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George M. Steinbrenner Field
As college spring breakers are flocking to the tropical beaches of Florida, it seems like the perfect time to share my Spring Break 2k15 adventure. While most college students pile their friends into a car and trek down to either Panama City Beach or Miami, with the intent of spending the week pounding beers on a beach, I took a more sophisticated approach. My parents and I made a last minute decision to fly down to Tampa, Florida, and then drive up to Thomasville, Georgia to visit my brother, then back down to Tampa (with my brother) to watch a Yankees vs Pirates spring training game, and then finally fly back to the pristine, yet a little colder, shores of Lake Erie. The main attraction for me on this voyage was, with-out-a-doubt, experiencing the wonders of spring training, even if it was with the New York Yankees. Of course, the Cleveland Indians spring training would be ideal to attend, but I'll have to save that for another year (aka, next spring break). In the meantime though, a spring training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field was a great way to spend my spring break.
Pulling into the parking area, it was apparent that baseball was in the air. From tailgaters to ticket scalpers, believe me when I say, people take this whole spring training thing quite seriously. The parking area was directly in front of Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then to get to the baseball field, we crossed a pedestrian bridge over Dale Mabry Highway. Before finding our seats, we meandered around outside the stadium for a short time, making stops to see the retired numbers of Yankee greats at the mini Monument Park, as well as the George M. Steinbrenner Statue.
The city of Tampa became the first spring training site located in Florida when the Chicago Cubs setup camp in 1913. For years the city hosted different Major League Baseball teams during spring training, along with various minor league teams throughout the summer. Then in 1988, the Cincinnati Reds moved training facilities, and the following year, the last minor league team followed suit, leaving the city void of a baseball team and venue. An end to that spring baseball drought was announced in 1993, when the Tampa Sports Authority revealed a deal to build a new spring training facility for the New York Yankees. After a short debate over location, it was decided that the new complex would be built directly across the Dale Mabry Highway from Tampa Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the time. On March 1, 1996, spring baseball was restored to the city when the Yankees hosted the Cleveland Indians. Today George M. Steinbrenner Field serves as home to the minor league Tampa Yankees, as well as the spring training location of the New York Yankees.
The "Legend"-ary Name
From the time of inception, the new ballpark was named Legends Field. On March 27, 2008, that name was changed to George M. Steinbrenner Field, in honor of long-time Yankees owner and Tampa resident, George Steinbrenner. At the time, Steinbrenner was in failing health, and later passed away in July 2010. To further honor the illustrious owner, a life-size bronze statue was erected at the stadium's entrance in January 2011.
The Stadium Itself
George M. Steinbrenner Field, with a seating capacity of 11,026, is an intimate venue when compared to its colossal Major League Baseball counterparts. When visiting the ballpark, fans can catch subtle nods to the storied Old Yankee Stadium. The field dimensions of the stadium precisely mirror those of the former Yankees home. Also, the grandstand facade was designed after that of the legendary stadium. On this specific trip, my attention was slightly less focused on the actual stadium and more about the atmosphere. Spring training should be on the list of must-sees for every avid baseball fan. It gives you a chance to see veteran players in a lighter environment, alongside prospects fighting to make the team. Spring training allows fans to see players in all different stages of their careers. One of the most intriguing aspects of my visit was hearing a cacophony of boos as well as cheers raining down every time Alex Rodriguez's name was announced. In years prior, that mixture would have been solely applause. Spring Training gives you a great preview of the regular season, and from what I saw in that one game, the 2015 season will be quite a spectacle.
PNC Park
Aesthetically speaking, PNC Park, located on the north bank of the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is in a league of its own. Serving as the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the stadium's design truly embodies the history and beauty of the surrounding city. Oriented towards the skyline and river, fans are treated to breathtaking panoramic views. I visited the stadium in the summer of 2009 for a matchup between the Indians and Pirates and was instantly blown away by the stadium's pure elegance. I remember arriving in Pittsburgh hours before the game and leisurely strolling along the riverfront, exploring the stadium's surroundings. Then before entering the stadium, we paused by the Roberto Clemente Statue, taking in its magnificence with the Roberto Clemente Bridge proudly standing in the background.
Conversation for a new baseball stadium in Pittsburgh gained momentum in 1991 when the mayor of the city, Sophie Masloff, proposed a new 44,000 seat ballpark. It was felt that the old park, Three Rivers Stadium, which had never been built with artistic tastes as a priority, had lost its accessibility and no longer could serve the organization's needs. Despite the inherent need for a new stadium, discussions stalled for years until the team was purchased by Kevin McClatchy in 1996. In that same year, the new mayor of Pittsburgh, Tom Murphy, created the "Forbes Field II Task Force," assigned with the responsibility of assessing the need for a new stadium, along with evaluating 13 potential locations. After the group decided on a location on the north shore of the Allegheny, and the ensuing political debate about funding was settled, construction began on April 7, 1999. Construction lasted a short 24 months, allowing the Pirates to play their first official game at the new stadium on April 9, 2001, against the Cincinnati Reds.
The stadium was designed by HOK Sport in a way to salute the classic style of Forbes Field, the Pirate's home before Three Rivers was built. With masonry archways across the entry, steel truss work, and decorative terra-cotta pillars, the stadium truly delivers on its nod to the past. The relatively small stadium is an intimate, two-deck affair, and with the highest seat only 88 feet from the field, fans can expect a spectator-friendly experience.
Tributes to a Legend
Roberto Clemente, one of the most fabled baseball players of all-time and a beloved figure in Pirate history, was used as a major component in the stadium's design. Clemente was a Pittsburgh Pirate for 18 seasons where he became a two-time World Series Champion, World Series MVP, National League MVP, and amassed numerous all-star appearances, gold gloves, and National League batting titles. With an amazing career on the field, Clemente also made a large impact on his community, dedicating portions of his off seasons to charity work in his home country of Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries.
When the thought of the new ballpark was just in its infancy, many fans shared a sentiment of wanting the stadium to be named in Clemente's honor. Shortly after PNC Bank bought the naming rights to the stadium, the city of Pittsburgh renamed the Sixth Street Bridge the Roberto Clemente Bridge, in a compromise with fans. The stadium was then oriented to show off the bridge in its sweeping views of the skyline. The bridge closes down to vehicles on game days, transforming into a pedestrian walkway for fans taking them right past the Roberto Clemente statue outside the stadium. PNC Park also features statues of other Pirate greats Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell, and Bill Mazeroski. The base of the Clemente statue is shaped like a baseball diamond. Each "base" contains dirt from three of the fields where Clemente played: Santurce Field in Puerto Rico, Forbes Field, and Three Rivers Stadium. Another design element paying tribute to Clemente's legacy is the right-field wall. The wall stands at 21 feet high, honoring the jersey number 21 worn by Clemente. Part of PNC Park's allure comes from its ability to embrace the surrounding city along with the team's history. While framing picturesque modern views, the stadium also allows players and traditions from the past to play an integral role in its identity. If you're hoping to watch a baseball game surrounded by timeless beauty, PNC Park is the place to be.
Fenway: The Cathedral of Boston
With spring semester starting today, I decided to take a look back at my most epic summer of baseball touring to date, which began with a bang in Boston, Massachusetts. Fenway Park has been at the top of my must-see list for years, and it was surreal to see the dream finally come to fruition this summer. I was like a kid in a candy shop on the morning of the game when we first saw the stadium and began our tour. At the start of the tour, we sat behind home plate to watch some of batting practice and then were able to come down on the field. On the field we were able to catch a glimpse of Cleveland Indians radio broadcaster Tom Hamilton, one of the best in the business and my absolute favorite. Hamilton was chatting with Boston manager John Farrel and managed a wave as we were passing by.
After that, we were ushered up to the Green Monster where we watched more batting practice. Watching batting practice from the Green Monster was probably the coolest baseball experience I have ever had. From the time I was a child, I always dreamed about sitting on the Green Monster and even wrote a letter about it in high school. Although it was just for batting practice, it still gave me chills. After our tour, we left the stadium and enjoyed a sausage on Yawkey Way. We reentered in time to watch the Indians in batting practice where we caught a David Murphy home run and then were thrown a ball by Indians reliever Cody Allen. The game hadn't even started, and yet I was the happiest girl in the world.
My favorite stadiums are the ones brimming with history and tradition. Fenway Park definitely fits under that category as it is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium still in use, and it maintains the same character and features synonymous with the Boston Red Sox. Just the atmosphere around the stadium is addicting and enough to bring a smile to the face of any baseball fan. How could the thousands of fans invested in and so passionate about their team and the traditions the team represents not warm your heart?
Getting the Ball Rolling
The narrative of Fenway Park begins in 1911 when Red Sox owner John I. Taylor purchased a plot of land in "The Fens" of Boston to be the site of his new stadium. Construction for the stadium began in September of 1911 and took less than a year to complete. The first official game at Fenway Park was played on April 20, 1912 against the New York Highlanders (Yankees) and the new stadium proved to be good luck as the Red Sox went on to win the World Series that season.
Since its inception, Fenway Park has hosted baseball, football, hockey, and even concerts. Countless memories have been made at the stadium by players, and fans alike.
The Lone Red Seat
In the right field bleachers, 502 feet from home plate, lies the lone red seat. This seat, Section 42, Row 32, Seat 21, represents the longest home run ever hit at Fenway Park. The home run was hit by Ted Williams on June 9, 1946 and landed on the head of a fan. The seat was painted red to sit among the sea of green seats, commemorating this unrivaled feat.
The fan who was hit in the head by Williams' blast, Joseph Boucher, was quoted as saying: "How far away must one sit to be safe in this park? I didn't even get the ball. They say it bounced a dozen rows higher, but after it hit my head, I was no longer interested. I couldn't see the ball. Nobody could. The sun was right in our eyes. All we could do was duck. I'm glad I did not stand up."
The Green Monster
Looming at a height of 37.167 feet, stretching 231 feet across left field, 310 to 315 feet away from home plate, is the Green Monster, possibly the most iconic image of Fenway Park. Although today we know it as the Green Monster, it had neither the name nor color at onset.
When the stadium was built in 1912, "the wall" as it was referred to, was made out of wood and meant to block the view of people outside the stadium who had not paid for admission to the game. In 1934, the wall received a face-lift as the wooden fence was replaced with a concrete-and-tin wall. The Green Monster as we know it today, was born in 1947 when the advertisements were scraped off the wall and swapped for green paint. In 1975, the final change was made when a hard plastic took over for the tin.
Pesky's Pole
The shortest outfield distance in Major League Baseball finds its home at Fenway Park, in the form of Pesky's Pole. Standing 302 feet from home plate, the right-field foul pole still presents a challenge for hitters as the fence sharply curves away from the pole. Pesky's Pole was named after John Pesky, a long-time Red Sox short-stop and coach, who hit a number of his six home runs at Fenway Park around the pole. On Pesky's 87th birthday, September 27 2006, the Red Sox officially dedicated the pole as Pesky's Pole and placed a commemorative plaque to its base.
To date, this trip and stadium remains one of my favorites. Not only does Fenway Park ooze with tradition, but all of Boston holds numerous jewels of American history. Not to mention the delicious authentic Bostonian cuisine. There's just something about Fenway Park, an aura that beckons you inside, causing you to never want to leave. Once you've tasted what its atmosphere is like, you can't stop counting down the days until you can return.
A Great American Queen of the River
Let's do a "Throwback Thursday" to the summer of 2013 when I had the opportunity to visit Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds, for the second time. On my first visit in the summer of 2011, our seats were located in the lower bowl, so this most recent visit, with seats in the upper deck, I was able to truly appreciate the beauty of the Stadium's location. The view from our seats on the third base side of the upper deck, was absolutely spectacular. The stadium overlooks the scenic Ohio River, allowing fans to watch boats lazily glide down the river during breaks in the action. Having a view like that nowadays is rare, as most stadiums are oriented with the open end facing the city skyline. The energy in the stadium was electric with the Reds taking on rival Pittsburgh. Even with an interrupting rain delay, the stadium and fans were impressive, allowing my family to have an enjoyable visit at the ballpark
The History
Before the Reds' Great American Ballpark and the Bengals' Paul Brown Stadium, both teams shared Cinergy Field, formerly and more commonly referred to as Riverfront Stadium. This was in the "cookie-cutter" stadium era, when it was common for football and baseball teams to share occupancy of a venue. In the 1990s after 20 years of sharing, both the Bengals and Reds felt the stadium lacked needed amenities, and lobbied for new stadiums. Their wish came true, when in 1996, Hamilton County voters approved an increased sales tax to fund the construction of both venues. After two possible locations for the new baseball stadium were proposed, citizens settled the debate in 1998 by voting in favor of construction on the riverbank in an area called the "wedge", between Riverfront Stadium and US Bank Arena. After agreeing to a lease with the city, the Reds broke ground on October 4, 2000 and played their first game in the new stadium on March 31, 2003 in front of a sellout crowd.
Great American Features
With the rich history of the Reds, Great American Ballpark is able to accomplish merging the old with the new in unique ways. One example of the organization's embrace of history is the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, adjacent and connecting to the stadium. Another example located on the third base side exterior of the stadium, is a sign bearing the expression "rounding third and heading for home," the traditional sign off phrase of longtime Reds broadcaster Joe Nuxhall. Here are a few more of the many features that I enjoyed on my visit:
The Gap
The Gap is an actual 35 foot-wide break in the second and third decks, between home plate and third base. This opening, aligning perfectly with Sycamore Street, allows a view from downtown through the ballpark toward the Ohio River, and also frames a view of the city for those in the stadium. The Gap is bridged by a walkway on each level that offers fans a great view of the ballpark, or of downtown.
Honoring Pete Rose
Pete Rose, the all-time Major League hits leader and one of baseball's most well-known figures, is the inspiration behind a number of features at the stadium. Rose was caught betting on his teams' games as a manager and was subsequently banned from baseball and the Hall of Fame, although he still remains a staple in Reds history. Debates rage on about whether he should or will ever be allowed to enter the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Two smokestacks located in right-center field pay tribute to Rose's legendary career. The smokestacks, embodying the steamboat heritage of the region, are each made from 7 bats, symbolizing Pete Rose's No. 14 jersey that major league baseball restricts the Reds from displaying with the other Cincinnati legends. The smokestacks also serve as added entertainment for the crowd by lighting up, and shooting flames and fireworks after Reds victories and home runs. In addition to the smokestacks, a rose garden in honor of Pete Rose is located adjacent to both the stadium and museum, in the vicinity of where his record-breaking 4,192nd hit landed in the old Riverfront Stadium.
Paying Homage to Crosley Field
In front of the main entrance of Great American Ballpark is a monument built to honor historic Crosley Field, the home of the Reds from 1912 to 1970. Crosley Terrace consists of statues of Crosley-era greats Joe Nuxhall, Ernie Lombardi, Ted Kluszewski, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench and Frank Robinson, depicted playing a game of baseball. Grass in that area is even sloped to match the incline of Crosley's outfield. For me, the history and symbols are the most valuable part of a stadium. Although Great American Ballpark may not have the lavish history of ballparks like Fenway and Wrigley, it finds ways to incorporate objects and tokens to remember and honor the great moments, players, teams, and stadiums of the past. Someday it will be considered ancient and house traditions and memories integral to baseball's past, but until then, you can take in some elements of Reds history while watching boats traverse the great Ohio River.
The Home of Baseball
With the announcement of the 2015 Hall of Fame class today, let's take a closer look at the rich tradition that is the Baseball Hall of Fame. Sometimes referred to as strictly Cooperstown, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum located in Cooperstown, New York, was the next stop on my family's summer baseball adventure. With the motto "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations," the Hall of Fame is an educational institution housing artifacts and exhibits related to the sport of baseball. Serving to honor the game and the individuals who impacted the game, the Hall of Fame with the history it preserves, should be a priority for any baseball enthusiast, or casual fan. This was my second trip to the Hall of Fame and although special with 2014 being the 75th anniversary of the museum, I still only managed to scratch the surface of the abundance of information, stories, facts, and overall history the museum has to offer.
The First Pitch
The beginning of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum can be traced back to the 1908 report published by the "Mills Commission," a committee tasked with determining the origins of baseball. The report stated that baseball was invented in 1839 by Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, New York. This would eventually be found false, but the report proved to be fuel for the creation of the Hall of Fame.
In 1935, Stephen C. Clark, a Cooperstown resident, purchased an old baseball that had been discovered in a farmhouse attic near Cooperstown. Clark bought the ball, soon to be known as the "Doubleday Ball," for $5 and placed it with other memorabilia on display in the town's Village Club. This exhibit became a big hit, prompting Clark to approach the president of the National League, Ford Frick, with the prospect of a National Baseball Museum. Frick fully embraced the idea and even suggested a Hall of Fame for the greats of the game to be included with the museum. Now the idea had funding, support, and legitimacy allowing plans for the museum to move along.
The inaugural induction class of Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson,Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner was announced in 1936, after being voted on by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The five charter members each received over 75% of the votes cast, which holds today as the standard for induction. The Hall of Fame now consists of 310 elected members.
The National Baseball Museum opened in 1938 and was officially dedicated June 12, 1939. By the time of the dedication in 1939, twenty-five men had already been elected to the Hall of Fame.
Selection Process
At first glance, or after hearing analysts discuss the Hall of Fame voting procedure and the changes made throughout the years, it may seem rather overwhelming. It also is hotly debated as just today after the 2015 induction class announcement, analysts on ESPN expressed their frustration with the current ballot and how they felt they were forced to leave worthy candidates off, because there were simply not enough slots.
Currently, votes are cast annually by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) with at least 10 consecutive years on a baseball beat. Each qualified member of the BBWAA can vote for up to 10 players from the ballot. The ballot consists of pre-selected players who played for at least 10 seasons and have been retired for at least 5. Players receiving 75% of the cast votes will be elected to the Hall of Fame, while players receiving fewer than 5% will be removed from future ballots. Previously, if a player had appeared on the ballot 15 times without being elected, they would also be removed from the ballot, but in 2014 the rules were amended to only allow 10 years of consideration.
In addition to the BBWAA selection, there are also Eras Committees that review players no longer considered eligible by the BBWAA, along with managers, umpires, and executives, who made an impact on the game in one of three eras. The eras include, Golden, Pre-Integration, and Expansion. The voting for each era is staggered, so only one will occur per year. The ballot consists of 12 individuals and the electors may vote for as many as 5 candidates. Those receiving at least 75% will be elected to the Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame class of 2015 announced today consists of Randy Johnson 97.3%, Pedro Martinez 91.1%, John Smoltz 82.9%, and Craig Biggio 82.7%. This is the first time since 1955 that the BBWAA elected 4 players to the Hall of Fame in the same year. The 4 inductees will be honored as part of the Hall of Fame's Induction Weekend July 24-27 in Cooperstown, New York, with the actual induction occurring July 26.
Let's Take a Tour
Now that we have learned about the history of the Hall of Fame and the voting process, let's look at what the Hall of Fame actually is. Since the Hall of Fame suggests visitors start on the second floor, that's where we will begin our tour.
Second Floor
- Cooperstown Room- take a look at the history of the Hall of Fame and Cooperstown as the supposed "birthplace" of baseball
- The Baseball Experience- watch a multimedia presentation in the Grandstand Theater to start the journey through baseball's history
- Taking the Field: The 19th Century- learn about baseball's early years
20th Century Baseball Timeline – dive deeper into baseball's history learning about players, teams, and moments playing a large role in the game as we know it today. Includes special exhibits for important stories:
- Babe Ruth: His Life and Legend- chronicles George Herman Ruth's life from his childhood, through his professional years, to his post-career
- Diamond Dreams: Women in Baseball- one of my favorite exhibits paying homage to the role women have played in baseball
- Pride and Passion: The African-American Baseball Experience- immerse yourself in the rich history of African Americans in baseball
- ¡Viva Baseball!- delve into the stories of baseball in the Caribbean Basin countries
- Today's Game- relive memories and achievements of the last several years through lockers for each of the 30 teams containing artifacts
- Diamond Mines- discover the story of baseball scouts with this online exhibit
Third Floor
- Sacred Ground- another one of my favorites, looking at baseball stadiums of the past and present
Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream- follow Aaron's life from his childhood through his baseball career and into his post-baseball life
- One for the Books- explore the records held in professional baseball and the stories accompanying the record setting moments
Autumn Glory: Postseason Celebration- view artifacts from the most recent World Series and see the rings from each championship team. For any females not interested in baseball, I'm sure the ring section will peak their interest. When I visited, the Boston Red Sox had their three most recent World Series trophies on display in this section
- Picturing America's Pastime (temporary exhibit)- engross yourself in over 250,000 photographs from the museum's photo archives
- The New Face of Baseball- Osvaldo Salas' American Baseball Photographs (temporary exhibit)- examine American baseball photographs by photojournalist Osvaldo Salas featuring the decade following integration
The First Floor
- Learning Center- used for educational programs and special events
- Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award- view the names of winners of this award and a statue of Negro League legend O'Neil
- Art of Baseball- examine artwork inspired by baseball. This exhibit can be appreciated by anyone no matter their degree of interest in baseball
Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery- view the bronze plaques of the 310 Hall of Famers
- Baseball at the Movies- explore baseball as seen in movies by looking at baseball movie memorabilia
- Scribes and Mikemen- honors the great journalists and broadcasters of baseball
- Bullpen Theater- public programs and other activities held in this space
- Sandlot Kids' Clubhouse- activities for young baseball fans
- Giamatti Research Center- the Hall of Fame will aid you in learning more about baseball
Now that you have had a brief summary of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, I hope that you'll be planning your trip soon, so you can truly appreciate the magnificent home of baseball.
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field, nicknamed The Friendly Confines, is a "must see" when it comes to baseball stadiums. The ballpark oozes with history and tradition while the surrounding town radiates class and sophistication. Sporting unique features like an ivy wall, manually operated scoreboard, and rooftop seating, Wrigley Field immerses the spectator in an unparalleled experience, uniting the past and present.
Creating a Relic
Originally named Weeghman Park, Wrigley Field was built in 1914 to house the Chicago Whales, a baseball team belonging to the Federal Baseball League. The stadium at the time cost $250,000 to build. When the Federal League folded two years later, Charles Weeghman, the former Whales owner, joined William Wrigley Jr. and others to purchase the Chicago Cubs. He then immediately moved the team to the young ballpark. The first game played by the Cubs in Weegham Park was on April 20, 1916. After Wrigley purchased the team from Weegham in 1920, the stadium was renamed Cubs Park, and then in 1926 it was given the name Wrigley Field in honor of William Wrigley.
Iconic Images
When you think of Wrigley Field, what comes to mind? The Cubbies, Wrigleyville, maybe some specific memory? For me it boils down to five things, the marquee sign outside the stadium, the surrounding rooftop seating, the manually operated scoreboard, the ivy, and most importantly, the loyalty of fans. All the unique features of the stadium help to enhance a fan's visit, but the experience is truly made by the passionate fans supporting their team.
The surrounding rooftop seating adds to the friendly, relaxed atmosphere of the stadium. It is an awesome idea and serves as a representation of how the community supports and interacts with the Cubs organization. The rooftops are such a cute addition to the stadium and the people on them looked like they have an amazing time. Getting seats on one of the rooftops is definitely on my bucket list!
The manually operated scoreboard is one of the last remaining of its kind in baseball. Mounted above the bleachers in centerfield, it has never been hit by a baseball. The scoreboard was installed in 1937 when the bleachers were added. It has thus far stood the test of time, only undergoing minor additions. In 1941, the clock was added above the scoreboard, and then more lines for scores, and a small electronic message board followed suit in years to come. Scores are sent in to the scoreboard operator who is stationed in the scoreboard. That person then by hand replaces the numbers to update scores. It is awesome to watch and a very refreshing reminder of the "old days." Above the scoreboard are three flagpoles, one for each division in the National League. On the poles are 15 flags, representing each of the teams. Their order reflects the current standings of the teams in each division. There have recently been talks about possibly demolishing the scoreboard and adding a jumbotron. Only time will tell the fate of this historic landmark.
Beautification in Baseball
You all have probably seen the commercial for State Farm Insurance last year where Kerry Wood pulls Andre Dawson from the ivy covering Wrigley's home-run walls. That ivy is a staple of the stadium. You might have noticed during the first couple weeks of the baseball season that the ivy looked dead. No need to worry, it appears that way until further into spring when the leaves have a chance to grow out. The ivy, a mixture of Boston Ivy and Japanese Bittersweet, was planted in 1937 by the General Manager of the Cubs at the time Bill Veeck. The ivy, an idea modeled off of Perry Stadium in Indianapolis, was meant to "beautify" the bleachers that had been rebuilt that year. Wrigley Field is the only current professional baseball park with ivy-covered outfield walls.
While Wrigley Field serves as the setting and star of baseball games on afternoons in the summer, it also has played an important role in many well-known movies and tv shows. In addition to baseball and the big screen, Wrigley Field has housed football games, soccer matches, the hockey Winter Classic, and many concerts. It has been a witness to some of the biggest feats in the game of baseball. One of the most popular moments happened in game 3 of the 1932 World Series. The Colossus of Clout, The Sultan of Swat, The King of Clash, The Great Bambino, yes….Babe Ruth was up to bat. The story says that Ruth pointed to the outfield and on the next pitch, launched a home run to that same spot. Although in reality it is unknown where and what Ruth was actually pointing at, "calling your shot" is credited to this monumental statement. As a baseball fan, it is a wonderful opportunity to visit the stadium and take part in such a rich tradition. Wrigley Field should be near the top of every baseball enthusiast's list of stadiums to visit.
Kauffman Stadium: A Truly Royal Experience
The Crown Jewel
Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals, is known as one of the most beautiful stadiums in all of Major League Baseball. While being visually alluring, the stadium also boasts a rich tradition, standing as the sixth oldest active stadium.
Building a Castle
The plan for Kauffman Stadium began in 1967 when Jackson County approved the building of a baseball stadium for the Kansas City Athletics and a football stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs. It was unusual in that time period to build two separate stadiums and many critics believed that two stadiums could not be supported. Then before the 1968 season, the Athletics were moved to Oakland. Responding to outrage in the Kansas City area, the MLB granted expansion franchises to multiple cities including a Kansas City team, owned by Ewing Kauffman. These teams were set to begin play in 1971, but the starting season was moved up to 1969 due to pressure from the cities.
Jackson County continued planning the new park, and Royals Stadium opened on April 10, 1973. This provided a new home for the Kansas City Royals who had played the franchises' first four seasons at Kansas City Municipal Stadium. In a ceremony on July 2, 1993 the ballpark was officially renamed Kauffman Stadium in honor of Ewing Kauffman. The stadium remained relatively unchanged for years until 1900 when a jumbo-tron video screen was installed. Then, before the 1998 season, the astroturf was removed and the field was resurfaced with grass. By 2000 blue seats were installed in the stadium, replacing the original orange ones. Lastly, in 2007 a $250 million two-year renovation plan was unveiled, making vast improvements to the stadium.
Did you Say Free Donuts??
I visited Kauffman Stadium in 2003 with my family during a visit to my dad's cousins. I fell in love with the stadium's design. It had an elegant look, but the atmosphere was relaxed and fun-loving. The fountain and waterfall display behind the home run fence was the coolest thing I had seen in a baseball stadium. Also, the crown scoreboard, from my perspective as a young girl, was absolutely breathtaking. While the architecture was quite magnificent, my favorite part of Kauffman Stadium was the donut promotion. The Kansas City Royals began a Krispy Kreme Donut promotion in 2003. If the Royals recorded 12 hits, each ticket for that game could be redeemed for a dozen Krispy Kreme Donuts. That's right, each fan could receive a donut per hit if the 12 hit mark was reached. It seems crazy, but this promotion lasted through the 2006 season. At the game we attended, it just so happened that the Royals recorded 12 hits. Never have donuts been more delicious than those free ones.
Ruling Through the Decades
This year, Kauffman Stadium celebrates its 40th season. Since 1973, The K has hosted over 70,638,469 fans, two all-star games, three no-hitters, playoff games in seven seasons, and two World Series. Those statistics don't even begin to describe the countless pitches thrown, hits recorded, or hours of baseball played. Most importantly, those numbers can't account for the priceless experiences had at the stadium. Kauffman Stadium has thus far stood the test of time, making an impact on anyone entering the gates.


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text:
I am in Town today and on seeing this card I thought I would get a few and send you one. I am fine. Getting a lot to eat, for you know I am mess sergeant now. I hope you will be satisfied with this instead of a letter.
Poem printed on the front of postcard
The Germans have their "Wacht am Rhein," the English play "God Save the King,"
The Frenchmen sing their "Marseillaise," while Russians chant their National Hymn.
Our Spirit shuns this war-like ring; peace breathes in what we proudly sing.
Oh! long may it wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
By these colors we stand ever true,
Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue.
© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.


text:
Ever since Comic-Con 2012 kicked off this past Wednesday, the word 'round the campfire has been that Mondo's biggest release—the one everyone would be talking about after the Con, the one that everyone was going to be determined to get their hands on, the one print to rule them all—would be dropping on Saturday night. There didn't seem to be any concrete info to support this suspicion, but that didn't keep poster-nerds the world over from repeating it whenever they got the chance. And ya know what? Even though limited-paper enthusiasts are generally 5/10 when it comes to predicting drops, they were absolutely right about tonight's release of Mondo's The Dark Knight Rises print by Olly Moss.
Read all about that—and the rest of Mondo's Saturday-at-Comic-Con output—after the jump.
Believe it or not ("I'm walking on air…"), Comic-Con 2012 is already nearing its conclusion. It seems like only yesterday that 100,000+ people were boarding flights en masse on their way to the San Diego Convention Center. As it turns out, that was actually four days ago, a realization that perfectly illustrates that old saying: "Time flies when you're spending way, way too much money on colorful pieces of paper".
And we've certainly been doing plenty of that here at Limited Paper. Over the past few days, we've picked up a slew of prints, including stuff from Tom Whalen (whose Land of The Lost print popped up at the Huckleberry Toys booth on preview night), Mark Englert (whose Alien-themed You Are My Lucky Star print debuted at the Gallery1988 booth), Jason Edmiston (whose Hand of Ming print finally popped up in a non-$10,000/giclee print format at Edmiston's own SDCC booth), and—of course—virtually everything released by the dapper gentlemen over at booth #437.
That booth, of course, belongs to Mondo, and has been the source for some of the biggest lines drawn at this year's Comic-Con. All week long, Comic-Con security has been struggling to figure out how to deal with the Mondo-poster demand, even as the passersby unfamiliar with the Mondo phenomenon have struggled to figure out why 500 people might have appeared out of thin air to spend $50 on a single movie poster. Big stories and footage reveals might be coming out of Hall H every hour on the hour, but on the exhibitor's floor, Mondo's presence has been the big story of Comic-Con 2012.
And today, they prove that all of the attention is deserved, starting with Martin Ansin's long-awaited Game of Thrones poster. The print—the third in a series started in conjunction with the fine folks over at HBO's smash-hit fantasy series—was one of the biggest draws of the Con thus far, resulting in a line of hundreds that stretched out, around, and away from the Mondo booth as far as anyone could see. Let's take a look at that print now:
- Game of Thrones by Martin Ansin
- 24×36"
- $50 edition of 430
In case it's not obvious from the photo, the silver inks on that pint are metallic, causing the image itself to pop right off the page when you're looking at it dead-on (Note: one of the most amusing-slash-heartbreaking things about Comic-Con 2012 has been watching flippers and n00bs trying to figure out how to roll their Mondo posters on the already-packed floor of the SD Convention Center; if you're buying one of these off someone on eBay, make sure to ask them if the print's in mint condition before you fork over your cash). Of the three Game of Thrones prints released thus far, this is easily the most striking, and is sure to be the hardest to obtain once the Con wraps.
A few hours after this piece went onsale, Mondo upped the ante by introducing the next set of prints in their just-announced Lord of The Rings series: a three-print set put together by Mondo regular JC Richards (whose Fortress of Solitude remains one of the coolest Superman-related prints we've ever seen). Let's take a look at all three prints in that set now:
- Lord of The Rings (3 print set) by JC Richards
- 12×30.75"
- $150 edition of 390
It's going to be stunning to see what fans do with this particular set of prints once they get them home, framed, and up on their walls: looking them over, I'm getting a slew of framing ideas. All three in one frame, matted, and up on the wall? Or perhaps separately, and done in descending (or ascending) order down one wall in someone's staircase? There's a lot of potential-for-greatness here, and I'm genuinely jazzed to see what you guys do with yours (once you've got your set framed, feel free to send me some pics here at firstname.lastname@example.com: we're going to have an entire edition of this column devoted to awesome frame-jobs at some point in the future, and these would be ideal candidates for that piece).
A new Martin Ansin print's always reason to celebrate. A 3-print set of Lord of The Rings prints is also worth getting excited over. But the biggest news out of Mondo country arrived this evening around 5pm, when Olly Moss' "Holy shit"-inducing print for The Dark Knight Rises made its long-rumored appearance. There was a big twist to this print, but before we get to that…let's see what she looked like.
- The Dark Knight Rises by Olly Moss
- 16×24" regular edition
- 24×36" variant edition
- $40 regular edition of UNLIMITED (for 24 hours)
- $100 variant edition of 180 (SOLD OUT)
As you've probably already heard, Mondo did something wildly unexpected—and, unless you're the type that hates "timed editions" out of principle—totally kick-ass for those that weren't able to attend Comic-Con 2012: they are currently offering the regular edition of Moss' The Dark Knight Rises print in "open edition" form. This means that very soon—probably in the next day or so, and then for the next 24 hours only—you'll be able to head over to the Mondo website (mondotees.com) and order yours without fear of it already having sold out. However many people order this print, that's how many are going to be released (whether it's 100 people or 100,000 people). This is a major step for Mondo, something that many fans of the company's posters predicted that they'd never do. Indeed, the debate surrounding the idea of a Mondo timed edition is complicated, and probably worthy of its own article (look for that sometime next week, after the edition size has been finalized and more details have been released).
One thing worth pointing out, public service announcement-style: dirtbags are already attempting to sell the regular, timed edition on eBay as the variant edition. At the time of this writing, I've had no less than four people write in to tell me that a giant douchenozzle (I'm not going to link to either his/her eBay account nor use their username: seems like a really good way to get into some lame-ass, internet-based squabble) is using jpgs of the variant edition in their online auction for the timed edition. People who might have waited 24 hours or so to order a version of the print for $40 are getting suckered into paying $350+ for this thing, so…buyer beware.
As it happens, I was on-hand at the Mondo booth throughout the sale of Moss' Dark Knight Rises variant, observing the drop and asking questions for a piece that we'll also be running sometime next week. In short, I've been dying to know what the average poster drop is like from the Mondo perspective (What's it like when a wave of humanity assembles directly in front of you, thrusting money in your face and asking the same questions over and over again? How stressful is it for the Mondo guys to keep up with the immediate demand of the line itself? How hard is it to keep things organized and running smoothly?), and you can look forward to that exclusive report…er, also next week. That one's going to take a minute to assemble, and we've still got one more day at Comic-Con before we can start cranking out the really complicated stuff.
Speaking of which, it's worth noting that Limited Paper's Comic-Con coverage won't stop when the Con closes tomorrow evening: all next week, we're going to be bringing you interviews with a number of big artists (guys like Olly Moss, Kevin Tong, Daniel Danger, Mark Englert, and Jason Edmiston) as well as some exclusive Q&A action with the guys from Mondo. Yes, Limited Paper's SDCC coverage will be a two-week affair, so prepare thyselves for an overabundance of print-related content in the days ahead.
For now, be sure to swing by the Mondo website to pick up your regular edition of Olly Moss' The Dark Knight Rises print, and also be sure to drop us a line at firstname.lastname@example.com if you've got anything you'd like to share: got photos from the Con you want us to use? Hot tips regarding upcoming prints? Want to suggest ideas for upcoming editions of the column, or point us in the direction of an artist you think is particularly awesome? We want to hear about it, so drop us a line today! In the meantime, everyone else is encouraged to hit the comments section below to talk about today's major drops: namely, we're wondering what you guys think of the decision to make Olly Moss' Dark Knight Rises an open-edition poster—good or bad? Why, why not? Keep things civil and we'll be happy to hear you out!
Stay tuned, folks: much more is coming from Limited Paper tomorrow, next week, and in the months ahead!


text:
I'm charging 16 fever, 16 fever, nigga my price cheaper, 16 fever
16 fever coca-ina
X pills, bubble kush, mid-grade reefer
Hoes ride dicks, dog, but I ride Beemers
A square rectangle cost 16 fever
[Verse 1]
16 5-0, there go 5-0
I'm up 2-5 but I need 4 more
I got uncles blowing bundles, mine do numbers while I drive lambo
Off-white yayo, digital scale
Fishscale sending my pigeons by mail
Bring in my drain folks, I just bring me that caine, folks
Gucci got good dope, pills, purp and sizzurp
My workers don't move nothing less than a bizzurd
Gucci got good dope, pills, purp and sizzurp
My workers don't move nothing less than a bizzurd
[Verse 2]
Bricks: can't keep em
16 fever, Beemer-speakers, geek-a-meters
Misdemeanors, several subpeonas
See, I'm gonna drink up cause we just linked up
The squad been teamed up, we cutting off fingers
It's 16 fever and that's since april
My Corvette paid for, my old-school paid for
The hummer roll up? That means you assed out
And you didn't cash out, see this my traphouse
I slam fiends backs out, we push white sacks out
See this my traphouse, I slam fiends backs out
We push white sacks out, them backs get pushed out
[Verse 3]
I'm scraping the bowl up, I'm whipping up cake mix
But this ain't red velvet! Don't eat it, you smoke it
Your options are open: you even can snort it!
3 dollar sacks so you know you can score it
Say "you can't afford it". Yo, I can't ignore it
Well go call them dope boys, you know you feel boring!
You know that you fiending, you know that you need it
It's Gucci, I'm greedy. My niggas stay eating


text:
To make it easy for you to find the information about your education that you need, when you need it, we've compiled the following links to student resources such as forms, handbooks and tuition information. You can also visit your individual program section to find more detailed information on the program in which you are currently enrolled.
Find updated information about course dates and holidays.
Additional information regarding the registration process.
Information about tuition rates and financing your education at the College of Liberal and Professional Studies.
Housing, dining and campus safety, as well as information about the wealth of activities on Penn's campus.
Find key student forms and handbooks for each program.
Details about documenting and celebrating your graduation from LPS.


text:
Having a solid marketing platform in place is essential for any sort of business. Being left in the dust from competitors because of poor marketing or a lack of it, is difficult to come back from. Ignition Marketing offers its clients' state-of-the-art technological corporate gifts and great quality corporate products to use as part of a strategic marketing plan.
Our dedicated and experienced corporate marketing team spends a lot of time with our clients, working out a solid corporate gifting or marketing strategy. This allows our clients to understand the full scope of our marketing offering. Our brand activation is carried across all that we do. It gives our valued clients a chance to increase awareness around their brand without spending large amounts on traditional advertising platforms or exceeding marketing budgets.
We strive to offer each client the very best corporate marketing solution for them. In order to deliver to this high standard, we make an effort to get involved right from the very beginning. Once a company has chosen us as their corporate gifting and clothing supplier, we ensure that there is a dedicated Ignition Marketing employee working closely with each client. They could assist in advising a client on which corporate gifting or clothing products to purchase or assist with branding ideas.
No request is too big or too small and our team of experienced staff is always available to help so that our clients get maximum exposure out of their branded products.
Let's make a success of your marketing strategy, contact us for more information.


text:
Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College
The domicile of invisible processes reflects the source of bodily composition – cell structure, DNA – as well as disease and medical processes. This expresses my personal story, living with Crohn's disease and anemia – conditions that would be much more severe without the microscopic healing processes that take place within my body. My aim is to recognise the overwhelming complexity and capability of the human body, as well as the fragility of genetic information. Plant roots represent DNA structure and growth, colours symbolise cells, and translucency is emblematic of looking through, as if viewed under a microscope.
Influencing artist: Janet Laurence
Janet Laurence places scientific objects in her installation The matter of nature and displays them in an art gallery as a work of art. How do you respond to this work? How would you react if this installation were placed in another environment? Suggest the meaning of this work and how the audience's response is integral to its understanding.
Holly Payne references a personal connection to her body of work. Read her artist statement and discuss the connection between artmaking and the individual. Has she been successful in portraying the concept of her work?


text:
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text:
In the Blog
RiP: A Remix Manifesto
In January, I blogged about RiP: A Remix Manifesto, a movie aimed at criticizing international copyright law, a system that tramples art and innovation, and makes criminals of small children and old ladies. We live in a world where major corporations are declaring they "own" everything from rain forest plants to human DNA. In February, the Electronic Frontier Foundation began a protest of YouTube's Fair Use Massacre, in which copyright owners (notably Warner Music Group) sent out takedown notices, threatening users who posted videos as innocent as teen girls practicing their piano and singing Christmas songs. Fair use has been gutted and major corporations are seizing "ownership" of our entire universe.
Join the remix revolution!


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The jobs data settles that question.....
April 4 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. lost jobs for a third consecutive month in March and the unemployment rate rose to the highest level since September 2005, pointing to an economy that may already be in a recession.
Payrolls shrank by 80,000, more than forecast, after a decrease of 76,000 in February that was more than initially reported, the Labor Department said today in Washington. The jobless rate rose to 5.1 percent from 4.8 percent.
Job losses have shaken consumer confidence, contributing to a weakening in spending that has almost stalled growth. The report reinforces forecasts that the Federal Reserve, whose Chairman Ben S. Bernanke this week acknowledged the economy may face a recession, will need to do more to prevent further deterioration.
The jobs data settles that question.....
Foreclosures aren't always kind to renters...
Nearly 80 Baltimore City apartment tenants have been evicted from their homes this year, all because the buildings they live in have been sold in foreclosure.
The evicted tenants often don't know about their building's plight until it's too late. Some even continue to pay rent to their former landlords, only to be evicted by new owners who claim their tenants haven't paid rent in months. As a group, according to one city official, the renters could soon emerge as the latest victims of the rising tide of mortgage foreclosures sweeping the nation.
"We kind of thought this was starting, but what we found out [was] we had more and more tenants calling to say, 'Hey, I'm being evicted,' " said Reginald Scriber, deputy commissioner for community services at the Baltimore City Housing Authority. "It was clear to me that the tenants didn't know their rights."
The red-hot housing market of just a few years ago turned many area residents into real estate investors, hoping to buy and quickly sell properties at a handsome profit in just a matter of months. When the market cooled, many of those investors were left with homes they couldn't sell, and they turned to the rental market to keep them afloat of their mortgages until the market picked up again.
I didn't know how generous banks could be........
April 4 (Bloomberg) -- Banks are so overwhelmed by the U.S. housing crisis they've started to look the other way when homeowners stop paying their mortgages.
The number of borrowers at least 90 days late on their home loans rose to 3.6 percent at the end of December, the highest in at least five years, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington. That figure, for the first time, is almost double the 2 percent who have been foreclosed on.
Lenders who allow owners to stay in their homes are distorting the record foreclosure rate and delaying the worst of the housing decline, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com, a unit of New York-based Moody's Corp. These borrowers will eventually push the number of delinquencies even higher and send more homes onto an already glutted market.
It is all good....
Cramer gets Bernanke to wake up and cut rates.
Sub prime doesn't matter, yeah right....
Bear Stearns is fine, three days later it crashes
The leverage ratios mentioned in this article are just out of this world....
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The Great Unwind has begun, Citigroup Inc. strategists warned on Wednesday. As markets and economies de-leverage across the globe, investors should avoid companies and countries that have grown to rely too much on borrowed money, they said.
That means favoring public-equity markets over hedge funds, private-equity and real estate, while leaning toward emerging market countries and away from developed nations like the U.S., the bank's global equity strategy team advised.
Within equity markets, the financial-services should be avoided because it's still over-leveraged, while other companies have stronger balance sheets, the strategists said.
"Steady growth, low inflation and rock-bottom interest rates encouraged economic and financial participants across the world economy to gear up over the past few years," Robert Buckland and his colleagues on Citi's global strategy team wrote in a note to clients. "Easy money encouraged many to buy a bigger house, a bigger car or a bigger speculative position."
"But now, any behavior that relied upon continued access to easy money is being dramatically reassessed," they added. "Leveraged banks must lend less, leveraged consumers must consume less, leveraged companies must acquire or invest less, and leveraged speculators must speculate less."
Financial-services companies are the most vulnerable to this reduction of borrowed money across the globe, they said. During the last credit crisis in 1998, European banks were leveraged 26 to 1. In the early part of this decade, leverage grew to 32 to 1. Now the sector is geared 40 to 1 on average, according to Citi's European bank research team
Another day, another loser bank....
PARIS — Credit Suisse, the Swiss banking giant, said Thursday that it expected to post its first quarterly loss since 2003 because of large write-downs and losses related to "intentional misconduct" at its trading desk.
In a statement, the Swiss bank said that it would write off $2.65 billion for the fourth quarter of 2007 and the first three months of 2008. Credit Suisse also restated its fourth-quarter net income lower to 540 million francs from the original estimate of 789 million francs, or $788 million. Profit for 2007 declined to 7.76 billion francs.
The anticipated loss at Credit Suisse, on the heels of its write-downs and its trading irregularities in light of the rogue trading case at Société Générale, added to questions about how banks worldwide were managing risk during the expanding credit crisis that stemmed from problems in the mortgage markets in the United States.
After the shake-down, the shake out begins....
March 20 (Bloomberg) -- Sacramento may eliminate up to 600 jobs in the city's first staff reductions in half a century, and the police and fire departments in the California capital may have their budgets cut by 20 percent. The culprit is the collapse of the U.S. housing market.
California, the birthplace of the subprime mortgage industry, is paying the highest price of any state as the housing meltdown persists. Its gross domestic product will drop 1.5 percent in the first half of 2008, the most in the U.S., analysts at Lexington, Massachusetts-based Global Insight Inc. estimate.
The state had the most foreclosure filings in the U.S. last year and the biggest fourth-quarter decline in prices, according to RealtyTrac Inc., an Irvine, California-based seller of data on defaults, and the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight in Washington.
We live in a mad country when a mother is forced to consider this kind of question.
Question: Dear Bankruptcy Adviser,
My soon to be husband would like to know if he would be able to file bankruptcy (pending) on my medical bills? I told him because they were under my name, that he would not be able to; however, we are both wondering if he could file a bankruptcy under our just born son's name and eliminate the medical bills. Or will this be considered under my name as well since we were not married when the bills were incurred?
Answer: Dear Mary,
Stories like this truly make me nauseous. Illness is one of the three most common reasons people file bankruptcy. In some cases, the co-pay costs alone become insurmountable. But there are few options available to pay back the debt. You are right to consider bankruptcy when it appears there is no other option.
Before filing for bankruptcy protection, you ought to contact the hospital directly to see whether you could qualify for low-income waivers so that the hospital (or a foundation associated with the hospital) will pay the bills. Many hospitals provide financial assistance to anyone who is below 300 percent of the federal poverty level. But there are some circumstances that could make a person over that level eligible as well. Typically, an illness is also accompanied by a period of unemployment. You might easily qualify for financial assistance.
The majority of hospitals across the country, especially nonprofit hospitals, have charity care programs that pick up all or part of the cost of care for indigent or special needs families. Sometimes all it takes is one question to the hospital administrator to find out about these programs.
There are also nonprofit organizations that work with people buried in medical debt. Some are funded by large private donors. These organizations will negotiate on your behalf to reduce the balance and sometimes pay the negotiated balance. However, it is very important that you keep the bills from going into collections. Collection agencies are for-profit companies and are not as easy to work with as the primary care facility.
While I don't think you want to have your son file bankruptcy, be aware that your son will not be liable for any of the medical bills. He is under 18 and therefore cannot enter into a legally binding contract. Even if the bills are in his name only, the hospital (or subsequent collection agency) cannot sue him for the bills. What would the collection agency do anyway? Put a lien on his crib?
Your soon-to-be husband cannot file Chapter 7 bankruptcy in order to eliminate the debts in your name. You are the primary individual liable for the debt. However, he could file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which is essentially a monthly payment plan. As long as you include all credit debts into the Chapter 13 plan payment, then all bills will be eliminated. This is an option for you, as well.
Finally, try to negotiate a payment plan with the hospital. Something is better than nothing and bankruptcy will only place a larger burden on the hospital's bottom line.
Here is how the BBC over in England sees it. Hey, don't those English folks have their very own housing crisis? Whatever.....
The credit crunch has hit the US economy hard. From Wall Street to Main Street, loans that looked rock-solid a year ago now look shaky. And the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, is throwing away the rule book to contain the effects. Kevin Logan of Dresdner Kleinwort, one of the less gloomy New York economists, summarises the state of play as the credit crunch has spread to different types of assets as follows: "We're all sub-prime now".
The Fed did cut its main interest rate on Tuesday for the sixth time since September - by three quarters of one percentage point, to 2.25%. This means that interest rates are now very close to going negative in real terms - once inflation is taken into account. But amid the drama of the past few weeks, it almost seems par for the course. Whether it's rate cuts or special funding arrangements for Wall Street, the more the Fed does, the more the markets seem to need.


text:
D.C. "Fete Select TV" Crenshaw, NBC5 Street Team
Some business people have the ingredients for success. They find something that works and try to duplicate it. Restaurateur Jerry Kleiner is a perfect example of opening several restaurants very similar in style and experiencing a level of success. His restaurants include Red Light, Carnival, Giocco, Marche and most recently 33 Club. Those venues are located in the city, but Kleiner has ventured out to Hinsdale to open Il Poggiolo and is making his mark in the burbs.
Il Poggiolo is located on the site of Hinsdale's first silent movie theater and means "The Balcony". The interior is typcial "Kleineresque", rich in colors including vibrant red upholstery. The atmosphere is warm, classy, casual and elegant. Big picture windows allow for a nice view of the outside. Like a lot Kleiner restaurants the food is solid. Nothing will really blow you away here, but dishes are nice, savory, and satisfying. Favorites to consider are the Arancini (rice balls filled with mushrooms and taleggio) and the Pesce Spada con Caponata (sword fish, vegetables, raisins, pine nuts, capers). The Lamb Shank special was good, but could have been a little more tender and their Risotto del Giorno with corn, leaks and mushrooms met, but didn't exceed expectations. The Pan Roasted Halibut and Pan Roasted Seabass rounded out other solid dishes. The Fig Tart dessert was something special and comes highly recommended by yours truly.
Il Poggiolois a nice addition to downtown Hinsdale and should continue to provide Kleiner with a string of successful hot spots. The vibe and location could make it a fan favorite for the locals. Il Poggiolois located at 8 East First Street in the historic Harold R Zook building. Log onto www.ilpoggiolohinsdale.com for more information. Check out www.efete.net for more reviews on the newest and best restaurants in Chicago.


text:
In health,
Vitamin D Stops Cancer; Cuts Risk In Half American Cancer Society Drags its Feet
(OMNS, October 2, 2008) A new study of 3,299 persons has shown that those with higher levels of vitamin D cut their risk of dying from cancer in half. (1) Another recent study shows that ample intake of vitamin D, about 2,000 IU per day, can cut breast cancer incidence by half. (2) Still more research found that inadequate Vitamin D is "associated with high incidence rates of colorectal cancer" and specifically urges that "prompt public health action is needed to increase intake of Vitamin D-3 to 1000 IU/day." (3)
Vitamin D's anticancer properties are so evident, and so important, that the Canadian Cancer Society now recommends supplementation with 1,000 IU of Vitamin D per day for all adults in winter, and year-round for persons at risk. (4)
The American Cancer Society, however, is dragging its feet, still maintaining that "More research is needed to define the best levels of intake and blood levels of vitamin D for cancer risk reduction." (5)
What is taking them so long?
Researchers in 2006 noted that "The evidence suggests that efforts to improve vitamin D status, for example by vitamin D supplementation, could reduce cancer incidence and mortality at low cost, with few or no adverse effects." (6)
If you search the US National Institutes of Health's Medline online database for "cancer vitamin D," you will find over five thousand papers. . . some dating back nearly 60 years.
It's true: physician reports on vitamin D stopping cancer have been ignored for decades. In 1951, T. Desmonts reported that vitamin D treatment was effective against Hodgkin's disease (a cancer of the lymphatic system). (7) That same year, 57 years ago, massive doses of vitamin D were also observed to improve epithelioma. ( In 1955, skin cancer was again reported as cured with vitamin D treatment. (9) In 1963, there was a promising investigation done on vitamin D and breast cancer. (10) Then, in 1964, vitamin D was found to be effective against lymph nodal reticulosarcoma, a non-Hodgkin's lymphatic cancer. (11)
The American Cancer Society has been obsessed with finding a drug cure for cancer. Pharmaceutical researchers are not looking for a vitamin cure. And when one is presented, as independent investigators and physicians have continuously been doing since 1951, it is ignored.
No longer. Michael Holick, MD, Boston University Professor of Medicine, has come right out and said it: "We can reduce cancer risk by 30 to 50% by increasing vitamin D. We gave mice colon cancer, and followed them for 20 days. Tumor growth was markedly reduced simply by having vitamin D in the diet. There was a 40% reduction in tumor size. And, casual sun exposure actually decreases your risk of melanoma. Everyone needs 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 each day." (12)
What about safety? Yes, it is possible to get too much vitamin D, but it is not easy. "One man took one million IU of vitamin D per day, orally, for six months, "says Dr Holick. "Of course, he had the symptoms of severe vitamin D intoxication. His treatment was hydration (lots of water), and no more vitamin D or sunshine for a while. He's perfectly happy and healthy. This was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.(13) I have no experience of anyone dying from vitamin exposure. In thirty years, I've never seen it."
There are, of course, some reasonable cautions with its use. Persons with hyperparathyroidism, lymphoma, lupus erythematosus, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, kidney disease, or those taking digitalis, calcium channel-blockers, or thiazide diuretics, should have physician supervision before and while taking extra vitamin D. And when employing large doses of vitamin D, periodic testing is advisable.
But 1,000 IU per day of vitamin D is simple and safe. Some authorities recommend much more. (14, 15) The American Cancer Society recommends less.
What a shame.
(1) Pilz S, Dobnig H, Winklhofer-Roob B et al. Low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D predict fatal cancer in patients referred to coronary angiography. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 May;17(5):1228-33. Epub 2008 May 7.
(2) Garland CF, Gorham ED, Mohr SB et al. Vitamin D and prevention of breast cancer: pooled analysis. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol, 2007. Mar;103(3-5):708-11.
(3) Gorham ED, Garland CF, Garland FC, Grant WB, Mohr SB, Lipkin M, Newmark HL, Giovannucci E, Wei M, Holick MF. Vitamin D and prevention of colorectal cancer. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2005 Oct;97(1-2):179-94.
(4) http://www.cancer.ca/Canada-wide/About%20us/Media%20centre/CW-Media%20releases/CW-2007/Canadian%20Cancer%20Society%20Announces%20Vitamin%20D%20Recommendation.aspx?sc_lang=en
(5) http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_3_2X_Diet_and_Activity_Factors_That_Affect_Risks.aspAccessed Aug 29, 2008.
(6) Garland CF, Garland FC, Gorham ED, Lipkin M, Newmark H, Mohr SB, Holick MF. The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention. Am J Public Health. 2006 Feb;96(2):252-61.
(7) Desmonts T, Duclos M, Dalmau. [Favorable effect of vitamin D on the evolution of a case of Hodgkin's disease.] Sang. 1951;22(1):74-5. And: DESMONTS T. [Favorable action of vitamin D in leukemic erythroderma and Hodgkin's disease.] Pathol Gen. 1951 Mar;51(326):161-4. Also: VACCARI R. [Vitamin D2 and experimental carcinogenesis.] Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper. 1952 Aug-Oct;28(8-10):1567-9.
( Sainz de Aja Ea. [Case of an epithelioma in a patient treated with massive doses of vitamin D.] Actas Dermosifiliogr. 1951 Nov;43(2):169-70.
(9) Linser P. [Spontaneous cure of skin carcinoma by vitamin D treatment.] Dermatol Wochenschr. 1955;132(40):1072-3. German.
(10) Gordan GS, Schachter D. Vitamin D activity of normal and neoplastic human breast tissue. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1963 Jul;113:760-1.
(11) Desmonts T, Blin J. [Action of Vitamin D3 on the course of a lymph nodal reticulosarcoma.] Rev Pathol Gen Physiol Clin. 1964 Mar;64:137. French.
(12) Andrew W. Saul Interviews Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD. http://www.doctoryourself.com/holick.html
(13) Koutkia P, Chen TC, Holick MF. Vitamin D intoxication associated with an over-the-counter supplement. N Engl J Med. 2001 Jul 5;345(1):66-7.
(14) Vitamin D Boosts Health, Cuts Cancer Risk in Half. Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, October 3, 2007. http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v03n06.shtml
(15) Doctors Say, Raise the RDAs Now. Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, October 30, 2007. http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v03n10.shtml
For more information:
Saul AW. Vitamin D: Deficiency, diversity and dosage. J Orthomolecular Med, 2003. Vol 18, No 3 and 4, p 194-204. http://www.doctoryourself.com/dvitamin.htm
Online access to free archive of nutritionalmedicine journal papers: http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/
A free, non-commercial vitamin D newsletter is available from John Cannell, M.D., and the Vitamin D Council: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org
Sunlight, Nutrition And Health Research Center: http://www.sunarc.org
Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine
Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org
The peer-reviewed OrthomolecularMedicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource.
Editorial Review Board:
Damien Downing, M.D.
Harold D. Foster, Ph.D.
Steve Hickey, Ph.D.
Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D.
James A. Jackson, PhD
Bo H. Jonsson, MD, Ph.D
Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D.
Erik Paterson, M.D.
Gert E. Shuitemaker, Ph.D.
Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D., Editor and contact person. Email:email@example.com
© Dr Gina Nic


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This year, I came more prepared. I've already made a list of the cherry desserts I wanted to make as well as some strawberry desserts, and off to cherry and strawberry picking earlier. Our farmers' market has abundant of them, but it's the experience that you're missing when you're buying off of the market. I'm not complaining though because I completely rely on those cherry and strawberry stands in the market every week and they have the sweetest and the most amazing fruits I've ever had.
This hot weather makes me crave for something cold and refreshing, and that's when sorbet comes to mind. Plus, I've been dying to use my brand-new ice cream machine I got from my birthday this year (thanks guys!). It would be perfect if I made strawberry sorbet, but not this time. Don't worry though, it'll come soon once I gather my last ingredient for it :). I don't want something fancy this time, just something simple, cool and maybe lemony, and that's when I spotted this from one of my favorite bloggers, how perfect! I had some leftover buttermilk from the baby shower event that needed to be used up lots of meyer lemon juice and zest in the freezer, so everything was ready.
Lemon Buttermilk Sherbet
adapted from David Lebovitz's "The Perfect Scoop"
80 ml water
130 g granulated sugar
zest of one lemon
225 ml buttermilk
35 g lemon juice
- Combine together the water, sugar and lemon zest in a saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil (I like to rub my zest with the sugar to release the lemon oil for more lemony flavor).
- Remove from the heat and transfer it to a bowl, chill until completely cold (I chilled mine overnight)
- Add the buttermilk and the lemon juice to the sugar syrup and churn it in the ice cream machine.
- Transfer to a container and freeze


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Sometimes it a takes a while to get all the details of a past event and sometimes there are a few oversights on my part.
First off–a big one in the oversight department.
I forgot to include the 1st place female racer, Roz Patterson.
(photo from her page on: Urbancyclistworldwide.com )
In the […]


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The Meltdown Of The Hedge Funds – And Its Effect On The Market – Was Foreseeable
The hedge funds are melting down, and dragging the rest of the markets with them.
As a Wall Street Journal article from today entitled "Hedge Fund Selling Puts New Stress on Market" notes, "Hedge funds are selling billions of dollars of securities to meet demands for cash from their investors and their lenders, contributing to the stock market's nearly 10% drop over the past two days".
Was the meltdown of the hedge funds – and its effect on the market – foreseeable?
In a speech given at NYU law school on April 11, 2007, Fed. chairman Bernanke rationalized lax oversight of hedge funds, then warned about what is now unfolding:
"Regulatory oversight of hedge funds is relatively light … the light regulatory touch seems largely justified.
However, the growing market share of hedge funds has raised concerns about possible systemic risk. . . . many hedge funds are either highly leveraged or hold positions in derivatives or other assets that make their net asset positions very sensitive to changes in asset prices . . . . leverage also increases the risks to the broader financial system. The failure of a highly leveraged fund holding large, concentrated positions could involve the forced liquidation of those positions, possibly at fire-sale prices, thereby imposing heavy losses on counterparties. In the worst scenarios, these counterparty losses could lead to further defaults or threaten systemically important institutions. In addition, market participants that were not creditors or counterparties of the defaulting firm might be harmed indirectly through changes in asset prices, liquidity strains, and increased market uncertainty."
Stay tuned … the full effect of all of the forced selling and defaults by hedge funds hasn't yet been felt.
Comment on Global Research Articles on our Facebook page


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Have you ever dreamed of committing the perfect crime? C'mon, sure you have. Tell me you didn't walk into a bank, see someone digging into a cash-filled vault, and all of a sudden feel like busting out Heat-style and saying, "THIS MONEY IS MINE!" (Oh, and if you DON'T feel that way, that idea is all Michael Splechta's.) In Payday: The Heist, the team at Overkill are giving you such an opportunity; they are letting you and up to three friends team up to take part in six elaborate heists, starting with a simple assault on a bank and eventually leading to bigger and better things, including an attack in a corporate high-rise building.
That's jumping too far into it. The game starts you off with the basics, with you and a team of three casually walking into a bank and setting out to rob it. Now, there are conditions you have to meet, as you would in a real robbery, like tracking down the bank manager and stealing a key card, then carefully drilling your way into the vault. All the while, you need to keep an eye on hostages so you keep your leverage at bay, while assaulting any police officers that feel like coming in to get you. While these guys start off basic at first, they get more gruff and aggressive, including a guy known as a bulldozer, who's all business – with a shotgun.
Probably the coolest factor about Payday: the Heist, a PSN exclusive by the way, is teaming up with your friends to pull off the crime. Granted, you'll all need to be on the same page, like any good co-op team, in order to be successful with your robbery. After a few minutes of practice, you should have no problem scoping out goals, getting the goods, and then running for a getaway out the back. Each mission you take on varies, and sometimes you'll need to complete different initiatives, like rescuing someone during a prison transfer.
We'll give Overkill credit where it counts – Payday is definitely an intense game, as there are some situations where you'll have to fight for survival or scurry to the safe spot as quickly as possible. The team must have watched the Heat shootout a dozen times in order to get the feeling just right, and it shows. Unfortunately, not every aspect of the gameplay matches that.
First of all, finding objectives can take a little bit of time. In a bank robbery-themed game, every second counts, as you'll continuously hear your teammates tell you how long you have left to run for it. Secondly, the gun controls aren't that hot. The shooting definitely feels a little off-target, despite the fact that Overkill was going for a Left 4 Dead-meets-bank robbery sorta feel. Finally, the AI is a little problematic. Sometimes your teammates are dead on; other times, they're on the other end of the bank, just waiting to do something. Hey, guys, WAKE UP!
Another frustrating factor to Payday is, oddly enough, there's very little pay-off. Even after going through all six missions and completing a number of objectives, we never got to the point of earning any new weapons or bonuses to get us back into the game. It's just the same old assault rifle and gun. C'mon, where's the bazooka? Or at least give us some knife skills. Due to this lost initiative, some folks may be turned off from co-op entirely. That's too bad, because that's the better part of Payday.
Overkill did do a pretty good job with the game's presentation. The visuals aren't the best we've seen in an FPS. There are times that glitches can appear, like with a cop trying to run through a wall (without a battering ram), but overall it's a polished engine, with bits and pieces of realism thrown in for good measure. The music is good too, as if it was lifted from some of the better heist films. We could've done with less of the stupid chatter, though. We know communication is important with robbers (well, okay, we don't), but these guys need to shut up and shoot every so often.
Payday the Heist is a game that will leave you torn. There are some aspects you'll like, including the four-player online co-op support and the variety of the missions. However, the lacking gunplay and small glitches may have you feeling as if you might've been robbed for $20. Do yourself a favor and give the trial a go first.


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The modern customer's needs are ever increasing as they want information combined with the convenience of interacting with your brand whenever and wherever from various digital touchpoints and devices. Meanwhile, employees are demanding digital experiences that facilitate rapid information access, communication and enterprise collaboration.
To meet these demands, organizations are leveraging Web Content Management (WCM) solutions such as Crafter CMS to help deliver consistent and personalized experiences throughout the customer journey. And internally, portal solutions such as Liferay Portal are being used to address a variety of social business and collaboration needs.
But what happens when you want to share the same content across both internal and external sites? Is integration the key? While many organizations are realizing the business benefits of an integrated solution, it's important to keep in mind that integration isn't always the answer, and when it is, the approach taken can determine your implementation's success.
Understanding Platform Differences
Gaining a clear understanding of how each technology can be used for addressing various business needs means recognizing what each technology is under the hood.
At a high level, Liferay Portal is a multi-tenant, site-based platform, allowing the creation of multiple sites — including websites, portals, social collaboration environments, e-commerce, big data solutions, and mobile apps. The sites are built with Liferay's portlets, all of which sit under the Liferay umbrella, meaning these sites are being published to the web by Liferay.
Crafter CMS, on the other hand, is an enterprise WCM tool with robust content management features — including user-friendly content authoring, in-context preview, workflow, multi-channel publishing, versioning, and content delivery.
Architecturally, Crafter is very different from Liferay in the way content is delivered. Crafter employs a decoupled architecture, where content authoring and delivery occur separately. Crafter's authoring component, Crafter Studio, is where all the authoring takes place, along with content being managed in an Alfresco repository.
Unlike Liferay, where publishing occurs within itself, Crafter publishes to a completely different environment through Crafter Engine, the delivery component. Crafter Engine is able to serve content to virtually any channel, whether it's a website using any front-end framework (PHP, .NET, Java, etc.), mobile app, or other third party system. This is the fundamental difference between Crafter and Liferay, and understanding this is a vital part of knowing when to integrate or not.
Perspective Differences
Liferay and Crafter are both powerful platforms that can be used to address a variety of business needs, including many similar, overlapping use cases. This overlap creates confusion around when to use each of these tools and if they should be used together. We've seen organizations integrate these products for the wrong reasons, which result in a lot of wasted effort to correct those mistakes.
Determining if your business will benefit from using these two products together requires you to think about perspective. Based on your business needs, if you see a lot of overlap between the two products, then one platform should suffice and it's probably not a good idea to integrate. However, if there isn't much overlap, then integration makes much more sense as it allows you to leverage each solution's strengths.
The amount of overlap really depends on your unique requirements and what you're trying to accomplish with your website(s). Keep in mind that much of this is attributed to how websites and content management has evolved over the years and its affect on marketing's needs. Today's organizational websites have grown to become much more complex, often involving multiple sites that are then integrated with other enterprise systems, such as marketing automation, CRM's, e-commerce, and analytics to provide a richer end user experience.
The key consideration here is the total number of web assets your organization has. Are you a small organization with just one website, or a large enterprise with a global presence with hundreds of web properties to maintain?
For smaller organizations with only one website, then either Liferay or Crafter on its own is fully capable of addressing most, if not all, content management needs. However, it becomes more complicated when it comes to larger organizations with more sophisticated digital experience needs that typically involve many different sites and touch points.
In the latter case, an example of an integration pattern that doesn't work is when Crafter is being used solely for managing all web content, where the entire site is then published through Liferay as the front end. This pattern fails because Liferay controls its own look and feel, so trying to control it outside of Liferay breaks its architecture.
When there are multiple sites involved, it only makes sense to use both Liferay and Crafter when Liferay is just one of many delivery channels. An example would be an organization using Liferay for its employee intranet and Crafter to manage its global and regional websites. When the organization wants to publish content that needs to be delivered across all websites along with the intranet, that's when it makes the most sense to integrate.
In this use case, Liferay manages its own intranet page. Within the page is an area that's managed by Crafter that enables access to enterprise content while still adapting to the look and feel of the intranet.
This decoupled architecture, where content is separate from delivery, also makes it easy to expand and add additional delivery channels (mobile, social, etc.) for true multi-channel publishing. We've found this to be a great integration pattern for organizations that desire the flexibility to scale.
To summarize, Liferay and Crafter are both very powerful at the platform level. If you're thinking about integrating the two, it's counter productive to perform a feature by feature comparison. Instead, design your solution based on your use case and not by focusing on features, as many different technologies will have the same features, but address each use case differently. And remember that integration isn't always the answer, so do your research to understand the pros and cons. When done right, integrations can yield tremendous long-term benefits.


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By Kulmeet Kaur, Canada
Looking for an energy boost? You'll want to include three figs in your daily nourishment. Because figs have a high sugar content, they are great producers of energy, and fig sugars are quickly taken up by the intestinal tract and used by the body. Be warned however: more than three figs a day can make you horny and fat. Seriously not ideal.
But did you know that figs are also a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps control blood pressure? And with more than double the calcium of whole milk, figs also promote healthy bowel function due to their high levels of fiber. They are among the most highly alkaline foods and rank higher in antioxidants than red wine and tea, well known for their polyphenolics, plant-based chemicals thought to play a role in fighting disease.
In The Ancient Art of Self Healing, Yogi Bhajan said that figs can make you a sexual pig!
Fig Tips:
- Fresh figs can only be refrigerated for approximately 2 to 3 days after harvest.
- Dipping the blade of your knife in hot water helps prevent sticking when cutting
- Soak figs for thirty minutes, puree, and add to tomato sauce to sweeten it
Yogi Bhajan's Fig Recipe
Take 20 to 25 fresh figs and blend them with yogurt and drink. The figs must be fresh, not dried. One cup of yogurt to 10 -15 figs is a good ratio.
For sexual or nervous disorders, a mono diet of fresh figs is important. Be sure to eat the white strings, which cling to the yogurt. You always feel the energy for your creative purpose. It is a creative energy. After all, sexual energy is nothing but creative energy. And don't mix up these two energies and think one is creative and one is non-creative. Both are creative, it is all in how you use it.
-Yogi Bhajan, The Ancient Art of Self Healing
Ayurvedic Tonic Shake
Try this simple recipe for an Ayurvedic tonic to nourish the body and the mind. This immune-boosting shake is loaded with calcium and omega-3 essential fatty acids (aka brain food), helps with elimination, and tastes surprisingly good. Try it as a morning shake or anytime for an energy boost.
Soak overnight in about 1 1/2 cups water:
3 organic dried figs
6-7 organic walnuts
1 tsp organic raisins
In the morning, combine all ingredients, including the soaking water, in the blender until smooth. Adjust the water quantity to desired consistency. For variety, add 1tsp raw cacao nibs to the blender.
Kulmeet Kaur is an Ayurvedic nutritionist and Kundalini Yoga teacher. You can contact her at: [email protected] http://www.fearlesscooking.ca
Please note: Many of the yogic recipes on this site come from ancient yogic tradition. Nothing in this text should be construed as medical advice. Always check with your personal physician or licensed health care practitioner before making any significant modification in your diet, and before using any of these recipes, to insure that the recipes and ingredients are appropriate for your personal health condition and consistent with any medication you may be taking.


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A SUCCESSFUL city broker who was shot by a hitman at Shenfield station thought he was going to die.
Robin Clark, 44, told The Sun that he "said a quick prayer" because he thought it "was going to be the end".
Clark - known to his friends as Clarky - was shot in the thigh as he and a friend arrived at Shenfield station at 5.45am on Friday.
Describing the moment a man approached and fired a shot at him with a sawn-off shot gun, Clark said: "As he got nearer I tried to focus to see if it was someone I knew or if they were coming up to me to say 'hello Clarky'.
"They came straight at me but no words were said. There was no 'have that' - nothing at all."
Clark's friend, who owned the Ford S-Max that the pair had travelled to the station in, then called 999.
The father-of-four, who works for city firm RP Martin, was rushed to Basildon hospital. He told the national newspaper that he has had an operation on the wound and will have another one today.
Police are still looking for the gunman, who was said to be wearing a balaclava at the time.
Clark, described by friends as a "very successful broker" and "a bit of a party animal" said he doesn't know why anyone would want to shoot him. He told reporters: "I have had relationships in the last 12 months - but I don't think that could have anything to do with this.
"I have come up with a myriad of different people who might want to hurt me but none to this extent."
Clark was due to be interviewed by detectives either today or tomorrow. He is currently being guarded in hospital by armed police.