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Sleeping obsesses us at Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. We are pleased to announce a new downstairs bedroom that's roomy. It is separated from the great room! It has storage! We're doing a happy dance, offering a new downstairs sleeping option for two real people.
Vantage magnifies the downstairs sleeping area, which measures 4'6″ by 6'3″
Meet The Vantages
The floor plan is available in the Elm 24 Vantage and the Cypress 24 Vantage models. Four adults may sleep comfortably, in the loft and the new downstairs bedroom. Under the magnifying glass, you will see the 4'6′ x 6'3″ bedroom up close. We placed the sleeping area behind the kitchen, with an open hallway leading to back bathroom. Yes, even the bathroom location is new here.
In the Vantage, there's a folding ladder system (left) and abundant storage (right)
Wait, there's more
For the first time, a cool ladder system has been added to this home which either sits on the edge of the bedroom or tucks away into the loft above. Look more closely (above, left) and you will see the ladder goes through the loft: when you arrive up there, you don't need to rise over the edge of the loft. It's a nice ascent, whether you use the loft for additional sleeping or storage purposes. See drop down ladder in motion here.
With the Vantage floor plan, Tumbleweed delivers more storage than any other plan. In the bedroom (above, right) there are wall cabinets which take advantage of the bedroom walls. What you don't see in the blue-print here are the extra storage areas under the bed, in the kitchen AND in the loft.
Here's the Elm 24 Vantage, outside and inside (downstairs plan)
Welcome the Elm 24 Vantage
One of three floor plans for the Elm 24′ length, the Vantage delivers the bedroom along with a great room and kitchen which are 14'2″ long. The other Equator and Overlook floor plans work for different reasons, with the Equator offering a back room for one adult to sleep (or a study) and the Overlook maximizing the great room. Both are fine but not the SLEEPER inside the Elm 24 Vantage, wrapped up in a iconic Elm home!
Here's the Cypress 24 Vantage, outside and inside (downstairs plan)
Welcome the Cypress 24 Vantage
One of three floor plans for the Cypress 24′ length, the Vantage is a special option for this popular home. You experience a roomy bedroom area, the 14′-2″ kitchen and great room length AND the terrific bump-out area to use for cozy seating, a study or anything else. When surrounded by five windows, the "nook" is the favorite extra room that's inside and outside.
Decisions, Decisions
As you head into your spring build, the Vantages may offer the right response if you declare: "I don't want to climb a ladder!" or "My dog can't get here easily, and neither can I!" Furthermore, the ladder ascends into the loft and feels safe whenever you do need to reach the extra bedroom or storage up there.
At this point, we welcome all your comments! Did we address your needs? What works and doesn't work here? Would you select this model to build or buy? What questions do you have about the model? It's time for Tumbleweed to see if this floor plan hits your sweet spot, and feel free to drop us a line here.


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Carlos Barria / Reuters file
Foreclosure pace slows, but short-sale pace picks up as banks try to avoid the expense of maintaining and reselling seized homes.
The pace of completed home foreclosures slowed a bit in August nationwide, as banks increasingly turned to so-called short sales to avoid the lengthy process of seizing, maintaining and selling properties.
The pace of home seizures still varies widely on a state-by-state basis. Illinois had the highest foreclosure rate in the nation last month at roughly one out of every 300 homes in some stage of the process, with both foreclosure starts and completions rising. Florida, California, Arizona and Nevada were also among the top five states with the highest foreclosure rates in August, according to the latest figures from RealtyTrac, a research firm that tracks foreclosures.
The wide variation reflects both the regional nature of the housing bust and differing state laws governing the foreclosure process. Some states have passed laws that have slowed the process.
As the pace of home seizures eased, foreclosure starts across the country edged up 1 percent from July, to about 99,000. But that pace is still 13 percent lower than August last year, according to RealtyTrac.
The foreclosure process slowed sharply in many states that require courts to review home seizures after a barrage of legal challenges to the process lenders use to seize homes. As those backlogged cases work their way through the system, in states like Florida and New York, the pace has picked up again. In many so-called non-judicial states, like California and Arizona, where there have been fewer cases backlogged, the number of foreclosure starts has declined.
Related story: Wealthy get help from Uncle Sam to buy expensive homes
The loss of homes remains highly concentrated in a handful of hard-hit states, with nearly half of all completed foreclosures in July coming in just five states, California, Florida, Michigan, Texas and Georgia, accounting to a separate report from CoreLogic.
While the pace of foreclosures is expected to continue to decline gradually, that trend won't necessarily slow the pace of households losing their homes.
"Servicers increasingly rely on alternatives to the foreclosure process, such as short sales and modifications," said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic.
Short sale
In a short sale, a lender agrees to accept less than the full mortgage balance when a home is sold. The process saves the lender the cost of maintaining and reselling a foreclosed property.
The decline in the pace of foreclosures also comes as five of the biggest U.S. lenders -- Bank of America Corp, Wells Fargo & Co, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc and Ally Financial Inc -- ramp up alternatives called for in a landmark $25 billion settlement with states reached in April. Last month, the monitor overseeing the settlement reported that those lenders provided $10.6 billion mortgage relief in the first four months of the program, most of which represented approval of short sales.
Attorneys general in the 49 states that negotiated the deal had hoped the settlement would prod more lenders to modify loans and write down principal balances for underwater homeowners. So far, lenders have provided $1.3 billion in those writedowns, according to the monitors report.
Bank of America Corp., which is required by the settlement to provide the largest portion of the relief, $8.6 billion, hadn't completed any modifications of first-lien mortgages or refinancings as of June 30, according to the report.
The pace of principal writedowns has also been slowed because the federal regulator overseeing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has refused to allow the writedowns. Fannie and Freddie hold more than half of all residential mortgages.
The $1.3 billion in principal writedowns by the five big lenders is a drop in the ocean of underwater mortgages.
Nationwide, homeowners with mortgages owed some $689 billion more in the second quarter than their homes were worth, according to CoreLogic. The recent uptick in home prices is providing minimal relief; that number dropped by just $2 billion from the first quarter to the second quarter. Of all homeowners with mortgages, some 10.8 million – more than one in five – were still underwater in the second quarter, according to CoreLogic.
Much as foreclosures remain concentrated in a few states, borrowers are most likely to be underwater in states that suffered the steepest house price declines. In Nevada, nearly 60 percent of mortgaged properties are underwater, followed by Florida (43 percent), Arizona (40 percent), Georgia (36 percent) and Michigan (33 percent). Those five states account for just over a third of the so-called "negative equity" in the U.S.
Most of those borrowers, nearly 85 percent, are still paying their mortgages, according to CoreLogic.
More money and business news:
- With new stimulus, Fed hopes 3rd time's the charm
- Congrats Mississippi! You top drivers' 'Misery Index'
- The five biggest turnoffs when touring a home
- Video: When to wait on paying your student loan off
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subset: commoncrawl


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DaySpring offers a wide variety of Christian birthday cards for believers of all ages. Whether you're looking for your mother, father, spouse, grandparent or friend, you'll find the right card to deliver a thoughtful and poignant message crafted to bolster your loved one's faith and make them feel valued. Make sure the people you care about are supported and inspired on their birthday this year with a Christian birthday card.
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and build each other up as you are already doing.
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Fire inspector jobs on Winston-Salem chopping block
Committee to vote Monday
Firefighters are taking a stand against one Triad city as three of their own could lose their jobs in a cost-cutting measure.
The city's public safety committee will vote Monday whether or not to cut three full-time fire inspector positions in Winston-Salem from the 2013-2014 budget, WXII's Stephanie Berzinski reported Sunday.
The Winston-Salem Professional Firefighters Union said the city is basing its considerations on incorrect data. The citizen's review committee came up with 1.7 inspections per day, but the union said it's more like four inspections per inspector each day.
Union President David Pollard said the numbers also don't take into account re-inspections, permit inspections or fire investigations.
Pollard said cutting the inspectors' jobs will put the public at risk and also more pressure on the department.
"These men and women who do these inspections, they're out there preventing fires from happening, and really the biggest fact right now is that in light of recent events in Boston and Texas, now's not the time to cut public safety positions out of the budget. I mean, the saying is 'You show me your budget and I'll show you your values,' and right now is not the time to cut public safety from the budget," said Pollard.
Some of the potential cuts could include inspectors who have been with the city more than a decade.
Vivian Burke, chairwoman of the public safety committee, said the public will see the accurate numbers at Monday night's meeting and that the city wouldn't make any job cuts that would impact public safety.


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Your Adventure Starts Here!
Your Adventure Starts Here!
Your Adventure Starts Here!
Your Adventure Starts Here!
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Malta, Republic of
- Portugal
Canary Islands
- El Hierro
- La Palma
- La Gomera
- Tenerife
- Gran Canaria
- Lanzarote
- Fuerteventura
- Tarajalejo
- Caleta de Fuste
- Corralejo
- Costa Calma
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- Lobos Island
- Maspalomas
- Caleta de Famara
- Morro Jable
- Costa Teguise
- Jandía
- San Cristóbal de La Laguna
- Playa Blanca
- Playa de las Americas
- Puerto Calero
- Teide National Park
- Playa del Inglés
- Puerto del Carmen
- Los Realejos
- Puerto de Mogán
- Las Galletas
- La Orotava
- Anaga
- San Agustín
- Adeje
- San Bartolomé de Tirajana
- Puerto de la Cruz
- Los Cristianos
- Arrecife
- El Médano
- Orzola
- Masca
- Taurito
- Los Gigantes
- Fañabé
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife
- Santiago del Teide
- Garachico
- Punta del Hidalgo
- La Caleta
- Balearic Islands
Jerez de la Frontera
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Choose an activity
Choose an activity
Most popular activities
4.5 hours Los Gigantes Masca whale watching sailing
Playa de las Americas
Playa de las Americas
4.5 hours Los Gigantes Masca whale watching sailing 4.5 hours
Sail along southwest coast of Tenerife on this extended 4.5h trip. Marvel at Mount Teide and giant cliffs, spot whales and dolphins, and swim at the pristine Masca Bay. Lunch & beverages included.
Price from: €54.00More Info
Parascending fun! 10 minutes
Playa de las Americas
Playa de las Americas
Parascending fun! 10 minutes 10 minutes
Now you can enjoy the breathtaking aerial views of Tenerife's southern coastline in a fun and exciting way - parasailing! This fun activity can be done alone, or you can share the fun with a couple more friends.
Price from: €36.00More Info
Jet Ski Safari (Las Americas to Los Gigantes) 2.5h
Playa de las Americas
Playa de las Americas
Jet Ski Safari (Las Americas to Los Gigantes) 2.5h 2.5 hours
Enjoy the coastline of south and west Tenerife with one of the exciting jet ski safari tours with an experienced guide. Discover the spectacular cliffs, hidden aquatic caves, Masca ravine or Punta de Teno.
Price from: €135.00More Info
Helicopter tour: Roque Nublo, Valleys and Ravines (70km)
San Agustín
San Agustín
Helicopter tour: Roque Nublo, Valleys and Ravines (70km) 35 minutes
Venture inland towards the centre for stunning mountains, valleys and gorges. View the most iconic landmark - Roque Nuble - from a different perspective before heading towards the pretty Puerto Mogán, Amadores beach and Puerto Rico.
Price from: €390.00More Info
Camel Safari with Tapas, show and transfer
San Bartolomé de Tirajana
San Bartolomé de Tirajana
Camel Safari with Tapas, show and transfer 4 hours
Camel Safari fun through the beautiful "Oasis of Thousand Palms" with yummy tapas, the "Kissing Camel" show, and much more. 4 hours of awesome fun with friends and family. Free transfer at selected resorts.
Price from: €36.00More Info
4h Catamaran Sailing - beaches of Papagayo - Gold (family)
Puerto Calero
Puerto Calero
4h Catamaran Sailing - beaches of Papagayo - Gold (family) 4 hours
On board this family-friendly luxury catamaran along the beautiful south coast of Lanzarote and the famous golden beaches of Papagayo. Swim or snorkel in the pristine waters, ride a jet ski and spot dolphins and whales. Lunch & drinks incl.
Price from: €59.00More Info
Adventure guided Buggy tours in Lanzarote
Puerto del Carmen
Puerto del Carmen
Adventure guided Buggy tours in Lanzarote 2 hours
Embark on a buggy adventure through the island of volcanoes - a journey sure to kick start your adrenaline.2-hour and 3-hour tours to choose from. Come and share this experience with a buddy.
Price from: €95.00More Info
Hot Air Balloon ride in Ibiza
Hot Air Balloon ride in Ibiza 50 minutes
Hop on a hot air balloon and feel the calmness of being away from everything. Marvel at the wonderful landscapes and coastline below your feet. Fun for the whole family or simply enjoy this romantic private ride with that someone special.
Price from: €200.00More Info
Flyboard at Playa Taurito or Playa Mogán
Flyboard at Playa Taurito or Playa Mogán 10 minutes
Flyboard is the latest thrilling water sport where you get to "fly" above the water, hover like an ironman and speed under water like a dolphin. Surely an adrenaline pumping experience you won't forget for a while.
Price from: €60.00More Info
Malta SOUTH Tour Hop on Hop off
Malta SOUTH Tour Hop on Hop off 3 hours
Join this Malta south hop-on and hop-off bus tour and spend a day discovering the history heritage, stone temples, Marsaxlokk fishing villages, churches, museums and the iconic Blue Grotto.
Price from: €20.00More Info
Full day climbing course in Tenerife (6h)
El Médano
El Médano
Full day climbing course in Tenerife (6h) 6 hours
Enjoy a 6 hours climbing in the beautiful natural surrounding of Tenerife. Learn new technical skills and the basics of security maneuvers with experienced and professional climbing instructors.
Price from: €100.00More Info
Gozo Segway tour - Salt Pans to Ta' Pinu
Gozo Segway tour - Salt Pans to Ta' Pinu 3 hours
Explore northern Gozo on a 2.5h segway tour. See flora and fauna at Wied l-Ghasri valley. Visit Ta' Pinu Sanctuary, watch fisherman at work, marvel at the stone window by the sea and check out the Ta' Gurdan lighthouse.
Price from: €39.00More Info
Private charter catamaran sailing 8h (Lagoon 400 or 421)
Private charter catamaran sailing 8h (Lagoon 400 or 421) 8 hours
Spend full day (8 hours) charter sailing on a luxury catamaran and explore around the Isla Lobos. Enjoy some private time with loved one or have a blast with friends and family (max 12 persons on board).
Price from: €900.00More Info
Mallorca boat excursion - Llevant Natural Park 4h
Mallorca boat excursion - Llevant Natural Park 4h 4 hours
4 hours excursion discovering the Llevant Natural Park. Highlights include Cap Ferrutx cliffs, Sa Cova Gran cave, swimming in crystal clear water of Es Caló cove, visiting scenic town of Colònia de Sant Pere and more!
Price from: €49.00More Info
Travel Inspirations
Welcome to iHoppers' blog! We are so excited to start our own blog and hope to share with you news, events, exciting activities and stories from iHoppers' friends. We don't want this blog to be about us, so please do share with us your fabulous island-hopping experience, stories, tips, photos and videos. Drop us an email on [email protected] and we will get it published :)
Fiesta del Cacharro, also more funnily known as the "junk" festival, is a celebration in honor of Saint Andrew. Taking place annually on the 29th of November, this festivity is very popular in the north of Tenerife island especially in the township of Puerto de la Cruz and Icod de los Vinos. This island festival is also closely coincide with the opening of wineries where wine are paired with clay-pot roasted chestnut and salted fish. On this day, young children and their not-so-young playful parents flock to the streets, fulling their string of "junks" behind as they run about. The objective was to create as much noise as possible to attract attention. Back in the 70s and 80s when the celebration was more splendour, you could see all sorts of "junks" being dragged use. From pots to washing machines and bathtubs... anything ridiculous and fun the locals could get hold of. Nowadays, the "junks" used are less extreme. Most often seen are tin cans being strung on a wire, not lacking in creativity nonetheless. Legend has it that making loud noise with pots help to scare off witches and bad spirits. Another tells that San Andrés was drunk a day after his celebration and had to be woken up by the sound of kids clanging pots. A more valid source states that back in the day, on the eve of Saint Andrew's, wine makers would wash the wine barrels at the coast with sea water. They would roll the barrels down the hill creating massive noise, and this noise is what the children and youngsters are trying to reproduce nowadays, with anything they could collect days leading up to the celebration.


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Rumors abound. I know it. You know it. And when the Tour de France ends, all cycling fans suddenly know it. Yea – even here at JustAnotherCyclist it is easy to fall prey to a rumor (or two.)
But on the other hand – who can pass on a good rumor.
And what better way to feed a rumor than with a plausible failure scenario. That is exactly what Frank and Andy Schleck are facing with their new Luxembourg team. There are no guarantees that a new team will receive a UCI pro license and actually be able to race in major event. Hell, even if you do get a pro license these days there are no gaurantees that you'll be able to race – as Bruyneel learned when Team Radio Shack was denied entry into the forthcoming Veulta a Espana.
So the possibility that the new Schleck team won't get a pro license is very real. So what will the second place finisher in this year's Tour de France do if that happens? Apparently he and his brother will invoke their fall-back contracts and ride for Team Radio Shack, potentially filling the shoes of the now retired (again) Lance Armstrong.
Well, that's the rumor at least.


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Dunedin, FLHome Menu
Library Calendar
Happening at the Library..
Toddler Time
Youth Services Early Literacy Series
- Date: 02/12/2020 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
- Location: Dunedin Public Library
223 Douglas Avenue
Dunedin, Florida 34698
- CostFREE
Return to full list >>
|18-36 months
Wednesdays at 10:30 am
Introduce your toddler to the exciting world of reading with books, songs, finger plays, a short literature based video and a craft!
Contact Youth Services for more information at 727-298-3080 ext. 1732


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Sell Worm Gear
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NASCAR's zaniest promoter: Texas' Eddie Gossage
By Mike Mulhern
The toughest job in NASCAR?
Clay Campbell has it.
So does Eddie Gossage.
So does Talladega's Grant Lynch, and Charlotte's Marcus Smith, and Bristol's Jerry Caldwell, and Dover's Denis McGlynn, and New Hampshire's Jerry Gappens, and Richmond's Dennis Bickmeier, and Atlanta's Ed Clark, and Watkins Glen's Michael Printup....and all the rest of that battle-hardened gang of stock car racing promoters.
Selling NASCAR racing.
Like tickets and fans.
Fill them grandstands.
The economy hasn't made their job any easier, certainly.
But then the epidemic of no-caution racing and gas mileage finishes, and the too-business-like drivers, oh-so politically correct, and the loss of jaded sponsors aren't helping things either.
So Phoenix' Bryan Sperber must be doing something right: he just announced a sellout for next weekend's Phoenix 500.
Of course that's only 50,000 grandstand seats, according to NASCAR, but it's apparently the first sellout of the year. Phoenix, like many tracks, has been cutting seats, as demand declines; at one point Phoenix had nearly 80,000 seats.
NASCAR promoters have been on the hot seat for several years now, as the sport settles in to what looks like a 'new normal.'
Those Go-Go days may have done gone.
Martinsville's Clay Campbell (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
But the sport charges on, and Fox TV sees enough punch in it to commit to a new $300 million a year sponsorship contract, through 2022. And it looks like NBC may want to get back into the game.
Why Fox is willing to raise its annual NASCAR sponsorship from $200 million to $300 million might seem unclear, given the sport's current slump.
Is a NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend really worth $23 million? Is that overpriced, or a bargain. Considering what TV is paying the NFL, it may well be a bargain.
(Is it still worth asking where does all this money go? Track promoters get 65 percent of it; race teams share 25 percent; NASCAR itself gets 10 percent, in a formula that hasn't changed in decades.)
For some comparison, Fox, NBC and CBS will pay the National Football League $3.1 billion a year for 2014-2022, and ESPN will pay the NFL $1.9 billion a year for its new eight-year contract. Adding all the other bits and pieces, the NFL will be getting some $6 billion a year from TV...which means, averaging things, an NFL TV weekend is worth about $300 million.
(Fox alone will be paying the NFL $1.1 billion a year in the new contract; that's about $55 million for its part of an NFL weekend.)
TV has changed NASCAR. For better, and for worse too perhaps.... (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
TV has changed the sport of NASCAR racing in the days since the big new TV package was first launched in 2001.
But it looks like it's been a two-edged sword.
Even before this year's run of boring, the face of stock car racing was changing.
During the sport's meteoric rise in the late 1990s and early 2000s, promoters couldn't build seats fast enough.
The high-water mark may have been 2005-2006.
Since 2007 something big appears to have changed.
The sport began slipping, losing fans. Perhaps even losing its cachet?
That was before the economy went south.
What has happened over the last five or six years?
Maybe TV has changed this sport just a little too much. Made too many people too lazy for too long, and lately it's finally caught up with the sport.
Many in the new breed of NASCAR promoters are, generally, quite different from the old breed. Maybe TV's money has changed some of that dynamic.
Remember when NASCAR promoters were almost bigger than life. Men like Martinsville's Clay Earles, Richmond's Paul Sawyer, North Wilkesboro's Enoch Staley, Charlotte's Humpy Wheeler and Bruton Smith, Riverside's Les Richter....and of course Big Bill France, who once expressed his displeasure with drivers boycotting his Talladega track by jumping in a race car himself and ripped off some laps at speed.
Once NASCAR promoters were almost a show in themselves. And which one was it who invited Jimmy the Flying Greek to launch a school bus, a la Evel Knievel -- at tiny Bristol?
Texas' Gossage may be one of the few throwbacks, a man considers the outrageous just another day at the office.
Even Bruton Smith has slowed down. It's been four months since he last 'held court,' as judge-jury-and-executioner, in his inimitable style.
Maybe it's time for ol' Bruton to weigh in on the state of this sport, and what he'd do to spark things.
Bruton Smith jets into one of his race tracks. No, not really. Just another promotion (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
What's it like being a big league stock car racing promoter these days?
Not quite like the days when Tim Flock would park his car Sunday mornings in any one of the sport's track parking lots, a car literally plastered with Charlotte tickets.
Martinsville Campbell, grandson of the amazing Clay Earles (whose showdowns with the Frances are old-school legend), was literally born into this sport. His NASCAR roots go deeper than most of today's current crop of promoters.
"It's certainly a challenge, compared to what it used to be," Campbell says.
"Back 20 years ago anybody could have done it: if you build it, they'll come.
"But then the economy went south on us...and it makes us all have to think outside the box, get creative.
"You really have to put forth a lot of effort. We're probably doing more now for less.
"But now at Martinsville I don't think we've really changed much. We've always done it the old-fashioned way. Go out and beat the drum."
Phoenix' Brian Sperber (L) and Trevor Bayne. First sellout of the season? (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
This season the stock car racing world has been hit with a bad dose of boring.
Too much green flag racing.
Like those last 200 miles at Charlotte the other day, which went caution-free, putting drivers into fuel-saving mode for more than an hour.
Even Talladega wasn't immune.
Blame it on whatever you want to -- so many gas-mileage finishes, with 'featherfoot' racing....the bizarre 'wave-around' rule...ever-faster speeds that accentuate all those aerodynamic issues...continued loss of big sponsors, either driven away or priced out...maddening, even emasculating, pressure on drivers and car owners to be politically correct...the continuing marketing push around a weekly 30th-place finisher who happens to have sex appeal...Friday qualifying that is totally meaningless, and which plays out to empty, echoing stands....
Maybe part of the problem is -- like in Formula 1, as addressed HERE -- this sport's new asphalt compounds. Maybe rougher aggregate, like at Atlanta and Rockingham, would make for better racing.
And a major issue, which NASCAR and its promoters have generally failed to address, is the exorbitant cost of hotel rooms on race weekends. The powers that run this sport are open to sharp criticism for failing to address hotel costs, which are a big factor in a family's decision to go or not to go to a Sprint Cup race.
The late Jeff Byrd, Bristol promoter, once suggested the sport's officials use their considerable political clout to get anti-gouging laws passed. However nothing ever came of that.
Without decent hotels at reasonable prices within reasonable driving distance of the track, promoters could be giving tickets away for free and still have trouble filling the stands.
Empty stands on Fridays? "There's really no reason (for fans to show up), because all we're doing on Fridays is reshuffling the deck," Campbell says. "You know the cards that are going to be played.
"Fans have no interest in that.
"...but Fridays used to be a big day for us, huge....
"But Sundays these days are tough enough for us. If your Sunday's aren't what they were 10 or 15 years ago, then neither are your Fridays."
Hey, why not something different than single-lap runs? Like heat races. Works at Daytona in February.
"I'd love to see it, and I know the fans would love to see it," Campbell says. "I don't know how you could get the teams to buy into it, with the cost...."
Maybe if the inspection station wasn't so picky, maybe if aerodynamics wasn't so touchy, maybe then these guys could beat and bang more....
Texas' Eddie Gossage lets Tony Stewart shoot 'em up (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
But the sport appears to be increasingly controlled, essentially, by the handful of team owners, who have a vested interest in the status quo...something of a stock car racing oligarchy. And Detroit car makers don't seem very interested in opening the doors to new teams either. Dodge/Chrysler execs, in fact, are pulling out of this sport, claiming they couldn't find a team they wanted to back. Too disingenuous, some might says. Simply lazy, others might say.
What that does is take a major player out of the game. And someone needs to take the blame for that: Detroit....or Daytona?
Remember NASCAR doesn't work in a vacuum. It's job is to provide a sellable product for its promoters. Lately it's not quite working.
"NASCAR gets it from all sides," Campbell says. "They get it from us, as track operators. They get it from the car owners. They get it from the drivers. They get it from the fans.
"NASCAR isn't lacking for suggestions," Campbell added wryly.
Not many NASCAR promoters put their foot down quite like Martinsville's Clay Campbell (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
What happened?
Yes, the economy went south in 2008-2009, and times are still very tough in too many areas where NASCAR does business.
But something else happened too, it would seem. And it's unclear how many in the sport can really pinpoint it all.
For several years NASCAR executives tried to dismiss the dip in crowds and TV audiences.
Now, however, the slip appears to have taken on a life of its own, apart from the economic factors.
How to stop the hemorrhaging?
Is there a new demographic at work here?
Or rather are the new demographics simply not working for this sport?
NASCAR execs have targeted the so-called Gen-Y/Millennials, those born in 1983 and after. Particularly the 18-29s. Particularly males.
And, in a somewhat curious call, NASCAR execs almost seem to be dismissing the long-time core audience, which came of age in the late 1970s, 1980s and 1990s -- call them the Earnhardt generation.
Since that generation has been so hard-core, and so intrinsic to the sport, the new NASCAR marketing looks misguided.
Is NASCAR's game plan for demographics really working? What is the real demographic picture for this sport? Who watches, and who doesn't, and why? (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
What is the current NASCAR demographic picture anyway? Wonder why sports' officials and TV bosses aren't laying out the demographics for this sports world to see...and judge?
Perhaps some major league baseball stats are relevant here: that sport appears to be drawing more 50+ women than 18-29 males.
What might be the corresponding stats for NASCAR racing?
This sport appears to be still struggling to attract the classic sports demographic, 18-34 males.
TV execs say that demo has been down 20 percent this year.
One NASCAR exec insists that demographic is just "fickle," whatever that means. It certainly wasn't very 'fickle' for years...until something happened.
One curious issue here is that this Gen-Y seems less enthusiastic about or interested in America's once-renowned 'car culture.'
It's a big issue for Detroit too, not just on NASCAR Sundays but on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Can Detroit count on NASCAR to help renew interest in street cars?
Certainly not if this season's Sunday action is part of that game.
"We haven't had that brand identity, and I think the manufacturers are going to be really pleased with the 2013 car," Campbell says. "And the fans will be pleased too -- they will see a race car and not just emblem on the hood, and go to the dealer and see one.
"I think that will bring some excitement back to the sport that we haven't had for a while...with all the cars looking the same."
That 2013 project, of course, is a direct swipe at the long-criticized 'car-of-tomorrow,' a matching-template model that debuted in 2007.
How much has NASCAR learned from the problems of that COT?
One issue to keep an eye on -- lightweight parts, carbon fiber pieces. Expensive. And perhaps too many 'proprietary' parts. Competition usually makes for cheaper prices....
To make the COT even raceable, teams had to come up with weight-cutting parts, to lower the center of gravity. And those weight-cutting parts, and the development process to cut weight, has become a major expense for team owners. There are indications the 2013 may have much of that same downside.
"I don't think there is a silver bullet that will fix the problems we have," Campbell says.
"NASCAR has a tough task to get our product where it needs to be....to get the fans in the stands, to get the people watching on TV, really interested in it. And I think they're making good strides at it.
"Our teams realize it, the drivers realize it....
"If we don't have people interested in what we've got -- fans -- that relates to sponsorship. And if we don't have fans watching it, sponsors don't want to be a part of it.
"Fans are our key. We've got to provide them what they want.
"Fortunately at Martinsville we pretty much do that. But in general NASCAR's got it tough.
"But they're trying.
"Everybody realizes it.
"If anybody had that magic bullet, we'd fix it.
"But there are numerous contributing factors.
"Back in the Junior Johnson days (say, 1972 to 1992) you had maybe half a dozen teams that were cream of the crop. And then you had the mid-pack....
"You look at our fields here today, there are no slouches. They are all good teams, all good cars.
"The separation from the pole to last place is miniscule.
"And the reliability is amazing; you just don't have the mechanical issues you used to have.
"That's a big factor.
"What can you do about it? I don't know. But I know it's a concern of everybody's.
"If we can get the racing to where it needs to be, to what the fans want to see...
"It's an uphill battle, but I think everyone is rowing in the same direction, trying to fix it."
Because it's looking like too many fans are voting with their feet and their TV remotes.
It may all beg for some leadership with a new vision for this sport, on both the competition side and on the marketing side.
NASCAR's TV command center (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
The CoT was a mistake, the Chase is a mistake, the schedule is stale. Giving California and Kansas second dtaes was a mistake. We need more \"action\" tracks like Road America and Iowa. All these 1.5 milers produce boring racing. The cost of attending a race just isn\'t worth it anymore after years of \"overspending\" to go to a race. Being crammed in to 18 inch seats isn\'t worth it anymore. $1000.00 buys a damn good TV these days.
My NASCAR boom period was in the 80\'s and 90\'s.home track Pocono. Friday crowd was helped by both races in summer, so no school meant more kids could go, heavily promoted 2 for 1 admissions by race sponsors and track, It was a cheap day to be introduced to the sport,less crowds,usually 45+ cars to qualify(with the question of who would need 2nd day Qual. on Sat. to make the show),souvenirs that then you could only get at track, not online or at every store.
Then for the weekend a gang of us in our 20\'s and 30\'s would rent a Ryder truck and camp out at Pocono. Arrive Sat late afternoon,park,set up our truck for Sunday watching, then relax and party.Was it rowdy, yeah a bit. But they decided we were a bad element and blocked the view and went to the motorhome only era.But us rowdy 20\'s became fans in our 30\'s, bought the good seats, led me to attending 7 races in a season at my peak,went to 9 different cup and 2 different Busch tracks. So now ,IMHO, opinion,the chance to develop younger fans is limited.Find a Pocono pic from the late 80\'s, look at how full the turn one and backstraight area was with vehicles then, and look at a 200\'s era view. There is where your future paying fans come from.
One other thing here in the Northeast at least, before we had dumpy pro sports stadiums around here. Now you have state of the art new facilities in DC, Baltimore, Philly, even classy minor league baseball stadiums all after the same sport $.For the average fan do you choose that, or the erector set, hard to navigate, water dripping through seats as you walk under them racetrack.
It was long and rambling, but this something that has bugged me for years, so i vented, thx
Too much green flag racing? What does that mean? Too much green flag parades, more like it. Make the points structure about winning, dump the Chase. Everything else is a joke.
simple -- RJR _was_ the marketing force nascar itself thought it was.
and the tv money with fox is skewed due to their getting speed to do what they will with and nascar\'s internet rights. you\'re comparing apples and oranges my man.
You always see the bad side of everything. The attendance issue has little to do with NASCAR in And of itself. ALL major sports leagues are having lowered attendance. The Yankee's playoff games in New York did not sell out for example. The fact is that as a society we are becoming more and more satisfied with watching the game on tv from our couch. That coupled with a soured economy does not project well for event attendance now or into the future. Why is it that NASCAR media are the only media who talk about attendance and ratings? ill remind you NASCAR continues to beat MLB MLS NHL and most Nba games on a regular basis in both categories. Here's an idea. Instead of fabricating negative stories, why not talk about a 2 point championship or a season that has brought us unparalleled parity and competition?
If NASCAR wants to bring back the "glory days," maybe they could put in requirements that are based on those such as having the cars require parts that are actually stock. If NASCAR required parts to be only of a certain material, they could control costs against special metals to reduce weight. Last thing, I would love the end of the chase.
Just a thought.
After reading an article addressing the "state of NASCAR" , I got to thinking about the changes, good and bad to the sport I love most. The article addressed the attendance, the racing, the demographics, TV, etc.
Putting on a NASCAR race takes more than "chump" change. At the same time, if a promoter is lucky enough to get a Cup race, they can almost "make" their year. Look at the tracks that only have 1 or 2 races per year, Michigan, California, Pocono to name a few. Granted, this is not the only activity. But test are paid in full by the teams that utilize them. Tracks like Martinsville host events that we seldom if ever hear about. Car shows, Kart and Legend car racing, etc. Promoting is still a full time job.
The promoters are still making money. For the most part TV, event sponsors, contingency sponsors, and the teams pay the purse for the event. The attendance is the bread and butter for the promoter. A lower ticket price and full stands will yield more margin than high ticket prices and 2/3 of the stands full. Even at "general" ticket pricing.
Most restaurants do not raise prices for the race week-end. Motels do. The cost of a room goes through the roof as these folks try to "make" their year. NASCAR and the promoters owe it to the fans to work with the lodging in a 20 to 50 mile radius of the track. Folks that want to lodge within 19 miles of the track can pay for the convenience. And a 5 day minimum is absurd. Real folks work M – F and would leave Thursday afternoon/evening, take Friday and Monday off, drive home Monday. Making a 3 day minimum more reasonable. Again, a full motel at a lower rate is more profitable than empty rooms at a higher rate.
The NASCAR product
The COT (Car of Tomorrow) has and is a double edge sword.
Pros: It has enhanced driver safety beyond what was ever imagined. NASCAR should be heralded as the ultimate leader in the safety and concern of its participants, both on the track and in the stands. No other sport, (NFL and NHL comes to mind) has made changes to protect the participant without changing the product.
Fuel injection has been needed for several years. It opens the doors for other makes to come into NASCAR. Honda refused years ago because they did not and would not make a "normally aspirated" engine. Kia is beginning to dabble in motorsports also. Toyota knocked down the "Detroit" door. It is time for other auto makers to come in and join the party.
Bias ply tires went away and made the driver "drive".
Cons: Decals and side windows do not make a Camry, Impala, Charger, or Fusion. And most fans don't even know the side windows differentiate the makes. They all look alike stripped of their paint.
Aero is a bane. A 2 inch spoiler on the back, a 2 inch spoiler on the front with 3 inch ground clearance will equalize the cars, but not the drivers. I am sure that what we have is safer, or at least the argument. Aero push limits passing and hinders racing. Catching a leading car is not worth much if you can't pass.
Radial tires don't give up the feel that Bias ply tires did.
Tracks make or break the racing.
Tracks like Martinsville, Bristol, and Richmond are packed for every race. Wonder why? Tracks like Michigan and California have struggled for years. Fans want to see close racing. A little beating and banging goes along way to filling the stands. There is a place for Talladega and Daytona on the schedule, but do we need so many 1.5 mile tracks? The drivers will tell you that Chicagoland and Kansas are different. Will the fans? Are Texas, Charlotte, and Atlanta different? Not to the naked eye of the fan. Atlanta at one time was the only true oval on the NASCAR circuit. A distinguishable trait that should have been embraced and promoted much like the "Lady in Black" (Darlington).
The NASCAR show
Reliability in equipment has equalized the haves and have-nots. It has also lowered the number of caution laps in most cases. There are more teams with quality equipment than ever before. And even though there are those you know will run up front, more teams than ever, maybe 30, could win. Blown engines are almost a thing of the past. Mechanical failures, through the thoroughness and quality checks of teams, are less. Cars finishing on the lead lap and just finishing are up (though part is manipulated, more later). Personally less yellow laps/more green laps are a good thing. A race is who can get from point A to point B the fastest. Pushing the envelope will cause yellows when drivers cross that line. Elimination of aero will broaden that line.
Pit road speed limits are a necessary evil. Again a two edge sword. Safety outweighs any argument of doing it any other way. Under yellow flag conditions, when a majority of cars are pitting, there is NO other way. Too many cars and too many chances for injury. However, could green flag stops be adjusted? Maybe double the yellow flag limit. A green flag stop followed by an "untimely" yellow can and has decided a race. Being caught a lap or 2 down in this manner is not racing but "luck". At a track like Bristol or Martinsville a car would still lose a lap or 2 but at Atlanta or Charlotte, maybe none.
Aaron's, the official sponsor of NASCAR, loves the "Lucky Dog", but it has run its course. When restarts had lapped cars to the inside it rewarded a driver, maybe one getting caught a lap down, by giving a lap back. A gimmick that was just that, a gimmick. The "wave around" rule is a product of the double file restarts. One of the best racing decisions NASCAR has ever made. The double file restart puts the racing back, truly bunching up the field. What really makes sense of the wave around is that it is a risk/reward situation. If a team chooses to forego a pit stop under yellow they can get a lap back. The risk is that they won't get a yellow before needing to pit, putting them a lap down again. The reward is that they will get a yellow enabling them to keep the lap they made up.
Fuel mileage races are what they are. It is part of the strategy that has become part of the race. That being said, if NASCAR wanted to change it they could mandate different size fuel cells for different tracks. Either by going to a larger 22 gallon fuel cell at Daytona and Talladega or a 13 gallon fuel cell at Richmond or Charlotte, you get the idea.
Deciding a Champion
No matter the point system you have, it will always be consistency that prevails. It is just a mathematical fact.
When the Chase first became the plan it was scoffed at by many. In some cases and rightfully so. It is human nature to dislike change. The "tweeks" made it look like a gimmick. To call it a play-off is just plain a bad analogy. A play-off includes eliminations and somehow 400 miles at Homestead with only 2 or 3 cars just doesn't seem interesting. NASCAR needs 43 cars at each race. Actually, they could get by with less but for our example they use 43.
My suggestion is as follows:
Utilize the current point system during the first 26 races.
At the end of 26 races, the point leader, any team with a win, and the 2 teams with the most points but no wins qualify for the chase.
No points are awarded after 26 races.
The Chase tracks would be made up of: one ½ mile (Martinsville, Bristol), one ¾ mile (Richmond, Iowa?), one 1 mile (Dover, Phoenix, New Hampshire), one 1 ½ mile (Charlotte, Texas, Atlanta, Kansas, Chicago, Vegas), one road course (Watkins Glen, Sonoma), one super speedway (Daytona, Talladega), Darlington, one 2 mile California, Michigan), one 2 ½ mile (Indianapolis, Pocono), and one track drawn at random at the previous banquet.
The Champion would be determined by the chaser with the most wins in the chase. Tie-breaker being seconds, thirds, etc. In the event no chaser wins, average finish throughout the chase.
OK, I see a multi pronged problem, and yes I do hate B.Z.F....
1. The problem with sponsors, started when BZF showed his Dad how much more money the company could make on marketing NA$CAR sponsorships and started taking sponsors from the teams.
2. Then you have his attempt to lock down the collector car market. What a nightmare that turned out to be for us 1/24 scale autograph collectors.
3. Let us not forget the cost of camping at the tracks. My father was on an oxygen machine, and since generators have to be turned off at night, we had to get a spot with power hook-up $500.00 at Bristol.. At Atlanta
the summer before our quite generator had the gas line cut, pull cord cut off and beer put in the gas tank.
4. The cost of gas has doubled in the last four years, making driving an 8 mpg camper insane, unless your independantly wealthy, which we aint.
5. Then you used to have access to drivers for autographs on Fridays, Saturdays and early Sunday. Now you stand in line get a ticket if your lucky to be in the first 100 at 7am Sunday and you might get 1 1/24 car autographed, if you buy it from that sales trailer.
6. Remember Wider is Better the old Pontiac slogan. COT killed such things, and took away the win on sunday sell on monday.
7. We need to go back to the smaller teams, limit the owners to 2 cars, these multi car stables are killing the sport, lets get back to the motor companies providing the engines, and and such to level the playing fields.
I know long winded, but I needed to vent.
© 2010-2011 www.mikemulhern.net All rights reserved.
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It's getting late in the Browns' head coaching search. A list of hire dates of the other 31 head coaches illustrates just how late.
The Browns stand alone as the NFL's only team without a head coach.
If they wait until after the Super Bowl to name their man, they will be in a league of their own.
It remains to be seen if the team will wind up attributing the delay to the rule that prevents hiring a coach in the Super Bowl until after the game is played. Possible front-runner Dan Quinn, Seattle's defensive coordinator, can't be offered the job until the night of Feb. 2.
Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine can be hired any time and was awaiting a second interview. Multiple reports indicate former Boise State and Arizona State head coach Dirk Koetter has emerged as a fallback candidate.
Koetter's stock was on the rise when Arizona State went 9-3 in 2004, his fourth season. He was fired after going 7-5 and 7-6 the next two years, at which point he landed his first NFL job.
Koetter, who will turn 55 on Feb. 5, was offensive coordinator of the Jaguars from 2007-11, moving on after head coach Jack Del Rio got fired. He directed the Falcons' offense the last two seasons.
Interest in Koetter raises the question of why his former boss' name has not surfaced. Del Rio, 50, was 69-73 as Jacksonville's head coach. He has recharged his credentials as defensive coordinator of the AFC champion Broncos.
Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase took himself out of the running Tuesday.
Waiting on a Super Bowl participant is not common practice in the NFL. None of the 31 other current head coaches was hired coming out of a Super Bowl.


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PUBS and clubs in Darwen will host live music as part of the popular Darwen Live music festival on Sunday and Monday:
On Sunday, Cafe Hub Bistro in Foundry Street, which is a no-alcohol venue, welcomes Amy Eddleston (1pm), Jaari Gorak (1.40pm), Kae-Lei Stowell (2.30pm), Bob Fox (3.30pm), Dean Fraser (4.30pm), Grace Davies (5.30pm) and The Unknown (7pm).
Monday's line-up features A Means To An End (2.30pm), Steve Warwick (3.30pm), Jimmy Allsop (4.30pm), Laura Taylor (5.30pm) and Darrell Smith (6.30pm).
There is also a packed schedule at The Crown in Redearth Road, which kicks off both days with blues and acoustic open mic from noon. Then on Sunday, there will be performances from Matt Walsh (1pm), India Mill (2pm), Hot Tock Trio (3pm), Bad Cardigan (4pm), Cherrybomb (5pm), English Outback (6pm), Doug Perkins and The Spectaculars (7pm), Crush (8pm) and Fear The Fallen (10.30pm).
Monday's performers will be The Tone Ranger (1.30pm), Roller Music (3pm), The Tragics (4pm), The November Five (5pm), Red Light Effect (6pm), Baxter Rhodes (7pm), J-Bear And The Giants (8pm) and Inego (9pm).
3pm - Bad Cardigan
3:30 - Good Foxy
4pm - The Lébrels
4:30 - The Slydes
5:15 - Doug Perkins & The Spectaculars
6pm - The Talks
7pm - Missing Andy
830 - The South
3pm - Josh Kemp Official
3:30 - Rime Suspex
4pm - Sky Valley Mistress
4:30 - Nina Baker
5:20 - Jeramiah Ferrari
6:15 - Merry Hell
7:30 - The SoulTrain


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King Canute, Abraham Lincoln, and Wishful Thinking
King Canute famously demonstrated to his advisers that even a king couldn't stop the sea from rising. Abraham Lincoln told his visitors that calling a dog's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg. But lots of people these days think that passing a law automatically makes things happen, that you can pass a law against drug use or racism or homelessness and solve a problem.
Today I heard a traffic reporter on WAMU public radio demonstrate just how widespread that assumption is, at least in Washington. About 9:20 a.m. he said, "The federal government opened on time today [after a week of closings and yesterday's delayed opening], so most federal workers are already sitting at their desks." Well, I was stuck in a miles‐long backup on snow‐blocked roads, and I'm guessing that a lot of the people in the other cars were federal employees. Just because you declare that the federal government will open on time doesn't automatically mean that federal employees will get there on time. You have to take into account realities like weather, slow clearing of roads, and people's unwillingness to start their commute much earlier than normal.
Reality, alas, interferes with a lot of grand plans.


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New spin: The evolution of Maurice Jones
Maurice Jones is worlds away from City Hall and his former job as its spokesman. In his swanky new digs at the Miller Center off Old Ivy Road, instead of writing press releases and dealing with reporters, his new job is to raise big bucks for the prestigious public policy center.
The fact that he's done very little fundraising doesn't appear to faze Jones– or the Miller Center, which, he says, offered him the director of development job– exact amount to be raised to be determined– apparently confident of his ability to schmooze for dollars.
"It's not just asking people for money," he says. "The most important part I do is to meet people and build relationships. A passion of mine is politics and presidents, and I talk to them about shared interests."
That might be a surprise to those who remember Jones as an NBC29 sports reporter and anchor, the gig that brought him to Charlottesville 12 years ago, armed with a communications degree from James Madison University.
Television sports reporting was the job Jones had dreamed of since he was a kid, inspired by an NFL Today piece on Chicago Bears great Walter Payton.
But always lurking was the pull of politics. He worked for L.F. Payne's lieutenant governor's campaign, and Bruce Kirtley's run for the 58th District seat in the General Assembly.
When his candidates lost, he was back at 29 producing the morning show. "The hours were brutal," he says. "I think you're not supposed to go to work at 1:30am. I was sleeping in shifts– " and continuing to do sports segments.
After 11 more months, he took a job as a weekend sports anchor in Columbia, South Carolina– and discovered he really wasn't into doing sports wrap-ups anymore. "I realized my heart was really into politics and public service," he says.
Thus he donned the City of Charlottesville polo shirts and began six years as director of communications.
Jones remembers the drought of 2002 as one of the job's biggest crises. "We saw that coming in 2001 and tried to warn people. As water levels dropped, we had to heighten our publicity."
The best part of that job? "Feeling like I was truly serving as a liaison between people, media, and city government in a way that empowered people," he says.
Of course, he won't miss the 2am phone calls for fires or murders.
And it's not all serious government doings at City Hall. Jones reveals a fun-loving side of top city officials: At Christmas, City Manager Gary O'Connell dresses up as Santa with Police Chief Tim Longo as his elf-clad assistant to pass out candy canes to city employees.
Jones has gotta miss that.
Age: 35
Why here? I came to Charlottesville for a job and stayed because of the people and the quality of life.
What's worst about living here? Traffic is becoming more of an issue, but it's still nowhere near what I grew up with in Northern Virginia.
Favorite hangout? The Downtown Mall
Most overrated virtue? Prudence. Yes, it can keep you from getting in trouble, but it can also hinder spontaneity (which I have been guilty of on occasion).
People would be surprised to know: I was painfully shy as a child.
What would you change about yourself? I would broaden my eating habits. I tend to be very picky about food. I know my wife, Michele, would enthusiastically embrace this transformation.
Proudest accomplishment? Being a part of strengthening the connection between the city government and the people of Charlottesville. That and carrying the Olympic Torch back in 1996– a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience that I accomplished without falling down on live television.
People find most annoying about you: I can be too deliberative at times.
Whom do you admire? National civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, but also local folks who had a major impact on Civil Rights here in the Charlottesville area like Eugene Williams and Paul Gaston.
Favorite book? Nonfiction has to be Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch. My two favorite novels are To Kill a Mockingbird and The Color Purple.
Subject that causes you to rant? Hypocrisy... especially in politics. It's actually kind of amusing to watch Democrats and Republicans change positions depending on their immediate needs.
Biggest 21st-century thrill? Advances in medicine and technology
Biggest 21st-century creep out? Microchip implants with my personal information. I'm pretty sure I'd turn down that opportunity.
What do you drive? A 2002 Camry
In your car CD player right now: Gospel performer Byron Cage
Next journey? Hopefully to New York in December. I hear it's beautiful during the Christmas season.
Most trouble you've ever gotten in? I once received detention for talking in class. I was actually trying to get the other students to quiet down. My teacher was unsympathetic.
Regret: Not trying out for quarterback on my high school football team. Mark Brunell now has my job with the Redskins as a result of that moment of hesitation.
Favorite comfort food: Cold pizza
Always in your refrigerator: Gatorade and Diet Coke
Must-see TV: The West Wing, Hardball with Chris Matthews, and ESPN Sportscenter
Favorite cartoon: The Simpsons
Describe a perfect day. My wife and I actually experienced the perfect day during our honeymoon on the island of St. John. It began with breakfast overlooking Coral Bay, followed by a trip to several of the island's beautiful beaches, and closed with an elegant dinner at sunset over Cruz Bay.
Walter Mitty fantasy: Hosting Meet the Press
Who'd play you in the movie? Either Denzel Washington or Terrence Howard
Most embarrassing moment? One night while I was anchoring sports at NBC 29, I was hit with a pretty vicious case of the giggles and just couldn't stop laughing. I snickered my way through the entire sports segment. Afterward, I thought my "laughathon" would either endear me to the audience or get me fired.
Best advice you ever got? "Do unto others what you would have them do to you."
Favorite bumper sticker? Boston Red Sox: 2004 World Series Champions. It just warms my heart.
Maurice Jones


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We're taking this with a grain salt because, well, we're taking everything related to "Gotti: Three Generations" with a grain of salt. Especially the assumption that this will ever actually get made.
But...word is spreading that Kelly Preston has join the cast as Victoria Gotti. That's right, the woman who has been playing John Travolta's wife for years will now play his wife onscreen. Their daughter, Ella Bleu, will be playing their daughter. Really.
This news comes on the heels of the announcement that veteran director Barry Levinson was stepping into the vacated chair of Nick Cassavetes, and that Lindsay Lohan will be in the movie if, you know, little things like jail don't eat up her calendar.
U.S. & World
This family affair is rumored to be shooting in the fall.
In related news, Charlie Sheen is claiming that his infamous "accidental shooting" of Preston back when they were a couple in the early 90s never happened. He's telling "Violent Torpedo of Truth" paying audience members (both of them!) that Preston picked up a pair of pants that happened to have a gun in them and it discharged. Sheen wasn't even in the room. Too bad that story is coming about 20 years and 15 live shows too late for anyone to car.
Really, Charlie? You wait until Vancouver to bust out that anecdote?


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close(redirected from close out)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Financial, Idioms, Wikipedia.
Related to close out: close off
restricted or prohibited as to the type of game or fish able to be taken
1. Law private property, usually enclosed by a fence, hedge, or wall
2. Brit a courtyard or quadrangle enclosed by buildings or an entry leading to such a courtyard
3. Brit a small quiet residential road
4. the precincts of a cathedral or similar building
5. Scot the entry from the street to a tenement building
6. Music another word for cadence. A perfect cadence is called a full close an imperfect one a half close
What does it mean when you dream about closing something?
Closing a door can mean closing a chapter of one's life. We can also close our hearts to someone or close our eyes to something.
(computer science)
To make a file unavailable to a computer program which previously had access to it.
Colloquially, descriptive of oppressively still, warm, moist air, frequently applied to indoor conditions.
1. An enclosed space around or at the side of a building; esp. the neighborhood of a cathedral.
2. A narrow lane leading from a street.
close(1) To finish reading or writing a document. The close function typically saves any changes made to the document and releases the file so it can be used by another application. Contrast with open.
(2) To exit an application. Contrast with launch.


text:
XMAS 2017: Guilty Gear Xrd -Rev2-
32 Players
Double Elimination
- Guilty Gear Xrd
December 21, 2017 at 7:00 PM GMT
Check in at Closed
Tournament completed! Post an announcement to share updates to your community.
Don't sign up if you live outside of Europe.
Hey, MechaGS here with XMas tournament for Guilty Gear Xrd -Rev2-!
Please note that this tournament will be on PC (Steam).
Please join if you plan to take part! http://discord.gg/h95MftT
Commentators: MechaGS & Shadon
The rules are simple:
- Please show up before the tournament starts. Please note that check-in's are active.
- You can only switch on a loss in any set.
- A disconnect will cause you to lose a match.
- You must be in my Twitch chat -- twitch.tv/mechags
The tournament is set for 7pm GMT. Please note that the bracket will close half an hour early for setup and be shuffled before the start of the tournament.
It will be streamed. Some of the losers bracket won't be streamed if we have a large amount of participants. It will be live on my twitch channel.
Please enter my Twitch chat area as all information / match-ups, etc will be posted there.
Standard tournament / EVO rules used:
- Double Elimination
- Top three 'Best of 5', everything else 'Best of 3'.


text:
We are the world's leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analyzing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, we unlock insights from Geo-data to help our clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner. Fugro's business lines are divided into Marine and Land divisions. Within those division, we specialize in Site Characterization and Asset Integrity. Our industries include Oil and Gas, Power, Building and Infrastructure Development, and Mining.
Fugro is constantly looking to add exceptional talent to our organization. We are interested in individuals with disciplines that include but are not limited to:
Office Locations
Our United States based locations include Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, South Dakota, California, and Alaska.
For more Fugro opportunities, please visit us at https://www.fugro.com/careers and apply!
If you have further questions regarding a vacancy, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com


text: This web site is dedicated to the memories of a fallen Brother and his Ranger Team. They were members of Papa Co. Rangers 75th Infantry. This team was also known as, "Killer Team 1-6" – "Dowd's Dirty Half Dozen". Ranger Team 1-6 operated out of Quang-Tri Province , South Vietnam in 1969.


text:
|"He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Names of Our Time [...]"
The subject of this article does not meet our notability standards. Although it is based on canonical/valid information, it was suggested it does not merit its own article and, as such, is to be either deleted or merged with similar articles.
If you disagree with either of these actions, please explain why at Category talk:Non-notable articles or improve the page and remove this tag.
Remember to check what links here and the page history before deleting.
|"Are you a wizard or not?"
The title of this article is conjectural. Although it is based on canonical information, the actual name is a conjecture and may be supplanted at any time by additional information released from canonical sources. If this occurs, please move this page to the appropriate title.
This female Gryffindor student was a witch who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was sorted into Gryffindor House. She and other students were watching the first game of Gryffindor's Quidditch Team with Rubeus Hagrid in 1991 and celebrated with Dean and Ron after the match was over.[2]
This girl started her magical education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1991 and was Sorted into Gryffindor House. This girl, like the other Gryffindor students, was very happy to go see the first game, and followed Rubeus Hagrid to the Quidditch field.[2]
Also in 1991, she celebrated when the Gryffindor team was victorious in the first game. She and other Gryffindor students greeted Harry in the middle of the Quidditch field.[2]
Behind the scenes
- This individual is played by Julianne Hough in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but was not credited.
- She could be Sally-Anne Perks, a student in Harry's year whose House is unknown.
- She could also be either Alice Tolipan or Luca Carruse, two students who joined Dumbledore's Army in 1995 to oppose Dolores Umbridge.
- Other possible identities could be Lavender Brown, Lily Moon, Sophie Roper, Sally Smith, or Runcorn.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) (First appearance)


text:
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text:
Pentax Optio E70 Review
- Easy to operate
- Large buttons
- Good battery life
- Limited manual control
- Slow operation
- Noise at ISO 400
The Pentax Optio E70 is geared in every way to the beginning photographer. It's equipped with the simplest of controls and almost totally automatic shooting. With a 10.0 megapixel sensor and 3x optical zoom lens, it's not at the top of its class in terms of zoom power or resolution, but it has the makings of a decent starter camera.
In addition to beginner-friendly controls, the Optio E70 brings something else to the table we've seen from other entry-level Pentax cameras – the Cute Factor. They've turned cute all the way up to eleven. With optional meowing sounds for menu functions and graphic frames that can be super-imposed over images, it's sure to please the young photographer (or the very young at heart).
Pentax has built a solid reputation based on a history great imaging products, so we hoped to find the same high level of quality embodied in this smaller package. However, the big name didn't exactly measure up to our big expectations. We found some significant issues using the E70 that potential buyers should weigh carefully when considering this camera.
The Optio E70 cuts a familiar figure stylistically. Rounded edges and a metallic finish give it a nice modern look. Our particular unit is a very subtly hued "champagne gold," a color (and beverage) I happen to like. It's a good-looking camera, but it doesn't break the mold either.
Ergonomics and Controls
The right side of the camera is slightly thicker than the left, making it easier to balance in my right hand.
The buttons on the back panel are large and laid out in a traditional arrangement, which is sure to help out those who want ease of operation. A zoom button, four-way controller, OK button and four dedicated buttons offer quick access to menus and shooting modes.
Menus and Modes
Shooting modes are accessed via the four-way controller, and shooting options are as follows:
- Auto Picture: Selects a scene mode based on shooting conditions
- Program Auto: Allows user to change exposure compensation, adjust ISO to liking and change focus mode
- Scene: Users can choose from fourteen individual scene modes including digital panorama, food, sunset and pet
- Movie Recording: 640×480 VGA quality video is captured with sound
- Frames: Offers a whopping ninety graphic frames that can be placed over a 3 megapixel image. They range from traditional picture frames to the downright absurd. I have to admit, it was worth a good half hour of entertainment for me.
Program Auto mode relinquishes the most control to the user, and even then you won't be able to tweak white balance or metering settings.
Auto Picture mode is designed to select the right scene mode for the conditions you're shooting in. It usually picked settings that produced a decent image, but it made some baffling decisions somewhat frequently. The camera often recognized certain shapes as flowers and tried to photograph them as such. While the images that these picture modes produced weren't by any means ruined because of the mode that was selected, it's still a far from flawless system.
An option in Auto Picture or Program auto mode is smile capture mode. The camera's sensor looks for a face in the image, locks onto it, and trips the shutter when it detects a smile across the subject's face. This function worked pretty well for me, both in good and darker lighting conditions. Personally, I've never been keen on this feature in any camera, so I wouldn't call it a major selling point.
Another function is the "Green" mode, which has been given a dedicated button along the perimeter of the four-way controller. This is bare-bones shooting, stripping manual controls down to the very basic.
The Optio E70 is equipped with 34.8MB of built-in memory, which equates to eight high resolution images. An on-board flash boasts a range of 16.4 feet. This was consistent with my own measurements, though best results with flash will be achieved when your subject is closer than sixteen feet.
With no optical viewfinder, shooters will rely on the 2.4 inch, 112,000 dot LCD to compose shots and review images. The screen is adequate, but it felt small as I reviewed photos on-screen. The resolution isn't great either, so you would need to offload your pictures onto a computer to display them properly.
We've established that the Pentax Optio E70 is aimed for a user who doesn't want much control. Without being able to adjust basic settings like white balance, the E70 is at the very bottom of the camera learning curve. It offers the ease of hands-off shooting, but it doesn't provide any room to learn either. The lack of manual controls aside, the E70 is just a slow camera. After capturing a shot, the camera will spend up to three seconds processing the image with a black screen displayed.
Shooting Performance
The E70 boasted some decent press-to-capture times when pre-focused, coming up just a touch slower than the Canon SD970 and the Sony T700. It proved to be much slower to find focus at an average of just under 0.80 seconds. In my own experience shooting with the E70, AF acquisition slowed down further under poor lighting conditions, easily stretching past a full second.
Shutter Lag (press-to-capture, pre-focused)
|Time (seconds)
|Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T700
|Canon PowerShot SD970 IS
|Pentax Optio E70
|Nikon Coolpix S620
|Casio Exilim EX-Z150
AF Acquisition (press-to-capture, no pre-focus)
|Time (seconds)
|Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T700
|Nikon Coolpix S620
|Canon PowerShot SD970 IS
|Pentax Optio E70
|Casio Exilim EX-Z150
The E70 proved a bit slow in burst shooting as well, although our tests proved it capable of continuous shooting without a pause to buffer or process image data.
Continuous Shooting
|Nikon Coolpix S620
|1.7 fps
|Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T700
|1.6 fps
|Casio Exilim EX-Z150
|1.3 fps
|Canon PowerShot SD970 IS
|1.1 fps
|Pentax Optio E70
|0.7 fps
* Note: Continuous shooting framerates are based on the camera's fastest full-resolution JPEG continuous shooting mode, using the fastest media type available (300x CF, SDHC, etc.). "Frames" notes the number of captures recorded per burst before the camera stops/slows to clear the buffer.
Pentax claims a CIPA-compliant average of 210 images for each pair of AA batteries. This was consistent with my experience, and since I used the flash somewhat rarely, I got a couple of days' worth of shooting out of my batteries.
Lens Performance
The Optio E70 is equipped with a 3x, f3.1-5.9 35-105mm equivalent lens. Performance was good, not great, and this lens is plagued by the same troubles that often crop up in cameras of this size. I saw some softness creeping in at the edges of images like the one below.
Barrel and pincushion distortion were obvious near the top and bottom of the focal range. Even our studio test shots, which aren't taken at full telephoto, exhibit a fair amount of pincushion distortion.
Chromatic aberration also cropped up in high-contrast areas of images like the one below.
Pentax's competitors offer cameras in this class with a much wider angle lens, so the Optio E70 doesn't offer anything special in terms of focal flexibility.
Video Quality
The Optio E70 doesn't offer anything special in terms of video capture. Resolution at 640×480 VGA is acceptable for capturing video in a pinch. It allows for up to 7 minutes and 31 seconds of recorded video with a standard SD card, and it will shoot continuously up to 2GB.
Image Quality
Generally speaking, the Optio E70 turned in acceptable images. At low ISO settings in good lighting conditions, image quality was at its highest. In dimmer light, even bright indoor shots, the E70 had a tendency to ratchet ISO up too far and overexpose images.
As expected, shots taken under incandescent light were very warm. With no way to adjust this function, expect indoor shots to take on a yellow tint – looking very much like our studio tests, which are taken under 3200K incandescent light.
We also found that noise began to creep in at ISO 200 and beyond. There's even a bit of noise evident in the cropped ISO 100 image.
ISO 64, 100% crop
ISO 100, 100% crop
ISO 200, 100% crop
ISO 400, 100% crop
ISO 800, 100% crop
ISO 1600, 100% crop
It would be best to limit use to ISO 400 and under. The 10.0 megapixel sensor produces images that are sufficiently large, but with so much noise at even low ISO settings it's not easy to utilize all of those megapixels.
Additional Sample Images
Bottom line, the Pentax Optio E70 is just too slow. Image quality is sufficient for the needs of a beginner, but no photographer at any skill level wants to wait for their camera to finish processing an image. Again and again.
Slowness aside, the Optio E70 offers very little in terms of performance, especially considering the $140 MSRP. Pentax's competitors offer many options at or below that price point with greater focal range, better image quality and more manual control.
The E70 does offer simple, automatic shooting. The aforementioned "cute factor" is either a bonus or is easily ignored. Shooting under good conditions turned up some decent images, but there's just not enough going for the Optio E70 to make it a good starter camera.
- Simple, beginner-friendly use
- Large buttons for easy operation
- No white balance control
- Slow operation
- Noisy images at ISO 400 and above


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Nancy Fuchs Kreimer
Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, PhD, is the force behind a range of initiatives and programs that bring together interfaith thinkers, writers, and activists, with particular emphasis on building bridges of understanding and respect between Muslims and Jews. She is the founding director of the Department of Multifaith Studies and Initiatives at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. She blogs at www.multifaithworld.org, and her articles periodically appear online on the religion page of the Huffington Post. She is the author of Parenting as a Spiritual Journey (1998).
Rachel Adler
Rabbi Rachel Adler, PhD, is the David Ellenson Professor of Modern Jewish Thought and Gender Studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. She was one of the first theologians to integrate feminist perspectives and concerns into the interpretation of Jewish texts and the renewal of Jewish law and ethics. Her essay "The Jew Who Wasn't There" (1971) is sometimes considered the first piece of Jewish feminist theology, and her bold reading of Jewish theology,Engendering Judaism (1999), won a National Jewish Book award, the first awarded to a feminist theologian. She has authored many articles and is working on a book on theology of suffering.
Barbara Eve Breitman
Barbara Eve Breitman, DMin, LCSW, a psychotherapist in private practice in Philadelphia, works at the interface of psychotherapy, pastoral care, spirituality and Judaism. She was instrumental in developing the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College's (RRC) program in spiritual direction, and at RRC she serves as Assistant Professor of Pastoral Counseling and Director of Training of the Jewish Spiritual Direction Program. A founding faculty member of Lev Shomea, a program of Elat Chayyim/Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, she co-edited Jewish Spiritual Direction: An Innovative Guide From Traditional and Contemporary Sources (2006).
Amy Eilberg
Rabbi Amy Eilberg, MSW, directs interfaith dialogue programs in the Twin Cities, including at the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning, and serves on the adjunct faculty of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. One of the matriarchs of the Jewish Healing movement, Eilberg directed the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center's Hospice Care Program, and also served as the co-director of the Morei Derekh Training Program for Jewish Spiritual Direction. The first woman ordained as a Conservative rabbi by The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (1985), she is the author of From Enemy to Friend: Jewish Wisdom and the Pursuit of Peace (Orbis Books, 2014).
Tamara Cohn Eskenazi
Rabbi Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, PhD, is Professor of Bible at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC–JIR) in Los Angeles, the first woman appointed to the Rabbinical Faculty at HUC–JIR. She is the editor of The Torah: A Women's Commentary (2008), which won the National Jewish Book of the Year Award. Her publications include In an Age of Prose: A Literary Approach to Ezra–Nehemiah (1988), Telling Queen Michal's Story (1991) and the JPS Bible Commentary: Ruth (2011; winner of the 2012 National Jewish Book Award in Women's Studies). She was ordained in 2013 (HUC-JIR, LA). Eskenazi also recently received a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship (2012–2013).
Ellen Frankel
Ellen Frankel, PhD, has had a rich career as a writer and editor, and has most recently written the libretto for Slaying the Dragon, an opera based upon a true story. After heading the Jewish Publication Society for eighteen years, she now serves as its first Editor-in-Chief Emerita. Her publications include The Five Books of Miriam (1997), which was published in Hebrew as Midrash Miryam, (2007), The Jewish Spirit: A Celebration in Stories and Art (1997), and three books for young people. Frankel also contributed to the ten-volume commentary series, My People's Prayerbook (Jewish Lights).
Dayle A. Friedman
Rabbi Dayle A. Friedman, MSW, offers spiritual guidance, training and consultation through Growing Older, a private practice in Philadelphia. She founded and directed Hiddur: The Center for Aging and Judaism of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College where she served on the faculty. The founding director of chaplaincy services at Philadelphia Geriatric Center, Friedman is the author of Jewish Visions for Aging: A Professional Guide for Fostering Wholeness (2008); editor, Jewish Pastoral Care: A Practical Handbook from Traditional and Contemporary Sources ( 2nd edition, 2010) and the forthcoming Provisions for the Journey: Jewish Wisdom for Growing Older.
Laura Geller
Rabbi Laura Geller, Senior Rabbi of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills since 1994, was the third woman to be ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She was twice named one of Newsweek's 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America and was featured in the PBS documentary Jewish Americans. A frequent contributor to the Huffington Post, she is author of numerous articles in books and journals. She is a fellow of the Corporation of Brown University.
Blu Greenberg
Blu Greenberg, a pioneering feminist in the traditional Jewish community, is founding President of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance. Dialogue work has been another long term passion of hers. She has participated in numerous interfaith and inter-denominational enterprises and was co-founder of the Dialogue Group (Jewish/Palestinian women) and founding member of the Jewish Women's Dialogue. Her books include On Women and Judaism: A View from Tradition (1981), How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household (1983), and Black Bread: Poems After the Holocaust (1994).
Julie Greenberg
Rabbi Julie Greenberg works with individuals, couples, and families in her Counseling with Soul practice. A licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, she serves as spiritual leader of Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir~Heart of the City: Philadelphia's Center City Reconstructionist Congregation. She is the author of a forthcoming book, Just Parenting: Building the World One Family at a Time (2013). Greenberg and her family were featured in the cover story of Lilith Magazine (Summer 2010).
Margaret Holub
Rabbi Margaret Holub serves as the spiritual leader of the Mendocino Coast Jewish Community and spent a recent sabbatical in South Africa interviewing Afrikaner church leaders about their experiences of apartheid. The author of "A Cosmology of Mourning" in Lifecycles, Vol. 1:Jewish Women on Life Passages & Personal Milestones (1994) and "The Good, the Bad, and the Possible: Some Thoughts on Jewish Women Making Community" in Lifecycles, Vol. 2: Jewish Women on Biblical Themes and Contemporary Life (1997), she currently serves as co-chair of the Rabbinical Council of Jewish Voice for Peace.
Vivian Mayer
Rabbi Vivian Mayer brings together her gifts as a teacher and interpreter of traditional text skills with her pastoral skills in her work with rabbinic students as the Director of the Preparatory Year and the Bet Midrash at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. She served as rabbi of Congregation B'nai Israel in Danbury, Connecticut for ten years, where she also served as a chaplain for Jewish women at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury.
Vanessa L. Ochs
Rabbi Vanessa Ochs, PhD, is a prolific writer and teacher whose books span three decades of Jewish feminist thought. Professor in the Department of Religious Studies of the University of Virginia, her books include Inventing Jewish Ritual (2007), Sarah Laughed (2004), The Jewish Dream Book (with Elizabeth Ochs) (2003), Safe and Sound: Protecting Your Child In Unpredictable World (1995), and Words on Fire: One Woman's Journey into the Sacred (1990; revised 1999). She served as Consulting Editor for two issues of Nashim dedicated to the theme of Jewish Women's Spirituality (2005:9 & 10).
Hara E. Person
Rabbi Hara Person is a visionary editor, a writer of both poetry and prose, and an individual who shepherds ideas into books. She works as Publisher and Director of the Central Conference of American Rabbis Press. The Managing Editor for the award winning The Torah: A Jewish Woman's Commentary (2008), her publications include That You May Live Long: Caring for Aging Parents, Caring for Ourselves (2003), and Stories of Heaven and Earth: Bible Heroes in Contemporary Children's Literature (2005).
Judith Plaskow
Judith Plaskow, PhD, is widely recognized as the first Jewish feminist theologian. Her first book, Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective (1990), challenged and changed the way Jews think about gender, revelation, community, and God. The co-founder and co-editor of The Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, she is the author of The Coming of Lilith: Essays on Feminism, Judaism, and Sexual Ethics, 1972–2003 (2005). Plaskow retired as Professor of Religious Studies at Manhattan College in 2012.
Ruth H. Sohn
Rabbi Ruth H. Sohn has spent a career as a teacher of Jewish texts. She currently directs the Rabbinic Mentoring Program, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles and serves on the faculty of Morei Derech Spiritual Direction Training Program of the Yedidya Center. Her essays and poetry have appeared in many publications. She is the author of Crossing Cairo: A Jewish Woman's Encounter with Egypt (2013).
Ellen M. Umansky
Ellen M. Umansky, PhD, is the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Professor of Judaic Studies, Fairfield University. She is the author of From Christian Science to Jewish Science: Spiritual Healing and American Jews (2005), Four Centuries of Jewish Women's Spirituality (1992; rev. ed. 2009), and two books on Lily Montagu. She is working on a book-length work of constructive feminist theology.
Sheila Peltz Weinberg
Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg pioneered in developing the practice of Jewish meditation. A co-founder of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, she directs the Institute's Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. She is the author of Surprisingly Happy: An Atypical Religious Memoir (2009). She served for thirteen years as rabbi of the Jewish Community of Amherst (Reconstructionist), after years of service in Hillel and Jewish communal service agencies.
Wendy Zierler
Wendy Zierler, PhD, brings her talents as a reader and interpreter of traditional and modern texts to her work as professor of Modern Jewish Literature and Feminist Studies, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, New York. She is the co-editor and translator of Selected Works of Hava Shapiro (2008) and And Rachel Stole the Idols: The Emergence of Modern Hebrew Women's Writing (2004). She served as consulting editor for two issues of Nashim dedicated to the theme of Gender and Books (2008:15 & 16).


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Our little princess, yes Princess Aurora Abigail took her first independent steps yesterday. (She was dressed up for a friends costume birthday party this afternoon, but who was I to take her princess dress off? She may just wear it tomorrow too as far as I am concerned :) As the day progresses today she is taking more and more steps...I finally caught these one on video just to share with you! I am feeling mixed emotions about this....part of me is so excited to see her doing such a "big girl" thing...the other part of me is sad as I want her to stay little for much longer. As many moms say...the time really does go by too quickly.
Thank you Lord for your amazing gifts to us in our children...we will rejoice and be glad always!


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DURHAM — Hotels looking to attract "green" consumers must not only practice sustainable business practices but should effectively communicate those practices to green consumers, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics.
"Green consumers are reasonably distinct in terms of identifiable characteristics and behavior patterns. Targeting specific marketing strategies to potential green consumers is likely to be more effective than directing these strategies to the entire population by assuming that all members of the population are potential green consumers," said Nelson Barber, associate professor of hospitality management at UNH.
However, identifying these "green" guests can be challenging, according to Barber. Although industry research has shown that a significant percentage of hotel guests would prefer to stay in a hotel that cares about the environment, guests are not always that predictable.
Barber noted that a study by a major national hotel operation had opposite findings: 75 percent of their guest respondents said they would not give up daily hotel room service activities. The study also found that guests pay less attention to the environment while traveling because they are not directly responsible for the costs of cleaning and utilities.
"So this dichotomy of opposed issues creates an interesting challenge for hotels. On one hand, hotels are trying to create and implement environmental policies, while on the other hand, hotel customers seeking services also expect to be pampered with hot water, high-pressure showers, freshly laundered linen, an ample supply of towels, abundant supplies of food and drink, and airport shuttles," Barber said.
The research was conducted by Barber and is presented in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research in the article "Profiling the Potential 'Green' Hotel Guest: Who Are They and What Do They Want?"
Barber found that green consumers tend to be more concerned for others and have a higher desire to work for the good of society than nongreen consumers. In addition, green consumers place a higher value on the restraint of actions that could upset or harm others and violate social norms.
Finally, green consumers are less likely to be motivated to enhance their own personal interests and less likely to purchase self-serving products such as those associated with achievement or excess.
According to Barber, a successful strategy targeted at green consumers draws on both functional and emotional green images. In terms of functional images, green consumers will look for tangible demonstrations of the hotel's commitment toward green operational practices, such a recycling program or those with LEED certification.
On the emotional side, green consumers will look for actions that are evidence of a hotel's commitment to the environment and sustainability, such as providing hotel guests with the opportunity to dine on food supplied by local farmers.
"The method of awareness demonstrated through the actions taken by a hotel is important, implying that providing environmental products with visible steps to conserving resources may create a higher degree of consumer loyalty," Barber said.
"The potential image of a green hotel, through the benefits and product preferences perceived, can be a powerful operational tool in attracting and retaining more guests. Incorporating the functional, environmental, and emotional benefits of green positioning into hotel operations is a prerequisite for the creation of a green hotel image," he said.
This analysis is based on a survey of 563 U.S. hotel patrons who were randomly selected by a nationally recognized marketing research firm.
UNH study examines 'green' hotel guests' behavior
DURHAM — Hotels looking to attract "green" consumers must not only practice sustainable business practices but should effectively communicate those practices to green consumers, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics.


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Tracy Morgan is getting ready to shoot "No One's Son" in New York, and yes comedy's wild man is ready to shoot a drama.
"I'm ready," Morgan told PopcornBiz after the press day of the screwball comedy "Death at a Funeral."
Morgan says he "absolutely" has the chops for pure-drama.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
"Comedy is tragedy turned inside out. That's drama," a suddenly impassioned Morgan told us. " It's not like comedy is a step down from drama. Comedy is a privilege.
"You think it's easy to make people laugh?" he asked. "It's easier to make them cry. All you have to do is say hurtful things."
Besides, he has lots of drama experience. Just ask him. "There's 'Saturday Night Live,' " he tells us going over his resume. "That's live television. It doesn't get no more deeper than that. It's live. There's no cut."
Interesting thought process, but it is Tracy Morgan. To help us through the serious phase, Morgan is his usual hilarious self in "Funeral" and will be back working for yuks on "30 Rock" soon enough.
"Those writers are diabolical," says Morgan. "They're in the laboratory now."