu-jitsu.
This same hierarchy can be applied to any domain, including the field of personal training. For example, I, haven't seen people learn best from their successes but found they have more to learn from failures. In fact, I've seen people ruined by success while in pursuit of mastery. Sometimes--especially in the field of personal training--a trainer is successful using a certain programming and, not realizing there's a better way (or even several ways) gets so caught up he's afraid to try anything else! This is something especially unfortunate: a trainer--because of a quick, initial success--completely stuck within a system and winding up complacent.
Here's another story: there was a guy who used to come into my former gym who LOVED the bench press. As a kid, he'd built a decent upper body using the bench press, so he stayed with the same routine for decades! He could get 10 reps with 225, which ain't bad for a guy weighing 168 lbs. Thus he used the same load, sets, and reps year in and year out, making zero progress whatsoever. He experienced very sore shoulders as his rotator cuffs began deteriorating from the overuse. Yet, after carefully explaining to him there were better exercises for upper body development and even superior, newer, techniques in the bench press movement itself (not to mention the importance of balancing the bench press movement with other, compensatory exercises to minimize wear and tear on the shoulder girdle) our guy, convinced he'd lose his hard-earned gains, refused to give up his beloved routine. This, despite his utter lack of progress in the bench press for 20 years! This man was ruined by his initial success.
The situation I've described above also occurs in other domains, perhaps you can think of a few yourself. I've been a teacher, trainer, and instructor of physical fitness for over 36 years but when I first started out, my models were hard-core, get-in-yer-face drill sergeant-type coaches and teachers. You know what I mean, the ones who get up in your face, belittle your manhood and make you out like a wuss if you're not putting out the kind of energy and output they think you should be putting out. In those early days, I experienced a great deal of success in replicating this style of instruction. It seemed to work well and got me results. Those clients for whom it didn't work, I turned a blind eye and convinced myself they didn't have what it takes and that I didn't want to work with that type of client. You might say I'd been ruined by my initial success. Later, I had a client who worked as a sports-performance psychologist and he pointed out to me the harm negative feedback can do. Interestingly, even people who think they respond well to yelling and screaming actually perform better when encouraged with positive reinforcement. I began experimenting along these lines and consequently revamped my thinking with what I'd observed. Suddenly I my client list grew, with more clients staying on longer, and I experienced a concomitant increased joy in my work. This is an example of learning from failure and using it to transform a personality-driven teaching style.
In my upcoming Master Trainer Certifications, I go into great detail about the personal transformation along the steps leading to mastery. These workshops are designed for the highly competent and borderline virtuoso seeking to take their personal practice in the domain of kettlebells and body weight training to the highest level.
I've been called a master trainer, but I consider myself primarily a student, since I'm continually learning and adding new skills, failing at times, and--ideally--transcending my mistakes. There are still those times the ol' Coach doesn't think his cunning plan through! (Shocking, I know.)
If you desire to explore the path reaching the highest level in teaching, training and honing your own personal skills, I invite you to join me for my Master Trainer Certification at Maxercise in Philadelphia, the weekend of 17-18-19 April, which includes a Level 1 KB certification. I greatly appreciate that most of of my wrkshop attendees hold certificates from various other instructors and organizations yet describe a general lack of preparedness in leading group and individual kettlebell classes. For years, I've applied my considerable experience wisely, continually refining my original ideas into the penultimate formula for leading group kettlebell and body weight exercise classes. It's a gift I've always had, since honed through dedication, hard work, and learning from my success as well as failures.
So, thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you in Philly! Enjoy the slideshow of the Wichita KB Workshop and Body Weight Certification on the right.
In Strength & Health,
4 comments:
- Danny Evans said...
Hi Steve,
I enjoyed reading your 'Ladder' post. I hope to train with you in the near future. I sent some info to John about purchasing a bulk order of your bells, along with the possibility of also getting certified.
New Orleans, LA
- April 9, 2009 at 1:13 PM
- jleeger said...
Awesome post, Steve! You're right no the money!
- April 9, 2009 at 1:22 PM
- Josh said...
Hey coach. Just wanted to say I've been a huge fan of yours ever since I saw your picture in the Naked Warrior. I live in Salt Lake city and am hoping to catch you at one of the Gym Jones workshops. Thanks for all the help. glad you're having a great year.
- April 15, 2009 at 7:36 PM
- M. A. Green said...
You make insightful points about mastery that transcend fitness and extend to any field of endeavor, Steve, though we can't achieve the highest levels of mastery in everything we do. Still, the various levels of learning and achievement you've mapped out should be required learning in the public school system and I never learned this there.
We need to remember what level we're at and then act on that knowledge when someone asks us a question in the gym and we need to decide whether to answer it ourselves or defer them to someone with greater mastery at teaching someone at their level.
Just because I've achieved greater muscle development than the local instructor and have been lifting longer than he has, does not mean I've achieved greater mastery in coaching and guiding beginners and providing help that is well-suited to their level of development. Just because I've been training and practicing a long time doesn't mean a younger, more inexperienced person can't teach me something I never knew before, or help me improve something I've been doing poorly for far too long...
- May 12, 2009 at 12:32 PM