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Exploiting thread-level parallelism is an attractive approach to improving the performance of multimedia applications that are running on multithreading general-purpose processors. Given dual-core and multicore processors, the earlier you start to design for multithreading, the better. This article focuses on the design for increased multithreading performance in a larger project. This case study describes the design and implementation of the multithreaded H.264 encoder. Parallelized using the OpenMP programming model, the H.264 encoder is an example of how you can leverage the advanced compiler technologies in the Intel C++ Compiler for Intel architectures with Hyper-Threading Technology (HT Technology). Taken together, these two efficient methods for multi-level data partitioning can improve the performance of a large and complex application like the multithreaded H.264 encoder.
Furthermore, this study shows how you can exploit different options in the OpenMP programming. One implementation that uses the taskqueuing model is slightly slower than optimal performance, but the application program easier to read. The other method goes for speed. The results have shown speed increases ranging from 3.97x to 4.69x over the well-optimized sequential code performance on a system of four Intel Xeon processors with HT Technology.
Initial Performance of the H.264 Encoder
H.264 (ISO/IEC 2002) is an emerging standard for video coding, which has been proposed by the Joint Video Team (JVT). The new standard is aimed at high-quality coding of video contents at very low bit-rates. H.264 uses the same model for hybrid block-based motion compensation and transform coding that is used by existing standards, such as those for H.263 and MPEG-4 (ISO/IEC 1998). Moreover, a number of new features and capabilities in H.264 improve the performance of the code. As the standard becomes more complex, the encoding process requires much greater computation power than most existing standards. Hence, you need a number of mechanisms to improve the speed of the encoder.
One way to improve the application's speed is to process tasks in parallel. Zhou and Chen demonstrated that using MMX/SSE/SSE2 technology increased the H.264 decoder's performance by a factor ranging from two to four (Zhou 2003). Intel has applied the same technique to the H.264 reference encoder, achieving the results in Table 1 using only SIMD optimization.
Although the encoder is two-to-three times faster with SIMD optimization, the speed is still not fast enough to meet the expectations of real-time video processing. Furthermore, the optimized sequential code cannot take advantage of Hyper-Threading Technology and multiprocessor load-sharing, two key performance boosters that are supported by the Intel architecture. In other words, you still can improve the performance of the H.264 encoder a lot by exploiting thread-level parallelism.
Parallelization of the H.264 Encoder
By exploiting thread-level parallelism at different levels, you can take advantage of potential opportunities to increase performance. To achieve the greatest speed increases over well-tuned sequential code on a processor with HT Technology, you should consider the following characteristics as you re-design the H.264 encoder for parallel programming:
- The criteria of choosing data or task partitions
- The judgments of thread granularity
- How the first implementation uses two slice queues
- How the second implementation uses one task queue
Task and Data Domain Decomposition
You can divide the H.264 encoding process into multiple threads using either functional decomposition or data-domain decomposition:
- Functional decomposition. Each frame should experience a number of functional steps: motion estimation, motion compensation, integral transformation, quantization and entropy coding. The reference frames also need inverse qualification, inverse integral transformation, and filtering. These functions could be explored for opportunities to make these tasks parallel.
- Data domain decomposition. As shown Figure 1, the H.264 encoder treats a video sequence as many groups of pictures (GOP). Each GOP includes a number of frames. Each frame is divided into slices. Each slice is an encoding unit and is independent of other slices in the same frame. The slice can be further decomposed into a macroblock, which is the unit of motion estimation and entropy coding. Finally, the macroblock can be separated into block and sub-block units. All are possible places to parallelize the encoder.
To choose the optimal task or data partition scheme, compare the advantages and disadvantages of two schemes below:
- Scalability. In the data-domain decomposition, to increase the number of threads, you can decrease the size of the processing unit of each thread. Because of the hierarchical structure in GOPs, frames, slice, macroblocks, and blocks, you have many choices for the size of processing unit, thereby achieving good scalability. In functional decomposition, each thread has different function. To increase the number of threads, partition a function into two or more threads, unless the function is unbreakable.
- Load balance. In the data domain decomposition, each thread performs the same operation on different data block that has the same dimension. In theory, without cache misses or other nondeterministic factors, all threads should have the same processing time. On the other hand, it is difficult to achieve good load balance among functions because the chosen algorithm determines the execution time of each function. Furthermore, any attempt to functionally decompose the video encoder to achieve a good load balance depends on algorithms, too. As the standard keeps improving, the algorithms are sure to change over time to exploiting thread-level parallelism at multiple levels to achieve a good load balance.
Considering these factors, you could use the data-domain decomposition as your multithreading scheme.
Slice-Level Parallelism. When you have decided on the functional decomposition or data domain decomposition scheme, the next step is to decide the granularity for each thread. One possible scheme of data domain decomposition is to divide a frame into small slices.
Parallelizing the slices has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage lies in the independence of slices in a frame. Since they are independent, you can simultaneously encode all slices in any order. On the other hand, the disadvantage is the resulting increase in the bit rate. Figure 2 shows the video encoder rate-distortion when you divide a frame into varying numbers of slices. When a frame is divided into nine slices but quality is held at the same level, the bit-rate increases about 15 to 20 percent because slices break the dependence between macroblocks. The compression efficiency decreases when a macroblock in one slice cannot exploit a macroblock in another slice for compression. To avoid increasing the bit-rate at the same video quality, you should exploit other areas of parallelism in the video encoder.
Frame-Level Parallelism. Another possible scheme for exploiting parallelism is to identify independent frames. Normally, you would encode a sequence of frames using an IBBPBBP… structure. (Frame notation definitions: I frame in video codecs stands for intra frames, which can be encoded or decoded independently. Normally, there is an I frame per 15~60 frames. P frame stands for predicted frames, each of which is predicted from a previously encoded I frame or P frame. Because a P frame is predicted from the previously encoded I/P frame, the dependency makes it harder to encode two P frames simultaneously. B frame stands for bi-directional predicted frames, which are predicted from a two previously encoded I/P frames. No frame depends on B frames.)
In each sequence, you have two B frames between each of the P frames. P frames are reference frames, on which other P or B frames depend, but B frames are not. The dependence among the frames is shown in Figure 3. In this PBB encoding structure, the completion of encoding a particular P frame makes the subsequent P frame and its two B frames ready for encoding. The more frames encoded simultaneously, the more parallelism you can exploit. Therefore, P frames are the critical point in the encoder. Accelerating P-frame encoding makes more frames ready for encoding and avoids the possibility of idle threads. In your implementation, encode I or P frames first, then encode the B frames.
Unlike dividing a frame into slices, utilizing parallelism among frames does not increase the bit rate. However, the dependence among them does limit the threads' scalability. The trade-off is to combine the two approaches, data-domain decomposition and functional decomposition, into one implementation. First explore the parallelism among frames to gain performance from it without bit-rate increase. At some point, you are going to reach the upper limit of the number of threads to which you can apply frame-level parallelism. When you do, explore the parallelism among slices. As a final result, the application utilizes processor resources as much as possible, keeping the compression ratio as high as possible and the bit-rate as low as possible.


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Range Description
This species occurs on Puerto Rico, and has been introduced on to Isla Vieques and Isla Culebra, as well as to Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, St John and St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands, and Hawaii and Florida in the United States. Individuals of E. coqui were introduced to New Orleans and Boston, although in New Orleans the species was never established, as introduced individuals were only males (Dundee 1991), and in Boston's case, individuals appear to be restricted to a greenhouse at the University of Massachussetts' grounds (Pearson 2006). It appears to have been incidentally transported to Guam, although it is not considered to have established a breeding population there (Christy et al. 2007). These instances are not mapped as part of the species' range. The species has been recorded from sea level up to the highest peak in Puerto Rico at 1,338 m asl.
Habitat and Ecology
It is found in mesic forests. Males call from elevated exposed surfaces such as leaves and tree trunks. It has also been recorded from agricultural land including plantations and arable land, and other disturbed habitats such as towns. Nests are usually found on vegetation, and it develops directly.
The lowland populations are common and should be considered "Least Concern" but apparently there has been an observed decline in the upland population in the Palo Colorado Forest, suggesting that upland populations should be listed as "Near Threatened" (Burrowes et al. 2004).
Population Trend
Major Threats
Habitat loss is a major threat to this species in particular clearance of the land for agriculture. The cause of the decline in the Palo Colorado Forest is chytridiomycosis probably linked to climate change. Rats and mongooses have been suggested as potential threats (as invasive predators) to Eleutherodactylus species in Puerto Rico (Hedges 1993), although literature on this subject is equivocal (Hedges 1993; and Thurley and Bell 1994, support the notion that these introduced species comprise threats to amphibian species, while Reagan and Waide 1996, suggest that rats are lesser predators of Eleutherodactylus coqui), and there is currently no consensus regarding the impact that these species may or may not have on amphibian declines in Puerto Rico. Future research efforts directed at investigating the impact of these invasive species on amphibian populations may help to establish their relative contribution to amphibian declines.
Conservation Actions
It occurs in all of the protected areas found in Puerto Rico. Monitoring of the disease is recommended.
Red List Status
Least Concern (LC)
Listed as Least Concern given that, although there have been some declines in montane populations (probably at a rate of less than 30% over ten years), perhaps due to a combination of climate change and/or chytridiomycosis, it is an extremely abundant species, it is found in disturbed habitats, and lowland populations appear to be unaffected.
Taxonomic Notes
Studies addressing the taxonomic status of E. coqui (whether it is one nominal species or more than one species) are equivocal (e.g., Bird-Picó 1994, Gonser 1996, Rios-López 1999, and Veló-Anton et al. 2007).
Hedges, B., Joglar, R., Thomas, R., Powell, R. & Rios-López, N. 2008. Eleutherodactylus coqui. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T56522A136557392. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T56522A11491306.en .Downloaded on 19 February 2019

subset: commoncrawl


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The Saints lost on the road to GHEC Monday night by a score of 67 to 48.
The Saints lost on the road to GHEC Monday night by a score of 67 to 48.
Coach Steve Walker said St. James played one of its worst first halfs of the year and trailed at the half 31-12.
Walker described the Saints as having problems in all phases of the games from not making shots, or getting rebounds, or getting defensive stops.
The Saints opened the second half on a 19-4 run. They eventually cut the lead to under ten points at 45-36.
The Saints could get no closer, and GHEC pulled away as the second half wore on to make the final margin 19 points and claimed the 67-48 victory.
Zach Brandts had 21 points for the Saints and Walker Froehling added 10.
The Saints end the regular season with a 2-22 record.
The Minnesota State Basketball Tournament begins on Saturday. The Saints travel to Worthington to play the number one seeded Trojans.
Worthington is tall and talented and enter the Tournament with a 17-6 record. They are led by 6'8" Mitch Weg who has signed to play at Southwest Minnesota State.


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The E-Team has really dug into their creative spirit for this HoneyPop blog hop. You will enjoy the different perspective that the talented ladies have come up when using these stamps. Your jaw will drop...I guarantee.
Leave a comment on this blog, too, regarding what you found interesting about this HoneyPop collection and I will be picking a winner to receive a $25 voucher to shop at eclectic Paperie. You have until tomorrow night to come back to the eP blog to leave your feedback. Winner for the $25 eP voucher will be announced here on Friday, April 22nd.


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Psyco: Youtube Man "StevieThePlayboy" In Mississipi Arrested For Threats To Kill Barack Obama!
This guy has his own youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=StevieThePlayboy&view=videos. New Channel 12 reports " A Wisconsin man is behind bars accused of threatening to assassinate President-Elect Barack Obama. Secret Service Agents arrested 42 year-old Steven Christopher Friday in Brookhaven. Investigators say he posted threatening messages against Obama online, including a countdown to the "assassination." They say the most recent threat was posted Friday. Others were posted Thursday and last Sunday. Some metro Jackson residents are appalled at word of the threats. " Credit to Frank
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Title: Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor
Title: Government consultant for Client Solutions Architects in San Diego
Title: Head Start Pre-school Teacher through Teach for America, Phoenix, AZ
Title: Natural Foods Sales Representative; Co-owner, Equal Exchange
Title: Senior Philanthropic Advisor
Title: Senior Manager for Regulatory Affairs, Reliant Medical Group
Title: Underwriter, Liberty Mutual
Title: Secretary of State's Office, State of Vermont
Title: Health Volunteer, Peace Corps
Title: Office Administrator for Senator Patrick Leahy
After starting at St. Mike's as a student in 1967, I majored in political science, graduated in 1971 and came to work here in 1973 once I'd completed a nearby graduate program in higher education. So I was assistant dean of students by age 24 and soon after I was invited by President Ed Henry to lead admissions. Now I'm a Senior Philanthropic Advisor in Saint Michael's Institutional Advancement department.
When I began looking at colleges as a high school senior in Attleboro, MA, my guidance counselor, a nun, gave me a list of schools to send to for catalogs and one was Saint Michael's. Admissions were a lot different then. My senior year of college I met my wife, Judy, who was at Trinity. In those days I also was captain on the club football team and later I coached football here. I still invite a group of my classmates, many from our old team, to Colchester for an annual ritual: We take in a basketball game and socialize for a weekend and it's always a great time.
I've been blessed by the opportunity to stay in a place that's really a part of who I am. I've looked at other opportunities through the years but it always came down to asking, "Do I believe in the mission of this place, can I be as passionate about what they're doing as I am here?" Because it would be hard to do this work if I didn't feel the way that I do about Saint Michael's. I think what has really kept me here is just the privilege to be a member of this community. I love the people I work with.
Several of my admissions initiatives are now signature Saint Michael's programs, I'm happy to say, including the Book Award and Nominate a Knight programs. I've also had leadership roles with regional and national associations for admissions professionals, and I've probably visited every high school in New England. We just had a handful of people in this office when I started but as the landscape has become more competitive we've added to the team and had a great core group through the years. I plan to help out with fund-raising for the college in January of 2014.
I have two favorite days of the year in my job - first, when new students arrive and I greet them and they're nervous - so are the parents - but I can reassure them. And then graduation day, when I try to sit in the front row and watch the students go by and see the success they've had - invariably there's a few I took a chance on with special considerations, and they didn't let me down - so I can share vicariously just a little bit of the pride that their parents have as they watch their son or daughter graduate. To me, that's the greatest thing you can do - just watch them and say, "Way to go."
I've developed and maintained close personal friendships with the Edmundite priests at St. Mike's, and they've been an important part of my family's life. For me, it's always been family first, and I consider the college to be part of my family. That's actually literally true since my younger brother and sister followed me to Saint Michael's, and four of my five children are alumni! To watch the wonderful experience my youngest daughter just had here was tremendous. It made me proud to be a member of this community and an alumnus, and convinced me this is a place worth sustaining and growing.


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STATE v. CHARLIE SANTIAGO, AC 27110
Judicial District of Fairfield
Criminal; Prosecutorial Misconduct; Whether Prosecutor's Comment that Defendant had Contacted his Attorney Before Going to the Police Constituted Misconduct; Whether Court Improperly Referred to Deceased as "the Victim" Where Defendant Claimed he Acted in Self-Defense; Whether Jury was Properly Instructed on Reasonable Doubt. On March 12, 1993, the defendant was visiting his aunt at a Bridgeport housing project. While washing his car outside his aunt's apartment building, the defendant was approached by four young men who robbed him of his possessions and stole his car. As one of the men entered the car and prepared to drive away, the defendant was handed a rifle by a woman who had exited the apartment building. The defendant fired twenty-two shots as the car drove off, killing the sixteen year old driver. After the shooting, the defendant returned to his home, contacted his attorney and accompanied the attorney to the police station where he gave a statement to the police. The defendant was convicted of murder in connection with the shooting. On appeal, he claims the prosecutor engaged in misconduct by suggesting that he had improperly left the scene after the shooting and by telling the jury that he had contacted his lawyer before giving a statement to the police. He contends that he broke no law by leaving the scene of the shooting and that, by reason of the weight and influence of her office, the prosecutor's suggestion to the contrary was likely to have been credited by the jury. The defendant also claims that the reference to the fact that he called his attorney before contacting the police denied him his right to a fair trial by impermissibly suggesting that his exercise of his right to counsel tended to show that the defendant believed he was guilty. The defendant also claims error in the trial court's instructions to the jury. First, he claims that, in charging the jury on self-defense, the court improperly referred to the deceased as "the victim." He asserts that, insofar as he claimed that his use of force was legally justified, the dead man was not a victim of a crime, and the use of the word "victim" demonstrated the court's bias and unfairly prejudiced his defense. Lastly, the defendant argues that the court's instruction defining reasonable doubt impermissibly diluted the state's burden of proof.


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LGBTQ Politics in America since 1945
Emily K. Hobson
Since World War II, the United States has witnessed major changes in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) politics. Indeed, because the history of LGBTQ activism is almost entirely concentrated in the postwar years, the LGBTQ movement is typically said to have achieved rapid change in a short period of time. But if popular accounts characterize LGBTQ history as a straightforward narrative of progress, the reality is more complex. Postwar LGBTQ politics has been both diverse and divided, marked by differences of identity and ideology. At the same time, LGBTQ politics has been embedded in the contexts of state-building and the Cold War, the New Left and the New Right, the growth of neoliberalism, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. As the field of LGBTQ history has grown, scholars have increasingly been able to place analyses of state regulation into conversation with community-based histories. Moving between such outside and inside perspectives helps to reveal how multiple modes of LGBTQ politics have shaped one another and how they have been interwoven with broader social change. Looking from the outside, it is apparent that LGBTQ politics has been catalyzed by exclusions from citizenship; from the inside, we can see that activists have responded to such exclusions in different ways, including both by seeking social inclusion and by rejecting assimilationist terms. Court rulings and the administration of law have run alongside the debates inside activist communities. Competing visions for LGBTQ politics have centered around both leftist and liberal agendas, as well as viewpoints shaped by race, gender, gender expression, and class.
McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare
Landon R. Y. Storrs
The second Red Scare refers to the fear of communism that permeated American politics, culture, and society from the late 1940s through the 1950s, during the opening phases of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. This episode of political repression lasted longer and was more pervasive than the Red Scare that followed the Bolshevik Revolution and World War I. Popularly known as "McCarthyism" after Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-Wisconsin), who made himself famous in 1950 by claiming that large numbers of Communists had infiltrated the U.S. State Department, the second Red Scare predated and outlasted McCarthy, and its machinery far exceeded the reach of a single maverick politician. Nonetheless, "McCarthyism" became the label for the tactic of undermining political opponents by making unsubstantiated attacks on their loyalty to the United States.
The initial infrastructure for waging war on domestic communism was built during the first Red Scare, with the creation of an antiradicalism division within the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the emergence of a network of private "patriotic" organizations. With capitalism's crisis during the Great Depression, the Communist Party grew in numbers and influence, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program expanded the federal government's role in providing economic security. The anticommunist network expanded as well, most notably with the 1938 formation of the Special House Committee to Investigate Un-American Activities, which in 1945 became the permanent House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Other key congressional investigation committees were the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee and McCarthy's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Members of these committees and their staff cooperated with the FBI to identify and pursue alleged subversives. The federal employee loyalty program, formalized in 1947 by President Harry Truman in response to right-wing allegations that his administration harbored Communist spies, soon was imitated by local and state governments as well as private employers. As the Soviets' development of nuclear capability, a series of espionage cases, and the Korean War enhanced the credibility of anticommunists, the Red Scare metastasized from the arena of government employment into labor unions, higher education, the professions, the media, and party politics at all levels. The second Red Scare did not involve pogroms or gulags, but the fear of unemployment was a powerful tool for stifling criticism of the status quo, whether in economic policy or social relations. Ostensibly seeking to protect democracy by eliminating communism from American life, anticommunist crusaders ironically undermined democracy by suppressing the expression of dissent. Debates over the second Red Scare remain lively because they resonate with ongoing struggles to reconcile Americans' desires for security and liberty.
The Peace Movement since 1945
Leilah Danielson
Peace activism in the United States between 1945 and the 2010s focused mostly on opposition to U.S. foreign policy, efforts to strengthen and foster international cooperation, and support for nuclear nonproliferation and arms control. The onset of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union marginalized a reviving postwar American peace movement emerging from concerns about atomic and nuclear power and worldwide nationalist politics that everywhere seemed to foster conflict, not peace. Still, peace activism continued to evolve in dynamic ways and to influence domestic politics and international relations.
Most significantly, peace activists pioneered the use of Gandhian nonviolence in the United States and provided critical assistance to the African American civil rights movement, led the postwar antinuclear campaign, played a major role in the movement against the war in Vietnam, helped to move the liberal establishment (briefly) toward a more dovish foreign policy in the early 1970s, and helped to shape the political culture of American radicalism. Despite these achievements, the peace movement never regained the political legitimacy and prestige it held in the years before World War II, and it struggled with internal divisions about ideology, priorities, and tactics.
Peace activist histories in the 20th century tended to emphasize organizational or biographical approaches that sometimes carried hagiographic overtones. More recently, historians have applied the methods of cultural history, examining the role of religion, gender, and race in structuring peace activism. The transnational and global turn in the historical discipline has also begun to make inroads in peace scholarship. These are promising new directions because they situate peace activism within larger historical and cultural developments and relate peace history to broader historiographical debates and trends.
Progressives and Progressivism in an Era of Reform
Maureen A. Flanagan
The decades from the 1890s into the 1920s produced reform movements in the United States that resulted in significant changes to the country's social, political, cultural, and economic institutions. The impulse for reform emanated from a pervasive sense that the country's democratic promise was failing. Political corruption seemed endemic at all levels of government. An unregulated capitalist industrial economy exploited workers and threatened to create a serious class divide, especially as the legal system protected the rights of business over labor. Mass urbanization was shifting the country from a rural, agricultural society to an urban, industrial one characterized by poverty, disease, crime, and cultural clash. Rapid technological advancements brought new, and often frightening, changes into daily life that left many people feeling that they had little control over their lives. Movements for socialism, woman suffrage, and rights for African Americans, immigrants, and workers belied the rhetoric of the United States as a just and equal democratic society for all its members.
Responding to the challenges presented by these problems, and fearful that without substantial change the country might experience class upheaval, groups of Americans proposed undertaking significant reforms. Underlying all proposed reforms was a desire to bring more justice and equality into a society that seemed increasingly to lack these ideals. Yet there was no agreement among these groups about the exact threat that confronted the nation, the means to resolve problems, or how to implement reforms. Despite this lack of agreement, all so-called Progressive reformers were modernizers. They sought to make the country's democratic promise a reality by confronting its flaws and seeking solutions. All Progressivisms were seeking a via media, a middle way between relying on older ideas of 19th-century liberal capitalism and the more radical proposals to reform society through either social democracy or socialism. Despite differences among Progressives, the types of Progressivisms put forth, and the successes and failures of Progressivism, this reform era raised into national discourse debates over the nature and meaning of democracy, how and for whom a democratic society should work, and what it meant to be a forward-looking society. It also led to the implementation of an activist state.
The Separation of Church and State in the United States
Steven K. Green
Separation of church and state has long been viewed as a cornerstone of American democracy. At the same time, the concept has remained highly controversial in the popular culture and law. Much of the debate over the application and meaning of the phrase focuses on its historical antecedents. This article briefly examines the historical origins of the concept and its subsequent evolutions in the nineteenth century.
The Woman Suffrage Movement in the United States
Rebecca J. Mead
Woman suffragists in the United States engaged in a sustained, difficult, and multigenerational struggle: seventy-two years elapsed between the Seneca Falls convention (1848) and the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment (1920). During these years, activists gained confidence, developed skills, mobilized resources, learned to maneuver through the political process, and built a social movement. This essay describes key turning points and addresses internal tensions as well as external obstacles in the U.S. woman suffrage movement. It identifies important strategic, tactical, and rhetorical approaches that supported women's claims for the vote and influenced public opinion, and shows how the movement was deeply connected to contemporaneous social, economic, and political contexts.
Women and Patriarchy in Early America, 1600–1800
Kelly A. Ryan
Patriarchy profoundly affected social relations and the daily lives of individuals in early America by supporting the elaboration of both racial differences and sexual hierarchies. Patriarchal ideals held that men should supervise women and that economic, sexual, legal, and political power rested with men. Laws and religious practices demanded women's subordination to men, and governmental and extralegal controls on women's sexual and familial lives buttressed patriarchal ideals and practices by enforcing their dependence on white men.
Women played a variety of roles within households, which differed according to region, race, generation, and condition of servitude. Marriage was central to the delineation of white women's roles, and slavery was critical to developing ideas and laws affecting African American women's place in society. Interactions with Europeans brought patriarchal influences into native women's lives. Indian servitude and slavery, European missionary efforts, and cross-cultural diplomacy resulted in the transmission of patriarchal practices that undermined Indian women's access to political, sexual, economic, and religious power
Women gained esteem for fulfilling their duties within the household and community, while others resisted patriarchal customs and forged their own paths. Some women served as agents of patriarchy and used their status or positions to oppress other women. White women often held power over others in their households, including servants and slaves, and in the early republic some of the public sphere activities of middle-class white women targeted the homes of Native Americans, African Americans, and poor women for uplift. Other women resisted subordination and found autonomy by pursuing their own goals. Sexuality was a critical arena in which women could breech dictates on behavior and advance their own agenda, though not always without consequences. Women in urban communities found greater economic opportunities, and some religious communities, like the Society of Friends, allowed women a larger role in decision making and religious speech. Though patriarchal structures would change over time, the idea of men as the leaders of the household and society was remarkably resilient through the 19th century.


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One of the world's richest people is known for not being like other billionaires. It's not just that Warren Buffett has pledged to donate 99 percent of his fortune to charity or that he thinks the rich should be taxed more. It's evident in his workplace as well.
Berkshire Hathaway's Omaha world headquarters occupy just one floor of its office building, and Buffett's personal office doesn't have a computer, a calculator or even a stock ticker.
Buffett's personal residential real estate policy is just as frugal. Here's a look at his longtime home as well as a former vacation home.
By Colleen KanePosted 26 July 2012


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Ian Wilson liked the way heroin made him feel the first time he tried it.
"It was like an instant warmth all over your body," he recalls. "It just felt amazing."
The Bend man had been buying prescription painkillers on the street for months, a gateway into a world of needles and blackened spoons.
"I started hanging out with the worst of crowds, I guess," he said.
Despite several near fatal overdoses — including a trip to the emergency room — Wilson, 22, continued to use heroin for months. Then one last night in October 2012, alone at home, he shot up with heroin and knew immediately he was in trouble. The feeling was too intense. He grabbed his phone. It took two tries to text his friend a two-letter cry for help: OD.
"Are you ODing now?" his friend texted back.
Wilson never answered. And his friend never came to save him.
It was more than 13 hours before his older brother, Bryce, found him and called for help. Wilson had vomited, aspirating the vomit into his lungs. The heroin had slowed his breathing, cutting to a bare minimum the supply of oxygen to his brain. At the hospital, doctors told Wilson's mother, Jain, they didn't expect him to make it. Starved of oxygen, his brain had endured too much damage. The doctors were ready to turn off the ventilator keeping him alive.
"They told us he had zero chance of survival," she said. "We had picked the date of death."
But a simple test by a neurologist suggested Wilson still had a chance to recover. For more than four months, his mother watched her son make agonizingly slow progress, regaining feeling first in the tip of his finger, then his knuckle, then a hand and an arm.
More than a year later, Wilson is still battling to regain the use of his legs. He came as close as possible to a fatal heroin overdose without dying, narrowly avoiding adding his name to growing list of casualties that has gone largely unnoticed in Central Oregon.
"It's horrible," Wilson said. "Our generation is a horrible place to be because everybody is doing heroin."
Heroin use has skyrocketed in Central Oregon over the past five years, fueled primarily by individuals addicted to prescription drugs looking for a cheaper, more readily available alternative. Local law enforcement, medical personnel and addiction specialists have all reported increasing incidents involving heroin, and overdose deaths continue to tick higher each year.
According to records from the Oregon State Medical Examiner, there were two heroin overdoses in Deschutes County over the five-year period from 2002 through 2006. From 2007 through 2012, there were 11 heroin deaths in Deschutes County and one in Crook County. Statewide, heroin overdoses increased from the 90 to 100 range 10 years ago, to more than 140 deaths both in 2011 and 2012.
"I would say it's an epidemic, but it's more like a plague," said Crook County District Attorney Daina Vitolins.
Vitolins said there were at least two heroin overdoses in Crook County in the last month.
"Just last Saturday an 18-year-old was transported to Pioneer Memorial Hospital from a heroin overdose," she said late last week. "It's cheaper than prescription drugs and it's easier to get."
Both Vitolins and Deschutes County Deputy District Attorney Steve Gunnels say they've seen a significant increase in the number of heroin cases coming across their desks in the past five years.
"I used to never charge for heroin possession. It was maybe once every three years," Gunnels said. "But we're getting cases now because paramedics get called to an overdose and show up to find someone with a needle in their arm."
Gunnels said he's prosecuting more people for having a "substantial quantity" of heroin. According to Oregon statute, being in possession of more than five grams of heroin constitutes a substantial quantity.
"We're seeing cases with half-ounce or ounce quantities now," he said. "Typically, people from here go to Portland to buy quantity and then break it up to sell."
Lt. Paul Kansky with the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team said the amount of heroin confiscated in 2013 was slightly less than in 2012, but agrees heroin use appears to be on the rise.
"We don't have the amount here that somewhere like Portland will have, so it takes only one really large bust to skew those numbers," he said. "Our 2013 numbers were lower, but it's still on the rise and at a level that is concerning to us."
Supply and demand
The current surge in heroin use may be the unintended consequence of steps taken to stem other forms of illicit drug use over the past decade. New initiatives to combat methamphetamine production and sales cut supply of the drug at the same time the medical community was making a conscious effort to treat chronic pain more effectively. That flooded the market with prescription opioid painkillers, which teens and young adults began to pilfer from their parents and grandparents for recreational use. When authorities began to crack down on rampant prescribing of opioids, many of those addicted turned to heroin instead.
Research from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that some 77 percent of heroin users report first using prescription opioids, and that 18- to 25-year-olds transitioned from opioid use to heroin use more than any other age group.
"It starts out with Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycontin, and kids that are 18, 19, 20 years old who don't think there's any problem with them taking prescription painkillers," said Jason Koland, a 29-year-old former heroin addict. "Their body gets so physically dependent on those and it gets so expensive to buy the prescription drugs, so you go to the next best thing, which is heroin."
Koland, 29, came to Bend to escape the surroundings in Lake Tahoe, Calif., that led to his heroin use. Sober for more than three years, he is now a program coordinator for the Central Oregon Men's Center, a faith-based residential recovery program in Bend run by Teen Challenge Pacific Northwest. Four out of five students come to the center because of their heroin use.
Koland said it took only two to three weeks of using prescription opiates before he was hooked.
"It started as recreational use, and I liked the way it made me feel," he said. "The next thing I knew I was fully addicted to it."
Koland sold drugs to pay for his habit, but when the supply ran scarce and he realized heroin was 10 times cheaper, he made the switch.
Oxycontin pills sell on the street for about $1 per milligram, $80 for an 80 mg pill, $40 for a 40 mg pill. Taking two to three pills a day, as Koland did, can add up quickly. Heroin, on the other hand, sells for $20 for a tenth of a gram, or a point.
"It's just a matter of time before somebody offers you the heroin or you know where you can get it," said Barrett Hamilton, a recovery mentor at Best Care Treatment Centers in Redmond. "And even though you may have already said, 'I'll never do heroin,' when you get sick from not having the pills, it's just a natural progression. It's cheaper, it gets you high, and it works better than the pills. And it's easier to get for the most part."
Hamilton, a recovering heroin addict himself, said at least two-thirds of the clients coming through Best Care have heroin addictions. Most are younger than 30, men and women generally from middle-class or higher-income families who would otherwise be in school or starting a career but stumble down the pathway of addiction.
"They become so helpless. Once their whole life depends on the heroin, they'll do anything," he said. "You find people hitting their bottoms a lot quicker. You can keep a meth addiction going for a long time before things get as bad as a heroin addiction will take you in a short amount of time."
Fatal attraction
Heroin is as addictive as cigarettes, says Best Care director Rick Treleaven. "There's not a lot of people doing heroin recreationally for very long," he said.
Moreover, addicts quickly build up tolerance to heroin, and require larger or more frequent doses to satisfy their cravings. It makes for a hellish withdrawal experience, and relapse is a constant worry.
Heroin, he says, also has a much higher risk for overdosing than many other illegal drugs.
For one, there is tremendous variability in the potency of heroin sold on the street. Sellers often mix additives into it to increase the amount they have to sell. That makes it difficult for addicts to tell how much actual heroin they're injecting. Addicts taking an 80 mg Oxycontin pill know they're getting 80 mg of the drug. But those taking a tenth of a gram of heroin can't always be sure of how much of the drug is in there.
In other cases, the additives themselves can be fatal. Officials in Maryland, Michigan and Pennsylvania are currently investigating more than 50 deaths linked to heroin laced with the powerful painkiller Fentanyl.
Hospital emergency rooms are often the first to know when a more potent product comes into the region.
"My experience is it comes in waves. It will be like three, four cases in a row," said Dr. Bill Reed, an emergency room physician at St. Charles Bend. "So then you kind of know there is something new in town."
But most often, addicts get into trouble when they relapse after treatment or being in jail, and don't adjust their doses.
"If they're clean for 30 days and their tolerance level goes down, and then they go back out on the street and they try to use at the same level as when they went in, that will kill them," Treleaven said.
Oregon state officials are preparing to release a new report on overdose deaths in March or April that shows while the number of opioid deaths is dropping, heroin deaths have not declined.
"For heroin, you can see a significant difference in rates for fatal versus nonfatal overdose," said Tom Beran, program coordinator for the Oregon Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. "People tend to die versus get hospitalized for heroin overdose."
It's easier for health officials to intervene with prescription drug abuse because they can regulate physicians' prescribing and pharmacies' dispensing. But focusing solely on shutting down the supply without considering what will happen to those addicted to drugs may be what's driving the increased use of heroin.
Beran said officials are wary of pushing prescription drug abusers to trade one addiction for another. The solution may lie in moving further upstream and preventing individuals from becoming addicted to opiates in the first place.
"The whole point is not to create a population of people with addiction dependencies," he said.
Dr. Christopher Jones, an addiction researcher with the CDC, said health officials must realize that the prescription opioid and heroin problems are related when trying to address them.
"The inappropriate prescribing of opioids is what has created and is driving the problem. Over the long term, you've got to change that," he said. "But there is a cohort of people who are dependent and addicted to prescription opioids, and simply not prescribing to them is not going to change their addictive behavior. You have to make sure you have systems in place for addressing that population."
Many believe that must start even earlier, intervening with potential addicts before they start experimenting with any drugs.
"If you're getting into prescription drugs and heroin you started somewhere before that," said Laurie Wilmot, a licensed clinical social worker in Bend. "You've got to get used to getting high. You've got to get pretty confident. You don't just try heroin when you go to your weed dealer the first time."
Jain Wilson said she was surprised how the widespread heroin use in Central Oregon seems to fly under the radar. After her son's overdose, she began to meet more and more people with a family member who had used the drug.
"Everywhere I went, I would hear a story," she said. "I was amazed, because nobody is talking about it."
Bend's heroin problem certainly doesn't rise to the level of that of a major city. Former addicts say most of the local supply is coming from Portland. Dealers can buy a gram of heroin there for $50, and resell it for $200 in Central Oregon, financing their own drug habit in the process.
"You can't walk down the street in Bend and buy drugs like you can in Portland. That is a big difference," Koland, the Men's Center program coordinator, said. "But any person who has an addictive personality, they're going to find the drugs regardless of the town."
Locals say those transporting heroin often avoid the Interstate 5 corridor, which has a higher police presence. That makes Bend a routine stop along the route from Los Angeles to Seattle, bringing more product into the region.
"The average normal person has no idea of the extent of the heroin here in Central Oregon," Hamilton, the Best Care mentor said. "The parents of teens or people in their early 20s, they have no idea that this is going on. It's going on right under their nose."
—Reporter: 541-617-7814, firstname.lastname@example.com


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Every month here on our blog, we'll be highlighting one of our non-profit partnerships. This month, learn a little more about Habitat for Humanity.
The vision of Habitat for Humanity is simple: a world where everyone has a decent place to live. And since their founding in 1976, they have touched the lives of 2.5 million people worldwide – from those who have benefitted from Habitat's housing program to the countless others who have donated time, money, or materials to the worthy cause. Everyone deserves a roof over their head.
At Eat'n Park, we care about people. Whether our guests, team members, or residents of the our neighborhoods and local communities – we want to be there for them. And Habitat for Humanity is doing extremely important work right here, where we operate. It's only fitting that we work together for the greater good.
That's why Eat'n Park team members donate hundreds of volunteer hours to Habitat for Humanity each year. Trading in their aprons and trays for tool belts and hammers, they will work alongside the family receiving the new and/or improved home.
We also support our local Habitat for Humanity chapters through numerous cookie donations, gift cards, and even Smiley appearances throughout the year. Smiley knows the importance of having a safe home to return to after a long day of spreading smiles.
Interested in learning more about Habitat for Humanity? Visit http://www.habitat.org/ to read more about the organization and how to get involved!


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Celebrated Croatian coach Miroslav Blažević has always hidden his age. Indeed, it was a big secret until he recently revealed himself to be 77, not that he looks like slowing down any time soon.
"I have never been a better coach than I am now," said the NK Zagreb trainer, better known by his nickname Ćiro. "I'm only 77 and I'm happy." He may be reluctant to discuss birthdays, but there is one notable anniversary Blažević is looking forward to; next year he will celebrate 50 years since his first coaching job, with FC Vevey in Switzerland.
"I was only 28 and the club were in the fourth division, without spectators," he recalls. "I was not only a coach, I was a player too. In four years I took them to the first division." In the last half a century, Blažević has held the reins of 18 clubs from France to Iran and China, as well as five national teams. Perhaps his biggest achievement of all was the third-placed finish he achieved with Croatia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
He became a coaching icon thereafter, as much for his charisma as his results on the pitch. His stories are legend to this day. "When I took over FK Priština in 1986 and I was preparing the team for a match, they told me: 'Boss, they are breaking into the stadium, there are 35,000 people outside and they all want to come in to see you.' I went and waved at them, and they all behaved fine after that."
Of all his myriad jobs, Blažević found NK Osijek in Croatia the most challenging. "It was ten years ago, and I was most afraid then. The fear came just after I arrived at the club, as I had never faced a more difficult situation. However, I managed to be successful there and I saved the club. That was my biggest battle."
Blažević was also a star in China, where he coached Shanghai Shenua FC. Greeted by hordes of fans at the airport, he lived up to his billing. He also had a spell in charge of the Iranian national team and his most recent job before returning to Croatia was with Iranian club side Sanat Mes Kerman FC. "It was terrific, fantastic scenes," he said. "
Thousands were in the stands and yelling 'Ćiro, Ćiro!'. I cry now when I think about those scenes."
His current post is arguably as daunting as any other, with Zagreb rooted to the foot of the Croatian League even after Sunday's 1-0 win against city rivals and league leaders GNK Dinamo Zagreb. "I said in 1996 when I took charge of HNK Rijeka that I would jump from the Kantrida rock [a cliff overlooking one side of the stadium] if I failed. Now I am ready to jump from the Cibona Tower in Zagreb if I fail to save NK Zagreb."
His charm and enthusiasm clearly undimmed despite his advancing years, Blažević is obviously young at heart. "I just don't want opposition fans to yell that I am an old man. I have never felt younger."
Blažević's fellow top-flight septuagenarians
József Garami, 73, MTK Budapest
Craig Brown, 72, Aberdeen FC
Sir Alex Ferguson, 70, Manchester United FC
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text: From the streamlined design of its Vista cab to its twin-line, 6-cyl. Mercedes engine, this state-of-the-art forage harvester from Claas offers more comfort, more strength and more bite. Equipped with up to 36 knives and wider headers, the Jaguar 900 series harvester is built for high-powered operation and efficient harvesting. Price ranges from $324,437 to $382,642. The machines will make their North American debut at February farm shows.


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Henderson ready to sign offBy Jonas Lopez in Media News on Wednesday, 03rd October 2018 at 11:44am
Ian Henderson is retiring as ABC News Victoria's main presenter.
He announced in a Tweet that he will host his final bulletin on October 11, 2018. He later explained that turning 65 signalled him to turn to other pursuits such as spending time with his grandson and to do gardening.
"I've been aware for some time that I don't have the stamina that I once did. The prospect of doing a six-hour live election broadcast does not appeal to me anymore. I don't think I could. And I felt very much that if I couldn't deliver the job to that standard, then it was probably time to move on and let someone have a go who could," said Henderson.
Henderson is one of the more seasoned figures in Australia's journalism industry, having started with Leader Newspapers in 1978 before joining ABC News Melbourne in 1980. His assignments included covering the federal elections in Canberra, a Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, and being in Berlin as the Berlin Wall was demolished in 1989, before landing the anchor job in 1992.Follow Henderson on LinkedIn.
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More Media News
Crocmedia to cover Super Rugby gamesBy Jonas Lopez in Media News on Friday, 15th February 2019 at 3:09pm
Crocmedia is now covering the Super Rugby season with the new Super Rugby Live Radio service.
Company CEO/managing director Craig Hutchison said the new service will have subprograms dedicated to the Melbourne Rebels called Rebels Radio and the NSW Waratahs' "Waratahs Radio". The teams' home games will be covered for the season. Crocmedia will also have radio broadcasts of the Wallabies' domestic Test matches in 2019.
Waratahs Radio is slated to go on-air tomorrow over the Super Radio Network with sports presenter Will McLoy and former Wallabies hooker Adam Freier as hosts. Rebels Radio goes to air on 1 March over at 1377 SEN+.
More redundancies hit BuzzFeed AUBy Jonas Lopez in Media News on Friday, 15th February 2019 at 3:07pm
More BuzzFeed Australia staff are following former GM/editor Simon Crerar out on redundancy.
The company announced that the next round of redundancies include editor-at-large Jenna Guillaume, social news lead Brad Esposito, senior reporter Josh Taylor, lifestyle producer Michelle Rennex, photo editor Anna Mendoza, lifestyle editor Jemima Skelley, political editor Alice Workman and video producer Nick Arnold.
Both Guillaume and Esposito are the longest-serving employees to be sent home, as they joined BuzzFeed before BuzzFeed Australia was officially launched in 2014.
Despite the development, Guillaume is happy as it gives her time to explore new things. "Here it is: after 5 years, I'm leaving BuzzFeed. I'm sad, but excited about exploring new opportunities. I've got my 1st book to launch and my 2nd book to write, and I'm keen to freelance (but also interested in hearing about staff roles!)," she said in a Tweet.
BuzzFeed had previously announced
Gudova in action at CANSTARBy Jonas Lopez in Media News on Thursday, 14th February 2019 at 3:32pm
Finance comparison site CANSTAR has hired Monika Gudova as graduate energy content producer.
She will be tasked to write articles on the energy industry, including material on energy retailers, changes in utility prices, and associated discussions on energy-related laws.
Gudova joined CANSTAR following six months as online content writer at MOZO, where she also handled energy topics as well as home loans.
Follow Gudova on Twitter @MGudova and on LinkedIn.
Men's Health taps new fitness directorBy Jonas Lopez in Media News on Thursday, 14th February 2019 at 3:01pm
Men's Health Australia has enlisted gym operator Todd Liubinskas as the new fitness director.
His new job will be to produce new video content that will be shared over digital platforms. He will also work on developing projects to firmly educate and inspire people on pursuing a more active lifestyle, while also headlining events featuring the magazine.
Liubinskas is already known in the Sydney fitness scene for running three gyms. He is also a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach.
"Humble, knowledgeable, and incredibly fit; you wouldn't expect a bloke of Todd's status to be so level headed and selfless. But he is, and it's these characteristics that were the driving force behind his appointment as the newest member of the growing Men's Health team," said Men's Health editor Scott Henderson of Luibinskas.Stay updated with Luibinskas on Twitter @ToddLuibinskas and on LinkedIn.
Gock off on Perth assignmentBy Jonas Lopez in Media News on Thursday, 14th February 2019 at 2:57pm
Nine News Albury reporter Kamin Gock is lined up for work in Perth.
Gock will report to Nine News' Perth bureau starting March 4, 2019 to take on the metro news and current affairs beat. He had been doing regional news with the Albury bureau for the past six months, and previously covered Central West NSW.
Stay updated with Gock on Twitter @KaminGock and on LinkedIn.
InStyle completes faceliftBy Jonas Lopez in Media News on Thursday, 14th February 2019 at 2:53pm
Fashion magazine InStyle has rolled out a brand-new look for 2019.
Released in newsstands today, InStyle's March issue sports a new layout based on four important sections – Style, Fashion and features, beauty and The Life, formerly Lifestyle – plus a display font never before seen in Aussie magazines. The online version will also be driven by the new design.
The issue has Aussie comedian and Instagram celebrity Celeste Barber as the cover model. InStyle editor Emily Taylor said the move breaks from the usual trend of featuring fashion models or Aussie Hollywood A-Listers as the present celebrity scene has changed to include upcoming social media darlings.
"I wanted someone on the cover who was perhaps unexpected, yet who was doing something resonating with the Australian market. The more I spoke to people about her, the more I realised they knew who she was. However a lot of people thought she was American because she has such a huge following there,"
BuzzFeed Australia job cut claims bossBy Jonas Lopez in Media News on Wednesday, 13th February 2019 at 3:00pm
BuzzFeed Australia's job cuts have claimed the man who set up the operation Down Under, with general manager Simon Crerar announcing he'd been laid off.
Crerar made the announcement via a Twitter thread that tracked his time at BuzzFeed from his hiring in 2013. He also thanked all of the staff he had worked with over the years.
"I'm so thankful I got to work with so many fab people over the past five years. I'm so proud of what we achieved together. And I'm excited about whatever is next," he said in one follow-up Tweet.
BuzzFeed's downsizing plan calls for 15 percent of its entire global staff to be laid off, including 11 out of the 40-strong Australian branch.


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The Granite Belt is more than a premium food and wine destination surrounded by stunning national parks and prehistoric granite formations. While the region's reputation for award winning wine and gourmet produce has gained national momentum in recent years, it is the people who bring the story to life and offer an intimate experience unlike any other food and wine region in Australia.
Australian wine critics have taken notice and 2013 saw the Granite Belt gain more recognition as a region competing on the national and international wine stage. We may be small, but it is quality we focus on and ensuring our wine lovers can enjoy an extensive mix of varietals to pair perfectly with food. What's more, this is a region where you can relax and unwind, away from the hassles of city life - all with the assistance of a great drop of course! It is these simple pleasures that will leave you feeling reinvigorated and rejuvenated after a break on the Granite Belt. [Read more about accolades & awards]
The Granite Belt is a major food bowl for Queensland, with fresh seasonal produce grown all year. The Granite Belt has long held traditions for preserving and preparing our fresh food so that it can be enjoyed year round. We want to share these secrets with you; so sign up to become a Granite Belt Foodie. Learn more about our exclusive food tours, foraging opportunities and where to eat the best seasonal produce.
See the rugged granite outcrops amidst fields of wildflowers and take in the starry nights. Smell the rain on a country lane or the aromas of wine in a barrel. Savour the taste of a juicy tomato picked ripe from the vine, the crunchiness of an in-season apple or the tender flavour of well treated organic lamb – it's the way food used to taste. Feel the fresh breeze on your face and flowers between your fingers while listening to the sounds of birdlife by a creek.
Our producers are the gods of the land and we want you to meet them. Unlike any other region in Australia, the Granite Belt is an intimate experience between you and the people who have planted, tended, harvested and produced award winning food and wine. They love to talk about their produce and share their story. From paddock to plate to mate, you will arrive as a stranger and leave as friend. [Read more about Meet your Maker.
Whether you prefer to jump on a bike, grab your binoculars or don your hiking boots, the Granite Belt is complete with quaint spots to relax, breathtaking views and plenty of family friendly activity. Pedal to produce on the bike trail, climb the awe inspiring Pyramids, trek to a swimming hole at Girraween, find a perfectly private hideaway for a picnic or a spot of fishing. [Read more about The Outdoors and Nature activities]
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If the project is a necessity, then the traffic will have to go around. It will not exist all below grade, no matter how much you might want it to. The reason for this is simple ~ you require sprays from a height of 24 inches above grade, and no one makes a 24-inch popup of any sort whatsoever. Maybe you should rethink your choice of location.Oh, yes I could run the plumbing above ground, but its kind of a high traffic area, so we prefer to keep it underground.


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March 13, 2011
How has the season gone thus far?
"I think for the most part, it's been pretty good. We've had some rocky moments, but the preseason is there to work out the kinks. By the time conference rolls around, I expect us to be primed and ready to go."
"What's been the biggest difference between this year and last year for you?
"For me, it's really come from a change in my mental game. The coaches have helped me mature and some changes in my mechanics have really helped. The confidence I have at the plate has been the biggest change. I am now much more aggressive and focused in every situation."
How has the transition to the team's everyday catcher gone?
"It's going great. I love catching. It's been something I've done my whole life. I like being involved in every play. It keeps it fun."
What's your relationship like with the pitching staff?
"Well, Hannah Fraijo brings a veteran presence to the circle that makes my job easier. She is very comfortable out there. Ashley Aratow, Carly Wade and I spend hours every week working and getting better each day. And I have a lot of respect for what Leann Lopez has done. She really put the team first by moving to pitcher and never complaining even though she hadn't pitched in three years."
Can you talk about your power surge at the plate?
"It feels good to be producing some power at the plate. It certainly is a confidence booster. Having this success so early has driven and motivated me to keep it up throughout the entire season."
How was it going back to Nevada and performing so well?
"It was very exciting to go back and play well in front of so many friends and family members. Being successful gives you that want and desire to get better."
What are you majoring in now at CSUN and what would you like to do in the future?
"I am studying Kinesiology. I like the classes, but it has been tough. It requires a lot of studying and memorizing, but my ultimate goal is to become an athletic trainer. I see graduate school in my future."
Speaking of athletic trainers, can you talk about the team's relationship with its athletic trainer, Dunford Rodill, and his role on the team?
"The team loves Dunford. He's a great listener and he's on top of every issue that comes up with each player. He's always there to help and is never negative. He's cute too. And I know his wife is going to read this and we love her too!"
Can you talk about the team's upcoming schedule?
"We're always excited to play at home and we want to do our best to improve our home record. The tournament we'll be playing in San Diego offers some tough competition and some more at-bats to get ourselves ready for league play. Finally, playing three games at Arizona will be a test because they are such a great team. But, as Coach Flowers says, we're not going to worry about the name on the other jersey. We are focused on our dugout, what we can do to improve and get better every day."
Finally, what are your goals for the rest of the season?
"I think our team goal is to win the Big West again and get to the postseason. Playing in a regional against the best teams in the nation has always been a dream of mine. Personally, I want to keep playing at a high level and producing for my team. Winning and being successful is the greatest motivator."


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I decided to ride to church again this morning. Before doing this, I did my typical reality check by checking the radar and forecast.
A quick note. When NOAA says "wind advisory", they mean "if you're riding a bike, you're about to hate life." I rarely drop into my granny ring, but today I was truly thankful for having a triple crank. Of course, there was the return trip, which rocked. I actually hit my new lard speed record of 44.0 MPH with the help of a 20 MPH tail-wind downhill.
Finally, I weighed in again today. I don't pay a lot of attention to the scale, and often go weeks without setting foot on it. 16 days ago, I was at 211 pounds. Today, I'm at 207, the lightest I've been in probably 3 years. It's slow going, but I'm going in the right direction.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Church, Wind, and Weight Loss
I decided to ride to church again this morning. Before doing this, I did my typical reality check by checking the radar and forecast.
4 comments:
- Frogman said...
Dude, if you aren't careful I'll outweigh you soon. I think when that happens, you might consider it a goal point of your efforts. I was at about 195 several weeks ago.
- April 22, 2007 10:31 PM
- Noah said...
You've also got about 8 inches of height on me. If we went by BMI or body fat percentage, I'd still have quite a bit of catching up to do once I get down to 195.
- April 22, 2007 10:51 PM
- Sirrus Rider said...
KUDOS Noah!
Keep up the good work.
- April 22, 2007 11:46 PM
- A Midnight Rider said...
Like the witch of the west, your melting.
- April 23, 2007 6:49 AM
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text:
While there were certainly a few clear trends at Interbike this year — yes, fat bikes — we also came across a number of exhibits that don't fit so neatly into any one category. Whether plastic animals that hold your bike vertically, interpretive taxidermy displays or time-traveling machines disguised as DeLoreans, there were a few things we couldn't quite classify — but had to show you here in a photo gallery. Enjoy.
The weird and the wonderful - Interbike 2013
The things that caught our eye and the things that made us ask 'why?'


text:
First off I want to make it clear that I am a huge vampire fan. Secondly, I have not read the books, so I walked into this movie with an open mind...
I was so disappointed. Twilight was utterly boring. Probably the most uninspired tale of teen angst I have ever seen. A story that appeared to have tried reinventing vampires, that failed miserably with its crushing OC type drama, and complete lack of suspense or intrigue.
The Vampires. Or should I say 'sexy, mainstream, plastic teenage eunuchs'. They did not have fangs. They are vampires without fangs! Way to neuter your monsters Mr. Author Whose Name I Don't Care To Know. Its like a Jedi without a light saber. In the beginning of the film, I was so excited when Edward covered his mouth upon seeing Belle. I thought "Ooh, his fangs are showing? Vampire blood lust reflex maybe?" - Nope.
There was nothing. Just a mouthful of human teeth. Boring. The make-up was unimpressive period, but I'm sure 90% of the teenybopper movie goes will be clamoring to buy up some cool contacts to give them "Edward Eyes". No fangs, no claws, nothing out of the ordinary, or nothing ordinary for vampires, safe for the piercing contacts. I didn't mind that the vampires walked around in daylight, heck, that was kind of interesting, until I saw them glitter. Glitter? I thought he was a vampire?!?! Not a wood sprite! This isn't a movie about vampires, its a movie about homoerotic, fang less wood sprites.
Costumes? Utterly boring. That's all I have to say. I think the budget was blown on that one piece of faux fur and hair extensions. Yep, the fang budget was chewed up by hair extensions.
Special Effects? Har har har. It is to laugh. Almost as funny as vampires playing baseball in the rain as a family.
The villain? Besides looking like a barefoot Abercrombie & Fitch poster boy, there was nothing special about him. I don't recall him even having the 'vampire eyes'. Not one memorable line. For a vampire that was supposed to be powerful, he was quickly dispatched, and dismembered off camera, making the most thrilling, sadistic sequence in the movie highly forgettable.
The fight sequences? Boring. I'm surprised there was even time for 1 with all the stomach turning mush going on. Wow. Can you even picture it? Two fang less vampires hissing at one another. Remember that scene from the Lost Boys where Michael and David battle? Picture that without the fangs, and without the great score, and without any other redeeming quality. Am I getting my point across?
I read somewhere that fans of the book were outraged when they heard who would be playing Edward. I read that blogs were crammed with stuff like "he's ugly, poor casting, he's gross", actually, he's not so bad, he grew on me, its too bad he wanted the role. I feel sorry for him that he starred in a movie that can only be described as about as exciting as a dated tv halloween episode. Remember the vampire episode of Smallville. Remember how your eyes rolled when you saw that they were bringing vampires into the Smallville mythos, and making Lana into one for its 45 of predictably painful performances. Remember how dumb it was? Remember how even the laughable sawdust headed sorority sisters actually had fangs? Ugh...
Twilight gets a generous 2.5 out of 10. 3 because of 2 pretty boys, and .5 for a sorry attempt at doing something different to the vampire genre, but since it failed, I can't give it a whole point... Not even worth the rental.