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Monday, August 23, 2010
Mother of all Bacon
14 comments:
- AnonymousAugust 23, 2010 at 8:19 PM
you rock!!!! what ever happened to Tuna on Monday Wed Fri and P&J on tuesday and thursday????ReplyDelete
the managalitsa bellies are are whole different animal, literally. we've been using them since march when Torm of Pasture Prime Wagyu had his first lot ready. Nothing else compares. The mangalitsa belly has a much lower moisture content than that of berkshire or pretty much any other bacon. Even though the fat to meat ratio in the bacon is off the charts it retains a meaty flavor and texture than melts/explodes upon mouth impact. For a fatty bacon it's mouthfeel is almost light and doesn't feel like a bomb went off in your stomach upon consumption. Truly a unique flavor and texture. We give ours a ton of smoke(10 hours @ 140F) and when rendered it is almost black. "D' effing licious" is the quote of the day taken from Shola at Speck about his carnitas stuffed shishito peppers and applies here as well!ReplyDelete
bluechefs: So right. I'm serious when I say I can't see a reason to cure any other type of pork.ReplyDelete
I'm in love. It had to happen. Bacon. Pork. Smoked. Thick. Perfect.ReplyDelete
That really is a beautiful piece of meat. Too fat for pancetta, though, at least the rolled pancetta.ReplyDelete
Looks real good.
And I'm gonna try the vacuum bags, good idea.
Yeah, meatball, forget arrotolata. If I WAS able to roll it, it would've had a diameter of about 1ft. and probably would have taken 6 months to dry.ReplyDelete
- FrankieM83October 4, 2010 at 4:21 PM
Hey Scott this thing looks insane! I am shopping around for a pig to cure this winter. I recently got a 150lb Yorkshire from a local farm here on long island and it was sub-par. I realize the size was small so the loin was narrow,and belly thin respectively, but the taste was a bit gamey. Your passion for this mangalitsa makes me want to try it. Is it possible for me to get a whole, or half hog directly from a farm? If so where? By the way I know it has been a while, but I over paid you last year for a few items and I am wondering If I still have a credit? Thanks!ReplyDelete
You can get meat from Mosefund Farm in NJ. Credit is always good with me, Frankie.ReplyDelete
I recently picked up something that compares to this. It's a belly from a Red Wattle pig from a guy who raises pigs outside of Houston, TX (Revival Meats). He also has Mangalista but he recommended I use the Red Wattle for bacon because the Mangalista has almost an all-fat belly. It's funny he said that since this Red Wattle one is the largest thickest belly I've ever worked with (about 3 inches thick) with thick white hard fat and little meat. I can only imagine how the Mangalista would've looked like. It is now still curing and I am hoping to smoke it this weekend). We'll see how it comes out.ReplyDelete
Send me some pics of the finished bacon. I've heard a lot about red wattle and am curious to see it.ReplyDelete
That turned out to be some fantastic bacon Scott:ReplyDelete
My boyfriend is good on how to cure the meat. He puts a lot of vinegar, soy sauce, lemon and pepper. All these will make the meat very delicious once cooked. I love the way he cooks and his ways of curing meat in just 2 days.ReplyDelete
I love to eat sausage and bacon early in the morning as my breakfast. My mom usually put some peppers and soak the meat in vinegar mixed with soda before cooking it. I really miss the way my mom cook breakfast for me early in the morning.ReplyDelete
Hello FRndz...ReplyDelete
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Your blog has always been a good source for me to get quality tips on blogging. Thanks once again.
Debris removal Houston, texas


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Chilean Government Now Wants Higher Taxes on Junk Food
Following Rahm Emmanuel's advice of not letting a crisis go to waste, the new center‐right government in Chile now wants to extend the permanent rise in tobacco taxes—supposedly adopted as a measure to finance post‐earthquake reconstruction—to foods with high concentrations of salt and trans fat [in Spanish]. Jaime Malañich, the Health Minister, said that the earthquake is opening up an opportunity to implement a measure that would increase the government's revenue and fight obesity and that has been considered for many years.
My colleague Ian Vásquez wrote a few days ago that, by announcing unnecessary tax increases as post‐earthquake reconstruction measures, the recently‐inaugurated administration of Sebastian Piñera was quick to disappoint those who expected a bold move toward strengthening free market policies that have made Chile a Latin American success story. If these announcements are any guide, expect more disappointments.

subset: commoncrawl


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Today's morning spoiler round-up has some new photos and hints from the Indiana Jones movie — including the creatures that could be making his life difficult this time around. We also have new pics and a new synopsis from Splice, Adrien Brody's gene-hacking thriller. There's a (blurry) trailer for the direct-to-DVD Stargate: Continuum movie. All this, plus new hints for Battlestar and Lost, and new Smallville photos. Everything below the jump is a massive evil spoiler, if that's okay with you.
Entertainment Weekly has two new images from the genetic experiment movie Splice, starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley. (It's not called Splicers, as we'd previously heard.) And here's a new synopsis:
Two young rebellious scientists, defy legal and ethical boundaries and forge ahead with a dangerous experiment: splicing together human and animal DNA to create a new organism. Named "Dren", the creature rapidly develops from a deformed female infant into a beautiful but dangerous winged human-chimera, who forges a bond with both of her creators - only to have that bond turn deadly.
You'll never look at bath time the same way again. [Ramas Screen]
Indiana Jones
The soundtrack for Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull has gone up for pre-order on Amazon, and while it's not much of a spoiler to say the music will be blustery and John Williamsish, the track listing does give away some clues as to the story's flow of events:
1. Raiders March
2. Call of the Crystal
3. The Adventures of Mutt
4. Irina's Theme
5. The Snake Pit
6. The Spell of the Skull
7. A Whirl Through Academe
8. The Journey to Akator
9. "Return"
10. The Jungle Chase
11. Orellana's Cradle
12. Grave Robbers
13. Hidden Treasure and the City of Gold
14. Secret Doors and Scorpions
15. Oxley's Dilemma
16. Ants!
17. Temple Ruins and the Secret Revealed
18. The Departure
19. Finale
I love the fact that there's a track called "Ants!" Except that it should be all caps. And here are a couple of new pictures of Shia LaBoeuf as "Mutt." Do you miss Short Round yet? [Slashfilm]
The 10th and 11th. episodes of the current Lost season will be called "Cabin Fever" and "There's No Place Like Home." (And the season finale may be a two-hour special.) [Spoilers Lost]
In case you missed it, Charles Widmore will be in the next Lost episode, "The Shape Of Things To Come." [Pop Matters]
Ricky Memphis appears in an upcoming Lost episode playing a character named Emilio, and he had some scenes with Matthew Fox and Lance Reddick. (That means Jack may be spending some time with Abaddon.) And Emilio may be back in some future episodes as well. [Doc Arzt]
Battlestar Galactica:
Here are some rumored episode titles for the second half of BSG season four: 4x14: "The Disquiet That Follows My Soul," 4x15: "The Oath," 4x16: "Blood on the Scales," and 4x17: "No Exit". [Galactica Sitrep]
The trailer for the direct-to-DVD movie Stargate: Continuum showed at a convention in Vancouver, and an intrepid fan put a recording of it on YouTube. (Warning: extreme cameraphone wobbliness.) Here it is, just in case it gets pulled down there. [SGAngeL_204]
We still don't know for sure who dies in the April 17 Smallville episode, "Descent." But we have a pretty good idea who has a crappy time in the following episode, "Sleeper," judging from these new photos. [TV Addict]


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She kills – too many times for the casual viewer to keep an accurate count.
She curses – including spewing two words, beginning with the same letter, that likely have never been uttered by an 11-year-old girl in a mainstream movie.
The great Roger Ebert, among others, suggests that her character pushes the often over-the-top comic-book flick "Kick-Ass" over the edge into "morally reprehensible" territory.
Amid the controversy, we'll make a prediction: Hit Girl will go down in movie history as a "Kick-Ass" hero for the ages – all ages.
One of the film's primary and winning conceits is that the title character Kick-Ass doesn't have a typical superhero origin tale, ala Spider-Man or Batman. But Hit Girl has a close-to-classic backstory: Her father, an ordinary hero done wrong by those in power on both sides of the law and devastated by loss, raises his daughter to become a costumed killing-and-cussing machine for the cause of good.
So when Hit Girl strikes out, it's true to her character.
Which is not to say "Kick-Ass" is for everybody. The popcorn movie is rated R for good reason: this comic-book adaptation featuring an 11-year-old heroine wasn't made for 11 year olds.
Hit Girl's initial impalement-fest is set to a manic version of the theme from "The Banana Splits," a kiddie show that few under 40 probably remember. In Nicholas Cage's turn as Hit Girl's father, the Batman-like Big Daddy, he reaches back to channel the clipped cadences of Adam West, who played Caped Crusader in the 1960s campy TV show.
"Kick-Ass" may not even be for some folks old enough to appreciate those touches: As in a Quentin Tarantino flick, director Matthew Vaughn's film moves jarringly from comic violence to fast-and-furious, gut-pounding bloodshed and back again. It's fun at times to watch Hit Girl mow down the bad guys, and disturbing at others, especially when she gets knocked around. Her foul mouth is the least of the issues.
The character's power and the appeal doesn't rest solely in her salty language and violent exploits. Hit Girl, as portrayed by the talented Chloe Grace Moretz, is a product – but never a victim – of her circumstances.
Her sense of right-and-wrong has been shaped by her father, with whom she has a unique, loving relationship. When left alone, she's the one character in the film – at least on the heroic side – with a clear sense of purpose, guts and determination.
That doesn't sound quite "morally reprehensible" to us. And it makes us wonder whether there would be a similar outcry, if the character were named, say, Hit Boy.
Hit Girl may literally break hearts, but the only thing she can be charged with is stealing the show.
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NY City News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992. Follow him on Twitter.


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text: Hurray, they did it! Let this cheerful bouquet show them just how proud you are. Our florists gather beautiful blooms in shades of pink, purple and green for a bouquet worthy of their achievement. Set in a keepsake "Congratulations" vase, it's a truly original way to celebrate any of life's victories, big or small!


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Make Sure You Update Your RadioPup App!
Everybody talks about using the arrival of Daylight Savings Time as a good reminder to change the batteries in your home's smoke alarms. Of course that's important, but today I'm going to use Daylight Savings Time to remind you to update your smartphone's RadioPup app too!


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Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Arts and Sciences
Introduction to Criminal Justice
Three semester hours. (FL/SP)
An overview of the criminal justice system, with a focus on decision points and administrative practices in police, criminal court, and correctional bureaucracies. The historical evolution of criminal justice agencies is covered along with basic criminal procedures.
Home - General Information - Student Services -
Academic Undergraduate Regulations -
Undergraduate Degrees - Academic Graduate Regulations -
Graduate Degrees - Course Descriptions - Faculty -
Appendix A - Appendix B - Appendix C - Appendix D


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A post for the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories
Leaving the mince pie out for Father Christmas is an important part of the English Christmas Eve ritual. One Christmas Eve long ago my father headed off to bed but then got thirsty so got up for a glass of water. To his horror, the mince pie was gone - but his parents were still up, the dog hadn't barked and the presents hadn't arrived under the tree yet. Quite the disturbing Christmas mystery for a young mind!
If you want to grab yourself something for this Christmas, a copy of Wing As It Was volume 2 just came up on Ebay, closing on Christmas Day. The book features a selection of old photos from Wing, including one of my 3xgreat-grandfather blacksmith Andrew POLLARD and the six men working for him. You can see a list of individuals in the book on my website here, and the Ebay listing for the book is here.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Advent Calendar - Grab Bag
A post for the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories
1 comments:
- Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith said...
Thanks for sharing!
Bill ;-)
- 18/12/09 8:52 am


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Diving & Marine Conservation Volunteering in Thailand - Monthly Updates
- Project Overview
- Additional Project Info
- Divemaster Course Add-on
- Monthly Updates
- Management Plan, Data & Reports
Conservation in Thailand - Monthly Update April 2008
April has been a busy month with the celebration of the Thai New Year or SongKran and carrying out our conservation work in Krabi. SongKran is a very special holiday in Thailand which goes on for about 5 days. Most people spend time with their families and a number of ceremonies take place at Buddhist temples.
The volunteers joined one where they were blessed and offered special bracelets by the monks and made sand castles outside the temple as the tradition goes.
But SongKran is most renowned for the water battles that go on the streets all around Thailand. The volunteers went on the bus around AoNang with two water tanks and it took them nearly two hours as the traffic was so dense.
As Marten mentioned in the last update, teaching and conservation volunteers joined forces for 3 days to raise environmental with participating children from NonThale and AoNang. Knot had prepared slide shows about reef and mangroves ecology and marine debris which he presented the first day when we had a 'workshop' with games and a play by the volunteers.
Until now we had no game focussing on mangroves so the volunteers developed one about mangroves food webs. We were a little worried about the children's ability to understand and play it, as some of the volunteers had quite a lot of trouble themselves! But the game went very well and it is encouraging to see that the children know the local environment quite well.
On the second day, we took the children to the Krabi mangroves boardwalk where they could observe the vegetation and various animals. They had been told to pay special attention as they were to produce a drawing for the Mangrove Action Project art competition.
On the third day, we all went to Laem Pho for a beach clean at a site where winds bring a lot of debris at this time of the year. We also had tourists joining us for the first time as part of a co-operation we set up with Intrepids.
Intrepids is a guided-tour organisation which focuses on cultural and environmental-friendly experiences. Marten randomly met one of their tour leaders and this led to a group joining on the school camp beach clean and hopefully again in the future.
We collected 541.8kg in total and hopefully the children will take home the message that wild littering can be very devastating.
The school camp ended with an award ceremony where children who had done well during games and at answering questions about Knot's presentations were rewarded with prizes. The three best drawings for the MAP competition also received prizes.
In addition to the beach clean with the children, volunteers went to Klong Muang and Ao Tung where they collected 91.3 and 156.3 kg of litter respectively, bringing the total for this month to 789.4kg.
Another great accomplishment this month was the repair of the bridge at our experimental mangroves nursery in Thung Prasan. The bridge had been a source of worries for a while as it was rather wobbly and slippery. It was particularly difficult to cross as we often carry bulky and heavy equipment with us.
The head of the village, Khun Pairot came along to help as he had supervised the initial building of the bridge. The new bridge has more planks to step on and a more stable handle.
On two more visits to Thung Prasan, the volunteers helped putting soil into bags for the villagers' nursery. They estimated the total number of filled bags to 1,800.
We continued reef monitoring with 6 animal surveys and 3 ReefWatch surveys and also laid 2 more transects, including one at Mu Sang Noi, the reef which Projects Abroad adopted as part of the International Year of The Reef.
Unusual sightings included black tail barracudas, coral banded shrimps, squids, a tigertail seahorse, a leopard shark, many spiny lobsters which move to local islands for breeding at this time of the year, an octopus and a hawksbill turtle.
In terms of reef salvage, we did 4 dives at local sites and 2 dives at Mu Sang Noi. In total, we collected 68kg which consisted mostly of fishing net and a large fish trap. Other items were the usual bottles, cans, and various plastic containers and wraps. We also collected a fair amount from the surface with snorkel.
We ended the month getting ready for a 3 day- 2 nights live-aboard in Phi-Phi with a Thai TV crew shooting a documentary about our marine conservation project! There is always a lot going on during live-aboards and this time even more as the aim is to show as much as we can on the documentary. It will be aired on the 3rd of June and we are all very impatient to see it.
Next month will be quiet at the volunteers' house with no volunteers for a whole week, but it will be busy in the office: finalising a training manual to aid volunteers learning how to do reef surveys and developing new activities for the future.
Click here and see our graphs of the amount of rubbish the volunteers have collected from the reefs and beaches here in Ao Nang in April 2008 - impressive work.
Click here and see our graphs of the amount of rubbish the volunteers have collected from the reefs and beaches here in Ao Nang over 2007 - impressive work.
Marie Goarin
10th May 2008
Assistant Director for Thailand Conservation
Projects Abroad


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NEW YORK, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Al-Jazeera agreed to buy the struggling Current TV current affairs channel partly owned by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and start a 24-hour news channel.
Time Warner Cable Inc., the No. 2 U.S. cable operator, immediately said it would drop the channel.
The sale's purchase price was undisclosed, but people with knowledge of the deal told The New York Times it was around $500 million, meaning Gore would receive about $100 million for his 20 percent Current ownership.
Al-Jazeera, owned by a Qatar government media subsidiary, said it plans to shut down Current, based in San Francisco, and start an English-language news channel in New York called al-Jazeera America.
The channel, which the Times said would likely be available in more than 40 million homes, would start later this year, with newscasts emanating from both New York and Doha, Qatar, al-Jazeera said.
Roughly 60 percent of the programming would be produced in the United States, with the balance coming from al-Jazeera's Doha-based English-language international news channel, al-Jazeera English.
Al-Jazeera -- which already has bureaus in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago -- intends to open several more in other U.S. cities and double its U.S. staff to more than 300 employees.
Current co-founder lawyer-businessman Joel Hyatt said in a letter to Current employees -- including some who are expected to lose their jobs -- that he, Gore and the other Current owners agreed to sell to al-Jazeera in part because "al-Jazeera was founded with the same goals we had for Current," including "to give voice to those whose voices are not typically heard" and "to speak truth to power."
He said he and Gore would join the al-Jazeera America advisory board.
Al-Jazeera said in a statement it wanted to start the U.S. news channel because almost 40 percent of al-Jazeera English's global online viewing comes from the United States.
"U.S. viewers have clearly demonstrated that they like the way al-Jazeera provides ... news," Director General Ahmed bin Jassim al-Thani said.
Al-Jazeera first went on the air Nov. 1, 1996, as an Arabic news and current affairs satellite TV channel and has since expanded into a 24-hour news network with several outlets, including Web and specialty TV channels in multiple languages.
It also plans to start Turkish-language al-Jazeera Turk this year, it said.
The network became known in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks for its Arabic-language outlet, which aired videos of Osama bin Laden.
Since then, al-Jazeera English, which started in 2006, has gained recognition for its international coverage, although U.S. cable and satellite distributors have largely refused to carry the channel, the Times said, so it is available on television only in several U.S. cities.
The Times said al-Jazeera executives convinced Gore, Hyatt and the other Current owners it had the journalistic strength and financial backing to compete head-to-head with CNN and other U.S. news channels.
Current was started Aug. 1, 2005, after Gore and Hyatt bought small U.S. cable news channel Newsworld International from France's Vivendi Universal, now Vivendi SA.
The channel remained fairly obscure, showing viewer-submitted videos and documentaries, but broke through somewhat in 2011 when it shifted its format and hired Keith Olbermann, who brought his popular MSNBC program "Countdown" to the network.
Olbermann went on the air June 20, 2011, and was fired March 30, 2012, replaced by former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Current made ratings headway but on a typical night last year still only attracted an average viewership of 42,000 households, Nielsen Media Research said.
By contrast, Time Warner Inc.'s CNN has averaged about 700,000 households during prime time since late September, and Fox News Channel drew about 1.9 million, Nielsen said.
Time Warner Cable, the largest cable provider in New York and Los Angeles, took advantage of a change-in-ownership clause and said in a statement Wednesday night it would remove the service "as quickly as possible."
"Our agreement with Current has been terminated and we will no longer be carrying the service," the cable provider said.
It earlier warned it might drop Current because of its low ratings.


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Lehrer--who includes honest assessments of his own mistakes and how they impacted the debates in which the errors occurred--and the actual debaters all underscore the need for preparation, and the fact that a debate format demands the preparation that a good speaker might skip under other circumstances. You'll find plenty of recollections of famous presidential debate moments, and what happened behind the scenes, making this a timely read.
Lehrer did an hour-long interview on NPR's Diane Rehm Show recently; you can listen to it here or read the transcript here. But he's not the only journalist offering debating tips. NPR's David Folkenflik notes that many debaters get distracted by the theatrics of a presidential debate, but need to ignore that and focus.
Do you have a favorite presidential debate moment? Share it in the comments.


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It's confusing, I know: pages and pages of gig listings but only so much money to burn. Then, of course, there's the issue of time: you've only so much, and there are a dozen shows an evening, at least, to pick from in our nation's capital. So what do you usually do? If you're like me you give up – you head home after work, flick on the television and sit there, eating your dinner with Kirstie and Phil in front of you whimpering on and on about how selling up in London buys you a manor in Leicestershire. Great, guys. Thanks. I rent. I'll always have to. I'm not a paid-up telly person.
But Saturday something snapped – ping – and opportunity knocked: time allowed these already weary legs and fading eyes to attend three different shows, from the afternoon through the evening and into the early hours of the alleged day of rest. The last, three of three, was a club, and one I was DJing at… but still. Three shows, twelve hours, some booze: someone was going to miss Match Of The Day for once.
First of all I ride the city's underground from my home in the leafy north to Notting Hill – here, Rough Trade Shops co-promote free shows every Saturday afternoon, from four 'til eight, at the Arts Club on Notting Hill Gate. Perhaps you've even been to one or some – DiS regularly promotes shows there. This afternoon the neat 'n' tidy venue – cheap drinks at the bar and a DJ playing The Quo, nice – is taken over by Liverpool-based label Signature Tune. Headlining a bill of four is Canterbury quintet Lakes, whose self-titled five-track EP is released by said label today; their brand of hardcore falls somewhere between the twin pillars of excellence that are Das Oath and Planes Mistaken For Stars circa Fuck With Fire, although feel free to interchange those reference bands with ones plying a similar trade in shout-scream-vomit vocals and riffs that wouldn't know subtlety if it stabbed them in the back. The supports aren't so brilliant, but since the gig is a free one their relative 'meh'-ness is forgivable. One makes the mistake of riling the venue's sound man, though. Bad move. They won't play here again.
It's approaching eight by the time I'm forced back onto the network of tunnels and tracks that comprise the Tube – a few stops on its yellow line of a circular nature and I'm in South Kensington, trying to find my way into the union of Imperial College. A desk-bound gentleman directs my friend and I the wrong way, towards a ball-type event held in a large marquee. Everyone's suited up, ties and tails and the like; I'm in scruffy jeans and a hoodie. Was that guy blind?
Eventually we find the room we need – it's wider than it is deep, with a bar at one end selling lager at student prices. Needless to say I imbibe a little too much considering I'm only at gig two of three. Tonight's festivities are presided over by A Badge Of Friendship, independently minded promoters who tonight have assembled a stellar bill: Exeter post-punks with keyboard wiggles An Emergency followed by Americans overseas Riddle Of Steel followed by London post-grungers Silent Front followed by Surrey-spawned tech-punk mavericks Meet Me In St Louis. The venue's shape doesn't make for great sound, and the faltering PA only worsens things; An Emergency try their very best to overcome the problems by wandering around the ample stage, standing atop amplifiers and generally mucking about a bit; their itchy and scratchy pop-hooked punk is brilliant in its composition, but its execution tonight is affected terribly by factors beyond their control.
Riddle Of Steel fare slightly better, sound-wise – the St Louis trio play a few new numbers, a couple from album two Got This Feelin', and my favourite song of theirs, 'Kissing In Secret'. It's from their debut album, Python; you should own it, really. A sadly small audience is appreciative but barely moved, physically, by the Americans – they've great songs in their repertoire, songs that twitch and jerk like only the finest modern-day punk can, but the still-muffled sound doesn't convey the amazing crispness of their outstanding records. It's like listening to a through headphones made from your duvet. Silent Front claim the largest crowd of the evening – they crunch and grind and screech quite well, but in terms of arrangement innovation they're the least-inspired of the bill's four. Still, in terms of volume and bombast they trump every other act here.
Meet Me In St Louis (a pair, pictured) are working their way towards cult status – they've fans that sing along with their unusual approach to punk-rock, and pull shapes in time to polyrhythms that the likes of Battles would be hard-pressed to pull off. One day, hopefully, they'll translate their regularly scintillating live show – think At The Drive-In at the time of that Reading performance being tickled by invisible Tim Kinsella clones – to disc without losing its incendiary qualities. Tonight, again, they mesmerise – vocalist Toby isn't as twitchy as he has been at previous shows, but he remains the focal point for onlooker gazes nonetheless. But I have to leave slightly early, midway through the excellently titled 'We Need To Act Like We Don't Need This Shit, Then They Give Us The Shit For Free', to make it to stage three of three at a decent hour; a run-in with an inebriated rugby player in the gents doesn't slow me down, although it does make me hate the game a little more – really, I just don't understand how you can't poke fun at a sport where grown men spend many a minute with their heads beside other players' arses.
King's Cross' Scala is swarming. Tonight, one of its weekly Chalk clubnight's three rooms is hosted by DrownedinSound.com; I arrive to find DiS writer and DJ extraordinaire Gareth Dobson struggling to deal with the fact he's been left as good as on his lonesome by stay-away DJs. He's coping, but I go on early to relieve him for a while. I play 'Get It On' by Grinderman first and some fresh-faced and pilled-up kids leg it away from the dancefloor. Ha. Hits: Death From Above 1979 (yawn) and 'Idioteque' (yay); misses: every fucker that comes over and asks for Klaxons. Really, stop it: if you see me at the decks, don't ask me for Klaxons. I won't play them. Or The View. Or the fucking Roses (what year is this? I thought this was meant to be a 'cool' club?). A couple of hours later, and a good sixty minutes before we've meant to finish, we're replaced by a guy called Dave with a laptop. He's nothing to do with DiS, at all. He takes what feels like forever to set up his computer while I'm left looping 'Me Myself And I' 'til it runs for nine minutes. He's thankful though, and I wish him well – to be honest, after the day I've had and drink I've consumed, I'm glad to be shooting a little earlier than expected.
Come six in the AM, I'm home and fighting the buzzing in my ear canals to get to something like a state of slumber. Stupidly I wake up too early. I spend all of Sunday in a daze. I don't go to any shows – I sit in front of my television and wait for the Carling Cup Final highlights. And fall asleep as soon as they come on.
Signature Tune can be checked out on MySpace, as can Lakes.
A Badge Of Friendship's website is here; click your way there to check out upcoming shows around London. Both Meet Me In St Louis and An Emergency play free-entry DiScover Club shows for DrownedinSound.com at the Notting Hill Arts Club soon – click here for full listings information. Photo taken from MMISL's MySpace, here.
Chalk takes place every Saturday night at the Scala, King's Cross – click here to visit the Scala site.
Yes, my middle name begins with J


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- Apparel
- ▼Trousers
- ▼Jackets
- ▼Shirts
- ▼Undergarments
- ▼Coveralls
- ▼Rain apparel
- ▼Womens clothing
- ▼Children's clothes
- Accessories
- ▼Headwear
- ▼Gloves and mittens
- ▼Scarves and tubes
- ▼Wallets and key hangers
- ▼Belts and suspenders
- Footwear
- ▼Boots
- ▼Shoes and jackboots
- ▼Shoe maintenance
- ▼Footwear accessories
- ▼Socks
- Rucksacks and bags
- ▼Bags
- ▼Backpacks and rucksacks
- ▼Rucksack equipment
- ▼Sacks and bags
- Camping equipment
- ▼Shelters
- ▼Sleeping bags and pads
- ▼Fire and warmth
- ▼Field stoves
- ▼Hygiene and wash up
- ▼Canteens and hydration bladders
- ▼Eating
- ▼Insect repellants
- Combat equipment
- ▼Load bearing equipment
- ▼Pouches
- ▼Helmets
- ▼Eye and ear protection
- ▼Knee and elbow pads
- ▼Camouflage
- ▼Firearm accessories and maintenance
- ▼Gas masks and suits
- Tools and electronics
- ▼Knives
- ▼Tools
- ▼Illumination
- ▼Power sources
- ▼Misc. electronics
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Nokian Sun'n Cream Soda
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One of the lemonades we sell. Only available in our walk-in store... for now.
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Betsy (Wright) Graves
My 3rd great-grandaunt
I have very few family photos, so when a distant cousin gave me permission to use his, I'm very thankful. Back in 2002, I corresponded with Dave regarding Jesse Wright and his daughter Betsy (Wright) Graves, see above. One of my best habits has been putting emails and addresses from people inquiring about a person in my tree, into my genealogy software Notes Section. So, when 9 years later somebody inquires about this line, I know to go to that person in the database and check the Notes Section to see if anybody else has that line.
Today, I did just that. It's nice to put the new person in contact with Dave, and I hope they have a connection. The other day, Dave was kind enough to give me permission to share his collection of photos, on flickr and the ones above are my first.


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Jays Sign Stairs
TORONTO — The Blue Jays announced on Friday that they had agreed to terms on a two-year contract worth $3.25 million with Canadian slugger Matt Stairs.
Back home in Bangor, Maine, Stairs confirmed the deal and said that playing time was never an issue in the negotiations. He simply didn't want to talk money during the season, explaining why he steered away from signing an extension until this week.
The deal is being announced as $3.25 million, but it can be worth $3.5 million if Stairs reaches 200 plate appearances in 2008 ($200K) and 100 plate appearances in 2009 ($50K). The contract also includes a $1.25 million signing bonus, so it's yearly salaries of $1 million.
The deal was struck late Thursday night and Stairs agent, Bob Garber, said, "We're very happy that Matt's going to be able to finish his career with the Blue Jays." It's still not clear how Stairs, Adam Lind and/or Reed Johnson will fit into the left field plan. To be continued.
27 Comments
I like the 2 year signing. He has proven his worth as a utility player and a power lefthanded bad off the bench.
Now the question is, who leads off when Stairs starts in left over Johnson? (assuming Linds starts in AAA and no trades are made) Do we bump Hill to lead off or Wells? We don't have a true lead off guy without Johnson in the lineup. I like what Gibby did last year when Stairs would come in he would simply take Johsnon's spot at lead off and leave the rest of the lineup unchanged.
I'm really curious as to how the lineup will be set this year. Does Hill become the #2 hitter? Rios hitting 3rd? Or do you put a guy that's OBP is high (Zaun in recent years) at #2. I'm hoping the Jays have a idea as hitters in 08 of what their job is and become more disciplined and unselfish.
I wasn't too big with the term, but the salary makes up for it. I doubt he'll have another season like he just did, but if he can post close numbers i'll be happy.
I like the Stairs signing. To me it's a 1.25 mill deserved bonus for the year Stairs gave us last year and 1 mill a year for two years with incentives.
The thing I like about the contract is everyone's expectations are set properly meaning Stairs understands in the 2nd year of the deal, he's a bench player and Lind is the player. And frankly Stairs didn't get obstinate and try to break the bank or force committments of playing time on the team that would be unachieveable.
I also hope we re-sign Fasano and have him play at AAA. I still hope Robinson Diaz makes it this spring. Fasano is going to be a great coach someday-hopefully for us. He's great with the young pitchers and catchers and can do a superb job for us in AAA and act as a backup here if someone goes down.
I like the signing also . I think he is a good, solid player and a great presence to have in the clubhouse .
As for Fasano , I would love to see him coach in the future and eventually be a manager
I for one, do not support the usage of instant replays in baseball.
The game is already too long-I can see instant replays extending game time to an average of 4 hours.
If the Gm's want to imporve the game, speed it up-or get ready for an all day afair like cricket.
i think that every team should have 2 challenges (like the NFL i think) and that umpires can view replays only when it's a deciding factor. SOmething like steal home, or home-run foul or fair or a 2-rbi double down the line they are not sure about or a throwout at home…
The 2 challenges make sure that if umpires don't view the replays or it's a minor matter we can still get the right call.
Too many games are gone down the drain because of bad umpiring (i don't blame them though, they are humans).
I agree with you Harrypotter. I'd also find a way to penilize the manager if he challenges a call and it ends up being right.
sumner I agree with you that they should look at speeding up the game. I'm curious though what would you do in order to achieve that ?
As for replays I don't think it will make it that much longer, if they do the challenge thing as harry suggested.
There are rules existing as to how much time a pitcher has to deliver a pitch once the batter's in the cage-I think it's 16 seconds. In one game we played against New York, Igawa was pitching and sometimes took 30-45 seconds. It was never called-of course our Abner never brought it to the umpires attention either.
In one of the ALCS playoff games, Kenny Lofton must have taken a minute to get to the batters box. He did this on purpose to change Dice-k's timing. It worked and 4-5 batters later Dice K was out of the game.
The umpires should call these infractions to speed up the game.
I don't know about anyone else,but the game I enjoyed watching the most this year was against Chicago with Halliday and Brulhe pitching. Game lasted 2 hours. 3.5 to 4.5 isnt enjoyable.
Any instant replay is going to delay the game-this is not good news-in my view.
David Purcey goes 4 innings, throws 70 pitches of which 45 are strikes, gives up no earned runs, 1 K and no BB.
His era is now down to 1.59.
Looks like they're being extra carefull in stretching him out. Last outing was 60 pitches, this one 70.
As I said in a previous post, he's definately back and only going to get stronger.
No to replays. One thing I like about baseball is that it is played pretty much the same way now as it was 100 years ago. Umpiring is a human element, and sometimes you get the call, sometimes you don't; what is important is how you pick yourself up after a bbad call. Besides, I would rather watch a manager getting tossed than watch a bunch of fat guys staring into a monitor, or another commercial.
Wow it has been a while since the last time I commented on here. Listen though I heard the Jays were interested in signing Posada. I know Jordan already said that that would probably be unlikely, but Posada confirmed that the Jays called about him. The only thing is that he wants a 4 year contract, and I don't think that's what the Jays have in mind.
Good to see you posting-don't be a stranger.
I'm interested in where you saw confirmation from Posada.
I can't imagine anyone signing Posada for four years-that owuld be a difficult deal to get out of.
Posada would sure help the lineup, but I think price-wise, he is out of budget. After all, he made $12 million last year. I think I would be looking for someone like Yorvit Torrealba from the Rockies, who would come with a lot smaller price tag.
It looks like a reasonable middle ground might have been reached on the instant replays with only disputed boundry plays being reviewed. I also like the fact that penalties for abuse are being taken into consideration.
BUT the best news is the steps being reviewed to speed up the game. They are considering limiting when a hitter could step out of the batter's box between pitches, restricting the number of times a player could visit the mound, and limiting the number of players allowed to visit the mound. There is already a rule for pitchers.
Now the question is will the implement them and will the umpires call the infractions.
Probably-is the answer for all teams but the Yanks. lol
I like Posada-but only for one year, he's getting old. He could be the guy to put us over the hump, if he had the same kind of year he did this year, so maybe two years.
If he'd sign for one_I'd pay him what ever he wants-but I don't think he'd sign for one year and I'm sure the Yanks are going to give him a great offer for 2-3 years.
They Jays have room. They eliminate a number of salaries in 2008 versus 2007 on players like Hinske, Koskie, Towers, Zambrano, Royce, Okha, Phillips, Smith and Thompson. This totals about $13 million.
In addition, they've had a huge move in the dollar-as of today a 27% move from the same budget period last year. With their estimated US dollar cost net at about $100 mill, this is a sizeable $27 million windfall, so all told there's $40 million of wriggle room.
Now whether Uncle Teddy will allow them to spend it or not is a different issue-but they do have room to move.
I like Posada too, but if the money were available for Posada, how about Dontrelle Willis for 9-10 mil/year as a #3 man in the rotation? He had a poor year last year, but look who he was pitching for.
I do like Willis, but we'd have to give up either Mcgowan or Marcum and prospects. I think the price will likely be too high to get him.
I also like how Purcey's pitching and Litsch was ok for a 5th starter-so I think we're ok in pitching.
It would be a nice early Christmas present to get another quality bat though, and the only areas are catcher and ss.
I still like this trade.
Let's trade Lind to Boston for Jed Lowrie, their AAA shortstop. He's a high quality hitter known for taking pitchers deep in the count, hits for high average and OBP, 13 Hr's this year.
Could be a good #2 hitter or leadoff when Johnson isn't playing.
Here is the link to my info
to shorten up the game prolly stop coaching visits (make that like 3) and give pitchers less time in middle and batters aren't allowed to step out of box. They might also want to look at AMOUNT OF FOUL BALLS. IF u foul more than a certain amount then its out but that could get confusing.
About posada if we do have 40 mill like gsumner says (gonna trust u on that one) i would say go for posada for 2 year 12 million dollars and maybe incentives, since he is getting old. I don't think we will get much out of zaun anyways. This would give Thigpen a year to get better at battin and Diaz a year to recover and come back to full potential. Plus i like posada.
Not sure about lind trade. LInd is obviously gonna be out DH when Thomas leaves. and if not he is playing LF till then. But if we don't get good average out of him and he turns into hinske then maybe trade him. It's a risk cause he's got huge potential.
looks like all the others stopped posting, gary, bosox, khoenig, robert…u know wat happened to them gsumner
nice to see new ppl though
oh and with 40 mill i put up a list earlier and i forgot everyone on that list. Who else do u think is available for us???????
Thanks, I believe the Yanks offering him 3 years and 40 milion. I'd go for two years and 30-I think he could be worth it-but not 3.
Good to see you posting again-don't be a stranger.
I like Lind as well, but we have a log jam both now and in the near future in left field. Today, it's Johnson, Stairs and Lind. Within a year or two it's Johnson, Lind, Stairs and Snider. If Snider picks up his defence, his bat is close to ready-so he could be here within a year-definately two.
Snider and Lind are similar in that they're both left fielders, both left handed power hitters and both capable of hitting for high average-although I think Snider has more upside, and is a phenomenal RBI guy.
Lowrie has been scouted more favorably than Pedrolia-by Boston scouts, hits for good average (.298) has an impressive OBP of .393 and is a switch hitter. Could be a great #2 hitter or lead off hitter, plays short stop and has power-13 HR's.
He could fill a need for us now, is only 23 and has tremendous upside-just like Lind. Lowrie gets better defensively each game he plays at SS and I'm sure Macdonald, Hill and Butter would speed up that process.
We have a surplus of left fielders-Boston has a surplus of SS. Could be a good trade.
By the way, I'd expect about 15-20 mill of that available 40 goes to raises in either new contracts or 2008 rates from existing contracts-BUT there is available money.
Whether they spent it or not time will tell.
While we are talking about money, here's an interesting observation- According to the USA Today salary figures, the Jays were 16th overall in payroll at $81+ mil, but 7th in attendance in 2007. The 7th payroll spot is held by Seattle at $106 mil, so we could add $25 mil and still be in the ballgame. And that's not considering that the Loonie should be about $1.10 by Spring. Do I smell Maple Leaf Syndrome here?
As much as I would like to see the Jays obtain a good shortstop (defensively and offensively), I don't think Boston will give up Lowrie for Lind. Here's my reasoning:
First, a good shortstop is much harder to get than a good outfielder.
Second, Boston does not have a real surplus in shortstop. Everyone knows Lugo struggled miserably at the plate last season, and if he continues that, he'll soon have to be shipped out (remember Renteria? and more recently, Coco Crisp being dangled because of Ellsbury). That's where Lowrie comes in. So Boston would be wise to hold onto Lowrie for at least a year for insurance. Plus, from what I heard on one of the organizational reports on MLB.com, Lowrie is the future Boston shortstop.


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Posts Tagged 'vampire character sheet generator'
Vampires are wrapped in myth and folklore. These creatures of the night subsisted by feeding on the blood of those who lived. In the folklores, these undead vampires often visited family and loved ones and cause all kinds of mischief or even death in the area in which they lived when they walked the earth alive. The vampires often wore shrouds and would stalk the night with a dark and ruddy countenance.
These vampires of lore are in stark contrast to those that are perceived today. Today's vampires are seen as gaunt and pale and often very good looking. Today's vampires are often romantic and have a high power of seduction. Movie screens have transformed the feared creature of the night into young teenagers and good looking actors that put a little romance into the kill. The original vampire was loathed and feared and was often seen as an ugly monster.
For more about Vampires and Vampire products and media visit: http://astore.amazon.com/vampirebooks09-20?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=1
With the recent release of the movie "Twilight," the continuing fascination with the world of vampires is reaching a new record in hype and media coverage. Vampires, an age old legend, has ingrained itself in American culture after the Brams Stoker novel, Dracula. Since then there has been hundreds of books and a score of movies made about these creatures of the night.
People now fantasize about being vampires creating vampire clubs, having vampire parties, and even dressing up like these mystical denizens of the night. Vampire jewelry has become popular especially after the move, "Interview with a Vampire." These vampire jewelry pieces are Victorian in nature and have a dark twist of the macabre. If you are interested in Vampire jewelry pieces or other souveniours of vampire lore, check out http://astore.amazon.com/vampirebooks09-20


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From grocery stores to electronics retailers, customers have a new pet peeve: the length of receipts.
"They put stuff on there that is just not needed in everyday life for your transaction," said Jack Britton, 24, an accountant in Dallas. "I'm not going to do the survey. I don't need a customer number in case I file a complaint about the Sprite I bought."
Receipts have been around for more than a century and provide valuable information -- a record of what you bought and how much you paid.
U.S. & World
But increasingly, they are loaded with surveys and coupons and information on return policies.
"Sometimes, they're a waste of paper," said another customer outside a Fort Worth Walmart.
We measured.
Buy three bottles of water at an Albertson's grocery store, and the receipt is 10 inches long.
Need a rebate form from an office supply store? 22 inches.
"The prices should be on here," said one man loading groceries into his car.
"But they probably should have cut it right there," he said as he tore the receipt in half.
Josh Walsh, a customer service representative at the Best Buy at Central Expressway and Walnut Hill in Dallas, said he hasn't heard any complaints.
"I have never heard that our receipts are too long since I've worked here, so that's new to me," he said.
Walsh said the information on the receipts, such as return policies and store addresses, is important.
"Here at Best Buy, all the stuff that's on the receipt is essential for our customer to know," he said.
But is it all really essential? One grocery store chain offers coupons on the back of receipts for getting your hair cut.
"I think it's a waste of paper," one customer said. "Honestly, smaller sheets would be better for me. All I do is throw it in the trash anyway."
Britton was featured in a Wall Street Journal article on the receipt controversy Wednesday.
"It's ludicrous some of the stuff they put on there," he said. "It's not like I care!"


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Vegan nail polish has arrived!
Being a girlie girl, I love my nail polish and it's pretty rare that I'm not sporting colored nails. It has been difficult to find nail polishes that are vegan and non-toxic. Believe it or not, all conventional nail polishes contain Nitrocellulose (which causes yellowing), Camphor, Formaldehyde, Toluene and Phthalate. These nasty chemicals are super toxic and you really shouldn't want them on your nails.
Luckily Dazzle Dry is here to save the day. Their quick dry nail system is vegan, non-toxic, chip resistant, nutrient fortified and easy to use. There are 4 simple steps and by the time you're finished you're going to have beautiful, radiant, professional looking nails.
Step 1: Apply Dazzle Dry Nail Prep ($3.00) This nail step prepares the nail bed for application of base coat and strengthens the nails with vitamin B5 & hydrolyzed protein.
Step 2: Apply Dazzle Dry Base Coat ($12.50) The base coat helps keep polish lasting longer. *not recommended for acrylic nails
Step 3: Apply Dazzle Dry Color Lacquer ($9). I give Dazzle Dry mad props for creating really fun, creative colors. If you're in the mood for orange, aqua, blue, lavender, green nails, etc., you're gonna have a blast choosing your favorites. They also have classic reds, brown, pinks, etc. Seeing that today is the first day of fall, I decided to wear Autumn Promise. It's an earthy reddish-orange shade and I'm totally crazy about it! I usually opt for two coats but if you're a one coat girl, do yo' thang (sometimes one coat will suffice). If you do rock two coats like I do, you'll notice that your nails will be completely dry come round two… no need for flailing your hands about the room or blowing on your nails for eternity. I can't express how stoked I am about Dazzle Dry! These colors are vibrant and self-leveling for a smooth, high gloss finish. They contain UV screen for color protection and these lacquers dry in seconds. After about 30 seconds of drying time, I applied my lil' floral nail decals. After applying my decals, I decided I wanted to move my flowers from the center to the left corner of my thumbs. I was so afraid I was going to mess up my freshly painted nails, but get this – it didn't leave a trace, smudge, mark, nada! (Seriously, it's like magic!) My nails had already completely set. Dazzle Dry is not messing around when they boast about their quick drying time and long lasting nail lacquers. I'm beyond impressed.
Step 4: Apply Dazzle Dry Top Coat ($12.50). This fast drying formula also contains a UV screen. This top coat also works well on acrylic nails. A refreshing mild apple scent is emitted from the nail as the top coat dries.
Dazzle Dry 3 Piece Nail System ($28) – I highly, highly recommend you try everything in this kit! It contains the nail prep, base coat and top coat. As far as non-toxic nail polishes go, I guarantee you won't find a brand that's more awesome than this one.
Dazzle Dry also makes Lemongrass Nail Polish Remover ($10.50) and Dazzle Dry Thinner ($6.50).
For more info: Dazzle Dry
About Sunny (Sunny's Profile)Longtime vegan, hardcore compassionate beauty junkie, serious cake aficionado, and lover of all things floofy and sparkly! If there's something in particular you'd like me to review, drop me a line at email@example.com. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Google +.
Filed in: vegan nails
Comments (11)
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Wow! What a thorough, honest and well written review! We linked to your excellent post on our blog, Product Review Round-Up
under the category Beauty and Personal Care. The link is embedded in this listing:
"Vegans rejoice with Dazzle Dry nail polish!"
Thanks and keep up the good work!
Happy Trails,
Grace and Tiffany
I am a liscenced nail specialist in FL & have been for over 20 yrs. The chemicals i use have caused many health related side effects 🙁 this im very glad to see.
x Linda
How long does this polish usually last for you? Does it chip easily?
SPRANKLE! *love the comments option! YAY!*
Thank you! I would now go on this blog every day!
Love the new look and this polish looks great! Thanks!!!
Hooray for comments on your blog!! I'm so excited for you! Vegan nail polish is pretty thrilling, too. 🙂
new site looks great, sunny! i wonder if i could get this nail polish in a glittery color…
First! And yay for comments!
Thanks for the word up on the vegan nail polish. My mom is a manicurist and all of that poisonous cruel stuff she's using all day is just awful. I need to get some of this vegan polish and have my fingers and toes all prettified!


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Sticky Fingaz At BB Kingz Saying He Wanted To Punch Dame Dash In The Nose For Jackin "Black Roc" Name But Says He Don't Hit Ladies!
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Smaller and smaller. This is our very able bird guide and Forestry Ministry employee Pak Umar, who took Warren, Antony Sutton of the Jakarta Birding blog and Antony's wife Mai (hope I'm spelling that right) around the Pulau Dau reserve in Western Java, Indonesia on Saturday morning. Well, after hiking through the mangroves for several hours, we went back to a small roadside store that Pak Umar and his wife run in a pretty small village. As we were waiting, he dialed up birdcouple.com on his brand new mobile phone. That's him up there checking out this blog. Amazing.
And I'm posting this from a free Internet terminal at Singapore airport, en route home. Also amazing.
Pak Umar, who had eyes like an eagle, showed us some amazing birds, like Little Blue Kingfisher, Scarlet-Headed Flowerpecker, and Bar-Tailed Prinia. More on that soon..
I am headed home to my Princess!


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Triangle Personalised Cushion
Size: 40cm x 40cm
Add a little something special and unique to your child's room with this
personalised cushion. This is the perfect addition to finish off your child's trendy bedroom.
Please take special note of the washing instructions on our products
as we would like these cushions to last as long as possible. Do not iron on print.
Each cushion will vary due to the length of the name.


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Scandal on Rincon Hill is a period murder mystery but I wouldn't call it a legal thriller as one book review did. Shirley Tallman creates a heroine who is an anomaly in nineteenth century San Francisco, a young woman fervently dedicated to her profession as an attorney with the support of her family, more or less. The "less" is her mother's heartfelt desire to see her married and settled. But Sarah Woolson has determined that, as married women are the property of their husbands (legally, really!) and not free to develop their own careers, marriage is a state she can never afford. Nonetheless, she is ardently pursued by two very attractive and persistent polar opposites throughout her adventures.
Sarah seems to be operating a one-woman legal services clinic–her clients are prostitutes and indigent Chinese laborers, fresh off the boat. She moves without too much propriety through the seedier back alleys of San Francisco, popping in and out of upscale bawdy houses, disreputable newspaper offices and murder scenes at will. When a scientist is brutally murdered just blocks from her home in a "good" neighborhood, the tabloids go berserk. Then another, similar murder happens and the police are hellbent to pin the crimes on someone and stop the public panic. The two murders appear to be related, although no one can connect them to a killer. And then two young Chinese immigrants are arrested and framed for the crime.
Meanwhile Sarah gets involved with a beautiful "kept" woman who has been dumped on the street by her prominent married lover, despite a signed contract that he will support her. She and her cherubic infant take up residence in the city's fanciest bordello and she approaches Sarah to represent her in a suit against the ex-lover. The boss of the Chinese tong, well-known to Sarah, takes an interest in the fate of the Chinese suspects who seem destined for a lynch mob. Sarah is spotted going into the bordello by an unscrupulous reporter who writes about her indiscretion in a lurid tabloid. A slick, besotted shipping magnate, a hunk naturally, returns from Hong Kong to pursue Sarah. Her former colleague–less smooth, equally besotted–lurks around, scowling. Her beloved brother is still pretending to be a law clerk but really establishing a major reputation as a fearless crime reporter, unbeknownst to their father, the judge. It's complicated. And the murders aren't over yet.
Pretty good light reading–some nice historical detail and some conversational ticks that seem a bit mannered. Sarah is extremely aware of acceptable convention and rather pushy and that isn't always believable in her corseted society. The characters aren't too deeply imagined but the stereotypes hold up if you don't expect too much. The resolution is sudden and neater than I could cheer about–can't really see it coming, even after it happens. But decent escapist mystery, no real thrills, characters to follow but not really root for. Pure genre, not high art but not bad.
Scandal on Rincon Hill: A Sarah Woolson Mystery (Sarah Woolson Mysteries) Shirley Tallman | St. Martin's Press 2010


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- Home
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Community & Youth Centers
Anaheim Fullerton Family Resource Center
Locate details on the Anaheim Fullerton Family Resource Center.
Brookhurst Community Center
Looking for a facility to host your banquet, wedding, Quniceañera or meeting?
Downtown Community Center
The Downtown Anaheim Community Center is conveniently located in central Anaheim.
East Anaheim Community Center
Operated by the City of Anaheim, the gymnasium is a special place for our community to come together.
East Anaheim Gymnasium
This award winning facility opened in January 2007 and provides a site for youth and adult sports and fitness programs.
Oak Canyon Nature Center
Oak Canyon Nature Center is a 58 acre natural park nestled in the Anaheim Hills.
Ponderosa Park Family Resource Center
Locate details on the Ponderosa Park Family Resource Center.
Miraloma Park Family Resource Center
One of the three family resource centers that the city currently operates.
Downtown Anaheim Youth Center
Provides a safe and enriching environment for youth and adults of our community.
West Anaheim Youth Center
Features a 10,382 square feet gymnasium that seat 676 spectators and is equipped with a full size basketball court, six half courts, and two volleyball courts.


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Tagged: University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Phillies – The Players: Charlie Ferguson, the Phillies' unknown first star.
I'm sure that most Phillies fans have probably never even heard of Charlie Ferguson, or if they have, know very little about him. Well, to be rather frank, I was among those who have never even heard of him, until I'd started doing my year-by-year look at our loveable losers and discovered him for the very first time, while also discovering that before his untimely death in 1888, at a very young age, from typhoid fever, he was developing into the team's first true pitching star, way before the more well known Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander.
Ferguson was born on April 17, 1863, in Charlotteville, Virigina, the home of American Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe, and located near the strategic Shenandoah Valley, an area that during his youth would be constantly fought over by Northern and Southern troops during the country's Civil War, while the city would itself be spared. Going to the University of Pennsylvania for his college education, where he would learn to play baseball, Ferguson would come back home after graduation and proceed to play for the Virginia member of the Eastern (now International) League in 1883. His team would win the Eastern League pennant that year, while his pitching would catch the eyes of the Philadelphia Quakers (now Phillies), who were preparing for their second year as a member of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or the NL. After signing a contract, he would make his Major League debut on May 1, 1884, pitching against the Detroit Wolverine in Philadelphia at Recreation Park. He would be the game's winning pitcher, as the Phillies would trounce the Wolverines 13-2. During his rookie season, he would pitch in 50 games, starting in 47 of them, and completing all but one of his starts, while finishing up three more. His record would be 21-25, thus becoming the franchise's first twenty-game winner, as well as saving one other game, and throwing two shut outs, as he ended the season with an ERA of 3.54. Ferguson would pitch in 416.7 innings that year, giving up 297 runs, 164 of which would be earned, on 443 hits, as he struck out 194 batters while walking only 93 and giving up 13 home runs. In his rookie season he would be among the NL leaders in games (6), games started (6), complete games (6), games finished (3), wins (7), loses (2), saves (2), shut outs (10), innings pitched (6), strikeouts (7), hits allowed (6), walks (7), earned runs allowed (1), home runs allowed (7) and walks (7).
After helping lead the team to a 6th place finish in 1884, he would lead them to a third place finish in 1885, as he would have his second straight twenty-win season, as he would go 26-20 that year, with an ERA of 2.22. Ferguson would this time pitch in only 48 games, starting and completing 45 of them, of which five were shut outs, while finishing three other games. He would pitch in 405 innings, giving up just 197 runs, only 100 of which would be earned, on just 345 hits, as he would rung up 197 strike outs while walking just 81 batters and giving up only 5 home runs. On August 29, 1885, in Philadelphia, he would pitch the first Phillies' No-Hitter, as he would blank the Providence Grays, 1-0. In his second season as a Phil, he would be among the league leaders in games (8), games started (9), complete games (8), games finished (1), wins (5), win/lost percentage (8), ERA (7), shut outs (6), innings pitched (7), strikeouts (6), hits allowed (10) and walks (10). He would also hit .306 for that year, in which he would play 15 games in the outfield for a grand total of 61 games.
1886 would be his breakout season, as he would become the Phillies' first thirty-game winner as he would go 30-9, with a 1.98 ERA, in 48 games pitched, of which 45 would be starts, completing 43. He would also pitch four shut outs that year, while he would finish two other games, and collect two saves. In 395.7 innings of work, he would give up just 145 runs, of which 87 would be earned, on only 317 hits, while striking out 212 batters and walking only 69, while giving up 11 home runs. In his junior year as a Phil, he would be among the leaders in games (7), games started (9), complete games (7), games finished (7), wins (6), win/lost percentage (2), saves (1), ERA (2), shut outs (2), innings pitched (7), strikeouts (8), and home runs allowed (6). Although his efforts would help to improve the team's overall record, the Phillies would end the year in fourth place in the National League.
In 1887, his pitching record would drop as he would end the season going only 22-10 with an ERA of 3.00, in just 37 games, of which 33 would be starts, he would complete 31 of them, with 2 of them being shut outs, while he would finish four out other games, collecting a save. In only 297.3 innings of work, he would give up 154 runs, of which 99 would be earned, on 297 hits, while he would strike out 125 batters, while walking only 47 and giving up 13 home runs. In his fourth season as a Phil, he would be among the league leaders in only games finished (2), wins (8), win/lost percentage (3), saves (1), ERA (3), shut outs (5) and strikeouts (5).
The main reason for his pitching drop was because the Phillies' manager, future Hall of Famer Harry Wright, an early strategist of the game, had decided to place Ferguson's strong bat into the Phils' regular lineup for the pennant run, as Ferguson would end up playing six games in the outfield, five games at third base, and twenty-seven ballgames at second base, playing that position for the final eight weeks of the season, as he would replace the bats of a couple of second baseman who were hitting a combine total of only .214. In 72 games, Ferguson would hit .337, going to the plate 264 times, knocking in 85 runs on 89 hits, while scoring 67 runs, Ferguson would hit 14 doubles, 6 triples and 3 home runs, while stealing 13 bases. He would walk 34 times while striking out only 19. He would miss out being the team's leading batter for that year, because he would not have enough plate appearances. He would, though, end up leading the team in RBIs. Ferguson's strong bat would help the Phillies end up a strong second to the Detroit Wolverines.
The Phillies' strong finish at the end of the 1887 season, going 16-0-1 in their last seventeen games, would make the team confident of being able to challenge for their first NL pennant when the team entered spring training in 1888. Sadly, it was not to be as they would be struck an early blow in camp as Charlie Ferguson would be struck down by typhoid fever, dying to the dreaded disease on April 29, at the young age of 25. Ferguson would be sent back home to Charlotteville, Virginia, where he would be buried in Maplewood Cementery. During the 1888 season, in which the Phillies would drop to third place in the standings, the Phillies, the Giants, the Beaneaters and the Washington Nationals would all commemorate his passing by wearing a black crepe on their left shoulders of their team uniforms.
During his four years as a Phil, Charlie Ferguson would pitch in 183 games, starting in 170 and completing 165, while finishing 12 others. He would have a winning record of 99-64, with a winning percentage of .607, having 13 shut outs and four saves. In 1514.2 innings pitched, he would give up only 793 runs, 450 of which would be earned, on 1402 hits. He would strike out 728 batters while only walking 290, while giving up only 42 home runs. His career ERA would be 2.67. His career batting average would be .288 in 257 total games played, getting 191 hits in 963 at-bats, knocking in 157 runs while scoring 191. He would have a career total of 37 doubles, 13 triples and 6 home runs, while stealing 22 bases. Ferguson would walk 113 times while striking out 119. His 99 wins would land him in 8th place on the all-time Phillies' win lists, trailing the likes of Hall of Famers Steve Carlton, Robert Roberts and Alexander, as well as Chris Short and possible future Hall of Famer Curt Schilling, while his 64 losses would have him tied for 24th place on that list. His ERA would place him 6th. Ferguson would also be 17th in games started, 4th in complete games, 11th in innings pitched and strikeouts and tied for 14th in shut outs, as well as be among the top 50 in several other pitching categories.
With Ferguson's death, the Phillies would lose a chance to win a NL pennant before the turn of the century. Although the team would remain a member of the first division, except during the period 1895-97, they would not reach second place again until 1901. His early death would also deny Ferguson a place among baseball immortals at the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y., as it would be more than likely he would have won enough games, based on his winning 99 games in just four years with a then good Phillies team, to get the nod via the Veterans Committee, if not for his being stricken down by typhoid.
Main sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Ferguson_%281880s_pitcher%29 – Wikipedia page
http://www.19cbaseball.com/players-charlie-ferguson.html – Biography at Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball.com
http://www.baseball-reference.com//f/ferguch01.shtml – Stats at Baseball-reference.com
http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_F/Ferguson.Charles01.Obit.html – Charlie Ferguson's Philadelphia Inquirer obit – TheDeadballEra.com
Other sources: Wikipedia, Baseball Almanac.com, Baseball-reference.com, Phillies.com: Team History, Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball.com


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Archive for Thursday, August 25, 2011
Choir inspires pride, joy in Lansing inmates
August 25, 2011
Prison is a place to serve time for a crime, to right what has been wronged, to … learn to sing in a choir?
For about 50 inmates residing in the East Unit of Lansing Correctional Facility, a minimum-security section of the prison, learning to sing is exactly what they have been doing.
The inmates are members of the East Hill Singers, an all-male choir of inmates and community volunteers formed in 1998 by Arts in Prison, Inc.
Based in Overland Park, Arts in Prison is an organization that reaches out to inmates, mostly in facilities in Leavenworth, Johnson and Wyandotte counties, offering classes and activities through which they can express themselves artistically. The hope is that painting, writing or singing will incite positive change and reduce recidivism, or the repeat of a criminal act and subsequent return to prison, among participating inmates.
"Arts in Prison's mission is to motivate and inspire positive change through the arts using arts as a tool," said Leigh Lynch, the organization's executive director. "And what we know is that in practicing art, inmates are given the opportunity for self-reflection; they connect to that which is good inside themselves and they create something beautiful, whether it's a visual art piece or piece of music … They can connect to those positive attributes within themselves. When they do, they begin to hope and they can see a more positive future."
Actually, the organization started two men's choirs at Lansing — one called the Tower Choir made up of inmates in a medium security section. The East Hill Singers, however, get to leave the prison about four times a year to perform public concerts at churches throughout the area.
Of the 35 volunteers who sing with the choir, some are former inmates who had been members while incarcerated. Lynch cites them as proof of the group's effectiveness.
In rehearsal
The inmates rehearse with conductor Kirk Carson twice a week for an hour-and-a-half in the unit's chapel. They don't see the community volunteer singers until about two hours before a performance, when the entire group rehearses in the chosen venue.
Inmate Darryl Porter has been singing bass with the group for three years now, and he says all the work he's put into it "brings satisfaction to my soul."
"It's a great accomplishment," Porter, a soft-spoken 51-year-old from Kansas City, Mo., said during an interview at the East Unit. "I get pride and joy out of it."
Porter is now serving his 19th year in prison for armed robbery, attempted murder and kidnapping. He is expected to face the parole board in 2013. He calls the incident that landed him behind bars in 1992 a result of "the heat of the moment" and hanging out with the wrong crowd.
He says he has been trying to turn his life around ever since.
What motivates him to change?
"Being sent to prison and looking and seeing what's around you and asking yourself, is this what you really want out of life," Porter said. "'No' was the answer to that."
Porter says the East Hill Singers give him one way of making positive changes in his life.
Being in the choir does the same for fellow inmate Michael Buddenhagen, 46, from Pittsburg, another bass with the East Hill Singers. He is going on his sixth year of incarceration for manufacturing methamphetamine. This is his third time around a cellblock. Buddenhagen says he wants it to be his last, though, especially with two sons, whom he admits to not having "been there for … at all."
Buddenhagen sees the East Hill Singers as a way to bond with community members and, hopefully, learn something from them.
"It's just a great opportunity to meet with gentlemen, the volunteers, from the greater Kansas City (area) … They've got their lives together. (It's) kind of a mentor thing I guess," he said. "It's good to just be with different people that's not actually incarcerated, and then going out in the public to sing is a big blessing, too."
"Conducting Hope"
The work going on in and outside the walls of the East Unit has caught the attention of those living well outside of Kansas. Margie Friedman, a longtime television producer in Los Angeles, is shooting a documentary about the singers called, "Conducting Hope." Or she is trying to — funding has been an issue, she says, with the film estimated to cost $310,000 and she having not come even close to raising that amount.
But she said she's had enough funding thus far to shoot a trailer and about three quarters of the film. The documentary will feature interviews with singer-inmates and will document their experience behind bars. Friedman says she wants the film to "show the dedication of the men in the choir; their ability … to work together towards accomplishing a goal."
She and her crew have been to the prison to shoot twice. About four years ago, she had been wanting to shoot a show or documentary about choirs and, after doing an Internet search, discovered the East Hill Singers.
Filming the East Hill Singers idea "just had a lot more interesting layers to it than the other choirs that I had found, one being that they perform outside of prison, which I thought was incredible," she said during a phone interview.
Friedman's most recent shoot was in June, and she says she's hoping to return in the next couple of months. Her project got a boost in July from the Kansas Humanities Council, which awarded "Conducting Hope" a $10,000 grant. In 2009, she received a $9,000 grant from the council.
Friedman also received a $7,000 Francis Family Foundation grant in 2010 and has raised about $3,300 through Kickstarter, a fundraising vehicle through which artists can gather pledges and donations for their projects.
Positive feedback
Porter and Buddenhagen both participated in the documentary, and they said the experience was somewhat grueling — Porter compared it to an 8-hour workday. But they said it was worth the effort because they hope it will show they are not necessarily the sum of the crimes they've committed.
That's a lesson Porter takes to heart. He gives a lot of credit to the East Hill Singers and that "wonderful" feeling of getting positive feedback from audience members for the inner peace he now has regarding his life and past choices.
"It just makes you feel all bubbly inside," he says of audience members' comments after a performance. "(It's like) wow, I put a smile on somebody's face. A person I didn't know got some joy out of something that I did."
The East Hill Singers next perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church 11311 Johnson Drive, Shawnee.
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|Biosequences .. Software .. Molbio soft .. Network News .. FTP
In article <6rgfte$ebg at ednet2.orednet.org>, rweinber at orednet.org (Robert G Weinberger) writes: >Starting Aspen from seed is virtually impossible. However they are very >easily propogated from cuttings. Simply cut finger thick 6-9" long pieces >of Aspen limbs in the fall or winter. Keep them refrigerated and wrapped >in plastic until the soil temperature reaches about 40 deg F in the >spring. Stick them in the ground, buds pointing up, to a depth such that >only >one bud is above ground. Put them on a 6' or wider spacing in moist well >drained soil, keep them protected from deer & livestock, and watch them >take off. >Bob Weinberger >La Grande, OR Are you sure that you are talking about Aspens? My favorite references (e.g. "Michigan Trees" by Barnes & Wagner, Jr.) indicate that at least for Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) and Bigtooth Aspen (Populus Grandidentata): "...unlike willows and cottonwoods, it does not propagate from woody stem-cuttings". Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera), Lombardy Poplar (Populus nigra Linnaeus 'Italica') and the Hybrid "miracle tree ????" that I mentioned before DO propagate readilly from stem cuttings, however. Cut them just below a pair of leaves, then rip off the leaves. Stick them in a bucket of water in the shade and wait for the roots to emerge. Transplant into sand, peat or vermiculite and water vigorously for a couple of weeks. For the Aspens above, go to an existing stand and dig up some root suckers (with permission). Many will have decent root fibers already (you may need to bring shears to cut them away from the "mother" tree. Trim off most of the leaves until the tree roots better establish themselves. Regards. P.S. Interesting trivia: Cut up stems of most willows soaked in a bucket of water will exude a natural root hormone that will assist stem cuttings of a variety of plants in the development of roots. cool.


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Commercial, Military, Personal/Corporate, Public Service, Regulatory
By James Careless | June 1, 2007
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At the world's premier air show, helicopters are taking their place this year.
Although the Paris Air Show's main focus is on fixed-wing aircraft, this year things may be different. Organizers of the biennial event, members of the French aerospace industries association GIFAS, are using the opportunity of the show to celebrate the centennial of the first powered, free (or untethered) flight of a helicopter.
The air show comes a bit early to mark the centennial. It was not until Nov. 13, 1907 that a French bicycle maker named Paul Cornu took to the air in a rotary-wing aircraft at Coquainvilliers, near Lisieux, about 110 mi (180 km) west-northwest of Paris.
It was a short flight. His tandem, counter-rotating rotor craft rose about a foot and hovered about 20 sec. The controls of his aircraft were inadequate and it never developed into a practical helicopter. Nonetheless, he claimed a first and made the French proud. Given the dominance Eurocopter has achieved in the world's rotorcraft markets, one might reasonably assume Cornu would be proud of his countrymen as well. His achievement puts the helicopter at center stage of this year's show, a welcome development for the many rotorcraft-related companies exhibiting at Le Bourget this year.
Bell Helicopter (www.bellhelicopter.textron.com) brings a great many questions in the wake of its arrival at the air show. What will become of its U.S. Army ARH-70A armed reconnaissance helicopter, threatened with cancellation barely three months earlier? What of its civil programs, given the cancellation of the 417 launched little more than a year ago? What changes has its new chief, Richard Millman, wrought, and what more changes are to come?
Bell officials will be answering those and other questions at Chalet A 390.
Of its aircraft programs, Bell reports that test flights of its new 429 are proceeding well. Flight test pilots say the light twin IFR helicopter has been "very stable and predictable," according to the company. Production rotor blades have replaced the prototype blades used on the first flight. New software has also been loaded into the 429, for ongoing testing and refinement. Bell also is looking for more work from the U.S. Marine Corps, which wants to buy new AH-1Z Cobras instead of re-manufactured ones under its H-1 upgrade program. The Corps already plans to buy new UH-1Ys under that program. Furthermore, Bell and Boeing are preparing to send their baby off to war when the Marines deploy their MV-22Bs to combat in Iraq come September.
Pratt & Whitney Canada (www.pwc.ca) may — or may not — be talking about its partnership with Honeywell to propose development of a new, 3,000-shp-class engine, the HPW3000, under the U.S. Army's Advanced Affordable Turbine Engine research and development program. The partners have been strangely reticent about their joint bid. The objective of the program is to develop a replacement for the General Electric T700s that power the Sikorsky H-60s and other aircraft. Specifically, the Army is looking for an engine that reduces specific fuel consumption by 25 percent, boosts power-to-weight ratio by 65 percent, increases design life by 20 percent, cuts production and maintenance costs 35 percent, and trims development costs 15 percent.
The Army is expected to indicate this month which team it wants to pursue those goals. GE is competing for the work as well.
Pratt Canada's engines can be seen at the United Technologies stand at Hall 5, B19-20. Taking pride of place is its new PW210 engine family for single- and intermediate to medium twin-engine helicopters. It is on Sikorsky's latest commercial helicopter, the S-76D. Eurocopter has selected the PT6C-67E for the EC175 it is developing in China with AVIC 2.
The PT6C-67E also powers the Bell/Agusta Aerospace Co. (www.bellagusta.com) BA609, which is scheduled to fly at this year's show. A second prototype of the civil tilt-rotor, No. 60002, entered flight tests last November at AgustaWestland's facility on the Italian air force base at Cameri, Italy. The first prototype is flying at Bell's facilities in Texas. Both aircraft have transitioned to airplane flight. Two more prototypes are to join them in flights, one each in the United States and Italy.
Many other rotorcraft-related companies are exhibiting at Paris this year. Here is a sampling of them.
Avionics specialist Barco (www.barcoaerospace.com) is based in Hall 2B/Stand J5 this year. The company is demonstrating its complete family of cockpit display products ranging from mission displays up to safety-critical primary flight displays. Barco also is showcasing its control display units and electronic flight bag displays.
An eye catcher this year is the CHDD-268 primary flight and mission display, featuring a user-friendly touch screen option. Billed as an industry first, the CHDD-268 combines the functionality of an advanced touch-screen device with first-class optical performance in high brightness environments as well as night vision applications.
CMC Electronics (www.cmcelectronics.ca) is showcasing its cockpit systems integration capability and avionics in booth D7 in Hall 3. Key products on display include flight management systems, GPS receivers, satcom antennas, electronic flight bags, enhanced vision system sensors, head-up displays, multi-function displays, and mission computers.
AgustaWestland, (www.agustawestland.com), will exhibit its variety of commercial and military helicopters, at Finmeccanica's Red Chalet B 133.
Eurocopter (www.eurocopter.com) is in Static Display Area G, next to the joint EADS/Eurocopter booth in Hall 2A, No. 18. Last year was a record one for the company, which booked 615 helicopter orders — an increase of about 40 percent over 2005. "That means we are consistently ramping up our production facilities," said Lutz Bertling, Eurocopter's new president and CEO. "Our worldwide deliveries have gone up to 381, as compared to 334 in 2005. We also started deliveries of the UH-72A Lakota to the U.S. Army and of the NH90 to international customers last December. Tiger deliveries are well under way." Eurocopter won additional NH90 orders from Australia, New Zealand and Spain in 2006.
Sagem Avionics (www.sagemavionics.com) at Chalet B 78, Exterior Spot 5, and the Static Display is exhibiting its cockpit display systems, helicopter autopilots, flight data management systems, flight control, gyro sensors, navigators, and fuel computers.
Recently, Sagem teamed with AcroHeliPro Global Services to provide installation of its Integrated Cockpit Display System into the Bell 206 Jet Ranger. "We believe customers to be in a win-win situation," said Jean Baudin, Sagem Avionic president and CEO.
Sikorsky Aircraft (www.sikorsky.com) is in Hall 5 at Booths B19 and B20. The company is displaying a broad range of products, from helicopters and UAVs to its newly acquired fixed-wing manufacturing subsidiary, PZL Mielec. Items to see include the S-92 search-and-rescue helicopter. Also worth seeing is the International Black Hawk; the S-76D with new Pratt & Whitney engines, rotor blades with de-ice and new Thales cockpit; and the U.S. Navy's MH-60S. It is in full-rate production, with a Navy requirement of up to 271 aircraft.
In addition, Sikorsky's exhibit is home to the CH-53K, in development to serve as the U.S. Marine Corps' heavy-lift aircraft; the antisubmarine warfare S-92 under development for the Canadian government; and the Schweizer RU-38B covert surveillance aircraft. "The products and services we are showcasing reflect both Sikorsky's industry-leading technology and rapid market growth," said Sikorsky President Jeff Pino. "Our booth provides a glimpse into a very bright future not only for Sikorsky but also for our sister United Technologies' companies."
You'll find Thales Avionics (www.thalesgroup.com) at Chalet B 119 and Exterior Spots 12-61. Thales has been receiving a lot of attention for TopDeck, its integrated avionics suite for civil and military helicopters. TopDeck is derived from the new Integrated Modular Avionics concept that the company developed for the Airbus A380.
At Booth B17 in Hall 2, Turbomeca (www.turbomeca.com) is showing its latest engine, the Ardiden 1H. With its very simple architecture, the Ardiden 1H/Shakti is made up of three modules for easy maintenance: a reduction gearbox/accessory gearbox, a gas generator and a power turbine. It has a time between overhauls ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 hr. After its first flight in May, certification and the first deliveries of Ardiden 1H production engines are to take place later this year. The first application is the Dhruv helicopter of Hindustan Aeronautics, Ltd. It will be operated by the Indian Army and the Air Force.
Aviall (www.aviall.com) is highlighting its services at Stand B17 in Hall 5. Once again, a key part of the company's exhibition will be Aviall's LIFT helicopter support program — a family of services specifically tailored to each helicopter operator's needs. LIFT provides users with access to more than 225 product lines, local stocking, central inventory, inventory management, electronic ordering via www.aviall.com website, EDI (electronic data interface), and the support of local Aviall sales personnel.
Elbit Systems Ltd. (www.elbitsystems.com) is at the Israel National Pavilion, showing their line of unmanned aerial systems. According to the company, its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are taking on many of the complex challenges previously performed solely by manned aircraft. In cooperation with Thales, Elbit Systems is providing Hermes UAV systems for the U.K. Watchkeeper tactical UAV program. Visitors to the Elbit Systems stand can also enjoy a close-to-reality flight experience on multiple platforms, view high fidelity scenarios and perform a variety of missions in both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, using a single Elbit virtual cockpit.
For information on helicopter-related exhibits at the Paris Air Show, check www.paris-air-show.com


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We have a very special guest blogger today, Wendy Nelson Tokunaga! Her debut book, Midori by Moonlight, just came out and I couldn't be more excited about it. I've read it. It rocks. It's about a young Japanese woman lost in translation in San Francisco as she finds herself and her American dream. Not only is Wendy an awesome author, but she is also such a sweetheart that she's giving away a signed copy of her book Midori by Moonlight today! All you have to do to be entered to win is post a comment today. So, without further ado… here's Wendy…
It happened again. I just got an agreement letter from my publisher that allows me to extend the deadline for turning in my second book from January1, 2008, to March 1, 2008 (Yay! Every bit of extra time helps!) and my name is spelled incorrectly in three places, including where I have to write my signature: Wendy Nelson Tokunga. Tokunga, with a crucial missing "a," and which sounds to me like the name of a small African nation, instead ofTOKUNAGA.
But for me changing my name seemed glamorous, like show business, when a Norma Jean Mortenson could turn into a Marilyn Monroe. I also like the trick it plays on people to see a blonde, American Caucasian woman with a Japanese name. Since my marriage I have always gone by Wendy Tokunaga (and surprised many a job interviewer who expected to meet a Japanese-American). But my agent advised me to use Wendy Nelson Tokunaga for my debut novel, MIDORI BY MOONLIGHT, so there wouldn't be any confusion about my ethnicity, especially since the book is about a Japanese woman who escapes the confines of Japan and comes to San Francisco to pursue her American dream. Still, people get confused anyway.
My husband was correct, though. Having a name that is hard to pronounce and doesn't go with your face is a double whammy. It always presents a problem with the checkers at Safeway who are trained to address their customers by name without fail via their "Club Card" in a policy of forced "neighborliness."
"Don't worry about it," I say, as someone who doesn't like to spend any more time than she has to at the grocery store.
"Sorry! But you sure don't look Samoan!"


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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) The Arizona Cardinals have fired coach Ken Whisenhunt after six seasons that included the long-suffering franchise's only Super Bowl appearance.
The team also ousted general manager Rod Graves, who had been with the franchise for 16 years. He'd been general manager since 2007.
The housecleaning by Cardinals President Michael Bidwill, son of team owner Bill Bidwill, followed a season that saw the team start 4-0 but lose 11 of its last 12 to finish 5-11.
Bidwill wasted no time in identifying possible replacements, saying at a Monday news conference that the team had reached out to Andy Reid, fired earlier in the day after 14 years as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Bidwill also said he had received permission to interview Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy.
Bidwill also said Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton was a candidate for the head coaching job and would be the first to be interviewed. Horton is believed to have interviews with other teams, too.
And Bidwill identified Steve Keim, Cardinals vice president for player personnel, as a candidate to replace Graves as general manager.
The 50-year-old Whisenhunt had more wins than any other coach in Cardinals history, going 45-51, 4-2 in the playoffs. He had a year worth about $5.5 million left on his contract.
Of the team's three winning seasons the past 28 years, two came with Whisenhunt as coach.
But the lack of success the past three seasons led Bidwill to make the changes.
``It came down to wins and losses and the direction I felt like the team was going,'' Bidwill said. ``...It was a decision that I made over the last several weeks and came to a final decision last night.''
In the last three seasons, Arizona won 18 games, only four on the road.
``When you look at the other teams in the NFC West, they were making dramatic improvements, especially the 49ers and the Seahawks,'' he said, ``so I felt like we've got to get back to where we're competing at the highest level to win the NFC West.''
Those dismissed included assistant head coach/offensive line coach Russ Grimm, offensive coordinator Mike Miller, offensive quality control coach Chad Grimm, quarterbacks coach John McNulty, wide receivers coach Frank Reich and running backs coach Tommie Robinson. Tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens was the only coach on the offensive staff not fired.
None of the defensive coaches were dismissed.
Despite its overall lack of success, the team finished among the league leaders in several defensive categories.
In a statement released by the team, Whisenhunt thanked the Bidwills for the opportunity.
``I'm very proud of what we as a team and as an organization achieved during that time,'' he said. ``Collectively we accomplished some very special and unprecedented things. That's a testament to the dedication, hard work and talent of so many coaches, players and people throughout the organization.
``But we all understand this business and when you don't win enough games changes are made. That doesn't mean it's easy but you definitely don't have to look far to find people that have it much worse.''
Whisenhunt's six seasons were tied for the longest tenure for a coach in the Cardinals' long, largely unsuccessful history
In his second year with the team, the Cardinals finished the regular season 9-7, then mounted a stunning run to the Super Bowl, beating Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia along the way. They lost a thriller to Pittsburgh 27-23 in the Super Bowl in Tampa.
The following season, Arizona won a franchise-record 10 games in the regular season and defeated Green Bay 51-45 in overtime in one of the most exciting playoff games of all time. But the New Orleans Saints pounded the Cardinals 45-14 the following week, and quarterback Kurt Warner decided to retire.
Things were never the same again as Whisenhunt went with an assortment of quarterbacks but could never find the offensive magic that Warner created.
The Cardinals went 5-11 in 2010, but after a 1-6 start regrouped to finish 8-8 in 2011.
Arizona started 2012 at 4-0 but it was a fool's gold record. The Cardinals lost nine straight and 11 of their last 12 to finish 5-11 for the second time in three seasons.
Quarterback was again the main issue. Most of the success came with Kevin Kolb at the position, but he went down with what turned out to be a season-ending rib injury in Week 6 and, with John Skelton, Ryan Lindley and, in the finale, Brian Hoyer, at the position, and with a woeful running game, Arizona's was the worst offense in the NFL.
Kolb remains under contract although the Cardinals may want to try to renegotiate since he's to make $9 million plus a $2 million roster bonus next season. Bidwill, though, was supportive of the quarterback.
``That's one of the questions that we need to really focus on with the coaching staff candidates is how do we see about Kevin and his performance and how we can turn him into the quarterback of the future here for the Cardinals,'' Bidwill said, ``and make that decision - if he's the right guy. That's a question that needs to be answered but I'm not ready to give up on Kevin Kolb yet.''
Kolb played for Reid, mainly as a backup, with the Eagles before he was traded to the Cardinals.
Offense was supposed to be Whisenhunt's specialty.
The Georgia Tech graduate with a degree in engineering played nine seasons as an NFL tight end.
Whisenhunt worked his way through the coaching ranks to become tight ends coach for the Steelers in 2001 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2004. After three seasons in that job, he was hired in Arizona to replace Dennis Green, who was fired after three losing seasons.
Graves joined the franchise as assistant to the president in 1997. He became vice president for football operations in 2003 and general manager in 2007.
``Working with talented others to build and enhance our brand over the past 16 years has been an awesome and totally enriching experience,'' he said in a statement released through the team. ``It has been the opportunity that others only dream of. Every day I came to work I viewed it as the ultimate privilege and never once lost sight of that. ``
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